The Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Analysis

The Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Preston. It was registered in April 1964, 62 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 00731548). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Lancashire Wildlife Trust reported income of £9.2m and spending of £10.0m, spending 109% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £6.0m to £9.2m (+53%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 33%. Over the whole period it spent 106% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, The Lancashire Wildlife Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% 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 Royal Town Planning Institute (£9.2m), The Institution of Structural Engineers (£9.3m) and North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust (£9.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 63%, donations and legacies 21% and trading 16%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £111k. Charitable activities took 74% of spending and raising funds 23%. Reserves of £285k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 201 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.