Ely Cathedral Trust

Ely Cathedral Trust is a registered charity which exists to provide financial support to Ely Cathedral.

It achieves this by:

• Fundraising - particularly through the Order of St Etheldreda
• Managing funds of around £12milliom received in the past to generate income
• Making grants to Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral Trust typically makes grants to the Cathedral of around £700,000-£800,000 annually.

These grants usually contribute towards:

• Supporting the musical life of the Cathedral, particularly by funding choristerships
• The conservation and maintenance of the Cathedral church building and other grade-I listed buildings under the care of the Cathedral Chapter
• Core roles in the Fundraising, Learning and Operations teams
• Specific projects.  In recent years, these have included repairs to the Galilee Porch and the North Range buildings, and decarbonisation work - including a large contribution towards the installation of an air-source heat pump in the Almonry Kitchen restaurant.

Trustees are either ex officio (the Dean of Ely) or appointed by the Cathedral Chapter.

Trustees usually meet four times a year to:

• Monitor investment performance
• Review the performance of the professional investment managers
• Receive reports from the Cathedral on fundraising activity and delivery of grant-funded projects
• Set an annual budget and make grant decisions
• Discharge their governance duties 

Trustees are supported in their work by the senior staff team of the Cathedral.

The Trustees of Ely Cathedral Trust are:

• David Green (Chair)
• The Very Revd Mark Bonney DL
• Canon Paul Evans
• Peter Garside
• Jane Lewin-Smith DL
• Isobel Newport-Mangell
• Ian Pattinson
• The Revd Canon Sir Ralph Waller KBE

During the course of 2026, Ely Cathedral Trust expects to transition to the status of a charitable incorporated organisation, following authorisation from the Charity Commission in late 2025.

A summary of Ely Cathedral Trust's financial position is included in the Cathedral's annual report and financial statements.

Annual reports and financial statements for Ely Cathedral Trust from past years are available online from the Charity Commission.

Ely Cathedral Trust's most recent annual report is available for download below.