THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST MARY THE GREAT WITH ST MICHAEL

Registered charity 1127668 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as GREAT ST MARY'S THE UNIVERSITY CHURCH, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST. MARY THE GREAT WITH ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS.

Religious activities

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

Latest income
£1.6m
Latest spending
£1.6m
Registered
2009
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that free reserves increased by £14,823 to £290,712, which is below the stated policy target of £500,000. The charity reported an unrestricted surplus for the year but notes that running costs increased by almost a third, and future repairs to the tower and roof will require significant expenditure.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £291k; policy: one year’s normal running costs, excluding visitor related and grant funded costs. (around £500,000))
“At the end of the year the church had built up free reserves of £290,712 and looks to build towards the reserves target in future years.” — page 9
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“Due to a significant increase in the Ministry Share brough about by the new Associate Vicar post the church is budgeting a small deficit for 2025 but the Trustees are confident that the church has sufficient reserves and continuing income streams to continue as a going concern.” — page 9
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Great St Mary's Trading Ltd is a trading company owned and established by the PCC.
“Great St. Mary’s Trading Ltd is a trading company owned and established by the PCC as a vehicle for managing the activities of the Michaelhouse Café and Centre in St. Michael’s Church.” — page 5
“The SCY is an independent organisation which accepts responsibility for ringing the bells of Great St Mary’s for Sunday Services.” — page 5
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The Society of Cambridge Youths is an independent organisation which accepts responsibility for ringing the bells.
“Great St. Mary’s Trading Ltd is a trading company owned and established by the PCC as a vehicle for managing the activities of the Michaelhouse Café and Centre in St. Michael’s Church.” — page 5
“The SCY is an independent organisation which accepts responsibility for ringing the bells of Great St Mary’s for Sunday Services.” — page 5
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Great St Mary's Trading Ltd
“Great St Mary's Trading Limited is wholly owned by the Charity and consolidated within these accounts.” — page 20
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Staffords. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2023 and FY2024 accounts as analysed by this site.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£1.6m
Total spending
£1.6m
Cost of raising funds
£17k
Reserves (reported)
£245k
Employees
26

Reported reserves equal ~1.9 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (75% 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: 1.1% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£1.6m£1.6m
31/12/2024£1.5m£1.5m
31/12/2023£1.4m£1.3m
31/12/2022£1.3m£1.2m
31/12/2021£1.1m£872k

Common questions

Is THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST MARY THE GREAT WITH ST MICHAEL financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that free reserves increased by £14,823 to £290,712, which is below the stated policy target of £500,000. The charity reported an unrestricted surplus for the year but notes that running costs increased by almost a third, and future repairs to the tower and roof will require significant expenditure. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Staffords.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund15/05/2018£10k"A Window on the War: the women of Cambridge in WW1"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund29/05/2012£296k"Great St Mary's Church Cambridge - heritage education project"

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST. BARNABAS.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST MARY THE GREAT WITH ST MICHAEL£1.6m—0below—noted
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBRIDGE ST. BARNABAS FY2024£442k—0below—no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARTIN CAMBERLEY FY2024£113k—0unclear—no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MATTHEW, CAMBRIDGE FY2024£325k—0unclear—noted
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST CLEMENT CAMBRIDGE FY2025£152k—0above—no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CAMBERLEY ST MARY FY2025£201k—0unclear—no doubt

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