WESTERN SUSSEX RIVERS TRUST

Registered charity 1147477 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ARRT, THE ARUN & ROTHER RIVERS TRUST

Western Sussex Rivers Trust (WSRT) is dedicated to the environmental protection and enhancement of the Western Rother, the Arun and Western Streams including their tributaries. WSRT works with local people & communities, farmers, landowners and the statutory bodies to conserve and improve local rivers.

Objects

1) TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, RESTORE AND IMPROVE THE RIVERS, STREAMS AND OTHER WATERBODIES OF THE ARUN AND WESTERN ROTHER CATCHMENTS AND OTHER RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES IN SUSSEX AND ELSEWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY'S SOUTH EAST REGION AS MAY BE DEEMED APPROPRIATE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OR IMPROVEMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.2) TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC, OR ANY ASSOCIATION, INSTITUTION, VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION, COMPANY, LOCAL AUTHORITY, ADMINISTRATIVE OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OR PUBLIC BODY OR REPRESENTATIVE BODY IN:(A) THE UNDERSTANDING OF RIVERS, RIVER CORRIDORS AND RIVER CATCHMENTS, INCLUDING THEIR FAUNA, FLORA, BIODIVERSITY, ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND RIVER CATCHMENT B) THE NEED FOR, AND BENEFITS OF, CONSERVATION, PROTECTION, REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£324k

Latest spending

£348k

Registered

2012

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus on unrestricted funds of £1,053 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total unrestricted reserves of £46,196. The trustees acknowledge that these reserves are below their stated policy target of three months of running costs, a dip attributed to increased employer National Insurance contributions and higher operational costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Grants (94% of income)

“Grants totalling £310,256 (2024 : £283,343) of which £303,256. were restricted in nature and £7,000 were unrestricted were received.” — page 3

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £46k; policy: three months of unrestricted expenditure)

“This year has seen WSRT in a significant growth trajectory, and at year end we were below our target on reserves, largely due to the increase in National Insurance employer contributions and higher costs of insurance, fuel and energy.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: going-concern doubt noted (FY2024) → no going-concern doubt (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — WESTERN SUSSEX RIVERS TRUST (matched by registered charity number).

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

Trustees · trustee networks

CHARLIE BAKER LVOchair
ANDREW LEE · trustee of 1 other charity
DAVE BROWN
DAVID GREEN
David Cooper
Nick Zoltowski
Sian MacLeod
TONY WHITBREAD

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

Operates in: East Sussex · Hampshire · Surrey · West Sussex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£324k	£348k
31/03/2024	£285k	£254k
31/03/2023	£398k	£158k
31/03/2022	£199k	£174k
31/03/2021	£204k	£144k

Common questions

Is WESTERN SUSSEX RIVERS TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus on unrestricted funds of £1,053 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total unrestricted reserves of £46,196. The trustees acknowledge that these reserves are below their stated policy target of three months of running costs, a dip attributed to increased employer National Insurance contributions and higher operational costs. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	01/04/2019	£15k	WEIF401-19/20 ARUN & WESTERN STREAMS WFD CRF GRANT PAYMENTS TO CHARITIES
UK government	01/04/2019	£15k	PREP Upper Rother (19/20 20K, 20/21 30K, 21/22 30K)
UK government	01/04/2019	£2k	State Aid Funded (Measure 16)
UK government	01/04/2018	£15k	ALB - Environment Agency - FD CRF GRANT PAYMENTS TO CHARITIES
UK government	—	£15k	Arun & Western Streams

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	3	£111k
THE NINEVEH CHARITABLE TRUST	3	£10k
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	1	£712k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£394k
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION	1	£120k
THE SIR TOM COWIE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£47k
The Neath Port Talbot Community Voluntary Service Limited	1	£35k
LANCASHIRE ENVIRONMENTAL FUND LIMITED	1	£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WESSEX RIVERS TRUST.

WESSEX RIVERS TRUST income £1.8m
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST income £7.2m
WEAR RIVERS TRUST income £832k
WEST WALES RIVERS TRUST income £884k
THE SOUTH EAST RIVERS TRUST income £2.5m
WYRE RIVER TRUST income £2.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
WESTERN SUSSEX RIVERS TRUST	£324k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
WESSEX RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£1.8m	Under £60,000	0	above	0.0%	no doubt
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£7.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
WEAR RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£832k	—	—	below	—	no doubt
WEST WALES RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£884k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SOUTH EAST RIVERS TRUST FY2025	£2.5m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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