The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The principal objective of the charity, which accords with the public benefit requirement, is to educate the public in science and technology, with particular reference to glass manufacturing and technology employed in the glass industry.
It was always envisaged that the objectives of the charity would be primarily achieved from the operation of its museum and heritage-based visitor centre situated in the heart of St Helens. The Centre opened in March 2000 and is home to the Pilkington Glass Collection and the St Helens Council Social and Industrial History Collection. Both these collections portray how glass manufacturing has shaped the development of the town of St Helens and define the historical and continuing importance of glass as a material.
In addition to housing the collections, the centre continues to inform and educate visitors from the United Kingdom and many other parts of the world. This is achieved in many ways, but in particular:
Guided tours of the adjacent 19th Century Listed Grade II Cone Building
Regular glass blowing demonstrations
A “state of the art” audio visual show
Frequent temporary exhibitions
Interactive children’s area concentrating on the science of light and its relationship to glass
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The World of Glass has been a visitor attraction in St Helens for nearly 25 years. It was opened in March 2000 as a ground-breaking Millenium project. On top of housing a nationally significant glass collection and St Helens Council’s social and industrial history collection, the visitor centre also is home to the town’s library, community spaces, galleries, meeting rooms, a café, shop and live glass blowing demonstrations. The site also includes one of the finest examples of a regenerative furnace in England, the Grade II* listed Tank House No. 9, a Scheduled Monument.
Despite the significant investment to create The World of Glass (which was cutting edge at the time of its opening), there has been virtually no further investment in the site until 2023 when it received £0.89m to refurbish its main galleries. This investment has created a hugely engaging interactive space and has boosted visitor figures from 50K to nearly 100K per year.
The World of Glass has an opportunity to target these increased visitors by supplying high quality and targeted shopping and food experiences, bespoke glass workshops and demonstrations and events and activities that create an increased income stream.
These opportunities will help to secure the future of the World of Glass, improving on the infrastructure, significantly raising our profile within the glass art sector, Liverpool City Region, and nationally, as well as securing much needed income.
In June 2024 The World of Glass recruited a new Executive Director. Sarah Taylor replaced Pete Frost after 3 years in post. Human resources, health and safety, and financial processes and procedures have been brought in throughout the year, providing up to date operational support for the team.
The operating deficit of the charity for the year was £180,736 (2024: surplus £366,671) before a fixed asset depreciation charge of £389,837 (2024: £411,370).
The trading subsidiary of the charity made a profit before taxation of £13,281 (2024: £420).
The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited continues to work closely with local partners, primarily St Helens Council, to establish an integrated cultural partnership within the town, as well as sourcing funding and investment for future development.
Current funding from St Helens Council has been agreed through a service level agreement and the trustees are aware that without this funding The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited will be unable to continue to trade as a going concern. The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited continues to look for additional sources of funding to secure the future of the charity.
The trustees believe, having taken into account all information that could reasonably be expected to be available, it is appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard (Charities SORP) defines reserves as income which becomes available to the charity and is to be spent at the trustees’ discretion in furtherance of any of the charity’s objectives, but which is not yet spent, committed or designated.
The definition therefore excludes income funds which could only be realised by disposing of fixed assets. The charity's total reserves are largely represented by fixed assets and, consequently, the remaining would be free reserves. The free reserves at the balance sheet date were in deficit by £164,611 (2024: surplus £50,576).
The World of Glass recognised that its future was at risk due to the lack of free reserves. Therefore, after the year end, the Board and Executive Director decided to officially put itself down as a 'museum at risk' with Museum Development, a government funded partnership which works to secure the development and sustainability of museums across England. With their support we were able to build relationships with funders like Arts Council England and we were successfully awarded £286K to spend in the 2025/26 financial year to top up our reserves, alleviate any shortfall in our operational budget, and to fund some development activities to support future sustainability.
On top of this we went public with a fundraising campaign. This raised over £66K through Crowdfunding, corporate and other public donations, with more donations likely to come in. We have also registered for Gift Aid for the first time this year, effectively raising further funding on top of this.
As a result of our funding success, we have now been taken off the Museums at Risk register.
As at 31 March 2025 the charity had total funds of £3,997,804. Restricted funds were £4,162,415, represented largely by fixed assets, see notes 13 and 22.
The charity’s principal sources of funding are from a combination of commercial activities and grant aid. As in previous years, the commercial activities were largely carried out by the wholly owned trading subsidiary, The World of Glass Enterprises Limited. Trading income from The World of Glass Enterprises Limited for the year was £201,057 (2024: £193,187). The charity made a management charge of £31,040 (2024: £22,108) to the trading company during the year and this assisted the charity in meeting its objectives.
In addition to the income generated from the trading company, the charity continued to receive support from St Helens Council of £200,000 (2024: £200,000), together with a loan last year of £160,000. The Board is extremely appreciative of this continued support.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Operating at a financial loss throughout the year the Board and Executive Director recognised the need for more intensive fundraising and business development. While showing no financial gain in 2024/25, it has resulted in a significant increase in grant funding in 2025/26, including receiving £286K from the Arts Council Museum Renewal Fund. This will give the team the time and space to build and test a new business model. A public fundraising campaign throughout the summer of 2025 has not only increased donations significantly but also raised the profile of The World of Glass. This, on top of the International Festival of Glass and British Glass Biennale in 2026 promises significant opportunities to deliver on the ambitions of The World of Glass into the next 2 years.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 18th March 1991 in England and Wales. It is governed by its memorandum and articles of association. The liability of the members in the event of the charity being wound up is limited to £1. The company is a registered charity and acts entirely as a non-profit making organisation.
The charity is governed by its Board of Trustees, which meets bi-monthly. The Board, together with the senior management team headed by the executive director Sarah Taylor, is responsible for formulating the strategy and policies of the organisation. Performance is monitored by regular financial reporting against approved budgeting levels. The charity's chair, Mr A Whittaker, who is also a trustee, meets with the senior management team on a regular basis to review the financial position and day to day operation of the centre.
Trustees are drawn from a variety of backgrounds to ensure the Board has the required expertise. All new trustees are subject to an induction process which includes the opportunity to meet with senior managers and staff and to visit the centre to see how it operates on a day to day basis. Prior to their appointment, new trustees are given a package of information including copies of the governing documents of both the charity and trading company, accounting and risk management policies and procedures, the charity's conflict of interest policy, and their eligibility to serve, under section 72 of the Charities Act 2011, is checked.
The power of the appointment and removal of trustees is vested with the members of the charity. Each member is entitled to one vote and to be represented on the Board by up to two trustees.
The Trustees who held office during the year and since the year end are as detailed below.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The charity owns 100% of the ordinary share capital of its subsidiary trading company, The World of Glass Enterprises Limited. The trading company occupies the charity's premises and also shares equipment, staff and resources. Whilst there is no licence or agreement for occupation, there is an appropriate apportioning of relevant costs resulting in an annual management charge.
St Helens Council, who is a member of the charity, provides essential core funding in support of the exhibitions and education work as an amenity for local residents and the public, and to assist in the operation of the centre.
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that BK Plus Audit Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and
the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the trustees' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.
From the preliminary stages of the audit, we ensure our understanding of the entity is up to date. This includes, but is not limited to, current knowledge of their activities, the business and control environments, and their compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks. This information supports our risk identification and the subsequent design of audit procedures to mitigate those risks; ensuring that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to support our opinion.
In response to the risks identified, specific to this entity, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims;
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, where available;
Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
Auditing the risk of management override of controls, including through testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, and evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 12 to 25 form part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages 12 to 25 form part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages 12 to 25 form part of these financial statements.
The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Chalon Way East, St Helens, WA10 1BX, United Kingdom.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
The charity has taken advantage of the exemption under Section 144, Charities Act 2011 not to prepare consolidated accounts, on the basis that the group of which the charity is the parent, falls under the stipulated threshold. The financial statements present information about the charity as an individual entity and not about its group.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Income from government grants is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grant have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably, unless performance conditions require deferral of the grant.
Income from trading activities is recognised as earned as the related goods and services are provided and is stated after discounts and net of VAT.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Costs of generating funds are those costs incurred in trading activities that raise funds and include both the direct costs and support costs relating to these activities.
Charitable activities include expenditure associated with the operations of the charity as a visitor centre and include both the direct costs and support costs relating to this activity.
Governance costs include those incurred in the governance of the charity and its assets and are primarily associated with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
Tangible fixed assets which are of historical, artistic or scientific importance and are held to advance the preservation, conservation and educational objectives of the charity are classed as heritage assets. Assets which have been purchased are capitalised at their cost, or valuation where such information can be obtained at a cost commensurate with the benefit to users of the financial statements. There are no heritage assets within the visitor centre collection other than those which have been purchased.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in net income/(expenditure) for the year.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Departmental materials
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The chandelier was donated by Manchester Airport during the year ended 31 March 2009 and its cost of £79,344 represented expenditure incurred in installing the exhibit in the visitor centre. The market value donation has not been included on the grounds that the cost of obtaining such a valuation would not be commensurate with the benefit of the users of the financial statements. The chandelier has been fully depreciated and has a net book value of £Nil (2024 £Nil).
Other heritage assets within the visitor centre are not included on the balance sheet because the charity acts only as their curator.
The bank loan is unsecured.
The related party loan represents a loan from St Helens Council for working capital and is secured by a fixed charge over the leasehold land lying South of Chalon Way, St Helens, title MS399499.
The loan from St Helens Council is repayable by 48 equal monthly instalments commencing in December 2025. The initial 12 monthly repayments are interest only. Interest is payable monthly in arrears and is charged at 5.89% per annum.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The building fund was provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund to renovate the former Pilkingtons' glass works building (the cone house) and to construct the linked visitor centre.
The Re-imagining fund was provided by the government under the New Town Deal to re-imagine the charity's permanent galleries.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
The charity received the following from St Helens Council during the year:
core funding grants totalling £200,000 (2024: £200,000).
digital media campaign and rebranding £13,750 (2024: £Nil).
These financial statements are separate charity financial statements for The World of Glass (St Helens) Limited.
Separate company financial statements are required to be prepared by law. Consolidated financial statements for The World of Glass Group have not been prepared as it does not fulfil the requirements stipulated by the Charity's Act.
Details of the charity's subsidiaries at 31 March 2025 are as follows:
The World of Glass Enterprises Limited operates the trading and commercial activities of the visitor centre, which include operating the admissions to the visitor centre, its shop and cafe, the car park and the hire of its facilities for functions and conferences.
At the year end there was a balance due from The World of Glass Enterprises of £22,661 (2024: £20,073).
The charity is controlled by the executive committee, which is composed of the trustees and members.