Governors of the Charity for Relief of the Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen (Commonly Called Clergy Support Trust)

Analysis

Governors of the Charity for Relief of the Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen (Commonly Called Clergy Support Trust) is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Westminster. It was registered in April 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Governors of the Charity for Relief of the Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen (Commonly Called Clergy Support Trust) reported income of £6.5m and spending of £9.9m, spending 152% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £4.3m to £6.5m (+52%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 158% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Governors of the Charity for Relief of the Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen (Commonly Called Clergy Support Trust) sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Renal Association (£6.5m), Barnsley Youth Zone Ltd (£6.5m) and Leeds Hospitals Charity (£6.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 57% and donations and legacies 3.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £79k. Charitable activities took 92% of spending and raising funds 7.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £166k. Reserves of £117.5m would cover about 142 months of spending at that rate. It employed 24 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.