ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY CHARITABLE TRUST

Registered charity 326241 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY

Advancement of Religion and maintenance of historic monument

Causes: Education/training · Religious Activities · Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£1.6m

Latest spending

£1.8m

Registered

1982

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that free reserves are negative £96,283, which is below the trustees' policy target of sufficient funds to meet annual expenditure on community care and support costs. Despite this deficit, the trustees assert that funds will be available to meet future obligations, supported by expected cost savings and the completion of major restoration works.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations (82% of income)

“Income comprised donations of £1,598,041 (2023 - 1,935,319) of which £1,326,127 (2023 - £1,135,810) came from St Mary’s Priory for works to the abbey, and other restricted purposes.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £-96k; policy: sufficient to meet annual expenditure on the care of the community and support costs)

“Whilst this is below the reserves policy, the trustees foresee that funds will be available to meet obligations in the future.” — page 6

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations received from St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund

“During the year, donations were received from St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund totaling £1,253,380 (2023 – 1,072,392) for the ongoing works on the estate, of which £21,787 (2023 £273,083) had been awarded but had not been remitted to the charity as at the year end.” — page 19

“Included within debtors is £65,746 (2023 - £52,691) due from Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust relating to expenses incurred by Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust that were covered by St Michael’s Abbey Charitable Trust.” — page 18

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Amounts due from Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust

“During the year, donations were received from St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund totaling £1,253,380 (2023 – 1,072,392) for the ongoing works on the estate, of which £21,787 (2023 £273,083) had been awarded but had not been remitted to the charity as at the year end.” — page 19

“Included within debtors is £65,746 (2023 - £52,691) due from Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust relating to expenses incurred by Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust that were covered by St Michael’s Abbey Charitable Trust.” — page 18

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Amounts due to Saint Michael’s Abbey Press Limited

“During the year, donations were received from St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund totaling £1,253,380 (2023 – 1,072,392) for the ongoing works on the estate, of which £21,787 (2023 £273,083) had been awarded but had not been remitted to the charity as at the year end.” — page 19

“Included within debtors is £65,746 (2023 - £52,691) due from Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust relating to expenses incurred by Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust that were covered by St Michael’s Abbey Charitable Trust.” — page 18

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Governance: The Trustees much regret the uncharacteristic late filing of the annual accounts and report.

“The Trustees much regret the uncharacteristic late filing of the annual accounts and report. The resignation due to health and personal circumstances of the trusts' bookkeeper much delayed the preparation of the annual accounts.” — page 5

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Saint Michael’s Abbey Press Limited

“St Michael’s Abbey Charitable Trust is related to the Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust, Saint Michael’s Abbey Press Limited and St Mary’s Priory Fernham Residual Fund. They share the same contact address as disclosed on page 1 of these accounts and have a number of trustees in common. The Empress Eugenie Memorial Trust and Saint Michael’s Abbey Press Limited are part of the same group.” — page 18

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — St Michael's Abbey (matched by registered charity number).

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

Total income

£1.6m

Total spending

£1.8m

Cost of raising funds

£2k

Reserves (reported)

£0

Employees

0

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (99% 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: 0.1% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Right Rev Dom David Cuthbert Brogan OSBchair · trustee of 2 other charities
REV Nicholas Thomas Harper OSB · trustee of 1 other charity
Rev Dom Stanislaus Demetrius Mycka

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

Operates in: Hampshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£1.6m	£1.8m
31/12/2023	£2.0m	£2.9m
31/12/2022	£879k	£1.4m
31/12/2021	£986k	£538k
31/12/2020	£239k	£221k

Common questions

Is ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY CHARITABLE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that free reserves are negative £96,283, which is below the trustees' policy target of sufficient funds to meet annual expenditure on community care and support costs. Despite this deficit, the trustees assert that funds will be available to meet future obligations, supported by expected cost savings and the completion of major restoration works. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

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 JULIA RAUSING TRUST	1	£1.0m
ST CECILIA'S ABBEY RYDE ISLE OF WIGHT	1	£255k
THE FOUNDATION OF ST. BENEDICT OF NURSIA	1	£133k
THE JOHN R. MURRAY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£30k
THE MCCORQUODALE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£25k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION	1	£25k
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£23k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with DELAPRE ABBEY PRESERVATION TRUST.

DELAPRE ABBEY PRESERVATION TRUST income £2.2m
ABBEY LAWN TRUST income £253k
Douai Abbey Parishes Trust income £900k
STONELEIGH ABBEY LIMITED income £1.1m
THE WESTMINSTER ABBEY TRUST income £3.1m
ST BENEDICT'S CENTRE income £162k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ST MICHAEL'S ABBEY CHARITABLE TRUST	£1.6m	—	0	below	—	no doubt
DELAPRE ABBEY PRESERVATION TRUST FY2025	£2.2m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
ABBEY LAWN TRUST FY2025	£253k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
Douai Abbey Parishes Trust FY2025	£900k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
STONELEIGH ABBEY LIMITED FY2025	£1.1m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE WESTMINSTER ABBEY TRUST FY2025	£3.1m	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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