Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK

Registered charity 1103836 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q1176629 · Wikipedia · also known as THE DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST

Embracing measures for the protection and preservation of wildlife and habitats in Kenya. Including anti-poaching, community support, wild orphans rescue and rehabilitation and mobile veterinary support.

Objects

"To promote for the benefit of the public, the conservation and protection of the natural environment and the rescue, treatment, and care of wild animals unable to fend for themselves for reasons of sickness, injury, abandonment,or suffering"AND "To advance the knowledge and education of the public throughout the world of the critical requirement for wildlife conservation,including the preservation biodiversity, natural habitats and the natural environments, particularly in the Republic of Kenya."

Area of benefit: FOR THE PUBLIC IN KENYA AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

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

Causes: Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income

£10.4m

Latest spending

£4.0m

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £6,345,463 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income exceeding £10 million for the first time. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted funds increased significantly to £15,031,965, supported by strong investment income and legacy growth. The charity maintains a healthy balance sheet with sufficient cash and investments to meet its reserves policy and operational needs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,001 - £90,000 — below the median for charities its size (£130k)

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 2025 Number 1 £80,001 to £90,000” — page 29

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: 2025 Number 1” — page 29

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Donations and legacies (68% of income)

“Income totalled £10,350,160 (2024: £8,717,786) of which £7,067,871 (2024: £7,053,623) was from individual, corporate and foundation donors”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Charity charged Sheldrick Trading Limited for support services of £16,256, which remained payable at the year-end. The Charity received a qualifying distribution from Sheldrick Trading Limited of £53,015.

“During the year, the Charity charged Sheldrick Trading Limited (see Note 14) for support services of £16,256, which remained payable at the year-end (2024: £9,412, payable at the year-end). The Charity received a qualifying distribution from Sheldrick Trading Limited of £53,015, being the prior year taxable profits.” — page 31

“The Charity made grants to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya during the year totalling £2,279,814 (2024: £1,094,616). See Note 5 for details of these grants. Angela Sheldrick and Robert Carr-Hartley, trustees of the Charity, are also trustees of David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya.” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The Charity made grants to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya totalling £2,279,814. Angela Sheldrick and Robert Carr-Hartley, trustees of the Charity, are also trustees of David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya.

“During the year, the Charity charged Sheldrick Trading Limited (see Note 14) for support services of £16,256, which remained payable at the year-end (2024: £9,412, payable at the year-end). The Charity received a qualifying distribution from Sheldrick Trading Limited of £53,015, being the prior year taxable profits.” — page 31

“The Charity made grants to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya during the year totalling £2,279,814 (2024: £1,094,616). See Note 5 for details of these grants. Angela Sheldrick and Robert Carr-Hartley, trustees of the Charity, are also trustees of David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Kenya.” — page 31

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Sheldrick Trading Limited

“Trading activity is performed by the Charity’s subsidiary company, Sheldrick Trading Limited; the company recognised a notable increase in profit for the year of £98,555 (2024: £53,740), which will be gifted to the Charity.” — page 13

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Menzies LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

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
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
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.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 2
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 5
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Volunteers: 3
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary
Grant-making is its main activity

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

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04791958
Trading subsidiary: SHELDRICK TRADING LIMITED Companies House 12923637 · Financial health read from its filings

SHELDRICK TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Turnover: £233k
Profit before tax: £99k
Note 3 states: 'A recharge of staff costs is made from Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK, the parent entity' (£8,807 in 2025). Note 8 discloses 'Amounts owed to group undertakings' of £13,318 (2025) and £24,081 (2024). Note 10 confirms the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Angela Sheldrick — CEO (source)
Robert Carr-Hartley — CEO (source)

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

SMITH, Stephen, Colonel — director, appointed 24/05/2023on trustee list
RONALDSHAY, Hetti, Countess Of Ronaldshay — director, appointed 14/12/2020on trustee list
PITMAN, Henry John — director, appointed 04/05/2015on trustee list
SHELDRICK, Angela Mara — director, appointed 09/06/2003on trustee list
CARR-HARTLEY, Robert James — director, appointed 09/06/2003on trustee list

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£10.4m

Total spending

£4.0m

Cost of raising funds

£873k

Reserves (reported)

£6.7m

Employees

6

Reported reserves equal ~20.1 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 8.4% of total income — above the median for charities its size (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (29/07/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

ANGELA MARA SHELDRICK
Colonel Stephen Smith
Countess of Ronaldshay Hetti Ronaldshay
Henry Pitman
ROBERT JAMES CARR-HARTLEY

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

Operates in: Kenya

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£10.4m	£4.0m
31/03/2024	£8.7m	£7.3m
31/03/2023	£9.1m	£7.3m
31/03/2022	£9.3m	£6.4m
31/03/2021	£8.6m	£8.0m

Common questions

Is Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £6,345,463 for the year ended 31 March 2025, with total income exceeding £10 million for the first time. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted funds increased significantly to £15,031,965, supported by strong investment income and legacy growth. The charity maintains a healthy balance sheet with sufficient cash and investments to meet its reserves policy and operational needs. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Menzies LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,001 - £90,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK?

Funders whose own accounts filings name Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK as a grant recipient include THE ERANDA ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION, THE DANSON FOUNDATION, R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ERANDA ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION	FY2022	£76k	Education
THE DANSON FOUNDATION	FY2024	£4k	Supporting charitable causes
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£2k
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	6	£2.1m
THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUST	3	£759k
THE GEOFFREY WATLING CHARITY	2	£95k
THE LESLIE MARY CARTER CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£73k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£179k
MOONDANCE FOUNDATION	1	£123k
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	1	£50k
CALISEN IMPACT CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£25k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST UK.

KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST UK income £42k
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST income £7.2m
NORFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST income £9.4m
EDEN WILDLIFE TRUST income £126k
THE SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST LIMITED income £7.5m
THE WILDLIFE TRUST OF SOUTH AND WEST WALES LIMITED income £5.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust UK	£10.4m	£80,001 - £90,000	1	within	—	no doubt
KENYA WILDLIFE TRUST UK FY2026	£42k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£7.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
NORFOLK WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£9.4m	£80,001 - £90,000	—	unclear	—	no doubt
EDEN WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£126k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST LIMITED FY2026	£7.5m	—	—	unclear	14.0%	no doubt

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