The Country Trust
Analysis
The Country Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Chelmsford. It was registered in December 2007, 19 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 06436266). It says it provides human resources and provides services.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The Country Trust reported income of £1.8m and spending of £1.6m, spending 84% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £993k to £1.8m (+86%), an average of +17% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.
Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, The Country Trust sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Futureproof Cumbria (£1.8m), The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust (£1.9m) and Lamport Hall Preservation Trust Limited (£1.8m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 92%, charitable activities 6.7% and investments 1.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £6,592. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 8.6%. Reserves of £640k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 14 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 92%
- Legacies 0.4%
- Charitable activities 6.7%
- Investments 1.1%
In the charity's own words
To bring food, farming and the working countryside alive for those children least able to access it whether through disadvantage or disability. We do this through Farm Discovery day visits to real working farms throughout England and North Wales, Farm in a Box, Countryside Discovery residentials and yearlong Food Discovery programmes where children discover growing, cooking and even selling food.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Futureproof Cumbria | Cumbria | £1.8m |
| The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust | Devon | £1.9m |
| Lamport Hall Preservation Trust Limited | Northampton | £1.8m |
| The Global Returns Project Limited | 162-168 Regent Street | £1.9m |