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THE SOUTH BEDFORDSHIRE METHODIST CIRCUIT

Registered charity 1134222 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHILTERN DOWNS METHODIST CIRCUIT

To support the work of the 22 Methodist Churches which make up the South Bedfordshire Circuit in their worship, learning and caring, service and evangelism.

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 DISCIPLINE 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 SUBSIDIARY 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: Central Bedfordshire, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£473k
Latest spending
£474k
Registered
2010
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves are significantly in excess of the stated policy target, with the General Fund representing approximately five months of budgeted expenditure against a policy target of three months. The charity reports that it is a going concern, supported by adequate reserves and continued assessment payments from member churches, although it acknowledges dependency on these assessments to maintain staffing levels.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of gross expenditure (held: £165k)
“Our policy is to hold about 3 months of gross expenditure as a reserve” — page 11
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.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2023)

Total income
£900k
Total spending
£356k
Reserves (reported)
£2.6m
Employees
7

Reported reserves equal ~88.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other (95% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.0%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Central Bedfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£473k£474k
31/08/2024£432k£497k
31/08/2023£900k£356k
31/08/2022£416k£438k
31/08/2021£397k£492k

Common questions

Is THE SOUTH BEDFORDSHIRE METHODIST CIRCUIT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves are significantly in excess of the stated policy target, with the General Fund representing approximately five months of budgeted expenditure against a policy target of three months. The charity reports that it is a going concern, supported by adequate reserves and continued assessment payments from member churches, although it acknowledges dependency on these assessments to maintain staffing levels. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

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

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE SOUTH BEDFORDSHIRE METHODIST CIRCUIT£473k—0unclear—no doubt
CAMBRIDGE METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£291k—0above—no doubt
BRADFORD NORTH METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£336k—0above—no doubt
SOUTHAMPTON METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£246k—0above—no doubt
THETFORD DISS AND MILDENHALL METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£152k—0unclear—no doubt
WEST SUSSEX (COAST AND DOWNS) METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£598k—0unclear—no doubt

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