Alnwick Garden bosses have toasted a “transformative and exciting” year with turnover blooming to £8.9m thanks to a record Christmas and visitors flocking to its new play village.
Latest accounts for the Northumberland attraction, covering the year ended March 31 2024, show it welcomed 334,560 visitors, up from 313,496 the previous year, while 159,317 visitors explored its new fairytale village Lilodorei, which also featured in a Channel 4 TV series. The trust’s free cash reserves declined from £1.38m at the start of the year to £350,860 by the year-end, primarily due to one-off expenditures associated with completing Lilidorei’s construction.
Despite this, the Alnwick Garden Trust achieved a 57% increase in total revenue to £8.9m, while operating revenue before the impacts of capital investments grew from £547,413 to £1.3.m. Admissions totalled £4.99m, a big lift on the previous year’s £2.64m and also way up on pre-pandemic levels of £2.5m.
In his report, chairman Jonathan Blackie said: “It has been an incredibly exciting year for The Alnwick Garden Trust, marked by transformative milestones and remarkable achievements. The undoubted highlight was the grand opening of Lilidorei, a magical space that captured the imagination of visitors far and wide.
“The unprecedented level of interest it generated was reflected in the many happy families who experienced the power of both imaginary and physical play within its environment. The impact of Lilidorei was further amplified by the coverage we received on Channel 4, which brought our story to a national audience and greatly enhanced our visibility.
“As we look ahead, this year and the next will be pivotal as we focus on adjustment-learning what works best and refining what doesn’t. There are still some aspects of Lilidorei, particularly the back-of-house areas, that require final touches. Nonetheless, the tremendous impact on the local visitor economy is already evident, and Lilidorei has significantly increased the Trust’s social and economic impacts.”
During the year Mr Blackie said the organisation had also grown, with a team of 240 members and 95 volunteers enjoying a successful winter.
The trust also received the Gold Award for Inclusivity and Accessibility at the North East Tourism Awards, among other accolades, and made strides in broadening its charitable reach. He added: “We experienced our strongest Christmas period, February, and March on record. In addition, the opening of the Climate Action Hub, Apiary, and our new Changing Places facility were key highlights, reflecting our commitment to innovation and inclusivity.
“We are excited about the future, especially as we reflect on the tremendous growth we’ve experienced over the past year.
“The next 12 to 18 months will be a period of learning and adaptation as we embrace our new position as a larger organisation.”
