THE COUNTRY TRUST
To bring food, farming and the working countryside alive for those children least able to access it whether through disadvantage or disability. We do this through Farm Discovery day visits to real working farms throughout England and North Wales, Farm in a Box, Countryside Discovery residentials and yearlong Food Discovery programmes where children discover growing, cooking and even selling food.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a surplus, resulting in total reserves of £810,980, comprising £640,176 in unrestricted funds. Per the trustees' report, this surplus enabled the building of a small operating reserve to pilot bridging timing gaps between funding receipt and activity delivery. The charity reports no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.
What the accounts disclose
“The number of employees whose emoluments fell within the following bands was: 2025 No £60,001 - £70,000 1” — page 51
“The number of employees whose emoluments fell within the following bands was: 2025 No £60,001 - £70,000 1” — page 51
“In 2025, approximately 57% of our income came from charitable trusts and foundations” — page 35
“Trustees operate a RAG approach to assessing reserves with a green zone of between 3-4.5 months of operating reserves. Based on our expenditure budget for 2026 this would indicate a reserves level of approximately £461,250-£691,875.” — page 35
Corporate structure
- Registered company of the charity Companies House 06436266
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Jill Attenborough — CEO
Funders the charity credits
Company officers (Companies House)
- FINNIS, Jeremy Paul Godsmark on trustee list
- EVERITT, Mark Alexander on trustee list
- DEATKER, Guy Frederick on trustee list
- LINLEY, Gavin Craig on trustee list
- GENT, Michael George Lockyer on trustee list
- KAUR, Keranjit on trustee list
- ATTENBOROUGH, Jill Dorothy
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)
Trustees
- Gavin Craig Linley
- Guy Deatker
- Jeremy Paul Godsmark Finnis
- Keranjit Kaur
- Margaret Anne Bufton-McCoy
- Mark Alexander Everitt
- Michael George Lockyer Gent
- Rachael Frossell
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2025 | £1.8m | £1.6m |
| 31/12/2024 | £1.5m | £1.6m |
| 31/12/2023 | £1.4m | £1.4m |
| 31/12/2022 | £1.2m | £1.4m |
| 31/12/2021 | £993k | £967k |
Common questions
Is THE COUNTRY TRUST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity finished the year with a surplus, resulting in total reserves of £810,980, comprising £640,176 in unrestricted funds. Per the trustees' report, this surplus enabled the building of a small operating reserve to pilot bridging timing gaps between funding receipt and activity delivery. The charity reports no material uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Edmund Carr LLP.
What does the highest-paid employee of THE COUNTRY TRUST earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £60,001 - £70,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.
Who funds THE COUNTRY TRUST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE COUNTRY TRUST as a grant recipient include THE DULVERTON TRUST, THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION, THE HISCOX FOUNDATION, THE LINBURY TRUST, THE WHELER FOUNDATION.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE DULVERTON TRUST | FY2026 | £200k | Core Costs |
| THE DULVERTON TRUST | FY2024 | £195k | Funding for core programmes Phase one of the learning village |
| THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION | FY2021 | £190k | Funding is allocated to The Pledge Partnership, which enables businesses to work together with educators. |
| THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION | FY2025 | £190k | Core costs towards The Country Trust’s mission to bring food, farming and the countryside alive for disadvantaged children, through farm visits and education. |
| THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £120k | Core costs to bring food, farming and the countryside alive for disadvantaged children. |
| THE HISCOX FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £100k | |
| THE WESTMINSTER FOUNDATION | FY2023 | £100k | Funding for core costs of the Country Trust’s mission to bring food, farming and the countryside alive for disadvantaged children, through farm visits and educa |
| THE HISCOX FOUNDATION | FY2023 | £60k | |
| THE LINBURY TRUST | FY2025 | £50k | Core funding towards its IT function and impact measurement. |
| THE WHELER FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £50k | |
| THE AURORA TRUST | FY2024 | £40k | Core costs |
| THE AIM FOUNDATION | FY2025 | £30k | Early Childhood |
| THE AURORA TRUST | FY2022 | £30k | Towards core costs to enable The Country Trust to explore how to scale its impact, improve the evidence base of outdoor education and improve its basic infrastr |
| THE NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME | FY2024 | £25k | Gardens and Health payment |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £25k | Selected Appeals |
| THE MERCERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £25k | Young People & Education Programme |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £22k | |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £20k | |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £20k | |
| PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £20k | |
| Norwich Freemen's Charity | FY2026 | £17k | A food discovery programme for disadvantaged children |
| THE CLARKSON FOUNDATION | FY2023 | £14k | |
| ANGUISH'S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | FY2026 | £14k | A food discovery programme for primary school children growing, cooking, tasting, selling. |
| D C R ALLEN CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £12k | |
| THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY | FY2022 | £12k | costs of educational visits to the countryside for young children from inner city areas |
| ANGUISH'S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | FY2025 | £10k | Food discovery programme for disadvantaged children |
| THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £10k | |
| THE JOHN AND PAMELA SALTER CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £10k | |
| THE AIM FOUNDATION | FY2023 | £10k | Family Fund |
| D C R ALLEN CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £10k | |
| The Keith Howard Foundation | FY2025 | £10k | Animals |
| The Merchant Taylors' Foundation | FY2022 | £10k | Other |
| ST. NICHOLAS' EDUCATIONAL TRUST | FY2025 | £7k | Grants made in the furtherance of the education of young people |
| CLA CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £7k | |
| PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £7k | |
| PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £7k | |
| CLA CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £7k | |
| CLA CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £7k | |
| CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £5k | |
| PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUND | FY2025 | £5k | |
| THE W A HANDLEY CHARITY TRUST | FY2023 | £5k | One-off grants - Environment & Animal Care |
| THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £5k | |
| CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £5k | |
| THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | |
| THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | |
| CHARLES S FRENCH CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £5k | |
| PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUND | FY2024 | £5k | |
| THE NINEVEH CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £5k | |
| HAYS TRAVEL FOUNDATION | FY2024 | £5k | |
| THE HISCOX FOUNDATION | FY2024 | £5k |
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation North East | 22/01/2026 | £1k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 17/07/2025 | £5k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 19/06/2025 | £5k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 20/02/2025 | £1k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 23/01/2025 | £1k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 20/06/2024 | £5k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 18/04/2024 | £2k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 26/01/2023 | £1k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 12/01/2023 | £750 | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 03/11/2022 | £2k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 07/04/2022 | £2k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 03/02/2022 | £1k | A grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 20/01/2022 | £750 | A grant to The Country Trust |
| The Mercers' Company | 04/04/2019 | £72k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Community Foundation North East | 23/11/2018 | £520 | School visit to Broxfield Farm |
| City Bridge Foundation | 25/09/2014 | £15k | Grant to The Country Trust |
| Northern Rock Foundation | 27/04/2007 | £10k | Grant awarded to The Country Trust (North East) |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE RETA LILA HOWARD FOUNDATION | 2 | £87k |
| JOHNNIE JOHNSON TRUST | 2 | £29k |
| THE WO STREET CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | 2 | £8k |
| THE REED FOUNDATION | 1 | — |
| THE BRIAN MITCHELL CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT | 1 | — |
| THE BAND TRUST | 1 | £600k |
| ENERGISE ME | 1 | £248k |
| THE SACKLER TRUST | 1 | £125k |
Charities like this
- THE CHILDREN'S ADVENTURE FARM TRUST LTD
- FARMS FOR CITY CHILDREN LIMITED
- REAL FARMING TRUST
- CLA CHARITABLE TRUST
- The Countryside Regeneration Trust
- THE COUNTRYSIDE EDUCATION TRUST
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE COUNTRY TRUST | £1.8m | £60,001 - £70,000 | 1 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE CHILDREN'S ADVENTURE FARM TRUST LTD | £1.2m | £70,000 - £80,000 | 1 | above | — | no doubt |
| FARMS FOR CITY CHILDREN LIMITED | £2.7m | £60,000 - £70,000 | 1 | within | 28.8% | no doubt |
| REAL FARMING TRUST | £930k | — | 0 | within | — | no doubt |
| CLA CHARITABLE TRUST | £288k | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| The Countryside Regeneration Trust | £1.5m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |