THROSSEL HOLE BUDDHIST ABBEY

Registered charity 506094 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q7798376 · Wikipedia · also known as THE COMMUNITY OF BUDDHIST CONTEMPLATIVES, THROSSEL HOLE PRIORY

To promote the practice, teaching, spreading and general advancement of the Serene Reflection Meditation School of Buddhism as exemplified within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. This is done through the thorough training of monks, and the support of our lay congregation, by a full programme of retreats, residential training, festivals, Dharma weekends and meditation days throughout the year.

Objects

TO PROMOTE THE PRACTICE, TEACHING, SPREADING AND GENERAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE SERENE REFLECTION MEDITATION SCHOOL OF BUDDHISM (SOTO ZEN BUDDHISM) AS EXEMPLIFIED WITHIN THE ORDER OF BUDDHIST CONTEMPLATIVES.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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: Northumberland, North East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of READING BUDDHIST PRIORY (charity 1092463) — merger registered 19/05/2025.

Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).

Latest income

£945k

Latest spending

£209k

Registered

1977

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves stood at £1,947,860, significantly exceeding the stated policy target of £100,000. The charity reported a substantial net movement in funds of £736,384, driven largely by legacy income, resulting in a strong financial position with no funds in deficit.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (95% of income)

“The principal source of income for the Charity is donations.” — page 7

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: six months of running costs (reserves figure: £1.9m)

“Our established policy is to hold enough funds to meet at least six months of running costs of the charity, and have set aside £100,000 as a minimum unrestricted reserve for this purpose.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Concessionary loans to related charities

“The charity has made concessionary loans to Dharmatoevlucht, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple and Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory, all charities and temples within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, as described in note 12.” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

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.

Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses 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 31/03/2025

Government income: £30 — contracts £30 (1); under 1% of the £945,067 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Government income: £30 — contracts £30 (1); under 1% of the £198,790 total gross income on the same return

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Government income: £30 — contracts £30 (1); under 1% of the £181,143 total gross income on the same return

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

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

Total income

£945k

Total spending

£209k

Reserves (reported)

£913k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~52.5 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (14/05/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Rev CDH ROLAND WATSON
Rev Lambert Tuffrey
Rev MAX BENJAMIN CERDA ALEXANDER · trustee of 2 other charities
Rev Peter Michael Bonati · trustee of 2 other charities
Rev STEPHEN BERWYN WATSON
Rev TARA MAY BAILEY

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£945k	£209k
31/03/2024	£199k	£199k
31/03/2023	£181k	£191k
31/03/2022	£179k	£171k
31/03/2021	£165k	£172k

Common questions

Is THROSSEL HOLE BUDDHIST ABBEY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves stood at £1,947,860, significantly exceeding the stated policy target of £100,000. The charity reported a substantial net movement in funds of £736,384, driven largely by legacy income, resulting in a strong financial position with no funds in deficit. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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
FRIENDS OF ACHIEZER ARAD	1	£77k
HOLMFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£11k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Tu An Temple UK.

Tu An Temple UK income £126k
HARTRIDGE BUDDHIST MONASTERY TRUST income £338k
THE TERTON SOGYAL TRUST income £86k
TRUE BUDDHA SCHOOL LIMITED income £224k
ROCHDALE ZEN RETREAT income £22k
THE TRADITIONAL YOGA ASSOCIATION income £46k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THROSSEL HOLE BUDDHIST ABBEY	£945k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
Tu An Temple UK FY2025	£126k	—	above	—	no doubt
HARTRIDGE BUDDHIST MONASTERY TRUST FY2025	£338k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE TERTON SOGYAL TRUST FY2025	£86k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TRUE BUDDHA SCHOOL LIMITED FY2025	£224k	—	within	—	no doubt
ROCHDALE ZEN RETREAT FY2025	£22k	—	above	—	no doubt

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