THE LIGHTWAVE COMMUNITY C.I.O.

Registered charity 1193242 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE SUFFOLK FRESH EXPRESSIONS COMMUNITY

Advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the doctrines and teachings of the Church of England within the diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich by through missional groups called Lightwave Groups, supported by Rural Hub Churches

Objects

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF ST EDMUNDSBURY AND IPSWICH BY FURTHERING THE AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DELIVERY OF THE BISHOP'S MISSION ORDER MADE ON 1 DECEMBER 2018 UNDER PART 7 OF THE MISSION AND PASTORAL MEASURE 2011 FOR THE SUFFOLK FRESH EXPRESSIONS COMMUNITY.

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

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

Registered contact address: Ipswich, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£303k

Latest spending

£339k

Registered

2021

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net outgoing of resources of £35,415 for the year, resulting in a deficit. Total funds decreased from £295,610 to £260,195, with unrestricted funds falling to £17,951. The trustees state they have a reasonable expectation of adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future, noting that some activities would need to be curtailed if short-term funding does not continue.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy

“It is the policy of the CIO to maintain a balance across all funds equivalent to 2 months operating costs of individual Hubs/Groups, plus an additional one month’s direct salary costs and the amounts of any external commitments.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: going-concern doubt noted (FY2024) → no going-concern doubt (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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
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
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 200

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 191
Government income: £14,400 — grants £14,400 (9); 4% of the £378,419 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 188
Government income: £14,980 — grants £14,980 (6); 8% of the £179,129 total gross income on the same return

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Church Commissioners — “The ongoing Lightwave Community was started as part of the Growing in God in the Countryside Project funded by the Church Commissioners from…” (source page)
Rural Ministries — “Our story began with an investment from Rural Ministries in 2018, to enable listening to what God was saying about mission in rural Suffolk.” (source page)

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Damien Chew · trustee of 1 other charity
Emma Morris
Kirk Matthews
Rev Diane Rose Grano
Rev Katie de Bourcier
Richard Holloway
Trevor Reeve

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

Operates in: Suffolk

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£303k	£339k
31/12/2024	£378k	£221k
31/12/2023	£179k	£121k
31/12/2022	£157k	£123k
31/12/2021	£100k	£70k

Common questions

Is THE LIGHTWAVE COMMUNITY C.I.O. financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net outgoing of resources of £35,415 for the year, resulting in a deficit. Total funds decreased from £295,610 to £260,195, with unrestricted funds falling to £17,951. The trustees state they have a reasonable expectation of adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future, noting that some activities would need to be curtailed if short-term funding does not continue. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds THE LIGHTWAVE COMMUNITY C.I.O.?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE LIGHTWAVE COMMUNITY C.I.O. as a grant recipient include THE ROYAL COUNTRYSIDE FUND.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ROYAL COUNTRYSIDE FUND	FY2024	£5k	Small grant to farm support group

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
CHURCH REVITALISATION TRUST	1	£128k
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CRAWLEY	1	£3k
THE CINNAMON NETWORK	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with LIGHTHOUSE OUTREACH MINISTRIES.

LIGHTHOUSE OUTREACH MINISTRIES income £25k
THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT (CRAWLEY) income £60k
LIGHTHOUSE - ELY income £252k
LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY CHURCH (SHERINGHAM) income £243k
LIGHT OF GRACE INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE income £31k
LIGHT LONDON income £602k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE LIGHTWAVE COMMUNITY C.I.O.	£303k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE OUTREACH MINISTRIES FY2024	£25k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT (CRAWLEY) FY2026	£60k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE - ELY FY2025	£252k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITY CHURCH (SHERINGHAM) FY2025	£243k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LIGHT OF GRACE INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE FY2025	£31k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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