Manchester Diocesan Board of Education
Analysis
Manchester Diocesan Board of Education is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Lancashire. It was registered in October 1966, 60 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 00618201). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending December 2025, Manchester Diocesan Board of Education reported income of £865k and spending of £1.1m, spending 122% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £1.1m to £865k (-18%), an average of -4.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 23%. Over the whole period it spent 92% of the income it received.
Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, Manchester Diocesan Board of Education sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Bridge Church Lincoln (£865k), The Preston Muslim Society Quwwatul Islam Masjid (£866k) and The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Giles' Cripplegate, with St Bartholomew, Moor Lane, and St Alphage, London Wall and (£865k).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 41%, investments 30%, donations and legacies 24% and trading 4.7%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £7.1m would cover about 79 months of spending at that rate. It employed 10 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 24%
- Charitable activities 41%
- Trading 4.7%
- Investments 30%
In the charity's own words
The principal activity of the Board is to promote the quality of education generally throughout the Diocese of Manchester and in particular through its aided and controlled schools, or otherwise benefit those schools, and to provide as necessary for the maintenance, improvement and extension of aided school buildings.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Church Lincoln | Lincoln | £865k |
| The Preston Muslim Society Quwwatul Islam Masjid | Preston | £866k |
| The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Giles' Cripplegate, with St Bartholomew, Moor Lane, and St Alphage, London Wall and | London | £865k |
| The Ursuline Preparatory School Ilford | Ilford | £868k |