LOWESTOFT AND EAST SUFFOLK METHODIST CIRCUIT

Registered charity 1135624 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

We have met as a Circuit Meeting of Trustees to plan, discuss and implement decisions in accordance with our current Mission Statement, to further the work of the Methodist Church in the Lowestoft and East Suffolk Circuit.

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 · Get email alerts

Latest income

£159k

Latest spending

£214k

Registered

2010

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the circuit achieved a net surplus of £4,446.33 for the year ending 31 August 2025, compared to a deficit in the previous two years. However, the trustees' report notes that church finances have not recovered post-COVID and the circuit is working towards establishing a balanced budget amidst the challenge of ageing congregations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Discloses 2 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
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
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

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

Total income

£594k

Total spending

£291k

Reserves (reported)

£566k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~23.3 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.1 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other (96% 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

Rev Martin Lewis Keenanchair · trustee of 1 other charity
ANDREA KAREN RUSSELL
Alan Theodore Reginald Furness
BRENDA SIGSWORTH
CAROL SALLY DAINES
Daniel Howlett
David Pitt
Diana Margaret Furness
Elizabeth Grieve
Elizabeth Mary Zukiewicz
HAZEL MARION CATCHPOLE
JULIAN ROGERS
Karen Jane Delf
Levi Lovelock
MR BARRY GIBSON
Mandy Hoadley
REV PAM BAYLISS
Rev ROBERT SOANES
Sally Pickess
Susan Groome · trustee of 1 other charity
THELMA WALLER
TINA ROSE LONG
VALERIE BRENDA HOWLETT · trustee of 1 other charity
Warren Low

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

Operates in: Norfolk · Suffolk

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£159k	£214k
31/08/2024	£166k	£204k
31/08/2023	£594k	£291k
31/08/2022	£141k	£166k
31/08/2021	£268k	£188k

Common questions

Is LOWESTOFT AND EAST SUFFOLK METHODIST CIRCUIT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the circuit achieved a net surplus of £4,446.33 for the year ending 31 August 2025, compared to a deficit in the previous two years. However, the trustees' report notes that church finances have not recovered post-COVID and the circuit is working towards establishing a balanced budget amidst the challenge of ageing congregations.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WEST HERTFORDSHIRE AND BORDERS METHODIST CIRCUIT.

WEST HERTFORDSHIRE AND BORDERS METHODIST CIRCUIT income £574k
CAMELFORD & WEEK ST MARY METHODIST CIRCUIT income £351k
BURY ST.EDMUNDS METHODIST CIRCUIT income £416k
NORTH EAST SOMERSET & BATH METHODIST CIRCUIT income £704k
BUCKLEY AND DEESIDE METHODIST CIRCUIT income £289k
LEICESTER TRINITY METHODIST CIRCUIT income £478k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
LOWESTOFT AND EAST SUFFOLK METHODIST CIRCUIT	£159k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WEST HERTFORDSHIRE AND BORDERS METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£574k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CAMELFORD & WEEK ST MARY METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£351k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BURY ST.EDMUNDS METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£416k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NORTH EAST SOMERSET & BATH METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£704k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BUCKLEY AND DEESIDE METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£289k	—	0	unclear	—	noted

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