ST CECILIA'S ABBEY RYDE ISLE OF WIGHT

Registered charity 1088086 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The advancement of the Catholic religion, principally though not exclusively through the maintenance of St Cecilia's Abbey and the community of Benedictine nuns who inhabit it and who celebrate daily in public the Divine Office, sung in Latin Gregorian Chant, and who minister to those seeking some share in the contemplative life through retreats and other contacts.

Causes: Religious Activities · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£1.1m

Latest spending

£828k

Registered

2001

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds total reserves of £27,259,996, comprising £13,984,618 in general unrestricted funds. Per the trustees' report, these reserves are considered sufficient to meet immediate and foreseeable needs, including supporting the religious community and maintaining the Abbey estate.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Investment income (70% of income)

“The on-going principal sources of income were £764,959 (2023: £720,121) investment income”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: retain some of its surplus income as reserves (held: £14.0m)

“The Trustees consider that the long term nature of the Trust’s charitable objectives requires that it retain some of its surplus income as reserves. These reserves are necessary in order to secure the future ability of the Charity to support the religious community at St Cecilia’s Abbey.” — page 6

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Francis Clark LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income

£1.1m

Total spending

£828k

Cost of raising funds

£111k

Reserves (reported)

£25.4m

Employees

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (70% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 10.2% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

SR EUSTOCHIUM
Sister Gertrude
Sister Madeleine
Sr Marie Therese Dempsey

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Isle Of Wight

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£1.1m	£828k
31/12/2023	£1.9m	£670k
31/12/2022	£895k	£735k
31/12/2021	£801k	£618k
31/12/2020	£696k	£536k

Common questions

Is ST CECILIA'S ABBEY RYDE ISLE OF WIGHT financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds total reserves of £27,259,996, comprising £13,984,618 in general unrestricted funds. Per the trustees' report, these reserves are considered sufficient to meet immediate and foreseeable needs, including supporting the religious community and maintaining the Abbey estate. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Francis Clark LLP.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR SCHOOL FUND	1	£225k
THE FOUNDATION OF ST. BENEDICT OF NURSIA	1	£133k
ST MARY'S PRIORY FERNHAM RESIDUAL FUND	1	£3k
GOWLING WLG (UK) CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ST MARY'S ABBEY, QUARR.

ST MARY'S ABBEY, QUARR income £1.6m
ST MILDRED'S ABBEY, MINSTER, KENT income £387k
CALDEY ABBEY income £1.3m
WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR SCHOOL income £7.1m
CONVENTUS OF OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION income £6.8m
MOUNT ST BERNARD ABBEY TRUSTEES REGISTERED income £1.4m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ST CECILIA'S ABBEY RYDE ISLE OF WIGHT	£1.1m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
ST MARY'S ABBEY, QUARR FY2024	£1.6m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ST MILDRED'S ABBEY, MINSTER, KENT FY2024	£387k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CALDEY ABBEY FY2025	£1.3m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR SCHOOL FY2025	£7.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CONVENTUS OF OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION FY2025	£6.8m	—	0	unclear	0.9%	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.