SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST

Registered charity 238372 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE SOMERSET TRUST FOR NATURE CONSERVATION

Managing nature reserves, protecting rare and threatened species, monitoring plans and developments, standing up for wildlife conservation, working with landowners, local business and government for the benefit of wildlife and promoting sustainable living.

Causes: Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£5.3m

Latest spending

£5.8m

Registered

1964

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total funds fell to £10.3 million from £10.7 million in the prior year as expenditure exceeded income by £467,000. Despite this deficit, the charity maintains a positive financial position with free financial reserves of £1.63 million, which the trustees report are at the upper end of their target range of three to six months' core operating costs.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Grants (39% of income)

“Grant income totalled £2.1 million (£1.7 million: 2023/24) representing the largest source of income in the year and 39% of overall income.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Fundraising cost ratio: 15.1% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“Expenditure on raising funds increased by 28% and totalled £807,000 (£630,000: 2023/24)”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three to six months' core operating costs (£0.9 million - £1.8 million) (held: £1.6m)

“We aim to hold between three and six months’ core operating costs as free financial reserves which equates to between £0.9 million and £1.8 million.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations and membership from Trustees

“During 2024/25 a total of £1,000 (2024: £1,000) was received from Trustees in respect of donations and membership.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: SWT (Sales) Limited

“Somerset Wildlife Trust has one wholly owned subsidiary, SWT (Sales) Limited.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Albert Goodman LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Somerset Wildlife Trust secures £60k funding from Blue Influencers Scheme somersetcountygazette.co.uk · 24/01/2024

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 00818162

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Somerset Wildlife Trust (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

FATTORINI, Charles Sebastian — director, appointed 15/11/2025on trustee list
BRIGGS, Barnaby Daniel — director, appointed 15/11/2025on trustee list
TAYLOR, Rupert Charles Uttermare — director, appointed 18/11/2023on trustee list
ROGERS, Stephen — director, appointed 01/08/2023on trustee list
SCARLETT, Richard David — director, appointed 22/11/2022on trustee list
SKINNER, Daniel James Christopher, Dr — director, appointed 22/11/2022on trustee list
COULTHARD, Amy Rebecca — director, appointed 22/11/2022on trustee list
PURDEY, Holly Meredith Brewer — director, appointed 19/01/2021on trustee list
MCBRIDE, Stuart Ashley Royden — director, appointed 19/01/2021on trustee list
STEER, Mark Daniel — director, appointed 10/06/2019on trustee list

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

135 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (124 freehold); recorded price paid £977k. 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)

Total income

£5.3m

Total spending

£5.8m

Cost of raising funds

£1.6m

Reserves (reported)

£1.8m

Employees

93

Reported reserves equal ~3.7 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 29.4% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (24/07/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Rupert Taylorchair
Amy Rebecca Coulthard
Barnaby Briggs
Charles Fattorini
Dr Daniel James Christopher Skinner
Dr Mark Steer
Holly Purdey
Matthew James Bell
Richard David Scarlett
Stephen Rogers
Stuart McBride

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

Operates in: Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£5.3m	£5.8m
31/03/2024	£4.9m	£4.7m
31/03/2023	£5.4m	£4.6m
31/03/2022	£6.1m	£3.4m
31/03/2021	£3.8m	£2.5m

Common questions

Is SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total funds fell to £10.3 million from £10.7 million in the prior year as expenditure exceeded income by £467,000. Despite this deficit, the charity maintains a positive financial position with free financial reserves of £1.63 million, which the trustees report are at the upper end of their target range of three to six months' core operating costs. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Albert Goodman LLP.

Who funds SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST as a grant recipient include THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION, ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS, THE NINESQUARE TRUST, CLARK FOUNDATION, THE LINMARDON TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION	FY2025	£200k
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2024	£200k	Ecological Restoration Fund
THE NINESQUARE TRUST	FY2024	£108k	Nature & Wellbeing programme (3-year agreement)
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2024	£64k	RSWT Grants
THE NINESQUARE TRUST	FY2022	£54k	Green Influencers Scheme
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2024	£50k
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2024	£46k	Biffa Award Grants
THE LINMARDON TRUST	FY2024	£38k
THE MICHAEL MARKS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£32k
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION	FY2024	£15k
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT TRUST	FY2024	£13k
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2022	£10k	Biffa Award
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2022	£10k	Strategic Development Fund
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2022	£10k	People's Postcode Lottery
ROYAL SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE TRUSTS	FY2022	£10k	Strategic Development Fund
THE CITY CHARITY TRUST	FY2025	£8k
THE FAIRFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE FAIRFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
THE DOROTHY WHITNEY ELMHIRST TRUST	FY2024	£3k
THE FAIRFIELD CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£3k
THE LINMARDON TRUST	FY2024	£3k
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2023	£2k	Countryside
FRAZER TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Leisure activities, animals and wildlife
FRAZER TRUST	FY2025	£2k	Leisure activities, animals and wildlife
FRAZER TRUST	FY2023	£2k	Children
FRAZER TRUST	FY2022	£2k
Moto Foundation	FY2025	£1k	Community grant
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE DOROTHY WHITNEY ELMHIRST TRUST	FY2025	£1k
DUNSTER SHOW SOCIETY	FY2021	£500
DUNSTER SHOW SOCIETY	FY2022	£125
THE SANDERSON FOUNDATION	FY2022	£0
THE NINESQUARE TRUST	FY2025	£0	Recurring grant (£108,000 recognised in previous year)
CLARK FOUNDATION	FY2022	£0

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	08/02/2023	£250k	"Somerset Wilder Communities 30x30"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	27/07/2020	£218k	"COVID19 Somerset Wildlife Trust"
The National Lottery Community Fund	20/03/2020	£290k	Somerset Nature Connections
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/04/2019	£9k	Budding Marvellous - Lisieux Way Garden
Somerset Community Foundation	19/12/2018	£1k	Green Spaces, Healthy Places
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	20/03/2012	£528k	"Routes to the River Tone: creating a joined up network of natural places throughout Taunton where wildlife can thrive and people can feel al"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	20/04/2010	£1.9m	"Avalon Marshes Landscape Partnership Scheme"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	07/05/2008	£42k	"My Mendip Hills"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	20/08/2007	£10k	"The Project Is For The Group Based In Somerset To Install A Rainwater Harvesting System At The Carymoor Environmental Centre And To Run A Su"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	05/08/1999	£103k	"Lynchcombe Nature Reserve Extension - Acquisition"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	22/04/1998	£74k	"Ringdown Common, Culm Valley - Acquisition"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	22/04/1997	£29k	"Edford Meadows - Acquisition (Mells Valley Project)"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/03/1997	£101k	"Mells Valley PBA Project - Acquisition"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	22/10/1996	£45k	"Farmwood Meadows and Woodland, Ruggin"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	23/04/1996	£83k	"East Poldens Downland Restoration Project"

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
THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUST	4	£2.2m
THE SAINTBURY TRUST	2	£4k
THE THOMAS RAWCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£0
THE ALEXANDER MOSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£405k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£179k
THE BAY TREE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£175k
MOONDANCE FOUNDATION	1	£93k
THIRTY PERCY FOUNDATION	1	£62k

Charities like this

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

SHROPSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST income £3.4m
HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT WILDLIFE TRUST income £9.9m
THE WILDLIFE TRUST OF SOUTH AND WEST WALES LIMITED income £5.3m
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST income £7.2m
WORCESTERSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST income £2.8m
GLOUCESTERSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST income £6.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST	£5.3m	—	—	within	15.1%	no doubt
SHROPSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£3.4m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£9.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE WILDLIFE TRUST OF SOUTH AND WEST WALES LIMITED FY2025	£5.3m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt
SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£7.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
WORCESTERSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£2.8m	—	—	below	—	no doubt

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