BENFLEET METHODIST CHURCH

Registered charity 1127749 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Our mission is to be a powerful spiritual force in the community and a visible expression of God's inclusive love.

Objects

The purposes of the Methodist Church are and shall be deemed to have been since the date of union the advancement of -(a) the Christian faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the dicipline of the Methodist Church;(b) any charitable purpose for the time being of any Connexional, district, circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church;(c) any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsiduary or ancillary to the Methodist Church;(d) any purpose for the time being of any charity being a charity subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church.

Area of benefit: UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LOCAL.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Castle Point, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£351k

Latest spending

£125k

Registered

2009

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £1,773,202 against a policy target of six months' average expenditure. The trustees confirm the organization is a going concern, with net current assets of £97,781 available for general purposes after accounting for premises investments.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months average expenditure (held: £1.8m)

“The Reserves Policy for the Church is to hold a minimum of six months average expenditure.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustees make regular freewill offerings to support the work and activities of the Church. These are made through regular standing orders, weekly envelopes or cash put into the collection plates. It is neither practical nor appropriate to attempt to segregate these amounts that are given voluntarily.

“Church trustees, being members of the Church, make regular freewill offerings to support the work and activities of the Church. These are made through regular standing orders, weekly envelopes or cash put into the collection plates. It is neither practical nor appropriate to attempt to segregate these amounts that are given voluntarily.” — page 17

“Related parties include the Methodist Conference, the BE&H District and Churches within the Circuit, other Methodist Districts in Great Britain, CFB and TMCP.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Church is part of the Southend and Leigh Circuit which is a part of the Beds, Essex & Herts District. Internal organisations which are accountable to the Church Council are Wives Club, Women’s Fellowship, Badminton Club, Wesley Art Group, Fusion Youth Group, Ladies Thursday Club, Little Bunnies Playgroup, OACS.

“Church trustees, being members of the Church, make regular freewill offerings to support the work and activities of the Church. These are made through regular standing orders, weekly envelopes or cash put into the collection plates. It is neither practical nor appropriate to attempt to segregate these amounts that are given voluntarily.” — page 17

“Related parties include the Methodist Conference, the BE&H District and Churches within the Circuit, other Methodist Districts in Great Britain, CFB and TMCP.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Trustees · trustee networks

Alan John Stokes
Andrew Keyes
CAROLINE HUGGETT B.ED. HONS
DOREEN BARTLETT
Daisy Humphreys
Diane Norton
Elixabeth Ann Keyes
JANICE MARIE GRAY
RICHARD JOHN REEVES
ROBERT GRAY · trustee of 1 other charity
Rev Zena Smith
Robin Macdonald
Rosalind Klass
SUSAN DOWNER
Shelagh Stokes
Stella Holden
Stephen Decker
Valerie Ryall · trustee of 1 other charity
Valerie Windsor

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

Operates in: Essex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£351k	£125k
31/08/2024	£123k	£138k
31/08/2023	£131k	£118k
31/08/2022	£142k	£179k
31/08/2021	£218k	£208k

Common questions

Is BENFLEET METHODIST CHURCH financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £1,773,202 against a policy target of six months' average expenditure. The trustees confirm the organization is a going concern, with net current assets of £97,781 available for general purposes after accounting for premises investments. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Essex County Council	29/11/2018	£8k	Community Inititives Fund Grant
The National Lottery Community Fund	08/07/2015	£6k	The Young People's Group (YPG)

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
LANCASHIRE ENVIRONMENTAL FUND LIMITED	1	£26k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FLEET METHODIST CHURCH.

FLEET METHODIST CHURCH income £325k
MINT METHODIST CHURCH income £281k
WEMBLEY PARK LANE METHODIST CHURCH income £117k
BAMBER BRIDGE METHODIST CHURCH income £73k
CARNFORTH FREE METHODIST CHURCH income £197k
SOUTHGATE (THE BOURNE) METHODIST CHURCH income £173k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BENFLEET METHODIST CHURCH	£351k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
FLEET METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£325k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
MINT METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£281k	—	below	—	no doubt
WEMBLEY PARK LANE METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£117k	—	unclear	6.0%	no doubt
BAMBER BRIDGE METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£73k	—	above	—	no doubt
CARNFORTH FREE METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£197k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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