The Soil Association Limited

Analysis

The Soil Association Limited is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in September 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, animals and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under animals. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00409726). It says it sponsors or undertakes research and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Soil Association Limited reported income of £24.9m and spending of £24.6m, spending 99% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £23.4m to £24.9m (+6.4%), an average of +1.6% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 30%. Over the whole period it spent 96% of the income it received.

Among 2,161 England and Wales charities whose main cause is animals and that reported income, The Soil Association Limited 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 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Brooke Hospital for Animals (£24.8m), Colchester Zoological Society (£27.4m) and Twycross Zoo-East Midland Zoological Society Limited (£23.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 81%, donations and legacies 14% and trading 4.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £2,451. Charitable activities took 94% of spending and raising funds 4.4%. Reserves of £1.0m would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 416 people.