BRITISH LICHEN SOCIETY

Registered charity 1194213 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Promote for the benefit of the public the conservation of lichens and their habitats and to raise awareness of them including through publications, meetings and workshops. Also, to advance education in the study of lichens especially in the British Isles through publications, meetings, workshops and support for academic research.

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

Latest income

£144k

Latest spending

£141k

Registered

2021

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a net income surplus of £2,511 for the year ended 30 June 2025, with total unrestricted reserves standing at £707,676. The trustees report that this level of existing reserve is above the projected three-year reserve target, indicating strong financial resilience despite a decrease in income from charitable activities compared to the previous year.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Lichenologist (43% of income)

“The principal sources of funding year on year are Members' subscriptions, the Proprietor's share of The Lichenologist publication and interest from savings.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three years (held: £708k)

“It is the policy of the Society to have sufficient reserves to continue for a minimum of three years should sources of income dramatically decrease.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The charity received total donations of £320 (2024: £38) from trustees without conditions.

“The charity received total donations of £320 (2024: £38) from trustees without conditions.” — page 21

“Expenses were reimbursed to three trustees for meeting, administrative, postage and stationery costs amounting to £1,940 (2024: two trustees for £773).” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Expenses were reimbursed to three trustees for meeting, administrative, postage and stationery costs amounting to £1,940.

“The charity received total donations of £320 (2024: £38) from trustees without conditions.” — page 21

“Expenses were reimbursed to three trustees for meeting, administrative, postage and stationery costs amounting to £1,940 (2024: two trustees for £773).” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Heritage Lottery Fund — “In 2018, Plantlife was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to deliver a two-year project (2018 - 2020) to provide people with an opp…” (source page)
Big Lottery — “OPAL was an exciting initiative formed from a giant partnership of c. 22 scientific, educational and government organisations that was run f…” (source page)

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

Register events

Received assets from another charity (28/07/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Alasdair David Ramsay Mackie
Andrew Mark Cross
Dr Ann Margaret Claypole
Dr Rebecca Yahr
James Young Paton
Margaret Niblo Chapman
Simon James King

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/06/2025	£144k	£141k
30/06/2024	£191k	£150k
30/06/2023	£157k	£137k
30/06/2022	£115k	£101k

Common questions

Is BRITISH LICHEN SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net income surplus of £2,511 for the year ended 30 June 2025, with total unrestricted reserves standing at £707,676. The trustees report that this level of existing reserve is above the projected three-year reserve target, indicating strong financial resilience despite a decrease in income from charitable activities compared to the previous year. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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
CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£5k
JOHN LYON'S CHARITY	1	£118k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUST	1	£25k
DEVELOPMENTS IN LITERACY UK (UK)	1	£10k
THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF DERMATOLOGICAL SOCIETIES	1	£5k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with BRITISH MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

BRITISH MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY income £322k
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND income £1.4m
BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF DERMATOLOGISTS income £7.5m
BRITISH CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY income £138k
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE income £712k
THE BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY income £6.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
BRITISH LICHEN SOCIETY	£144k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
BRITISH MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY FY2024	£322k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND FY2025	£1.4m	more than £60,000	1	above	—	no doubt
BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF DERMATOLOGISTS FY2024	£7.5m	£100,001 - £110,000	8	above	—	no doubt
BRITISH CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY FY2025	£138k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE FY2024	£712k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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