The Diocese of Bath and Wells

What The Diocese of Bath and Wells does

The Diocese of Bath and Wells is one of 41 dioceses of the Church of England and a registered charity (No. 249398) headquartered at Flourish House, Cathedral Park, Wells, Somerset. It serves approximately 940,000–1,000,000 people across Somerset and parts of surrounding counties, spanning from Portishead in the north to Crewkerne in the south and Minehead in the west to Frome in the east, through a delivery network of 466 parishes and 181 church schools organised into three archdeaconries (Bath, Taunton, and Wells). Episcopal leadership is shared between the Bishop of Bath and Wells (the Rt Revd Michael Beasley) and the Bishop of Taunton (the Rt Revd Dr Fiona Gibson, from 8 February 2026).

The diocese's portfolio of services to parishes and schools encompasses safeguarding (training, reporting, survivor support, and out-of-hours coverage via thirtyone:eight), church buildings and faculty support, treasurer and financial governance resources, legal services through the Diocesan Registry, mission and ministry development (clergy and lay pathways), diocesan education services including SIAMS inspection preparation, environmental and Net Zero Carbon 2030 programmes, and a Zambia world mission partnership. Distribution is multi-channel: a central office in Wells, three archdeaconry-based field teams, the "A Church Near You" digital directory powered by OpenStreetMap/Leaflet, a website built on Church Edit, and an active social and newsletter presence (Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Connect and Manna emails, and an annual review).

Revenue is generated through four identifiable streams: (1) the Common Fund / Parish Share, a formula-based recurring contribution from each of the 466 parishes that funds clergy stipends, housing, and diocesan operations; (2) donations and fundraising via EasyFundraising, Give a Little, contactless giving, standing orders, Gift Aid, and legacies; (3) grant programmes — both internal (Accessibility, Cornerstone, Growing Churches, Mustard Seed, Net Zero Carbon) and external (e.g., National Lottery Heritage Funding for church buildings); and (4) glebe land income from approximately 3,000 acres across Somerset and North Devon, managed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, with rental and sale proceeds reinvested into the Diocesan Stipend Fund. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; Parish Share contributions vary by parish under a formula rather than a published tier structure.

Name

The Diocese of Bath and Wells

Legal name

Bath and Wells Diocesan Board of Finance

Website

https://bathandwells.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a Church of England diocese serving approximately 940,000 people across Somerset through 466 parishes and 181 church schools, funded primarily via a Common Fund of parish contributions, donations, grants, and glebe land income, and headquartered in Wells.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Diocesan Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Religious diocese services
• Parish ministry support
• Church education services
• Faith community services
• Clergy training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Common Fund / Parish Share: Parishes contribute to the Common Fund (also called Parish Share or Benefice Share) to fund ministry across the diocese. This is the primary mechanism through which parishes co-fund the stipends, housing, and operational costs of clergy and diocesan activities.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The diocese solicits donations to its Common Fund via EasyFundraising and other online giving platforms. Parishes also raise funds independently through contactless giving, standing orders, legacies, and Gift Aid. The diocese facilitates EasyFundraising tools for parishes.
3. Grants and Funding: The diocese administers various grant programmes for parishes including Accessibility grants, Cornerstone grants, Growing Churches grants, Mustard Seed grants, and Net Zero Carbon grants. It also facilitates external grant funding such as National Lottery Heritage Funding for church buildings.
4. Glebe Land Income: The diocese owns approximately 3,000 acres of glebe land across Somerset and North Devon. Rental income and proceeds from the sale of glebe property are reinvested into the Diocesan Stipend Fund to support clergy stipends. Managed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Bath and Wells coordinates Church of England ministry, mission, and pastoral care across Somerset through a network of 466 parishes and 181 church schools serving approximately 940,000 to 1,000,000 people. Its core offering encompasses safeguarding services, church building and faculty support, education services for church schools, clergy and lay ministry training, grants programmes, financial administration via the Common Fund, and environmental sustainability initiatives targeting Net Zero Carbon by 2030.

Product overview

The Diocese of Bath and Wells operates as a Church of England diocese serving approximately 940,000 people across Somerset through 466 parishes and 181 church schools. The organization does not offer a commercial software product but rather provides a portfolio of church-related services accessible through its website. Key service offerings include an interactive church finder tool powered by OpenStreetMap and Leaflet mapping technology; safeguarding services providing training, reporting mechanisms, and survivor support; an events calendar for training and parish activities; online giving facilities through EasyFundraising and Give a Little platforms; parish support covering church buildings, treasurers, legal matters, and clergy housing; diocesan education services for church schools; lay and clergy ministry development pathways; and environmental initiatives including Eco Church and Net Zero Carbon 2030 programs. The diocese also maintains a news portal and communications newsletter (Connect) for disseminating information across the diocese.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Find a Church (A Church Near You)

Quantifiable outcome

• Growing Church — each benefice challenged to grow by at least one adult (net) and one child (net) per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Greenslade Taylor HuntcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenslade Taylor Hunt serves as the managing agent for the diocese's glebe land portfolio of approximately 3,000 acres across Somerset and North Devon. They handle rental income management, property sales, and the reinvestment of proceeds into the Diocesan Stipend Fund to support clergy stipends.
• thirtyone:eightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese of Bath and Wells has partnered with thirtyone:eight to provide out-of-hours safeguarding support. This covers weekday evenings after 5pm, weekends, and bank holidays. The partnership ensures continuous safeguarding advice is available to parishes outside normal office hours. An Information Sharing Agreement allows the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to receive copies of advice given during out-of-hours periods.
• EasyFundraisingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEasyFundraising is used by the diocese as a channel for raising donations to the Common Fund. The diocese promotes EasyFundraising to parishes as a way to raise funds through online shopping, with parishes able to register and receive funds from supporter shopping activity at no cost to the church.
• Safe SpacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe Spaces is an independent charity providing emotional support and advocacy services for victims and survivors of church-related abuse. The diocese refers survivors to Safe Spaces and promotes their services as part of its safeguarding support ecosystem.
• PAC-UK Family ConnectsupportingOthersPAC-UK Family Connect provides specialist support for those affected by historical adoption practices, including adoptees and first families. The diocese refers individuals impacted by historical adoption practices to PAC-UK Family Connect as part of its support ecosystem following the Church of England's investigation into mother and baby homes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Diocese of Gloucester: Church of England diocese covering Gloucestershire with the same governance structure (Diocesan Synod, Bishop's Council, Board of Finance), Parish Share funding model, and parish-school delivery network. Comparable scale and operational footprint.
• Diocese of St Albans: Church of England diocese with a mix of urban and rural parishes, employing the same Parish Share system, Board of Finance governance, and Diocesan Board of Education for church schools. Comparable operational complexity.
• Diocese of Chichester: Church of England diocese covering Sussex and parts of Surrey with a similar parish-school network, glebe land holdings, and Common Fund funding model. Comparable in terms of heritage building portfolio and rural deanery structure.
• Diocese of Exeter: Church of England diocese covering Devon, structurally identical to Bath and Wells with parish networks, church schools, glebe land management, and Diocesan Board of Finance structure. Operates in an adjacent South West region with similar rural demographic profile.
• Diocese of Salisbury: Neighboring Church of England diocese covering Wiltshire and part of Dorset, operating the same Diocesan Board of Finance model, Common Fund/Parish Share system, and serving parishes and church schools in a comparable rural South West England context.
• Diocese of Lichfield: Mid-sized Church of England diocese with comparable parish and church school networks, operating the same governance and funding architecture. Provides a useful benchmark for diocesan operational scale and resource allocation.
• Diocese of Worcester: Church of England diocese operating the same model of parish-based ministry, Common Fund contributions, church schools support, and safeguarding infrastructure. Comparable mid-sized English diocese with similar rural-urban mix.
• Diocese of Hereford: Church of England diocese with a predominantly rural parish network, employing the same Parish Share model, Board of Finance structure, and glebe land management. Comparable scale in terms of parish count and geographic coverage.
• Diocese of Truro: Church of England diocese covering Cornwall with a similar rural-coastal parish structure, the same Common Fund/Parish Share funding model, and equivalent Diocesan Board of Education supporting church schools.

Broad incumbents

• Church of England National Institutions: The parent body of all 41 dioceses, including the Archbishops' Council and Church Commissioners. Comparable as the overarching ecclesiastical governance and resource-allocation framework that defines the diocese's operating context and funding relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BathWells
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/diocesebathwells
• Facebookfacebook.com/bathandwells
• Instagraminstagram.com/_bathwells

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Diocese of Bath and Wells