Ely Cathedral Trust

Analysis

Ely Cathedral Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Ely. It was registered in November 1972, 54 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, religious activities and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under religion. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Ely Cathedral Trust reported income of £640k and spending of £723k, spending 113% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £397k to £640k (+61%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 368%. Over the whole period it spent 80% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, Ely Cathedral Trust sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Ffald-Y-Brenin Trust Limited (£640k), Lincoln Methodist Circuit (£641k) and Chosen People Ministries (UK) (£639k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 51% and donations and legacies 49%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £219k. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 0.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £700k. Reserves of £3.2m would cover about 52 months of spending at that rate.

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.