Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Analysis

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Truro. It was registered in February 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, animals, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under animals. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00732511). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Cornwall Wildlife Trust reported income of £7.6m and spending of £6.6m, spending 86% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from February 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £4.6m to £7.6m (+66%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 30%. Over the whole period it spent 88% of the income it received.

Among 2,161 England and Wales charities whose main cause is animals and that reported income, Cornwall Wildlife Trust sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. 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 London Wildlife Trust (£7.3m), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) Foundation (£7.7m) and Ocean Conservation Trust Limited (£7.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 61%, donations and legacies 20% and trading 18%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £358k. Charitable activities took 68% of spending and raising funds 29%. Reserves of £1.6m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 113 people.