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SANKEY VALLEY METHODIST CIRCUIT

Registered charity 1134227 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as WARRINGTON METHODIST CIRCUIT

Religious activitiesSankey Valley Methodist Circuit was formed on 1st September 2011 by the merger of Warrington Methodist Circuit (1134227), St Helens & Prescot Methodist Circuit (1134244), Makerfield Methodist Circuit (Excepted Charity) and Widnes Methodist Circuit (Excepted Charity).

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

Latest income
£1.1m
Latest spending
£869k
Registered
2010
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £213,087 for the year ended 31 August 2025, a significant improvement from the previous year's deficit. However, the trustees note that excluding donated churches, the underlying operational result was a deficit of £357,000, and they have committed to using reserves to support running costs while a strategic review is completed. The charity's unrestricted reserves stand at £116,000, which is below the stated policy target of £170,000 to £255,000.

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: £116k; policy: three and four and a half months costs (£170,000 - £255,000))
“As at the 31 August 2025, the General Fund balance (excluding Fixed Assets) was £116,000.” — page 4
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Remuneration included for Circuit ministers (ex officio trustees) and the Circuit Safeguarding Officer. Expenses paid to 5 trustees totalled £23,796.
“Included within Charitable Activities is the remuneration of Circuit ministers who under Methodist Standing Orders are ex officio members of the Circuit Meeting and therefore trustees of the charity. The other trustee receiving remuneration was the Circuit Safeguarding Officer.” — page 21
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Murray Smith LLP. 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 31/08/2025)

Total income
£1.0m
Total spending
£869k
Cost of raising funds
£6k
Reserves (reported)
£7.2m
Employees
3

Reported reserves equal ~99.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (55% 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: 0.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Halton · St Helens · Warrington · Wigan

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£1.1m£869k
31/08/2024£505k£572k
31/08/2023£499k£638k
31/08/2022£463k£676k
31/08/2021£409k£608k

Common questions

Is SANKEY VALLEY METHODIST CIRCUIT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £213,087 for the year ended 31 August 2025, a significant improvement from the previous year's deficit. However, the trustees note that excluding donated churches, the underlying operational result was a deficit of £357,000, and they have committed to using reserves to support running costs while a strategic review is completed. The charity's unrestricted reserves stand at £116,000, which is below the stated policy target of £170,000 to £255,000. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Murray Smith LLP.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE JOSEPH RANK TRUST1£27k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE NENE VALLEY CIRCUIT OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
SANKEY VALLEY METHODIST CIRCUIT£1.1m—0below—no doubt
THE NENE VALLEY CIRCUIT OF THE METHODIST CHURCH FY2025£182k—0unclear—no doubt
THAMES VALLEY METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£285k—0unclear—no doubt
YORK METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£860k—0above—no doubt
SALISBURY METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£1.1m—0below—no doubt
SALFORD METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025£134k—0above—no doubt

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