THE BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST

Registered charity 1197228 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To raise funds, and co-operate with other grant-making bodies, to make funds available for the restoration, preservation, repair and reconstruction of historic churches and chapels. To secure funds from the Trust's Supporters, from an annual sponsored bike ride and other fund-raising events. Educational and other events for Supporters: Study Day; Church Tours.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£304k

Latest spending

£240k

Registered

2021

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total unrestricted funds carried forward were £83,498, which is below the trustees' stated reserves policy target of the lower of one year’s unrestricted net income or £50,000. The charity reported a net income of £88,995 for the year, supported by significant donations and legacies, while maintaining adequate resources for future operations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: the lower of one year’s unrestricted net income or £50,000 (held: £83k)

“the Trust’s Reserves policy should aim to maintain free reserves in its unrestricted General Fund broadly equivalent to the lower of one year’s unrestricted net income or £50,000.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust (matched by registered charity number).

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2024)

Total income

£592k

Total spending

£6k

Reserves (reported)

£260k

Employees

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (100% 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 (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (01/10/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Madeline Anne Russellchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Andrew David Lambourne
Dr Christopher Paul Green
Dr Mark Newbery
RICHARD CHRISTOPHER HENRY GENOCHIO · trustee of 1 other charity
Rev Lynda Klimas
Richard James North · trustee of 3 other charities
STUART ARCHIBALD RUSSELL
Trevor William Groom
William Andrew John Marsterson

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

Operates in: Barnet · Bedford · Hertfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£304k	£240k
31/03/2024	£592k	£6k
31/03/2023	£0	£0

Common questions

Is THE BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total unrestricted funds carried forward were £83,498, which is below the trustees' stated reserves policy target of the lower of one year’s unrestricted net income or £50,000. The charity reported a net income of £88,995 for the year, supported by significant donations and legacies, while maintaining adequate resources for future operations. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds THE BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST as a grant recipient include THE SALISBURY POOL CHARITY COMPRISING THE FIRST MOIETY ESTABLISHED BY CLAUSE 2 OF THE DEED OF DECLARATION DATED 23RD MARCH 1976.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE SALISBURY POOL CHARITY COMPRISING THE FIRST MOIETY ESTABLISHED BY CLAUSE 2 OF THE DEED OF DECLARATION DATED 23RD MARCH 1976	FY2023	£500	Churches, etc.
THE SALISBURY POOL CHARITY COMPRISING THE FIRST MOIETY ESTABLISHED BY CLAUSE 2 OF THE DEED OF DECLARATION DATED 23RD MARCH 1976	FY2022	£400	Churches, etc.
THE SALISBURY POOL CHARITY COMPRISING THE FIRST MOIETY ESTABLISHED BY CLAUSE 2 OF THE DEED OF DECLARATION DATED 23RD MARCH 1976	FY2024	£0	Churches, etc.

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
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£47k
THE GEOFFREY WATLING CHARITY	1	£265k
The John Gurney Charitable Trust	1	£110k
THE R C SNELLING CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£55k
PAUL AND LOUISE COOKE ENDOWMENT	1	£51k
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)	1	£32k
THE CHARLES LITTLEWOOD HILL TRUST	1	£30k
THE MARTIN LAING FOUNDATION	1	£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE NORTHUMBRIA HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST.

THE NORTHUMBRIA HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST income £456k
THE SUSSEX HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST income £123k
BURGHLEY HOUSE PRESERVATION TRUST LIMITED income £17.7m
THE NORWICH HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST LIMITED income £321k
GLOUCESTERSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST income £266k
THE HEREFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST income £148k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST	£304k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE NORTHUMBRIA HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST FY2025	£456k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SUSSEX HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST FY2025	£123k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BURGHLEY HOUSE PRESERVATION TRUST LIMITED FY2026	£17.7m	over £60,000	10	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NORWICH HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£321k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
GLOUCESTERSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST FY2025	£266k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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