DIOCESE OF TRURO KEPT AFLOAT BY GRANTS AND PROPERTY SALES: 2026 BUDGET ANALYSIS
Stephen Billyeald, former Managing Director of Ryman Group plc and a member of Save The Parish's national Financial Scrutiny Group analyses the Diocese of Truro 2026 draft budget (click here to read the papers) . He writes: Truro Diocesan Board of Finance (TDBF) has shown an operating deficit on Unrestricted Funds every year from 2021 to 2024 totalling £11 million over the four years. A deficit of £3.4 million is forecast for 2025 and £4.5 million deficit is budgeted for 2026. Restricted Funds have broken even at the operating level over the four years but the fund balance has declined by £5 million as a result of transfers to Unrestricted Funds. In the same period £3.1 million was received from the Archbishops’ Council as grants and over £3m was received from the sale of properties. Truro DBF has been kept afloat overall by grants from the Archbishops' Council and sale of properties. This situation is unsustainable. 2026 Budget The budget does not provide any evid...