FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST

Registered charity 236033 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES, THE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES

The repair & restoration of Christian Churches in the area of the Diocese of Chelmsford, through grant giving

Objects

(1) THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS ("THE OBJECTS") ARE:(A) TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATION AND INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP (HEREINAFTER CALLED "CHURCHES") IN THE AREA OF THE DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD;(B) TO ASSIST IN THE PRESERVATION, REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF CHURCHES IN THE AREA OF THE DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD.(2) IN FURTHERANCE OF THE FOREGOING OBJECTS, BUT NOT FURTHER OR OTHERWISE, THE CHARITY MAY:-(A) COLLECT MONIES BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION AND OTHERWISE TO ENABLE THE CHARITY TO MAKE GRANTS TO ASSIST CHURCHES IN THE CARRYING OUT OF REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FABRIC OF CHURCHES, OR FOR RECORDING OR PUBLISHING THEIR HISTORY;(B) OFFER GUIDANCE TO CHURCHES AS TO HOW BEST TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND TO PRODUCE LITERATURE TO THIS END;(C) UNDERTAKE ANY OTHER LIKE WORK OF A WHOLLY CHARITABLE NATURE, WHICH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME THINK RIGHT AND PROPER;PROVIDED THE CHARITY SHALL NOT UNDERTAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR, DECORATION, FURNISHING OR RUNNING OF ANY CHURCH

Area of benefit: ESSEX

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Braintree, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£167k

Latest spending

£158k

Registered

1965

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income increased to £167,080 in 2025, driven largely by two legacies totaling £55,000. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £295,144, which the trustees consider just enough to meet their policy of covering the agreed grants allocation plus expected outgoings and contingencies.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: sufficient funds to meet the agreed grants allocation for the year plus expected outgoings and a provision for contingencies (reserves figure: £295k)

“It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted reserves at a level consistent with enabling the charity to provide sufficient funds to meet the agreed grants allocation for the year plus expected outgoings and a provision for contingencies.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Year-over-year changes

Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "within" (FY2024) to "above" (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Financial reserves policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 20
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 18
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 26
Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Friends of Essex Churches Trust (matched by registered charity number).

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (22/09/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

MR MARTIN STUCHFIELDchair · trustee of 5 other charities
Andrew Guy Marsden
Dr Francis James Archibald Bettley FSA
Emma Jane Brice
JEREMY WILLIAM BEALE
JOHN EDWARD JUXON PICKTHORN · trustee of 1 other charity
Joanna Pimblett
Peter John Tottman
Rachel Grainger
Rebecca Margaret Willis
Sharon Jayne Hutton-Mayson

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

Operates in: Essex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£167k	£158k
31/12/2024	£113k	£185k
31/12/2023	£102k	£216k
31/12/2022	£165k	£215k
31/12/2021	£294k	£135k

Common questions

Is FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased to £167,080 in 2025, driven largely by two legacies totaling £55,000. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £295,144, which the trustees consider just enough to meet their policy of covering the agreed grants allocation plus expected outgoings and contingencies. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST as a grant recipient include THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF DANBURY ST JOHN BAPTIST, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL GOODMAYES, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF WIDFORD, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PETER, COLCHESTER.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	FY2021	£4k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF DANBURY ST JOHN BAPTIST	FY2022	£550	Charity Giving
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL GOODMAYES	FY2023	£300
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL GOODMAYES	FY2022	£300
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL GOODMAYES	FY2021	£300
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAUL GOODMAYES	FY2024	£300
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	FY2024	£250
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	FY2023	£250
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	FY2025	£250
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF WIDFORD	FY2023	£204	Ride and Stride donation
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAFFRON WALDEN	FY2022	£200
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PETER, COLCHESTER	FY2024	£176	Missionary and charitable giving
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH, WARLEY, ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD	FY2025	£50	Donations
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CHRIST CHURCH, WARLEY, ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD	FY2024	£50	Donations
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF WIDFORD	FY2023	£25	Ride and Stride donation (half returned for use in Widford Parish, so £203.76 sent total, but this line item is likely the net or specific allocation. The text

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 PILGRIM TRUST	1	£30k
THE CPF TRUST	1	£3k
ETHEL AND GWYNNE MORGAN TRUST	1	£2k

Charities like this

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

CHURCH BURGESSES TRUST income £2.0m
EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - ILFORD income £85k
FRIENDS OF FRIENDLESS CHURCHES LIMITED income £3.1m
FRIENDS OF THE PRIORY CHURCH CHRISTCHURCH DORSET income £166k
TRUST PROPERTY HELD IN CONNECTION WITH BROTHER SERVANTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN SERVITE FATHERS income £843k
SHELFORD GOSPEL TRUST income £83k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST	£167k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
CHURCH BURGESSES TRUST FY2025	£2.0m	—	0	below	—	no doubt
EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - ILFORD FY2025	£85k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF FRIENDLESS CHURCHES LIMITED FY2025	£3.1m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF THE PRIORY CHURCH CHRISTCHURCH DORSET FY2025	£166k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TRUST PROPERTY HELD IN CONNECTION WITH BROTHER SERVANTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN SERVITE FATHERS FY2025	£843k	—	0	below	—	no doubt

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