READING MINSTER CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

Registered charity 266810 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CHARITY FOR ECCLESIASTICAL PURPOSES IN CONNEXION WITH THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, THE READING ST MARY - 7 CASTLE STREET SCHEME, THE READING ST MARY-7 CASTLE STREET SCHEME

It is the responsibility of the Minster Parochial Church Council to co-operate with the incumbent in the administration of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Reading Minster of St Mary The Virgin & to engage in the mission & ministry of the parish. This involves pastoral care, daily services, special borough & county services & numerous carol services at Christmas.

Objects

RELIGIOUS AND OTHER CHARITABLE WORK OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. MAYR THE VIRGIN, READING.

Area of benefit: PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, READING

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

Causes: Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Reading, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£165k

Latest spending

£164k

Registered

1974

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a small net loss of £175 for the year, resulting in total unrestricted funds of £1,206,802. This unrestricted balance significantly exceeds the stated policy target of maintaining approximately six months of unrestricted payments. The accounts were subject to an independent examination which reported no material matters requiring attention.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: approximately 6 months unrestricted payments (reserves figure: £1.2m)

“It is PCC policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds (if possible), which equates to approximately 6 months unrestricted payments, to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time.” — 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

Going concern: going-concern doubt noted (FY2024) → no going-concern doubt (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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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: 15

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

Volunteers: 7

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

Volunteers: 10

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

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/12/2022 (received 13/12/2023, 43 days after the 31/10/2023 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Trustees · trustee networks

Angela Sydney Moore
Anna Abraham
Judith Sumner
Kevin Anderson
Liz Lee
Rev Paul Waters
Steve Rossiter

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

Operates in: Reading

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£165k	£164k
31/12/2024	£177k	£162k
31/12/2023	£164k	£171k
31/12/2022	£268k	£166k
31/12/2021	£118k	£148k

Common questions

Is READING MINSTER CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a small net loss of £175 for the year, resulting in total unrestricted funds of £1,206,802. This unrestricted balance significantly exceeds the stated policy target of maintaining approximately six months of unrestricted payments. The accounts were subject to an independent examination which reported no material matters requiring attention. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN EAST PRESTON WITH KINGSTON.

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
READING MINSTER CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN	£165k	—	above	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN EAST PRESTON WITH KINGSTON FY2025	£107k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, AXMINSTER FY2025	£340k	—	unclear	4.0%	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY PORTSEA, PORTSMOUTH FY2025	£246k	—	below	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY'S ELY FY2025	£462k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, LEWISHAM FY2025	£122k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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