THE NATIONAL FOREST COMPANY
Registered charity 1166563 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as NFC
The National Forest Company works to conserve, protect and enhance the environment in general and specifically in the National Forest, for public benefit; in particular woodland creation & management; promotion of urban and rural regeneration and training, education and research.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net positive movement in funds of £810k for the year, reversing a previous deficit, with total income rising to £10.19m largely due to increased government grants. While unrestricted free reserves are reported at £476k, the charity maintains significant designated funds and total reserves of £16.83m, supported by ongoing Defra funding and a positive going concern assessment.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Related-party transaction: The charity owns the whole of the issued share capital of National Forest Enterprises Limited. During the year, the charity charged the subsidiary company £75,000 for services and the subsidiary company donated its profits, through Gift Aid, of £82,642.
“The charity owns the whole of the issued share capital of National Forest Enterprises Limited. During the year, the charity charged the subsidiary company £75,000 (2023-24: £68,386) for services and the subsidiary company donated its profits, through Gift Aid, of £82,642 (2023-24: £nil). At the year end the subsidiary company owed the charity £237,557 (2024: £96,151). John Everitt, a trustee and the chief executive, has been a member of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Midlands and East Committee since January 2015. Grant Support of £276,059 (2023-24 £524,628) was received for the Charnwood Forest Landscape Partnership Scheme project; John Everitt declared an interest and was not party to the decision to award the funds.” — page 63
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: National Forest Enterprises Limited
“The National Forest Company (Parent) wholly owns a trading subsidiary which is incorporated in the UK and has the same registered office as the NFC. The subsidiary undertaking, National Forest Enterprises Limited (Company Registration No. 03601510) holds property and manages the operating agreement with the independent third party which operates Conkers.” — page 59
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Comptroller and Auditor General. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The National Forest (matched by registered charity number).
Property (HM Land Registry)
45 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (45 freehold); recorded price paid £105k. 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 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£909k
Reported reserves equal ~0.9 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (86% 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: 8.9% of total income — above the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (02/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Dr Anthony Ballancechair
- Anne Elizabeth Jenkins
- Beth Cambridge
- Emma Hooper-Smith
- JOHN NEIL EVERITT
- John Lockhart
- Matthew Brett Robinson
- Paul Orsi
- Penelope Ann Coates · trustee of 1 other charity
- Ruth Gadsden
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE NATIONAL FOREST COMPANY financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net positive movement in funds of £810k for the year, reversing a previous deficit, with total income rising to £10.19m largely due to increased government grants. While unrestricted free reserves are reported at £476k, the charity maintains significant designated funds and total reserves of £16.83m, supported by ongoing Defra funding and a positive going concern assessment. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Comptroller and Auditor General.
Who funds THE NATIONAL FOREST COMPANY?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NATIONAL FOREST COMPANY as a grant recipient include FAT FACE FOUNDATION, THE WOODLAND TRUST, THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
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 THE ROYAL FORESTRY SOCIETY.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.