Our financial summary 2024-2025
Dorset Wildlife Trust has had another successful year with two land acquisitions. Land acquired at Tadnoll was funded by a nutrient neutrality capital grant of £170,000, and land at Bracketts Coppice was funded by the Helen Brotherton Endowment Fund. In addition, the charity received a gift in kind of buildings adjacent to Bracketts Coppice valued at £175,000.
The results for the year show a surplus of £423,000 on unrestricted funds and £681,000 on restricted funds. The unrestricted surplus includes the £175,000 gift-in-kind and £47,000 investment gains. The restricted surplus of £681,000 includes a capital grant of £170,000 and also a £486,000 grant to be held long term for management of the nature reserve at St Leonards. Dorset Wildlife Trust is in a strong position at year-end with unrestricted funds of £6.38 million of which £3.14 million are held as investments and £366,000 as net current working assets.
The income and expenditure for Dorset Wildlife Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025 are set out in the following charts. The information is taken from the audited consolidated accounts of Dorset Wildlife Trust which were prepared under the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102).
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Overall income for the year of £6.52 million includes £486,000 of St Leonards’ grant, £175,000 for a gift in kind of farm buildings, and £170,000 of restricted capital grant for land acquisition. Unrestricted income has increased by £68,000 to £3.12 million. Restricted income has fallen to £3.4 million following an exceptional year before, but the underlying trend is up on prior years.
Total expenditure in the year amounted to £5.44 million (2024: £4.36 million), of which 80% (2024: 75%) was expended on Dorset Wildlife Trust's direct charitable objects.
| This chart shows the types of assets that constitute the £27.05 million net assets of Dorset Wildlife Trust and also how those assets are distributed between Unrestricted, Designated, Restricted and Endowment Funds. The largest fund with net assets of £13.64 million is the Restricted Fund which can only be used for specific purposes. Approximately 70% of the Restricted Fund (£7.76million) represents Heritage Assets; these are our nature reserves. A further £3.18 million of the Restricted Fund is represented by Fixed Assets such as buildings and equipment funded by restricted donations and grants. Endowment Funds of £6.23 million of which £6.22 million is invested in Heritage Assets. Unrestricted funds, which are of a more general nature, amounted to £7.18 million of which £583,000 has been designated for future projects. Approximately £1.47 million of these Unrestricted Funds relates to Tangible Fixed Assets such as office buildings and other items of a capital nature which enable Dorset Wildlife Trust to function. A further £815,000 represents Heritage Assets. The remainder of the assets are held in the form of investments and working capital ie bank balances and monies due to Dorset Wildlife Trust (including £1.6 million of accrued legacy income), less monies owed by Dorset Wildlife Trust to its creditors. The level of free reserves held by the charity at the balance sheet date is £4.08 million representing nine months of budgeted annual costs which is in line with Dorset Wildlife Trust's Financial Reserves policy. |
- Read Dorset Wildlife Trust's Annual Report and Financial statement for the year… (https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/Dorset%20Wildlife%20Trust%20Report%20and%20Financial%20Statements%20for%20the%20year%20ended%2031%20March%202025.pdf)
- Read Dorset Wildlife Trust Services Ltd Annual Report and Financial statement f… (https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/Dorset%20Wildlife%20Trust%20Services%20Ltd%20Report%20and%20Financial%20Statements%20for%20the%20year%20ended%2031%20March%202025.pdf)
The financial summary does not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charitable company. For further information, the full financial statements, the auditors' report on those financial statements and the Directors' Annual Report should be consulted. Copies of these can be obtained from Brooklands Farm, Forston, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 7AA. The Directors' Report and Financial Statements are filed annually with both the Charity Commission (Registration number 200222) and Companies House (Registration Number 688439).
