THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY CHURCH

Registered charity 1168142 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE LIGHTHOUSE (LYTCHETT MATRAVERS)

A CHURCH SERVING THE LYTCHETT MATRAVERS AREA, WITH SERVICES OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP FOR ALL AGES AND CLUBS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH. PARENTING AND MARRIAGE COURSES ARE OFFERED AND HELP IS GIVEN TO NEEDY PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL AND SURROUNDING AREAS. WORK WITH CHURCHES IN JAPAN IS SUPPORTED ON A REGULAR BASIS, AS IS WORK AMONGST PEOPLE IN UGANDA. OVERSEAS RELIEF NEEDS ARE SUPPORTED AS AND WHEN REQUIRED.

Objects

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN DORSET AND SUCH OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE WORLD AS THE CHARITY TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DECIDE.

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

Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Religious Activities · Economic/community Development/employment · Recreation · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£225k

Latest spending

£187k

Registered

2016

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves stood at £550,207, with total net assets of £1,221,292. The filing notes that donations have fallen slightly but provide steady income, and the charity remains in a strong financial position with no stated reserves policy target to compare against.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £20,945 — below the median for charities its size (£60k)

“During the year ended 31 March 2025, remuneration totaling £20,945 were paid directly to Trustee Phil Read (2023 - £26,172) during the year for duties carried out as minister of the church.” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Philip Edward Read received £20,945 for ministerial duties.

“During the year ended 31 March 2025, remuneration totaling £20,945 were paid directly to Trustee Phil Read (2023 - £26,172) during the year for duties carried out as minister of the church.” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Phil Read received remuneration for ministerial duties.

“During the year ended 31 March 2025, remuneration totaling £20,945 were paid directly to Trustee Phil Read (2023 - £26,172) during the year for duties carried out as minister of the church.” — page 16

“Provided the church with a loan to support the new building project, As at the balance sheet date the amount due was £5k (2024 - £10k)” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Phil Read provided a loan to the charity.

“During the year ended 31 March 2025, remuneration totaling £20,945 were paid directly to Trustee Phil Read (2023 - £26,172) during the year for duties carried out as minister of the church.” — page 16

“Provided the church with a loan to support the new building project, As at the balance sheet date the amount due was £5k (2024 - £10k)” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Ian Burton provided a loan to the charity.

“During the year ended 31 March 2025, remuneration totaling £20,945 were paid directly to Trustee Phil Read (2023 - £26,172) during the year for duties carried out as minister of the church.” — page 16

“Provided the church with a loan to support the new building project, As at the balance sheet date the amount due was £5k (2024 - £10k)” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2022)

Total income

£547k

Total spending

£308k

Cost of raising funds

£80k

Reserves (reported)

£0

Employees

8

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 7.1 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 14.7% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.0%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (01/11/2018) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Benjamin Paul Hardenchair
Christopher John Burton
IAN LAWRENCE BURTON
PHILIP EDWARD READ
Peter Martin Weir
Susan Mary Bessant

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

Operates in: Dorset · Philippines · Thailand · Uganda

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£225k	£187k
31/03/2024	£258k	£179k
31/03/2023	£208k	£198k
31/03/2022	£547k	£308k
31/03/2021	£226k	£264k

Common questions

Is THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY CHURCH financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves stood at £550,207, with total net assets of £1,221,292. The filing notes that donations have fallen slightly but provide steady income, and the charity remains in a strong financial position with no stated reserves policy target to compare against. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY CHURCH earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £20,945 band.

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
ROSA FUND	1	£60k
THE JESSICA MATHERS TRUST	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL.

THE LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL income £1.3m
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH ANGLESEY income £128k
THE LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH (ALL NATIONS) income £567k
LIGHTHOUSE - ELY income £252k
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES (UPC) income £118k
LIGHTHOUSE - SUPPORTING WOMEN THROUGH STORMY TIMES income £251k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY CHURCH	£225k	£20,945	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL FY2025	£1.3m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH ANGLESEY FY2025	£128k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH (ALL NATIONS) FY2025	£567k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE - ELY FY2025	£252k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES (UPC) FY2024	£118k	up to £50,000	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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