THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND SAINT ETHELBERT IN HEREFORD
The objects are(a) to advance the Christian religion in accordance with the faith and practice of the Church of England, inparticular by furthering the mission of the Church of England;(b) to care for and conserve the fabric and structure of the Cathedral Church building;(c) to advance any other charitable purposes which are ancillary to the furtherance of the above purposes
Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £185,000 for the year ended 31 December 2024, an increase from the previous year's deficit. Total net assets increased to £10.44 million, driven by gains on investments and investment property, while unrestricted reserves stood at £2.18 million, equivalent to approximately 1.7 months of unrestricted expenditure.
What the accounts disclose
“Unrestricted net current assets of the group at the year-end were £295,829 (2023: £408,862) which is equal to approximately 1.7 (2023: 2.1) months of unrestricted expenditure.”
“The remuneration and pension provisions for clerical members of the Chapter are paid by the Church Commissioners in accordance with scales laid down annually by them, the Archbishop's Council, and the Church of England Pensions Board. The lay members of Chapter receive no remuneration.” — page 7
“The Cathedral administers the Sinclair Memorial Trust, an unregistered charity of which the Dean and Precentor of the Cathedral are Trustees. The Trust is for the benefit of individual choristers of the Cathedral rather than the Cathedral itself.” — page 39
“The remuneration and pension provisions for clerical members of the Chapter are paid by the Church Commissioners in accordance with scales laid down annually by them, the Archbishop's Council, and the Church of England Pensions Board. The lay members of Chapter receive no remuneration.” — page 7
“The Cathedral administers the Sinclair Memorial Trust, an unregistered charity of which the Dean and Precentor of the Cathedral are Trustees. The Trust is for the benefit of individual choristers of the Cathedral rather than the Cathedral itself.” — page 39
“The remuneration and pension provisions for clerical members of the Chapter are paid by the Church Commissioners in accordance with scales laid down annually by them, the Archbishop's Council, and the Church of England Pensions Board. The lay members of Chapter receive no remuneration.” — page 7
“The Cathedral administers the Sinclair Memorial Trust, an unregistered charity of which the Dean and Precentor of the Cathedral are Trustees. The Trust is for the benefit of individual choristers of the Cathedral rather than the Cathedral itself.” — page 39
“The remuneration and pension provisions for clerical members of the Chapter are paid by the Church Commissioners in accordance with scales laid down annually by them, the Archbishop's Council, and the Church of England Pensions Board. The lay members of Chapter receive no remuneration.” — page 7
“The Cathedral administers the Sinclair Memorial Trust, an unregistered charity of which the Dean and Precentor of the Cathedral are Trustees. The Trust is for the benefit of individual choristers of the Cathedral rather than the Cathedral itself.” — page 39
“The consolidated financial statements relate to the Chapter of Hereford Cathedral (the parent undertaking), Hereford Cathedral Enterprises Limited and Tomson’s Charity (subsidiary undertakings).” — page 6
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- The Very Revd Sarah Brown — Dean
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)
Trustees
- Very Revd Sarah Romilly Denner Brownchair
- Benjamin Pardoe
- Clare Wichbold
- Dr DUNCAN HUGH JONES
- Patrick John Nugent
- Rev JAMES STEWART PACEY MR
- Sir Andrew Ewart McFarlane PC
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2024 | £3.0m | £3.1m |
Common questions
Is THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND SAINT ETHELBERT IN HEREFORD financially healthy?
Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £185,000 for the year ended 31 December 2024, an increase from the previous year's deficit. Total net assets increased to £10.44 million, driven by gains on investments and investment property, while unrestricted reserves stood at £2.18 million, equivalent to approximately 1.7 months of unrestricted expenditure. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Hazlewoods LLP.
Who funds THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND SAINT ETHELBERT IN HEREFORD?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND SAINT ETHELBERT IN HEREFORD as a grant recipient include CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST, THE MUMFORD MEMORIAL TRUST, THE OUSELEY CHURCH MUSIC TRUST, HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST | FY2024 | £21k | |
| THE MUMFORD MEMORIAL TRUST | FY2022 | £10k | |
| THE OUSELEY CHURCH MUSIC TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | to assist with funding vocal tuition for the trebles. |
| HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | FY2025 | £2k |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 19/06/2007 | £4.2m | "Regeneration of Hereford Cathedral Close" |