THE Salvation Army Trust has the largest annual income among ten of the biggest Christian charities in the UK, data submitted to the Charity Commission suggests.
The trust was also named as the highest fund-raiser on the list, produced by the website Charity Financials last week. Its income was about £209 million last year, including £126 million in fund-raising: that is, all voluntary income, event fund-raising, and sales of donated goods, minus any support given by the Government.
The Head of Individual Giving at the Salvation Army, Alex Wood, said: “We truly appreciate every donation we receive, which helps us to provide year-round practical help to people who are vulnerable in communities across the UK.”
The Salvation Army International Trust had the eighth largest income among UK-based Christian charities on the Charity Financials list: about £59 million. The total income of all ten charities amounted to half a billion, it said.
But the charitable giving of the Church of England, which was not included, would probably dwarf this figure, data from the Church Commissioners from 2015 suggests. The total income of the parishes that year was more than £1 billion. (The parish statistics from last year have not yet been collated.)
The Methodist Church was also represented in the list. Its Independent Schools Trust (MIST) had an annual income of £99,868,000: enough to gain third place overall. The trust has been running Methodist schools since John Wesley opened Kingswood School, Somerset, in 1748. Although the school is no longer run by the trust, only affiliated, MIST now has responsibility for 14 other independent schools in the UK.
Among the non-denominational charities on the list were Christian Aid, which enjoyed the second largest income last year: £107 million. Its international director, Paul Valentin, said: “At a time when many people — not least the President of the US — are encouraging us to turn inwards, to reject the refugee [crisis], and slash our aid budget, it’s a testament to Christians across the UK that they continue to make a stand and give selflessly to help their fellow human, even if that person is someone who they will never meet.”
Its fund-raising income of £62,649,000 fell short of second place, which was taken by the Stewardship Services (UKET). The organisation, which provides financial and legal support to several Christian charities, among others, generated an annual income of about £72 million, of which £68 million was from fund-raising.
World Vision had the fourth highest annual income: £95,372,000 (including £48,196,000 in fund-raising income); closely followed by Tearfund, which had an annual income of £72,162,000.
charityfinancials.com