COMMUNITY CHURCH BISHOP'S STORTFORD

Registered charity 1166939 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Our Vision Statement is to be 'The Family of God in the Presence of God displaying the Glory of God'. Activities include Sunday worship, a variety of children and youth ministries including Treasure Chest parent & toddlers, Me & Dad and Sunshine & Rainbows (group for bereaved parents), regular Alpha courses, Marriage courses, support for overseas churches and for members church- planting abroad

Objects

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT:-4.1. THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENT OF FAITH IN SUCH WAYS AS THE CHARITY TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DECIDE; AND4.2. THE RELIEF OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CONDITIONS OF NEED OR DISTRESS.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Religious Activities · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£562k

Latest spending

£527k

Registered

2016

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity emerged from the period in a stable financial position with a net surplus of £35,695 for the year. Total funds carried forward were £1,277,843, with unrestricted funds at £171,141. The trustees are confident the church is well placed for the year ahead.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £60,001 - £70,000 — above the median for charities its size (£60k)

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 31.3.25 1 £60,001 - £70,000” — page 15

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 31.3.25 1 £60,001 - £70,000” — page 15

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Donations and legacies

“The principal source of funding for the Church is donations. For the year ended 31 March 2025, the Church received £562,460 in total from all its sources of income.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: approximately £75,000 (held: £171k)

“They believe the free reserves should be approximately £75,000 which is two months budgeted expenditure for 2025/26 financial year.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: J Stroud, wife of a Key Management member (Elder), received remuneration for her role as Office Administrator.

“During the year J Stroud, the wife of a member of the Key Management was remunerated £9,155 (2024: £8,888) including £8 of Employers NI (2024: £nil) for her role as Office Administrator.” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 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
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£562k

Total spending

£527k

Reserves (reported)

£96k

Employees

10

Reported reserves equal ~2.2 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (98% 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 (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (27/05/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

David Ovonlen
Jody Salmon
Nicky Smith

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

Operates in: Essex · Hertfordshire · United States

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£562k	£527k
31/03/2024	£440k	£505k
31/03/2023	£492k	£511k
31/03/2022	£499k	£440k
31/03/2021	£475k	£93k

Common questions

Is COMMUNITY CHURCH BISHOP'S STORTFORD financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity emerged from the period in a stable financial position with a net surplus of £35,695 for the year. Total funds carried forward were £1,277,843, with unrestricted funds at £171,141. The trustees are confident the church is well placed for the year ahead. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of COMMUNITY CHURCH BISHOP'S STORTFORD earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,001 - £70,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with STONY STRATFORD COMMUNITY CHURCH, (MEMBER OF THE BAPTIST UNION).

STONY STRATFORD COMMUNITY CHURCH, (MEMBER OF THE BAPTIST UNION) income £171k
BISHOP'S STORTFORD BAPTIST CHURCH income £445k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BISHOP'S STORTFORD (ST MICHAEL) income £245k
RUISLIP BAPTIST CHURCH income £442k
BUNYAN BAPTIST CHURCH, STEVENAGE income £169k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PHILIP AND ST JACOB, BRISTOL income £281k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
COMMUNITY CHURCH BISHOP'S STORTFORD	£562k	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt
STONY STRATFORD COMMUNITY CHURCH, (MEMBER OF THE BAPTIST UNION) FY2025	£171k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BISHOP'S STORTFORD BAPTIST CHURCH FY2025	£445k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BISHOP'S STORTFORD (ST MICHAEL) FY2024	£245k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
RUISLIP BAPTIST CHURCH FY2023	£442k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
BUNYAN BAPTIST CHURCH, STEVENAGE FY2024	£169k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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