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← Rewilding Britain

2024-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT 2023124 REWiLDiNG BRITAIN

i? o“ TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome from our Chair and Chief Executive 3
Report of the Board of Trustees 4
Mission and strategy 5
Highlights from 2023/24 7
Financial review 21
Report of the Independent Auditor 29
Statement of financial activities 34
Balance sheet 35
Statement of cash flows 36
Notes to the financial statements 37
Acknowledgements 47

Annual Report 2023/24 Welcome from our Chair and Chief Executive

WELCOME FROM OUR CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE

To achieve our mission of a mosaic of species-rich habitats restored and connected across at least 30% of Britain’s land and sea by 2030, we must think big. Big ideas and a big effort are needed to tackle the interconnected nature and climate emergencies.

That’s why our role in bringing rewilders together, to connect, share knowledge and experience, and access help and advice, is so vital. Together we can enable rewilding to flourish right across the country, reconnecting us with the natural world, sustaining our communities, and safeguarding our future.

In many ways 2023/24 was a year of growth for Rewilding Britain. We grew our team to meet the scale of the challenge we face. With more capacity, expertise and reach we can get more done and deliver more for our supporters and members.

Almost 4,000 people generously donated to Rewilding Britain last year – evidence of the growing public backing for nature recovery and climate action. With this support we were able to grow the Rewilding Network to almost 1,000 members and build new partnerships towards shared goals.

We grew in influence too. Nearly 9,000 people signed the Rewilding Nation Charter, calling on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation. In Wales, we engaged with the Welsh Government’s Net Zero 2035 Challenge to champion rewilding and naturebased solutions.

And in Westminster, we helped secure government funding for rewilding through the Landscape Recovery Scheme. As the only UK-wide rewilding organisation, we are increasingly seen as the goto source for rewilding information and input by decision makers.

And we also grew in ambition. Through the Challenge Fund we granted £100,000 each to two major rewilding projects over the last two years, as well as financially supporting two more that have a bold vision and clear plans to achieve a step change in rewilding. Our Innovation Fund has now awarded a total of over half a million pounds to 44 rewilding initiatives around Britain since 2021,

helping to turn rewilding ideas into action and unlocking further financing for projects in many cases.

This year we dived deeper into the potential to rewild our seas and coastlines, recruiting our first Marine Rewilding Coordinator and creating a dedicated marine strategy. And with the appointment of our first Director of Communications and Engagement we will be building our supporter insight and engaging even more rewilders.

Now in a stronger position to support the individuals, organisations and communities engaged in rewilding projects across the country, we look ahead with determination, focus and real hope. The experience we’ve gained on our journey so far will inform our next five-year strategy and enable us to get closer to the world we want to see.

Thank you so much for helping to make everything we’ve achieved this year possible and for continuing to think big, act wild.

George Levvy Rebecca Wrigley Chair Chief Executive Rewilding Britain Rewilding Britain

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Annual Report 2023/24 Report of the Board of Trustees

OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY

The Trustees of Rewilding Britain present their Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2024 together with the financial statements for that period. The financial statements comply with Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS102) and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP2015).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

2030 STRATEGIC AIMS

Our ambition is to see a massive upscaling of nature’s recovery across at least 30% of Britain’s land and sea by 2030, supporting natural forest and woodland, peatlands, rivers, moorlands, saltmarshes and healthy seas, as well as sustainable green economies and rural communities.

Our charitable objectives are:

“To promote for the benefit of the public the improvement and conservation of the physical and natural environment in Britain by promoting the restoration of ecosystems and biological diversity”

“To advance the education of the public in the restoration, conservation and improvement of the physical and natural environment”

The Trustees have referred to the guidance from the Charity Commission on public benefit in producing this report and when reviewing our aims and objectives and planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees have considered how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

A transition towards 30% rewilding will support large-scale ecosystem restoration, boost carbon drawdown and help the UK and devolved governments to meet existing nature and climate commitments.

Rewilding Britain’s strategy is focused on catalysing change on the ground and ensuring rewilding’s systemic approach is supported through progressive policy and legislation. We will achieve this through scaling up and connecting rewilding, alongside mainstreaming rewilding for the benefit of people and nature.

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OUR VISION

Rewilding is flourishing across Britain — reconnecting us with the natural world, sustaining communities and tackling the climate emergency and the extinction crisis.

OUR MISSION

To champion rewilding in Britain — acting as a catalyst for debate and action, and demonstrating the power of working with nature to tackle the climate emergency and the extinction crisis.

2030 OVERALL AIMS

Our ambition is to see a massive upscaling of nature’s recovery across at least 30% of Britain’s land and sea by 2030, supporting natural forest and woodland, peatlands, rivers, moorlands, saltmarshes and healthy seas, as well as sustainable green economies and rural communities.

SCALING UP & CONNECTING REWILDING

By 2030 rewilding will restore and reinstate as wide a range of natural processes, habitats and species as possible – native forest, peatland, moorland, heath, wetland, grassland, salt marsh, kelp beds, seagrass and living reefs – and with no loss of productive farmland.

We will inspire and empower Britain’s largest landowners to commit to rewilding within a mosaic of smaller rewilding sites, providing connectivity between core areas, linking land and marine areas, and connecting into the heart of our cities.

MAINSTREAMING REWILDING

By 2030 we will see an inspiring, diverse mosaic of habitats and species across our land and at sea which allows nature to flourish, while delivering significant benefits for people – including opportunities for green local economies; healthier air, water and soils; and better health and wellbeing.

By propelling rewilding into the mainstream we will achieve the necessary support from both legislation and funding to ensure a wilder future. Through integrated government policies and legislation as well as greater private and public funding mechanisms we will drive and incentivise land and marine use change.

NATURE FOR PEOPLE

People are at the heart of rewilding. We will help to empower and inspire individuals, groups and communities to transition towards rewilding.

Evidence from rewilders will demonstrate that nature-based economies increasingly provide alternative income streams and livelihoods as part of a just transition for rural and coastal communities.

By 2030 we will see communities leading, shaping and benefiting from rewilding where they are, as part of a growing movement that supports, learns about and derives multiple advantages from rewilding.

2025 KEY OBJECTIVES

1 2 SCALING UP REWILDING

2 3 GROWING PROTECTED AREAS AND THE MOVEMENT NATIONAL PARKS

Britain’s largest Rewilding Network At least a quarter of all public, NGO and members are protected areas and private landowners supported to national parks (land (not yet part of the increase rewilding and marine) commit at Rewilding Network) area to 300k ha land least 50% of the area make a commitment and 200k ha marine to nature recovery, and are in the and to move up the including 10% core process of rewilding rewilding spectrum. rewilding. at least 200k ha, working in line with our rewilding principles.

4 ENABLING POLICY

5 BUILDING ENGAGEMENT

Key legislation and Public support for policy changes rewilding is growing enable, incentivise and broadening, with and provide funding a diverse range of for rewilding. people getting more actively involved in the rewilding movement.

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HI FROM 2023124

Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

SCALING UP REWILDING

To scale up and connect up rewilding to restore and reinstate as wide a range of natural processes, habitats and species as possible.

We have made our first payments under the Rewilding Challenge Fund to projects showing most potential for scaling up rewilding on land or at sea. We granted £100,000 each to Wilder Blean (2022/23) and the Sussex Bay Marine Rewilding Project (2023/24). And due to the quality of shortlisted finalists in 2024, we provided £25,000 to two more exciting projects (see p13).

Projects led by members in Scotland have seen a fivefold increase in jobs since rewilding began, and in England and Wales they’ve doubled.

In Scotland full-time equivalent jobs across the rewilding sites have increased from 24 before rewilding to 123, according to the analysis of 13 major rewilding projects covering almost 60,000ha. In England and Wales, across 59 rewilding sites, full-time equivalent jobs have increased from 162 to 312, an increase of 93%. Data was provided by members of the Rewilding Network with projects greater than 100ha (247 acres). Rewilding began on the sites at different times.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

A focus of our work this year was to gather evidence to demonstrate how we can massively upscale rewilding across 30% of Britain by 2030. We need to show the recovery of nature and the local economy go hand-in-hand to benefit us all.

This includes communicating how we can deliver our nature recovery commitments without touching productive farmland or impacting food production. We’ve already been using this data in our communications, including political influencing activities, fundraising and awareness raising.

We’ve created a valuable new influencing tool that defines and brings to life the five levels of the spectrum of rewilding . This visual representation – accompanied by explanatory material on rewilding’s breadth, complexity and variability – is designed to help policymakers understand our vision and practitioners plan their own trajectory.

We joined the new European Rewilding Coalition , a movement of leading rewilding organisations with a shared mission to scale up nature recovery across the continent.

AT A GLANCE

200+ large-scale rewilding projects in the Rewilding Network

£200,000 awarded to one landscape-scale and one seascape-scale project through our Rewilding Challenge Fund

5X more jobs at Scottish member sites since rewilding began

THE REWILDING MONITORING FRAMEWORK

We developed the Rewilding Monitoring Framework to track ecological, social and economic data from sites across Britain. This builds on the valuable data members of the Rewilding Network have been collecting for several years. It’s a crucial step to make the case for rewilding and the role it plays in addressing the nature and climate crises.

Following a useful indicator prioritisation workshop with stakeholders including academics and practitioners and some key arms-length bodies, we began piloting the trial framework with five Rewilding Network projects.

We will develop our approach to delivering the framework to ensure it meets the needs of rewilders – for monitoring impact and accessing funding – and delivers critical data and evidence for decision makers and stakeholders.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

GROWING THE MOVEMENT

Rewilding projects are supported through the Rewilding Network to increase the scale and ambition of nature recovery.

On World Rewilding Day, we celebrated the extraordinary growth of the Rewilding Network since it was established three years ago. When launching this movement of rewilding projects across England, Scotland and Wales we set a target to catalyse and support the rewilding of at least 121,406ha of land, plus marine areas, within three years.

By 31 March 2024 the Network had reached 967 members, all working to actively rewild 170,378ha of land and 506km² of seabed. This over-target result highlights rewilding’s increasing popularity. 83% of the land within the Network is contiguous areas of rewilding at a minimum of 600ha, proving that our vision of large-scale restoration is achievable.

We brought 49 members together at our second in-person Network event in Newcastle. This included a Northumberland site visit and discussions including the challenges of managing free-roaming herbivores in Britain, how to finance rewilding, the difficulties and opportunities presented by adverse weather, the value of pollen analysis and other monitoring metrics for rewilding, and how to finance rewilding work.

We supported Network members with 12 webinars on subjects from encouraging natural herd dynamics in horses and cattle to updates on land management policy and regulations. We also held a film screening of ‘The Return of the Aurochs’ for Network members and donors.

: A, te \ Nos 4 “A FLAWLESSLY DELIVERED, MULTIDAY GATHERING THAT WAS HUGELY . . bs ° ¢ INSPIRING FOR ME (AND FOR a» EVERYONE ELSE I SPOKE TO!).” s t 7 Seb Haggett, Wilder Dorset Community Ranger, Dorset Wildlife Trust, www.rewildingbritain.org.uk

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

With the recruitment of our first Marine Rewilding Coordinator and the creation of a marine strategy, we continued to support and expand marine rewilding within the Network. We are now better positioned to address policy barriers that prevent our seas from returning to their full potential.

Building our reputation as the go-to place for rewilding practical content , we partnered with legal experts the Lifescape Project to produce a comprehensive guide to making sense of rewilding and the law, with information and advice on subjects from tax and subsidies to access and liability.

AT A GLANCE

933

land-based members in the Rewilding Network rewilding 170,378ha of land

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marine members in the Rewilding Network, rewilding 506km[2] of seabed

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local rewilding networks in the Rewilding Network

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ee REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — REWILDING BRITAIN — MARCH 2024 Gag ee Tey win

| IN FOCUS REWILDING BRITAIN ; AS A STRATEGIC FUNDER | a | =

Recognising that seed funding is crucial for rewilding projects, we awarded grants through two rewilding funds in 2023/24. These funds act as a blueprint to inspire others — both practitioners and investors.

REWILDING INNOVATION FUND

The Rewilding Innovation Fund has helped turn a diverse range of exciting ideas into practical action, from lynx feasibility studies to marine restoration, community engagement to drone surveying. It has supported 44 rewilding initiatives around Britain with over half a million pounds of funding since 2021.

In April 2023 we made the Innovation Fund the focus of our Big Give fundraising appeal, successfully raising over £210k.

This funding will help boost the bold efforts of rewilders to bring nature back, improve our climate and provide more economic security for communities.

The Innovation Fund has been instrumental in unlocking future financing for some projects. A West Dorset grant helped bring together 53 farms to build a successful Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme nature recovery bid. And Wild Peak was awarded £1.7m after building the project with our advisory support and early seed funding.

REWILDING CHALLENGE FUND

Our Rewilding Challenge Fund awards £100,000 annually to projects larger than 1000ha and that deliver lasting social, economic and ecological benefits. This year we awarded a grant to the Sussex Bay Marine Rewilding Project and released funds to our 2023 recipient Wilder Blean.

Wilder Blean Initiative

It was a big moment when we awarded £100,000 to Kent Wildlife Trust, the first recipients of our Rewilding Challenge Fund. Home to the UK’s first reintroduced European bison, which are now successfully reproducing, the trust is aiming to rewild tens of thousands of hectares, including one of the largest continuous areas of ancient woodland in southern England.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

In addition to this funding, we’ve supported the co-design of the project vision, looking at:

a multi-discipline marine nature recovery programme for young people.

Sussex Bay

Sussex Bay is a collaboration of more than 200 groups, organisations and partners with a vision of a healthy marine ecosystem for 100 miles of coastline from Selsey Bill to Camber Sands. Local authorities, charities and diverse communities of residents and businesses aim to create and deliver a pioneering seascape-scale strategy for the entire coastline.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING

This year we’ve awarded £25,000 of funding each to two projects with a bold vision and clear plans to achieve a step change in rewilding. One of these recipients is Cornwall Wildlife Trust Wilder Seas partnership, a project bringing together a group of stakeholders to try to create a wilder seas vision for the Cornwall coast. We’ll be sharing news of the second recipient later in 2024.

Funding from Rewilding Britain will enable the appointment of a Science Lead to the Blue Natural Capital Lab project, along with contributing to several pilot projects and community enrichment initiatives including:

| a work-experience toolkit for those interested in working in the marine, rewilding and land management sectors.

“THE CHALLENGE FUND HAS ENABLED US TO GIVE IT A GO AND GROW, MORPH AND CHANGE, WHICH IS FAIRLY UNIQUE IN THE FUNDING WORLD. I HAVEN’T COME ACROSS A GRANT LIKE THIS BEFORE.” |

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

PROTECTED AREAS AND NATIONAL PARKS

At least a quarter of all protected areas and national parks are committed to rewilding.

~~=a~~ With three new national parks planned for We’ve been working closely with national Scotland, England and Wales, we’ve kept up the park authorities – including Dartmoor, Exmoor, pressure for the UK and devolved governments Cairngorms, Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly to enable these cherished landscapes to work Brecon Beacons) and Northumberland – to much harder in restoring nature and supporting encourage them to support nature restoration thriving communities. as part of their management plans.

In December we highlighted that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (the global authority on the status of the natural world) downgraded UK national parks, an issue that had otherwise largely gone unnoticed in the British media.

The Northumberland National Park Authority will take a nature-first approach to land management of a 200ha site, working with farmers and landowners in the wider 5,000ha catchment area.

HOLYROOD SUCCESS

Our influencing work as part of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance (SRA) is having a real impact in shaping the future of Scotland’s national parks. In summer 2023 we responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation, making a strong case for nature to become the priority of Scotland’s national parks and that these protected areas should be aiming to rewild at large a scale as possible. The government’s analysis of the consultation responses quoted the SRA throughout and frequent references were made to rewilding’s importance in the process of ecological connectivity. We’re continuing to work closely with MSPs to ensure this approach is put into practice by the new government.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

We’ve played a significant role in defining a coherent rewilding vision for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) .

As part of the Wildlife and Countryside Link alliance, we pushed for a whole-site approach in our response to the Office of Environmental Protection’s consultation on the UK Marine Strategy.

We organised a cross-border workshop with the conservation authority UICN France to define and map marine naturalness across France and the UK and highlight potential rewilding areas. Twenty-five stakeholders attended, including members of The Crown Estate, Marine Conservation Society, RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and the Blue Marine Foundation.

We’ve been a key stakeholder in the Environment Agency’s work on coastal restoration potential mapping, responding to consultations on guidance on the management of Offshore Marine Protected Areas and Highly Protected Marine Areas in England.

AT A GLANCE

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consultations about national parks and protected areas submitted

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national park authorities engaged

44

Rewilding Network sites located in national parks and protected areas

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

ENABLING POLICY

Key legislation and policy changes enable, incentivise and provide funding for rewilding.

Our Rewilding Finance report provided a

vision of how Britain can scale up high-integrity funding and finance for rewilding, featuring case studies of groundbreaking projects. Produced in collaboration with Terranomics, an expert in nature-positive financial mechanisms, it outlines five recommendations to enable rewilders and investors to make long-term investments that benefit people, nature and climate. We promoted the report at a parliamentary reception at Holyrood, with attendees from green finance, philanthropy, government and the rewilding community.

Following our response to a consultation on the taxation of environmental land management and ecosystem service markets, the government pledged to extend tax relief to landowners transferring rewilded land upon death . Previously, land had to be actively farmed to be eligible. Now, landowners switching from intensive sheep farming to lowlevel cattle grazing — or even to no grazing at all while trees become established — can do so without being financially penalised, encouraging more to make nature-friendly decisions.

As a member of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, we’ve been campaigning for the Scottish Government to declare Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation and commit to nature recovery across 30% of our land and seas. We’re delighted that politicians are now citing rewilding as a solution to issues like flooding and drought.

The changes we supported in the second stage of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill were voted in by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, including community benefits, recognising nature restoration as a business that should be supported, and ensuring new rural subsidy arrangements include support for setting aside land for nature.

We actively engaged with the Welsh Government’s Net Zero 2035 Challenge to fasttrack the country’s decarbonisation. As well as a formal consultation response, we engaged with the expert group directly on rewilding and nature-based solutions and are hopeful some of our recommendations will be taken forward.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

We also responded to consultations on the Environmental Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets for a Greener Wales (white paper) and the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Despite our work on marine rewilding being at a relatively early stage, we are already influencing policy and the wider sector (see p15 for how we are getting our vision for marine rewilding onto the agenda for Marine Protected Areas, as well as our work on marine mapping). We were invited to present the benefits of coastal rewilding to the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group, after presenting our rewilding work to the Green Liberal Democrats.

We joined The British Ecological Society Special Interest Group (SIG) for Rewilding , recognising our role in bridging science and practice. We’ve now contributed to a new report on ‘Exploring the carbon sequestration potential of rewilding in the UK: policy and data needs to support net zero’, aimed at central and devolved government.

AT A GLANCE

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50+ MPs/MSPs/MSs directly engaged

MULTIPLE invitations to talk about rewilding’s benefits to key decision makers

WESTMINSTER SUCCESS

To secure government funding for rewilding, we pushed for Westminster to include naturerestoring projects in the Landscape Recovery Scheme, an important source of post-Brexit funding for land managers.

In November 2023 the UK Government announced that 34 projects would benefit from £25m of funding, including many sites linked to the Rewilding Network.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

BUILDING ENGAGEMENT

Public support for rewilding is growing and broadening with a diverse range of people getting more actively involved in the rewilding movement.

We are reaching millions of people with our message that a wilder Britain can reconnect us with nature, help communities thrive and prosper, and tackle the interconnected nature and climate emergencies. This year, we had over 400,000 website visits from more than 280,000 people, 168,000 followers on social media, 52,000 newsletter subscribers, and appeared in almost 2,000 media articles that reached an estimated 204 million people!

We achieved high-profile media coverage of our response to Defra’s comments that species reintroductions are not a priority, with articles in outlets from The Guardian to Mail Online.

In 2023 we relaunched our website to put our mission and impact front and centre. The new site showcases the progress being made by the Rewilding Network, provides a wealth of rewilding information and resources, and is more accessible to help us inspire new and experienced rewilders to think big, act wild.

In recognition of our position as the only UKwide rewilding organisation, our CEO Rebecca Wrigley was one of the first guests on the new Radio Four programme Rare Earth, which aims to cover ‘the biggest environmental issues on the planet’.

REWILDING NATION CAMPAIGN

ao ty Our public engagement and policy change work came __ iF — a . . - together in our Rewilding Nation Charter campaign, which el aE Se aims for the Scottish Government to declare Scotland * ae “bs se r the world’s first Rewilding Nation. As part of the Scottish a me Rewilding Alliance, our campaigning work during the year +24.: pi bt p ’ | .¥ has culminated in raising £200,000 in April 2024. We also supported the release and screening of the a ‘: film ‘Why Not Scotland?’ (more than 4,000 people have now seen the film at more than 70 locations), engaged a specialist agency to take the campaign messages into more rural areas, gathered nearly 9,000 signatures for the Charter, and received the support of Hollywood actor Leonardo diCaprio. As a result, we’re now in regular contact with MSPs, the government’s response to our work is more positive, and we have generated more than 1,000 pieces of media coverage, growing our supporter base.

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

We inspired supporters old and new to support our fundraising campaigns throughout the year. The Big Give campaign raised over £210,000 for the Innovation Fund in April 2023. Our own appeal in the autumn resulted in 113 new regular donors giving to our work each month, increasing our regular giving income by £11,000 a year.

In total almost 4,000 members of the public made a financial gift to us this year.

We worked to better understand our supporters and their needs and wants this year. Our survey of people’s motivations, attitudes and perception of Rewilding Britain revealed that supporters would like us to continue to be bold and give them clear actions they can take to advance rewilding.

We focused on our message that rewilding is a story of hope for tackling the nature and climate emergencies and delivers benefits for people and local communities. The theme of World Rewilding Day this year was ‘Hope into action’. In line with this, we celebrated the progress being made, shared uplifting real-life success stories, and used case studies to show how many positive changes rewilding can bring.

AT A GLANCE

9,000 signatures gathered in support of Scotland’s Rewilding Nation campaign 400,000 website visits

newsletter subscribers 52,000

168,000 followers on social media

204M people reached through 2,000 media articles we appeared in

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Annual Report 2023/24 Highlights from 2023/24

INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE AND SYSTEMS

This year we continued to invest in our people and infrastructure to strengthen our ability to carry out our mission, build our internal capacity and advance our policy agenda. We increased the size of our team from 13.65 full-time-equivalent staff to 20.85. This will enable improved human resources and learning and development support, information and cyber security measures, and project delivery.

We continued our equality, diversity and inclusion journey with the appointment of external expertise to support us. With several Trustees due to step down in 2024/25, we ran a recruitment campaign identifying four new Board members who will bring a range of skills to the organisation.

LOOKING AHEAD

The opportunities rewilding presents in addressing the urgent nature and climate emergencies is becoming impossible to ignore. It has a vital role to play in regenerating and restoring ecosystems while bringing many benefits to our lives – from health to the economy.

This is why we are more determined than ever to achieve our goal of 30% of Britain committing to rewilding by 2030.

Over the next year, a large part of our work will focus on holding the new UK Government to account on major nature restoration on land and in our marine areas. We will build evidence and data to support our recommendations for a massive increase in finance for rewilding and for rewildinginclusive policies. Marine rewilding is a growing part of the Rewilding Network and central to achieving the 30% goal.

Collaborating with our partners and allies in all we do, we will provide practical support, share experience and offer advice through the Rewilding Network. Our ambition is to create unstoppable momentum by bringing together thousands of people from across Britain to rewild land and sea, for the good of us all.

For detailed information about our plans for 2024/25 and beyond, please see our 2030 Vision and Strategy.

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FINANCIA ' REVI 21

Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

Total income for the year was £2,359,050 – an increase of £1,123,569 over 2022/23. The income for the year ended 31 March 2024 was particularly high as a result of one major grant of £550,000 from UBS Optimus Foundation, combined with the recognition of the first year of a £125,000 Oak Foundation grant, and £113,652 legacy income in the year.

Unrestricted income for the year was £2,056,666 (2022/23: £1,064,612). Of this, £867,400 was donated by trusts and foundations, £310,703 came from regular and one-off donations (including Gift Aid), £189,066 from major donors and £501,983 from corporate donations.

After expenditure of £1,657,654 we recorded a surplus of £399,012 on unrestricted funds, including designated funds (2022/23: deficit of £236,702), before transfers of £4,290 (2022/23: £3,258). Unrestricted funds increased from £1,469,069 to £1,863,791 (2022/23: decrease from £1,709,029 to £1,469,069).

Incoming resources relating to restricted funds totalled £302,384 for the year (2022/23: £170,869), and after expenditure of £415,603 (2022/23: £289,168) and transfers of £4,290 (2022/23: £3,258) resulted in a reduction in restricted funds of £108,929 (2022/23: £115,041). Total restricted funds as of 31 March 2024 were £124,654 (31 March 2023: £233,583) (see note 12 to the accounts).

During the year the Finance and Risk Committee met quarterly, with the remit to assist the Board in its duty to supervise the broad direction of our charity’s financial affairs, governance and major operating risks. This comprises Francis Smith (Treasurer), George Levvy (Chair), Julian Purvis (Trustee, resigned in December 2023), Priyanka Khandelwal, Marian Carson (Chief Operating Officer) and Richard Miller (Head of Finance).

HOW WE’RE FUNDED

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

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----- Start of picture text -----
43.9% 40.1%
27.6%
27.6%
2.6%
0.5%
4.8% 11.7%
23.7% 20.6%
Charitable trusts and foundations £1,035,144 Scaling up rewilding £832,189
Regular and one-off donations £337,566 Enabling policy context £572,450
Major philanthropic donations £240,966 Building engagement £427,163
Corporate donations £557,860 Raising funds £241,455
Legacies £113,652
Brand licence fees and merchandise £12,815
Investments £61,047
----- End of picture text -----

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----- Start of picture text -----
14.3%
10.2%
----- End of picture text -----

22

Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

FINANCIAL RESERVES POLICY

A three-year strategy and supporting budget has been prepared to deliver the charity’s activities between 2023 and 2026, paid from anticipated income and accumulated funds. The Board understands its obligation to apply income to Rewilding Britain’s charitable objectives as soon as practicable. Our reserves policy and our target reserves levels are reviewed annually by our Trustee Board, most recently in September 2024.

Our current policy is to hold unrestricted reserves, excluding any designated funds, of £500k as the charity grows its scope and operations. Given the rapid growth period we are in, this will be reviewed more frequently. The policy will reflect the Trustees’ appraisal of working capital requirements, the risks in Rewilding Britain’s sources of budgeted income, and an allowance for the growth in expenditure and funding for key strategic investments during the next planning cycle.

The charity has created designated funds as part of its planned growth in expenditure in our budget. The designated funds are specifically to provide a boost to strategic rewilding projects, to support the grant-giving impacts of the Innovation Fund and the Challenge Fund, as well as to support other key areas of intended additional investment.

Expenditure, including transfers, against these designated funds in the year ended 31 March 2024 was £118k, and a further £72k was transferred from general unrestricted funds during the year. Free reserves remaining at 31 March 2024 after designated reserves was £1,020k.

In line with our growth strategy, with the aim to upscale rewilding and increase impact, we have budgeted for significant expenditure (a 50% growth over 2023/24) which anticipates spending in excess of income (i.e. deficits). In total over the next two years to 31 March 2026 we are expecting to drawdown up to £1,248k from our reserves, including monies set aside in our restricted and designated funds. The intention is that the reserves policy will be met and any remaining buffer – if income allows – will serve a dynamic role affording increased resilience during a period of growth and change. Furthermore, this allows the opportunity to commit to the expenditure in the early stages of planning, while minimising the risk and impact of the protected income for the next year and beyond not meeting forecast levels.

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* 23
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Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

FUNDRAISING APPROACH AND PERFORMANCE

Rewilding Britain is committed to ensuring that fundraising activities are carried out in an ethical manner and adheres to the Code of Fundraising Practice as set out by the Fundraising Regulator. Rewilding Britain carries out due diligence and has agreements in place with corporate partners and commercial participators. We have received no complaints about our fundraising in the year ended 31 March 2024.

Through the consolidation of support from our growing base of supporters, we have grown the number of people donating to Rewilding Britain, reaching almost 4,000 individual donations over the year. The most significant level of growth can be seen in the growing value of corporate partners, trusts and foundations. At any one time we expect to be working with around 35 major funding partners and more than 80 active corporate partners.

Trusts and foundations have brought in 44% of our income, closely followed by corporate income, which made up 24% of the total income, and major gifts from individuals (10%). Our income from individual donors remains stable, an important achievement in a challenging economic climate. This year also saw impact from new legacy income.

The team has put in place a range of support and systems to improve our due diligence, onboarding and management of charitable trusts and corporate relationships.

The fundraising strategy aims to increase major gifts through building relationships with potential high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, trusts and foundations that are motivated to invest in rewilding to address the nature and climate crises.

Growing the fundraising team around the areas of philanthropy, meeting corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements, and investing in new business development is helping to increase the effectiveness of our fundraising activity.

With our generous supporters and partners by our side, we can continue to be independent, agile and effective over the coming year and long into the future.

24

Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

RISK MANAGEMENT

The Board recognises its responsibilities in terms of managing risk and has systems in place to ensure that the risks faced by the charity are identified, assessed, managed and monitored. Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team are guided by the risk appetite policy, using a risk register to assess regularly. Current material risks have been formally reviewed by the Finance and Risk Committee at each quarterly meeting during the year. The Board considers the gross risk before taking into account the internal and external controls and the residual net risk after these internal and external controls are applied.

When identifying risks, we assign risk owners and categorise them into the following areas:

Where the residual risk score is higher than our target risk as defined by our risk appetite statements, we identify further initiatives and actions to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

The major external risks continue to relate to the UK political situation, global unrest and conflict, and the cost of living crisis which is unhelpfully polarising the environment against food production.

We plan to ensure that balanced, evidence-led discussion demonstrates that rewilding has no negative impact on food production both in the UK and globally. There is particular risk that commitments may be weakened with negative knock-on effects for rewilding. Our internal controls are intended to manage rather than eliminate risks and to give reasonable rather than absolute reassurances.

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es
; eS 25 Se
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Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Rewilding Britain was founded in 2014 as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It is registered in England and Wales (Charity no. 1159373) and Scotland (Charity no. SC045685). Its registered office is The Courtyard, Shoreham Road, Upper Beeding, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3TN. It is governed by its constitution adopted on 27 August 2014 and amended on 4 April 2022. The members of the Trustee Board are Trustees under charity law.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Trustees are recruited in accordance with our constitution. In selecting individuals for appointment as Trustees, the charity Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity. All members of the Board have role descriptions and take part in induction programmes, training and development as appropriate.

The Board is made up of at least three and not more than 12 Trustees including the Chair. All Board members serve a three-year term of office and can be re-elected for further terms of three years. The Board has formed two sub-committees (Finance and Risk and Nominations and Governance) with a remit to meet on a quarterly basis (the members of each are indicated on p27).

We would like to thank our retiring Trustees for the generous contribution they have made to the growth and impact of Rewilding Britain as they come to the end of their term of service. We offer a warm welcome to our new Trustees, recruited to help the charity as it enters the next phase of its development.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the provisions of the charity’s constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The following statements have been affirmed by each of the Trustees of the charity:

26

Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered charity name

Rewilding Britain

Charity registration numbers

1159373 (England and Wales), SC045685 (Scotland)

MANAGEMENT

The Board delegates responsibility for the day-to-day management of Rewilding Britain to our Chief Executive, Rebecca Wrigley, and her Senior Leadership Team (see p28).

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The present office holders and any past office holders who served during the year, and to the date of signing this report, are listed below. Trustees who form part of sub-committees are indicated as follows, Finance and Risk (F&R) and Nominations and Governance (N&G).

Justin Albert Chair Elect, F&R, N&G (appointed 12 June 2024)
Harry Barton Trustee
Beth Collier Trustee (appointed 12 June 2024)
John Cook Trustee (appointed 12 June 2024)
Rachel Evatt Trustee, N&G
Elaine Gilligan Trustee
Priyanka Khandelwal Trustee, F&R
George Levvy Chair, F&R, N&G
Julian Purvis Trustee, F&R, N&G (resigned 6 December 2023)
Francis Smith Treasurer, Company Secretary & Vice Chair, F&R
David Tudor Trustee
Nick Wilkinson Trustee, N&G
Rachel Solomon Williams Trustee (appointed 12 June 2024)

27

Annual Report 2023/24 Financial review

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

The day-to-day management is delegated to our Chief Executive, Rebecca Wrigley, and her Senior Leadership Team.

Kate Barclay Head of Fundraising and Partnerships
Marian Carson Chief Operating Officer
Hilary Cross Head of Brand and Communications (resigned 31 January 2024)
Kevin Cumming Rewilding Director
Alastair Driver Director
Richard Miller Head of Finance
Kim Somerville Director of Communications and Engagement (joined 11 March 2024)
Rebecca Wrigley Chief Executive

PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

A list of Rewilding Britain’s professional advisers appears on page 46.

Approved by the Trustees on 18 September 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

George Levvy

Chair Rewilding Britain

28

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29
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Annual Report 2023/24 Report of the Independent Auditor

Year ended 31 March 2024

We have audited the financial statements of Rewilding Britain (the ‘charitable incorporated organisation’) for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102. The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

BASIS FOR OPINION

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable incorporated organisation in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable incorporated organisation’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

OTHER INFORMATION

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

30

Annual Report 2023/24 Report of the Independent Auditor

Year ended 31 March 2024

OPINIONS ON OTHER MATTERS PRESCRIBED BY THE CHARITIES ACT 2011

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charitable incorporated organisation and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable incorporated organisation’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable incorporated organisation or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so .

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31
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Annual Report 2023/24 Report of the Independent Auditor

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the ’ Financial Reporting Council s website.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

EXTENT TO WHICH THE AUDIT WAS CONSIDERED CAPABLE OF DETECTING IRREGULARITIES, INCLUDING FRAUD

The objectives of our audit, in respect to fraud, are: to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses; and to respond appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the entity and its management.

Our approach was as follows:

through discussion with the trustees and other management (as required by auditing standards), and discussed with the trustees and other management the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations (see below);

Based on this understanding we designed our audit procedures to identify non-compliance with such laws and regulations. Where the risk was considered to be higher, we performed audit procedures to address each identified fraud risk. These procedures included: testing manual journals; reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation; performing analytical procedures; and enquiring of management, and were designed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free from fraud or error.

32

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

USE OF OUR REPORT

This report is made solely to the charitable incorporated organisation’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 44 (1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable incorporated organisation’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable incorporated organisation and the charitable incorporated organisation’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Mark Cummins FCCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of TC Group Statutory Auditors Office: Steyning

Dated: 3 October 2024

33

Statement of financial activities Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Notes
Income from
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Investments
Total
Expenditure on
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total
4
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfer between funds
12
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward		 Notes
Income from
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Investments
Total
Expenditure on
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total
4
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfer between funds
12
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
1,115,404
880,215
61,047
2,056,666
241,455
1,416,199
1,657,654
399,012		 Restricted
Funds
£
134,640
167,744
-
302,384
-
415,603
415,603
(113,219)		 2023/24
Total
£
1,250,044
1,047,959
61,047
2,359,050
241,455
1,831,802
2,073,257
285,793		 2022/23
Total
£
801,988
431,938
1,555
1,235,481
195,357
1,395,125
1,590,482
(355,001)
-
(4,290) 4,290 -
394,722
1,469,069
1,863,791		 (108,929)
233,583
124,654		 285,793
1,702,652
1,988,445		 (355,001)
2,057,653
1,702,652

All of the charity’s activities are continuing.

There are no gains and losses other than those shown above.

The notes on pages 37 to 46 form part of these financial statements.

34

Annual Report 2023/24

Balance sheet Year ended 31 March 2024

BALANCE SHEET YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

2024 2023
Notes £ £
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 9 446,437 490,959
Cash at bank and in hand 2,032,168 1,544,549
Total current assets 2,478,605 2,045,509
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 10 (490,160) (342,856)
Net current assets 1,988,445 1,702,652
Total assets less current liabilities 1,988,445 1,702,652
Total net assets 1,988,445 1,702,652
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted funds 12 1,863,791 1,469,069
Restricted funds 12 124,654 233,583
Total charity funds 1,988,455 1,702,652

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board and were signed on its behalf on 18 September 2024 by:

George Levvy Chair

35

Statement of cash flows Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Cash fows from operating activities:Notes
Net cash provided / (absorbed) by operating activities (see Table 1)
Net cash provided by investing activities (interest receivable)
Increase / (decrease) in Cash
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2023 (see Table 2)
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2024 (see Table 2)
Table 1: Reconciliation of net income to net cash fow
from operating activities
Net income / (expenditure) for the year
Adjustments for:
(Increase) / decrease in debtors 9
Increase / (decrease) in creditors 10
Investment income (interest receivable)
Net cash provided / (absorbed) by operating activities
Table 2: Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash in hand
Total cash and cash equivalents		 2023/24
£
416,572
61,047
477,619
1,554,549
2,032,168
2023/24
£
285,793
44,522
147,304
(61,047)
416,572
2024
£
2,032,168
2,032,168		 2022/23
£
(84,116)
1,555




(82,561)
1,637,110
1,554,549
2022/23
£
(355,001)
60,165
212,275
(1,555)


(84,116)
2023
£
1,554,549
1,554,549

36

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

1. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

a) Basis of accounting and statement of compliance

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (SORP 2019 (FRS 102)), and applicable accounting standards (FRS102).

Rewilding Britain is a public benefit entity.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.

After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern and as such the going concern basis has been adopted for the preparation of these financial statements.

The principal accounting policies and estimation techniques are as follows:

b) Income

Voluntary income and grants receivable are recognised when the amount can be accurately quantified, it becomes probable that the income will be received, and the charity becomes entitled to the income.

Investment income is accounted for on an accruals basis.

c) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are those the use of which is restricted by the conditions imposed by the donors.

Unrestricted funds are those which are available for the general advancement of Rewilding Britain’s objectives.

d) Allocation of costs

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis when a liability is incurred. Overheads and support costs have been allocated to the cost headings in the Statement of Financial Activities as follows:

An estimate of staff time spent on each activity during the year, together with the individual’s salary cost, has been used to calculate the actual cost of staff time spent on each activity.

Support costs include the costs of Premises, Human Resources, IT and Governance. These have been allocated to our charitable activities and fundraising on the basis of the percentage usage estimated for each activity.

e) Charitable activities

Charitable activity costs include all expenditure incurred in direct pursuit of Rewilding Britain’s charitable objectives.

f) VAT

Rewilding Britain is not VAT registered. Costs include VAT where applicable.

g) Pension schemes

Rewilding Britain operates defined contribution pension schemes for all qualifying employees. The assets of the schemes are held in separate funds administered by independent providers.

h) Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost (or deemed cost) or valuation less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Individual items costing less than £2,500 are written off as incurred whilst those costing this amount or more are capitalised as tangible fixed assets.

37

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset on a systematic basis over its expected useful life as follows:

The Trustees do not consider that there are any critical estimates or areas of judgement that need to be brought to the attention of the readers of the financial statements.

n) Foreign exchange

Computer equipment 2 years

i) Investments

Fixed asset investments are stated at fair value. Realised and unrealised gains and losses on investments are dealt with in the Statement of Financial Activities.

j) Creditors and provisions

Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in the Statement of Financial Activities.

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.

k) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments. The Trustees seek to use short-term deposits where possible to optimise the return on monies held at the bank and to manage cash flow.

l) Debtors

Amounts owing to the charity at the balance sheet date are shown as debtors less any provisions for amounts that may prove uncollectable.

m) Key estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised.

38

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

2. INCOME FROM DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

3. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Unrestricted
Restricted
Funds
Funds
£
£
Major personal donations
189,066
51,900
Corporate donations
501,983
55,877
Legacies
113,652
-
General donations
310,703
26,863
1,115,404
134,640
Unrestricted
Restricted
Funds
Funds
£
£
Grants from trusts and foundations
867,400
167,744
Brand licence fees
12,100
-
Merchandise and other trading
715
-
880,215
167,744		 Total
2023/24
£
240,966
557,860
113,652
337,566
1,250,044
Total
2023/24
£
1,035,144
12,100
715
1,047,959		 Total
2022/23
£
106,769
365,574
-
329,644
801,988
Total
2022/23
£
431,938
-
-
431,938

39

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

4. ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE

Raising funds
Fundraising costs
Support costs
Total raising funds
Charitable activities
Catalyse
Activities undertaken directly
Support costs
Total
Infuence
Activities undertaken directly
Support costs
Total
Engage
Activities undertaken directly
Support costs
Total
Total charitable activities
Total expenditure		 Staff
Costs
£
170,554
21,702
192,256
218,244
65,107
283,351
232,285
65,107
297,392
162,133
65,107
227,240
807,983
1,000,239		 Other
Costs
£
18,737
30,462
49,199
457,454
91,384
548,838
183,674
91,384
275,058
108,539
91,384
199,923
1,023,819
1,073,018		 Total
2023/24
£
189,291
52,164
241,455
675,698
156,491
832,189
415,959
156,491
572,450
270,672
156,491
427,163
1,831,802
2,073,257		 Total
2022/23
£
167,526
27,831
195,357
559,423
83,493
642,916
320,559
83,493
404,052
264,664
83,493
348,157
1,395,125
1,590,482

5. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

Average monthly headcount
Employee costs were as follows:
Salaries
National Insurance
Pension contributions
 2023/24
23
£
878,675
81,873
39,691
1,000,239		 2022/23
16
£
587,833
56,956
24,488
669,277

40

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

5. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION (CONTINUED)

Rewilding Britain has a Group Personal Pension Scheme with Aviva. Rewilding Britain contributes 4% of eligible employees’ salaries to their pension plans, with a matching option up to 6%. 24 members of staff (2023: 17) were members of the Group Personal Pension Plan at the end of the year. Two employees received £60,000 or more in 2024 (none in 2023) and fell in the following banding:

2023/24 2022/23
No No
£60,000–£69,999 2 -

The Senior Leadership Team (see p28) are the key management personnel of the charity. The remuneration of key management personnel (including National Insurance contributions and employer’s pension contributions) was £419,102 (2022/23: £252,620) and was comprised of 5.8 FTE (2022/23: 3.5 FTE).

6. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES

During the year the charity was controlled by the Trustees. None of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year (2022/23: none). Expenses reimbursed to Trustees during the year amounted to £1,862 (2022/23: £3,260). One Trustee was paid £nil for consultancy services provided in a self-employed capacity during the year to 31 March 2024 (2022/23: £24,560).

7. AUDITOR’S REMUNERATION

2024 2023
£ £
Audit 9,000 8,910
Other services 3,588 3,686

41

Annual Report 2023/24 Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

8. INVESTMENTS

The wholly owned subsidiary, Rewilding Britain (CTC) Limited, is a company registered in England and Wales (Company number: 15396624). It is used to operate the non-charitable activities of Rewilding Britain.

Rewilding Britain (CTC) Limited has only one hundred shares of £1 in issue, which is held by Rewilding Britain. The company has remained dormant.

9. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2024
£
Trade debtors
11,000
Prepayments and accrued income
435,437
446,437
2024
£
Trade creditors
58,770
Grants and awards payable
310,506
Accruals
88,621
PAYE/NI payable
25,812
Other creditors
6,451
490,160
10. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR		 2023
£
-
490,959
490,959
2023
£
47,048
222,261
51,801
17,618
4,128
342,856

42

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

11. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

As at 31 March 2024:
Restricted Funds (note 12)
Unrestricted Funds
At 31 March 2024
As at 31 March 2023:
Restricted Funds (note 12)
Unrestricted Funds
At 31 March 2023
Balance
at 1 April
2023
£
Unrestricted funds
580,060
Designated funds
Rewilding Innovation
573,759
Rewilding Challenge
315,250
Total unrestricted funds
1,469,069
2. FUND RECONCILIATION
NRESTRICTED FUNDS		 Incoming
Resources
£
2,056,666
-
-
2,056,666		 Current
Assets
£
295,869
2,182,736
2,478,605

Current
Assets
£
252,461
1,793,047
2,045,508

Resources
Expended
£
(1,542,654)
(15,000)
(100,000)
(1,657,654)
Current
Liabilities
£
(171,215)
(318,945)		 Total Net
Assets
£
124,654
1,863,791
1,988,445
Total Net
Assets
£
233,583
1,469,069
1,702,652
Balance at
31 March
2024
£
1,020,341
628,200
215,250
1,863,791		 Total Net
Assets
£
124,654
1,863,791
(490,160) 1,988,445
Current
Liabilities
£
(18,878)
(323,978)		 Total Net
Assets
£
233,583
1,469,069
(342,856) 1,702,652
Transfers
£
(73,731)
69,441
-
(4,290)

12. FUND RECONCILIATION

UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

The designated Rewilding Innovation Fund is to provide financial support to innovative rewilding projects and initiatives. The designated Rewilding Challenge Fund is to provide recognition of projects on an annual basis. The net transfer of £69,441 into the designated Rewilding Innovation Fund represents an increase of £72,262 to reflect the expected level of grant expenditure for this purpose over the remaining budget cycle, less £2,821 reallocated to the restricted Rewilding Innovation Fund.

43

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

12. FUND RECONCILIATION (CONTINUED)

RESTRICTED FUNDS

English projects
Scotland – A Rewilding
Nation
NJ Martin – Falmouth
University
Oak Foundation
Rewilding Network
Talla Hartfell
Yearn Stane Project
Rewilding in Scotland
Marine Rewilding
Innovation Fund
Total restricted funds		 Balance at
1 April
2023
£
27,499
-
1,500
86,094
63,118
1,900
1,900
12,500
39,072
-
233,583		 Incoming
Resources
£
-
12,500
-
-
15,004
-
-
-
-
274,880
302,384		 Resources
Expended
£
-
(7,500)
(2,000)
(87,063)
(52,230)
-
-
(12,500)
(21,609)
(232,701)
(415,603)		 Transfers
£
-
-
500
969
-
-
-
-
-
2,821
4,290		 Balance at
31 March
2024
£
27,499
5,000
-
-
25,892
1,900
1,900
-
17,463
45,000
124,654

The English projects fund relates to income received to support rewilding projects in England, including Wild Peak.

The Scotland – A Rewilding Nation fund was created to support the campaign to declare Scotland a Rewilding Nation.

The NJ Martin fund was established to support students of the Marine and Natural History Film Department of Falmouth University in the production of short films on the theme of rewilding land and sea.

The Oak Foundation fund relates to income received to fund core support costs until 2024. During the year, a transfer of £969 was made out of unrestricted funds to the Oak Foundation fund.

The Rewilding Network fund consists of funding received to build an effective, sustainable network to provide guidance, support and access to expert rewilding knowledge.

The Talla Hartfell fund relates to income received to support the Talla Hartfell rewilding project in Scotland.

The Yearn Stane Project fund relates to funds received to facilitate a project in Scotland.

The Rewilding in Scotland fund is designed to support specific rewilding projects in Scotland.

The Marine Rewilding fund was established to increase rewilding in the marine environment through policy and practice.

The Rewilding Innovation Fund provides financial support to innovative rewilding projects and initiatives.

44

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

13. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES – YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Note
Income from
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Investments
Total
Expenditure on
5
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfer between funds
12
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought
forward
Total funds carried forward		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
671,619
391,438
1,555
1,064,612
195,357
1,105,957
1,301,314
(236,702)
(3,258)
(239,960)
1,709,029
1,469,069		 Restricted
Funds
£
130,369
40,500
-
170,869
-
289,168
289,168
(118,299)
3,258
(115,041)
348,624
233,583		 2022/23
Total
£
801,988
431,938
1,555		 2021/22
Total
£
1,161,691
640,004
347
1,235,481 1,802,042
195,357
1,395,125		 97,629
743,848
1,590,482 841,477
(355,001) 960,565
- -
(355,001) 960,565
2,057,653 1,097,088
1,702,652 2,057,653

45

Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Annual Report 2023/24

14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The only related party transactions undertaken in the years to March 2024 and March 2023 are the reimbursed Trustee expenses and transactions outlined in note 6.

15. TAXATION

As a charity, Rewilding Britain is exempt from income tax to the extent that income generated is applied to the organisation’s charitable purpose.

16. LEGAL FORM

Rewilding Britain is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered in both England & Wales and Scotland.

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Auditors

TC Group The Courtyard Shoreham Road Upper Beeding Steyning West Sussex BN44 3TN

Bankers (main)

The Co-operative Bank plc. P.O. Box 101 1 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP

46

Annual Report 2023/24 Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Rewilding is a movement for change. We all have a part to play in nature’s recovery. Our work is made possible and stronger by our growing and increasingly diverse range of partners and allies with a shared vision of a healthier, wilder future.

We would like to thank all of you who have enabled us to grow our impact, including our funding partners who have gifted to us in the past year:

AG Communications Lua Ltd AKO Foundation Martin Charitable Trust Assembly London Mattinson Partnership Axter Ltd Mer B D Tomlins Charitable Trust Montanaro Asset Management Babel Cover Newby Trust Big Give Trust Nurture Brands Bloom & Wild Oak Foundation C A Redfern Charitable Trust Oliver & Beth Wright Foundation Campbell & Syme Oxenwood Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and PayPal Giving Fund Northumberland Pirhuk Ltd Consano Earth Fund Reed Foundation Corton Hill Trust Republic of Music Dip and Doze Santa’s Lapland Dormywood Trust Scrumbles Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Springwise Explore Worldwide sString Consultancy Ltd FixSpec Limited The Fidelis Foundation Frederick Mulder Foundation The Leach Fourteenth Trust Fudge Kitchen The Orp Foundation Helvellyn Foundation The Roger Raymond Charitable Trust Hotelplan The Toms Family Charitable Trust Inghams The Wates Family Foundation Inntravel Turnstyle Designs Jean and Roger Miller’s Charitable Trust UBS Optimus Foundation John Ellerman Foundation Unum Kabloom

And we are proud to play a key role in numerous strategic alliances and collaborations, including:

All members of the Rewilding Network The Scottish Rewilding Alliance The European Rewilding Coalition Rewilding Europe Wildlife and Countryside Link The Global Rewilding Alliance 1% for the Planet Blue Earth Summit

47

THINK BIG. ACT WILD JOIN THE REWILDING MOVEMENT

Rewilding has been widely identified as a vital way to tackle global biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. Rewilding Britain has been at the forefront of this movement since 2015, and is today one of its most experienced and active participants. We remain the only organisation dedicated exclusively to rewilding across Britain. By supporting or partnering with Rewilding Britain, you will build a future filled with hope for nature, people and planet.

IF YOU’RE A COMPANY, TRUST, FOUNDATION OR PHILANTHROPIST

By choosing to support Rewilding Britain you can demonstrate your belief in a future where natural climate solutions are prioritised through championing rewilding. We offer bespoke partnerships to provide the investment opportunities and expertise needed for the large-scale transformation of our land and seas through rewilding.

IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

Many people who share our vision of a wilder future for people and nature choose to leave a gift in their will, after putting family and friends first. By joining them you’ll make bringing nature back to life and restoring natural living systems part of your legacy. We can give you all the support you need if you’re thinking about supporting us in this special way.

IF YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CAUSE

Collaborating with others and catalysing networks of rewilders is integral to our work. We welcome support from all kinds of initiatives and experts, including research and technical institutions, rewilding projects, community-based organisations, academics and scientists, artists and entrepreneurs.

We are grateful for all financial and non-financial support. Please get in touch via info@rewildingbritain.org.uk if you can help us build a better and wilder future for us all.

FIND OUT MORE rewildingbritain.org.uk/why-rewilding-britain

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Image credits: Gannets © Richard Shucksmith/scotlandbigpicture.com; Eco tourism at Hepple Wilds © James Street; Beavers © Cam Goodhead, Cabilla Cornwall; Glen Affric landscape © James Shooter/scotlandbigpicture.com; Knepp landscape © Knepp Wildlands; Beaver release © Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com; People in nature © Peter Cairns/scotlandbigpicture.com; Woman with binoculars © Knepp Wildland; Sussex Bay © Sussex Bay; Monitoring © Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com; Rewilding Network © James Street; Cain Scrimgeour © James Street; marine © Alexander Mustard/2020VISION/scotlandbigpicture.com; Wilder Blean © Donovan Wright; pine marten © scotlandbigpicture.com; octopus © Mark Kirkland/scotlandbigpicture.com; Rewilding Finance report © Anna Moffat; cattle © Knepp Wildlands; Woman in Cairngorms © Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com; Child with oysters © Seawilding; Rewilding Britain staff © Rewilding Britain; Pine marten © Peter Cairns / scotlandbigpicture.com; Peat © Mark Hamblin / 2020 VISION; Women walking © Peter Cairns / scotlandbigpicture. com; River Feshie © James Shooter / scotlandbigpicture.com; Knepp Aerial © Knepp Wildlands; People walking © Trees for Life; Lynx © Mark Hamblin / scotlandbigpicture.com.

September 2024 © Rewilding Britain Rewilding Britain is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England & Wales (no. 1159373), and Scotland (no. SCO45685). Registered office: The Courtyard, Shoreham Road, Upper Beeding, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3TN