THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP

Registered charity 1140830 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BCG

For tortoise, terrapin and turtle care and conservation Worldwide

Objects

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION, WELFARE AND CARE IN GENERAL AND TO ASSIST IN THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY AND SUFFERING AMONG TORTOISES, TERRAPINS, MARINE AND FRESHWATER TURTLES BOTH IN THE WILD AND IN CAPTIVITY, AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THESE MATTERS.

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 · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Mid Suffolk, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£299k

Latest spending

£103k

Registered

2011

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a significant increase in net assets, rising from £656,483 to £868,451, driven largely by a £262,364 legacy and investment gains. Unrestricted free reserves stood at £477,809, which the trustees noted was well above their stated realistic target of £100,000–£150,000. The organization operates entirely with volunteers and maintains a going concern status with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: between £100,000 and £150,000 (reserves figure: £478k)

“A realistic approach able to carry us for several years would be between £100,000 and £150,000.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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.

Complaints handling
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

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 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 25
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 25
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 30
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 07541800

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.

HURLE, Michael — director, appointed 23/07/2022not on trustee list
CURTIS, Anthony Thomas — director, appointed 26/09/2020on trustee list
BIRCH, Joyce Iris — director, appointed 09/10/2011on trustee list
FENWICK, Hendrika — director, appointed 24/02/2011on trustee list
ROWBERRY, Anne — director, appointed 24/02/2011on trustee list

Official officers record.

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

Trustees · trustee networks

ANNE ROWBERRY · trustee of 1 other charity
Anthony Curtis
HENDRIKA FENWICK
JOYCE IRIS BIRCH
Micheal Hurle

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

Operates in: Brazil · Ecuador · Fiji · France · Greece · India · Kenya · Madagascar · Senegal · South Africa · Throughout England And Wales · United States

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£299k	£103k
31/12/2024	£32k	£56k
31/12/2023	£44k	£73k
31/12/2022	£153k	£51k
31/12/2021	£141k	£58k

Common questions

Is THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a significant increase in net assets, rising from £656,483 to £868,451, driven largely by a £262,364 legacy and investment gains. Unrestricted free reserves stood at £477,809, which the trustees noted was well above their stated realistic target of £100,000–£150,000. The organization operates entirely with volunteers and maintains a going concern status with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with INTERNATIONAL TORTOISE ASSOCIATION.

INTERNATIONAL TORTOISE ASSOCIATION income £94k
THE TOTTLE WOODLAND AND WILDLIFE CHARITY income £136k
SHELDONIA CHARITABLE TRUST income £97k
BALMAIN ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION TRUST income £32k
ENGLISH HOLDINGS CHARITABLE TRUST income £398k
THE CORNELIUS TRUST income £38k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP	£299k	—	above	—	no doubt
INTERNATIONAL TORTOISE ASSOCIATION FY2025	£94k	—	above	—	no doubt
THE TOTTLE WOODLAND AND WILDLIFE CHARITY FY2025	£136k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SHELDONIA CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£97k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BALMAIN ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION TRUST FY2025	£32k	£35,240	unclear	—	no doubt
ENGLISH HOLDINGS CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£398k	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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