Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

Fields in Trust

Registered charity 306070 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as FIELDS IN TRUST (FIT), NATIONAL PLAYING FIELDS ASSOCIATION, NPFA · also registered in Scotland as SC040357 (OSCR)

Fields in Trust protects and improves UK outdoor recreation spaces for future generations. From sports pitches to children's playgrounds, nature reserves and country parks we safeguard green spaces forever and encourage community use and enjoyment. Our work helps improve health and quality of life by securing access to green space for sport, play and informal recreation both now and in the future.

Causes: Amateur Sport · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.8m
Latest spending
£1.3m
Registered
1979
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity delivered a small operating surplus for the first time in several years, with total income rising to £1.79m and expenditure at £1.35m. Per the trustees' report, free reserves increased to £2.10m, a level the trustees consider prudent for six months of forward expenditure, providing a strong foundation for future sustainability.

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

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 15.0% of fundraised income, as disclosed
“The cost of raising funds in year was £0.20m (2024: £0.17m), equivalent to 15% of income (excluding the property sale) (2024: 25%).” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: six months forward expenditure (held: £2.1m)
“Trustees consider it prudent to retain these reserves at a level representing around six months forward expenditure and wind up or transfer costs. Six months forward expenditure is currently budgeted at £0.74m.” — page 44
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: FIT purchased furniture at a cost of £3,000 from a company whose director is the spouse of the CEO.
“During the year, FIT purchased furniture at a cost of £3,000 from a company whose director is the spouse of the CEO. Aggregate donations from related parties in 2025 totalled £nil (2024: £nil)” — page 60
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: NPFA Services Limited, King George's Field Foundation
“These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly-owned subsidiaries NPFA Services Limited and King George's Field Foundation on a line by line basis.” — page 53
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

NPFA SERVICES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

    Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Fields in Trust (matched by registered charity number).

    Leadership, per the charity’s website

    Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

    Funders the charity credits

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

    Property (HM Land Registry)

    141 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (139 freehold). 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 31/12/2025)

    Total income
    £1.8m
    Total spending
    £1.3m
    Cost of raising funds
    £208k
    Reserves (reported)
    £741k
    Employees
    9

    Reported reserves equal ~6.6 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

    Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (64% 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: 11.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

    Register events

    Trustees · trustee networks

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

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

    Income and spending

    Financial year endIncomeSpending
    31/12/2025£1.8m£1.3m
    31/12/2024£764k£1.3m
    31/12/2023£532k£1.3m
    31/12/2022£550k£1.3m
    31/12/2021£744k£1.2m

    Common questions

    Is Fields in Trust financially healthy?

    Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity delivered a small operating surplus for the first time in several years, with total income rising to £1.79m and expenditure at £1.35m. Per the trustees' report, free reserves increased to £2.10m, a level the trustees consider prudent for six months of forward expenditure, providing a strong foundation for future sustainability. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

    Who funds Fields in Trust?

    Funders whose own accounts filings name Fields in Trust as a grant recipient include THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE LINDER FOUNDATION, THE DULVERTON TRUST, THE OCTOPUS FOUNDATION, THE INMAN CHARITY.

    Known funders

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

    FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
    THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£150kGrants - to institutions to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment
    THE LINDER FOUNDATIONFY2025£100kGeneral Charitable Causes
    THE DULVERTON TRUSTFY2026£50kCore Costs
    THE OCTOPUS FOUNDATIONFY2025£45kUnrestricted grant for charity partnership
    THE DULVERTON TRUSTFY2024£30kFields in Trust Core Costs 2024
    THE INMAN CHARITYFY2022£25kGeneral
    THE LINDER FOUNDATIONFY2023£20kGeneral Charitable Causes
    PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£20k
    PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£16k
    THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£12k
    THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£10kYr1 2021
    THE LINDER FOUNDATIONFY2022£10kGeneral Charitable Causes
    THE LENNOX HANNAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£10kThe advancement of amateur sports
    THE BANISTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
    THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2024£5k
    THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
    THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2024£5kOther grants
    THE GRAHAM KIRKHAM FOUNDATIONFY2025£5kWelfare
    THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2025£5k
    PEACOCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
    THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
    DUKES FOUNDATIONFY2024£4k
    SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£4k
    CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
    THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2022£3k
    CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3k
    CECIL PILKINGTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£3k
    SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£3kGrant paid or payable
    PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUNDFY2023£3k
    THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£2k
    THE HEMBY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2k
    CHAPMAN CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2k
    THE OAKDALE TRUSTFY2024£1k
    THE ASTOR FOUNDATIONFY2025£1kArts, Conservation and Heritage
    SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
    THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£0

    Government & lottery funding

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

    FunderDateAmountPurpose
    City Bridge Foundation14/04/2022£2kEco audit to Fields in Trust
    The National Lottery Heritage Fund31/01/2003£39k"The Preservation of Historical Recreational Land Documents"

    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.

    FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
    THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION1£1.1m
    THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST1£1.1m
    THE CADOGAN CHARITY1£230k
    THE LONDON MARATHON CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED1£178k
    THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED1£45k
    JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST1£30k
    THE SIR JAMES RECKITT CHARITY1£22k
    MOYNITRUST1£20k

    Charities like this

    Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FILWOOD PLAYING FIELD TRUST.

    Side by side with its peers

    CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
    Fields in Trust£1.8m——unclear15.0%no doubt
    FILWOOD PLAYING FIELD TRUST FY2025£104k—0unclear—no doubt
    The National Football Trust FY2025£12.0m——unclear—no doubt
    CORAM'S FIELDS SPORTS AND RECREATION FY2025£678k—0unclear—no doubt
    THE LONDON PLAYING FIELDS SOCIETY FY2025£1.8m£100,001 - £110,000—above—no doubt
    The Sports Trust FY2025£1.4m£70,001 - £80,000—below—no doubt

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