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Report and Financial Statements 2023-2024

Heal Rewilding CIO 1187992

Stephen Rennie/Canva

Table of contents	Tom Francome
A message from our Chair	1
About Heal	4
A look back at the year	5
Trustees’ report	29
Report of the Independent Auditors	35
Statement of Financial Activities	38
Balance Sheet	39
Notes to the Financial Statements	40
Acknowledgements	50

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

A message from our co-founder

Welcome to Heal’s first Annual Report, an undertaking now possible with the bigger team we are proud to have built over the last 18 months.

Jan Stannard

This is a review of our fourth year as a charity, covering April 2023 to March 2024, a historic period as it marked our first full year as the owners of our foundation rewilding site, Heal Somerset. The charity also saw another period of income growth, to £428,306 from £334,879, a 28% increase. The impact of the continuing cost-ofliving crisis on individual giving was noticeable, however. Though we gained 88 regular monthly or annual donors during the year, we lost an unprecedented 44, resulting in a net increase on our regular donor base of 27%.

This was the year that the charity saw its vision become a reality, with tangible benefits for nature and climate on the 460 acres in Somerset. After they arrived on site, the team soon saw positive impacts on wildlife with all the land deliberately left fallow and undisturbed during the year, except for some mown paths for staff and visitors. The grasses in the pastures grew tall, no longer taken for silage. The hedges grew blowsy, no longer flailed. Baby oaks and regenerating blackthorn appeared everywhere, no longer cut down by machines. Docks, thistles and nettles appeared in swathes, supporting dozens of insect species, and birds foraged across the fields for winter seeds.

During the year, over 70 species of moth (macro species) were identified and 16 species of butterfly. Dozens of bird species were seen, with eight of those on the red list (skylark, house martin, starling, mistle thrush, house sparrow, greenfinch, linnet and yellowhammer). There were huge numbers of spiders, crickets, grasshoppers all over the site. The surfaces of the fields were peppered with the holes of voles,

shrews and mice, and the increased prey base supported breeding tawny owls and kestrels, barn owls, a sparrowhawk, hobbies and, during winter 2024, two short-eared owls, which to our delight stayed on site for several months.

In July 2023, we proudly opened Heal Somerset fully to the public, free to access with an optional donation requested. This was a significant step in our mission to provide spaces for people to connect with nature, improve their wellbeing and demonstrate to visitors the tangible impacts of rewilding. We created an ‘information station’ at the entrance to our Southern Fields where visitors could find out about the species seen and record their own sightings.

Using the government funding awarded to us under the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), we carried out habitat, carbon and some eDNA surveys to establish baselines across the site and we also worked with Finance Earth throughout the year to finalise our natural capital income strategy, with Biodiversity Net Gain recommended as having the greatest potential in the current market.

Additionally, in collaboration with Rewilding Britain and other rewilding experts, we developed a comprehensive baseline and monitoring plan for

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

indicator species for our second year at the Somerset site, to enable us to provide evidence of the change in biodiversity over time. This initiative not only provides a blueprint for our future sites but also contributes to broader rewilding efforts across the country.

One of the highlights of the year was our ‘Out of the Darkness’ events. This memorable experience for audiences challenged the often-mute acceptance of a near-silent British countryside and celebrated the power of rewilding to restore a symphony of night sounds. Hearing long-lost calls of nocturnal wildlife across the landscape in the dark around a fire was incredibly moving and underscored the profound impact of our rewilding efforts.

This year was not without its challenges. As we worked hard to establish our first site, we decided to delay briefing land agents for our second site, Heal North, choosing to concentrate our efforts on ensuring the success of Heal Somerset. We expect to begin our search for Heal North in 2025, drawing on the insights and momentum gained from our work at Heal Somerset.

On the financial front, we have made notable strides. We secured a major grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which has been

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instrumental in supporting our ongoing operations. Furthermore, we were selected by Projects for Nature, a strategic initiative created by organisations including Defra and Natural England. This was a significant endorsement of our work that connects us with businesses and donors committed to nature recovery and promises to help accelerate our efforts and expand our impact.

In terms of governance and leadership, we welcomed Rob Quinn to our board, whose Ruby Batt/Heal Rewilding expertise in financial support is already making a difference. We also expanded our team by hiring five new staff members, each of whom has contributed significantly to our progress and success.

In terms of learning and sharing knowledge and experience, we spent much of the year planning a major Spring 2024 event, ‘Into the Light’, our first ever gathering of leading voices and key change makers from the UK’s rewilding movement. We also planned and ran 27 events for the general public, including workshops, site tours, species surveying training and wildlife walks.

I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have helped us this year: staff, volunteers, donors and partners. Your ongoing engagement and collective efforts are crucial to our mission. We simply could not have progressed so quickly and successfully without your unwavering support.

This past year has been one of growth and learning. I remain, as always, hopeful and motivated about the future we urgently need to create together for wild things and all of us.

Jan Stannard, Founder Trustee and Acting CEO

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024 Heal Rewilding Raise money Buy land Rewild it

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

About Heal

Heal Rewilding is the UK’s first charity dedicated to being a rewilding landowner. It launched in March 2020 with the aim of acquiring and rewilding a 500-acre site in every English county and secured its foundation site, Heal Somerset, in December 2022. Heal’s name is its purpose: heal the land, heal nature, heal ourselves.

The charity was set up in response to the devastating biodiversity and climate crises humanity is facing and our increasing disconnection with nature, with the adverse effects this has on human health and wellbeing. To these three problems, Heal sees one clear solution: rewilding.

Rewilding Britain defines rewilding as ‘the reinstatement of natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species, allowing them to shape the landscape and the habitats within, leading to the restoration of fully functioning ecosystems’. It’s a wonderfully exciting, still relatively novel, way of restoring ecosystems, which hands the reins over to nature and as a result, brings benefit to nature, planet and people.

Rewilding gives nature the breathing space it needs to recover. It allows plants to regenerate and creates spaces where wildlife can live freely and vulnerable species can thrive. It’s also a key asset in the fight against climate change, as through natural regeneration and the restoration of wetlands, carbon is removed from the atmosphere. A report by Rewilding Britain has shown that by rewilding 30% of land in Britain, 53 million tonnes of carbon dioxide could be captured per year,

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Everyone,
together
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things and
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which is more than 12% of current UK greenhouse gas emissions . Rewilding is also hugely beneficial(1) to people. It creates spaces that encourage nature connection, brings economic benefit, improves soil health, cleans the air we breathe and reduces water pollution.

Our first rewilding site, Heal Somerset, is a former dairy farm comprising 460 acres of beautiful undulating countryside, with miles of hedgerows and three tributaries of the River Frome.

In the time we’ve been at Heal Somerset, our team have been dedicated to making it a place where nature and people can thrive. We’re in the final stage of completing a range of baseline surveys, which is a crucial first step to measure our impact on the land and ensure intervention decisions are well informed.

But it’s not just wildlife we’re helping. People are critical to everything we do at Heal. A core part of our mission is to increase access to nature, which is why our site is open and free to access, why we work hard to collaborate with the local community and why we run engaging and educational commercial events and experiences.

Our current focus is on developing Heal Somerset and making sure it’s the optimal blueprint for our future sites.

(1) https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/about-us/what-we-say/researchand-reports/rewilding-and-climate-breakdown

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Heal Rewilding

A look back at the year

April 2023

A furry visitor, getting visitor ready and meeting our local Wildlife Trust

A (special) furry visitor

Local people had told us to look out for hares and we'd spotted a few in the distance, but in April we were treated to a very close encounter.

It had been raining heavily for several days and the ground was completely saturated. Sitting on the grass meant being in a puddle. One morning, we looked out of one of the windows and spotted this little hare hunkered down on an overgrown patio only a few feet away. It was quite well camouflaged and we're guessing the paving offered a dry spot, with the grass tufts making it feel like a tussocky field!

Having hares here is very special. They were once a very common sight in the countryside, but habitat loss, hunting and changes in farming practices have led to a decrease of up to 80% in the number of brown hares in the UK. We're hoping that the recovering land here will provide a new safe haven for hares in this locality.

Getting ready to welcome visitors

We started to think about getting ready to welcome visitors to Heal Somerset. The quiet setting here necessitates careful management of numbers of visitors, most of whom will arrive by car, as public transport is limited (the nearest station is over seven miles away).

We decided that bookable parking is likely to be the most practical way of managing visitor numbers and that we would set a mid-summer opening date.

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Getting to know our local Wildlife Trust

Having a good relationship with Somerset Wildlife Trust is really important to us, not least because it is one of the most progressive Trusts in the UK, with a strategic commitment to wilder landscapes at scale.

Georgia Stokes (pictured second left), who became Chief Executive Officer in 2019, visited with four members of her senior team and we had an inspirational day together, combining energetic discussions about current projects with a tour around the site.

We also made plans to visit Honeygar, 81 hectares of formerly intensively grazed farmland in the Avalon Marshes, which is the Trust's first ‘wilded’ site.

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A new team member, advisors dropping by and the Big Green Hike

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Ruby ruby ruby ruby (sing it!)

We were joined by a gem of a Rewilding Comms Trainee!

Ruby Batt is an English Literature graduate from the University of Bristol, with experience of running social media accounts and a love of storytelling. She has first-hand experience of wildlife conservation working as a field surveyor, conducting bat surveys and volunteering at Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

Her role at Heal is part of the New to Nature programme, hosted by Groundwork UK and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Ruby was incredibly excited to join the Heal team. As a lover of all things nature, she recognises the need to safeguard its future and believes the best way to do this is by rewilding land.

Supporters and advisors drop by

We were delighted to welcome some of our long-term supporters and advisors to Heal Somerset.

Chris Jones, owner of the Cornwall Beaver Project (pictured below with Jan Stannard, Heal co-founder, and Hannah Needham, former Operations Director), Robert Drewett, the new High Sheriff of Somerset, and Merlin HanburyTenison, founder of Cabilla Cornwall and Trustee at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, each spent a morning at the site being shown around. All have family backgrounds in farming and land, and helped us to improve our insight and understanding of what we have here.

Heal Rewilding

Celebrating Big Green Hikers for Heal!

A massive shout-out to the following wonderful people who booted up and strode out for the Big Green Hike in support of Heal, helping us raise over £2,400!!

Katie and Chloe tackled the Shropshire Three Peaks Challenge carrying their babies! Seven colleagues from the Nature Picture Library walked in the Somerset Levels and a big crew from The University of Loughborough's PhD Social and Support Network hiked in Leicestershire.

The Heal team, Hannah (former Ops Director) and Steph (former Heal Future panellist) joined Sara King, Marie Negus and Kate Dawson from Rewilding Britain for a hike, which was the first joint Heal Rewilding/Rewilding Britain fundraiser.

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Heal Rewilding

May 2023

Wildlife latest

A photo of mud is appropriate for a whole host of reasons for our site, with its clay soils and plentiful rain, but see if you can spot what makes this mud picture so special. It's a house martin footprint and a great example of a natural process, where disturbed ground (bare earth) enables natural puddles to form and persist, giving house martins a place to collect mud to build their nests. The availability of mud might help explain why we were absolutely swarming with them.

Other May wildlife spots: single instances of four newly recorded butterfly species (orange-tip, speckled wood, comma and tortoiseshell), mating great spotted woodpeckers, a jay (at last, only one so far) and chiff chaffs galore. The 'house hare', now named Scout, was also seen around often, much to our delight.

Wildlife spots, a Heal 3x3 update and a new fundraiser

A Heal 3x3 update

The very first step of the allocation process for Heal 3x3 arrived! Thousands waited patiently for this moment, for which we're very grateful.

Squares were allocated in two very large areas of Heal Somerset, both of which will be open to the public.

Double your donation

May brought an exciting new fundraiser our way. We were thrilled to be accepted for the brand new Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund, launched by Aviva in partnership with WWF and the RSPB.

Heal Rewilding

The £1 million fund was designed to support organisations that are protecting and restoring nature. Being part of this fund meant that for every £1 donated to us during our campaign, Aviva donated £2 more. Every single donation had triple the impact.

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Heal Rewilding

Knepp ticket auction, bird ringing and another new team member

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Knepp Nightingale Safari ticket auction

A wonderful Heal supporter donated two tickets they couldn’t use for Knepp's hugely popular Nightingale Safari and Supper on Saturday 13 May for us to auction to raise funds for Heal (with Knepp's blessing).

Jonathan Simnett, a Heal Trustee, has been to Knepp for this tour before and said, "Nothing beats the experience of dining with fellow nature enthusiasts and then walking out into the quiet night, guided by experts, and standing in wonder as you listen to nightingale song exploding out of the dark, composed of hundreds of phrases, the like of which you may never have heard before."

Bidding started at £220 for the pair (face value) and eventually reached an amazing £305!

Getting to know the locals

We had a volunteer bird ringer David here this month, setting up mist netting and logging his 'catches’. Starting this work of properly documenting what's here was wonderfully exciting.

He surveyed birds in three locations at Heal Somerset. Species ringed include blackcap, robin, dunnock, chiff chaff, longtailed tit, blue tit, great tit, swallow and more!

Bird ringing requires an early start but nevertheless, the team made the effort to get up early and enjoyed seeing David complete this important monitoring work.

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Another new team member

We were joined by another new team member! Introducing Caddy Outhwaite, our Admin Assistant.

Caddy has dedicated the last 15 years of her career as a Private PA. She has worked with a wide range of clients, particularly those of high net worth, in London and the surrounding areas.

In spite of having lived in the capital for over a decade, Caddy has always been a country girl at heart and feels very fortunate to have grown up in a natureloving family in rural Hampshire.

Conscious of the climate crisis and the threats to the natural world, Caddy decided to change the course of her career path to work for an environmental organisation.

As a nature enthusiast and plantswoman, she sees working at Heal as an opportunity to widen her knowledge and do her bit to make a difference in a way that she has not been able to do before now.

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Heal Rewilding

June 2023

31 species in first moth trapping activity

A local moth expert, Hugo Brooke, set up two moth traps one night in June. The next morning, we joined him to count 31 species, with 69 individuals caught (and all released unharmed). The haul included one of these beautiful eyed hawkmoths, pictured below, and a poplar hawkmoth.

This is a relatively low number of species and total number of individuals recorded, but as it was our first time surveying here, we'll repeat the trapping to see if these numbers are representative of the moth population on site.

We’ve planned to trap once a month through the year and put a call out for experienced volunteers with moth identification skills to come and help the team to do the early morning identification work.

Moth trapping, our first tours and hitting our fundraising target

Our first tours

The first batch of Heal Somerset tour dates were officially released. Tours are a wonderful opportunity for people to see our site 'pre-wilding' and bear witness to the start of its journey of recovery.

Each tour lasts two hours, with up to 12 people, and covers about 4km on mown paths.

We launched two types of tours, our introductory guided tour and our special 'silent' tour, where attendees walk in companionable silence with talking stops along the way

We had lovely feedback from our first few tours. "The best morning I've had in ages", "So privileged to see Heal Somerset at the beginning" and "Excellent tour" are some of comments we got.

We smashed our target!

On the 21 June, the Aviva Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund ended. We were so pleased to not only meet, but exceed our target of £7,500, raising a total of £10,821.

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We are so grateful to everyone who donated. Every penny is going towards making Heal Somerset a better place for wildlife

The money raised through this fund has gone straight into rewilding Heal Somerset. It’s being used to carry out ‘prewilding’ wildlife surveys, to conduct habitat restoration where necessary and to buy volunteer equipment.

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Heal Rewilding

Measuring carbon, pop-up camping and our first on site volunteers

Measuring carbon with Treeconomy

Treeconomy joined us at Heal Somerset and flew a drone across the whole site. The images and maps captured will be used in combination with satellite data, to estimate the amount of carbon stored above-ground in woody biomass (trees, hedges and plants).

This will be repeated every few years to measure the amount of carbon that is captured and stored as a result of the rewilding process.

Pop-up camping at Heal Somerset

We opened our pop-up camping site at Heal Somerset, in a field in the heart of the site with glorious views.

It’s a basic set up, with a mains water tap and portaloos, and very close to a wild camping experience. The camping is for adults and accompanied children aged 14+.

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Volunteers brush up their skills

Eleven hard-working Heal Helpers came to decorate the main farmhouse at the Heal Somerset site, with four of them pictured above. We can't thank them enough for their cheerful and skilled help.

We're also very grateful to Edward Bulmer Natural Paint who donated a generous amount of their wonderful plant-based paint for us to use in the project.

Our volunteers were mentored by a professional decorator and their contribution got our main meeting room ready to host meetings, talks and other gatherings.

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Heal Rewilding

July 2023

Opening Heal Somerset to visitors and spotting the small things

Heal Somerset opened on Monday 17 July!

The first public access area of Heal Somerset officially opened on Monday 17 July to visitors. Allowing people to come and see how nature is bouncing back in our Southern Fields, one of the areas within the site covering nearly 200 acres. We mowed paths for visitors to follow all over this area, which incorporates a long stretch of public footpath.

We are committed to providing access to nature for all, so we decided there would be no entry fee but we do ask visitors to make a voluntary donation towards the costs of running the site. This is made at a donation point at the entrance to the Southern Fields, where visitors can find more information about the project and what they might see and hear.

Spotting the small things

We celebrate the small things here, because when insects thrive, so do many other species. We saw meadow brown butterflies in glorious abundance on warm days, mainly feeding on thistles and bramble flowers. Marbled white butterflies were also here in good numbers and we also saw our first ringlet. There were crickets everywhere, taking huge jumps away from us as we walked along our mown paths, and we saw a nursery web spider standing guard over a silken nest.

Other notable July sightings include a pair of hobbies, two grass snakes, a reed bunting, a mistle thrush and a barn owl who visited regularly to catch prey.

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Heal Rewilding

An exciting event, close encounters and Heal 3x3 locations go live

Full house for bumblebees

Our first bumblebee survey training day with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust was a big success and completely sold out.

The day started with a presentation session indoors, followed by a walk around the Heal Somerset site with a member of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust team, who led a keen group around wildflower areas to live-catch and identify bumblebee species.

The session was aimed at beginners and bumblebee enthusiasts of any skill level, with a view to equipping volunteers with the skills and experience they need to become regular bumblebee surveyors at Heal Somerset.

The best find of the day was a field cuckoo bumblebee, a type which takes over the nests of carder bumblebees.

Close encounters at our campsite

One of our campers had a close encounter with a couple of curious hares!

She was sitting in the porch of her tent and filmed them as they crept up to investigate before bounding away.

Hares are usually very shy creatures so it was a very special encounter, showing just how immersed our campsite is in nature.

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Heal 3x3 locations go live!

People had fun finding out which three words they have for their Heal 3x3 squares via our Heal 3x3 portal, when the first batch of Heal sponsorship notifications went out.

An Excel specialist with a sudden workload had 'suitable.column.panic' and one of our most loyal supporters had 'hunk' in his, which went down rather well!

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Heal Rewilding

August 2023

Heal Somerset is fully open

On Saturday 19 August, we officially opened the second large public access area at Heal Somerset, our Eastern Fields .

Both our Southern and Eastern Field s have mown paths to make it easy to walk around. Visitors can come to the site to walk in these areas at any time, with no entry fee but with a suggested voluntary donation towards the costs of running the site. This can be made at the entrance to each area, where there is also more information about the project and what creatures people see and hear during their visit.

Fully opening Heal Somerset, a special find and our new Ranger

A very special find

We were out one night surveying for bats and look what we found: glow worms!

Two were spotted, but we were really excited as a glow worm expert who visited the site several times said that we have acres of suitable habitat, so the chances are high that we'll discover more of them over the following years.

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Dan joins the team

We welcomed Daniel Hill, who joined us on Thursday 17 August as our Trainee Rewilding Ranger. Dan is our second trainee funded by the New to Nature scheme, a National Lottery initiative, and he was on a oneyear training contract, working at the Heal Somerset site (now extended).

Dan completed a degree in mathematical sciences and then spent a year volunteering full time at an RSPB reserve before taking up the role with Heal. He grew up on an organic smallholding with environmentally conscious parents and was immersed in the natural world.

His experience of land work and visitor engagement is already proving invaluable and we're really pleased to have him on the team.

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Heal Rewilding

A day of balsam bashing and a major grant

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Volunteers bash balsam

A small team of determined volunteers went out with our Trainee Ranger Dan to tackle himalayan balsam found along the banks of the River Frome tributary in our Southern Fields.

Heal secures major grant Heal secured a second grant from the prestigious Esmée Fairbairn Foundation of nearly £200,000.

The grant is being used for core funding, to bring individuals and organisations from diverse backgrounds together to support UK nature recovery, climate change action and wellbeing through practical action at new rewilding sites in England.

Jan Stannard, Heal Co-Founder and Trustee, said: “Heal’s trustees and staff are honoured to receive this vital and generous funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The community of people who support us – donors, volunteers, site visitors, business partners, advisors and those in the rewilding community – will share our delight at this news. As before, we commend Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for being willing to fund the day-to-day work of charities and thank them for being a supportive and encouraging partner in our work.”

This is an invasive plant which was introduced by the Victorians but has now escaped from gardens into the wider landscape and is considered a threat because it smothers and out-competes native plants. Keeping the balsam under control will be an ongoing and challenging task, as it has seed pods which explode and send seeds up to 7m from the parent plant, often into streams which then carry the seeds downstream to expand the plant's territory.

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Heal Rewilding

September 2023

The Saving, a bat talk and a new supporter

The Saving

When freelance motion director David Renton got in touch offering to create an animated film for Heal as a gift to support our work, we said yes in a heartbeat, though we didn't know what would be involved and how it would turn out.

Well, what a triumph! David conceived and produced a glorious short film, The Saving, about saving nature through rewilding, one square at a time. It brings Heal 3x3 alive with a whole cast of characters.

We are inordinately grateful to David (aka Holy Peaches), to his many friends who also contributed their time, and to TVPaint who supported the project.

Bat talk

We were delighted to host our first evening talk at Heal Somerset on 'our' bats, with our neighbour Jacquie Billington, who has been fascinated by and working with the conservation of bats for over 30 years.

The bat population at Heal Somerset is really exciting with evidence of lots of species being here, including lesser horseshoe, long-eared, common and soprano pipistrelle, serotine and noctule. So, it was wonderful to have Jacquie come and tell us more about them.

Jacquie talked for about half an hour about the lives and habits of these remarkable flying mammals and then took questions.

After a short break, attendees headed outside as dusk fell and waited for the bats to emerge, then listened to the bats foraging nearby - with the help of electronic bat detectors.

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Ticket Tailor supports Heal

We were delighted that UK event ticket platform Ticket Tailor became a Heal business partner. As well as supporting us financially, they became our new ticketing platform.

Ticket Tailor is curated specifically for small to mediumsized businesses, event planners and charities, and is a B Corp, the first independent ticketing platform to become certified. B Corps are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. A big thank you to Ticket Tailor for their support.

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Heal Rewilding

Resurgence take two, wildlife spots and another new supporter

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Resurgence take two

For a second year, Heal was delighted to join Youngwilders and Knepp Wildland Foundation in organising and hosting 100 young people aged 18-30 to connect, teach and inspire them to share ideas, have fun and be energised and ready for a life of helping shape a wilder and more nature-filled future.

The event took place at the renowned Knepp rewilding project, with three of the Heal team there all weekend helping out.

The theme of this year's Resurgence was connectivity - within ecosystems, across landscapes, between people and nature and between the people themselves - with a mix of walks, talks, workshops and downtime.

A reptilian find and a charm offensive

We had a pleasing discovery during a visit by the Reptile and Amphibian Group for Somerset. They found three common lizards basking on the top of anthills on a sunny south-facing slope.

We also witnessed a spectacular sight last week. A 'charm' of around a hundred goldfinches descended on the thistles which have appeared in clumps in some places at Heal Somerset. Thistle seeds are a favourite food of these colourful birds. The thistle flowers also attracted a host of insects, particularly bumblebees and butterflies. These underappreciated wildflowers really deliver for nature.

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Bottom-up support from Naked Sprout

We love Naked Sprout, a British B Corp producing unbleached toilet paper made from sustainable bamboo, with 50% fewer carbon emissions than eco alternatives, no harsh chemicals and no plastics.

That’s why we decided to start using Naked Sprout toilet rolls at Heal Somerset! The company kindly donated a big supply of their toilet rolls to us.

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Heal Rewilding

October 2023

Barn owl excitement and a search for new team members

Barn owl excitement

In October, we saw a barn owl visiting Heal Somerset regularly. Our Rewilding Ranger Dan even came across the owl having a rest in a hole in a large oak tree in our Eastern Fields.

What's so pleasing is that the time they’re spend hunting over our land is often very brief before they are seen flying off with prey, suggesting that the supply of food is a contributing factor to them being here.

On the look out for new team members

We started the search for not one but two new team members to fill our brand new Learning and Sharing Manager and Community Engagement Manager roles. Both roles were generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The primary focus for the Learning and Sharing Manager role is to explain the impact of natureled recovery on wildlife and climate, disseminate findings from Heal Somerset to benefit future nature recovery projects and create opportunities for people passionate about climate action to gather and learn.

The primary focus of the Community Engagement Manager role is to oversee the development and implementation of Heal’s community outreach plan and calendar.

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A rethink, a slimy discovery and collaboration

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A land access rethink

We'd been intending to close the site to visitors from 31 October to next spring, but we had a rethink.

The provision of free-to-enter places for people to spend restorative time in nature is in our mission. More specifically, we started to look at supporting nature-based social prescribing in a more structured way, where people's GPs prescribe time spent with others in nature. If Heal Somerset were to close for six months, we'd be depriving people of that vital provision. We were also comfortable that visitor numbers this year are unlikely to impact the condition of the land.

We decided that Heal Somerset, pictured above in all its beauty, will be open all year round, except for the period over Christmas and New Year.

A slimy discovery

These white clumps were spotted in several places near one of our river tributaries during a tour. At first we thought someone had been chucking damp wads of tissue paper but no - this is a type of slime mould, once thought to be a type of fungi but now classified separately.

These single-celled organisms are called protists and can clump together like this. They contribute to the decomposition of vegetation and feed on bacteria and fungi.

Heal Rewilding

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Collaborating to help nature thrive

We began to explore collaborations with a number of landowners near Heal Somerset, ranging from immediate neighbours to those further afield.

The interest in nature recovery in the locality is particularly strong, which is hugely exciting for us. An estimate suggested that landholdings totalling more than 5,000ha, including ours, are either already actively being managed for nature in whole or in part, or there are plans to do so.

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Heal Rewilding

November 2023

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Two new team members

November was an exciting month for Heal as we welcomed not one but two new team members. The roles, generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, are a Learning and Sharing Manager and a Community Engagement Manager.

After receiving some great applications for both openings, we found the perfect people and welcomed Julia Galbenu (left) as our Community Engagement Manager and Katie Ross (right) as our Learning and Sharing Manager.

Both Katie and Julia have enjoyed their time at Heal so far and have already done great things for the charity. Katie said: “I have really enjoyed my first few weeks at Heal. It’s a real privilege to be working so close to nature and with a great team that is passionate about biodiversity and rewilding.” Julia said: "My first month at Heal has been an absolute joy and I already feel at home here. Getting to know the team, community groups and local people has been nothing short of inspirational."

Two new team members and surprise visitors

Surprise visitors

We got wonderful news from a bird survey - five common crossbill were seen flying low along the woodland edge in our Northern Fields.

A redpoll was also seen for the first time and about 25 siskin, not recorded at the site before and possibly on migration looking for food.

Other migrants were seen too, including around 200 fieldfare and 100 redwing flying along the hedgerows.

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Heal Rewilding

Volunteers in the garden and an exciting campaign

Volunteers on a gardening mission

Heal Helpers gathered on site at Heal Somerset on multiple dates in November to tackle a variety of different gardening tasks.

The volunteers helped with things like digging up, dividing and potting up large plants and shrubs, scraping off grass that is growing on paths and moving/removing plants which are in the wrong place (also known as w***s!).

Force of nature

Groundwork’s Force of Nature campaign called upon on the environmental sector to create more accessible pathways for young people and to seek to inspire those from all backgrounds to view jobs in nature as a viable career path.

We signed the pledge to be a Force of Nature, committing to do our part to to work towards a more inclusive environmental sector.

Groundwork do great things for the environmental sector. Thanks to their New To Nature programme, we've been able to take on two trainees this year, Dan (Rewilding Ranger) and Ruby (Rewilding Communications).

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Heal Rewilding

December 2023

Projects For Nature, festive gifts and a tall visitor

Heal Somerset is on the list!

Heal Somerset was chosen for the pilot of the new national Projects for Nature initiative.

Projects for Nature is

accelerating a movement to support nature by connecting businesses and other donors with screened nature recovery projects like ours. Six organisations are behind the initiative: The Council for Sustainable Business, Defra, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Accenture and Crowdfunder.

It was a real feather in our cap to be included and the whole team worked hard to get this over the line.

Festive gifts with meaning

For Christmas, Hanukkah or Diwali, we encouraged people to support rewilding and give their loved ones a gift with meaning.

We have a range of Heal 3x3 square festive gift options. With beautiful gift certificates to choose from, there's something for every nature lover.

It's a great way for people to give a thoughtful gift while also helping nature and wildlife.

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An exciting new spot

We were excited to see a rather tall Heal Somerset visitor (almost a metre tall to be specific!) - a great white egret.

Once a rare sighting in the UK, these big birds have become more widespread in the last few years. In fact, great white egrets in Somerset are reaching record numbers, with 37 breeding pairs recorded in 2022. Hopefully, that means this sighting will be the first of many!

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Heal Rewilding

Amazing support from Caution Your Blast and brand new tours

Leading digital practice gives Heal a double boost

We were thrilled to have reached agreement with the digital practice Caution Your Blast Ltd to become not only the sponsor of an acre of the Heal Somerset site but also an Employee Square Scheme supporter! Thank you so much to them for their generous support.

Caution Your Blast uses innovative technologies and new ways of working to make people's lives easier. The company has a remarkable client list and definitely the most novel brand names we've come across in the tech sector!

Ben Stewart, Caution Your Blast’s Founder and Managing Director, says: “We are delighted to sponsor and work with Heal Somerset. To use our work in digital as a force for good means addressing planetary issues and we know that rewilding plays a critical and proven role in halting biodiversity loss and global warming. We want to thank the Heal team for firstly getting their important initiative up and running, and secondly for providing a beacon for the future. For us it's an important step towards long-term sustainability and providing immediate, urgent help for the planet.”

New wildlife tours!

We announced the launch of brand new wildlife tours of Heal Somerset be led by the brilliant Nick Patel who is a tour guide, conservationist, naturalist and birder. Nick is passionate about helping to protect, create and maintain British wildlife, and has lots of wildlife knowledge to share. He has devoted his life to telling anyone who'll listen about how amazing our native biodiversity is and why we should care for it.

These tours are planned on a monthly basis with the first tour, Winter birds for beginners (and others!).

Nick said "I am excited to be working with Heal and look forward to showcasing some of the amazing work they are doing at Heal Somerset".

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Heal Rewilding

January 2024

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A year at Heal Somerset

We celebrated a year at Heal Somerset, this beautiful place the charity now calls it home.

Every day brings new hope for nature and we’ve seen signs of change all the time as the land and the wildlife respond to being left in peace.

In January we saw lots and lots of small mammal holes in the grass in front of the farmhouse! The whole site was peppered with them.

The birds of prey that we also saw every day told us anecdotally that they are finding enough to eat here.

A year on site, a new event and finding out what’s here

Out Of The Darkness

We began some very special performances at Heal Somerset taking place in March and April.

Out Of The Darkness is a night soundscape performance, taking place after dark, deep in nature in the Somerset countryside.

Attendees walk by torchlight into a special place in the Heal Somerset site, take their seats and the performance begins. First, they listen out for the real sounds of night-time wildlife. Then, they journey into a thrilling soundscape of night creatures, blending the ancestral with the present day in a glorious and unforgettable composition. Nothing quite like this has ever been done before.

Finding out what’s here

Our land team spent the second half of last year putting together our survey framework, identifying potential companies to undertake the work and booking them in for surveys.

We developed a hierarchy of survey priorities in consultation with Rewilding Britain and other rewilding specialists. Using indicator species is a key aspect of the approach, animals or plants that tell us that something has changed or is changing in their environment. They can be easily observed and studying them is a costeffective way to predict changes in an ecosystem.

Out Of The Darkness is a provocation, challenging our mute acceptance of a near-silent British countryside and celebrating the power of rewilding to create a new symphony of night sounds.

We decided that our top priority species are bats, birds and bugs, followed by soil and aquatic species. We also aim to survey mammals and reptiles, amphibians and more, but this depends on increasing our funding for surveys.

Heal Rewilding

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Heal Rewilding

A rethink, short-eared owls and appointing our photographer-in-residence

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Rethinking access to our land

In the year since we acquired Heal Somerset, our thinking around visitor access to the site evolved and we decided to make the Southern Fields and the Eastern Fields accessible to all ages. This gives visitors greater choice and increases opportunities for schools and youth groups to enjoy more of our site.

There are eight kilometres of mown paths across these two areas in addition to the existing public footpath which crosses them both. Visitors can come any time, day or night, and access is free with an optional requested donation to support our work.

We found shorties!

We spotted short-eared owls, affectionately known as 'shorties', at Heal Somerset.

We first glimpsed what we thought were two short-eared owls in the Southern Fields (with a barn owl) in midDecember but weren't certain, but on 1 January we knew for sure. We had a short-eared owl feeding on a chunky mouse and then roosting on the ground all day, really close to the entrance of the Southern Fields. One was seen again in later on in the month too.

How absolutely wonderful that they gave this place the thumbs up! We didn't see them last year so it’s a really positive change. They seem to like our tussocky grassland fields where lots of voles, mice and shrews are scuttling around.

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Announcing our first photographerin-residence

We were delighted to announce the appointment of Emma Lewis as our first photographer-in-residence at Heal Somerset.

Emma is based in Wincanton. She is passionate about nature and we first met her when she came looking for trees to photograph here. She is set to come once a month to shoot images at the site through 2024 and said she is very happy to be helping Heal as a volunteer. Her approach is to honour the wheel of the year and to celebrate our connection with nature and the importance of seeing the seasons change.

Emma has been published in all the major interior and weekend magazines, and also works with quality brands, designers and makers. She said 'just keep her fed and she will deliver'.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

February 2024

27 skylarks in one morning

A bevy of bird enthusiasts started to come to Heal Somerset to do volunteer bird surveys, which is absolutely brilliant as they see things that we don't.

One wonderful sighting, witnessed by several birdwatchers while surveying, was a count of 27 skylarks!

We don't know if these were 'our' skylarks or individuals who were just dropping in having seen our tussocky fields holding the promise of winter food. In these cold months, skylarks feed on seeds, including grass and weed seeds, of which there are plenty here, and they also eat insects if they can find them.

27 skylarks, Groundbreakers and glorious imbolc

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Groundbreakers

Big, messy and mysterious – crossing paths with a wild boar can conjure fear and joy in equal measure. Driven to extinction seven hundred years ago, a combination of the species’ own tenacity and illegal releases from the 1980s has seen several populations of this beast of myth begin to roam English and Scottish woods once more.

Chantal Lyons, author of Groundbreakers: The Return of Britain’s Wild Boar , published by Bloomsbury on 1 February 2024, joined us at Heal Somerset to talk about her time researching and writing the book, immersing herself in the world of our restored wild boar and learning how different people in different places are coming to coexist with the boar.

Glorious Imbolc

On the day of Imbolc, Heal Somerset's new photographerin-residence Emma Lewis captured this stunning image of an oak against a pink and blue dusk.

Imbolc is an ancient festival rooted in Celtic paganism which celebrates renewal and new beginnings, marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The festival is linked to the Earth Goddess, Brigid, a deity found in Celtic mythology and later incorporated into Christian traditions as St. Brigid. In Celtic mythology, Brigid is the healer, the poet and the smith. Through her links with fire and the sun, she also represents creativity, inspiration and the returning warmth of spring.

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Heal Rewilding

A new camping season, a generous grant and a successful winter bird tour

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Morning campers!

We launched camping bookings for the 2024 season! The campsite is composed of 20 pitches and is open from mid-May to the late August bank holiday, with availability most weeks from Wednesday night to Saturday night (with no set departure time on the Sunday).

Camping costs £16 per person per night with up to four people on each pitch.

This is camping in a stunning, natural setting at the heart of the Heal Somerset site. The facilities are a step up from wild camping, with a mains water tap and compost loos.

Powder your noses (etc)

We were delighted to receive a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant of £17,856 from Somerset Council which we used to improve the facilities at the farmhouse at Heal Somerset.

The project, to create two new toilets and provide a shower and a disabled access toilet, was completed at the end of February 2024.

Having this provision for people with disabilities is very close to our hearts - Alice, our colleague, often needs to use a wheelchair and is now able to visit and 'use the facilities'.

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A winter bird tour

Nick Patel joined us for a guided winter bird walk at Heal Somerset. Aimed at all levels, Nick guided attendees through the rewilding landscape as it edge out of winter and towards spring. Bird enthusiasts were able to connect with one another and learn more about identifying the local bird population.

After the tour, the group gathered for hot drinks and light refreshments in our cosy events space to reflect on what they saw.

One participant said: "The bird tour at Heal Somerset was truly magical. We saw some beautiful birds, including a little egret, long tailed tits and kestrels. All of which was made possible thanks to Nick, our amazing guide."

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

March 2024

In May we gather

We announced Into The Light, our first ever rewilding gathering at Heal Somerset, a host of happenings: wonderful talks, special tours and a chance to explore the site to your heart's content.

The main talks were in a big marquee and we had a tipi for hanging out, donated by one of our lovely neighbours. Attendees came for one or both days and some camped on site or found a place to stay nearby.

A rewilding gathering, spring signs and the Green Match Fund

Spring signs

After a very wet winter, with much of the land waterlogged and the three streams on the site often in full spate, March brought the very welcome first signs of spring. Bright and buttery yellows of celandines and primroses, larks rising, the 'cronk' of ravens overhead, green woodpeckers yaffling, a hare hightailing it, a deer dashing away, and a scurrying shrew.

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Big Give Green Match Fund

We were thrilled to share the news that we were chosen by The Big Give to be a part of the Green Match Fund – an initiative aiming to raise £10 million for charities championing crucial environmental causes.

Between April 18 and 25, every donation made to Heal Rewilding through The Big Give website were magically matched pound-for-pound. £10 becomes a powerful £20, doubling the impact and investing in preserving wild spaces, protecting wild creatures and, ultimately, nurturing our shared future.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

A village event and starling performances

Working with our local village

Part of the Heal Somerset site is a 30-acre area adjacent to Witham Friary, our local village. We designated this area as the 'Village Fields' soon after arriving, with a plan to work with local people on what nature-related activities could happen there. In March, we held an event in the village hall to find out villagers' views on how the space might be used.

It was a success! Homemade cakes were devoured, hedgehog houses beautifully made and over 60 people voted on ideas put forward by the village, including a nature trail, bug houses and children's play logs, and added more. Our Community Engagement colleague Julia met with the Village Fields Committee after the event and made a plan for what ideas we can move forward. Mike from the committee said: “It was a truly uplifting day with lots of ideas coming from local residents including plenty from the children. The village fields will be a beautiful resource for everyone to enjoy and it will help restore nature at the same time”.

Starling central

Mini starling murmurations arrived! What a treat it was to have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings wheeling and swirling over our land and then landing to rest and feed.

Starlings appear black but close up, their feathers have a purple-green sheen flecked with white. These visitors could be residents or, more likely, migrants. Starlings are now red-listed and in the UK, their numbers have fallen by nearly 70%. Knowing that makes their showy performances over our fields particularly special.

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Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 March 2024

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

Objectives and activities

The objectives of the charity, as set out in its constitution, are:

to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation and improvement of the natural and physical environment in England and Wales, using the process of rewilding to restore biological diversity and ecosystems;
to advance environmental improvement and protection for the benefit of the public through conservation and protection of the environment and the provision of ecosystems services; and
to advance the education and the engagement of the public in the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation and enhancement of the natural environment and to promote study and research in such subjects and disseminate findings to the public at large.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

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Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024 Heal Rewilding
Craig Morris
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Trustees’ Report continued

Financial review

The year was financially challenging as it covered the period of supporting the establishment of the new Heal Somerset site and servicing interest payments on the impact lending used to acquire the site prior to refinancing.

The Trustees are pleased to see a 28 per cent increase in total income to £428,306, comprising £335,602 in unrestricted funds and £92,704 in restricted funds.

Unrestricted expenditure was £508,468, incurred in establishing the Heal Somerset site, and restricted expenditure was £54,917. As a result, there was an overall deficit of £135,079. A revaluation of the Heal Somerset site resulted in a gain of assets of £451,898. Funds carried forward were £544,790. Fundraising costs were £2,003, charitable activities direct costs were £170,771 and support costs were £390,611 and within support costs finance charges were £277,476.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation made a substantial contribution to the charity's operational costs this year, generously donating nearly £100,000 to fund several salaries for the year.

In addition, three major corporate supporters provided ongoing financial assistance, alongside six smaller business partners who contributed during the financial year. We also benefited from invaluable pro bono support from two law firms, whose expertise greatly bolstered our work. Furthermore, we were deeply grateful to receive £60,000 in donations from individual major donors, whose generosity continues to be a cornerstone of our success.

Fixed assets rose to £6,026,623 as a result of a positive revaluation of the Heal Somerset land and current assets were £246,163, with net current liabilities at £196,336. Total assets less current liabilities were £5,830,287 and net assets/total funds, after creditor amounts falling due after more than one year, were £544,790.

The reserves target is three months of operating costs plus 4%. There was a temporary use of reserves this year, providing a vital buffer and enabling the charity to invest in essential infrastructure and resources, positioning the charity for sustained growth and greater future impact. Reserves have since been rebuilt and the Trustees remain committed to maintaining and increasing reserves to ensure long-term sustainability.

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Heal Rewilding

Trustees’ Report continued

Interest payments on the charity's impact lending, used to acquire the site, were a significant cost during this financial year, at £275,030, and following the year end, the Trustees re-financed the debt, securing further impact investment from Direct Line Group (UK Insurance) and repaid lending from Triodos Bank UK, substantially reducing the ongoing level of interest. Following the re-financing, the charity now has loans totalling £5.5m with Direct Line Group, with the first capital repayment not due until 30 August 2027.

Going concern

The charity is primarily engaged with the rewilding of land to restore biological diversity and ecosystems and is therefore reliant on the receipt of donations, grant funding and other income streams such as eco-tourism, corporate and public events, and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to generate sufficient cash to meet expenditure and interest on loans as they fall due.

The Trustees have reviewed the charity's financial position, including its reserves, cash flow and future funding commitments, and have assessed its ability to continue operating as a going concern. This assessment has considered the potential risks and uncertainties facing the charity, including external economic factors, alongside the charity's strategic plans and ongoing activities.

The Trustees are satisfied that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. This confidence is supported by the charity's reserves policy, effective financial management and the anticipated level of income from diverse funding streams.

Based on this review, the re-financing and the conservative forecasts prepared, the Trustees are confident that the charity will be successful in generating sufficient income to meet the payments due under the loan agreement and have prepared the accounts on a going concern basis.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Trustees’ Report continued

Future plans

Over the next 12 months, the charity will continue to scale up its mission to help nature, climate and wellbeing through several key initiatives. A key focus will be bringing in further private sector finance to support Heal Somerset's operation, particularly through regulatory mechanisms like Biodiversity Net Gain. Depending on the development of the BNG market, government funding schemes like Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier may also be accessed. The charity will build on its successful track record of attracting voluntary contributions from nature-positive corporates and high-net-worth individuals, and bringing in grant support from trusts and foundations. Alongside this, the charity will drive up land fund donations from individuals and businesses to enable the continued repayment of its impact lending.

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Jen Vickers
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Finally, we will refine the core elements of Heal's site financing and operational blueprint in preparation for acquiring a second site in 2025/2026 and subsequent sites thereafter.

Structure, governance and management

We will also work to build trading operations, ecotourism, corporate volunteering, community engagement and brand awareness. A programme of interventions on the Heal Somerset site will commence, including the introduction of rare-breed pigs as ecosystem engineers, support for scrub and woodland regeneration with targeted planting (e.g. willow) and the planning and initial implementation of re-naturalised water flows. These efforts will be underpinned by the finalisation and delivery of a nature-led land management plan for Heal Somerset.

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an incorporated charity.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The powers of appointing new and additional trustees is vested in the trustees. The joint trustees are responsible for the day to day administration of the charity.

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Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Trustees’ Report continued

Reference and administrative details

Registered charity number

1187992

Principal address

Lower West Barn Farm Witham Friary Frome Somerset BA11 5HH

Trustees

J Stannard J Coulter D Stimson J Simnett C Gale P Watson (resigned 25.10.24) R Quinn (appointed 19.4.24)

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Jen Vickers
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Auditors

Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 153 -155 London Road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP3 9SQ

Events since the end of the year

Information relating to events since the end of the year is given in the notes to the financial statements.

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Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024 Heal Rewilding
Statement of Trustees’
responsibilities
Heal Rewilding
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Trustees’ Report continued

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the Trustees on 24 January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;

Jan Stannard Trustee

make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

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Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024 Heal Rewilding
Report of the
Independent Auditors
Emma Lewis
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Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Heal Rewilding (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity 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.

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities

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 charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve 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.

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Heal Rewilding

Report of the Independent Auditors continued

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the information given in the Report of the Trustees is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or

sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements which 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 charity'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 charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditors under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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 a Report of the Independent Auditors 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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

The Charity is required to comply with charity law and, based on our knowledge of its activities, we identified that the legal requirement to accurately account for restricted funds was of key significance.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Report of the Independent Auditors continued

We gained an understanding of how the charity complied with its legal and regulatory framework, including the requirement to properly account for restricted funds, through discussions with management and a review of the documented policies, procedures and controls.
The audit team, which is experienced in the audit of charities, considered the charity's susceptibility to material misstatement and how fraud may occur. Our considerations included the risk of management override.
Our approach was to check that all restricted income was properly identified and separately accounted for and to ensure that only valid and appropriate expenditure was charged to restricted funds. This included reviewing journal adjustments and unusual transactions.

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' 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 charity and the charity's trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 153 -155 London Road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP3 9SQ

Date: 29/01/2025

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment income Notes Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2024 total funds 2023 total funds £ £ £ £ 331,313 92,704 424,017 313,361 2 3 4,138 151 - - 4,138 151 18,832 2,686 Total 335,602 92,704 428,306 334,879 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2,003 2,003 - 5,452 Charitable activities 4 Conservation 506,465 54,917 561,382 286,906 Total 508,468 54,917 563,385 292,358 NET INCOME /(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds Other recognised gains/(losses) Gains on revaluation of fixed assets (172,866) 193,099 37,787 (135,079) 42,521 (193,099) - - 451,898 - 451,898 - Net movement in funds 472,131 (155,312) 316,819 42,521 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 34,872 193,099 227,971 185,450 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 507,003 37,787 544,790 227,971 18	INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment income Notes Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2024 total funds 2023 total funds £ £ £ £ 331,313 92,704 424,017 313,361 2 3 4,138 151 - - 4,138 151 18,832 2,686 Total 335,602 92,704 428,306 334,879 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2,003 2,003 - 5,452 Charitable activities 4 Conservation 506,465 54,917 561,382 286,906 Total 508,468 54,917 563,385 292,358 NET INCOME /(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds Other recognised gains/(losses) Gains on revaluation of fixed assets (172,866) 193,099 37,787 (135,079) 42,521 (193,099) - - 451,898 - 451,898 - Net movement in funds 472,131 (155,312) 316,819 42,521 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 34,872 193,099 227,971 185,450 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 507,003 37,787 544,790 227,971 18	INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment income Notes Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2024 total funds 2023 total funds £ £ £ £ 331,313 92,704 424,017 313,361 2 3 4,138 151 - - 4,138 151 18,832 2,686 Total 335,602 92,704 428,306 334,879 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2,003 2,003 - 5,452 Charitable activities 4 Conservation 506,465 54,917 561,382 286,906 Total 508,468 54,917 563,385 292,358 NET INCOME /(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds Other recognised gains/(losses) Gains on revaluation of fixed assets (172,866) 193,099 37,787 (135,079) 42,521 (193,099) - - 451,898 - 451,898 - Net movement in funds 472,131 (155,312) 316,819 42,521 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 34,872 193,099 227,971 185,450 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 507,003 37,787 544,790 227,971 18	INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Other trading activities Investment income Notes Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 2024 total funds 2023 total funds £ £ £ £ 331,313 92,704 424,017 313,361 2 3 4,138 151 - - 4,138 151 18,832 2,686 Total 335,602 92,704 428,306 334,879 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2,003 2,003 - 5,452 Charitable activities 4 Conservation 506,465 54,917 561,382 286,906 Total 508,468 54,917 563,385 292,358 NET INCOME /(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds Other recognised gains/(losses) Gains on revaluation of fixed assets (172,866) 193,099 37,787 (135,079) 42,521 (193,099) - - 451,898 - 451,898 - Net movement in funds 472,131 (155,312) 316,819 42,521 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 34,872 193,099 227,971 185,450 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 507,003 37,787 544,790 227,971 18
			334,879


2,003 506,465 508,468 (172,866) 193,099 451,898 472,131 34,872 507,003	- 54,917	2,003 561,382	5,452 286,906


	54,917	563,385	292,358


	37,787 (193,099) -	(135,079) - 451,898	42,521 - -


	(155,312) 193,099	316,819 227,971	42,521 185,450


	37,787	544,790	227,971

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Balance sheet

31 March 2024

Unrestricted funds Restricted funds £ £ 1,582,220 - 4,430,000 3 - - 6,026,623 - 130,526 - 77,850 37,787 208,376 37,787 (442,499) - (234,123) 37,787 5,792,500 37,787 (5,285,497) - 507,003 37,787 14,400 -	2024 total funds £ 1,582,220 4,430,000 3 6,026,623 130,526 115,637 14,400	2024 total funds £ 1,582,220 4,430,000 3 6,026,623 130,526 115,637 14,400	2024 total funds £ 1,582,220 4,430,000 3 6,026,623 130,526 115,637 14,400	2023 total funds £ 1,374,966 4,150,000 3 5,542,969 145,525 163,116 18,000	2023 total funds £ 1,374,966 4,150,000 3 5,542,969 145,525 163,116 18,000

37,787 -		246,163 (442,499)		308,641 (436,864)

37,787		(196,336)		(128,223)

37,787 - 37,787	5,830,287 (5,285,497) 544,790			5,414,746 (5,186,775)
					227,971



			507,003 37,787		34,872 193,099


			544,790		227,971

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf on 24 January 2025 by:

Jan Stannard Trustee

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Year Ended 31 March 2024

Notes to the Financial Statements

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.

Going concern

The charity is primarily engaged with the rewilding of land to restore biological diversity and ecosystems. It is therefore reliant on the receipt of donations, grant funding and other income streams such as ecotourism, corporate and public events, and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to generate sufficient cash to meet interest and capital repayments on loans as they fall due.

Following the year end, in June 2024, the charity agreed an amendment to its original loan agreement with UK Insurance for an additional facility, which was used to repay in full the Triodos Loan. Following the re-financing, the charity now has loans totalling £5.5m with UK Insurance with the first capital payment not due until 30 August 2027.

The Trustees are confident that the charity will be successful in generating sufficient income to meet the payments due under this loan agreement and, on the basis of the forecasts prepared, together with the refinancing, have prepared the accounts on a going concern basis.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Intangible fixed assets

Intangible assets are initially measured at cost. After initial recognition, intangible assets are measured at cost less any accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Sporting rights are being amortised evenly over their estimated useful life of 5 years.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Plant and machinery - 20% on cost Fixtures and fittings - 10% on cost Motor vehicles - 20% on cost

Freehold properties have been measured at fair value by third party professional valuers. Depreciation will be charged over the estimated useful life of the properties in subsequent years.

Heritage assets

The charity holds a heritage asset, which are land and buildings held for scientific importance to advance the preservation and conservation objects of the charity. Heritage assets are recognised using the valuation method.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme.Contributions payable to the charity's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Basis of consolidation

The financial statements present the information about the individual charity. The charity and its subsidiaries are classed a small group. Therefore, the charity has taken advantage of the exemptions provided by the Charities SORP (FRS 102) for small groups and consolidated accounts are not prepared.

2. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

Fundraising events 3. INVESTMENT INCOME Deposit account interest	2024 2023 £ £ 4,138 18,832 2024 2023 £ £ 151 2,686

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

4. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Direct Support costs costs (see note 5) Totals £ £ £ Conservation 170,771 390,611 561,382 5. SUPPORT COSTS Governance Management Finance costs Totals £ £ £ £ Conservation 98,135 277,476 15,000 390,611 Activity Basis of allocation Management Support costs Finance Support costs Governance costs Support costs

6. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

7. STAFF COSTS

7. STAFF COSTS Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2024 2023 £ £ 134,009 43,045 6,453 598 2,946 897 143,408 44,540

The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £31,082 (2023 - £33,591).

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

Conservation Administration	2024 2023 5 1 1 1 6 2

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

8. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Donations and legacies Unrestricted funds Restricted funds £ £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM 135,148 178,213 18,832 2,686 - - 156,666 178,213 Other trading activities Investment income Total EXPENDITURE ON 5,452 - Raising funds Charitable activities Conservation 203,268 83,638 208,720 83,638 Total NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Transfers between funds (52,054) (5,581) 94,575 5,581 Net movement in funds (57,635) 100,156 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 92,507 92,943 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 34,872 193,099 9. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Sporting rights £ COST At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 18,000 AMORTISATION Charge for year 3,600 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2024 14,400 At 31 March 2023 18,000	Total funds £ 313,361 18,832 2,686
	334,879
	5,452 286,906
	292,358
	42,521 -
	42,521 185,450 227,971

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

COST OR VALUATION At 1 April 2023 Additions Revalutions Plant and machinery Fixtures and fittings £ £ - - 3,648 - 2,129 - Freehold property £ 1,374,966 23,136 171,898 At 31 March 2024 3,648 2,129 1,570,000 DEPRECIATION Charge for year 486 160 - NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2024 3,162 1,969 1,570,000 At 31 March 2023 - - 1,374,966	Motor vehicles Totals £ £ - 1,374,966 8,291 - 37,204 171,898 8,291 1,584,068 1,202 1,848 7,089 1,582,220 - 1,374,966

Cost or valuation at 31 March 2024 is represented by:

Valuation in 2024 Plant and machinery Fixtures and fittings £ £ - - 3,648 2,129 Freehold property £ 171,898 1,398,102 3,648 2,129 1,570,000 Cost	Motor vehicles Totals £ £ - 171,898 8,291 1,412,170 8,291 1,584,068

11. HERITAGE ASSETS

11. HERITAGE ASSETS
	Total
	£
MARKET VALUE
At 1 April 2023	4,150,000
Revaluations	280,000
At 31 March 2024	4,430,000
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2024	4,430,000

At 31 March 2023	4,150,000

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

Cost or valuation at 31 March 2024 is represented by:	Heritage
	asset
	£
Valuation in 2024	280,000
Cost	4,150,000
	4,430,000
12. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS
	Shares in
	group
	undertakings
	£
MARKET VALUE
At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024	3
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2024	3
At 31 March 2023	3

There were no investment assets outside the UK.

At the balance sheet date, the charity had three subsidiary companies.

Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited, previously Heal Somerset Limited, (company number: 13353709). Heal Rewilding owns 100% of the share capital. During the year Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited made a loss of £17,095 and had net liabilities of £33,491 at the year end.

Heal Rewilding (Enterprises) Limited (company number: 12385872). Heal Rewilding owns 100% of the share capital. The company was dormant throughout the current and previous financial periods. The company was dissolved on 30 July 2024.

Heal North Limited (company number: 13357428). Heal Rewilding owns 100% of the share capital. The company was dormant throughout the current and previous financial periods. The company was dissolved on 30 July 2024.

13. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade debtors Other debtors Owed by group undertakings VAT Prepayments and accrued income	2024 2023 £ £ 77 104,751 16,680 8,969 49 - 121,405 19,740 3,952 428 130,526 145,525

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

14. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2024 £ 7,934 4,917 Bank loans and overdrafts (see note 16) Trade creditors Taxation and social security Other creditors 319,000 110,648 442,499 15. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR 2024 £ 174,833 Bank loans (see note 16) Other creditors 5,110,664 5,285,497 16. LOANS An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below: 2024 £ 20,000 319,000 339,000 Amounts falling due within one year on demand: Bank loans Other loans 174,833 319,000 493,833 Bank loans - 1-2 years Other loans - 1-2 years Amounts falling between one and two years 4,791,664 Bank loans - 2-5 years Amounts falling due between two and five years:	2023 £ - 344 319,000 117,520 436,864 2023 £ - 5,186,775
	5,186,775 2023 £ 100,000 319,000

	419,000
	- 5,186,775 5,186,775
	-

The loan from Triodos Bank of £2,429,664 is secured by a legal charge over the freehold property at Lower West Barn Farm, Witham Friary, Frome, Somerset, BA11 5HH comprising of 460.86 acres of agricultural land, buildings and dwellings. In addition, a debenture in the form provided by the Bank comprising a floating charge over all assets and undertakings (both present and future) of the Charity.

The loan is over a 5 year period with the initial agreement dated 29.12.2022. The interest rate on the loan is 7.25%.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

The loan from UK Insurance Limited of £3,000,000 is also secured by a legal charge over the above property.

As set out in note 20, following the year end the charity restructured its debts.

17. SECURED DEBTS

The following secured debts are included within creditors:

Triodos Bank UK Insurance Limited	3,000,000 2,429,664 1,885,775 3,620,000 5,429,664 5,505,775 2024 2023 £ £

18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

		Net	Transfers
		movement in	between
	At 1.4.23	funds	funds	At 31.3.24
	£	£	£	£
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
General fund	34,872	220,422	-	255,294
Designated - Land Fund	-	58,610	193,099	251,709
	34,872	279,032	193,099	507,003
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Land fund	193,099	-	(193,099)	-
Surveys	-	37,787	-	37,787
	193,099	37,787	(193,099)	37,787
TOTAL FUNDS	227,971	316,819	-	544,790

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
	Incoming resources	Resources expended	Gains and losses	Movement in funds
	£	£	£	£
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
General fund	270,480	(501,956)	451,898	220,422
Designated - Land Fund	65,122	(6,512)	-	58,610
	335,602	(508,468)	451,898	279,032

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

RESTRICTED FUNDS

RESTRICTED FUNDS
Esmee Fairbairn		53,639	(53,639)	-	-
Surveys		39,065	(1,278)	-	37,787
		92,704	(54,917)	-	37,787
TOTAL FUNDS	428,306		(563,385)	451,898	316,819

Comparatives for movement in funds
			Net	Transfers
			movement in	between
		At 1.4.22 funds		funds	At 31.3.23
		£ £		£	£
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
General fund		92,507 (52,054)		(5,581)	34,872
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Land fund		92,943 94,575		5,581	193,099
TOTAL FUNDS		185,450 42,521		-	227,971

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
			Incoming	Resources	Movement in
			resources	expended	funds
			£	£	£
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
General fund			156,666	(208,720)	(52,054)
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Land fund			94,575	-	94,575
Natural environment
investment readiness fund			83,638	(83,638)	-
			178,213	(83,638)	94,575
TOTAL FUNDS			334,879	(292,358)	42,521

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

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Notes to the Financial Statements continued

Designated - Land fund

Use of the land fund is designated to the repayment of the loans taken out to purchase the land for rewilding purposes.

Esmee Fairbairn

The Esmee Fairbairn grant was received to be spent on salaries of three members of staff.

Surveys

Donations have been received to be spent on surveys.

19. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

At the year end the total due to the charity from Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited was £104,751 (2023: £121,405).

There were no other related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024 (2023: Nil).

20. POST BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

After the year end, in June 2024, the charity signed an amendment agreement with UK Insurance Limited, which increased the total amount borrowed from UK Insurance Limited to £5,500,000. Following the drawdown of these additional funds, the Triodos Bank loan was repaid in full in June 2024.

The lending from UK Insurance comprises two facilities. Facility A being £3,000,000 at 0.5% interest per annum and Facility B being £2,500,000 at 3.5% interest per annum.

Interest on Facility A is payable annually in arrears. Interest on Facility B is first payable in August 2025, and thereafter annually in arrears.

Both facilities are secured over the land acquired by the charity by way of a first legal mortgage over the property and land at Witham Friary, a first fixed charge over any insurance claims, rent, contracts relating to the property, and all present and future goodwill and a first floating charge over all present and future chattels.

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2024

Heal Rewilding

Acknowledgements

All of these wonderful achievements were made possible by our incredible community of supporters, donors, volunteers, trustees, employees and advisors.

We’d like acknowledge and thank the following individuals and organisations for their contributions to our work:

To our Trustees for their wisdom and support: Cindy Gale, Donna Stimson, Jeremy Coulter, Jonathan Simnett, Piers Watson and Rob Quinn
To our wonderful 2023-24 Heal team : Alice Hopkins, Caddy Outhwaite, Daniel Hill, Hannah Needham, Julia Galbenu, Katie Ross, Ruby Batt, Sarah Winchester
To Triodos Bank and Direct Line Group (UK Insurance Limited), our lenders, who shared our vision and made the acquisition of Heal Somerset possible
To our Land Advisory Group for their knowledge and guidance: Alex Sams, Pete Cooper and Sara King
To the dozens of Heal Helpers who undertook virtual and on-site volunteering tasks through the year
To Heidi Briggs , who proofread this document as a volunteer
To Esmee Fairbairn Foundation , whose funding has been vital to developing our charity, enabling us to create fundamental new roles
To Somerset Council’s Rural England Prosperity Fund , whose funding has enabled us to expand our office space and make it accessible to all
To other grant-giving organisations who supported us with core funding or for key projects: Cobalt Trust, Benefact, Consano Earth, Big Give, Newby Trust and Aviva Community Fund
To our business partners who so generously support us, particularly Polar Capital, TT Environmental Solutions, Ticket Tailor, Caution Your Blast, Sandler Training Cambridge, Working Planet
To our major donors many of whom choose to remain anonymous, whose support and confidence in us strengthen our ability to create meaningful impact and drive our mission forward

To all the Heal 3x3 sponsors who helped us to continue to build our land fund

To all Friends of Heal and individuals who donated throughout the year, you are the heartbeat of our giving
To all supporters who made one-off donations and brightened our day every time one arrived
To our compatriot rewilders from projects around the country, who contributed knowledge and experience which made all the difference
And to Rewilding Britain , whose support has been unwavering since the earliest days and continues to be material in our work, particularly Rebecca Wrigley, Alastair Driver and Sara King

2024-03-31-accounts

Report and Financial Statements 2023-2024

A message from our co-founder

About Heal

A look back at the year

April 2023

A (special) furry visitor

Getting ready to welcome visitors

Getting to know our local Wildlife Trust

A new team member, advisors dropping by and the Big Green Hike

Ruby ruby ruby ruby (sing it!)

Supporters and advisors drop by

Celebrating Big Green Hikers for Heal!

May 2023

Wildlife latest

Wildlife spots, a Heal 3x3 update and a new fundraiser

A Heal 3x3 update

Double your donation

Knepp ticket auction, bird ringing and another new team member

Knepp Nightingale Safari ticket auction

Getting to know the locals

Another new team member

June 2023

31 species in first moth trapping activity

Moth trapping, our first tours and hitting our fundraising target

Our first tours

We smashed our target!

Measuring carbon, pop-up camping and our first on site volunteers

Measuring carbon with Treeconomy

Pop-up camping at Heal Somerset

Volunteers brush up their skills

July 2023

Opening Heal Somerset to visitors and spotting the small things

Heal Somerset opened on Monday 17 July!

Spotting the small things

An exciting event, close encounters and Heal 3x3 locations go live

Close encounters at our campsite

Heal 3x3 locations go live!

August 2023

Heal Somerset is fully open

Fully opening Heal Somerset, a special find and our new Ranger

A very special find

Dan joins the team

A day of balsam bashing and a major grant

Volunteers bash balsam

September 2023

The Saving, a bat talk and a new supporter

The Saving

Bat talk

Ticket Tailor supports Heal

Resurgence take two, wildlife spots and another new supporter

Resurgence take two

A reptilian find and a charm offensive

Bottom-up support from Naked Sprout

October 2023

Barn owl excitement and a search for new team members

Barn owl excitement

On the look out for new team members

A rethink, a slimy discovery and collaboration

A land access rethink

A slimy discovery

Collaborating to help nature thrive

November 2023

Two new team members

Two new team members and surprise visitors

Surprise visitors

Volunteers in the garden and an exciting campaign

Volunteers on a gardening mission

Force of nature

December 2023

Projects For Nature, festive gifts and a tall visitor

Festive gifts with meaning

Amazing support from Caution Your Blast and brand new tours

Leading digital practice gives Heal a double boost

New wildlife tours!

January 2024

A year at Heal Somerset

Out Of The Darkness

Finding out what’s here

A rethink, short-eared owls and appointing our photographer-in-residence