Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

What Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle does

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Catholic diocesan organization established in 1868 (renamed from the Diocese of Hexham in 1882) and headquartered at St. Cuthbert's House, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. Registered as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity (No. 1143450), it operates under the leadership of Bishop Stephen Wright and serves Catholics across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in northeast England. Its core service portfolio includes Catholic education administered through a dedicated Education Department covering primary and secondary schools under Catholic Education Trusts, pastoral and sacramental services delivered through a network of parishes, safeguarding services, chaplaincy, and formation resources including weekly reflections and a monthly newsletter.

Beyond its core religious mission, the Diocese runs a charitable services arm called Caritas, which includes the Justice and Peace Refugee Project—a programme established in 2001 that supports asylum seekers and refugees (serving 500+ client families representing 100 countries) with food, clothing, English language classes, and integration assistance from St Vincent's Centre in Newcastle. It also operates an annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, now in its centenary year (2026), under Pilgrimage Director Father Shaun Purdy. The organization employs approximately 65 staff at the central diocesan level, supplemented by clergy, parish staff, and a volunteer network of approximately 40 dedicated volunteers for the Refugee Project.

The Diocese's revenue model is donation-based, with income from parish offerings, individual donations, Gift Aid contributions, and grants from external funders including the Lottery Community Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, Arnold Clark Community Fund, Albert Gubay Foundation, Sisters of Mercy Sunderland, Congregation of the Sacred Heart, Mercers Company, and Community Foundation. Its go-to-market is community-led: services are delivered through local parish churches, Catholic schools, and direct pastoral engagement, with communications supporting the network via the diocesan website, email newsletter, YouTube, and Instagram. It has no proprietary technology platform, no commercial product offerings, and no disclosed revenue figures. Core technology is not disclosed; the website runs on WordPress with Mailchimp for newsletters.

Name

Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

Legal name

The Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle

Website

https://rcdhn.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1868

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Catholic diocesan charity serving northeast England (Northumberland and Tyne and Wear) through parishes, schools, safeguarding, and charitable services including a refugee support project, funded by donations, Gift Aid, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organisation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Catholic diocese services
• Pastoral ministry
• Religious education
• Charitable refugee support
• Faith formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Offerings: The Diocese receives donations from parishes, individuals, and organizations, including Gift Aid contributions. The website features a Donate section for supporting diocesan work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is the regional administrative and pastoral body of the Catholic Church covering Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in Northeast England. It provides Catholic education oversight, sacramental and pastoral ministry through its parish network, charitable services including a long-running Refugee Project, safeguarding, chaplaincy, faith formation, and an annual Lourdes Pilgrimage.

Product overview

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle operates a comprehensive portfolio of religious and social services organized as distinct divisions. The organization provides Catholic education support through its Education Department, charitable services via Caritas including a refugee project, spiritual resources including weekly reflections and feast day information, and pastoral formation materials. The diocese manages annual pilgrimage programs to Lourdes and coordinates safeguarding services across its parishes and schools. These services are delivered through its website and direct parish networks rather than as a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Department Diocesan department providing Catholic education oversight, religious education curriculum support, professional development and formation programmes, school chaplaincy, and governance support for Catholic schools and education trusts within the Diocese.
• Caritas Services (Justice & Peace Refugee Project) Charitable service offering practical support for asylum seekers and refugees in the Northeast, including food, toiletries, clothing, footwear, English language (ESOL) classes, and emotional support, delivered at St Vincent's Centre, Newcastle.
• Lourdes Pilgrimage Annual Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, offering spiritual experiences and community support for pilgrims; 2026 centenary pilgrimage took place 31 July to 7 August.
• Safeguarding Services Diocesan safeguarding programme delivering 'Safe People: Safe Places: Safe Practices' across parishes and schools, with protective services, training, and resources.
• Chaplaincy Services Chaplaincy provision including school chaplaincy and chaplaincy to institutions within the Diocese.
• Weekly Reflections Weekly spiritual reflections by Fr Sean Hall on Sunday Readings, with weekend liturgy resources published on the diocesan website.
• Pastoral Council Formation Resources Diocesan pastoral strategy materials including a video and webinar series on re-imagining pastoral councils, developed collaboratively with the Diocese of Northampton and Archdiocese of Liverpool.
• Vocations Promotion and World Day of Prayer for Vocations Prayer resources and materials promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life across the Diocese.
• Care of the Clergy Diocesan service providing pastoral and welfare support for clergy serving within the Diocese.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ clients served by Refugee Project with over 2000 food bags distributed

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SVP (Society of St Vincent de Paul)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership operating from the same premises at St Vincent's Centre, allowing both organizations to work closely together to benefit clients of both organizations.
• St Mary's Comprehensive School, LongbentonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchool building connections with the Refugee Project, learning about donations and fundraising impact.
• St John of Beverley's Church, Haydon BridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParish organizing Away Days for Refugee Project clients, predominantly families with children.
• Diocese of NorthamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing Pastoral Council formation resources, including webinar series and support materials for parishes.
• Archdiocese of LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing Pastoral Council formation resources, including webinar series and support materials for parishes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Archdiocese of Liverpool: A Catholic archdiocese in England operating parishes, schools, and charitable programs. Directly comparable because it is an active collaborative partner on Pastoral Council formation and faces the same governance and ministry delivery model.
• Diocese of Leeds: A Catholic diocese in the north of England covering Yorkshire. Directly comparable as a regional English Catholic diocese running parishes, schools, charitable work, and education trusts under similar structures.
• Archdiocese of Westminster: The metropolitan Catholic archdiocese covering much of England and Wales. Directly comparable as the largest Catholic jurisdiction in England with parallel diocesan functions including parishes, schools, Caritas, safeguarding, and education services.
• Archdiocese of Southwark: A Catholic archdiocese covering south London and parts of southeast England. Directly comparable as another English Catholic jurisdiction with parallel parish, school, Caritas, and safeguarding functions.
• Diocese of Northampton: A fellow Catholic diocese in England with comparable structure, operating parishes, schools, and charitable services. Directly comparable because it is an active collaborative partner on Pastoral Council formation resources with shared formation and operational challenges.
• Diocese of Shrewsbury: A Catholic diocese covering the northwest of England and Wales. Directly comparable as a similarly sized English Catholic diocese running parish networks, schools, and charitable services.
• Diocese of Salford: A Catholic diocese in the north of England covering Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Directly comparable as a neighboring northern English diocese delivering parishes, schools, and charitable ministries under the Catholic Bishops' Conference.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales: The national coordinating body for Catholic dioceses in England and Wales, of which the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a member. Comparable as the umbrella governance and policy layer above the Diocese.

Emerging players

• Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) England and Wales: A Catholic charitable organization operating from the same premises as the Diocese's Refugee Project at St Vincent's Centre. Comparable as a faith-aligned social services organization running parallel refugee and hardship support across England and Wales.
• Caritas England and Wales: The official Catholic social action agency for England and Wales. Comparable because the Diocese operates its own Caritas Services division, and the national body provides a parallel charitable infrastructure for Catholic dioceses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxM8zvLzRF9t-8G8rKxLxyw
• Instagraminstagram.com/diocesehn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diocese-of-hexham-and-newcastle

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

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Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle