01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC016650
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- More than one local authority area in Scotland
- Volunteers
- 51-100 volunteers
- Staff
- 15
- Postcode
- ML6 6LT
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland, also known as the Catholic National Endowment Trust, is a charity consisting of the 8 Catholic dioceses of Scotland. The Bishops act as one national body to promote, establish, develop, expand, contribute to, support and maintain facilities, projects, schemes and institutions of all kinds having a religious, educational and charitable purpose for the benefit of the Catholic community and the wider community throughout Scotland. The aims of the Conference are outlined in the structure of the Conference and are the following: to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, to promote care and respect for human life including the care of creation, to support lay vocations, to order sacred liturgy and worship, to form for ministry, to nurture Catholic heritage and culture. Also, through its many members and charitable associations, the Bishops' Conference aims to contribute to the civic life of Scotland and promote the common good of every citizen.
Charitable purposes
- the prevention or relief of poverty
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of religion
- the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science
- the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation
- the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Beneficiaries
- Other defined groups
Activities
- It makes grants, donations or gifts to organisations
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
to promote, establish, develop, expand, contribute to, support and maintain facilities, projects, schemes and institutions of all kinds having a religious, educational or charitable purpose for the benefit of the community throughout Scotland. And in addition for the benefit of students for the priesthood at home and abroad including the maintainance of the following colleges. (a) St. Mary's College, Blairs, Aberdeen. (b) St. Peter's College, Cardross, Dumbarton. (c) St. Andrew's College, Drygrange, Melrose, Roxburghshire.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2024 | £1,578,541 | £1,441,217 | 15 | 29 September 2025 |
| 31 December 2023 | £3,645,753 | £1,442,903 | 15 | 27 September 2024 |
| 31 December 2022 | £1,838,956 | £1,385,606 | 15 | 28 September 2023 |
| 31 December 2021 | £1,413,346 | £1,730,849 | 15 | 27 September 2022 |
| 31 December 2020 | £1,350,799 | £1,565,031 | 15 | 23 September 2021 |
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
- Bishops' Conference of Scotland, 64 Aitken Street, Airdrie
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.bcos.org.uk
- 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.