THE OPEN SPACES SOCIETY

Registered charity 1144840 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Open Spaces Society (formally The Commons, Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society) works to create, conserve and enhance common land, village greens, open spaces and rights of public access, in town and country, in England and Wales.

Causes: Amateur Sport · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total charity funds stood at £1.88m at year end, with unrestricted general funds remaining strong at £577k. The trustees acknowledge recurring planned deficits but maintain a strategic reserve fund of £864k to cover cashflows up to four years ahead. Investment assets increased in value to £932,203, providing a buffer for future charitable objectives.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

• Registered company of the charity Companies House 07846516

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.

• COONEY, Emma Kate — director, appointed 06/08/2026on trustee list
• HEBDITCH, Richard — director, appointed 06/08/2026on trustee list
• CLARKE, Richard — director, appointed 02/07/2026on trustee list
• PACKMAN, Andrew — director, appointed 11/04/2024on trustee list
• LEAN, James Daniel — director, appointed 14/03/2024on trustee list
• BAIN, Stuart Mark — director, appointed 05/12/2019on trustee list
• HALL, John — director, appointed 05/07/2018on trustee list

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2022)

Reported reserves equal ~57.0 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

• Received assets from another charity (07/08/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (31/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (12/01/2017) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (21/05/2014) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
• Received assets from another charity (21/05/2014) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

• Stuart Bainchair · trustee of 6 other charities
• Andrew Packman · trustee of 2 other charities
• Dr Philip David Wadey
• Emma Kate Cooney
• James Lean
• John Hall
• Richard Clarke
• Richard Hebditch
• Tara-Jane Sutcliffe

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Common questions