FRIENDS OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL

Registered charity 519110 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Durham Cathedral forms part of a world heritage site. The Friends were set up in 1933 solely to help to maintain and enhance the building and its setting; and over the last ten years grants totalling over -ú1,000,000 have been made, membership is open to all who appreciate the cathedral either as a place of worship or as an architectural gem, and donations and legacies are also welcomed.

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

Latest income

£283k

Latest spending

£165k

Registered

1987

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves of £871,243 are well positioned to cover commitments and exceed the stated policy target of three to six months' expenditure. The charity reported a net income increase to £153,169, driven by a significant upturn in legacies and investment gains, while maintaining adequate resources for future operations.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three to six months' expenditure (held: £871k)

“It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew Peter French
Caroline Peacock
Christine Lightfoot
DR EDWARD DAVID HUNT
George Barber
Guy George Sampson
Hazel Bradshaw
Jeanne Dean
Michael John Dunn Lightfoot
Michael Spencer

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

Operates in: Durham

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£283k	£165k
31/12/2024	£128k	£179k
31/12/2023	£246k	£117k
31/12/2022	£475k	£67k
31/12/2021	£84k	£141k

Common questions

Is FRIENDS OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves of £871,243 are well positioned to cover commitments and exceed the stated policy target of three to six months' expenditure. The charity reported a net income increase to £153,169, driven by a significant upturn in legacies and investment gains, while maintaining adequate resources for future operations. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds FRIENDS OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FRIENDS OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL as a grant recipient include SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST	FY2024	£5k	Section 2(g) (1)
SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST	FY2021	£4k	Section 2 1 Maintenance of Churches and Church Buildin s

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 MCCORQUODALE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£5k
SIR JEREMIAH COLMAN GIFT TRUST	1	£2k
THE DYERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF PARKSTONE SAINT PETER AND SAINT OSMUND WITH BRANKSEA SAINT MARY	1	£100
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF HARNHAM ST GEORGE AND ALL SAINTS	1	£20

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FRIENDS OF NORWICH CATHEDRAL.

FRIENDS OF NORWICH CATHEDRAL income £333k
THE ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL income £290k
THE FRIENDS OF HEREFORD CATHEDRAL income £126k
DURHAM CATHEDRAL CHOIR ASSOCIATION income £283k
THE FRIENDS OF EXETER CATHEDRAL income £392k
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL income £202k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
FRIENDS OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL	£283k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
FRIENDS OF NORWICH CATHEDRAL FY2025	£333k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ASSOCIATION OF THE FRIENDS OF SALISBURY CATHEDRAL FY2026	£290k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE FRIENDS OF HEREFORD CATHEDRAL FY2025	£126k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
DURHAM CATHEDRAL CHOIR ASSOCIATION FY2024	£283k	—	above	—	no doubt
THE FRIENDS OF EXETER CATHEDRAL FY2025	£392k	—	above	—	no doubt

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