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The Serpentine Trust

Also known as: Serpentine Gallery

The Serpentine Trust's vision is to open up art, for everyone, for free. It is responsible for running the Serpentine South and North galleries, and its mission is to exhibit, commission and promote the understanding of art, architecture and design through varied Exhibition, Education and Public Programmes.

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Activities & Mission

The Serpentine Trust's vision is to open up art, for everyone, for free. It is responsible for running the Serpentine South and North galleries, and its mission is to exhibit, commission and promote the understanding of art, architecture and design through varied Exhibition, Education and Public Programmes.

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.

Region

Financial Information

Latest Income
£14,756,643
Latest Expenditure
£15,553,882

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 82.2%
% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 38% of UK Arts charities with income over £10M (sample: 125). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 78.0%
% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 17% of UK Arts charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 22.5%
Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 14% of UK Arts charities with income over £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £6,595,846
Charitable Activities £6,259,681
Other Trading £1,844,205
Investments £56,911
Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £12,125,435
Raising Funds £3,428,447
Governance £69,323
Grants to Institutions £0
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.

Financial YearIncomeExpenditureCharitable SpendingNet AssetsReservesStaff
2025
£14,756,643
£15,553,882£12,125,435£10,447,934£2,592,270101 / 0
2024
£13,583,973
£14,565,144£11,527,497£11,245,172£2,494,438100 / 0
2023
£11,950,536
£13,548,698£10,548,020£12,226,342£1,558,80983 / 0
2022
£10,427,644
£11,451,579£8,458,931£13,824,504£1,741,70975 / 0
2021
£5,950,489
£6,760,679£4,833,640£13,848,439£2,154,06465 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about The Serpentine Trust

What does The Serpentine Trust do?

The Serpentine Trust's vision is to open up art, for everyone, for free. It is responsible for running the Serpentine South and North galleries, and its mission is to exhibit, commission and promote the understanding of art, architecture and design through varied Exhibition, Education and Public Programmes.

How much income did The Serpentine Trust report in 2025?

The Serpentine Trust reported total income of £14.76m and reported expenditure of £15.55m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is The Serpentine Trust?

The Serpentine Trust has a program ratio of 82.2%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 38% of UK Arts charities with income over £10M (sample of 125 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was The Serpentine Trust registered as a charity?

The Serpentine Trust was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 21 March 1988 as charity number 298809. It has been registered for 38 years.

Who runs The Serpentine Trust?

The Serpentine Trust is governed by a board of 16 trustees. The chair of trustees is THE HON MICHAEL R BLOOMBERG. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does The Serpentine Trust operate?

The Serpentine Trust operates in England, as recorded in its Charity Commission filing.

Is The Serpentine Trust a registered charity?

Yes — The Serpentine Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 298809.

Details

Address
Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens
LONDON
W2 3XA
Registration Date
21 March 1988
Status
Registered

Registry Information

Organisation Number
298809
Charity Number
298809

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Trustees

THE HON MICHAEL R BLOOMBERG Chair
Amanda Miriam Sharp
BARRY TOWNSLEY CBE
Eugenio Gerardo Lopez Alonso
JONATHAN PAUL WOOD
Lady Elena Foster of Thames Bank
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Maja Hoffman
MARCUS JARLATH BOYLE
Megha Mittal
Nicoletta Fiorucci
Robert Rosenkranz
Ruth Mackenzie
Sosuke Fujimoto
Suneil Setiya
THE HONORABLE MRS FELICITY WALEY-COHEN

Sectors & Classifications

Also Known As

  • Serpentine Gallery

Data & trust

Register data refreshed
14 May 2026
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