Marine Conservation Society

Analysis

Marine Conservation Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Herefordshire. It was registered in August 1991, 35 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science, animals and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02550966). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Marine Conservation Society reported income of £5.3m and spending of £5.3m, spending 98% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £4.3m to £5.3m (+26%), an average of +5.9% a year. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Marine Conservation Society sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Oxford Playhouse Trust (£5.3m), The Ramsbury Manor Foundation (£5.4m) and University of Derby Theatre Limited (£5.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 62%, charitable activities 31% and trading 2.7%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £218k. Charitable activities took 77% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £1.1m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 103 people.