CLIFTON DIOCESE

Registered charity 1170168 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CLIFTON

The advancement of the Roman Catholic religion throughout the Diocese of Clifton. The provision of pastoral and charitiable services in Roman Catholic parishes and within local communities. The provisoin of education through catholic and ecumenical schools and programmes of adult formation.

Causes: Religious Activities · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£15.0m

Latest spending

£13.7m

Registered

2016

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that free reserves increased to £26,049,000, representing 27 months of recurring unrestricted expenditure, which exceeds the Trustees' policy target of at least 24 months. The charity reported an overall surplus for the year and the auditors confirmed no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £90,001 - £100,000 — below the median for charities its size (£130k)

“One employee had emoluments, excluding pension contributions, within the band £90,000 - £100,000” — page 42

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (72% of income)

“Total 418 6,133 6,551” — page 40

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: 24 months' recurring unrestricted expenditure (held: £26.0m)

“the Trustees consider that the Charitable Company should maintain free reserves of at least 24 months’ recurring unrestricted expenditure.” — page 25

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by HaysMac LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Property (HM Land Registry)

258 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (249 freehold); recorded price paid £1.7m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income

£15.0m

Total spending

£13.7m

Reserves (reported)

£26.0m

Employees

144

Reported reserves equal ~22.8 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Rt Rev John Bosco MacDonaldchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Ann Maria Wykes
John Francis Shipsey
Marie-Louise McDonald · trustee of 1 other charity
Nicholas Morrell
Patrick Michael Graves
REV CANON JOHN CUNNINGHAM
REV CANON RICHARD DWYER
Rev DAVID ROBERT MILLS
Rev Mgr Canon William Slattery
Richard Charles Stannard Ashby
Stephen John Boughton

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

Operates in: Bath And North East Somerset · Bristol City · Gloucestershire · North Somerset · Somerset · South Gloucestershire · Swindon · Wiltshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£15.0m	£13.7m
31/12/2023	£11.3m	£13.4m
31/12/2022	£12.0m	£10.5m
31/12/2021	£14.4m	£9.7m
31/12/2020	£7.6m	£8.8m

Common questions

Is CLIFTON DIOCESE financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that free reserves increased to £26,049,000, representing 27 months of recurring unrestricted expenditure, which exceeds the Trustees' policy target of at least 24 months. The charity reported an overall surplus for the year and the auditors confirmed no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by HaysMac LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of CLIFTON DIOCESE earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £90,001 - £100,000 band.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	01/04/2020	£2.5m	School Condition Allocation - Voluntary Aided Sector Recipients
UK government	01/04/2020	£132k	Devolved Formula Capital - Local Authority & Voluntary Aided Sector Recipients
The National Lottery Community Fund	15/08/2019	£8k	serving our community
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	13/06/2018	£36k	"St Gregory the Great, Internal Renovation Project: Completing the Good Work"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	22/03/2007	£49k	"John Compton Pipe Organ Restoration"

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
CATHOLIC TRUST FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	2	£305k
THE ALBERT GUBAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	2	£211k
SISTERS OF THE CROSS AND PASSION CIO	1	—
THE VINEHILL TRUST	1	£4.7m
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON	1	£75k
SISTERS OF MERCY SUNDERLAND	1	£55k
THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE FUND	1	£31k
THE PILGRIM TRUST	1	£22k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with DIOCESE OF HEXHAM AND NEWCASTLE.

DIOCESE OF HEXHAM AND NEWCASTLE income £12.9m
CLIFTON BETHESDA CHURCH LIMITED income £135k
LEEDS DIOCESAN TRUST income £13.3m
BIRMINGHAM DIOCESAN TRUST income £24.2m
NOTTINGHAM ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESAN TRUSTEES income £13.5m
PLYMOUTH DIOCESAN TRUST income £7.6m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
CLIFTON DIOCESE	£15.0m	£90,001 - £100,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
DIOCESE OF HEXHAM AND NEWCASTLE FY2025	£12.9m	—	4	unclear	—	no doubt
CLIFTON BETHESDA CHURCH LIMITED FY2025	£135k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LEEDS DIOCESAN TRUST FY2026	£13.3m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
BIRMINGHAM DIOCESAN TRUST FY2024	£24.2m	—	—	unclear	0.7%	no doubt
NOTTINGHAM ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESAN TRUSTEES FY2025	£13.5m	more than £60,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt

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