VALE OF STOUR METHODIST CIRCUIT

Registered charity 1145208 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

General Charitable Purposes and others .......see 'classification section for detail

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

Latest income

£276k

Latest spending

£406k

Registered

2011

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Circuit held unrestricted reserves of £2,042,304, providing in excess of six months' cover for expenditure against a policy target of six months. The filing notes that while two churches have ceased worship, impacting income, the Circuit remains financially stable with a net current asset position of £693,534 and no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: 6 months’ average expenditure (held: £2.0m)

“The Reserves Policy for the Circuit is to hold a minimum sum equivalent to 6 months’ average expenditure.” — page 7

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Circuit is part of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference.

“The Circuit is part of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference. The following Methodist Churches are linked to the circuit: Amblecote/Wordsley, Birch Coppice, Brierley Hill, Dudley Wood, Gig Mill, Kingswinford, Kinver, New Road, Overend Mission, Providence, United Church Lye, Wesley, Wollaston.” — page 6

“Investments with TMCP 612,262” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Investments held with Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church.

“The Circuit is part of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District and is also accountable to the Methodist Conference. The following Methodist Churches are linked to the circuit: Amblecote/Wordsley, Birch Coppice, Brierley Hill, Dudley Wood, Gig Mill, Kingswinford, Kinver, New Road, Overend Mission, Providence, United Church Lye, Wesley, Wollaston.” — page 6

“Investments with TMCP 612,262” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

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

Total income

£658k

Total spending

£513k

Reserves (reported)

£2.2m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~50.8 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.1 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (97% 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 (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

CAROL Ann WEALE
Eileen Yvonne Pilkington
Elaine Panchal
Elizabeth Ann Long
Geoffrey Charles Weale
HANNAH KAY DODD
Howard Skidmore
JANE B BAXTER
JILL MARTIN
JOHN JAMES MILLER · trustee of 1 other charity
James Bradley
Jane Artist
Janet Christine Kirkham
Jayne Allin
Jayne Corns
Jayne Valerie Greenaway
Jean Margaret Green
John Mearman
KENNETH WORTON
Lorraine Yvette Shrimpton
Lyn Andrews
MAGGIE POSTINGS
MARGARET KITE · trustee of 1 other charity
MARGARET M PRICE
Margaret Anne Harvey
Martyn Filsak
Michael James Sykes
OLWEN Joyce MELLER JP
PAULINE MARGARET NICHOLLS
PAULINE TRISTRAM
RITA HUGHES
Rev Christine Beverly Watson
Rev Michael Payne
Rev Peter Stacey Clarke
Rod Worthington
STELLA SMITH
STUART ASHMORE
Susan Ann Parkes
Susan Miller

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

Operates in: Dudley · Sandwell · Staffordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£276k	£406k
31/08/2024	£371k	£370k
31/08/2023	£658k	£513k
31/08/2022	£279k	£403k
31/08/2021	£589k	£466k

Common questions

Is VALE OF STOUR METHODIST CIRCUIT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Circuit held unrestricted reserves of £2,042,304, providing in excess of six months' cover for expenditure against a policy target of six months. The filing notes that while two churches have ceased worship, impacting income, the Circuit remains financially stable with a net current asset position of £693,534 and no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SALTASH WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH.

SALTASH WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH income £158k
TADCASTER METHODIST CIRCUIT income £585k
West Midlands Methodist District income £1.5m
WEALD OF KENT METHODIST CIRCUIT income £1.9m
WIRRAL METHODIST CIRCUIT income £784k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST.MARTIN-OF-TOUR, CHELSFIELD income £261k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
VALE OF STOUR METHODIST CIRCUIT	£276k	—	above	—	no doubt
SALTASH WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£158k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TADCASTER METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£585k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
West Midlands Methodist District FY2025	£1.5m	—	unclear	—	no doubt
WEALD OF KENT METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£1.9m	—	above	—	no doubt
WIRRAL METHODIST CIRCUIT FY2025	£784k	unclear	unclear	—	no doubt

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