The Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance

Analysis

The Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hereford. It was registered in October 1966, 60 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, religious activities and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00144467). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance reported income of £6.0m and spending of £7.7m, spending 129% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £5.6m to £6.0m (+6.8%), an average of +1.7% a year. Over the whole period it spent 120% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% 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 Access Community Trust (£5.9m), Advice UK (£6.0m) and Bait Limud Vchesed (£5.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 74%, investments 11%, trading 7.5% and charitable activities 6.5%. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 3.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £699k. Reserves of £1.0m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 50 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.