Hertfordshire Zoo
Registered charity 1108609 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FOPWP, FRIENDS OF PARADISE WILDLIFE PARK, THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
Zoological Society of Hertfordshire (ZSH) operates at Paradise Wildlife Park.ZSH's mission to for the preservation of endangered wildlife acting through in-situ projects and through fundraising, conservation and education at the site. The admissions and experience paid by visitors go towards supporting our mission.
Causes: Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £224,627 for the year ended 31 December 2024, resulting in total funds decreasing to £9,245,183. The trustees maintain a reserves policy target of six months' expenditure, estimated at £4,000,000, which is comfortably exceeded by the current unrestricted reserves. The directors confirmed that the charity has sufficient resources to continue operating for the foreseeable future.
Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Employees paid over £60,000: 2
“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was as follows: 2024 2” — page 20
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: six months expenditure estimated to be £4,000,000 (held: £9.2m)
“The charity aims to retain reserves in order to meet its financial obligations and to establish cash reserves equivalent to at least six months expenditure estimated to be £4,000,000.” — page 5
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: 21
“In the period the charity paid rent and other costs from Parkside Leisure Ltd amounting to £1,251,111 (2023-£1,003,744).The charity invoiced £825 to Parkside Leisure Ltd. The amount due to the charity at the year end was £76,953 (2023 -£nil). During the year the charity invoiced rent and other charges to Paradise Wildlife Park Ltd amounting to £1,077,652 (2023-£1,002,425). The amount outstanding at the year end was £358,282 (2023£157,670). Costs recharged to the charity by Paradise Wildlife Park Ltd in the year amounted to £398,242 (2023£367,257) of which £19,462 (2023-£69,481) remained outstanding. The charity recharged a proportion of administrative salaries and other costs amounting to £19,756 (2023-£53,424) to The Big Cat Sanctuary Ltd (BCS).. This company is a registered charity in which L K Whitnall is a trustee.The amount due from BCS at the year end was £11,153 (2023-£16,396). The charity paid £18,000 (2023-£18,000) and £72,000 (2023-£72,000) to In The Players Lounge Limited and Legends & Icons Club Limited respectively for consultancy services provided by Stephen Sampson. Salaries and benefits totalling £158,798 (2023-£142,395) were paid to Messrs Aaron, Tyler & Cameron Whitnall during the year.” — page 26
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Brindley Millen Ltd. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
In the news
Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Hertfordshire Zoo (matched by registered charity number).
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)
Cost of raising funds
£85k
Reported reserves equal ~12.5 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (86% 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: 1.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- ZSH CORPORATE TRUSTEE 1 LIMITED
- ZSH CORPORATE TRUSTEE 2 LIMITED
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is Hertfordshire Zoo financially healthy?
Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £224,627 for the year ended 31 December 2024, resulting in total funds decreasing to £9,245,183. The trustees maintain a reserves policy target of six months' expenditure, estimated at £4,000,000, which is comfortably exceeded by the current unrestricted reserves. The directors confirmed that the charity has sufficient resources to continue operating for the foreseeable future. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Brindley Millen Ltd.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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 DUDLEY AND WEST MIDLANDS ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY LIMITED.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.