THE OTTER TRUST

Registered charity 263103 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE OTTER AND WILDERNESS TRUST

education of the public in conservation of the natural environment, with an emphasis on research and scientific study, particularly of otters.

Objects

TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN WILDLIFE AND THE CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BY THE PROMOTION AND SUPPORT OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY AND RESEARCH THE RESULTS OF WHICH SHALL BE DISSEMINATED AND IN PARTICULAR BY THE PRESERVATION AND STUDY OF THE SPECIES OTTERS (LUTRINAE).

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

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

Latest income

£62k

Latest spending

£80k

Registered

1971

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total unrestricted funds decreased from £69,857 in 2024 to £31,857 in 2025, resulting in a net movement in funds of (17,886). The trustees report no concerns about the charity’s ability to continue to operate and confirm that all funds are unrestricted at the year end.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: to sufficiently maintain the two Otter Trust properties for a sufficient period (held: £32k)

“A reserves policy exists to sufficiently maintain the two Otter Trust properties for a sufficient period. The Trustees continually review their ongoing reserves policy to ensure it is adequate for the Charity’s current financial situation. There are no concerns about the charity’s ability to continue to operate, and all funds of the Trust are unrestricted at the year end.” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Thomas Proctor provided emergency repair and maintenance works at the charities Earsham site, as a contractor, during the financial year. These works were paid in 3 transactions and totaled £826.52. The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.

“Thomas Proctor provided emergency repair and maintenance works at the charities Earsham site, as a contractor, during the financial year. These works were paid in 3 transactions and totaled £826.52. The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Thomas Proctor provided emergency repair and maintenance works at the charities Earsham site, as a contractor, during the financial year. These works were paid in 3 transactions and totaled £826.52.

“Thomas Proctor provided emergency repair and maintenance works at the charities Earsham site, as a contractor, during the financial year. These works were paid in 3 transactions and totaled £826.52. The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.” — page 16

“The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.” — page 16

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full.

“Thomas Proctor provided emergency repair and maintenance works at the charities Earsham site, as a contractor, during the financial year. These works were paid in 3 transactions and totaled £826.52. The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.” — page 16

“The charity sold some of its trailers to a company of which Ben Potterton is a Director, which totaled £12,250. The trailers were valued at fair market value and this amount was paid in full. The Trustees followed the charities Conflict of Interest and Financial policy when entering into both of these transactions. There were no other contracts or transactions, other than those mentioned above, that a trustee or person related to the charity, had a personal interest in. No Trustee claimed any trustee expenses during the year.” — 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.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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

Trustees · trustee networks

Ben Potterton
Ian Roger Walsh
Thomas Lee Proctor

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

Operates in: Brazil · France · Guinea-bissau · Senegal · Sri Lanka · The Gambia · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£62k	£80k
31/12/2024	£114k	£163k
31/12/2023	£144k	£264k
31/12/2022	£145k	£235k
31/12/2021	£162k	£200k

Common questions

Is THE OTTER TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total unrestricted funds decreased from £69,857 in 2024 to £31,857 in 2025, resulting in a net movement in funds of (17,886). The trustees report no concerns about the charity’s ability to continue to operate and confirm that all funds are unrestricted at the year end. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	17/08/2023	£27k	Suffolk Lungwort Recovery Program
UK government	17/08/2023	£18k	Suffolk Lungwort Recovery Program
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	08/07/1996	£86k	"North Pennines Reserve - Vale House Farm"

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	2	£133k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£129k
NEWBY TRUST LIMITED	2	£25k
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT TRUST	1	—
ASPEN TRUST	1	£1.3m
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£390k
LANCASHIRE ENVIRONMENTAL FUND LIMITED	1	£305k
THE VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST	1	£231k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with UK WILD OTTER TRUST.

UK WILD OTTER TRUST income £101k
Ocean Conservation Trust Limited income £7.5m
THE LANCASHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST income £9.2m
EARTH TRUST income £2.6m
OTTERSPOOL ANIMAL HAVEN income £166k
TRUST FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING income £1.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE OTTER TRUST	£62k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
UK WILD OTTER TRUST FY2025	£101k	—	0	unclear	—	noted
Ocean Conservation Trust Limited FY2025	£7.5m	—	—	above	27.0%	no doubt
THE LANCASHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST FY2025	£9.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
EARTH TRUST FY2025	£2.6m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
OTTERSPOOL ANIMAL HAVEN FY2025	£166k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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