CHELTENHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Registered charity 1134130 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHELTENHAM URC

Religous services and community outreach as Christians

Objects

The object of the Charity is the advancement of the Christian faith for the benefit of the public in accordance with the Scheme of Union of the United Reformed 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: Cheltenham, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£326k

Latest spending

£494k

Registered

2010

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves fell to £70,825, which is below the trustees' stated policy target of six months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reports a net loss for the year and notes that it needs to rebuild its reserves in 2026 following significant spending on spire restoration.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £71k; policy: six months of unrestricted expenditure)

“The financial support required to complete the spire restoration project has resulted in our reserves just exceeding this amount so we need to rebuild our reserves in 2026.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: The wife of one of the trustees received remuneration of £6,240 during the year.

“The wife of one of the trustees received remuneration of £6,240 during the year. No further benefits were received by the trustees from the charity during the year.” — page 22

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Contributions to shared costs within the United Reformed Church pastorate.

“In 2025 the amounts contributed totalled £3,963 (2024 - £4,380). This charity is not the beneficial owner of any items involved so nothing extra is incorporated into these financial statements.” — page 12

“Titles to all three church buildings and one manse in Cheltenham are held in the name of the United Reformed Church (West Midlands) Trust Limited. We maintain and insure them in accordance with agreements between us and the Trust Company.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Title holding by URC (West Midlands) Trust Limited.

“In 2025 the amounts contributed totalled £3,963 (2024 - £4,380). This charity is not the beneficial owner of any items involved so nothing extra is incorporated into these financial statements.” — page 12

“Titles to all three church buildings and one manse in Cheltenham are held in the name of the United Reformed Church (West Midlands) Trust Limited. We maintain and insure them in accordance with agreements between us and the Trust Company.” — page 27

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
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Trustees · trustee networks

Rev IAIN DUNCAN McLARENchair
ALISON MARGARET KERR · trustee of 1 other charity
ALISON STAGG
CAROLE ANN PENNINGTON
Carole Elizabeth Drummond
DAVID STANGOE BLACK · trustee of 1 other charity
Geoffrey Tizzard-King
JENNIFER MARGARET EVANS
Sarah Tizzard-King

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

Operates in: Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£326k	£494k
31/12/2024	£263k	£347k
31/12/2023	£147k	£160k
31/12/2022	£166k	£128k
31/12/2021	£120k	£140k

Common questions

Is CHELTENHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves fell to £70,825, which is below the trustees' stated policy target of six months of unrestricted expenditure. The charity reports a net loss for the year and notes that it needs to rebuild its reserves in 2026 following significant spending on spire restoration. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRIGHTHELM CHURCH AND COMMUNITY CENTRE TRUST LIMITED.

BRIGHTHELM CHURCH AND COMMUNITY CENTRE TRUST LIMITED income £347k
CHRIST CHURCH HENLEY-ON-THAMES UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £202k
WELLINGBOROUGH UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £235k
REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD: PLACE OF HIS PRESENCE income £38k
CITY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £36k
RUGBY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £80k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
CHELTENHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH	£326k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
BRIGHTHELM CHURCH AND COMMUNITY CENTRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£347k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
CHRIST CHURCH HENLEY-ON-THAMES UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY FY2025	£202k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
WELLINGBOROUGH UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY FY2025	£235k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD: PLACE OF HIS PRESENCE FY2024	£38k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CITY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY FY2025	£36k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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