Rise in English Heritage income and membership

English Heritage recorded a 16% increase in income in the past year, according to the conservation charity’s annual report for 2021/22.

Its total income increased from £99.8m to £116m, while total expenditure was up from £37.4m to £42.4m.

The charity’s membership base reached almost 1.2m, including 422,000 new sign ups in 2021/22, which saw membership income rise from £37.4m to £42.4m.

English Heritage says some of its 400-plus sites posted record visitor numbers too, which has been attributed to an increase in staycations following the peak of the pandemic.

But the charity is aware financial challenges could be ahead. It says a £80m grant from Historic England – presented when English Heritage became a charity in 2015 – is almost spent, alongside a series of Covid recovery grants.

Chair Sir Tim Laurence said 2021/22 was a “year of learning to live with Covid-19”.

“We and the rest of the world will be dealing with the financial impacts of the pandemic and of the war in Ukraine for some time to come,” he added.

“But I have every confidence in our ability to rise to the challenge.”

English Heritage’s annual report also confirmed staff numbers dropped from 2,245 to 2,117, while its gender pay gap narrowed from 10.3% to 7.8%.