FREE THE BEARS UK
Registered charity 1135682 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FREE THE BEARS - UK BRANCH
Free the Bears works to end the exploitation of threatened bear species and supports the protection of bears in the wild. We work with governments and nongovernmental partners to strengthen wildlife law enforcement, improve environmental awareness and promote sustainable livelihoods for communities that previously relied on the exploitation of bears.
Causes: Education/training · 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 total incoming resources increased to £567,137, with unrestricted funds growing to £126,579. The charity reports minimal overhead costs in the UK and maintains emergency reserves in project territories to protect against currency fluctuations. The trustees confirm there are no funds materially in deficit and no uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: 6-months overhead costs (held: £127k)
“the Trustees feel that the maintenance of 6-months overhead costs is prudent, without being excessive. With minimal overhead costs in the UK the Charity is successfully meeting this target in line with our policy.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Free The Bears UK (matched by registered charity number).
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)
Reported reserves equal ~2.8 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (71% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Cambodia · Laos · Vietnam
Income and spending
Common questions
Is FREE THE BEARS UK financially healthy?
Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that total incoming resources increased to £567,137, with unrestricted funds growing to £126,579. The charity reports minimal overhead costs in the UK and maintains emergency reserves in project territories to protect against currency fluctuations. The trustees confirm there are no funds materially in deficit and no uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds FREE THE BEARS UK?
Funders whose own accounts filings name FREE THE BEARS UK as a grant recipient include MRS D M FRANCE-HAYHURST FOUNDATION, SYLVANUS CHARITABLE TRUST, RUTH SMART FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
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 FREE THE WILD.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.