Downing Place United Reformed Church, Cambridge, General Funds Charity

Registered charity 1131462 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as Downing Place URC General Funds Charity, EMMANUEL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE, EMMANUEL URC CAMBRIDGE

Provides regular public worship for all. Promotes education and learning about the Christian Faith for all ages. Gives pastoral support to those in sickness, distress or poverty. Provides nurture and activities for children and young people. Serves the community by providing premises for groups and resources for activities, including education and learning opportunities.

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

Latest income

£426k

Latest spending

£600k

Registered

2009

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity incurred a net reduction in funds of £116,427 for the year, driven by a significant drop in income from York Street and investment returns, despite higher donations. The trustees consider the going concern basis appropriate, citing that existing and anticipated reserve levels are sufficient to meet financial obligations for the next 18 months.

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

What the accounts disclose

Related-party transaction: Lewis Gibson Limited is a related party of the Church, by virtue of the beneficial holding of 66.67% in that company. Transactions between the Church and Lewis Gibson Limited are disclosed in note 5 to the accounts.

“Lewis Gibson Limited is a related party of the Church, by virtue of the beneficial holding of 66.67% in that company. Transactions between the Church and Lewis Gibson Limited are disclosed in note 5 to the accounts.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Lewis Gibson Limited

“The investment in shares in Lewis Gibson Limited represents an interest of 66.67% in that company. The principal activity of Lewis Gibson Limited is the letting of Lewis Gibson House as a doctor's surgery.” — page 19

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: LEWIS GIBSON LIMITED Companies House 04091574

LEWIS GIBSON LIMITED — latest Companies House iXBRL filing (balance sheet 2025-12-31)

Turnover: £191k
Profit/loss before tax: £125k
Equity: £3

LEWIS GIBSON LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Turnover: £191k
Profit before tax: £117k

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Downing Place United Reformed Church (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

3 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2022)

Total income

£676k

Total spending

£521k

Reserves (reported)

£1.1m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~24.3 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (25/10/2019) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (14/05/2019) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Alison Esther Binney
David Derek Bush
Dr ALAN JAMES ROBERTSON RICKARD
Dr CHARLES CHRISTOPHER AUGUR PEARCE
Dr Elizabeth Cornelia De Bruin-Lara
Dr Robert Connon Smith
Dr William Owen Saxton
George William Adams Devine
Hazel Joy Sanderson
Helen Elizabeth Bell
JANE BOWER
PHILIPPA MILLINGTON JONES
STEPHEN THORNTON CBE
Sonya Clare Sireau

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£426k	£600k
31/12/2023	£450k	£588k
31/12/2022	£676k	£521k
31/12/2021	£440k	£406k
31/12/2020	£456k	£352k

Common questions

Is Downing Place United Reformed Church, Cambridge, General Funds Charity financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a net reduction in funds of £116,427 for the year, driven by a significant drop in income from York Street and investment returns, despite higher donations. The trustees consider the going concern basis appropriate, citing that existing and anticipated reserve levels are sufficient to meet financial obligations for the next 18 months. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with PURLEY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH.

PURLEY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH income £255k
PLUME AVENUE, COLCHESTER, UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £125k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST RICHARD ALDWICK income £141k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF OXSHOTT income £316k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH, CHEYLESMORE, COVENTRY income £114k
WOKING UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £363k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
Downing Place United Reformed Church, Cambridge, General Funds Charity	£426k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
PURLEY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH FY2025	£255k	—	above	—	no doubt
PLUME AVENUE, COLCHESTER, UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY FY2024	£125k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST RICHARD ALDWICK FY2025	£141k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF OXSHOTT FY2025	£316k	—	within	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH, CHEYLESMORE, COVENTRY FY2025	£114k	—	above	—	no doubt

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