The Joint Council of Co Church, Exeter

Registered charity 1169445 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ST MATTHEW'S CHURCH, EXETER, ST SIDWELL'S CHURCH EXETER, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST SIDWELL AND ST MATTHEW, EXETER, The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Matthew with St Sidwell, Exeter

The Joint Council of Co Church, Exeter (formerly the United Parish of St Sidwell & St Matthew and the Parish of St Andrew's Exwick) has the responsibility to co-operate with the incumbent to promote, within the ecclesiastical parishes, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

Objects

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

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

Causes: Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net deficit of £67,366 for the year, driven by a budget deficit of £58,000 approved for 2026 as it transitions away from external SDF funding. Despite the deficit, the charity holds free reserves of £480,578, which is significantly in excess of its stated policy target of £65,000 (three months' expenditure). The trustees anticipate further deficit budgets until 2030 but state that existing reserves are sufficient to cover these gaps.

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

What the accounts disclose

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
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds policy and procedures
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2023)

Reported reserves equal ~11.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 7.1 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (92% 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 Edward Hodgeschair
• Adam Westaway
• Chloe Christine
• Denu Sankey
• Emily Soundy
• Francis Ford
• Harry Mutton
• Janet Spencer
• John Kow
• Jonathan Toby Paul Kenchington
• Kathryn Morgan
• Mark Hobson
• Matt Worrall
• Neil Williams · trustee of 2 other charities
• Rebecca Barratt
• Rev Joshua Chesworth
• Sophie Baldwin
• Toby Murr

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

Operates in: Devon

Income and spending

Common questions