SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST

Registered charity 209397 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The making of donations to any charitable institution for the benefit of any persons inhabitants of the county of durham and in particular of the county borough of sunderland. Building, maintaining and furnishing churches, mission halls and schools in the counties of durham and york.The relief,in necessitous circumunstances, of ministers of the church of england in the counties of durham and york.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · Get email alerts

Latest income

£491k

Latest spending

£567k

Registered

1962

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that total funds increased by £470,682 to £16,134,300, driven by significant investment gains, although unrestricted income fund reserves decreased by £48,453 to £275,872. The charity is dependent solely on investment income to fulfill its objects and maintains a reserves policy target of approximately 9-12 months of expenditure. The auditors confirmed that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Income from UK investments (62% of income)

“Income from UK investments 304,893” — page 11

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: approximately 9-12 months expenditure (held: £276k)

“In reviewing the level of reserves the Trustees consider that reserves of approximately 9-12 months expenditure are appropriate.” — page 6

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant to charity where trustee is also trustee

“During the year ended 31 December 2024 grants payable of £8,500 (2023: £8,500) were made to George Hudson’s Charity, a charity in which PW Taylor acts as Trustee. The Trustees are authorised to undertake these transactions under clause 9 of the 1931 Settlement.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Armstrong Watson Audit Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2023)

Total income

£541k

Total spending

£676k

Cost of raising funds

£45k

Reserves (reported)

£345k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~6.1 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (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: 8.4% of total income — above the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

TIMOTHY RPS NORTONchair
Frank Nicholson · trustee of 1 other charity
Jean Majer
PETER WILSON TAYLOR · trustee of 1 other charity
THOMAS WILLIAM GREENWELL

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

Operates in: Durham · Sunderland

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£491k	£567k
31/12/2023	£541k	£676k
31/12/2022	£497k	£512k
31/12/2021	£550k	£484k
31/12/2020	£391k	£479k

Common questions

Is SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that total funds increased by £470,682 to £16,134,300, driven by significant investment gains, although unrestricted income fund reserves decreased by £48,453 to £275,872. The charity is dependent solely on investment income to fulfill its objects and maintains a reserves policy target of approximately 9-12 months of expenditure. The auditors confirmed that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Armstrong Watson Audit Limited.

Who funds SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST as a grant recipient include THE CHURCH LADS' AND CHURCH GIRLS' BRIGADE.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE CHURCH LADS' AND CHURCH GIRLS' BRIGADE	FY2023	£788	for North East Mini bus driver training

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
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON	1	£92k
FIRST IPC PRESBYTERY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM	1	£47k
THE SOLA TRUST	1	£6k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST NICHOLAS, SEVENOAKS	1	£2k
CBRE UK CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£750

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BETHANY CITY CHURCH SUNDERLAND.

BETHANY CITY CHURCH SUNDERLAND income £351k
THE JESMOND TRUST income £1.4m
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF TYNEMOUTH PRIORY HOLY SAVIOUR, TYNEMOUTH income £241k
THE NORTHUMBRIA HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST income £456k
TRINITY CHURCH YORK income £324k
NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN SOCIETY income £473k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST	£491k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BETHANY CITY CHURCH SUNDERLAND FY2025	£351k	—	above	—	no doubt
THE JESMOND TRUST FY2024	£1.4m	—	below	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF TYNEMOUTH PRIORY HOLY SAVIOUR, TYNEMOUTH FY2025	£241k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NORTHUMBRIA HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST FY2025	£456k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TRINITY CHURCH YORK FY2025	£324k	—	above	—	no doubt

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