THE BRITISH DEER SOCIETY

Registered charity 1069663 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q30265046 · also known as BDS · also registered in Scotland as SC037817 (OSCR)

The charity aims to increase awareness and understanding of wild deer and the importance of conserving their position and role in the environment. We promote ethically sound management practice working to ensure that their welfare is respected by all who come into contact with deer.We deliver a programme of research, education and training, working in partnership with other organisations.

Objects

The Charity’s objects (‘Objects’) are: 4.1. The promotion in the public interest of research into the habits of and the scientific study of deer and, as appropriate, other feral or free-ranging ungulates in the British Isles (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) with particular reference to their relationship to the natural habitat, forestry, agriculture and areas to which the public have access4.2. The promotion in the public interest of knowledge of methods of management, humane treatment and humane control of deer and, as appropriate, other feral or free-ranging ungulates

Area of benefit: BRITISH ISLES

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · Other Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: New Forest, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total income for the year was £914,190, resulting in a net income of £34,234 and total unrestricted reserves of £645,668. The trustees report that the society remained financially strong throughout the year, with reserves significantly exceeding the stated policy target of £425,000. The filing confirms adequate resources to continue in operational existence with no material uncertainties identified.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

• Top pay band moved from £60,001 - £70,000 (FY2024) to £70,001 - £80,000 (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints handling
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds policy and procedures
• Investment
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Social media policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures
• Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Reported reserves equal ~8.2 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (48% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 3.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (04/11/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• ALISTAIR MONKMAN CBE
• Alison Janine Ryde
• Blake Jules Lee Harwood
• Dr Alastair Iain Ward
• HUGH RALPH VAN CUTSEM · trustee of 1 other charity
• LORD Andrew Hay
• Mark Andrew Carrol
• Morris Charlton
• PROFESSOR SIMON JOHN GIBSON CBE · trustee of 2 other charities

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Common questions

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRITISH GOAT SOCIETY.

• BRITISH GOAT SOCIETY income £64k
• THE BRITISH BEE CHARITY income £46k
• DONKEY BREED SOCIETY income £86k
• THE BRITISH BLUE CATTLE SOCIETY income £131k
• THE DEXTER CATTLE SOCIETY income £90k
• BRITISH HEN WELFARE TRUST income £1.1m

Side by side with its peers

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.