The Governance RegisterEdition 2026 · Compiled 30th August 2026

The Design Museum

Registered charity 800630 Registered since 1989

Operates: Throughout England

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Board DNA

How this board is put together, from Charity Commission trustee records and Companies House - deterministic, no AI.iBoard compositionCounted from the dated Charity Commission trustee register: the current board only, past trustees excluded.

4.2y median 4y
average tenure
9y
longest tenure

Trustees past 6 years

15.9y
average years in governance

First-time vs portfolio trustees

First-time (9)

Portfolio (3)

12
company-linked trustees

Sector coverage iSector coverageThe charitable fields this board's trustees govern in elsewhere, by Charity Commission classification. Excludes this charity.

Arts/culture/heritage/science 12Education/training 12Environment/conservation/heritage 1

Commercial experience iCommercial experienceThe industries this board's members are company directors in, by Companies House SIC code. Excludes this organisation's own company.

Arts and leisure 22Professional services 9Education 5

Succession forecast iSuccession forecastThe number of board seats likely to open in the next twelve months - summed across the board from each dated trustee’s tenure - and the profile worth recruiting next. From the filed record, deterministic.

🔒 Succession forecast is a Pro feature - the board seats likely to open in the next year and the ideal next trustee. Explore Pro →

Health of the organisation facts side by side - the conclusion is yours

Income v spending, filed accountsiIncome v spendingTotal gross income and expenditure from filed annual returns, Charity Commission, last 5 years.
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
incomespending£17.2m latest income
ReservesiReserves12 x free reserves / annual expenditure, from the Part B annual return. The sector median is computed across all Part B filers in the same income band.

0.0 months of spending held in free reserves · median for charities its size: 3.7 months · was 5.0 in 2021

191 from 132 in 2021
EmployeesiEmployeesHeadcount as filed in Part B annual returns, per financial year. Shown exactly as filed; year-on-year figures may be filed on different bases, so a comparison is only shown when the filings are plausibly comparable.

Related organisations iRelated organisationsTwo groups, both deterministic from public records. Related organisations share two or more trustees with this board - a real structural link, such as a subsidiary or sister charity. Connected through a shared trustee share exactly one person - a genuine connection, but not the same group. A board with no shared trustee at all may still appear here when it is active in the same charitable field.

Connected through a shared trustee

Also active in the same field

Deterministic, from public records.

Contact

Websitedesignmuseum.org
Emailmadeline.penn@designmuseum.org
Phone0203 8625863
Address224 - 238 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6AG

Finances

£17,177,844 latest income

YearIncomeSpending
2021£10,063,962£8,475,369
2022£8,233,420£11,537,571
2023£8,904,630£11,806,196
2024£12,448,300£13,933,516
2025£17,177,844£14,860,362

What it does

What

Education/trainingArts/culture/heritage/science

Who

Children/young PeopleElderly/old PeoplePeople With DisabilitiesThe General Public/mankind

How

Makes Grants To IndividualsProvides Buildings/facilities/open SpaceProvides ServicesProvides Advocacy/advice/information

Charitable objects

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE STUDY OF ALL FORMS OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE IN THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL, ARTISTIC, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONTEXTS BY THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A MUSEUM OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE.

Governing document: MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 05/12/1988AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 22/06/2009AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 23/12/2010AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 08/12/2011

Trustees (12)

12trustees
58median age
2aged 70+

Linked company (Companies House)

The Design Museum · 02325092 · Active

PRI/LBG/NSC (Private, Limited by guarantee, no share capital, use of 'Limited' exemption) · incorporated 05/12/1988

6 governing document(s) held from Companies House.

Connected charities (5)

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