Finance Score: 7
Governance Score: 8
Support Score: 14
  • Liabilities <10%: +3
  • Good reserves management: +3
  • Large legacies income: +1
  • 12+ Trustees: -1
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +14
Overall GiG Score: 29 ?

THE WOODLAND TRUST 

Our Objects are to conserve restore & re-establish trees & in particular broad leaved trees, plants and all forms of wildlife & thereby to secure & enhance the enjoyment by the public of the natural environment.Our vision is a UK rich in native woods & trees for people & wildlife. Life's better with trees strengthening the role of woods & trees in our landscapes & rekindling our love of them.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
  • This charity has a robust balance sheet
  • Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
  • This charity has received considerable income from legacies in recent years
  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • There are 13 trustees whereas the Charities Commission recommends a maximum of 12

Financial issues to consider:

  • There has been a change of accounting period recently, so trends may be hard to determine
Established: 38 years

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

enquiries@woodlandtrust.org.uk

0330 333 3300

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
N.B. data has been adjusted to reflect year end change
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/05/23£82,496£69,501£12,995£11,297£191,926£40,1876.95573,687
31/05/22£76,376£68,647£7,729£9,893£180,405£35,9086.35753,409
31/05/21?£87,485£70,147£17,338£12,586£173,829£38,3896.65012,700
31/12/19£56,082£53,323£2,759£10,216£153,257£30,7666.94912,600
31/12/18£44,618£48,227£-3,609£9,464£146,320£28,7177.14692,589
31/12/17£45,235£45,250£-15£8,171£151,428£36,0109.54450
31/12/16£49,587£38,630£10,957£7,369£149,943£40,27712.53770
31/12/15£37,502£32,811£4,691£7,547£137,268£36,61513.43340
31/12/14£38,139£29,317£8,822£5,658£132,615£35,42514.53020
31/12/13£33,397£26,649£6,748£6,021£123,548£31,95014.42910
31/12/12£31,878£25,196£6,682£5,735£114,985£29,63714.12910
31/12/11£26,997£25,598£1,399£6,823£107,601£25,42211.92690
31/12/10£25,577£20,847£4,730£5,154£106,985£26,059152690
31/12/09£25,558£19,225£6,333£4,431£101,140£21,34613.32690
31/12/08£29,731£19,481£10,250£4,557£93,614£15,7849.72610
31/12/07£27,049£18,097£8,953£4,686£85,721£13,7769.12420
31/12/06£20,730£16,542£4,188£0£0£0n/a00
31/12/05£20,105£15,638£4,467£0£0£0n/a00
31/12/04£16,488£15,270£1,217£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 15.1%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 16.5%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 2%
Highest pay band: £140,000-£150,000
Liabilities/Assets: 5%
Liabilities/Income: 11%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 21%
Reserves/Spending: 6.9 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 0.7
Asset Split ?
Listed activities
  • Environment/Conservation/Heritage
How it operates
  • Makes Grants to Individuals
  • Makes Grants to Organisations
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle Of Man, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,
Who it helps
  • The General Public/Mankind
Who works here?
  • 557 employees
  • 3,687 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs£3,126,843
National Lottery Heritage Fund£1,004,860
Esmee Fairbairn£1,000,000
Garfield Weston Foundation£800,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£94,886 07/09/2023
Mourne Park - 500 years of undiscovered natural heritage
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£46,093 04/09/2023
#COED2 Brynau and Beyond
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£88,238 30/08/2023
Cefn Morfydd
The Linbury Trust - Public engagement at Smithills’ -Woodland Trust
£120,000 20/06/2023
A grant over three years to help continue and develop public engagement at Smithills’ to support local people’s mental and physical health in Bolton.
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£196,643 19/05/2023
Developing the Strategic Framework for the Midlands Forest Network
Foundation Scotland - Grant to Woodland Trust
£100 10/03/2023
Anonymous donation from Foundation Scotland Donor
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Dartmoor's Future Forests - Developing a local woodland economy
£14,850 01/04/2022
The Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Funds aim to stimulate the development and testing of new ideas that can help improve the ecological condition of woodlands, and their resilience to ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£300,000 25/03/2022
Pears #iwill Fund: Youth Re-imagined at the Woodland Trust
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£50,000 12/02/2022
Planting of a community woodland at Preston Candover in memory of Lord Sainsbury
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Nature for Climate Fund Northern Forest Project
£3,057,115 13/09/2021
The project is a regional planting program, aiming to deliver 1387 hectares of biodiverse woodland under a number of key schemes over the four years leading up to the end date of March 2025.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Major Grants award
£500,000 23/04/2021
HELP US UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF MOURNE PARK, CO DOWN
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - Planning Delivery Fund
£14,640 19/04/2021
The Planning Delivery Fund was designed to support planning capacity and capability building (chiefly in local planning authorities, but also open to third sector organisations) in order to support ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Social investment Woodland Trust
£910,000 29/03/2021
24
An investment towards the purchase of land at Coombe Farm, Exmouth, Devon, as part of our Land Purchase Facility.
DCMS - GRCF2020: Ancient woods and trees - delivering landscape recovery and ecological resilience
£250,000 25/11/2020
Green Recovery Challenge Fund 2020-21. The wider aim of the scheme is: The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is a short-term competitive fund to kick-start environmental renewal whilst creating and ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Woodland Trust
£90,000 02/11/2020
12
Towards Project costs towards 6 commemorative groves across the four UK countries, as part of Esmee's 60th Birthday Tree-Planting initiative
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£232,000 09/09/2020
COVID19: Woodland Trust
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - GRANT: Tree Planting with Schools
£54,878 01/04/2020
To fund the Woodland Trust (WT) to plant an additional 400,000 trees with schools over the next four years (2016/17 to 19/20). This is part of the SoS public commitment for 1m trees to be planted ....more
Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - PLANNING DELIVERY FUND
£78,930 01/04/2020
The Planning Delivery Fund was designed to support planning capacity and capability building (chiefly in local planning authorities, but also open to third sector organisations) in order to support ....more
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£347,000 04/03/2020
Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs
Greater London Authority - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£493,082 30/10/2019
Woodland creation
Greater London Authority - The Woodland Trust
£99,990 25/09/2019
Free tree prize giveaway
Garfield Weston Foundation - Major Grants award
£300,000 28/06/2019
Breathing Life Back into Ausewell Wood
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - GRANT: Tree Planting with Schools
£338,534 01/04/2019
To fund the Woodland Trust (WT) to plant an additional 400,000 trees with schools over the next four years (2016/17 to 19/20). This is part of the SoS public commitment for 1m trees to be planted ....more
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - State Aid Funded (Measure 08)
£62,703 01/04/2019
This measure covers grants for investments in forest area development and improvement of the viability of forests under Countryside Productivity and ESIF Growth Programme.Forest areas supported under ....more
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - EAFRD - RD Measure 10 EXQ funded
£12,870 01/04/2019
This measure is the primary Agri-environment-climate funding for England in delivering the Rural Development programme environmental land management priorities and builds on the agri-environment ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£1,500,000 15/11/2018
52
Pears #iwill Fund: Creation of the Young People's Forest, Derbyshire
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - New Northern Forest
£2,688,439 19/10/2018
This will deliver accessible community woodland to a large swathe of England (NF runs along the M62 corridor spanning more than 120 miles between the cities of Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and ....more
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Northern Forest
£1,900,000 18/10/2018
'kick-start' investment funding to help the Northern Forest (NF) create new woodlands and develop/pilot innovative approaches to unlock further investment necessary to bring forward more large-scale ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£500,000 23/09/2018
12
The Young People's Forest, Derbyshire
Greater London Authority - London QCC Project
£153,421 17/09/2018
To deliver the London QCC project which will deliver 24000 trees to 12000 households across London in November 2018.
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£41,900 14/09/2018
Planning the Northern Forest
Esmee Fairbairn - Social investment Woodland Trust
£975,000 21/08/2018
24
An investment towards the purchase of Ausewell Woods, Devon via our Land Purchase Facility.
Environmental Finance - Conservation of the natural environment
£1,700,000 18/07/2018
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - EAFRD - RD Measure 10
£9,552 01/04/2018
This measure covers Agri-environment-organic farming support.Payments are based on income foregone and, where relevant, additional costs resulting from converting to an organic farming system. There ....more
Ministry of Defence - ALB - Armed forces Covenant Fund Trust- Covenent Fund
£20,000 01/04/2018
Armed Forces Covenant Local Grants for local projects that support community integration or local delivery of services.
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£536,300 13/03/2018
Faughan Valley’s ancient woodland - from fragments to thriving forests
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£70,000 14/12/2017
The Charter for Trees, Woods and People
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£492,900 30/11/2017
Reconnecting Grantham to its historic landscape
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£30,500 25/08/2017
Coed Ffos Las – Uncovering A Community’s First World War Heritage
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Land Acquisition Grant
£388,500 19/07/2017
TBC
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Woodland Trust
£43,725 17/06/2016
12
Towards the development of a new investment model aimed at sustainable woodland creation and restoration at scale in partnership with RSPB.
Environmental Finance - Conservation of the natural environment
£2,000,000 31/12/2015
All Groups
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to Woodland Trust Scotland
£63,900 30/11/2015
The Croft Woodlands Project: protecting Scotland’s rural heritage
Greater London Authority - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£15,000 18/11/2015
To fund free tree packs for London schools
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£1,983,700 02/06/2015
Smithills – A vision for a resilient landscape
Dulverton Trust - the Centenary Woods Project in Gloucestershire
£6,000 04/02/2015
the Centenary Woods Project in Gloucestershire
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£68,800 20/06/2014
Penn and Common Woods - Bringing History to Life
Esmee Fairbairn - Social investment Woodland Trust
£2,000,000 24/04/2014
An investment in Winter Hill, as part of the Land Purchase Facility with the aim of delivering and demonstrating a resilient-tree landscape relevant to local communities that fulfils economic, ....more
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to The Woodland Trust
£794,900 04/03/2014
Bringing Fingle Woods Back to Life
Esmee Fairbairn - Social investment Woodland Trust
£845,000 03/06/2013
An investment in the purchase of Halls Cleave Wood, Fingle Woodlands in Moretonhampstead, Devon.
Dulverton Trust - the Jubilee Woods Project
£30,000 15/02/2012
the Jubilee Woods Project
Esmee Fairbairn - Social investment Woodland Trust
£460,000 20/10/2009
An investment in the purchase and short term ownership of Maryland / Overtoun Farm at Dumbarton, Scotland until Woodland Trust are able to purchase.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (13)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 12/13 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 27-75
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 20/05/1986, number: 294344
  • Registered at Companies House on 27/01/1986, number: 01982873
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Event History
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from REFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION TRUST on 12/06/2020
  • Asset transfer in from THE GUTHRIE ESSAME CHARITABLE TRUST on 14/05/2021
  • Asset transfer in from BJSS ENVIRONMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST on 20/09/2023
  • Asset transfer in from MRS S L CHAMBERS' CHARITABLE TRUST on 24/01/2024
Main office

The Woodland Trust
Kempton Way
GRANTHAM
NG31 6LL

Objectives

TO CONSERVE, RESTORE AND RE-ESTABLISH TREES, IN PARTICULAR BROAD-LEAVED TREES, PLANTS AND ALL FORMS OF WILD LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THEREBY TO SECURE AND ENHANCE THE ENJOYMENT BY THE PUBLIC OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THOSE TERRITORIES.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNITED KINGDOM.

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

Tips for Selecting Charities

Which areas of philanthropy are most effective?
The text of this post is taken from an article on the Effective Altruism forum. It suggests that you can achieve the most impact by supporting causes that fight extreme poverty, improving animal welfare....more
Our Top Tips for Philanthropy
Here are some ideas to help you gain more satisfaction from your philanthropy and confidence that the causes you have selected are impactful. Engage your brain, as well as your heart You....more
How to become a Philanthropist
In this Blog we outline a strategy to help people who are new to philanthropy and for those who feel dissatisfied with the impact they are having. Effective philanthropy is immensely rewarding for donors,....more

Giving is Great