The Auckland Project
Also known as: The Auckland Castle Trust
Running the Castle: managing the Castle, gardens and parkland - opening to the public.Enhancing the Castle: interpreting existing rooms and paintings, creating new temporary exhibitions,turning the Castle, medieval walled garden and historic parkland into a major heritage attraction, together with Market Place art galleryCreating social impact: jobs, apprentices, volunteers, creative projects
Activities & Mission
Running the Castle: managing the Castle, gardens and parkland - opening to the public.Enhancing the Castle: interpreting existing rooms and paintings, creating new temporary exhibitions,turning the Castle, medieval walled garden and historic parkland into a major heritage attraction, together with Market Place art galleryCreating social impact: jobs, apprentices, volunteers, creative projects
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
Financial Information
Financial Efficiency
Higher than 15% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income over £10M (sample: 62). How is this calculated?
Higher than 8% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?
Lower overhead than 6% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income over £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?
Latest Financial Breakdown
Income Sources
Expenditure Categories
Financial Trend
Annual Returns
As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.
| Financial Year | Income | Expenditure | Charitable Spending | Net Assets | Reserves | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | £14,488,689 | £15,723,952 | £9,383,591 | £74,004,889 | £73,532,981 | 201 / 290 |
| 2024 | £14,076,919 | £13,700,629 | £9,572,018 | £83,620,022 | £13,015,159 | 137 / 468 |
| 2023 | £7,755,332 | £11,799,028 | £8,685,323 | £83,306,232 | £16,241,028 | 136 / 288 |
| 2022 | £6,586,792 | £8,244,597 | £6,606,584 | £87,349,928 | £24,741,753 | 68 / 272 |
| 2021 | £11,293,630 | £7,996,774 | £7,129,378 | £89,015,846 | £29,687,520 | 88 / 318 |
Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers
Frequently asked questions about The Auckland Project
What does The Auckland Project do?
Running the Castle: managing the Castle, gardens and parkland - opening to the public.Enhancing the Castle: interpreting existing rooms and paintings, creating new temporary exhibitions,turning the Castle, medieval walled garden and historic parkland into a major heritage attraction, together with Market Place art galleryCreating social impact: jobs, apprentices, volunteers, creative projects
How much income did The Auckland Project report in 2025?
The Auckland Project reported total income of £14.49m and reported expenditure of £15.72m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.
How efficient is The Auckland Project?
The Auckland Project has a program ratio of 64.8%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 15% of UK Charity and VCS support charities with income over £10M (sample of 62 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.
When was The Auckland Project registered as a charity?
The Auckland Project was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 2 March 2012 as charity number 1146219. It has been registered for 14 years.
Who runs The Auckland Project?
The Auckland Project is governed by a board of 9 trustees. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.
Where does The Auckland Project operate?
The Auckland Project operates in Durham, as recorded in its Charity Commission filing.
Is The Auckland Project a registered charity?
Yes — The Auckland Project is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1146219.
Details
BISHOP AUCKLAND
County Durham
DL14 7JF
Registry Information
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Major UK charities in the same primary sector, drawn from the curated priority cohort.
Trustees
Also governs 4 other charities
Also governs 1 other charity
Sectors & Classifications
Also Known As
- The Auckland Castle Trust
Data & trust
- Register data refreshed
- 14 May 2026
- Methodology
- How metrics are calculated