FREE METHODIST CHURCH, GARSTANG

Registered charity 514360 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as GARSTANG FREE METHODIST CHURCH

Our aim is to spread the message and love of Jesus to as many as possible through worship, Bible teaching and prayer. We provide free weekly activities for children and teenagers, meetings for the elderly in local residential homes, debt counselling, parenting classes, help to the homeless and financial aid to organisations in line with our aims at home and abroad.

Objects

THE FURTHERANCE IN GARSTANG OF THE RELIGIOUS AND OTHER CHARITABLE WORK OF THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINES, DISCIPLINES AND USAGES OF THAT CHURCH FOR THE TIME BEING AS SET FORTH IN THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE.

Area of benefit: GARSTANG

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

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

Registered contact address: Wyre, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£384k

Latest spending

£263k

Registered

1983

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net income surplus of £120,840 for the year ended 31 December 2025, resulting in total unrestricted and restricted funds of £1,712,408. Free reserves stood at £276,617, which exceeds the stated policy target of maintaining approximately two months of expenditure. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, with the examiner reporting no matters requiring attention.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: approximately two months of expenditure to cover church running costs should income fall (reserves figure: £277k)

“It is the policy of the charity to maintain the free reserves at a level equivalent to approximately two months of expenditure to cover church running costs should income fall.”

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 "below" (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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
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
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses 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: 100

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

Volunteers: 100

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

Volunteers: 100
Government income: £8,000 — grants £8,000 (1); 2% of the £322,074 total gross income on the same return

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

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Claire Capewell
Emma Stanton
Helen Sowerby
Michael George Fowles · trustee of 1 other charity
Michael Thornton
PAUL WELLS
Sarah Victoria Kelsall
Susan Louise Dixon
William Alexander

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

Operates in: Lancashire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£384k	£263k
31/12/2024	£217k	£246k
31/12/2023	£322k	£215k
31/12/2022	£224k	£218k
31/12/2021	£212k	£222k

Common questions

Is FREE METHODIST CHURCH, GARSTANG financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a net income surplus of £120,840 for the year ended 31 December 2025, resulting in total unrestricted and restricted funds of £1,712,408. Free reserves stood at £276,617, which exceeds the stated policy target of maintaining approximately two months of expenditure. The accounts were subject to an independent examination rather than a full audit, with the examiner reporting no matters requiring attention. 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
THE JOSEPH RANK TRUST	1	£39k
PLYMOUTH VCSE	1	£8k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH YORK.

CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH YORK income £253k
METHODIST CENTRAL HALL, COVENTRY income £461k
FREE METHODIST CHURCH, FULWOOD income £492k
FREE METHODIST CHURCH, MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM income £165k
LUDLOW METHODIST CHURCH income £141k
PLYMOUTH METHODIST CENTRAL HALL income £742k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FREE METHODIST CHURCH, GARSTANG	£384k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH YORK FY2025	£253k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
METHODIST CENTRAL HALL, COVENTRY FY2025	£461k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
FREE METHODIST CHURCH, FULWOOD FY2025	£492k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
FREE METHODIST CHURCH, MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM FY2025	£165k	—	—	above	—	no doubt
LUDLOW METHODIST CHURCH FY2025	£141k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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