Field Studies Council

Analysis

Field Studies Council is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Shrewsbury. It was registered in September 1963, 63 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 00412621). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Field Studies Council reported income of £18.4m and spending of £18.6m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £12.4m to £18.4m (+49%), an average of +10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 38%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Field Studies Council sits at the 100th 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Perivoli Foundation (£18.4m), Museum of London Archaeology (£19.4m) and Milton Keynes Parks Trust Limited (£17.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 83%, trading 8.2%, donations and legacies 4.7% and investments 1.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £370k. Charitable activities took 95% of spending and raising funds 4.2%. Reserves of £16.2m would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 320 people.