UNITED REFORMED CHURCH THAMES NORTH SYNOD CHARITIES

Registered charity 1135477 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objects and activities of the Thames North Synod are to advance the Christian religion in accordance with the doctrines, principles and usages of the United Reformed Church, particularly in the Thames North area. The Synod is also supportive of Inter Synod sharing of financial resources.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Religious Activities · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£4.0m

Latest spending

£2.9m

Registered

2010

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held total funds of £49.9 million, with unrestricted reserves of £39 million and easily realisable reserves of over £18 million. The trustees calculated that £23 million would be needed to cover basic running costs, concluding that the Synod holds sufficient reserves to meet its financial obligations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: none

“The Synod doesn’t raise funds through any form of fundraising. As previously noted all income is from investments, rental and loan incomes.” — page 10

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: sufficient to produce enough income to meet the basic running costs of the Synod (held: £39.0m)

“The trustees would like to retain reserves sufficient to produce enough income to meet the basic running costs of the Synod.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: One Trustee received fees in relation to HR advisory.

“During the year one Trustee received fees in relation to HR advisory, no other Trustees received emoluments (2023: £nil).” — page 17

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee remuneration

“During the year one Trustee received fees in relation to HR advisory, no other Trustees received emoluments (2023: £nil). Travelling, computer and stationery expenses reimbursed in the year totalled £ nil (2023 £ nil).” — page 17

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income

£4.0m

Total spending

£2.9m

Cost of raising funds

£75k

Reserves (reported)

£30.0m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~122.5 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 1.9% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (04/09/2014) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (01/08/2013) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Janet Coleman
Mark Robinson · trustee of 1 other charity
Martyn Macphee
Rev George Watt · trustee of 1 other charity
Rev John Buratt Macaulay

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£4.0m	£2.9m
31/12/2023	£6.4m	£2.5m
31/12/2022	£11.5m	£3.3m
31/12/2021	£1.3m	£4.9m
31/12/2020	£8.1m	£1.6m

Common questions

Is UNITED REFORMED CHURCH THAMES NORTH SYNOD CHARITIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held total funds of £49.9 million, with unrestricted reserves of £39 million and easily realisable reserves of over £18 million. The trustees calculated that £23 million would be needed to cover basic running costs, concluding that the Synod holds sufficient reserves to meet its financial obligations. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
City Bridge Foundation	12/08/2016	£2k	Eco audit to Vine United Reformed Church

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (SOUTHERN SYNOD) TRUST LIMITED.

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (SOUTHERN SYNOD) TRUST LIMITED income £7.4m
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (SOUTH WESTERN SYNOD) INCORPORATED income £1.0m
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (EASTERN PROVINCE) TRUST income £3.9m
TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED BY THE MERSEY SYNOD OF THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH income £989k
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH ( NORTHERN PROVINCE) TRUST LTD. income £2.0m
SOUTHERNHAY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY income £141k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
UNITED REFORMED CHURCH THAMES NORTH SYNOD CHARITIES	£4.0m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (SOUTHERN SYNOD) TRUST LIMITED FY2024	£7.4m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (SOUTH WESTERN SYNOD) INCORPORATED FY2024	£1.0m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH (EASTERN PROVINCE) TRUST FY2025	£3.9m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
TRUST PROPERTY ADMINISTERED BY THE MERSEY SYNOD OF THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH FY2024	£989k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH ( NORTHERN PROVINCE) TRUST LTD. FY2024	£2.0m	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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