DARTMOOR ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Registered charity 1158422 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as DZS
The Charity aims to promote the conservation, care and breeding of wildlife and endangered species, encouraging and developing the public interest in and awareness of the importance of ensuring the survival of species and diversity of life. It aims to raise awareness for animal conservation, welfare and education projects and to support conservation in the wild and across the world.
Causes: Education/training · Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts
The accounts state that the charity incurred a net loss of £66,862 for the year ended 31 December 2024, driven by costs increasing faster than income. Per the trustees' report, the charity has relied on reserves to cover the deficit and notes that fundraising income has decreased, though visitor numbers and trading income have shown some growth.
Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: approximately 6 months of unrestricted expenditure (held: £297k)
“within the next 2-3 years the Trustees aim to begin to build up free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which equates to approximately 6 months of unrestricted expenditure.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Legal services provided pro bono and paid by trustee Benjamin James.
“Benjamin James has provided both pro bono and paid for legal services to the Charity over the course of the year.” — page 44
“The subsidiary has donated their year-end profits to the charity throughout the reporting period to manage cash flow, donating £24,767 in total” — page 44
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trading subsidiary Dartmoor Zoo Enterprises Limited donated profits to charity.
“Benjamin James has provided both pro bono and paid for legal services to the Charity over the course of the year.” — page 44
“The subsidiary has donated their year-end profits to the charity throughout the reporting period to manage cash flow, donating £24,767 in total” — page 44
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Dartmoor Zoo Enterprises Limited
“Dartmoor Zoo Enterprises Limited is a trading subsidiary of the charity” — page 31
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Westcotts (SW) LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Dartmoor Zoological Society (matched by registered charity number).
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)
Cost of raising funds
£45k
Reported reserves equal ~0.1 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (56% 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: 2.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Cornwall · Devon · Dorset · Somerset
Income and spending
Common questions
Is DARTMOOR ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY financially healthy?
Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity incurred a net loss of £66,862 for the year ended 31 December 2024, driven by costs increasing faster than income. Per the trustees' report, the charity has relied on reserves to cover the deficit and notes that fundraising income has decreased, though visitor numbers and trading income have shown some growth. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Westcotts (SW) LLP.
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 DUDLEY AND WEST MIDLANDS ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY LIMITED.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.