THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS

Registered charity 1207269 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as WELLS CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells, known as Wells Cathedral, is foremost a place of worship and the seat of the Bishop of Bath & Wells. It is also a heritage attraction, a concert and exhibition venue, a community space and a centre for learning.

Causes: Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£3.7m

Latest spending

£3.7m

Registered

2024

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the Cathedral achieved a surplus of £104,574 for the year, with free reserves held at £785,927, which is 3.7 months of common fund expenditure. This level of reserves is in line with the agreed policy target of between three and six months. However, the trustees note that excluding restricted and endowed funds, the result was a deficit of £96k, which they describe as unsustainable.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)

“There was 1 employee with emoluments between £70,000 and £80,000” — page 45

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“There was 1 employee with emoluments between £70,000 and £80,000” — page 45

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three and six months’ common fund expenditure (held: £786k)

“The reserves policy agreed by Chapter is for free reserves to be maintained at between three and six months’ common fund expenditure.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Wells Cathedral Enterprises Limited

“The Cathedral has one trading subsidiary, Wells Cathedral Enterprises Ltd (“WCEL”)” — page 25

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Fletcher & Partners. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

12 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (11 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

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

Total income

£3.8m

Total spending

£3.7m

Cost of raising funds

£1.6m

Reserves (reported)

£786k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~2.5 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 41.7% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

The Very Reverend Toby Christopher Wrightchair · trustee of 1 other charity
CAROLINE ELIZABETH BODDINGTON · trustee of 2 other charities
Colin William Kerr
David Alastair Morgan-Hewitt · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Megan Isobel Jane Daffern · trustee of 2 other charities
Edward William George Bayntun-Coward DL · trustee of 2 other charities
Joanna Mary Birkett · trustee of 1 other charity
Rev Timothy David Stevens · trustee of 1 other charity
WILLIAM HENRY THOMAS SHEPPARD

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

Operates in: Bath And North East Somerset · North Somerset · Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£3.7m	£3.7m

Common questions

Is THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the Cathedral achieved a surplus of £104,574 for the year, with free reserves held at £785,927, which is 3.7 months of common fund expenditure. This level of reserves is in line with the agreed policy target of between three and six months. However, the trustees note that excluding restricted and endowed funds, the result was a deficit of £96k, which they describe as unsustainable. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Fletcher & Partners.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS as a grant recipient include THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST, CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST, THE HEADLEY TRUST, THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£800k	Advancement of religion
THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£200k
CATHEDRAL MUSIC TRUST	FY2021	£25k
THE HEADLEY TRUST	FY2025	£25k	Towards building conservation and repairs to the medieval buildings in The Vicars’ Close, Wells Cathedral.
THE MEDLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£15k
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£6k	The Relief of Those in Need
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£6k	Other Charitable Purposes
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k	The Relief of Those in Need
CAREW POLE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION	FY2023	£1k
THE CLOCKMAKERS' CHARITY	FY2022	£1k	Horological project grant
THE DICKINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k	The Relief of those in Need

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	17/08/2020	£48k	"COVID19 Wells Cathedral"

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 OUSELEY CHURCH MUSIC TRUST	2	£24k
THE JACK PATSTON CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£16k
THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST	2	£15k
THE MCCORQUODALE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£15k
THE CITY OF LONDON ENDOWMENT TRUST FOR ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL	1	£1.6m
ELY CATHEDRAL TRUST	1	£1.4m
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST	1	£649k
FRIENDS OF ST PAULS	1	£580k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WELLS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL LIMITED.

WELLS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL LIMITED income £19.1m
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL AND OF SAINT SWITHUN OF WINCHESTER income £6.4m
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL income £25.8m
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST, BLESSED MARY THE VIRGIN AND ST CUTHBERT OF DURHAM income £5.9m
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER, SAINT PAUL AND ST ANDREW IN PETERBOROUGH income £2.4m
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF ELY income £4.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST ANDREW IN WELLS	£3.7m	£70,001 - £80,000	1	within	—	no doubt
WELLS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL LIMITED FY2025	£19.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL AND OF SAINT SWITHUN OF WINCHESTER FY2025	£6.4m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL FY2024	£25.8m	£120,001 - £130,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST, BLESSED MARY THE VIRGIN AND ST CUTHBERT OF DURHAM FY2025	£5.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER, SAINT PAUL AND ST ANDREW IN PETERBOROUGH FY2024	£2.4m	£70,001 - £80,000	—	below	—	material uncertainty

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