Southampton Forward

Also known as: Southampton 2025 Trust, Southampton Cultural Development Trust

Southampton Forward is an independent charity working across culture, tourism and festival and events. Our role is to build capacity and enhance networks between the city's cultural organisations, create opportunities for cultural engagement for people throughout Southampton and to enable culture to be a catalyst for Southampton's creative placemaking.

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Activities & Mission

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Local Authority

Hampshire Southampton City

Financial Information

Latest Income

£1,392,027

Latest Expenditure

£1,386,099

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 99.4%

% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 74% of UK Arts charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 780). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 99.8%

% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 76% of UK Arts charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 1.9%

Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 68% of UK Arts charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £1,203,599

Charitable Activities £0

Other Trading £170,835

Investments £17,050

Other Income £543

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £1,383,675

Raising Funds £2,424

Governance £23,469

Grants to Institutions £106,000

Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.

One or more years show a significant change in income (over ±100%) compared with the prior year. This usually reflects a merger, transfer of activities, restated accounts, or a one-off legacy — not necessarily a real change in operating scale. See the methodology for context.

Financial Year	Income	Expenditure	Charitable Spending	Net Assets	Reserves	Staff
2025	£1,392,027	£1,386,099	£1,383,675	£1,592,619	£797,276	10 / 0
2024	£2,396,853	£1,000,689	£1,000,689	£1,586,691	£507,692	7 / 0
2023	£140,000	£403,579				0 / 0
2022	£606,852	£534,515	£534,515	£454,106	£9,328	0 / 0
2021	£446,400	£83,401				0 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Southampton Forward

What does Southampton Forward do?

How much income did Southampton Forward report in 2025?

Southampton Forward reported total income of £1.39m and reported expenditure of £1.39m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Southampton Forward?

Southampton Forward has a program ratio of 99.4%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 74% of UK Arts charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 780 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was Southampton Forward registered as a charity?

Southampton Forward was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 7 December 2010 as charity number 1139269. It has been registered for 16 years.

Who runs Southampton Forward?

Southampton Forward is governed by a board of 13 trustees. The chair of trustees is Laura Kathryn Read. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does Southampton Forward operate?

Southampton Forward operates across 2 areas: Hampshire and Southampton City.

Is Southampton Forward a registered charity?

Yes — Southampton Forward is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1139269.