The Royal School of Church Music
Analysis
The Royal School of Church Music is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Salisbury. It was registered in April 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, religious activities and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under religion. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00250031). It says it provides human resources, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The Royal School of Church Music reported income of £1.3m and spending of £1.0m, leaving 23% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.1m to £1.3m (+23%), an average of +5.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 18%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.
Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, The Royal School of Church Music 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 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Sepulchre Cambridge (£1.3m), Prayer Storm (£1.3m) and Masorti Judaism (£1.3m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 56%, donations and legacies 40% and investments 3.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £294k. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £1.1m would cover about 13 months of spending at that rate. It employed 19 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 18%
- Legacies 22%
- Charitable activities 56%
- Investments 3.4%
- Other 0.4%
In the charity's own words
We aim to encourage and inspire the best use of music, above all in Christian worship, formation and outreach. We do this by both direct and indirect education and training. Through our staff, volunteers and partnerships, we provide short courses, extended learning programmes, publications and resources, advice and advocacy. We work with people of all ages, abilities and levels of resource.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Sepulchre Cambridge | Cambridge | £1.3m |
| Prayer Storm | Cheadle | £1.3m |
| Masorti Judaism | London | £1.3m |
| Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury Portsmouth | 63-68 St Thomas's Street | £1.3m |