Bible Reading Fellowship

Analysis

Bible Reading Fellowship is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Abingdon. It was registered in February 1965, 61 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and religious activities, which this site groups under religion. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00301324). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Bible Reading Fellowship reported income of £1.9m and spending of £2.0m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £2.1m to £1.9m (-9.0%), an average of -2.3% a year. Over the whole period it spent 107% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, Bible Reading Fellowship sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Stanborough Press Limited (£1.9m), Alive Church Lincoln (£1.9m) and Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East (£1.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 61%, charitable activities 37% and investments 1.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £22k. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 7.3%. Reserves of £1.2m would cover about 7 months of spending at that rate. It employed 47 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.