2024-12-31-accounts - The Archbishops' Council

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The Archbishops’ Council

Annual Report and Financial Statements

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Registered charity number 1074857

CONTENTS ~~~~~

President’s Foreword ........................................................... 04 Finding Support .................................................................... 06 Vision and Strategy .............................................................. 07 The Archbishops’ Council’s Objectives .............................. 08 Financial Summary ............................................................... 09 Introduction from the Secretary General ......................... 10 Objective 1: A Younger Church ........................................... 13 Objective 2: A More Diverse Church .................................. 16 Objective 3: Revitalise Parishes .......................................... 20 Objective 4: New Christian Communities ......................... 23 Objective 5: Missionary Disciples ....................................... 26 Objective 6: Safety and Dignity .......................................... 28 Objective 7: Sustainability ................................................... 33 The Council’s Plans for 2025 ............................................... 36 Financial Review ................................................................... 38 Governance ........................................................................... 42 People and Organisation .................................................... 46 Risk Management ................................................................. 49 Trustee Responsibilities ...................................................... 52 Independent Auditor’s Report ............................................ 53 Statement of Financial Activities ........................................ 56 Balance Sheet ....................................................................... 58 Cash Flow Statement ........................................................... 59 Notes to the Financial Statements .................................... 60

Annual Report 2024

PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

The Archbishops’ Council’s role is to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England. This acknowledges that people’s primary engagement with our Church is through its parishes, cathedrals and other worshipping communities, its schools and chaplaincies.

We recognise that in all our work we need the help of God, the help of the Gospel, and also the help of professionals whose expertise is vital to our wellbeing and flourishing as a Church, particularly in safeguarding.

During this difficult and challenging year, we have come to a greater realisation that we – as the Council, the

Church and as individuals - have not done all we could and should have done in responding to victims and survivors of abuse. The Council laments and repents of this failure and is committed to learning from it. Following the report from Dr Sarah Wilkinson, trustees have participated in trauma-informed training as we continue to work towards a more victim-centred safeguarding approach. We hope that our revised guidance, survivor engagement and promotion of legislative changes, including the ongoing work towards the establishment of the National Redress Scheme, illustrate this.

Some areas where we as a Church have fallen short were quite rightly brought into sharp focus with the publication of the independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s historic handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth. We are truly sorry for the prolific and abhorrent abuse highlighted in the report and its lifelong effects on his victims. We recognise that they were badly let down by many in different parts of the Church of England. We are profoundly grateful for their courage in coming forward and sharing their experiences, knowing how costly this would be.

As a Council, we ensured that additional support was available to them through an independent advocacy service as well as Safe Spaces (see the Finding Support section which immediately follows this foreword for information on how to contact this and other support services).

As we are required to do as a registered charity, we filed a Report of a Serious Incident (RSI) with the Charity Commission in relation to the issues raised by the Keith Makin review. We also provided the Commission with an updated report later in the year. All Council trustees received a letter on the subject from the Commission and several trustees - including myself - and senior staff met with the Commission in January 2025 to explain the steps that have been taken in recent years towards addressing the urgent need to improve safeguarding practices and to respond to questions on further steps. This included explaining the then forthcoming debate on the Future of Safeguarding at the February 2025 Group of Sessions of the General Synod which agreed:

a commitment to greater independence in safeguarding in the Church of England through agreeing to progress work to set up an external scrutiny body for Church safeguarding;
that most functions currently delivered by the National Safeguarding Team should be transferred to an external employer, eventually and after all development, consultation and legislative processes were complete; and
to undertake further work to determine the legal and practical requirements that would be necessary to transfer safeguarding teams in dioceses and cathedrals to the same external employer.

We are grateful to the Charity Commission for its engagement in stressing the importance of the urgent need to embed improved safeguarding practices across the Church. This has included the Commission writing to all members of the General Synod who are also trustees of Church charities - including bishops - to draw their attention to their legal duties, specifically their duty to take reasonable steps to protect from harm people who come into contact with their charity.

We endorse fully the Commission’s statement that this includes ensuring that processes, procedures and training are fit for purpose, and that safeguarding concerns are not able to be ignored or covered up. The Council - collectively and as individuals - is committed to working with all parts of the Church and the Charity Commission to ensure trustees of Church charities - which of course includes the Council itself - are enabled and supported in their duty to take reasonable steps to keep all who come into contact with their charity safe and held to account for this. As at the date of this report, in 2025 the Council had made four further RSls to the Charity Commission and filed three updates to previously submitted RSls.

Most of all, we pray for all victims and survivors of abuse and for the renewal of the Church, that in humility and penitence we may learn from the mistakes of the past and build a better future.

This foreword usually comes from the two Archbishops who serve as joint Presidents of the Council. But following Justin Welby’s decision to announce his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury in November, which took effect on 6 January 2025, it comes from me alone. As I said when he resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin decided to take his share of responsibility for the failures identified by the Makin review. I believed that was the right thing to do. But he was also responsible for championing safeguarding developments and changes in the Church in the past 10 years.

On behalf of the Council, I also want to acknowledge the many other positive aspects of Justin’s ministry, exemplified by service and sacrifice, with the big themes of his time as archbishop being prayer, reconciliation and evangelism, together with his huge commitment to the Church of England, the Anglican Communion and above all the Gospel of Jesus Christ which flowed from his discipleship.

The majority of this foreword has focused on a single subject. But in closing I draw readers’ attention to the broader work of the Council, supported by its excellent staff, which aims to enable and encourage the work of the wider Church, as set out in this report.

This includes our grant giving to support dioceses and parishes in their work, including specific grants for net zero, racial justice and buildings for mission. Lowest Income Communities Funding (LlnC) supports mission and ministry in 2,000 parishes serving around 15 million people in our poorest communities. LlnC grants, the Diocesan Investment Programme and Strategic Development Funding grants combined support mission and ministry to over a third of England’s population.

I also want to thank our clergy and laity for their dedication, commitment and faithful service to God and the communities we seek to serve across the country. I rejoice that through this work we have seen average weekly and Sunday attendance at Church of England churches increase for four successive years, though sadly these statistics remain below the prepandemic level. This shows the fruit of all who work at the heart of local communities, continuing to strive for the common good and sharing God’s love through work such as educating over a million children, providing or supporting more than 30,000 social action projects, supporting the vulnerable and running around 15,500 church buildings across the country.

As a Council, our task is to help enable the outstanding ministry taking place across our vast networks in 42 dioceses. Be assured of my prayers for you all as, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we continue in the task of sharing Jesus Christ’s love for all.

bh Stephen Ebor

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FINDING SUPPORT

If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org

There are also other support services available .

THE ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL’S AND THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND’S VISION AND STRATEGY

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

ONE VISION

The Church of England’s calling is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England.

To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.

To respond to human need by loving service.

The Vision for the Church in the 2020s is that we become a Church that is centred on Jesus Christ and shaped by Jesus Christ through the five marks of mission.

To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.

To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

To become a Church of missionary disciples.

There are three strategic priorities of this Vision for the 2020s.

To be a Church where mixed ecology is the norm.

To be a Church that is younger and more diverse.

A Church for everyone through:

Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.
A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity.

SIX BOLD OUTCOMES

From the three strategic priorities six bold outcomes were identified.

A pathway for everyone into an accessible and contextual expression of church through:

A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.
Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital.

Empowered by:

Based on the Church’s overall Vision and Strategy, the Council set seven objectives based on the six bold outcomes of the Vision, explored in detail in the pages that follow.

All Christians in the Church of England envisioned, resourced, and released to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and world.
All local churches, supported by their diocese, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.

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THE ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL’S OBJECTIVES

The Archbishops’ Council was established under the National Institutions Measure 1998 to provide focus for leadership and executive responsibility and a forum for strategic thinking and planning. The Council’s statutory object is “to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England”.

2 A YOUNGER CHURCH

A MORE DIVERSE CHURCH

Objective: Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.

Objective: A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity, including race, disability and deprivation.

4 NEW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

REVITALISE PARISHES

Objective: A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.

Objective: Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital.

5 MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

Objective: All Anglicans envisioned, resourced and released to live out the five marks of mission in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and world. All local churches, supported by their dioceses, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.

SAFETY AND DIGNITY

SUSTAINABILITY

Objective: A Church that affirms the dignity of all people by being a safe place for all, especially children and vulnerable adults.

Objective: A Church that cherishes God’s creation and leads by example in promoting sustainability.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

The charts below provide an analysis of the Council’s sources of income and expenditure by charitable objective in 2024

ANALYSIS OF 2024 INCOMING RESOURCES OF £235.6m

Church Commissioners £199.7m Diocesan apportionment £32.1m Other £4.7m

2024 EXPENDITURE BY CHARITABLE OBJECTIVE ACTIVITY OF £229.4m

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A younger Church £19.9m
A more diverse Church £51.3m
Revitalise parishes £102.0m
New Christian communities £17.0m
Missionary disciples £18.4m
Safety and dignity £12.0m
Sustainability £8.8m
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INTRODUCTION FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

Archbishop Stephen’s President’s foreword to this report notes that the work of the Archbishops’ Council during 2024 was to a large degree dominated by safeguarding - and specifically by the response to the review by Keith Makin of abuse by the late John Smyth, the cover-up of that abuse by some clergy in the 1980s, and the subsequent actions of people in the Church once that abuse was disclosed. It has been a challenging year for the trustees and staff of the Council. As Archbishop Stephen says, we have all - as the Council, as the Church and as individuals - had to come to a greater realisation of how we could and should have done more to respond to victims and survivors of abuse - not just the abuse perpetrated by Smyth, but other examples of abuse in many parts of the Church. We have also learned how our failures to respond well to victims and survivors have contributed to a continuing pain and trauma for them.

The period since the publication of the Makin review in November 2024 has been difficult, but also valuable in forcing many of us in the Church to face that responsibility more clearly. After the review was published, the National Safeguarding Team (which is part of the Archbishops’ Council) began a careful four-stage process of considering the evidence in the review, in order to consider whether those criticised in the review merited a complaint to be brought under the Clergy Discipline Measure. At the time of writing, permission is being sought to bring 10 such complaints against retired and active clergy.

The work of the Council on safeguarding was not limited, though, to the work arising from the Makin review. 2024 was an important year in terms of making further progress in safeguarding policy, practice and structure. Throughout the year, a review group co-chaired by the lead bishop for safeguarding, Rt Revd Joanne Grenfell, and by Lesley-Anne Ryder, was consulting widely with victims and survivors, with safeguarding professionals, and with others inside and outside the Church, to develop proposals for the future structure of safeguarding for the Church. At the meeting of the General Synod in February 2025, the Synod voted

in favour of: an external scrutiny body for Church safeguarding; moving most safeguarding functions of the Council (other than policy development) to an external employer; and doing more work on the legal and practical requirements necessary for the transfer of safeguarding teams in dioceses and cathedrals also to an external employer. This work will continue during 2025 and beyond.

Meanwhile, the National Safeguarding Team continues to make progress in improving existing policies and practice. Five new safeguarding Codes of Practice have been approved in the last two General Synods, one in July 2024 and four more in February 2025 (including important Codes on “Managing Allegations” and “Reporting”). Regional safeguarding leads have been appointed to the team, to provide supervision and co-ordination for diocesan safeguarding teams, as part of the implementation of the recommendations for the Church from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA). The national safeguarding case management system is now operational in almost every diocese. Another recommendation of IICSA was to continue a programme of external audits of safeguarding in dioceses and cathedrals. The external supplier carrying out those audits, lneqe, published its first annual report in February 2025, having conducted 10 such audits. The Church’s National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of abuse is making progress: an external supplier, Kennedys LLP, has been appointed to administer the scheme, and the legislation to support it is making progress through the General Synod. Not solely related to safeguarding, but also important in improving a relevant process, the new draft Clergy Conduct Measure also received final approval from the General Synod in February 2025.

I would like to thank Alexander Kubeyinje, the national director of safeguarding, and all his team for the formidable amount of work that they have done during 2024, and continue to do in 2025, to help make the Church a safer place for now and the future, and to respond better to victims and survivors of abuse now and in the past.

Alongside the work on safeguarding, the Council has continued with its other areas of work in support of our objective to “co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England”. I noted last year that, following the very welcome increase in distributions to the Church from the Church Commissioners, the Council’s income had increased substantially. It did so again in 2024. This reflects the second year - and the first full year effect - of the financial plans agreed by the Triennium Funding Working Group in 2022. Grants from the Church Commissioners to the Council rose by one third, to £205 million, and the Council’s total income rose to £236 million.

The great bulk of this income is used to fund grants to dioceses to support their mission and ministry. The notes to the accounts show in detail how these grants support the Council’s objectives: to create a younger Church, a more diverse Church, to revitalise parishes, to support new Christian communities and to create missionary disciples. Among these, the drive to be a younger and more diverse Church - with a particular focus on children and young people - continues to be the Council’s “priority of priorities”, with the Council continuing to have this issue on its agenda at every one of its regular meetings. However, the grants the Council makes are in response to applications from dioceses, based on their needs and priorities informed by the Church’s national Vision and Strategy. In fact, the largest single area of grants awarded from the Diocesan Investment Programme in 2024 was for revitalising parishes. It was possible in 2024 to start to make some very significant awards, of over £10 million, and covering multiple years, to a number of dioceses including Blackburn, (part of) London, Southwark, and Southwell and Nottingham. In each case it is hoped the ministries funded by these grants may contribute to a transformation of Church life across those dioceses.

We continue to be encouraged by the growth of the Church in the last few years. While attendances do remain below the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it has been good to see another small increase in attendances in the provisional figures for October 2024. This fourth successive year of growth is most unlikely simply to be a “bounce-back” from the pandemic but includes elements of organic growth.

Nonetheless the Council remains very conscious of the difficulties faced by many dioceses, financially and missionally, in the aftermath of COVID-19. During 2024 it worked on a Diocesan Finances Review, which was presented to the General Synod in February 2025, and will feed into the deliberations of the next Triennium Funding Working Group. It is hoped that this will enable better financial support for dioceses, as well as simpler financial relationships between the National Church Institutions and dioceses.

Two members of the Archbishops’ Council stepped down as trustees around the end of 2024: Archbishop Justin Welby who resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury, with effect from 6 January 2025, and Maureen Cole, who stepped down at the end of her five-year appointment as a trustee. I would like to thank both Archbishop Justin and Maureen for their service to the Council and the wider Church - and in particular thanks to Archbishop Justin for his leadership of the Council, for his commitment to bringing more people to know Jesus Christ, and for his determination to improve the Church’s safeguarding; and to Maureen for her service as chair of the Council’s Audit and Risk Committee. At the end of 2024 Revd Dr Malcolm Brown retired from the Council after 17 years as director, first of Mission and Public Affairs, and then of Faith and Public Life. Thank you to Malcolm for his remarkable record of service, covering a huge range of aspects of the Church’s life, and welcome to his successor Revd Dr Richard Sudworth.

We also said farewell to the National Church Institutions people director, Chris Hewitt-Dyer, after five and a half years. Many thanks also to Chris for her caring and professional leadership on people issues, and welcome to her successor, Emma Trenier.

Finally, I would as ever like to say thank you to all the staff of the Archbishops’ Council, and to our colleagues in the other National Church Institutions, for all their work on behalf of the Church during this challenging year.

William Nye, LVO

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OBJECTIVE 1 A YOUNGER CHURCH

Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.

2024 Expenditure: £19.9m (2023: £18.2m)

Mission to children and young people is a vital part of the Church’s ministry, and this is reflected in our priority to double the number of children and young active disciples in the Church by 2030. The Council has had a key focus throughout 2024 on work supporting the aim to double the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030, remaining committed to the vision of a younger, thriving Church, and expanding initiatives that engage children and young people in meaningful discipleship. The Council worked collaboratively with dioceses, parishes, schools and youth ministries to create environments where children and young people could encounter Jesus Christ, deepen their faith, and actively participate in the life of the Church.

Preliminary data from 2024 indicates a positive trend in youth participation. The number of children attending weekly services increased from 87,000 in 2022 to 92,000 in 2023, marking a 5.7% rise.

In 2024, doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030 remained a central priority for the Council’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB), reflected in the £97.3 million awarded through the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) and £3.8 million allocated through People and Partnerships Funding (PPF), with nearly 30% of these funds directly contributing to youth engagement, discipleship and leadership development.

CASE STUDIES:

EXPANDING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT:

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Diocese of Durham: £4.7 million awarded for plans including 20 new hubs focused on children’s and youth ministry, training 600 youth and children’s ministers, and seed funding for 25 churches to engage with secondary schools.
Diocese of Hereford: £458,000 to develop youth ministry hubs in rural areas, aiming to reach 1,000 young people by 2026.
Diocese of Portsmouth: £4.0 million for a programme for midweek school-based worship, family-oriented services and a Choir Church initiative to encourage music-led discipleship.
Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham: £21.0 million to invest in youth discipleship, leadership and rural outreach, deploying more than 40 lay and ordained youth ministers.

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DISCIPLESHIP AND DIGITAL OUTREACH:

|_| Missional Youth Church Network (MYCN): £600,000 PPF grant was awarded to expand from 25 to more than 100 youth-led worshipping communities, particularly in deprived areas.
The Way Digital Youth Ministry: £999,000 was invested to increase engagement with teenagers online, with an ambitious goal of reaching 10% of UK 13 to 17-year-olds and integrating 1,000 young digital followers into local church communities. (See Objective 4).
Messy Church Expansion: £558,000 was granted to BRF Ministries to develop a structured pathway for Messy Church children aged 11+, for faith continuity beyond primary school.

EMPOWERING YOUNG LEADERS:

Diocese of London (Stepney Programme):

£9.4 million was awarded for a programme in Hackney and Islington. It will focus on ministry in low-income communities and the renewal of small-to medium-sized parishes broadly in the Catholic tradition, in addition to supporting youth leadership training in Hackney and Islington, where one-third of the 500,000 residents are under 19. (See section in Objective 4 for this case study).

Leading Your Church into Growth (LyCiG): £755,000 PPF grant funding will support the launch of “Leading Your Children’s Work into Growth” and “Leading Your Youth Work into Growth”, helping churches increase engagement with younger congregations.

Prayer

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. Launched in 2016, it has since grown into an international ecumenical call to prayer. In 2024, a variety of discipleship resources were created to encourage all ages to take part in Thy Kingdom Come. Key resources developed for children and young people included Cheeky Pandas and the Jesus Story Book Bible and a collaboration with The Way UK – a leading digital youth ministry, creating discipleship resources for young adults, including podcast episodes and films exploring topics such prayer and mission.

Strengthening partnerships between church, school and home

The Growing Faith Foundation initiative, established in 2022, continued to be at the heart of this mission, strengthening and encouraging closer partnerships between churches, schools and households to embed its vision of integrating faith into the everyday lives of children and young people. In 2024, the Growing Faith Foundation expanded its network by launching and resourcing an additional 12 learning hubs nationwide, serving as centres of innovation and empowering children and young people as leaders and decision-makers within their communities. The Growing Faith Foundation is funding ongoing research to better understand the intersection between church, school and home life. (See Objective 4 for more information).

Empowering young people in worship and leadership

Recognising the importance of giving young people a voice in shaping the Church, 2024 saw an increased emphasis on youth-led worship and leadership development. Furthermore, in July, General Synod voted in favour of a motion prioritising children and young people by committing to hearing more and methodically engaging with young voices as part of its future discussions.

Investment in ministry with children and young people and training

To ensure sustainable growth in youth ministry, the Church invested in recruiting and training more youth and children’s ministers. Diocesan grants and national funding supported the employment of new youth ministers, with a particular focus on areas where churches historically struggled to engage young people. Clergy and lay leaders received enhanced training in youth discipleship, equipping them to support young people’s spiritual growth effectively. (See Objective 3 for more information).

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————_—----—=— OBJECTIVE 2 A MORE DIVERSE CHURCH

A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity, including race, disability and deprivation.

2024 Expenditure: £51.3m (2023: £48.2m)

providing robust structures for complaint, redress and institutional learning; and the removal of the “barriers to full participation” identified in the report Behind the Stained Glass .

The Archbishops’ Council is committed to diversity in the Church of England as one of its major goals - and the Church’s historic vocation to use its place at the heart of every community to serve and work for reconciliation, justice and flourishing of all people. Expenditure under this objective includes £33.0m in Lowest Income Communities Funding and transition funding grants made to 29 dioceses to support mission and ministry in around 2,000 of our most deprived parishes.

The report and its recommendations were given a ringing endorsement by the General Synod of February 2025, (GS 2377) and the Archbishops’ Council will implement the steps forward envisaged within it over the course of 2025, supported by the RJU.

ON RACIAL JUSTICE

“The Church is called to offer an alternative vision and to change the reality of the day-to-day lives of all those it’s called to serve. To do that it must address the gaping wound of racial injustice that afflicts it and reach out and welcome all comers.” Lord Boateng, Chair of the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice

Theologically, racial justice within the church centres around the command of Christ to his disciples, “love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Incarnating that command within the life of the Church requires action across a broad range of practical activities:

In governance, the establishment of a Racial Justice Board as a committee of the Archbishops’ Council, to replace the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns, containing a lead bishop for Racial Justice and scrutinised by an external Racial Justice Panel.

2024 has been a year of decisive progress towards the Church of England’s objective to become more fully representative of the communities we serve in age and diversity, including race. This work is a vital contribution to the future health and sustainability of the Church, given that a third of young people in UK schools today have UKME/GMH heritage.

In resourcing, by extending the life of the RJU beyond its remaining three years and ensuring it has sufficient staff and resources to provide essential stakeholder engagement, training and capacity building, and grant funding with accompanying management services.

2024 saw the conclusion of the three-year term of the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice (ACRJ), a body convened to push the Church towards implementing the recommendations of the landmark report From Lament to Action , supported by the Archbishops’ Council’s Racial Justice Unit (RJU). In their final report the Archbishops’ Commissioners issued a formal Appeal to the Church to overcome the “condition of broken fellowship” engendered by the continued presence of racism within the Church.

In training, by provision of training and e-learning opportunities, so that individuals, parishes and other stakeholders can develop the cultural competence to truly “love one another” within the diverse English context of today and embed anti-racist practice within their local settings.

To work towards this goal the Commission identified four priorities to ensure further progress: encouraging more diversity within our worship culture; establishing robust structures of governance and resourcing;

All racial justice work must be underpinned by adequate data collection, so that issues can be understood and participation can be measured.

that will enable dioceses and parishes to explore both racism and anti-racism. This learning and development opportunity will provide users with the tools and language to develop racial literacy, thoughtfully consider race and racism and embed anti-racist practice in their local settings.

The Church is called to offer an alternative vision and to change the reality of the day-to-day lives of all those it’s called to serve. To do that it must address the gaping wound of racial injustice that afflicts it and reach out and welcome all comers. Lord Boateng, Chair of the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice

In addition, the Racial Justice Unit content on the Church of England website is undergoing review, and a communications strategy, terminology toolkit on racial justice, training and development framework, Theory of Change evaluation framework and blended learning training offer have been worked on during 2024 and will be available in summer 2025.

Other notable work of the RJU in 2024 included:

Other notable work of the RJU in 2024 included:
Other notable work of the RJU in 2024 included:	Types of Racial Justice expenditure in 2024
	managed by the RJU:
Sustaining a network of Racial Justice Focal Points across the dioceses and organising national and regional events to build confidence and capacity among UKME/GMH leaders within the Church. A foundational e-learning anti-racist module has been under construction in 2024 and will be piloted with 10 dioceses in 2025. This module is the first in a series	Cathedrals Dioceses Ethnocultural networks Other (including NCls and small grants) TEls Grand total to December 2024	£0.1m £1.8m £1.5m £0.1m £1.3m £4.8m

Sustaining a network of Racial Justice Focal Points across the dioceses and organising national and regional events to build confidence and capacity among UKME/GMH leaders within the Church.

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There are a further 100 grants of up to £5,000 for projects to enhance access and participation or enable work with disabled people and other target groups. Parishes are actively improving physical access (e.g. ramps, hearing loops, sign language interpretation) through these grants. DIP “capacity funding” has also helped some dioceses appoint specialist advisers or project managers to guide parishes on disability inclusion.

Furthermore, in addition to the regular national online services (see section in Objective 4 for detail), on Sunday 22 September 2024, the Church of England’s national online service was led in British Sign Language (BSL) from the purpose-built chapel for Deaf congregations, the Chapel of St Mark with St John at Reading Deaf Centre, where there is a monthly Parish Holy Communion Service in BSL. Revd Dr Hannah Lewis (Lead Chaplain with Deaf people for the Diocese of Oxford) presided over the service in BSL, with Revd Canon Cathy Nightingale (Deaf Chaplain in the Diocese of Manchester) preaching. The increased digital and hybrid worship options have proved particularly beneficial for those with mobility or sensory impairments.

ON DEPRIVATION

CASE STUDY:

Diocese of Southwark: Several dioceses receiving Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) awards in 2024 included significant initiatives for growing and supporting UKME/GMH congregations.

In Southwark Diocese, part of a £21.6m DIP award is focused on encouraging both lay and ordained vocations among UKME/GMH candidates and on enabling the development of bilingual and intercultural worshipping communities, helping ensure diverse communities are fully encompassed.

ON DISABILITY

“As we declare that ‘we are the body of Christ,’ we need to ensure that every part of the body is able to fully belong and participate and bring their unique gifts to our worship and ministry.” Rt Revd Richard Atkinson, Bishop of Bedford, Chair of the Committee for the Ministry of and amongst Deaf and Disabled People.

Throughout 2024, the Council continued to uphold its ongoing commitment to ensure our buildings, worship, and ministry are fully accessible to all. In 2024 the Council awarded £2.4m to fund a series of measures

to improve the participation of Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people in parish life, ranging from grants to improve access to buildings to encouraging vocations to the priesthood.

In 2024, the Archbishops’ Council’s Committee for Ministry of and among Deaf and Disabled People and its sub-groups, the Disability Task Group and the Deaf Ministry Task Group, also continued their work on tackling the accessibility issues facing disabled people in our Church – not just physically but also in terms of welcome, recognition and progression in ministry.

Furthermore, in July 2024, the General Synod voted to unanimously back a motion to affirm the human dignity of disabled children; to ensure parents of unborn children with a disability are given comprehensive and unbiased information and told what support is available to them.

CASE STUDY:

Accessibility upgrades and inclusive worship: A pilot developed in the Northern Province will provide 20 grants of up to £50,000 for projects that include physical changes to buildings that improve access.

Socioeconomic deprivation remains a major barrier to sustainable ministry in many parts of England. In 2024 the Council has sought to address this challenge both through grant-making in deprived areas and by catalysing wider structural change.

In February, the General Synod members gave their unanimous backing to the Estates Evangelism motion which re-committed the Church of England to setting up a church on every significant social housing estate, five years on from first giving its backing to this goal in 2019. Members also backed moves to double the number of young active Christians on housing estates and ensure that young people from estates and low-income communities are trained as children’s and young people’s leaders among other forms of ministry.

To this end, Lowest Income Communities (LlnC) Funding has remained critical in ensuring mission is sustained in economically vulnerable parishes. In 2024, £30.1m of LlnC was awarded to 29 dioceses, alongside £2.7m of transition funding - in 2023, the most recent reporting period, LlnC supported 2,000 parishes serving nearly 15 million people, ensuring that church presence remains viable, where it may otherwise be unsustainable.

CASE STUDY:

Diocese of Worcester: Supported by LlnC funding, an empty shop on Gradley Heath High Street in Worcester Diocese was transformed into a thriving community hub offering practical support, pastoral care and a place for local people to explore faith with strong links with the local parishes. Volunteers run everything from food banks to social groups. Local residents describe the project as “church on the street”, where “anyone who needs help can find it”, demonstrating that even small grants can spark a vibrant Christian presence in deprived contexts:

LInC funding supports both parish ministry and outreach projects to support local communities.

In Worcester the diocese spends two thirds of their LInC funding on supporting parish ministry, and one third on projects in and for LlnC parishes. Both of these work to support mission and ministry in the local communities.

“Our cluster of parishes contains the five most deprived areas in Worcester. Quite simply, everything we are able to do as a beacon in these communities makes a difference, creates opportunities for generosity and enables participation.” Incumbent of a parish which received support from LInC funding.

Annual Report 2024

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OBJECTIVE 3 REVITALISE PARISHES

A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.

2024 Expenditure: £102.0m (2023: £81.3m)

The Church of England’s parish system is the foundation of its mission, ensuring there is a Christian presence in every community. However, many parishes face challenges related to leadership capacity, financial sustainability and community engagement.

The Archbishops’ Council is committed to providing funding and practical support to assist the mission and ministry of parishes and other worshipping communities in their context, including overseeing the vocations and ordination training processes and providing some grant support for curacies and Posts of First Responsibility.

In 2024, significant investment was made to revitalise parishes, ensuring they are equipped for mission, sustainable for the future, and effective in reaching the breadth of their communities. Meanwhile, the Church ~~a~~ Support Hub, which was launched in 2024, will play a key role in sharing learning, best practices and training resources for continued parish renewal efforts.

STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP

In 2024, the Council delivered a targeted investment in clergy and lay leaders, resulting in:

27.5 additional stipendiary curates in 2024 (£4.0m confirmed funding).
40 additional stipendiary curates approved for 2025 (£6.49m funding).
Urban lay leadership development (Case Study: M:Power programme in Blackburn Diocese).

In 2024 the Council also continued to support the processes for discerning vocations and training for ordained ministry. It runs the Ministry Experience Scheme, which offers 18 to 30-year-olds vocational year-long placements in churches, spanning the wide diversity of traditions and geographic contexts that make up the Church of England. To date, more than 900

young adults have taken part in the Ministry Experience Scheme, gaining a range of experience from preaching to chaplaincy work, to running social action projects and hospice and hospital visiting.

There were 103 participants in 2023 - 2024 and 105 enrolled for the 2024 - 2025 year across 18 diocesan schemes. The current cohort is 52% female and 23% of participants are from UKME/GMH backgrounds.

Around one in three participants further progressed to be recommended for ordained ministry, while nearly all (97%) reported having found the Scheme helpful to discern their vocation in life.

The Scheme also started the new Future Youth strand of the Ministry Experience Scheme, offering the opportunity for 18 to 30-year-olds to spend a year growing in young people and children’s ministry through ministry placements, mentoring and training through the nationally recognised Aurora course. This comprehensive approach is designed to equip participants to effectively minister to young people and children and aligns with our 30K Project, which aims to develop and support 30,000 leaders in mission with children, young people and families by 2030 to ensure that churches are better positioned to disciple and support the next generation.

Launched last year with 11 participants across six diocesan schemes (Carlisle, Derby, Southwell and Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield and Portsmouth), Future Youth has since doubled its opportunities and placement spaces, reflecting its growing impact on revitalising parishes and engaging with younger demographics.

CLERGY WELLBEING

Meanwhile, Living Ministry – the 10-year research programme which explores what helps ordained ministers to flourish in ministry – continued its work into 2024 and in February published its fourth research

report: Holding Things Together: Church of England Clergy in Changing Times . This set of findings provides a comprehensive analysis of clergy wellbeing and adaptation to change since 2017. The study is based on 486 clergy in active ministry who took part in the research. Wellbeing was measured using questions on physical, mental, relational, financial and vocational wellbeing repeated from previous Living Ministry surveys, with additional questions included on social class, the cost-of-living crisis, culture and psychological wellbeing.

Furthermore, in July, General Synod voted to introduce a statutory entitlement of 36 hours’ rest (a day and a half a week) for clergy office holders to encourage clergy to take sufficient time off work. The Council’s Legislative Reform Committee has identified challenges with implementing the motion and requested further policy work including investigating the feasibility of a solution based on guidance.

In 2024, the Council’s Strategic MIssion and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) also distributed Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) funding, enabling dioceses to revitalise parishes, as detailed in the case studies below.

ln order to care for our clergy, we need to ensure they feel able to take long enough periods of uninterrupted rest each week.

Canon Alison Coulter, General Synod member and Vice Chair of the House of Laity, and member of the Archbishops’ Council

Summary:

£97.3 million of DIP funding was awarded across 12 dioceses in 2024, with an additional £3.6 million released for Worcester Diocese.
50% of DIP investment focused on parish revitalisation, strengthening existing churches.

CASE STUDIES:

Parish revitalisation is not just about sustaining existing congregations but about equipping them to be centres of mission and outreach.

In 2024 the largest proportion of the DIP awards was focused on the objective of parish revitalisation.

Canterbury Diocese (£3.2m DIP funding): Revitalising Holy Trinity Margate and St Paul’s Cliftonville, projecting growth from 150 to 600 worshippers over five years.
Blackburn Diocese (£12.1m initial funding, £13.5m pending approval): A nine-year renewal strategy focused on lay pioneer ministry, urban mission and parish renewal.
Birmingham Diocese (£1.6m DIP funding): Merging St Mary and St Ambrose with Anchor Church to create a multiplying mission centre.

Additionally, DIP funding in 2024 has included urban and post-industrial contexts:

London Diocese (Hackney and Islington: £9.4m): strengthening 28 parishes in economically diverse communities with high levels of social housing.
York Diocese (Hull: £0.3m): supporting outreach and discipleship through a new resource church.

Annual Report 2024

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OBJECTIVE 4 NEW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital.

2024 Expenditure: £17.0m (2023: £12.7m)

The Council’s objective to create 10,000 new Christian communities aims to revitalise the Church’s presence across four critical spheres of daily life: home, work or education, social environments and the digital space. At the core of this objective is the recognition that the Church needs to be more present where people spend their lives in an ever-evolving society.

By the end of 2024 1,300 new worshipping communities had been formed as a direct result of national funding programmes. In 2024 the Council continued to help equip dioceses and churches to develop new forms of Christian community, engaging people where they live, work, gather, and connect online - playing a crucial role in enabling new Christian communities to emerge across diverse contexts.

HOME

Through the expansion of Faith at Home communities, the Council supported gatherings where the Christian faith could be shared and explored in a comfortable and intimate setting.

The Church Support Hub will also provide ongoing training, resources and learning pathways, further resourcing these new worshipping communities to flourish beyond their initial funding cycle.

WORK / EDUCATION

Christian communities are not just for study and reflection but spaces to shape the way people lead, learn and live - where faith is carried into boardrooms and break rooms, classrooms and corridors.

CASE STUDIES:

In 2024, the Council supported the development of new education-based worshipping communities:

Diocese of Durham: (awarded £4.7m DIP funding) launched 20 school-based youth ministry hubs, rooted in local churches, directly engaging students with faith exploration, trained in youth/children’s work and supported 25 churches in launching secondary school chaplaincy -led worship communities.

CASE STUDY:

Archbishops’ Council investment in Messy Church with £558,000 People and Partnerships Funding (PPF) through BRF Ministries. This innovation and piloting project will address how Messy Church can engage effectively with children aged 11 years and older and increase the number of Messy Churches reaching children, young people and families. Anticipated outcomes by 2028 include better understanding of the spiritual needs of children and young people in the Messy Church network, including how to retain them beyond age 12.
The Church Support Hub , launched in 2024, backed by Archbishops’ Council investment, provides resources for small group discipleship, equipping home leaders. Built as an easily accessible learning platform, the site enables the release of knowledge and learning to help catalyse change and support frontline lay and ordained ministers to overcome common challenges.
Missional Youth Church Network: (MYCN, £0.6m PPF) having established 25 new secondary schoolbased worshipping communities, MYCN are growing the network through planting a further 40 new worshipping communities by 2027 with a particular focus on areas of deprivation. Working with local leaders and partnering with community secondary schools, they aim to have 100 communities by 2030 involving 4,000 active young disciples.
The Council funded FLOURISH by providing grants to the National Society. In 2024, this launched a network of 40 new worshipping communities, building on the strategic partnerships created between church, school and home and inspired by the impact of the Growing Faith Foundation. This new FLOURISH network will introduce new worshipping communities through churches partnering with primary schools, secondary schools and FE college settings across 12 dioceses

Annual Report 2024

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(Bath and Wells, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Derby, Lichfield, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southwark, Southwell and Nottingham and Truro) during an initial two-year pilot programme. As part of the pilot, 200 adult leaders from schools, colleges and churches and 800 young leaders from the schools and colleges will receive training and development.

SOCIAL

Approximately 1,300 new worshipping communities and 37,000-38,000 people newly participating in church have been seen through the impact of the Council’s strategic funding (SMMIB and previous funding streams including Strategic Development Funding). By assisting churches to engage with people where they naturally are – in urban centres and estates, and through outreach projects - Council funding programmes have helped facilitate new worshipping communities and expressions of the Church’s presence in society.

CASE STUDIES:

Diocese of Portsmouth: (£4.0m DIP funding) is supporting a programme of work, including St Michael’s Church in Paulsgrove - serving one of the most deprived communities in the country - in launching four new congregations, including a Choir Church focusing on community singing as an accessible form of worship.

Diocese of London: (£9.4m DIP funding) is supporting Stepney Episcopal Area’s renewal programme, which includes revitalising 28 churches in Hackney and Islington and establishing nine new worshipping communities, serving low-income and diverse communities in Hackney and Islington.

Lichfield Diocese: (£0.8m DIP funding) is establishing 10 new worshipping communities in Stoke -on-Trent, particularly engaging younger people and families in urban settings, aiming to build nine new worshipping communities through church and school partnerships across the city.

Hereford Diocese: (£0.5m DIP funding) is piloting youth-focused worship hubs in rural and market towns, projected to reach 180 young people monthly and engage 1,000 young people by 2026.

DIGITAL

New online Christian communities are forming on social media platforms - whether it is through a livestreamed service reaching thousands, in virtual prayer gatherings, or through digital discipleship and interactive Bible study groups that span time zones and continents. These

spaces offer accessibility and belonging to those who might otherwise remain on the threshold of faith. Digital Christian communities are not an alternative to the gathered Church, but an expansion of it.

In 2024, the weekly national services also continued to leverage the Church’s digital platforms to offer virtual services, prayer and faith exploration, reaching a growing global audience. A national online service has continued to be broadcast every Sunday, with additional services broadcast over Easter, Advent and Christmas. In 2024 59 national online services were produced, generating a total of 536,271 views across YouTube and Facebook.

Research undertaken with Digital and Data Services in 2024, concluded that while a clear congregation size for the national online service is hard to determine given the data given by social platforms, and evidence that a number watch together with family or wider settings, such as in care homes, they are watched on 3,000 to 4,000 devices per week. The popularity of the online broadcasts, which have British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation and subtitling, has also highlighted the number of people who were previously excluded from in-person worship.

CASE STUDIES:

Online platforms and social media have opened new frontiers for evangelism and community building. The Council has helped developed a range of digital

ministries, supporting parishes in expanding their online worship offerings, catering especially to younger demographics:

The Church Support Hub , which was launched 2024, is a nationally funded online learning platform, providing resources for parishes and lay leaders and supporting digital faith communities, enabling hybrid engagement models. With many dioceses now embedding hybrid or online worship as a permanent feature, the Church Support Hub shares resources and best practice.
Digital Labs helps church leaders connect with their communities through a series of in-person training, online webinars, blogs and newsletters. In 2024, nine dioceses hosted bespoke training sessions to support their churches with their digital presence, and six Theological Education Institutions had digital skills training sessions for ordinands. Digital Labs content was accessed more than 50,000 times, with people engaging in webinars, blogs and training resources online.
The Way UK: £999,000 of PPF funding allocated to help scale digital youth ministry and expand its reach, with a goal of growing engagement to 10% of 13 to 17-year-olds in England by 2027 and using social and digital content to connect 1,000 of those teens to local worshipping communities.

Annual Report 2024

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OBJECTIVE 5 MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

All Anglicans envisioned, resourced and released to live out the five marks of mission in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and world. All local churches, supported by their dioceses, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.

2024 Expenditure: £18.4m (2023: £6.6m)

The Archbishops’ Council’s role in bringing transformation for the common good is evident in both campaigns at a national level and in the thousands of projects run by churches locally. Supported by Council staff, Church of England bishops addressed a range of issues while our parish churches either ran or supported tens of thousands of social action projects across the country.

The Council’s Faith and Public Life team continued to support the Church on matters of public policy and ethics: providing advice and policy analysis to support the bishops in their public ministries, and others, on behalf of the Church, seeking opportunities to represent the Church’s voice on critical ethical issues, and contributing to the Church’s ability to make a difference to the lives of the people of our parishes and communities by addressing issues at the intersection of faith and society.

The Archbishops’ Council’s Social Impact Investment Programme has made investment commitments of £12.2m since its inception. During 2024 the Programme made a £4.0m commitment to the Man Group Community Housing Fund 3, which will build new energy efficient family homes in areas of constrained affordability with a target of 90% affordable housing assets. In total, £4.8m of investment has been drawn down by existing commitments to the Women in Safe Homes fund, the Social and Sustainable Housing Fund II, the Recovery Loan Fund, Charity Bank and Big Issue Invest Social Debt Fund IV to deliver against our impact goals of addressing acute housing need, supporting vulnerable communities to thrive and supporting a just energy transition. We expect Man Group Community Housing Fund 3 to start deploying investment against the Programme’s impact goals in 2025. The Programme will publish a biannual impact report in Spring 2025.

In 2024, the Council launched the #PrayYourPart campaign to encourage prayerful participation to pray for our nation

and our world during the General Election period. The campaign emphasised the importance of prayer in the democratic process and encouraged everyone to share their prayer for the country during the General Election period. This 21-day journey of prayer and reflection, which spanned from 14 June to Election Day on 4 July, provided daily themes accompanied by Bible readings, reflections and prayers, focusing on themes such as integrity and truthfulness and key subjects including education, technology, prisons, housing, migration, the environment and good government. Resources were made available in multiple formats, including printed booklets, emails and audio versions for smart speakers, ensuring accessibility for all members of the Church.

In 2024, Bishops in the House of Lords continued to actively oppose Lord Falconer of Thoroton Private Member’s Bill Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which would legalise assisted suicide. The Council worked to emphasise the sanctity of life and the potential risks to vulnerable individuals, engaging with policymakers and collaborating with leaders from other major faiths to voice collective opposition to the Bill and the subsequent Bill introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP in the House of Commons. This work was preceded by General Synod’s previous vote overwhelmingly to oppose a change in the law and the Director of Public Prosecutions guidelines on Assisted Suicide in 2022.

“The priority for those who are terminally ill must be to provide urgent funding and resourcing of palliative care services, to ensure the highest possible standards of care for all.”

“No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide.” Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, joint lead bishop on health care.

A foundational role of the Archbishops’ Council has always been to support dioceses in enabling a Christian presence in every community. Increasing resource has been invested into extending the understanding of mission as not only the activities and actions organised by Christian communities – but also the process of equipping, encouraging and enabling Christians in their everyday lives.

The impact of faith on the whole of life has also been a central theme in resources made available by the Council to dioceses and churches. The Everyday Faith App was launched in July 2024, consisting of accessible reflections on the Bible from a diverse range of authors, connecting Scripture and everyday life and experience. It offers daily devotional content six days a week, Monday to Saturday. In 2024, a wide range of themes were explored - from Rest to Generosity, Everyday Wisdom to Black Faith Stories - as well as devotionals for Advent and Christmas.

The priority for those who are terminally ill must be to provide urgent funding and resourcing of palliative care services, to ensure the highest possible standards of care for all. Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, joint lead bishop on health care

Since launch to year end, the app has been downloaded more than 28,000 times, with an average of more than 4,000 users regularly accessing the app daily.

The Daily Prayer App is another one of a series of prayer and discipleship apps and podcasts available from the Church of England. The short, atmospheric services feature prayers and readings following the pattern set out in the Church of England’s Common Worship services. While the Daily Prayer App has been around for a decade, the introduction of Daily Prayer audio in March 2021 has continued to have a transformational effect on many people’s prayer lives. By the end of 2024, the number of people using the Church of England’s Daily Prayer audio service had passed 2.8 million unique listeners, as podcasting continues to become part of many people’s daily pattern of worship at home, with around 80,000 listening every month. The podcast (also available as audio on the Daily Prayer App) follows the Church of England’s traditional cycle of Morning and Evening Prayer, with a range of voices and music.

In total there have now been 11.9 million downloads since its launch in March 2021, with just under 3 million downloads in 2024. During 2023, the number of individuals using the Daily Prayer audio services of Morning and Evening Prayer grew by 9% on the previous year to more than 930,000 people. Plans are now in place to expand the range of audio services to include Daily Night Prayer in both contemporary and traditional forms in 2025. An album of music featured in the app was recorded in 2024 for release in 2025, alongside a printed music resource from the Royal School of Church Music.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

OBJECTIVE 6 SAFETY AND DIGNITY

A Church that affirms the dignity of all people by being a safe place for all, especially children and vulnerable adults.

2024 Expenditure: £12.0m (2023: £9.0m)

THE FUTURE OF CHURCH SAFEGUARDING

for independent scrutiny and complaints, and for independent national operations (known as model 3) and asked for further work on independent local operations (known as model 4) before making a decision.

In February 2024 Professor Alexis Jay published an independent report on the Future of Church Safeguarding, considering how greater independence in safeguarding within the Church of England might be achieved. The General Synod commissioned the lead safeguarding bishop to run a process of deep engagement across the Church of England in order to identify how best to respond to this report, and to that of Dr Sarah Wilkinson into the events leading to the termination of the contracts of the members of the former Independent Safeguarding Board. Staff of the Archbishops’ Council supported this work which reported to the General Synod in July 2024; the Synod which agreed further detailed analysis of the options. That work was undertaken through the second half of 2024, supporting a Response Group comprising professionals, victims and survivors, trustees and others, and the analysis was presented to the General Synod in February 2025. The General Synod agreed the proposals

LEARNING LESSON REVIEWS

The independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth was published in November 2024. Following the publication of the review a four-stage review process commenced to provide scrutiny and transparency to decision-making in relation to the individuals criticised in the report. The Church is also responding to the 27 recommendations in the Makin review. The National Safeguarding Steering Group, (NSSG), have provisionally accepted the recommendations, noting where work is already underway and where further work needs to be done. A range of support continues to be offered to victims and survivors of John Smyth.

2024 has been a challenging year and a reminder that our commitment to create a healthy Church culture - both for victims and survivors and for those who exercise power and authority- must continue to be a collective responsibility for all in the Church of England.

Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell, Bishop of Stepney, lead bishop for safeguarding

SAFEGUARDING PROGRAMME - DELIVERY OF INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (IICSA) RECOMMENDATIONS The programme workstreams are:

National Safeguarding Casework Management System (NSCMS) - substantially completed.
PCR2 past cases review - completed. The National Safeguarding Team (NST) continue to respond to the 26 recommendations which are monitored by the NSSG.
Information Sharing - project completed. Information Sharing Framework has been developed and agreements signed between all church bodies; between the Church of England and Church in Wales; between church bodies and 43 national police forces.
Recommendations 1 and 8 - completed the pilot successfully and implementing the changes nationally; changed the legislation to increase the responsibility of Diocesan Safeguarding Officers (DSOs); completed first year of the Independent Safeguarding Audit Programme (ISAP); published a safeguarding resourcing model for dioceses and cathedrals and developed and launched the National Safeguarding Standards and associated Quality Assurance Framework.
National Redress Scheme - completing the design of the scheme, subject to reviewing eligibility criteria following the publication of the review by Keith Makin, and seeking legislative approval to launch it, aiming to complete the Synodical stages in 2025.

Full updates for each of the projects are below.

NATIONAL SAFEGUARDING CASEWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NSCMS)

The project has now been closed and handed over to the Business-as-Usual team.

Most dioceses and cathedrals are on board now and using the system. The feedback has mostly been very positive about the system and user experience. Lessons learned on the project will be shared with the NSSG. The team is working with two dioceses and one cathedral which are not yet using the system.

We are working with the supplier to integrate the NSCMS with the NCls People System. The continued strategic oversight of the supplier contract and roadmap sits with the Executive Group - which includes representation from dioceses and cathedrals - with operational support from the NST’s contract management team.

IICSA RECOMMENDATIONS 1 AND 8

National implementation of Recommendation 1 relating to DSOs is underway. New legislation had taken effect in eight dioceses at the end of 2024 and a further six dioceses by the end of February 2025. The remaining dioceses are due to be certified by July 2025. The Safeguarding (Clergy Risk Assessment) Regulations were approved by General Synod in February 2025.

The SAP is ongoing (Recommendation 8), managed by the NST and overseen by a Monitoring Group. The INEQE Safeguarding Group completed 10 site visits and published eight audit reports in 2024. The frst annual overview report was published in February 2025.

NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME DEVELOPMENT

On present thinking, the Redress Scheme will be available to survivors of sexual, physical, financial, psychological and emotional (including spiritual) abuse or neglect, where it was committed (in England or elsewhere) by a person acting under the authority of the Church of England, or the person who suffered the abuse had reasonable grounds to believe that the person who carried out the abuse had that authority. The Redress Scheme will be administered by an external supplier, ensuring that decisions regarding applications are made independently of the Church.

The infrastructure of the National Redress Scheme, supported by a third-party Scheme Administrator (Kennedys Law LLP), is now substantially in place in readiness for the Scheme to receive applications. We await further legislative developments. We are grateful

Annual Report 2024

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SAFEGUARDING LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

A revised version of the Safeguarding Learning and Development Framework was approved as a Code of Practice by General Synod in July 2024 and implemented on 1 January 2025.

All pathways within the framework were revised during 2024 and all have received CPD accreditation. All elements of the Safeguarding Learning and Development Framework have continued to be delivered during 2024 including a new version of the Senior Leadership Safeguarding Pathway which is being delivered in-person across two sessions to all diocesan and cathedral senior leadership teams.

approved by NSSG in November 2024. The Code of Practice was approved by the General Synod in February 2025.

This leaves only the Roles and Responsibility guidance to undergo a complete revision, and all major policies will have been updated at least once since 2020. Policies are now on a four-to-five year refresh cycle, and it is planned that those that are not yet Codes of Practice will become so over the next few years.

The Safeguarding in Religious Communities Guidance was also refreshed following feedback and engagement with religious communities. This was approved at NSSG in October 2024 and approved to become a Code of Practice by the General Synod in February 2025.

DOMESTIC ABUSE

for the enormous amount of work by survivors, the project team and others over the last three years which has made this possible.

Following the publication of the Makin review, the Redress Project Board decided to reflect further on the report’s findings and to consider whether the Scheme’s eligibility criteria sufficiently recognise negligence of Church officeholders who have received a safeguarding allegation or disclosure and have not responded appropriately. This work requires very thorough analysis before the Project Board can decide whether or not it wishes to recommend any amendments to the current eligibility criteria for consideration by the Archbishops’ Council. Any such amendments would require the support of the Steering Committee for the Abuse Redress Measure, and General Synod in due course.

Additionally, the Project Board has endorsed a request from the Council to make further legislative provision to avoid the Council incurring liabilities in excess of available funding in its capacity as a trustee body. This will be a matter for the Steering Committee for the Abuse Redress Measure to consider, and General Synod in due course.

In July 2024, the NCls were accredited by White Ribbon UK, having made a commitment to work alongside White Ribbon UK between 2024 and 2027 to transform culture and practice in the NCls around the prevention of violence against women and girls. A Steering Group, chaired by Rt Revd Robert Springett, was established to oversee this work.

To mark this accreditation, the NST held a series of events for White Ribbon Day and the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in November and December 2024, including a launch event with panel discussion, a series of webinars for Church officers with external experts and a White Ribbon Eucharist commemorating the female victims of male violence. Throughout these events, the NST was privileged to work with several courageous survivors of gender-based abuse who shared their stories and insights.

The NST also facilitated a series of workshop discussions with survivors of gender-based abuse to identify priority actions for the NCls over the duration of the three-year White Ribbon accreditation project. A finalised action plan, based on these discussions, was submitted to White Ribbon UK in January 2025. It includes actions relating to awareness-raising, review of NCls policies, responsible investment and work with other Church bodies to prevent violence against women and girls.

HOUSE OF BISHOPS’ SAFEGUARDING

GUIDANCE / CODE OF PRACTICE

The main focus of 2024 on this aspect of work was ensuring the completion of the Managing Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations Code of Practice. This underwent a second extensive consultation process including consultation and briefings with victims and survivors, which resulted in substantial revision that was

A guidance document to assist Theological Educational Institutions with their safeguarding responsibilities was developed in consultation with the Ministry Development team and TEls.

In addition, fieldwork was conducted as part of the evaluation of the Safer Recruitment and People Management guidance in three dioceses, in order to feed into the revision process due in 2025.

The Government’s consultation on Mandatory Reporting required considerable and prompt consultation with all safeguarding professionals, in order for the NST’s response to be submitted. The Policy Lead remained engaged in discussions until the purdah.

Finally, the Policy Lead was involved in the co-production of the Teach us How to Pray, Deliverance Ministry and Seal of the Confession guidance, led by their respective departments.

Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service for anyone who has experienced abuse in relation to the Church of England, the Church in Wales or the Catholic Church of England and Wales. It is run by Safe Spaces England and Wales (Safe Spaces): a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Trust for England and Wales. Safe Spaces will be working with provider First Light to deliver this service until 2026. Contact details are provided at the end of the President’s foreword.

INTERIM SUPPORT SCHEME

The Interim Support Scheme has now been in place for four years and has helped 117 victims and survivors with urgent and immediate needs, providing therapeutic and financial support.

SURVIVOR PARTICIPATION

Survivor participation stems from the commitment of the Church of England to make the Church a safer place and enable victims and survivors as experts by experience, helping us to make all appropriate safeguarding changes and improvements. A National Survivor Participation Framework has been co-developed with survivors and finalised in 2024 to guide all Church bodies and any victim or survivor who participates in the safeguarding work of the Church. The framework was approved by the NSSG in November 2024, and was launched in February 2025. We continue to see an increase in victims and survivors participating in a variety of the NST’s work.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

OBJECTIVE 7 SUSTAINABILITY

A Church that cherishes God’s creation and leads by example in promoting sustainability.

2024 Expenditure: £8.8m (2023: £6.6m)

With a significant number of historic buildings, the Church faces unique challenges in making its properties more energy efficient. In 2024, significant strides continued in implementing energy conservation measures, environmental stewardship and sustainability, and encouraging parishes to take practical action to reduce their carbon footprint.

The initial estimate of the Church of England’s carbon footprint in 2020 was 415,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in the context of UK emissions of 487m tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2023. This was based on the first set of data gathered with the in-house energy footprint tool. 32,200 buildings were in scope, 48% of which were churches, 29% were houses and 12% were schools. 47% of the estimated footprint related to schools, 28% to churches and 17% to housing.

The Carbon Emissions Reports for 2022 and 2023 are in preparation and it is expected that this data will be included in the next Net Zero Carbon 2030 impact report, which will be presented to the General Synod in July 2025. Key achievements of 2024 are outlined below.

Demonstrator Churches: Introduction of a £5.2m grant programme (targeting more than 100 of the country’s highest carbon emitting churches: funding for net zero projects to become exemplars of sustainable practices which others can learn from.

Schools Decarbonisation: A £2m National Framework has been developed for Church of England schools to help secure grants and deliver net zero projects.
Eco Church Participation: 4,865 churches are now engaged with conservation charity A Rocha UK’s Eco Church scheme, helping churches begin their eco journey.

In February 2024, the General Synod backed a series of measures to promote biodiversity on Church of England land, from churchyards as havens of wildlife and plants to the stewardship of agricultural and forestry land. Welcoming progress already made, the Synod approved

The inaugural Net Zero Carbon Impact Report was published in 2024, highlighting our notable achievements to March 2024, and our progress made in helping parishes and schools reduce their carbon emissions.

Grants and financial investment: Allocation of £14.Sm towards projects and grants aimed at reducing carbon emissions across dioceses, parishes and schools.
Clergy Housing: 100 retrofit surveys completed on clergy and retired clergy houses to enhance energy efficiency.
Quick Wins Fund: Launch of a £2.4m fund for dioceses to support parishes in implementing smallscale projects, such as LED installations, pew heaters and double glazing.

Annual Report 2024

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further action to increase biodiversity, including work towards drawing up environmental policy and land management plans for dioceses and the recording of biodiversity in church green spaces.

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Revd Kay Jones,
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Furthermore, the Council piloted match-funding project Give to Go Green, working with churches to double locally raised donation to help pay for carbon reducing projects such as LED light installations, insulation upgrades or a new heating control system. Over the sixweek pilot period in the Dioceses of Leeds and Exeter, it helped 27 churches raise £162,000 for small-scale net zero projects, with £140,000 awarded in addition from our Net Zero Programme match funding on offer. The scheme has since been expanded into a second pilot (in the Dioceses of Chester, Derby, Exeter, Leeds, Sodor and Man, Southwark, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and Winchester), resulting in a further 45 churches participating in the project. By the end of 2024, the 71 churches had collectively raised £503,000 which was matched by £452,000 in Net Zero Programme funding to help deliver a range of net zero projects totalling £1.4m. Early reports indicate that churches are finding that the scheme is helping them better engage with their communities, with many reporting that it has helped raise a significant amount more than the target.

CASE STUDY:

The Demonstrator Churches project:

In 2024, the Council allocated £5.2m for the Demonstrator Churches project, with the objective of supporting 114 churches in 2024 and 2025 to become exemplars of sustainable practices, with an additional £1.5m grant secured from the Benefact Trust charity (for churches that apply for Stage Two Capital Grant funding). The innovative project will enable some of the highest emitting churches in England to pay for items such as solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, secondary glazing, LED lighting and infrared heating systems - reducing carbon emissions by 6,615 tonnes by 2030.

As work progresses, the network of Demonstrator Churches – representing many different types of communities and situations – will share what they have learned with dioceses and parishes so that other churches can learn from their experiences.

The Demonstrator Churches project allows for churches nominated by their Diocesan Advisory Committees (DACs) to apply for two grants from the Net Zero Carbon Programme. The grants are either Stage One (preparatory) to help develop a net zero project, with practical fundraising support from charity consultants, or Stage Two (capital works) as projects reach the

implementation stage. To date, we have awarded £360,000 plus a package of in-kind support to 21 Stage One churches, and £164,000 from the Net Zero Programme with co-funding from Benefact Trust of £106,000 to five Stage Two capital works churches. These five churches are projected to collectively reduce their carbon emissions by 435.52t CO2 by 2030.

“These ‘demonstrator’ churches, representing many different types of community and situations, aim to inspire and encourage others to see that achieving Net Zero is possible and within their grasp.” Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, lead bishop on the environment

St Peter Mancroft Church in Norwich (one of the first churches to take part in the Demonstrator Churches project) : Located in the marketplace in the heart of the medieval city of Norwich, St Peter Mancroft, which is grade I listed, is the largest of the city’s 31 surviving medieval parish churches.

The church received a Demonstrator Churches grant of £50,000 with co-funding from the scheme’s partners, Benefact Trust, of £36,000 to transform its carbon footprint and energy use by replacing its entire interior lighting system and installing heat pumps as well as batteries and 48 solar panels. Through this work, we expect this church to see an 84% reduction in emissions by saving 52.26 tonnes of CO2 each year.

These ‘demonstrator’ churches, representing many different types of community and situations, aim to inspire and encourage others to see that achieving Net Zero is possible and within their grasp.

Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, lead bishop on the environment

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

THE COUNCIL’S PLANS FOR 2025

5

7 SUSTAINABILITY

A YOUNGER CHURCH

MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

REVITALISE PARISHES

Objective: A Church that cherishes God’s creation and leads by example in promoting sustainability.

Objective: Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.

Objective: All Anglicans envisioned, resourced and released to live out the five marks of mission in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and world. All local churches, supported by their dioceses, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.

Objective: A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.

Continue to deliver Carbon Literacy training to church leaders, parishes and communities, embedding creation care and climate justice in mission and witness.
Grow existing flourishing Children, Youth and Families
Establish a Renewing Ministerial Vocations advisory group to nurture both lay and ordained vocations, across the full diversity of the Church.
(CYF) ministries from 800 to 1,000 by the end of 2025, especially in underserved areas.
Implement the revised strategy for becoming a church of missionary disciples, focusing on local congregations
```
 - Present the first Net Zero Carbon comprehensive progress report to General Synod by July 2025.
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~~|~~ Encourage diocesan funding proposals in 2025 Enhance key national service such as Parish Buying, to expand by at least 300 nationally the number Church Organiser and Parish Resources to simplify as primary centres for everyday faith formation. of churches focused on actively engaging young day-to-day administration, finance and operations Create and circulate new best-practice resources (guides, : people and boosting discipleship among children for parishes. webinars, research digests) on the Church Support Hub and young people. | to equip parishes for the five marks of mission.
~~a~~ Enhance key national service such as Parish Buying, Church Organiser and Parish Resources to simplify as primary centres for everyday faith formation. progress report to General Synod by July 2025. day-to-day administration, finance and operations Create and circulate new best-practice resources (guides, : Promote Eco Church and Eco Diocese programmes, for parishes. webinars, research digests) on the Church Support Hub
- as primary centres for everyday faith formation. Create and circulate new best-practice resources (guides, webinars, research digests) on the Church Support Hub to equip parishes for the five marks of mission.
Promote Eco Church and Eco Diocese programmes, tailoring guidance for parishes, cathedrals and TEls

seeking to reduce emissions and protect biodiversity.

| Implement the 2025 Giving Strategy, fully integrating the Parish Giving Scheme and advising dioceses on fostering sustainable parish-share systems.
Provide an ecosystem of training for 350 employed CYF ministers, alongside three pilot incumbent-development programmes in 2025.
Broaden the Everyday Faith App and portal, incorporating interactive tools that deepen prayer, Bible engagement and missional living throughout the week. Reestablish a Mission and Discipleship Enablers network, fostering collaboration, resource sharing and ongoing support for local and diocesan teams.
~~=~~ Launch new learning communities and resources to support parish revitalisation efforts (e.g. rural mission), Reestablish a Mission and Discipleship Enablers sharing successful models across diocesan networks. network, fostering collaboration, resource sharing

A MORE DIVERSE CHURCH

Objective: A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity, including race, disability and deprivation.

NEW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Objective: Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital.

SAFETY AND DIGNITY

Objective: A Church that affirms the dignity of all people by being a safe place for all, especially children and vulnerable adults.

  - Embed trauma-informed and person-centred practice with continued training and resources to ensure all disclosures of abuse and any engagement with victims and survivors of abuse are handled sensitively and receive effective responses.

~~|~~ Advance the Church’s racial justice commitments of Transition the Greenhouse initiative to the Lay From Lament to Action and implementation across Ministries team, so that it can continue to contribute dioceses, TEls and networks, ensuring effective to the development of new worshipping communities. use of Triennium Funds for racial justice to widen Facilitate best-practice sharing among dioceses, participation and representation.
~~|~~ Transition the Greenhouse initiative to the Lay Embed trauma-informed and person-centred practice Ministries team, so that it can continue to contribute with continued training and resources to ensure all to the development of new worshipping communities. disclosures of abuse and any engagement with victims
~~=~~ Facilitate best-practice sharing among dioceses,
participation and representation. guiding on mission design and supporting projects for receive effective responses.
~~|~~ Increase investment in mission to low-income evangelism, discipleship and community formation. a Strengthen safeguarding culture through clearer communities and estates, sharing best practices | Continue and strengthen FLOURISH: support 40 communications, senior leadership training, and in deploying targeted funding measuring the Diocesan FLOURISH worshipping communities in peer-support groups that promote accountability. impact and reach of funding. schools and continue with Year 2 of the FLOURISH a
| Continue and strengthen FLOURISH: support 40
in deploying targeted funding measuring the Diocesan FLOURISH worshipping communities in impact and reach of funding. schools and continue with Year 2 of the FLOURISH Strengthen the Disability Project by rolling out clear initiative across 12 dioceses to help establish vibrant signage guidance for churches, providing grants for worshipping communities in schools. accessibility, training for Deaf Ministry and expanding a Collaborate with partners like The Way and the mental health and neurodiversity resources. Missional Youth Church Network to create fresh
Roll out the Quality Assurance Framework across dioceses and cathedrals, underpinned by published audits to maintain consistent safeguarding standards.
Progress proposals responding to the Wilkinson and Jay reports on the Future of Church Safeguarding.
Collaborate with partners like The Way and the Missional Youth Church Network to create fresh digital and social expressions of church.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

FINANCIAL REVIEW

OVERVIEW: USE OF RESOURCES

(iii) Training for Ministry grants totalled £16.8m, funding training, maintenance and university fees for those undertaking pre-ordination training.

In 2024 Archbishops’ Council expenditure totalled £229.4m, £47.0m higher than the previous year (2023: £182.4m). Net income was £10.1m in 2024 (2023: £6.2m) after investment gains of £3.8m (2023: £2.6m).

A More Diverse Church grants include:

(i) Lowest Income Communities (LlnC) funding (£30.3m) which are supplemented by time -limited transitional grants to smooth the transition to the grant funding arrangements introduced in 2017. In 2024, 29 dioceses received LlnC grants, 15 of which were £1.0m or above.

The main reason for the significant increase in expenditure compared with the previous year was the increase in grants awarded, most significantly for the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) grant funding, which are made with the aim of building the Church at a local level in line with the Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.

(ii) DIP grants totalling £9.2m awarded to three dioceses.

The greatest proportion of the Council’s expenditure in 2024 was in relation to its objectives ‘Revitalise Parishes’, ‘A More Diverse Church’ and ‘A Younger Church’. These represented 44% (2023: 45%), 22% (2023: 26%) and 9% (2023: 10%) respectively of total charitable expenditure.

(iii) Racial Justice grants totalling £4.8m awarded to fund dioceses and other institutions to make targeted interventions in the area of racial justice.

Other grant expenditure funded by the apportionment paid by dioceses included:

GRANTS

The Council makes grants to dioceses under the following main schemes.

grants towards the work of the Anglican Communion Office, national and international ecumenical agencies (including Churches Together in England, the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches), the Church Urban Fund and Fresh Expressions.

Training for Ministry grants were funded mostly from the diocesan apportionment, the remainder being funded by grants from the Church Commissioners.

Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) grants are allocated across each of the first five objectives, the focus or focuses of each project having been considered and allocated accordingly. The Council has delegated decisions on these grant awards to its Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB), the membership of which includes Council trustees and Church Commissioners. A total of £97.3m was awarded in DIP grants in 2024 (2023: £58.5m).

grants for pension contributions for clergy employed by qualifying mission agencies.

USE OF LEGACIES

The Council is fortunate to receive unrestricted legacies from time to time. Its policy is to add such legacies to its unrestricted legacies designated fund to be spent on priorities decided by the Council from time to time. In 2024, unrestricted legacies income was £0.6m (2023: £0.3m).

A Younger Church grants include:

(i) DIP grants totalling £14.8m awarded to eight dioceses.

FUNDRAISING

Section 162A of the Charities Act 2011 requires charities to make a statement regarding fundraising activities. The legislation defines fundraising as “soliciting or otherwise procuring money or other property for charitable purposes”. The Council does not undertake fundraising from the general public but from time to time does apply for grant funding from grant-awarding charities. Any such amounts receivable are presented in the financial statements within income from grants, donations and legacies.

(ii) People and Partnerships Funding (PPF) grants totalling £3.8m to six organisations.

Revitalise Parishes grants include:

(i) DIP grants totalling £48.8m awarded to 34 dioceses.
(ii) Grants to the Church of England Pensions Board for clergy retirement housing totalled £25.8m, £6.1m of which was funded by the diocesan apportionment with the remainder funded by a grant from the Church Commissioners.

In relation to the above we confirm that all solicitations are managed internally, without involvement of commercial participators, professional fundraisers or third parties. The day-to-day management of all income generation is delegated to the executive team, who are accountable to the trustees. The Council is not bound by any undertaking to be bound by any regulatory scheme.

The Council has received no complaints in relation to fundraising activities. Its terms of employment require staff to behave reasonably at all times as the Council does not approach individuals for funds. Contracts of employment do not particularise this requirement for fundraising activities nor does the Council consider it necessary to design specific procedures to monitor such activities.

GOING CONCERN

The Council has not identified any material uncertainties that cast significant doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern. In reaching this conclusion it has particularly considered the impact of the post-pandemic environment and ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty on its key income streams and activities. The Council has evaluated the nature and resilience of its key sources of income, particularly including distributions made by the Church Commissioners, apportionment contributions made by dioceses and grants from other bodies. It has taken note of the Statement of Funding Principles, in which the Church Commissioners agree that once a grant has been awarded by the Council (either directly or through one of its committees with delegated authority), provided that all conditions and milestones are met, they will provide the funding to meet future drawdowns of the grant.

The Council has considered the charity’s ability to withstand a material fall in income and the mitigating actions which could be taken in such a scenario including the types of expenditure which could be reduced or delayed. It has also analysed the strength of the available reserves and liquid assets, including modelling the effect of a significant reduction in investment values. The Council considers that it has sufficient reserves to withstand such an eventuality, taking account of restricted funds (most significantly the Church and Community Fund) with sufficiently broad purposes to be used to help fund many areas of the Council’s operating expenditure.

In its assessment the Council noted the progress of the draft National Church Governance Measure which received First Consideration by the General Synod in July 2024 and completed its Revision Stage in February 2025.

This draft Measure includes proposals that would result in the abolition of the Archbishops’ Council and the creation of a new National Church Institution - Church of England National Services (CENS) - the functions of which would include all the activity currently carried out by the Council and Church of England Central Services (ChECS). However, this continues through the approval process and is not expected to take effect until 1 January 2027 at the earliest. Accordingly, it does not impact on the Council’s assessment of its ability to continue as a going concern for twelve months following the signing of this report.

The Council also considered the progress towards establishing a National Redress Scheme. It noted that the draft Abuse (Redress) Measure completed its Revision Stage in July 2024. However, as further decisions in relation to the implementation and approval of the scheme are required subsequent to the signing of this report, the planned scheme does not impact on the Council’s assessment of its ability to continue as a going concern for twelve months following the signing of this report.

In light of this analysis, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Council has adequate resources and cash flow to meet spending commitments as they fall due for a period of at least twelve months from the date of signing of the annual report and financial statements.

RESERVES POLICY

The Council holds specific reserve funds for each of the five areas of expenditure voted on separately by the General Synod. Of these reserves, which totalled £14.0m (2023: £9.0m) at the end of 2024, £3.4m (2023: £2.8m) were unrestricted and a further £0.4m (2023: £0.4m) were designated for clergy retirement housing. Of the remaining £10.2m (2023: £5.5m) restricted, £5.5m related to ‘Vote 1’ return of funds unspent by dioceses from previously granted Resourcing Ministerial Education grants. The remaining restricted reserves enable the Council to meet its obligations and commitments that span more than one accounting period, to assist in cash flow management and to help reduce the risk of needing to ask dioceses for a substantial increase in apportionment funding in any one year. The Council’s policy is to hold between one and three months’ expenditure as reserves for each of these areas including the ‘Vote 2’ reserve which represents the whole of the Council’s unrestricted reserve, excluding designated funds.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

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Reserve Balance at end 2024 (£m) Reserves policy range based
on 2025 budget (£m)
Training for ministry (Vote 1) 9.17 1.45-4.35
Unrestricted / operating budget 3.42 3.19-9.56
(Vote 2)
Grants (Vote 3) 0.34 0.13-0.39
Mission agency pension 0.02 0.04-0.13
contributions (Vote 4)
Clergy Retirement Housing grant 1.05 0.54-1.61
(Vote 5) including designated fund (restricted fund: £0.64;
designated fund: £0.41)
Total 14.00 5.35-16.04
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At the end of 2024, the Council’s unrestricted general fund reserves (i.e. excluding designated funds) were £3.4m (end 2023: £2.8m). This represented just over one month’s budgeted unrestricted expenditure in 2025, within the policy range of between one and three months’ budgeted unrestricted expenditure. The Council considers this to be adequate, having considered the reliability of funding from the Church Commissioners and the dioceses (which have met the apportionment request in full since 2006) and the fairly broad purposes of two of its largest restricted funds (the Church and Community Fund and the Special Purposes Fund) with an aggregate balance of £20.2m as at the end of 2024.

built up. Actual expenditure was higher than budget which resulted in the reserve falling below the minimum of the policy range. Given the proposal in the Diocesan Finances Review to abolish the diocesan apportionment in 2026, and replace it with funding from the Church Commissioners and a Training for Ministry fund into which dioceses will contribute to, the Council does not plan to take any action to increase this reserve. The end 2024 balance on all of its other reserves, including its unrestricted reserve, were within the policy range.

INVESTMENT POLICY AND USE OF RESTRICTED FUNDS

The Council’s investment policy for its restricted funds - based on the planned distribution strategies for each - is summarised as follows:

The level of reserves for each of the five votes at the end of 2024, together with the 2025 policy range, is set out in the table above.

For settlements planned to be retained beyond five years, the Council’s investment managers have been set an annualised long-term target to achieve a total return[1] of at least CPl+4% after all costs. The investments for these funds are held in two diversified pooled funds[2] managed by Sarasin and CCLA.

The training for ministry reserve was significantly above the maximum of its policy range at the end of 2024. However, as noted above £5.5m of this sum relates to the return of funds unspent by dioceses from previously granted Resourcing Ministerial Education grants: these sums are planned to be spent on theological education innovation grants. The remaining balance of this reserve is within the reserves policy range and so the Council does not plan to take any further action to reduce this reserve.

For funds that are planned to be spent out within five years, the focus is on capital preservation with a target return of at least bank deposit rates. The ability to withdraw funds at relatively short notice is also imperative.

At the start of 2024 the Mission agency pension contribution reserve was above the maximum of its policy range. Recognising this, the Council suspended this aspect of the apportionment in 2024 with all 2024 expenditure funded from the reserve that had been

The aggregate total return from its long-term investments (with a time horizon of at least five years) was 9.9% in 2024 (2023: 10.3%) compared with the long-term target of 6.5% (2023: 7.2%). Over the past five years the return

averaged 6.3% p.a. compared with the long-term target of 8.5% p.a. (CPl+4% per annum).

The Council has set impact and financial goals for its

Social Impact Investment Programme, aiming to achieve measurable positive social and environmental impact and preservation of the capital over the long term after all costs.

The Council’s cash resources are held in its current account, in the Central Board of Finance Church of England Deposit Fund or term deposits in line with its Treasury Management Policy, which is reviewed annually. The Council’s average return on its cash holdings in 2024 was 2.3% (2023: 2.7%).

The Council also acts as custodian trustee for several funds. At the end of 2024 the assets of these funds, which are held in investments and cash separately from those of the Council, were valued at £3.8m (end 2023: £3.6m).

ETHICAL INVESTMENT

The Council participates in the work of the Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG), which develops ethical investment advice to inform the ethical investment policies of the three main national Church investing bodies. Its membership includes Council trustees and members of its Mission and Public Affairs Council. The EIAG publishes an annual report of its work which is available, together with other related publications including its sector-based policies, on the Church of England website. The Council also belongs to the ecumenical Church Investors Group.

The pooled funds managed by Sarasin and CCLA in which the Council invests have ethical investment policies. The Council complies with the EIAG’s guidance on pooled funds and the Council and its Investment Committee regularly monitor compliance with this policy.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

The Archbishops’ Council has an enabling role in support of the ministry of the Church of England which, through its 12,000+ parishes and the 42 dioceses and through other means, seeks to provide spiritual care for all people in England. In particular:

The Church of England is a focus for community activity in 12,000+ parishes and 16,000 church buildings and, through the resources at its disposal, provides activities that support community development and social cohesion. Typically, this includes projects that support children, families and elderly people through clubs, social gatherings and outreach activities.
The Church of England provides education in the Christian faith and encourages personal and spiritual growth and wellbeing.
Through its engagement in local communities, its chaplains in many sectors of life and its participation in public debate, the Church of England promotes values that it believes are beneficial to society as a whole.
Through its network of schools and academies, the Church of England provides an education for around 20% of children of primary school age and 6% of young people of secondary school age that is rooted in Christian values and available to families of all faiths and none.

The Council has had regard to the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and published advice issued by the Charity Commission in relation to public benefit.

1 combined capital and income return. 2 combined investments from many investors with investments across a broad range of asset classes, regions and industry sectors.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

GOVERNANCE

INTRODUCTION

The work of the Council and its supporting bodies is underpinned by openness to God, worship, service, and a desire to promote growth, partnership, unity, integrity and transparency. The Council carries out its work in compliance with relevant legislation and best practice. The Council continues to monitor its processes and effectiveness, using good practice in governance as a benchmark to ensure that it operates in an effective manner. In carrying out its work, the Council aims to maintain and support a skilled and motivated staff and to ensure effective systems of organisation and governance.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The Archbishops’ Council works in close partnership with the other National Church Institutions (NCls): the Church Commissioners, the Church of England Pensions Board, Church of England Central Services, the Offices of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the National Society. Key working relationships with Church bodies include:

General Synod

The Archbishops’ Council is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (no. 1074857).

During 2024 the Council made one Report of a Serious Incident (RSI) report to the Charity Commission and filed one update on this report. As at the date of this report, the Council had made four further RSls to the Charity Commission and filed three updates to previously submitted RSls.

TRUSTEE RECRUITMENT, APPOINTMENT AND INDUCTION

Members of the Archbishops’ Council have responsibilities as trustees. They hold office in a variety of ways: ex officio (the two Archbishops; the First Church Estates Commissioner; the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House of Laity; and the two Prolocutors); elected (two members each of the Houses of Bishops, Clergy and Laity of the General Synod); or appointed (by the Archbishops with the approval of the General Synod after an extensive open public recruitment process).

The Council is not a body of the General Synod, but a statutory body established under the National Institutions Measure 1998. All of its trustees are either drawn from the General Synod or become members of the General Synod through their appointment to the Archbishops’ Council.

This helps to ensure that there is a close relationship between the Council and the Synod, not least because the Council and its committees undertake work on behalf of the Synod and report to the Synod on that and other work as it progresses and on completion.

Members of the General Synod may ask questions of the Council and its committees when the General Synod meets, and the General Synod approves the Council’s annual budget and receives the Council’s annual report.

House of Bishops

Tailored induction, covering such areas as key relationships, financial information and forward strategy, is offered to all new trustees. New and existing trustees also have the opportunity to meet Directors and other staff for briefing on particular areas of work. Trustees also have the opportunity to learn about the Council and contribute to its development as members of committees and working parties for specific areas of its work and operation.

The Council and the House of Bishops work together to provide leadership and to develop and resource policy, particularly on issues around lay and ordained ministry, education, safeguarding, social engagement, engagement with Government and framing Church legislation.

Church Commissioners

In 2024 the Council met six times. Five in-person meetings with the option for trustees to participate virtually were held. The remaining meeting was held using remote technology. In addition, several additional informal meetings were held in December 2024 and January 2025, attended by trustees who were available at short notice.

Under the terms of the National Institutions Measure 1998, the Council and the Commissioners work closely to develop spending plans reflecting the Council’s priorities for the coming period. The Council receives reports annually on the uses to which that funding has been put to enable it to confirm to the Church Commissioners that the money has been used for the purposes for which it was given.

A list of Archbishops’ Council trustees from 1 January 2024 and up to the date of this report is set out on page 44.

Dioceses

COMMITTEES OF THE ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL The following bodies undertake work as committees of the Archbishops’ Council:

Audit and Risk Committee of the Archbishops’ Council (chair: Maureen Cole (to December 2024), Chris Gill (interim chair from January 2025)) Finance Committee (chair: Carl Hughes) Ministry Council (chair: Rt Revd Mark Tanner (to June 2024)) Ministry Development Board (chair: Rt Revd Mark Tanner (from July 2024)) *Mission and Public Affairs Council (chair: Canon Mark Sheard) Committee for Ministry of and among Deaf and Disabled People (chair: Rt Revd Richard Atkinson) Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (chair: Very Revd Rogers Govender) Council for Christian Unity (chair: Rt Revd Jonathan Baker) Legislative Reform Committee (chair: Ven Luke Miller) Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee (chair: Rt Revd Richard Jackson (to June 2024)) Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (chair: Carl Hughes) National Safeguarding Steering Group (chair: Rt Revd Joanne Grenfell) Net Zero Carbon Board (chair: Revd Canon Flora Winfield (to September 2024), Rt Revd Graham Usher (from September 2024))

*The chair of the bodies marked with an asterisk must normally be an Archbishops’ Council trustee.

Some of the Council’s work is funded by the dioceses of the Church of England. This gives the Council a responsibility to demonstrate that the money it receives is spent effectively and to work on behalf of the dioceses to provide a central source of advice, appropriate services, a resource for the development of policy and legislation and a focus of engagement with the Government and other agencies on behalf of the Church. The Council also distributes grants, funded by distributions from the Church Commissioners, to dioceses under the terms of the National Institutions Measure 1998 to support their mission and ministry. A full list of grants awarded to institutions is available on the Church of England website .

Church of England Central Services (ChECS)

ChECS facilitates the provision of cost-effective shared financial, legal and other services to the NCls and provides payroll and other services to dioceses and other charities with a Church ethos. It is jointly owned by the Council, Church Commissioners and Church of England Pensions Board and each body appoints two of the six directors. The Council’s appointees are Carl Hughes and Ven Samantha Rushton. The Archbishops’ Council and the General Synod have a number of other committees, commissions and similar bodies that report to them. Details are available on request.

Safe Spaces England and Wales

Safe Spaces England and Wales (Safe Spaces) is a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CaTEW). The Council has the right to appoint two directors. The purpose of Safe Spaces is to provide support for those affected by church-related abuse (of any kind), in the form of a helpline, a website providing information and advice to survivors and their families, and up to 10 community-based survivor-led therapeutic support groups, both faith-based and secular.

Annual Report 2024

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Governance Review

The National Church Governance Programme Board (Project Board) was established in January 2022 to further the work of the Governance Review Group. The Project Board is tasked with developing proposals to simplify the governance and structure of the National Church Institutions and oversee the preparation and passage of legislation to provide a legal basis for those elements of reform requiring statutory change. The most significant proposal is to transfer the work of the Archbishops’ Council, Church of England Central Services, and most of the functions, other than managing investments, of the Church Commissioners into a single integrated trustee body. It is proposed that the Church Commissioners should retain its current investment functions. Draft legislation was introduced to the General Synod at the July 2024 Group of Sessions and the Revision Stage was completed at the February 2025 Group of Sessions.

Appointments made by the Council to other charities

The Council has the right to make appointments to certain other Church charities. It appoints two of the 12 trustees of the Church Urban Fund and the Council’s Finance Committee also appoints one trustee. The Council appoints six of the 13 trustees of Near Neighbours. The Council’s Finance Committee appoints two of the 11 trustees of the Whitelands College Foundation.

Trustees of the Archbishops’ Council from 1 January 2024 and up to the date of this report was as follows:

The figures in brackets indicate (i) the number of meetings each trustee attended in 2024 (ii) the number of meetings each trustee was eligible to attend. Attendance at the formal scheduled meetings of the Council is set out below. This does not include attendance at additional informal meetings held in December 2024 and January 2025 which were attended by trustees who were available at short notice.

Joint Presidents

Joint Presidents
Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (to January 2025)	(3/6)
Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York	(5/6)
Prolocutors of the Lower Houses of the Convocations of Canterbury and York (ex officio)
Ven Luke Miller (Canterbury)	(6/6)
Revd Canon Kate Wharton (York)	(6/6)
Officers of the House of Laity (ex officio)
Canon Alison Coulter (Vice-Chair, House of Laity)	(5/6)
Canon Dr James Harrison (Chair, House of Laity)	(6/6)
Elected by the House of Bishops
Rt Revd Jonathan Frost	(6/6)
Rt Revd Mark Tanner	(6/6)
Elected by the House of Clergy
Revd Dr Ian Paul	(6/6)
Ven Miranda Threlfall-Holmes	(5/6)
Elected by the House of Laity
James Cary	(5/6)
Dr Rachel Jepson	(6/6)
Appointed by the Archbishops with the approval of the General Synod
Maureen Cole (to December 2024)	(6/6)
Revd Canon Charlotte Cook	(5/6)
Joseph Diwakar	(5/6)
Matthew Frost	(4/6)
Carl Hughes	(5/6)
Canon Mark Sheard	(5/6)
A Church Estates Commissioner
Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner	(6/6)

Senior Management Group of the Archbishops’ Council

William Nye, Secretary General

Revd Canon Dr Malcolm Brown, Director of Faith and Public Life (to January 2025) Revd Dr Richard Sudworth, Director of Faith and Public Life (from January 2025) Debbie Clinton, Co-Director of Vision and Strategy Revd Canon David Male, Co-Director of Vision and Strategy Simon Gallagher, Director of Central Secretariat Revd Canon Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer Revd Guy Hewitt, Director of Racial Justice Christine Hewitt-Dyer, Director of People (to June 2024) Hannah Howard, Director of Communications Alexander Kubeyinje, Director of Safeguarding Revd Canon Nick McKee, Director of Ministry Development Revd Alexander McGregor, Head of the Legal Office and Chief Legal Advisor Rosie Slater-Carr, Chief Operating Officer

Emma Trenier, People Director (from June 2024) David White, Deputy Director of Finance

Senior Staff of Shared Services managed by other National Church Institutions (NCls)

Mark Barker, Finance Director

Stephanie Harrison, Governance Project Director Muir Laurie, Director of Risk and Assurance Joanna Woolcock, Director of Finance Transformation

Offices and advisors

The Archbishops’ Council advisors are listed below. All professional advisor appointments are regularly reviewed.

Registered office:

Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ. Tel: 020 7898 1000

CCLA Investment Management Limited, One Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB and Sarasin & Partners LLP, Juxon House, 100 St Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8BU

Investment managers:

Bankers:

Lloyds Bank plc, 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN

The Legal Office of the National Church Institutions of the Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ

Solicitors:

Auditor:

Crowe U.K. LLP, 55 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JW

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ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

PEOPLE AND ORGANISATION

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Director of Faith and Public Life, Revd Canon Dr Malcolm Brown, retired in January 2025 after nearly 18 years in the role. Revd Dr Richard Sudworth was appointed his successor after an open and competitive recruitment process. Richard has been the lead on interfaith relations for the national Church, for the Archbishop of Canterbury and in Faith and Public Life since 2018.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

More than 650 people (85%) completed our latest employee engagement survey, held during May and June 2024. The results showed that across the 67 statements in the survey, the average favourability score rose by three percentage points to 76% (the combined percentage of people who agree or strongly agree to a statement). The biggest uplifts were in the areas covering our corporate values, senior leaders, wellbeing, purpose and partnership working. Respondents felt more positive about working at the NCls than the benchmark for the UK not-for-profit sector by an average of five percentage points, up two percentage points since 2022.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

As part of the 2024 annual pay award, we committed to introducing health checks as an additional benefit for staff. The new healthcare scheme was introduced in November and allows colleagues to claim back the cost of an annual routine health check, as well as contributions towards everyday healthcare costs. The NCls invested further in mental health training with an extra 30 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) taking the two-day course, bringing the total number of MHFAs to just under 50.

ADDRESSING OUR PAY GAPS

Alongside our gender pay gap report we have, for the first time, reported on our ethnicity pay gap and disability pay gap. In doing so, our aim is to present a more holistic picture of where we are as an employer, and where we need to place our efforts to reduce our pay gaps. Our 2024 pay gap report is available on the Church of England website and provides additional commentary and a more detailed breakdown of figures.

It is important to make the distinction between pay gap reporting and equal pay. A pay gap refers to the difference in average earnings between two groups in an organisation. Equal pay requires employers to pay people who are doing a similar job the same amount of money under the Equality Act 2010.

On the snapshot date of 5 April 2024, our median gender pay gap - the midpoint of the pay range - was 18% higher for men than it was for women, the same as in 2023. Our mean gender pay gap, which shows the difference in the average salary paid to men and to women, was 17% higher for men, a fall of 1.2 percentage points compared to 2023.

Our median ethnicity pay gap, which compares average pay for white and United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (UKME) and Global Majority Heritage (GMH) colleagues, was 12.2% in favour of white staff, a fall of 10.7 percentage points. Our mean ethnicity pay gap was 15.9%, a fall of 2.5 percentage points.

Our median disability pay gap was 8% in favour of colleagues without a disability, a rise of 7.9 percentage points. Our mean disability pay gap was 8%, a rise of 4.8 percentage points.

The percentage of staff for whom we have ethnicity data (90%) and disability data (66%) fell between 2023 and 2024. This is due in large part to moving to a new people system at which point staff were required to re-enter their diversity data. We continue to encourage colleagues to complete their diversity profiles to build as full a picture of our employee population as possible.

Due to the size of the populations reported on in the ethnicity pay gap report and the disability pay gap report it is worth noting that a small number of people can make a noticeable difference to the percentages for the median and mean pay gaps. It is also worth highlighting that we saw a sharp increase in declared disability from 35 people in 2023 to 75 people in 2024.

We have established plans in place to address these gaps, including the delivery of our 2022 - 2025 Belonging and Inclusion Action Plan.

In 2024 we completed an end-to-end review of our recruitment processes and identified areas for improvement. We have subsequently restructured our recruitment team to enable them to offer increased quality assurance, deliver new Confident Recruiter training to 97 line managers in 2024 and ensure diverse panels and shortlists for all senior roles.

Our Confident Career programme offered 28 UKME/ GMH colleagues working in non-managerial level roles the opportunity to develop their confidence and skills. Our Confident Leadership programme has developed leadership confidence and capability of 22 women. We continue our focus on how we can “bring people on” through secondments, short-term assignments, mentoring and better partnership working with dioceses. Reasonable Adjustment Passports are now available for all new and current colleagues who declare a disability.

Over 200 staff completed our Inclusion training course in 2024. In September, the NCls received a Talent Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation Silver Award in recognition of our Belonging and Inclusion strategy.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

In addition to the Confident Recruiter training mentioned above, new mandatory GDPR training and mandatory cyber security training were rolled out in 2024 to help equip staff to keep the data the NCls holds safe. A whistleblowing webinar, Speak Up, Speak Out, was held in May to highlight the importance of whistleblowing and our procedures for reporting concerns at the NCls.

A total of 218 people attended a wide range of learning workshops throughout the year. Overall, feedback from delegates consistently rated courses and workshops as good or excellent.

In 2024, 62 managers and leaders completed, or entered into, one of our Confident Manager or advanced practice leadership development programmes. The Confident Manager programme is a four-week programme designed to develop self-awareness, confidence and skills to effectively manage people and teams. 124 managers completed Dignity at Work training. Our 2023/24 reciprocal mentoring cohort concluded in July with 46 leaders and managers acting as mentors and 42 as mentees. Over 30 staff were matched with trained colleagues as part of our coaching programme. We enrolled 18 people on apprenticeships and 13 people completed apprenticeships in 2024.

RAISING AWARENESS

The National Safeguarding Team marked White Ribbon Day with an accreditation launch event attended by over 100 colleagues to raise awareness of the scale and impact of violence towards women and girls. The event was followed by 16 days of activism which saw many more people join a series of webinars to learn more about different forms of abuse from experts in the field. The NCls is working towards White Ribbon accreditation.

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ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

RISK MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY OF OUR PEOPLE

At the end of 2024, a total of 197 staff (full-time equivalent) had the Archbishops’ Council as their managing employer or were directly funded by it, the same as at the end of 2023. This represented 24% of staff at the NCls. The NCls ended 2024 with 806 employed staff, compared with 763 at the end of 2023.

Across the NCls, the ratio of female to male employees increased from 59% and 41% respectively in 2023 to 60% and 40% in 2024. The percentage of women in senior positions within the Archbishops’ Council was 51% compared with 46% for the NCls overall.

The percentage of people who classed themselves as black or minority ethnic within the Archbishops’ Council was 16.8% (2023: 14.3%) compared with overall representation of 18.4% (2023: 17.4%) across the NCls. The percentage of people who classed themselves as having a disability within the Archbishops’ Council was 14.2% compared to 8.7% for the NCls overall.

STAFF REMUNERATION AND EXECUTIVE PAY

All the staff of the Archbishops’ Council are covered by a unified pay and grading policy that operates across all the NCls. The policy is designed to ensure the same level of pay for all staff in posts with work of equal value based on eight bands. For certain staff with specialist skills, typically those whose role requires them to hold a professional qualification, a market adjustment may be applied, the value of which is determined by reference to the lower quartile and median of market, related salaries and is subject to annual review.

The NCls are accredited Living Wage employers and ensure all staff - including apprentices, interns and those on training schemes - receive the appropriate living wage for their location.

A number of senior roles, including those of the Chief Executives, sit outside the banding system, as the skill sets required to fulfil the roles are not readily measured within the NCls’ standard job evaluation system. Salaries for these roles are set individually with reference to the wider marketplace. This process is overseen by the Remuneration Committee, comprising trustees from each of the NCls as part of the Joint Employment and Common Services Board (JECSB). In general, these staff can expect the same percentage annual uplift as those on the NCIs bands. The amount paid to the highest

member of staff in the Council is 6.17:1 (2023: 6.25:1) times the salary earned by the lowest paid member of staff and 3.63:1 (2023: 3.63:1) times the median salary.

STAFF PENSIONS

The staff of the Archbishops’ Council are either members of the Church Administrators Pension Fund defined benefit section (if employed before July 2006), or a separate defined contribution arrangement if employed subsequently. Employer contribution rates range from 8% to 18% depending on age and additional voluntary contributions made. New staff are encouraged to take advantage of our matched additional voluntary contributions scheme and are also offered ethical pension scheme choices.

TRUSTEE REMUNERATION

The Archbishops’ Council is the Central Stipends Authority, the functions of which, as set out in the Central Stipends Authority Regulations 1998, are “to keep under review and recommend appropriate levels for the stipends of diocesan and suffragan bishops, deans, residentiary canons and archdeacons; establish and publish recommended forms and levels of pay for clergy, deaconesses and licensed lay workers”. Thus, its functions include making recommendations on the stipends for archbishops and bishops, including those who are Council trustees. The levels of these stipends are determined, funded and paid by the Church Commissioners.

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

the Council in optimising resource utilisation, detecting threats early and fostering communication between staff and trustees.

An updated Risk Policy and Risk Management Methodology support the Archbishops’ Council to facilitate effective management of risks that may impact strategic objectives. The risk scoring methodology was revised and simplified with pan-NCI agreement and input. Roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders and the governance structure are clearly outlined in line with best practices.

The Archbishops’ Council has recognised that there has been heightened scrutiny around safeguarding issues, particularly in relation to the publishing of the Makin review, the Redress Scheme and the next stages for the future of Church safeguarding. The reputational impact has been felt across the wider Church.

The identified risks are reviewed by a dedicated risk owner in conjunction with reporting and review by the Risk and Assurance Service. The Audit and Risk Committee provides additional support and oversight by regularly reviewing risk registers and risk management measures. The Trustee Board will further review the adequacy of risk management arrangements at least annually. These processes undergo independent review through internal audit procedures that are also reported to the Audit and Risk Committees of the NCls as part of the Archbishops’ Council’s commitment to advancing the vision and strategy of the Church of England. This provides a robust governance process and promotes a positive risk culture.

Acknowledging these complexities, the Board has identified the principal risks below as the primary impediments to achieving the key objectives of the Archbishops’ Council. Continuous mitigation and management actions are in place to diminish residual risk to an acceptable level.

The Archbishops’ Council senior leadership undertook a comprehensive review of their strategic risk register in 2024. This involved reviewing the scoring, risk appetites, documenting all relevant controls and ensuring the risks accurately captured the prevailing risk environment.

The risk management process of the Archbishops’ Council is designed to support effective management in identifying and assessing significant risks that may impede the achievement of objectives. This support aids

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Principal Risk Area Key Management Actions and Plans
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Principal Risk Area	Key Management Actions and Plans

Safeguarding There is a risk of a lack of confdence and transparency in relation to appropriately investigating safeguarding referrals received by the Church of England.	Development of policies, training, quality assurance and culture change to improve national, diocesan and local safeguarding capability, including new Codes of Practice approved by the General Synod and new Clergy Conduct Measure - more detail is available in this update. Interim Support Scheme in place to help survivors in urgent and immediate need and development of a National Redress Scheme. Programme of independent audits of dioceses and cathedrals - 10 dioceses and 9 cathedrals completed, further audits in 2025. Independently led process for considering criticisms against those mentioned in the Makin review.

Principal Risk Area

Key Management Actions and Plans

Safeguarding
There is a risk of a lack of
confdence and transparency
in relation to appropriately
investigating safeguarding
referrals received by the
Church of England.

Development of policies, training, quality assurance and culture change to
improve national, diocesan and local safeguarding capability, including new
Codes of Practice approved by the General Synod and new Clergy Conduct
Measure - more detail is available in this update.
Interim Support Scheme in place to help survivors in urgent and immediate
need and development of a National Redress Scheme.
Programme of independent audits of dioceses and cathedrals - 10 dioceses
and 9 cathedrals completed, further audits in 2025.
Independently led process for considering criticisms against those mentioned
in the Makin review.

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Principal Risk Area Key Management Actions and Plans
Financial pressures [Council-led Diocesan Finances Review to understand diocesan finances in detail ]
Increased financial pressure on and develop and produce proposals - presented to General Synod in February
the Archbishops’ Council, as a 2025.
result of increased demand for
grant support from dioceses, given [National Giving Strategy, with further resources being developed to support ]
pressures on their income and clergy and laity with digital giving.
additional costs.
[Detailed consideration of the allocation of Church Commissioners’ distributions ]
every three years by a Triennium Funding Working Group which comprises
members of the Council, House of Bishops and Church Commissioners.
Governance [Governance Review, as reflected in] [the National Church Governance Measure ]
Complexity of the existing and the policy proposals presented to the General Synod in July 2024.
governance structure inhibits
the achievement of Archbishops’ [Ongoing work to improve the effectiveness of the Archbishops’ Council including ]
Council priorities and impacts structuring its work around mitigating the most significant risks which the
upon its ability to deliver change Council faces.
at pace.
Ministry [The Archbishops’ Council has spent much time in 2024 focusing on the ongoing ]
Inability to balance the supply shortfall in vocations, which is a major risk to the achievement of all its objectives.
and demand for clergy and lay This work includes everything from reviewing the finances of TEls, research on the
ministers, while working with drivers of the shortfall, support for the wellbeing of clergy (for example through
dioceses to provide quality and a grant to the Clergy Support Trust), development of proposals for reform of
diversity of ministers that will stipends and pensions within the Diocesan Finances Review, to work with
support the delivery of mission aim. episcopal leads to encourage further vocations. This work will need further
attention through 2025.
Failure adequately to support
those in ministry to cope with the
requirements of dioceses within
the Vision and Strategy.
Vision and Strategy [Well-resourced and capable Vision and Strategy Team, including partners for each ]
Inability to deliver upon the goals diocese to share learning and good practice.
of the Vision and Strategy, as
strategic initiatives do not achieve [Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) deciding on allocation of ]
the desired growth trajectory. funding to dioceses through the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP), aligned to
the principles of the Vision and Strategy.
[Using network of Champion Bishops to encourage dioceses to think about delivery ]
of the Vision and Strategy.
Younger and more diverse [Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) allocating funding to ]
Failure to grow a younger and projects to help younger church groups and for aspects of diversity (including
more diverse church. poorer areas); Racial Justice Board overseeing allocation of funding to projects to
support a more diverse church.
[Programme of prayer for a younger church.]
[Archbishops’ Council makes “growing younger” a “priority of priorities” and devotes ]
time at each meeting to discussing this. Reviews Statistics for Mission and other
data to monitor progress.
[SMMIB and Vision and Strategy build partnerships with key youth organisations - ]
Youthscape, The Way etc - and use innovative communications.
[FLOURISH programme of new worshipping communities in schools.]
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Principal Risk Area Key Management Actions and Plans
Volume of major projects [In the longer term, the Governance Review, as reflected in the National Church ]
Competing demands for staff time Governance Measure and supporting policy (see above) is designed to provide
coupled with the volume of change more efficient oversight of the work of the National Church.
initiatives result in the failure to
deliver major change programmes, [Portfolio Board, chaired by Chief Officers, to review overall work programme and ]
as well as impeding the delivery make prioritisation decisions, including on allocation of project resource.
of significant business-as-usual
strands of work.
Reputation [For 2024 the Archbishops’ Council has principally sought to manage the issues ]
Adverse reputational impact, and relating to safeguarding risks through regular discussion, monitoring and
diversion of management time, as communications (for example on the plan for responding to the Makin review). It
a result of internal Church disputes has also reviewed the risks and opportunities to its work arising from Living in Love
and historic failures in relation to and Faith.
policy on contentious and divisive
issues and the manner in which [Faith and Public Life have supported bishops to speak into public debate - e.g. on ]
this is portrayed in the media. the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - to provide a Christian perspective.
Failure to present a Christian
viewpoint in ways which can be
heard accurately in a secular
political and social context.
Spiritual renewal [Prayer at the centre of the Vision and Strategy with weekly national time of prayer.]
Failure to be a Church that is cen-
tred upon Jesus Christ [Council supporting the Thy Kingdom Come, annual prayer and spiritual renewal ]
programme: the Everyday Faith App allows users 24/7 access to faith-based
information.
Living in Love and Faith [Staff of the Council support the lead bishop, and other bishops, to develop ]
The uncertainty caused by debates proposals for the Synod including on theology. The Council is not responsible
over Living in Love and Faith and for Living in Love and Faith beyond this, as it is the responsibility of the House of
the eventual outworking of those Bishops and the General Synod.
decisions (in whichever direction)
has negative consequences for the [The Archbishops’ Council has considered the specific risks and opportunities in ]
achievements of the objectives of relation to Living in Love and Faith and continues to monitor these. Its assessment
the Council. is that there is insufficient evidence at this stage to conclude that the balance of
risks and opportunities lies in a particular direction. But it noted that a) it was
increasingly concerned about the impact on the lower pipeline of vocations and b)
that protracted deadlock is unambiguously a risk to the Council’s objectives, either
through deferral of decision-making or of vocations.
Future of Church Safeguarding [Future of Church Safeguarding programme (supported by Council staff) to identify ]
The disbandment of the options for future structures. General Synod voted on a report from the project in
Independent Safeguarding Board February 2025 (see gs-2378-future-of-church-safeguarding.pdf and elsewhere in
(ISB) has led to a lack of confidence this report).
and transparency in relation to
safeguarding in the Church of [Interim Commissioner for Independent Reviews, including support through Fear ]
England. Free, to provide support and independent case reviews to those to whom the
former ISB had promised reviews.
[Independent National Safeguarding Panel to provide independent scrutiny and ]
challenge to the Church of England’s safeguarding policies and practices.
[The Archbishops’ Council funds and governs Safe Spaces, a free and independent ]
support service for anyone who was been abused by someone in the Church of
England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales.
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ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As trustees, Council members are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards.

They are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the National Institutions Measure 1998. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Archbishops’ Council and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Council to prepare financial statements each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for the period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Approved by the Trustees on 25 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell,

observe the methods and principles of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice;

Archbishop of York

state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

OPINION

We have audited the financial statements of the Archbishops’ Council (“the charity”) for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

In our opinion the financial statements:

OTHER INFORMATION

give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements, or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

BASIS FOR OPINION

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustee’s use of the going concern basis of

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ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’ report; or
sufficient and proper accounting records have not been kept by the charity; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011, and report in accordance with the Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if,

individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and noncompliance with laws and regulations are set out below.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/ auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

EXTENT TO WHICH THE AUDIT WAS CONSIDERED CAPABLE OF DETECTING IRREGULARITIES, INCLUDING FRAUD

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charity operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the National Institutions Measure 1998 together with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charity’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charity for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context for the UK operations were taxation and employment legislation.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of grant income and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included a review of the income recognition policy and cut-off (including procedures and discounting adjustments for long-term agreements), enquiries of management, internal audit and the Audit Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of nondetection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

USE OF OUR REPORT

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Crowe U.K. LLP

Statutory Auditor London

Date: 27 March 2025

Crowe U.K. LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

For the year ended 31 December 2024

		Unrestricted	Restricted	Endowment	Total	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds	2024	2023**
	Notes	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000
Income from:
Grants, donations and legacies	2	19,108	213,366	-	232,474	183,920
Charitable activities	3	1,686	114	2	1,802	1,782
Investment income	4	990	253	117	1,360	332
Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities Total expenditure Total income less expenditure before gains on investments Gains on investments Net income Transfers between funds Net movement in funds	5 10 15	21,784 (21,361) (21,361) 423 172 *595* 1,219 1,814	213,733 (206,320) (206,320) 7,413 37 7,450 (744) 6,706	119 (1,727) (1,727) (1,608) 3,624 2,016 (475) 1,541	235,636 (229,408) (229,408) 6,228 3,833 10,061 - 10,061	186,034 (182,447) (182,447) 3,587 2,590 6,177 - 6,177

Total funds at 1 January	15	9,014	15,305	32,194	56,513	50,336

Total funds at 31 December	15	10,828	22,011	33,735	66,574	56,513

The income, expenditure and other recognised gains and losses all relate to continuing operations, none of which were acquired during the year.

The notes on pages 60 to 87 form part of these financial statements.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

For the year ended 31 December 2023

		Unrestricted	Restricted	Endowment	Total
		Funds	Funds	Funds	2023
	Notes	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000
Income from:
Grants, donations and legacies	2	20,079	163,681	160	183,920
Charitable activities	3	1,749	33	-	1,782
Investment income	4	1	215	116	332
Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities Total expenditure Total income less expenditure before gains on investments Gains on investments Net income Transfers between funds Net movement in funds	5 10 15	21,829 (21,219) (21,219) 610 163 773 (602) 171	163,929 (159,516) (159,516) 4,413 36 4,449 1,102 5,551	276 (1,712) (1,712) (1,436) 2,391 955 (500) 455	186,034 (182,447) (182,447) 3,587 2,590 6,177 - 6,177

Total funds at 1 January	15	8,843	9,754	31,739	50,336

Total funds at 31 December	15	9,014	15,305	32,194	56,513

The income, expenditure and other recognised gains and losses all relate to continuing operations, none of which were acquired during the year.

The notes on pages 60 to 87 form part of these financial statements.

** See following page for full breakdown of the prior year’s Statement of Financial Activities.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

BALANCE SHEET

As at 31 December 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
Notes £’000 £’000
Fixed assets
Investments 10 37,022 33,283
Programme-related investments 11 11,369 8,789
Intangible fixed assets 12 1,486 1,304
Total fixed assets 49,877 43,376
Non-current assets
Debtors: amounts due after one year 13 121,407 102,300
Current assets
Debtors: amounts due within one year 13 131,630 85,791
Cash equivalents 4,163 4,194
Cash at bank and in hand 7,695 4,280
Total current assets 143,488 94,265
Current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 14 (126,466) (81,128)
Net current assets 17,022 13,137
Total assets less current liabilities 188,306 158,813
Non-current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after one year 14 (121,732) (102,300)
Net assets excluding pension deficit recovery liability 66,574 56,513
Defined benefit pension scheme liability 16 - -
Total net assets 66,574 56,513
Funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds:
General fund 15 3,424 2,776
Designated funds 15 7,404 6,238
Pension deficit reserve 15 - -
Total unrestricted funds 10,828 9,014
Restricted funds 15 22,011 15,305
Endowment funds 15 33,735 32,194
Total funds of the charity 66,574 56,513
----- End of picture text -----

CASH FLOW STATEMENT

For the year ended 31 December 2023

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income for the year (as per the statement of financial activities) 10,061 6,177
Gains on investments (3,833) (2,590)
Investment income (1,360) (332)
(Increase) in debtors (64,946) (36,085)
Increase in creditors 64,770 33,952
Depreciation of intangible fixed asset 308 77
Impairment of fixed asset investment 242 242
(Decrease) in pension liability - (620)
Net cash flow provided by operating activities 5,242 821
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment income 1,360 332
Purchase of fixed asset investments (2,822) (3,551)
Sale of fixed asset investments 94 1,797
Purchase of intangible fixed asset (490) (595)
Net cash flow (used in) investing activities (1,858) (2,017)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year 3,384 (1,196)
Cash and cash equivalents at the start of the year 8,474 9,670
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 11,858 8,474
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents and net debt
Cash equivalents 4,163 4,194
Cash at bank and in hand 7,695 4,280
Total cash and cash equivalents and net debt 11,858 8,474
----- End of picture text -----

The notes on pages 60 to 87 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements were approved by the Archbishops’ Council on 25 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York

Carl Hughes, Chair of the Finance Committee

The notes on pages 60 to 87 form part of these financial statements.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies

Restricted funds

(a) Legal status

The Archbishops’ Council is a statutory body established by the National Institutions Measure 1998 and was registered as a charity on 25 March 1999.

(b) Basis of preparation

The charity’s financial information has been prepared in accordance with:

Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (“FRS 102”);
Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (“the SORP”); and
the Charities Act 2011.

The Council meets the definition of a Public Benefit Entity (“PBE”) as set out in FRS 102, and therefore applies the PBE prefixed paragraphs in FRS 102. The financial information has been prepared on the historical cost basis (except for the revaluation of investments) and on the accruals basis.

(c) Significant judgements and estimates

The Council’s key judgements and estimates. which have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements, are described in the accounting policies and are summarised below:

Pension deficit liabilities – estimations surrounding the recognition of the charity’s defined benefit pension deficit liabilities. Further details are disclosed in notes 10 and 14.
Carrying value of programme-related investments – judgement will be applied in ascertaining whether or not indicators of impairment exist at year end and if so, what the impairment figure should be.
Value of debtors and creditors due after more than one year – judgement is applied in determining the appropriate discount rate to apply. Further details are disclosed in note 1(g). If the discount rate were to increase by 0.25%, the value of debtors and creditors would decrease by £896k (2023: decrease by £695k).
The analysis between short- and long-term liabilities – Judgement is applied in ascertaining the likely cash flow in relation to grant payments to dioceses and other grant recipients on an annual basis. This is based on cash flow forecasts submitted by grantees and progress reports or, if this is not available, historic annual spend levels for similar grants.

Restricted Funds are subject to specific conditions imposed by the donor, these conditions being legally binding upon the Council.

Endowment funds

Permanent endowment funds are created when a sum of money is received from a donor who specifies that it must not be spent as if it were income. Usually, the donor will instruct that the sum of money must be invested, and the income generated must be spent on certain specified purposes.

Expendable endowment funds are sums of money donated where there is a power to convert the capital of the fund to income at the trustees’ discretion. Further details of each fund are shown in note 15.

(f) Income recognition

All income is recognised when the Council is legally entitled to the income, it is probable the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Pecuniary legacies are recognised as receivable once probate has been granted and notification has been received. Residuary legacies are recognised as receivable once probate has been granted, it is confirmed that there are sufficient assets to pay the legacy, and there are no conditions attached to the legacy that are outside the control of the Council. Values are reviewed and adjusted up to the point of accounts approval.

(g) Grant recognition

An agreement is in place whereby the Church Commissioners provide funding to match the grant payments made to dioceses and certain other grant recipients. As a result, income is accrued at the year-end (note 13) to match these grant commitments made by the Council (note 14).

Grants awarded are recognised when a firm commitment to provide funding is made and there is evidence of a constructive obligation to the beneficiary. Details of the Council’s grant-making activities are outlined in note 6. Any ministry training maintenance grants for the Lent term of the following year, paid in the current year, are accounted for as prepayments.

The long-term debtor and creditor balances are discounted to present value. The discount rate applied uses Bank of England spot curve data to calculate the expected future yield on the assets earmarked for making these grant payments.

(h) Expenditure recognition

(d) Going concern

The trustees have reasonable expectation that the Council has adequate resources and cash flows to meet spending commitments for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the annual report and accounts. The Council has evaluated the nature of its key sources of income, particularly including distributions made by the Church Commissioners, apportionment contributions made by dioceses and grants from other bodies. It has considered the charity’s ability to withstand a material fall in income and the mitigating actions which could be taken in such a scenario including the types of expenditure which could be reduced or delayed. It has also analysed the strength of the available reserves and liquid assets, including modelling the effect of a significant reduction in investment values. The Council considers that it has sufficient reserves to withstand such an eventuality, taking account of restricted funds with sufficiently broad purposes to fund the majority of the Council’s operating expenditure.

With respect to the next reporting period, the most significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity are the level of investment return and the performance of investment markets (see the “Investment Policy and Use of Restricted Funds” and “Risk Management” sections of the trustees’ annual report for more information).

(e) Funds structure

Unrestricted funds

General Funds are funds of the Council which can be used for its general charitable objects to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England.

Expenditure and liabilities are recognised when a legal or constructive obligation exists to make payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.

The Council’s expenditure on charitable activities is described in note 5. Grants awarded (note 6) are allocated directly to activities. Direct costs (note 7) and support costs (note 8) are apportioned according to an activity-based time split.

Investment managers’ fees are not disclosed within expenditure. The Council’s investments are principally held in collective investment schemes. Fees levied on the schemes are allocated by the schemes to income and capital prior to distribution to fund holders, therefore investment income and realised gains are shown net of applicable fees.

(i) Fixed assets

Investments: Investment funds (note 10)

Investment funds are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. Net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA). The Council does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments. All investments are invested on an accumulation basis (except for investments held within permanent endowment funds).

Investments: Programme-related investments (note 11)

Designated Funds are funds which the Council has earmarked for a particular purpose. There are no legally binding restrictions on them and the Council is free to re-designate these funds should this be appropriate. The purpose of each designated fund is disclosed in the statement of funds (note 15).

The Council recognises its programme-related investments at their initial cost, less any impairments. The Council recognises concessionary loans at the sum advanced, less any provision considered necessary for sums that may prove to be irrecoverable.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

2. Income from grants, donations and legacies

Intangible Fixed Assets (note 12)

Amortisation

Costs incurred on acquiring or enhancing intangible assets are capitalised. Staff costs that relate to the development of intangible assets are capitalised, including related tax and social security payments. Amortisation is charged on a straight line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset, as set out below: Software 20%

(j) Pensions

Staff pensions are described in note 16. Defined benefit schemes are considered to be multi-employer schemes as described in FRS 102 paragraph 28.11 as assets cannot be accurately allocated between the member organisations. Consequently, the schemes are accounted for as if they were defined contribution schemes, where employer contributions payable in the year are charged to expenditure. The National Church Institutions’ (NCls) pension scheme liability is calculated by actuaries Lane Clark and Peacock (LCP) LLP. The Church of England Pensions Board took advice from LCP and have determined the method and assumptions to use for this valuation in consultation with the employers. The valuation adopts the “projected unit method”, under which the technical provisions are calculated as the amount of assets required as at the valuation date to meet the projected benefit cash flows, based on benefits accrued to the valuation date and the various assumptions made.

The pension fund faces a number of risks. In particular, the actual returns on the fund’s assets may prove to be higher or lower than those anticipated in the calculation of the technical provisions. The greater the returns anticipated, the greater is the chance that actual returns will be lower, leading to the need for additional employer contributions in the future. Similarly, there is the risk that the other assumptions adopted are not borne out by future experience. A liability is recorded within provisions for any contractual commitment to fund past service deficits.

(k) Leases

Rent paid in relation to operating leases is charged to the SOFA in equal amounts over the period of the lease. All leases are operating leases as the risks and rewards of ownership have not transferred to the Council.

(I) Taxation

The Council, as a registered charity, is exempt from taxation on its income and gains falling within Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that they are applied to their charitable purposes. In common with many other charities, the Council is unable to recover the entirety of Value Added Tax (VAT) incurred on expenditure. The amount of VAT that cannot be recovered is included within the underlying cost to which it relates.

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
Funds Funds Funds 2024 Funds Funds Funds 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Grants received from:
Church Commissioners 9,488 195,417 - 204,905 11,156 140,852 - 152,008
Cathedral and Major
Churches Grant Scheme - - - - - (278) - (278)
Corporation of the
Church House - - - - - 510 - 510
Others 185 322 - 507 (19) 285 - 266
Discounting adjustment - (5,221) - (5,221) - (83) - (83)
Total grants received 9,673 190,518 - 200,191 11,137 141,286 - 152,423
Contributions from
dioceses 8,819 22,366 - 31,185 8,627 21,787 - 30,414
Legacies 616 - - 616 312 3 145 460
Other donations - 482 - 482 3 605 15 623
Total income from
donations and legacies 19,108 213,366 - 232,474 20,079 163,681 160 183,920
----- End of picture text -----

Grant income from the Church Commissioners

Restricted grant income from the Church Commissioners is used by the Council to support investment in the spiritual and financial growth of the Church, with funds earmarked for the support and development of mission in the lowest income communities, and for new growth opportunities in the Church. From the start of 2023, new grant streams have provided for (among other things) work on racial justice, disability funding and carbon net zero grants (see note 6 for details). The Strategic Development Funding (SDF) stream and various funding streams to support ordained ministry have been replaced by the Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) and People and Partnerships Funding (PPF), which will continue to provide funding for the Church particularly in the poorest parts of the country, in line with the Church’s Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.

(m) Related parties

The Church of England is governed by a large number of legally independent bodies in its parishes, cathedrals and dioceses as well as at national level. These bodies, with the exception of those set out below, are not related parties as defined in the Charities SORP or Section 33 of FRS 102. Transactions and balances with these bodies are accounted for in the same way as other transactions and, where material, are separately identified in the notes to the financial statements.

The Council, together with the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board, are equal partners in Church of England Central Services (ChECS), a joint venture (jointly controlled entity). The Council’s interest in ChECS is not consolidated as the Council is not a group. This jointly controlled entity is included in the Council’s consolidated financial statements using the equity method. The Council’s share of profits or losses from ChECS is included in the SOFA and its share of net assets is included in the balance sheet under programme-related investments. Any balances owing to or from ChECS are recorded in debtors/creditors. Further detail is provided in note 11 and note 19.

The Council is also a related party to the following pension funds, operated by the Church of England Pensions Board: Church of England Funded Pension Scheme; Church Administrators Pension Fund, Church Workers Pension Fund. Details about the pension funds, including contributions paid, are given in note 16.

Grant income from Cathedral and Major Churches Grant Scheme

In 2020 and 2021 the Council was awarded grant funding from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to be spent on cathedral and major church projects before June 2022. A minority of the grant recipients did not spend the full grant awarded in time and therefore grants were required to be repaid in 2023. The Council has met this cost in cases where it was impractical or uneconomic to reclaim the funds from grantees.

For related grant expenditure, see notes 5 and 6(c) for further information.

Grant from Corporation of the Church House

The Corporation awarded the Council grants of £510k in 2023 which the Council used to support its racial justice work and A Church Near You. No such grant was received in 2024.

Discounting adjustment

The adjustment shown is the difference between the discounting required on grants receivable at the beginning and end of the financial year. The principal reason for changes in the discounting adjustment shown above is changes in the discount rates used. In 2024 the discount rate used was 4.69% (2023: 5.19%)

The Council, together with the Catholic Trust for England and Wales, jointly controls Safe Spaces England and Wales (Safe Spaces) which meets the definition of a programme-related investment. Further information is given in notes 11 and 19.

(n) Cash at bank and in hand and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand includes deposits which can be withdrawn within 24 hours without penalty. Cash equivalents include deposits which have a maturity period of three months or less and are not subject to significant risk of changes in value.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

3. Income from charitable activities

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
Funds Funds Funds 2024 Funds Funds Funds 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Accommodation - income
from sub-tenants 741 - - 741 806 - - 806
Church House Publishing 327 - - 327 239 - - 239
Conferences and courses 223 2 - 225 244 - - 244
Other income 395 112 2 509 460 33 - 493
Total income from
charitable activities 1,686 114 2 1,802 1,749 33 - 1,782
----- End of picture text -----

4. Income from investments

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
Funds Funds Funds 2024 Funds Funds Funds 2023
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Dividends - - 102 102 - - 105 105
Interest on cash and
deposit funds - 253 15 268 - 215 11 227
Income from partnerships
(see note 11) 990 - - 990 - - - -
Total income from
investments 990 253 117 1,360 - 215 116 332
----- End of picture text -----

5. Expenditure on charitable activities

----- Start of picture text -----
Charitable objective Grants Direct Support Total Grants Direct Support Total
awarded costs costs 2024 awarded costs costs 2023
Note 6 Note 7 Note 8 Note 6 Note 7 Note 8
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
A Younger Church 18,835 780 302 19,917 17,413 545 195 18,153
A More Diverse Church 46,953 3,187 1,232 51,372 43,878 3,214 1,149 48,241
Revitalise Parishes 89,806 8,762 3,387 101,955 70,777 7,731 2,761 81,269
New Christian Communities 11,721 3,806 1,471 16,998 7,671 3,669 1,311 12,651
Missionary Disciples 15,486 2,116 818 18,420 4,444 1,585 566 6,595
Safety and Dignity 731 8,100 3,140 11,971 745 6,065 2,164 8,974
Sustainability 7,185 1,146 444 8,775 5,816 551 197 6,564
Total charitable 190,717 27,897 10,794 229,408 150,744 23,360 8,343 182,447
expenditure
----- End of picture text -----

5. Expenditure on charitable activities (continued)

Charitable expenditure is allocated according to the Archbishops’ Council’s seven objectives: An evangelising Church for everyone through:

Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030 (“A Younger Church”).
A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity (including disability, race and deprivation) (“A More Diverse Church”).
A parish system revitalised for mission so there is a pathway for everyone into an accessible and contextual expression of church (“Revitalise Parishes”).
Creating 10,000 new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work / education, social and digital (“New Christian Communities”).

Empowered by a Church of missionary disciples:

All Anglicans envisioned, resourced and released to live out the five marks of mission in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the Church and the world. All local churches, supported by their dioceses, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation (“Missionary Disciples”).
A Church that affirms the dignity of all people by being a safe place for all children and vulnerable adults (“Safety and Dignity”).
A Church that cherishes God’s creation and leads by example in promoting sustainability (“Sustainability”).

6. Grant-making

A full list of grants awarded to institutions is available on the Church of England website .

Long-term grant funding is discounted to reflect the net present value of future payments. The discount rate used varies based on the time until the creditor is due to be settled.

Diocesan Investment Programme funding (DIP) was a new funding stream for 2023, replacing several previous grant streams, with the aim of funding local plans via dioceses to build and grow the Church in accordance with the Vision and Strategy for the 2020s. Dioceses are required to provide the Council with details of how they have spent the monies. DIP projects have been reported under each relevant charitable expenditure category in (a) to (g) below. A full analysis of DIP funding is provided at the end of note 6 for completeness.

a) A Younger Church

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Diocesan Investment Programme Funding awarded (to 8 dioceses (2023: 10 dioceses)) 14,779 17,427
People and Partnerships Funding grants awarded (to 6 organisations (2023: 3 organisations)) 3,756 993
Education Grants (1 organisation (2023: 1 organisation)) 27 15
FLOURISH Grants (1 organisation) 1,707 -
Other grants - 3
Total grants awarded for A Younger Church before discounting 20,269 18,438
Discounting adjustment (1,434) (1,025)
Total grants awarded for A Younger Church 18,835 17,413
----- End of picture text -----

See note 15 for an analysis of expenditure on charitable activities by fund.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

6. Grant-making (continued)

b) A More Diverse Church

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Lowest Income Communities (LinC) funding (to 29 dioceses (2023: 29 dioceses)) 30,311 29,300
Transition funding (2017-2026) (to 17 dioceses (2023: 17 dioceses)) 2,687 4,160
DIP grants awarded to 3 dioceses (to 1 diocese (2023: 3 dioceses)) 9,169 5,069
SDF grants awarded (to 1 diocese (2023: 0 dioceses)) 60 -
Grants awarded to Church Urban Fund 203 203
Racial Justice grants awarded to 15 dioceses, 13 institutions and 0 individuals (2023: 10 dioceses, 6 4,778 5,300
institutions and 15 individuals)
Disability Funding grants 268 142
Other grants 133 106
Total grants awarded for A More Diverse Church before discounting 47,609 44,280
Discounting adjustment (656) (402)
Total grants awarded for A More Diverse Church 46,953 43,878
----- End of picture text -----

LlnC funding provides funding for mission in communities with the lowest incomes. The distribution of funds is formulabased - the allocation method begins by assessing the average income of the residents of each diocese. The funding goes to dioceses whose residents have an income below the national average. The Council has provided dioceses with an illustration of the sums it hopes to be able to grant in LInC and Transition Funding in 2025 (£31.2m and £1.1m respectively). It was communicated to dioceses that these grants will only be made if the Church Commissioners provide the Council with the necessary funding in the year, and so these amounts are not included as liabilities within the financial statements.

Transition funding is distributed (at a declining rate over 10 years from 2017) to dioceses where funding for the support of the lowest income communities is less than under the previous ‘Darlow’ grant funding method which ended in 2016.

The Racial Justice fund offers grants to dioceses and other institutions to make targeted interventions in the area of racial justice.

Disability funding is available for dioceses and other institutions to undertake work to widen access to the Church community, and positions of leadership, for those with disabilities.

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
Other grants awarded £’000 £’000
Grants for clergy retirement housing (to the Church of England Pensions Board) 25,838 14,846
Grants for ministry training (to 1 individual and 70 institutions (2023: 3 individuals and 73 institutions)) 16,781 13,264
DIP grants awarded (to 34 dioceses (2023: 35 dioceses)) 48,771 30,866
SDF grants awarded (to 0 dioceses (2023: 1 diocese)) - 83
Strategic Transformation Funding (to 2 dioceses (2023: 0 dioceses)) 3,834 (76)
National Giving Strategy (to 2 dioceses (2023: 0 dioceses)) (53) (134)
Sustainability Funding (to 0 dioceses (2023: 0 dioceses)) - (25)
Strategic Ministry Funding (to 31 dioceses (2023: 0 dioceses)) (1,030) (141)
Energy Cost Grants (to 0 dioceses (2023: 1 institution)) - 10
Posts of First Responsibility (to 20 dioceses (2023: 20 dioceses)) 15 1,443
Parish Giving Scheme grants 2,723 500
Other grants 1,427 703
Total grants awarded for Revitalise Parishes before discounting 98,694 70,897
Discounting adjustment (3,333) (120)
Return of unspent Resourcing Ministerial Education grants (5,555) -
Total grants awarded for Revitalise Parishes 89,806 70,777
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The Cathedral and Major Churches Grant Scheme was awarded to the Archbishops’ Council from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, to be administered by an expert panel.

Grants awarded for ministry training were paid to dioceses between September 2017 and August 2023. Ordinands entering training had their tuition fees and some allowances paid for by a block grant, given to dioceses according to the number and ages of their ordinands, irrespective of their pathway choice. Grant funding for ministry training was recognised and paid over a period of up to three years, subject to successful completion of each term of training. From September 2024 the majority of these grants have been paid direct to Theological Education Institutions. The value of grant funding recognised in the year represents funding awarded for the period to the end of December 2024. This is expected to be funded from future years’ Training for Ministry diocesan apportionment income and Additional Ordinands grant funding from the Church Commissioners.

The Archbishops’ Council provides funding to the Church of England Pensions Board to enable it to offer subsidised housing to retired clergy. The grant helps funds the repair, maintenance and other costs associated with properties available for retired clergy to rent or occupy under license.

c) Revitalise Parishes

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2024 2023
Grants awarded for development of Church buildings for worship and service: £’000 £’000
Grants funded by the Pilgrim Trust (to 54 institutions (2023: 109 institutions)) 75 180
Grants funded by the Cathedral and Major Churches Grant Scheme
(to 0 institutions (2023: 8 institutions)) - 104
Buildings for Mission (grants awarded to 31 dioceses and 3 institutions
(2023: to 41 dioceses and 3 institutions)) 292 9,237
Other cathedral grants 21 37
Total grants awarded for development of Church buildings for worship and service 388 9,558
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Strategic Ministry Funding is intended to provide financial support to dioceses for growth in the number of clergy, including support for pensions and housing, in a tailored manner so that it is proportionately higher for those dioceses that need it most. No new grants have been made under this funding stream since the end of 2022 and the sum accounted for represents adjustments to and write-backs from grants made in previous financial years.

Strategic Transformation Funding is for those dioceses facing financial difficulties and wishing to undertake major restructuring programmes in order to better align with their strategic plans and make a significant difference to their mission and financial strength, in turn supporting the Church’s sustainable growth.

The National Giving Strategy funding is to support a new strategy over the next five years to encourage giving and generosity in churches. Grants are awarded to dioceses to help them implement this strategy. No new grants have been made under this funding stream since the end of 2022 and the sum accounted for represents adjustments to and write-backs from grants made in previous financial years.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

6. Grant-making (continued)

Sustainability Funding grants were awarded to dioceses to help mitigate the loss of income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. No new grants have been made under this funding stream since the end of 2022.

Energy Cost Grants were awarded to dioceses to enable them to help Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) cover the increased cost of heating and lighting church buildings; and to provide targeted hardship support to clergy and other employed ministers to contribute towards household bills, in particular energy costs.

Posts of First Responsibility Grants are an interim funding stream agreed in order to help dioceses place curates who have completed their training but been unable to secure a post of first responsibility. They are first incumbency roles where the preference is for them to become permanent.

Buildings for Mission funding is available to dioceses for urgent repair or improvement work to their churches, up to the value of £10,000 (or £12,000 for unlisted buildings).

Grants were made to the Parish Giving Scheme in respect of its operating costs and to support technology development in relation to direct debit processing and cyber security arrangements.

Resourcing Ministerial Education (RME) grants were made to dioceses in previous years to support ordination training. This was replaced by the Resourcing Ministerial Formation (RMF) grant system from September 2023 and during 2024 the Council asked dioceses to return any unspent RME grants.

d) New Christian Communities

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Innovation Funding to 3 dioceses (2023: 1 diocese) 332 200
DIP grants awarded to 6 dioceses (2023: 5 dioceses) 9,443 3,335
SDF grants awarded to 3 dioceses (2023: 1 diocese) 600 2,872
Total grants awarded for New Christian Communities before discounting 10,375 6,407
Discounting adjustment 1,346 1,264
Total grants awarded for New Christian Communities 11,721 7,671
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Innovation funding is available for creative mission projects which seek to help the Church fully represent the communities we serve in age and diversity.

e) Missionary Disciples

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2024 2023
Grants awarded from the Grants and Provisions Fund: £’000 £’000
Anglican Communion Office 664 626
Churches Together in England 150 150
Grants to 3 other institutions (2023: 3 other institutions) 216 216
Total grants awarded from the Grants and Provisions Fund 1,030 992
Other grants awarded:
DIP grants awarded to 6 dioceses (2023: 3 dioceses) 15,138 1,751
SDF grants awarded to 0 dioceses (2023: 2 dioceses) - 739
Mission Agencies Pension Contributions Fund 490 538
Other grants 179 17
Total grants awarded for Missionary Disciples before discounting 16,837 4,037
Discounting adjustment (1,351) 407
Total grants awarded for Missionary Disciples 15,486 4,444
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The Church Commissioners are statutorily required under the Church of England Pensions Measure 2018 to meet the pension contributions in respect of clergy who are employed by those mission agencies which were Church of England members of the Partnership for World Mission at the time the Measure was passed. By agreement, the Council met the full cost of this liability, which was £490,000 (2023: £538,000). The contribution was made in respect of an average number of clergy of 73 in 2024 (2023: 72).

f) Safety and Dignity

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Past Cases Review 2 (0 grant to 0 dioceses (2023: 1 grant to 1 diocese)) - 60
Interim Support Scheme (118 grants to 66 individuals (2023: 135 grants to 68 individuals)) 726 685
Other grants (to 1 institution (2023: to 0 institutions)) 5 -
Total grants awarded for Safety and Dignity 731 745
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All 42 dioceses in the Church of England have been asked to conduct a review of past safeguarding cases, to build on the work of the previous past cases review which took place between 2007 and 2009 and was deemed not to be comprehensive enough. The Council has agreed to grant 50% of the total costs of such a review up to a maximum of £30,000 per diocese.

The Interim Support Scheme was established in 2020 to provide emergency support to survivors of Church-related abuse.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

6. Grant-making (continued)

g) Sustainability

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Net Zero Carbon grants (to 42 dioceses and 2 institutions (2023: to 42 dioceses and 2 institutions)) 6,971 6,027
Other grants 7 (4)
Total grants awarded for Sustainability before discounting 6,978 6,023
Discounting adjustment 207 (207)
Total grants awarded for Sustainability 7,185 5,816
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Net Zero Carbon grants are available to dioceses to help them develop and initiate a net zero carbon action plan, along with other funding available for projects in schools, housing and cathedrals to support and enable the Church to reach its goal of net zero carbon by 2030.

Diocesan Investment Programme summary:

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
A Younger Church (to 8 dioceses (2023: 10 dioceses)) 14,779 17,427
A More Diverse Church (to 3 dioceses (2023: 3 dioceses)) 9,169 5,069
Revitalise Parishes (to 34 dioceses (2023: 35 dioceses)) 48,771 30,868
New Christian Communities (to 6 dioceses (2023: 5 dioceses)) 9,443 3,335
Missionary Disciples (to 6 dioceses (2023: 3 dioceses)) 15,138 1,751
Total grants awarded under DIP before discounting: 97,300 58,450
Discounting adjustment (8,685) (3,877)
Total grants awarded under DIP 88,615 54,573
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Strategic Development Fund summary:

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
A More Diverse Church (to 1 dioceses (2023: 0 diocese)) 60 -
Revitalise Parishes (to 0 dioceses (2023: 1 diocese)) - 83
New Christian Communities (to 3 dioceses (2023: 1 diocese)) 600 2,872
Missionary Disciples (to 0 dioceses (2023: 2 dioceses)) - 739
Total grants awarded under SDF before discounting: 660 3,694
Discounting adjustment 2,328 2,618
Total grants awarded under SDF 2,988 6,312
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

7. Direct costs

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Charitable objective Administration Department 2024 Administration Department 2023
and central running costs Total and central running costs Total
office costs office costs
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
A Younger Church 124 656 780 121 424 545
A More Diverse Church 923 2,264 3,187 1,277 1,937 3,214
Revitalise Parishes 2,300 6,462 8,762 2,190 5,541 7,731
New Christian Communities 761 3,045 3,806 931 2,738 3,669
Missionary Disciples 446 1,670 2,116 (114) 1,699 1,585
Safety and Dignity 1,379 6,721 8,100 647 5,418 6,065
Sustainability 130 1,016 1,146 164 387 551
Total direct costs 6,063 21,834 27,897 5,216 18,144 23,360
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Direct costs are costs incurred by the Council to directly fund its charitable activities. Central costs are apportioned according to an activity-based time split. Administration and Central Office costs include costs associated with holding conferences and courses, costs associated with Church House Publishing and other costs such as non-staff expenses. Department running costs include staff remuneration costs (see note 9), departmental legal and professional fees and 12 other departmental expenses. Total legal and professional fees incurred by Archbishops’ Council departments during 2024 were £4.4m (2023: £4.7m).

8. Support costs

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2024 Total 2023 Total
Note £’000 £’000
Support costs
Accommodation 1,359 1,524
Finance Transformation Programme costs 2,276 1,463
Shared service costs 6,860 4,938
Total support costs 10,495 7,925
Governance costs
Audit fees 44 76
Internal audit and risk management 245 260
Membership and committees 10 8
Total governance costs 299 344
Sub-Total 10,794 8,269
Movement on pension deficit provision
Re-measurement of provision 16 - 74
Total governance costs 10,794 8,343
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Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

8. Support costs (continued)

Support costs are costs incurred by the Council for administering its charitable activities. These costs include salaries, other running costs and a share of overheads. Overheads are apportioned according to an activity-based time split.

Shared services are the Council’s share of the costs incurred by Church of England Central Services (ChECS), a charitable joint venture between the Council, Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board established to facilitate the provision of cost-effective shared financial, legal and other services. During 2024 costs of £2.3m (2023: £1.5m) were incurred on the discovery and feasibility phase of a Finance Transformation Programme, the scope of which includes requirements gathering and selecting new grants management and finance systems.

The NCls Finance Transformation Programme aims to improve the financial processes and systems across the NCls. This includes replacing the current finance system, introducing a new grants management system and the Pensions Finance Automation work which will enable the Church of England Pensions Board to offer a Collective Defined Contribution pension scheme. The programme will introduce streamlined processes that will result in improved efficiencies, greater collaboration and less reliance on manual processes.

Governance costs relate to the general running of the Council including supporting the work of its committees and audit costs. The external audit fees are quoted inclusive of VAT.

Expenses incurred by trustees in attending Council and committee meetings and on other business of the Council were reimbursed to 18 trustees (2023: 18) totalling to £7,700 (2023: £6,200). In addition, two trustees were paid £2,600 (2023: £2,100) for loss of earnings to facilitate their attendance at trustee meetings.

The trustees of the Council have no entitlement to salary or pension arising from their services to the Council.

9. Staff numbers and remuneration

The Council is joint employer, together with the other NCls, of most of the staff of the NCls, one of which is specified as their managing employer. The Chief Executive is employed directly by the Council.

The work of the Council is supported by staff in shared service departments managed by Church of England Central Services (ChECS) (see note 19) which provides finance, HR, communications, legal, IT and internal audit services to the NCls. The SORP requirements are that the costs of staff employed by third parties who operate on behalf of the charity should be disclosed in the accounts. In order to comply with the spirit of the SORP, the total costs of all ChECS staff are shown in the tables. The Council’s share of their costs was £4.7m (2023: £3.9m).

Included in the Council’s own staff costs is £46,000 (2023: £nil) paid by way of redundancy costs to 2 (2023: nil) individuals. (Note - the ChECS pension contributions figures do not include the ChECS pension deficit contributions, the Council’s share of which is accounted for on the Council’s balance sheet).

The Average Number Employed is the average headcount of staff employed during the year. The Archbishops’ Council saw an increase in the number of staff particularly in the National Safeguarding and Vision and Strategy Teams, reflecting the increased work activity in these areas. ChECS also saw an increase in staff numbers, largely in relation to the ongoing, but time-limited, Finance Transformation Project.

The number of staff whose emoluments for the year fell in the following salary bands were:

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Archbishops’ Council ChECS
2024 2023 2024 2023
Number Number Number Number
£60,001 to £70,000 27 33 19 15
£70,001 to £80,000 17 7 14 9
£80,001 to £90,000 2 6 4 8
£90,001 to £100,000 2 2 7 -
£100,001 to £110,000 3 3 3 4
£110,001 to £120,000 3 - 5 2
£120,001 to £130,000 - - 1 -
£130,001 to £140,000 - - 1 1
£140,001 to £150,000 - 1 1 1
£150,001 to £160,000 1 - 1 -
£190,001 to £200,000 - 1 - -
£200,001 to £210,000 1 - - -
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Of the staff above managed by the Council, 43 (2023: 41) accrued benefits under the Church Administrators Pension Fund (CAPF) defined contribution scheme for which contributions for the year were £464,000 (2023: £453,000). A further 6 staff (2023: 11) accrued benefits under defined benefit schemes, with 6 (2023: 6) in the CAPF, 1 (2023: 0) in the Church Workers Pension Fund (CWPF) and 5 (2023: 5) in the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme (CEFPS). Defined benefit contributions for the year for these staff were £111,000 (2023: £159,000).

The cost of staff for which the Council is the managing employer and for ChECS (in total) was:

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Archbishops’ Council ChECS
2024 2023 2024 2023
Number Number Number Number
Average Number Employed 186 178 202 178
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Salaries 9,847 8,965 11,044 9,121
National Insurance Costs 1,133 1,027 1,272 1,046
Pension Contributions 1,227 1,203 1,466 1,263
Total cost of staff 12,207 11,195 13,782 11,430
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Of the staff above managed by ChECS, 46 (2023: 37) staff members accrued benefits under the CAPF defined contribution scheme for which contributions for the year were £508,000 (2023: £428,000). The remaining 5 staff members (2023: 4) accrued benefits under a defined benefit scheme and 3 (2023: Nil) ChECS staff members accrued benefits under the CWPF.

The Council’s senior executive leadership team comprises 14 individuals, for whom the Archbishops’ Council was the managing employer of 8 individuals (2023: 9) and ChECS was the managing employer of 5 (2023: 6). Their aggregate remuneration, including pension contributions, was £1,593,000 (2023: £1,741,000).

Staff loans

Interest-free loans are made available to all staff for travel season tickets and for the purchase of bicycles and electric scooters.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

10. Investments

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
At 1 January 33,283 32,490
Disposals (94) (1,797)
Unrealised gains/ (losses) on revaluation 3,833 2,590
At 31 December 37,022 33,283
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Investment funds

Funds were principally held in collective investment schemes managed by Sarasin & Partners LLP and CCLA Investment Management Limited. Investments were held as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Sarasin 25,213 22,552
CCLA 11,802 10,724
Other 7 7
At 31 December 37,022 33,283
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The investment funds consisted of the following underlying assets:

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Equities 25,635 23,674
Property 6,065 1,346
Index linked / Fixed interest securities 1,579 4,266
Infrastructure / Alternative 2,919 3,096
Cash and cash equivalents 824 901
At 31 December 37,022 33,283
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11. Programme-related investments

Two properties are held by the Council and meet the definition of “programme-related investments” as set out in the SORP. The properties meet the educational objects of the charity as they are both leased to charities which are obliged to maintain an Anglican ethos.

The freehold at Parkstead, Roehampton is leased to the Whitelands College Foundation on two long leases.

The freehold interest in St Katherine’s College, Childwall, Wavertree, Liverpool is leased to Liverpool Hope University on a long lease.

Safe Spaces England and Wales (Safe Spaces) is a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CaTEW) and therefore also meets the definition of a programme-related investment. Safe Spaces continues to operate but the Council’s investment was fully written down by the year end.

The Social Impact Investment Fund established in 2021 qualifies as a programme-related investment, funding being made available by the Church Commissioners specifically to advance the missional objectives of the Church and particularly focused on alleviating the effects of poverty through addressing housing needs, widening access to responsible finance and caring for the environment.

In addition, in 2023, taking account of the unusual circumstances of a particular grant funding request, the Council made an interest free loan to a Diocesan Board of Finance. This transaction is accounted for as a programme-related investment as it was advanced in order to enable the beneficiary to achieve key strategic aims which are in line with the Council’s charitable purposes. Repayment of the concessionary loan to the diocese is due over the course of 24 years, to begin in 2028 at a minimum rate of £100,000 per year.

ChECS is a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board for which the three partners hold equal shares. On 1 January 2024, ChECS became a sole member of the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS). The PGS is a charitable organisation with over 75,000 givers in 34 dioceses who give approximately £80m a year to over 4,500 churches. As a result, the net surplus has been apportioned equally among the joint partners.

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2024 2023
£’000 £’000
At 1 January 8,789 5,480
Additions - Social Impact Investment Fund 1,590 959
Additions - Safe Spaces 242 242
Additions - Concessionary Loans (due after one year) - 2,350
Additions - ChECS 990 -
Impairment (242) (242)
At 31 December 11,369 8,789
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As of 31 December 2024, £12.2m (2023: £8.2m) had been committed from the Council’s Social Impact Investment Programme, of which £4.8m (2023: £3.2m) had been drawn down, leaving a further £7.4m (2023: £5.0m) committed with the aims of providing affordable finance to charities and social enterprises as they seek to tackle poverty and address homelessness for vulnerable people across the UK. This will be paid over in subsequent years.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

12. Intangible fixed assets

A National Safeguarding Casework Management System has been developed and was completed at the end of 2024. The relevant costs have been capitalised since the project moved into its delivery phase in October 2021. Implementation was carried out in two phases. As at 31 December 2024, both implementation phases have been completed and therefore the asset is being amortised.

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
At 1 January 1,304 787
Additions 490 594
Amortisation (308) (77)
At 31 December 1,486 1,304
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13. Debtors

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
Amounts due within one year £’000 £’000
Trade debtors 13 689
Prepayments 503 43
Amounts due from NCls 7,410 6,739
Amounts due from colleges and schools 39 156
Other debtors 3,346 476
Grants receivable - Diocesan Investment Programme 44,240 18,762
Grants receivable - Strategic Development Funding 28,440 30,201
Grants receivable - Strategic Ministry Funding grants 3,125 6,336
Grants receivable - Strategic Transformation Funding grants 9,767 7,561
Grants receivable - Buildings for Mission Funding 6,014 5,430
Grants receivable - Racial Justice Funding 3,146 1,109
Grants receivable - Net Zero Carbon Funding 8,209 2,579
Grants receivable - FLOURISH Grants 845 -
Grants receivable - Other grants 16,533 5,710
Total debtors due within one year 131,630 85,791
Amounts due after more than one year
Grants receivable - Diocesan Investment Programme 97,209 37,384
Grants receivable - Strategic Development Funding grants 19,849 41,843
Grants receivable - Strategic Ministry Funding grants 146 3,035
Grants receivable - Strategic Transformation Funding grants 7,601 12,457
Grants receivable - Buildings for Mission Funding 1,303 3,792
Grants receivable - Racial Justice Funding 4,865 4,152
Grants receivable - Net Zero Carbon Funding - 2,613
Grants receivable - FLOURISH Grants 427 -
Grants receivable - Other grants 6,210 8,039
Total before discounting adjustment 137,610 113,315
Discounting adjustment (16,203) (11,015)
Total debtors due after one year 121,407 102,300
Total debtors 253,037 188,091
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14. Creditors

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2024 2023
Amounts due within one year £'000 £'000
Trade creditors 1,111 588
Grants payable - Diocesan Investment Programme 44,240 18,762
Grants payable - Strategic Development Funding grants 28,264 29,921
Grants payable - Strategic Ministry Funding 3,125 6,336
Grants payable - Strategic Transformation Funding 9,767 7,561
Grants payable - Buildings for Mission Funding 6,014 5,430
Grants payable - Racial Justice Funding 3,146 1,109
Grants payable - Net Zero Carbon Funding 8,241 2,411
Grants payable - FLOURISH Grants 845 -
Grants payable - Other grants 17,764 6,067
Accruals and deferred income 2,137 1,613
Amounts due to NCls 1,397 1,111
VAT and social security 161 97
Other creditors 254 122
Total creditors due within one year 126,466 81,128
2024 2023
Amounts due after more than one year £'000 £'000
Grants payable - Diocesan Investment Programme 97,209 37,384
Grants payable - Strategic Development Funding 19,867 41,843
Grants payable - Strategic Ministry Funding 146 3,035
Grants payable - Strategic Transformation Funding 7,601 12,457
Grants payable - Buildings for Mission Funding 1,303 3,792
Grants payable - Racial Justice Funding 4,865 4,152
Grants payable - Net Zero Carbon Funding - 2,613
Grants payable - FLOURISH Grants 427 -
Grants payable - Other grants 6,550 8,039
Total before discounting adjustment 137,968 113,315
Discounting adjustment (16,236) (11,015)
Total creditors due after more than one year 121,732 102,300
Total creditors 248,198 183,428
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Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

14. Creditors (continued)

For grants payable due in more than one year, the grant funding is due to be settled in the following periods:

----- Start of picture text -----
Grant stream 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 and Total
beyond
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Diocesan Investment Programme 32,777 25,493 16,287 10,776 6,537 5,339 97,209
Strategic Development Funding 13,330 6,445 77 15 - - 19,867
Strategic Ministry Funding 129 17 - - - - 146
Strategic Transformation Funding 5,386 2,005 166 44 - - 7,601
Buildings for Mission Funding 1,303 - - - - - 1,303
Racial Justice Funding 3,320 1,515 30 - - - 4,865
Net Zero Carbon - - - - - - -
FLOURISH 427 - - - - - 427
Other grant streams 4,339 2,121 87 3 - - 6,550
Total before discounting adjustment 61,011 37,596 16,647 10,838 6,537 5,339 137,968
Discounting adjustment (4,828) (4,276) (2,437) (1,927) (1,368) (1,400) (16,236)
Total 56,183 33,320 14,210 8,911 5,169 3,939 121,732
----- End of picture text -----

Reconciliation of deferred income

Reconciliation of deferred income
Deferred at 1 January 2024 Released during the year	2024 £’000 5 (5)
Deferred during the year	293
Deferred at 31 December 2024	293

15. Statement of funds

The table below shows details of 2024 movements on funds material to the Council in terms of fund value or in-year movement or those funded by diocesan apportionment (*).

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fund Income Expenditure Transfers Gains Fund
balance and balance
brought losses carried
forward forward
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted funds
General Fund 2,776 20,110 (21,108) 1,474 172 3,424
Designated funds
Church Schools Fund 415 - - - - 415
Church House planned maintenance 1,305 67 (153) - - 1,219
Programme-related investments 3,225 990 - - - 4,215
CHARM() 411 - - - - 411
Other designated funds 882 617 (100) (255) - 1,144
Total designated funds 6,238 1,674 (253) (255) - 7,404
Total unrestricted funds 9,014 21,784 (21,361) 1,219 172 10,828
Restricted funds
Training for Ministry fund () 4,320 16,563 (11,254) (458) - 9,171
Grants and Provisions fund () 300 1,530 (1,243) (250) - 337
Mission agencies pension contributions () 379 15 (490) 120 - 24
CHARM() 511 25,968 (25,838) - - 641
Dioceses Fund 1,048 280 (250) 250 - 1,328
Legal costs 532 13 (198) - - 347
Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) 2,350 97,299 (97,299) - - 2,350
Strategic Development and Innovation Funding 264 660 (660) (103) - 161
Lowest Income Communities Funding (LlnC) - 30,311 (30,311) - - -
Transition Funding - 2,687 (2,687) - - -
Cathedral and Major Churches Grant Scheme - (48) (23) 71 - -
Strategic Ministry Funding 2 (1,030) 1,030 - - 2
National Giving Strategy - 890 (890) - - -
Strategic Transformation Funding - 3,834 (3,834) - - -
Clewer Funding 76 228 (241) - - 63
Posts of First Responsibility - 15 (15) - -
Social Impact Investment Fund 3,237 1,678 - - - 4,915
People and Partnerships Funding - 4,272 (4,210) (61) - 1
Net Zero Carbon Grant Funding - 7,848 (7,848) - - -
Racial Justice Fund - 4,803 (4,803) - - -
Parish Giving Scheme - 2,994 (2,994) - - -
Buildings for Mission - 398 (398) - - -
National Safeguarding Casework Management System 1,288 480 - (308) - 1,460
FLOURISH - 1,707 (1,707) - - -
Grant discounting - (5,188) 5,221 - - 33
Other restricted funds 998 15,526 (15,378) (5) 37 1,178
Total restricted funds 15,305 213,733 (206,320) (744) 37 22,011
Endowment funds
Expendable endowment funds
The Archbishops' Council Ministerial Training Trust Fund 375 53 (64) - 97 461
Church Colleges of Education Fund 4,823 26 - - 462 5,311
Church and Community Fund 17,353 (14) (1,382) (475) 2,305 17,787
Church of England Special Purposes Fund 2,398 4 (170) - 221 2,453
Women's Continuing Ministerial Education Trust 1,903 (1) (92) - 205 2,015
Faith and Public Life Sundry Funds 384 1 - - 35 420
Other expendable endowment funds 1,342 26 (6) - 59 1,421
Total expendable endowment funds 28,578 95 (1,714) (475) 3,384 29,868
Permanent endowment funds
The Archbishops’ Council Ministerial Training Trust Fund 1,883 - - - 126 2,009
Church Colleges of Education Fund 783 (1) - - 55 837
Other permanent endowment funds 950 25 (13) - 59 1,021
Total permanent endowment funds 3,616 24 (13) - 240 3,867
Total endowment funds 32,194 119 (1,727) (475) 3,624 33,735
Total funds of the charity 56,513 235,636 (229,408) - 3,833 66,574
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Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

15. Statement of funds (continued)

The source of the following funds is grants from the Church Commissioners:

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fixed assets Cash and Debtors Creditors Provision Net assets
short-term for pension 2024
deposits liability
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted funds 6,151 2,410 6,117 (3,850) - 10,828
Restricted funds 9,066 10,313 246,916 (244,284) - 22,011
Endowment funds 34,660 (865) 4 (64) - 33,735
Total 49,877 11,858 253,037 (248,198) - 66,574
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The Dioceses Fund holds other grants for distribution to the dioceses.

Strategic Development Funding is the vehicle by which grant funding is distributed to dioceses (and non-dioceses) to aid new growth opportunities.

Lowest Income Communities Funding provides funding for mission in communities with the lowest incomes.

Transition Funding represents grants to dioceses whose funding for the support of the lowest income communities is less than under the previous grant funding method used until the end of 2016.

Strategic Ministry Funding represents funding support for which dioceses can apply to help meet the incremental costs caused by an increased number of ordinands being trained.

Unrestricted funds: General Fund

This fund is for general use in meeting national Church responsibilities and is not designated for particular purposes.

Unrestricted funds: Designated funds

These funds comprise unrestricted funds which the Council has designated to be set aside for stated purposes:

Church Schools Fund is used to meet the cost of short-term loans to schools and grants to the Church Schools of the Future project.

Church House Planned Maintenance Fund comprises accumulated amounts set aside to meet maintenance costs related to the occupation of Church House.

Programme-related investments fund represents the carrying value of the Council’s properties, Safe Spaces, ChECS and an interest-free loan to a diocese (see note 11 for details)

Pension deficit reserve represents the valuation of the deficit contributions to be met by the Council - see note 16 for further details.

Restricted funds

The source of the following funds is the diocesan apportionment:

Training for Ministry Fund provides funds towards training for ordained ministry. This fund covers the tuition costs, university fees, college fees, personal maintenance and books and travel costs of sponsored ordinands prior to ordination.

The Grants and Provisions Fund provides funds towards the work of the Anglican Communion Office, the national and international ecumenical agencies, Church Urban Fund, Fresh Expressions and the Legal Costs Fund which is accounted for as a separate restricted fund.

Mission Agencies Pensions Contributions Fund provides for pension contributions in respect of clergy who are employed by the mission agencies.

The Church’s Housing Assistance for the Retired Ministry (CHARM) Fund provides grants to subsidise the scheme, which is administered by the Church of England Pensions Board to provide housing for those retiring from stipendiary ordained and lay ministry.

The Legal Costs Fund includes the Legal Aid Fund. General Synod is required by Measure to maintain a Legal Aid Fund, which is held by the Council on its behalf, to meet the costs of ecclesiastical legal aid awarded by the Legal Aid Commission.

Strategic Transformation Funding is to provide funding for those dioceses facing significant financial challenge and to support restructuring with the aim of sustainable growth.

National Giving Strategy is to support a new strategy over the next five years to encourage giving and generosity in churches.

Posts of First Responsibility is an interim funding stream agreed in order to help dioceses fund curates who have completed their ordination training but been unable to secure a post of first responsibility. They are first incumbency roles where the preference is for them to become permanent.

Growing Faith Foundation is a grant to the National Society to fund its Growing Faith Foundation over the next five years, the aim of which is put children and young people at the heart of the mission and ministry of the Church.

Social Impact Investment Fund funding is made available by the Church Commissioners specifically to advance the missional objectives of the Church and is focused on alleviating the effects of poverty through addressing housing needs, widening access to responsible finance and caring for the environment.

People and Partnerships Funding is funding to supplement the direct investment provided to dioceses by funding the pipelines of people, the capacity and research which will be needed to deliver the Vision and Strategy across the whole country.

The Diocesan Investment Programme is to fund local plans via dioceses to build and grow the Church in accordance with the Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.

Net Zero Carbon Grant Funding is available for dioceses to help them develop and initiate a net zero carbon action plan, along with other funding available for projects in schools, housing and cathedrals to support and enable the Church to reach its goal of net zero carbon by 2030.

Racial Justice funding is grant money offered to dioceses and other institutions to make targeted interventions in the area of racial justice.

Parish Giving Scheme funding is to support technology development in relation to direct debit processing and cyber security arrangements.

Buildings for Mission funding is available to dioceses for urgent repair or improvement work to their churches.

Endowment funds

The Archbishops’ Council Ministerial Training Trust Fund supports the training and maintenance of persons undergoing training for ordained ministry in the Church of England. This fund has an element that is expendable and an element that is permanent.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

15. Statement of funds (continued)

For comparative purposes , the table below shows details of 2023 movements on funds material to the Council in terms of value (more than £500,000) or those funded by diocesan apportionment (*).

The Church Colleges of Education Fund provides funds to advance education by promoting the effectiveness of Church of England Colleges of Higher Education and Universities. This fund has an element that is expendable and an element that is permanent.

The Church and Community Fund promotes the charitable work of the Church of England, by making grants towards the work of the Council generally.

The Church of England Special Purposes Fund exists to provide for the advancement of religion in accordance with the doctrine of the Church of England.

The Women’s Continuing Ministerial Education Trust Fund exists to further the continuing ministerial education of those women in the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church who are in need of financial assistance.

Transfers

The Council makes transfers of surpluses arising within general unrestricted funds to specific designated funds. Transfers are made from expendable endowment funds to income funds to spend in accordance with the purpose of the underlying endowment.

The most significant transfers during the year were:

£475k transferred from the Church and Community (Endowment) Fund to general funds to meet general operating activities.

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fund Income Expenditure Transfers Gains Fund
balance and balance
brought losses carried
forward forward
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted funds
General Fund 2,365 21,430 (21,830) 648 163 2,776
Designated funds
Church Schools Fund 415 - - - - 415
Church House planned maintenance 1,248 75 (18) - - 1,305
Programme-related investments 3,225 - - - - 3,225
CHARM() 411 - - - - 411
Other designated funds 1,799 324 9 (1,250) - 882
Total designated funds 7,098 399 (9) (1,250) - 6,238
Total unrestricted funds before pension reserve 9,463 21,829 (21,839) (602) 163 9,014
Pension deficit reserve (620) - 620 - - -
Total unrestricted funds 8,843 21,829 (21,219) (602) 163 9,014
Restricted funds
Training for Ministry fund () 2,717 15,286 (13,683) - - 4,320
Grants and Provisions fund () 238 1,530 (1,218) (250) - 300
Mission agencies pension contributions() 434 483 (538) - - 379
CHARM() 410 13,946 (14,845) 1,000 - 511
Dioceses Fund 1,025 273 (250) - - 1,048
Legal costs 425 10 (153) 250 - 532
Diocesan Investment Programme (DIP) - 60,799 (58,449) - - 2,350
Strategic Development and Innovation Funding 143 4,136 (4,015) - - 264
Lowest Income Communities Funding (LlnC) - 29,300 (29,300) - - -
Transition Funding - 4,160 (4,160) - - -
Cathedral and Major Churches Grant Scheme 278 (268) (112) 102 - -
Strategic Ministry Funding - (140) 141 - - 2
Sustainability Funding - (25) 25 - - -
National Giving Strategy - 1,161 (1,161) - - -
Strategic Transformation Funding - (76) 76 - - -
Clewer Funding - 600 (524) - - 76
Posts of First Responsibility - 1,443 (1,443) - - -
Energy Costs - 10 (10) - - -
Social Impact Investment Fund 2,100 1,137 - - - 3,237
People and Partnerships Funding - 1,110 (1,110) - - -
Net Zero Carbon Grant Funding - 6,383 (6,383) - - -
Racial Justice Fund - 5,300 (5,300) - - -
Parish Giving Scheme - 598 (598) - - -
Buildings for Mission - 9,249 (9,249) - - -
National Safeguarding Casework Management System 786 579 (77) - - 1,288
Grant discounting - (83) 83 - - -
Other restricted funds 1,197 7,028 (7,263) - 36 998
Total restricted funds 9,754 163,929 (159,516) 1,102 36 15,305
Endowment funds
Expendable endowment funds
The Archbishops’ Council Ministerial Training Trust Fund 706 200 (511) - (20) 375
Church Colleges of Education Fund 4,357 26 - - 440 4,823
Church and Community Fund 17,677 (12) (1,095) (500) 1,283 17,353
Church of England Special Purposes Fund 2,187 3 - - 208 2,398
Women's Continuing Ministerial Education Trust 1,798 13 (75) - 167 1,903
Faith and Public Life Sundry Funds 355 - - - 29 384
Other expendable endowment funds 1,290 21 (12) - 43 1,342
Total expendable endowment funds 28,370 251 (1,693) (500) 2,150 28,578
Permanent endowment funds
The Archbishops’ Council Ministerial Training Trust Fund 1,759 - - - 124 1,883
Church Colleges of Education Fund 729 - (1) - 55 783
Other permanent endowment funds 881 25 (18) - 62 950
Total permanent endowment funds 3,369 25 (19) - 241 3,616
Total endowment funds 31,739 276 (1,712) (500) 2,391 32,194
Total funds of the charity 50,336 186,034 (182,447) - 2,590 56,513
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Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

15. Statement of funds (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fixed assets Cash and Debtors Creditors Provision Net assets
short-term for pension 2023
deposits liability
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted funds 6,292 9,248 (3,882) (2,644) - 9,014
Restricted funds 5,954 (1,780) 191,829 (180,698) - 15,305
Endowment funds 31,130 1,006 144 (86) - 32,194
Total 43,376 8,474 188,091 (183,428) - 56,513
----- End of picture text -----

16. Pensions

Most staff of the Council are members of the Church Administrators Pension Schemes (CAPF) and a small number of ordained staff are members of the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme (CEFPS). Both schemes are administered by the Church of England Pensions Board which publishes the schemes’ financial statements.

Defined contribution scheme: Staff who commenced service after 30 June 2006 are entitled to pensions earned from the contributions paid into a personal pension scheme by the Council and themselves. The Archbishops’ Council paid contributions of £984,000 in 2024 (2023: £939,000).

Church of England Funded Pension Scheme (CEFPSJ

A small number of ordinands are members of the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme (CEFPS), also administered by the Church of England Pensions Board.

Each responsible body in the CEFPS, including dioceses, pays a common contribution rate. The contributions to the scheme are assessed by an independent qualified actuary using the projected unit method of valuation. The last full valuation of the scheme as at 31 December 2021 showed an overall surplus of £560m. Following finalisation of the 31 December 2021 valuation, deficit contributions ceased with effect from 1 January 2024, since the scheme was fully funded.

Section 28.11A of FRS 102 requires agreed deficit recovery payments to be recognised as a liability. However, as there were no deficit recovery payments from 1 January 2023 onwards, the balance sheet liability as at 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2024 is nil.

In February 2025 the Church of England Pensions Board reported that in view of the strong funding level of CEFPS, after taking professional advice, it had agreed to reduce the contribution rate to 22% of pensionable stipends from 1 April 2025.

In addition, the closed Central Board of Finance Lump Sum Scheme provides benefits for former staff of the CBF.

Central Board of Finance Lump Sum Scheme

The average number of the Council’s staff within each scheme was:

Fund	CAPF:	CAPF:	CEFPS	Total
	defned beneft	defned contribution
	scheme	scheme
	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000
2024	14	154	15	183
2023	13	147	15	175

Church Administrators Pension Fund (CAPF)

The Central Board of Finance Lump Sum Scheme provides retirement benefits to former staff of the Central Board of Finance (CBF). Due to the preserved nature of the CBF lump sum pension liability, provision for the fixed cash payments has been made in a designated fund. At 31 December 2024 there were 10 (2023: 10) former CBF employees entitled to receive lump sums upon reaching retirement age. The Scheme has HMRC approval under section 20 of the Finance Act 1970. The table below shows the sum set aside in a designated fund to provide for these in future.

Fund	Fund brought forward	Lump sums paid	Fund carried forward
	£’000	£’000	£’000
Former CBF staf	28	-	28
Total fund	28	-	28

Defined benefit scheme: Staff who commenced service before 1 July 2006 are entitled to pension benefits based on final pensionable pay for service up to 30 June 2010 and career average for service from 1 July 2010. Increases of pension in payment and preserved pensions are linked to the consumer and retail price indices. There are no other post-retirement benefits.

The contributions to the scheme are assessed by an independent qualified actuary using the projected unit method of valuation. A valuation of this section is carried out every three years, and as at 31 December 2024, the most recent finalised valuation was at 31 December 2022. This revealed a deficit of £1.9m. Following the valuation, the employers collectively entered into an agreement with CAPF to pay contributions of 27.6% of Pensionable Salaries to 31 December 2023 and 16.5% from 1 January 2024 thereafter towards future service benefits. The employers also agreed to make deficit payments of £2,400,000 per annum payable monthly, from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 with no future increases, in respect of the shortfall in the Defined Benefit Section. These deficit contributions were made by each employer in proportion to Pensionable Salaries of those in the Defined Benefit Section. Deficit contributions ceased to be payable after 31 December 2023.

In addition, the employers are responsible for making contributions towards the administration costs of the scheme of £650,000 (2023: £616,000). In 2024, the Council’s share of these costs was £175,000 (2023: £160,000).

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

17. Operating leases

Jointly Controlled Entities

The Council’s total operating lease commitment relates solely to the amount due for land and buildings on a lease with the Corporation of the Church House. The lease was completed on 14 March 2024 and has a term of 15 years with a rolling break date of 30 June 2028 or any date thereafter, provided that such further date expires on the next quarter end following a twelve-month notice period provided by the Council. The disclosed figures below represent the minimum commitment under the lease agreement and rent due between 1 January 2023 and 14 March 2023 on the same terms. However, from 1 October each year, the rent will be inflated by the April CPI for that year. As at the date of signature of these accounts, the figures have not yet been published and hence only the known commitment has been disclosed. The total amount paid for operating leases in 2024 was £773k.

----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
£’000 £’000
Amounts due within one year 679 676
Amounts due after one year but not more than 5 years 2,713 2,703
Amounts due after 5 years 6,239 6,892
Total rents payable under non-cancellable operating leases 9,631 10,271
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18. Funds held on behalf of others

Church of England Central Services

ChECS is a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board for which the three partners hold equal shares. The purpose of ChECS is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the charitable national and diocesan institutions of the Church of England and of other charities with a church ethos, by facilitating the provision of cost-effective shared financial, legal and other services.

The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 31 December 2013 and started operating from 1 April 2014. Prior to this, shared services were provided by each of the NCls. Management of these services, provided by the Archbishops’ Council, Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board, remained unchanged.

At the balance sheet date, the Council’s share of net assets of ChECS was £990k (2023: £nil) and £1.4m was owed to the Council by ChECS (2023: £1.9m was owed to the Council by ChECS). During the year, the Council contributed to the costs of ChECS, as set out in note 9 of these accounts.

Safe Spaces England and Wales

Safe Spaces England and Wales (Safe Spaces) is a charitable jointly controlled entity between the Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CaTEW). The purpose of Safe Spaces is to provide support for those affected by Church-related abuse (of any kind), in the form of a helpline, a website providing information and advice to survivors and their families, and up to 10 community-based survivor-led therapeutic support groups, both faith-based and secular. At the balance sheet date, the Council included Safe Spaces as a programme-related investment of £nil (2023: £nil) as set out in note 11. £16,000 (2023: £149,000) was owed to the Council by Safe Spaces at the end of the year.

The Council is custodian trustee for a number of funds which have trustees separate and independent from the Council but where the Council holds the trusts’ investments on their behalf. The funds had a combined income of £179,000 (2023: £44,000), expenditure of £115,000 (2023: £49,000) and net assets of £3,774,000 (2023: £3,640,000).

19. Related parties

Other than already disclosed in note 8, no trustee receives remuneration for acting as a trustee.

There are, however, trustees who receive stipends in relation to their capacity as archbishops and bishops. These stipends are funded by the Church Commissioners, which has a statutory obligation to pay archbishops’ and bishops’ stipends. Stipends are reviewed and set on an annual basis by the organisation responsible for funding stipends, with recommendations made by the Archbishops’ Council as Central Stipends Authority (CSA). For further detail please refer to the narrative on page 48 of the Trustees Report.

The following amounts were paid to related parties in respect of grant funding (Church Urban Fund) from the Archbishops’ Council:

£203,000 (2023: £203,000) paid to Church Urban Fund in respect of grant funding.

The Church Urban Fund is classified as a related party to the Archbishops’ Council as the Archbishops’ Council appoints some of the trustees of the Church Urban Fund.

Pension Schemes

Details of amounts paid to the pension schemes are disclosed in note 16.

Annual Report 2024

ARCHBISHOPS’ COUNCIL

Archbishops’ Council Church House Great Smith Street London SW1P 3AZ www.churchofengland.org

Registered charity number 1074857