The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

Analysis

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Fordingbridge. It was registered in November 2005, 21 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 05579632). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust reported income of £11.9m and spending of £12.4m, spending 104% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £9.3m to £11.9m (+28%), an average of +6.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 19%. Over the whole period it spent 96% 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, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Aes Tring Park School Trust (£11.9m), The Arts Educational Schools (£12.0m) and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Limited (£11.8m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 35%, trading 34%, charitable activities 28% and investments 2.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £311k. Charitable activities took 68% of spending and raising funds 31%. Reserves of £1.9m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 148 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.