Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

CHURCH COMMUNITIES UK

Registered charity 229226 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as - PLOUGH PUBLISHING HOUSE, BEECH GROVE COMMUNITY, BRUDERHOF COMMUNITIES IN THE UK, DARVELL COMMUNITY

Advancing the Christian faith and particularly establishing church communities where members devote themselves to the service of Jesus Christ that includes work, worship, apostolic mission, education and family life. We welcome visitors and give charitable assistance in support of peace, justice, reconciliation, non-violence, community, education, and alleviation of poverty and suffering.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Religious Activities · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£28.5m
Latest spending
£29.7m
Registered
1963
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group held free reserves of £8,987,290 at 31 March 2025, which is within the trustees' stated policy target range of £5m - £10m. Although the group reported a net expenditure for the year, the trustees are confident in the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: nine and eighteen months of expenditure on charitable activities undertaken directly by the Order (held: £9.0m)
“The policy sets a target free reserves range of between nine and eighteen months of this expenditure, which equates to a range of £5m - £10m (2024: £5m - £10m).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Deed of Covenant from Community Products (UK) Limited
“Pursuant to the terms of a deed of covenant, it distributes its profits to the Order, thereby providing the principal source of funding for all key charitable objectives.”
“Another subsidiary, Ashdowne Resources Limited, provides seconded labour services within the group, distributing its taxable profits back to the Order pursuant to a deed of covenant.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Deed of Covenant from Ashdowne Resources Limited
“Pursuant to the terms of a deed of covenant, it distributes its profits to the Order, thereby providing the principal source of funding for all key charitable objectives.”
“Another subsidiary, Ashdowne Resources Limited, provides seconded labour services within the group, distributing its taxable profits back to the Order pursuant to a deed of covenant.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Community Products (UK) Limited, Ashdowne Resources Limited, Brightling Services Limited, Community Playthings Deutschland GmbH
“The consolidated accounts of the Group incorporate the accounts of Church Communities UK and its subsidiary undertakings Ashdowne Resources Limited, Brightling Services Limited, Community Products (UK) Limited, and Community Playthings Deutschland Gmbh” — page 17
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

BRIGHTLING SERVICES LTD — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £337k
  • Profit before tax: £22k
  • Amounts owed by group undertakings: £21,797 (2022), £0 (2023)
ASHDOWNE RESOURCES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £409k
  • Profit before tax: £39k
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £39k
  • Seconded employees to group entities
“Distributions to parent charity under gift aid”
COMMUNITY PRODUCTS (UK) LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £24.0m
  • Profit before tax: £4.1m
  • At 31 March 2025, £2,719,267 (2024: £3,009,232) was owed to Church Communities UK, £66,800 (2024: £33,406) was due from Ashdowne Resources: Limited and £745,520 (2024: £293,833) was due from Community Playthings Deutschland GmbH, the company’s direct subsidiary.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

34 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (33 freehold); recorded price paid £8.0m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: Church Communities UK — Registered, 2 registered locations, 3 regulated activities, last inspected 04/12/2013.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£28.5m
Total spending
£29.7m
Reserves (reported)
£7.1m
Employees
0

Reported reserves equal ~2.9 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (87% 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 (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Austria · East Sussex · Germany · Kent

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£28.5m£29.7m
31/03/2024£28.8m£25.1m
31/03/2023£26.5m£26.8m
31/03/2022£30.4m£24.5m
31/03/2021£19.5m£21.5m

Common questions

Is CHURCH COMMUNITIES UK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group held free reserves of £8,987,290 at 31 March 2025, which is within the trustees' stated policy target range of £5m - £10m. Although the group reported a net expenditure for the year, the trustees are confident in the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services Limited.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF EPSOM1—
THE ROLAND CALLINGHAM FOUNDATION1£311k
THE JERUSALEM TRUST1£300k
THE ARCHBISHOPS' COUNCIL1£190k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. JOHN'S, WALTON1£100k
THE MAURICE AND HILDA LAING CHARITABLE TRUST1£85k
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON1£50k
R M SALES CHARITABLE TRUST1£50k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BANBURY COMMUNITY CHURCH.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
CHURCH COMMUNITIES UK£28.5m—0within—no doubt
BANBURY COMMUNITY CHURCH FY2025£245k—0unclear—no doubt
WITHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY FY2023£223k—0below0.0%no doubt
HULL COMMUNITY CHURCH FY2025£430k—0unclear—no doubt
KEC CHURCH CENTRE FY2025£209k—0above—no doubt
THE CHURCH ARMY FY2024£7.1m——unclear—no doubt

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