South West Coast Path Association

Analysis

South West Coast Path Association is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Plymouth. It was registered in September 2015, 11 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, environment/conservation/heritage and recreation, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it makes grants to organisations and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, South West Coast Path Association reported income of £1.1m and spending of £1.1m, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £520k to £1.1m (+112%), an average of +21% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 41%. Over the whole period it spent 107% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, South West Coast Path Association sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Lancashire Environmental Fund Limited (£1.1m), Small Woods Association (£1.1m) and Markshall Estate (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 70%, donations and legacies 23%, trading 5.5% and investments 1.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £134k. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 8.9%. Reserves of £489k would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 14 people.