01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC012925
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- Yes
- Geographical spread
- UK and overseas
- Volunteers
- over 250 volunteers
- Staff
- 123
- Postcode
- EH1 2LS
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
Established in 1843, the Free Church of Scotland is a Reformed Presbyterian denomination that pursues the advancement of religion by preaching the message of the Bible and proclaiming the good news of the saving death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Free Church has a network of around 110 church congregations and over 12,000 people of different ages and backgrounds gather at services every week to worship God. Local congregations seek to bring blessing to their communities, often by running cafes, youth groups, parent and toddler groups and food banks. The Free Church of Scotland educates ministers and many others through the degree-awarding Edinburgh Theological Seminary. The Free Church also runs a programme of residential youth camps for over 300 young people each summer. Local and global mission, and disaster and poverty relief, are supported financially through fundraising and awarding of grants to partners in Scotland and around the world.
Charitable purposes
- the prevention or relief of poverty
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of religion
Beneficiaries
- Children or young people
- Older People
- People with disabilities or health problems
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
- Other charities or voluntary bodies
Activities
- It makes grants, donations, loans, gifts or pensions to individuals
- It makes grants, donations or gifts to organisations
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The advancement of religion
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2025 | £7,787,514 | £6,374,646 | 123 | 27 May 2026 |
| 31 December 2024 | £6,477,468 | £8,075,127 | 123 | 16 June 2025 |
| 31 December 2023 | £6,242,032 | £5,048,365 | 123 | 6 May 2024 |
| 31 December 2022 | £5,980,604 | £4,941,999 | 123 | 26 May 2023 |
| 31 December 2021 | £5,156,546 | £4,455,025 | 123 | 24 August 2022 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- 15 North Bank Street
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.freechurch.org
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.