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Wild Planet Trust

68 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

Charity accounts, evidence & financial rating

68/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Register checked 4 October 2026 · latest accounts 2025

Official regulator data
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Quick answer

Is Wild Planet Trust a good charity?

Wild Planet Trust scores 68/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£13m total income, 83% cause spend, 3-yr avg). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

Income

£13m

Accounts 2025-03-31

Spending

£27m

Accounts 2025-03-31

Charitable activities

83%

3-yr avg · share of spending

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

On this pageJump to a section
Hereford · HR5 3DJ Reg 306622 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does Wild Planet Trust do?

The Trust's principal activity during the year was the advancement of scientific knowledge, education and science in accordance with its charitable objectives.

Activities reported by the charity on the official register · extract . This is separate from the accounts data used for its rating.

Wild Planet Trust hasn't added a description directly to CharityCompare yet. Work here? Add it free →

How much does Wild Planet Trust raise and spend?

Accounts period 2023-11-01 to 2025-03-31 · Source: Charity Commission filings

Wild Planet Trust revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £13m —
Total expenditure £27m —
Charitable activities £24m 89%
Fundraising £3.0m 11%
Reported governance £28k 0%

Governance can already be allocated within other expenditure categories. It is not a separate measure of all administration costs; do not add these rows without checking the accounts notes.

89%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £27m spent

  • Charitable activities89%
  • Fundraising11%

Charities usually allocate governance costs across their other spending categories, and these reported figures add up to more than total spending, so governance is not drawn as a separate slice. The accounts table shows it separately.

From the annual return

What does Wild Planet Trust pay its staff, and where does its money come from?

Answers Wild Planet Trust gave in its annual return to the Charity Commission for the year ending 31 March 2025, plus its register entry. These are the charity's own disclosures, not part of the Clarity Score.

How much are Wild Planet Trust's highest-paid staff paid?

Wild Planet Trust's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports 3 employees paid more than £60,000, including 2 employees paid more than £100,000. The highest reported pay band is £150,001–£200,000 (1 employee).

Wild Planet Trust employees paid over £60,000, by salary band
Salary bandEmployees
£150,001–£200,000 1
£110,001–£120,000 1
£70,001–£80,000 1

The register reports headcounts in salary bands, not names. The chief executive's pay is normally disclosed in the remuneration note of the trustees' annual report.

Where does Wild Planet Trust's money come from?

Wild Planet Trust reported £13m total income for the year ending 31 March 2025. The largest sources were charitable activities £8.3m (64%), trading and fundraising events £3.8m (29%), donations and legacies £682k (5%). Legacies (gifts in wills) contributed £637k.

  • Charitable activities (fees and contracts) £8.3m · 64%
  • Trading and fundraising events £3.8m · 29%
  • Donations and legacies £682k · 5%
  • Other income £112k · 1%
  • Investments £108k · 1%

Cash at year end: £190k · unrestricted funds: £3.1m · restricted funds: £394k. Restricted funds can only be spent on purposes set by the donor.

Can I claim Gift Aid, and are the trustees paid?

The register records Wild Planet Trust as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, so a UK taxpayer can usually add 25p to every £1 they give by making a Gift Aid declaration. Work out your Gift Aid

Wild Planet Trust's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports that no trustee received remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

Registration details

Registered as a charity
Previous names on the register
The Herbert Whitley Trust; The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust
Where it says it operates
Devon · Nigeria · Tanzania · Zimbabwe

Source: Charity Commission register and annual return data, Open Government Licence v3.0. A blank answer in the return is shown as not reported, never as “no”.

How have Wild Planet Trust's finances changed over five years?

Income rose 40% from £9.3m in 2020 to £13m in 2025; spending was £27m in 2025.

£0 £10m £20m £30m £40m 2020 2021 2022 2023 2025 Income 2020: £9.3m Spending 2020: £12m Cause spend 2020: £10m Income 2021: £12m Spending 2021: £11m Cause spend 2021: £8.2m Income 2022: £12m Spending 2022: £12m Cause spend 2022: £9.5m Income 2023: £12m Spending 2023: £14m Cause spend 2023: £11m Income 2025: £13m Spending 2025: £27m Cause spend 2025: £24m
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend
Wild Planet Trust income and spending by accounts year
Year Income Spending Charitable activities
2025 £13m £27m £24m
2023 £12m £14m £11m
2022 £12m £12m £9.5m
2021 £12m £11m £8.2m
2020 £9.3m £12m £10m

Cause spend is plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission filings

How does Wild Planet Trust compare?

The share of each group scoring at or below Wild Planet Trust, including tied scores. A group matched on cause, income band and accounts year appears when at least ten records qualify. Broader groups below may mix reporting periods and operating models. Groups include this charity; percentiles measure our financial rating, not impact.

Same cause, income band and accounts year (2025) 14thpercentile

Scores at or above 14% of 21 charities with the same primary cause, income band and latest accounts year · 68/100 vs 79 peer average.

Income band (£10m+) 21stpercentile

Scores at or above 21% of 930 charities in its income band · 68/100 vs 77 peer average.

Animals charities 28thpercentile

Scores at or above 28% of 367 charities in this cause · 68/100 vs 75 peer average.

Where Wild Planet Trust sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar animals charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

Evidence and interpretation

What the evidence says about Wild Planet Trust

In 2025, reported income was £13,080,731 and expenditure was £26,949,059. Expenditure exceeded income by £13,868,328. This annual balance is not the charity’s available cash or unrestricted reserves.

Calculated from our dated accounts dataset, refreshed 2026-09-06. This is not an audit or a manual review of every filing. Original register and accounts · How calculations work.

Find the right support

Who it supports and how to access its work

Reported beneficiaries: Children/young People; Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies; The General Public/mankind.

How it works: Makes Grants To Individuals; Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space; Provides Advocacy/advice/information; Sponsors Or Undertakes Research.

Use the official contact details to check eligibility, referrals, waiting lists and current service coverage. Broad register classifications and a contact address do not confirm that a particular service is available to you.

Explore source-checked support routes

Classifications supplied to the register; extract 2026-10-04. Register contact and activity details · Website listed for this charity

Look beyond the score

Results and impact evidence

We have not added a source-checked programme outcome for this charity. That is a gap in this profile, not evidence that the charity has no impact. Its annual report may contain results that have not been assessed here.

Reported grants to institutions: £0 (2025-03-31). This is spending reported in the annual return, not a measure of beneficiary outcomes or an open grant opportunity. It may already be included in charitable expenditure. Check the source accounts.

What these results can tell you

Counts of services delivered describe activity. They do not by themselves establish lasting change, what would have happened without the programme, or cost-effectiveness. Results with different definitions, populations or years should not be ranked against each other.

How to judge charity impact evidence

What is Wild Planet Trust's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for Wild Planet Trust
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

No recorded lateness in available history = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more or unknown status = 0 pts. Missing data is not proof of late filing.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three).

100% 4 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

40/100

Financial Health metrics for Wild Planet Trust
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of expenditure)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years = 0 pts. Reserves are not necessarily cash; needs vary by operating model.

67% 2 months · 10/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

0% Comparability review needed · 0/10 pts
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

40% 38% · 2/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

70/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for Wild Planet Trust
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

80% 83% · 8/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

60% 23p per £1 income · 6/10 pts (3-year average, disclosed years)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

20/100

Community Support metrics for Wild Planet Trust
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

20% 60 volunteers / 190 staff · 2/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What trust indicators does Wild Planet Trust have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    4 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    190 employees · 60 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores. Registration records a commitment to the Code of Fundraising Practice; it does not certify every fundraising activity.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 306622

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Andrew Charles John Cooper Bsc
  • Sarah Barr Chair · since 2013
  • Ben Louis Jobson since 2024
  • James O'dwyer since 2024

How reliable is Wild Planet Trust's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
Filing date
Data refreshed

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the accounts in our dated data extract. The live register may contain newer filings. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Check the current register entry · Report a data correction

Financial source extract: 2026-09-06. Organisation identifier: 306622. Method version: 1.1. View method changes.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Your donation decision

What should you check before donating to Wild Planet Trust?

  1. 1. Match the name and charity number

    Check 306622 on the official register. A real charity number alone does not prove that a fundraiser or appeal is authentic.

    Verify the registration →
  2. 2. Read the accounts in context

    Our latest accounts data covers 2025. Compare the accounts period, spending and reserves. An administration cost ratio alone cannot tell you how effective a charity is.

    Explore the financial evidence →
  3. 3. Look for evidence of results

    Read the trustees’ annual report for activities, outcomes and limitations. The Clarity Score measures public reporting; it does not establish the impact of a donation.

    How to read charity accounts →
  4. 4. Compare charities serving your cause

    Compare up to four charities, check the dates behind their figures, and decide which work you want to support. Complete your donation through a verified charity channel.

    Start a comparison with Wild Planet Trust →
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

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How do you add Wild Planet Trust's rating to your site?

Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Wild Planet Trust's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Wild Planet Trust a good charity? +

Wild Planet Trust scores 68 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 83% of its spending goes to charitable activities (3-yr avg) and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is Wild Planet Trust a legitimate charity? +

The register data used for this profile lists Wild Planet Trust as a registered charity (charity number 306622). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=306622&subId=0. Check the current entry and the identity of anyone requesting money. Registration does not verify a particular appeal; Clarity Score summarises filing transparency, not programme impact.

What is Wild Planet Trust's charity number? +

Wild Planet Trust's charity number is 306622. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is Wild Planet Trust's charity rating? +

Wild Planet Trust scores 68 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score (method v1.1) sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does Wild Planet Trust have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Wild Planet Trust. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (none flagged on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Wild Planet Trust? +

Across the recent disclosed accounts used for this score, 83% of Wild Planet Trust's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are Wild Planet Trust's overheads? +

Across the recent disclosed accounts used for this score, fundraising costs were about 17% of total expenditure and fundraising plus separately reported governance figures amount to about 17% of expenditure (2022–2025, disclosed years); these categories can overlap, so this is not a distinct total of all administration costs at Wild Planet Trust. Wild Planet Trust's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports 3 employees paid more than £60,000, including 2 employees paid more than £100,000. The highest reported pay band is £150,001–£200,000 (1 employee). Individual salaries, including the chief executive's, are disclosed in the trustees' annual report rather than on the register.

How much income does Wild Planet Trust receive? +

Wild Planet Trust reported £13m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Wild Planet Trust's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-01-29). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is Wild Planet Trust based? +

Wild Planet Trust's registered contact address is in Hereford (HR5 3DJ). It tells the regulator it operates in Devon, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, with a focus on animals.

How much is Wild Planet Trust's chief executive paid? +

The Charity Commission register does not name individual salaries. Wild Planet Trust's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports 3 employees paid more than £60,000, including 2 employees paid more than £100,000. The highest reported pay band is £150,001–£200,000 (1 employee). Charities normally disclose the chief executive's pay, or the pay of their highest-paid staff, in the remuneration note of the trustees' annual report and accounts.

Where does Wild Planet Trust's money come from? +

Wild Planet Trust reported £13m total income for the year ending 31 March 2025. The largest sources were charitable activities £8.3m (64%), trading and fundraising events £3.8m (29%), donations and legacies £682k (5%). Legacies (gifts in wills) contributed £637k.

Can I claim Gift Aid on a donation to Wild Planet Trust? +

The register records Wild Planet Trust as registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, so a UK taxpayer can usually add 25p to every £1 they give by making a Gift Aid declaration.

Are Wild Planet Trust's trustees paid? +

Wild Planet Trust's annual return for the year ending 31 March 2025 reports that no trustee received remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

What was Wild Planet Trust previously called? +

The register lists these previous names for Wild Planet Trust: The Herbert Whitley Trust; The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust.

When was Wild Planet Trust registered as a charity? +

Wild Planet Trust was entered on the register on 1 July 1963.

How does CharityCompare score Wild Planet Trust? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Wild Planet Trust's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? +

This profile was last updated on 6 September 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Wild Planet Trust's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.