BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

Registered charity 1158301 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION OR BDA

To research, educate and promote knowledge of the Biodynamic concepts and methods initiated by Dr Rudolf Steiner for the betterment of farming, forestry and gardening.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£492k

Latest spending

£564k

Registered

2014

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £67,646 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total fund balances from £612,005 to £544,359. The trustees note that reserves created through legacies and donations have enabled the continued funding of key activities, and the charity maintains a risk policy keeping six months' turnover in reserve. The independent examiner confirmed that no matters came to their attention giving cause to believe the financial statements were materially non-compliant.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months' turnover (held: £138k)

“measures taken to meet emergency or crisis with the value 6 months’ turnover kept in reserve.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Sales and invoices with Biodynamic Land Trust

“During the year the Association made sales totalling £364 (2023: £1,245) to Biodynamic Land Trust and paid invoices to the related party totalling £104 (2023: Enil). These transactions were at an arm's length basis.” — page 21

“During the year, Mr Thornton-Smith carried out inspection work on an arms' length basis, for which he was paid fees and disbursements totalling £10,239.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Fees paid to Trustee Richard Thornton-Smith

“During the year the Association made sales totalling £364 (2023: £1,245) to Biodynamic Land Trust and paid invoices to the related party totalling £104 (2023: Enil). These transactions were at an arm's length basis.” — page 21

“During the year, Mr Thornton-Smith carried out inspection work on an arms' length basis, for which he was paid fees and disbursements totalling £10,239.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Fees paid to Trustee Tom Petherick

“During the year the Association made sales totalling £364 (2023: £1,245) to Biodynamic Land Trust and paid invoices to the related party totalling £104 (2023: Enil). These transactions were at an arm's length basis.” — page 21

“During the year, Mr Thornton-Smith carried out inspection work on an arms' length basis, for which he was paid fees and disbursements totalling £10,239.” — page 21

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2023)

Total income

£566k

Total spending

£346k

Cost of raising funds

£2k

Reserves (reported)

£398k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~13.8 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (55% 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: 0.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (09/02/2016) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Camilla Louise Snell
Chaim Mattias Emous
IAN STANLEY BAILEY · trustee of 3 other charities
Jenni Rosenbrock
Jennifer Steward
Jeremy Stephens
Kevin Wisset Warner
Spencer Christy

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£492k	£564k
31/12/2023	£566k	£346k
31/03/2023	£434k	£466k
31/03/2022	£441k	£494k
31/03/2021	£440k	£442k

Common questions

Is BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure of £67,646 for the year, resulting in a decrease in total fund balances from £612,005 to £544,359. The trustees note that reserves created through legacies and donations have enabled the continued funding of key activities, and the charity maintains a risk policy keeping six months' turnover in reserve. The independent examiner confirmed that no matters came to their attention giving cause to believe the financial statements were materially non-compliant. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION as a grant recipient include HERMES TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
HERMES TRUST	FY2021	£3k

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
SOCIETE GENERALE UK FOUNDATION	1	£650k
LAWES AGRICULTURAL TRUST	1	£593k
ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN GREAT BRITAIN	1	£112k
THE PRUDENCE TRUST	1	£40k
CLAN TRUST LIMITED	1	£31k
THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATION	1	£10k
THE SAINTBURY TRUST	1	£8k
THE RATCLIFF FOUNDATION	1	£7k

Charities like this

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

ANTHROPOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED income £1.1m
ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN GREAT BRITAIN income £1.4m
THE BURWARTON AND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LIMITED income £352k
THE ROYAL WELSH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LIMITED income £7.8m
ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH LIMITED income £29.3m
THE HENRY DOUBLEDAY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION income £3.2m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION	£492k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ANTHROPOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED FY2024	£1.1m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
ANTHROPOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN GREAT BRITAIN FY2024	£1.4m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE BURWARTON AND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025	£352k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL WELSH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025	£7.8m	£90,001 - £100,000	—	within	—	no doubt
ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH LIMITED FY2025	£29.3m	—	—	above	—	material uncertainty

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