The Clergy Rest Fund

Analysis

The Clergy Rest Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in May 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Clergy Rest Fund reported income of £27k and spending of £47k, spending 173% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £51k to £27k (-46%), an average of -14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 53%. Over the whole period it spent 169% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Clergy Rest Fund sits at the 47th percentile: it is larger than about 47% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 51st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include United Family Community Church (£27k), London Spark (£27k) and The Benevolent Fund for Philips UK Pensioners (£27k).

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.