2026-03-31-accounts

2025-2026

Jen Vickers

Table of contents		Heal Rewilding
A message from the Chair of Trustees	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	42
Acknowledgements	54
Images	55

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

A message from the Chair of Trustees

I am pleased to present Heal’s third Annual Report, documenting another year of significant progress in our work to support nature recovery, climate action and human wellbeing.

----- Start of picture text -----
Jonathan Simnett
----- End of picture text -----

Covering the period from April 2025 to March 2026, this report reflects our sixth year as a charity and our third year of managing Heal Somerset, our first rewilding site. As our blueprint project, Heal Somerset continues to generate valuable insights that will inform the development and management of future Heal sites, and much of this report focuses on the progress made there over the past year.

The charity’s total income for the year was £668,218 compared with £744,405 in 2024/25. This reduction reflects the inclusion in last year’s income of a substantial one-off donation from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to support our Woodland Regeneration Project through the Government’s Projects for Nature scheme. Excluding this exceptional contribution and other non-recurring income of £33,439, Heal achieved an underlying income increase of nearly 23%, rising from £544,176 to £668,218. The Trustees are encouraged by this continued growth in support for our work and our long-term vision.

As our understanding of the land at Heal Somerset deepened, we embarked on two major intervention projects during the year. Our Woodland Regeneration Project was successfully completed, enabling our two Tamworth pigs to roam freely within a newly enclosed 81-hectare (nearly 200-acre) area, where they are now helping to restore natural ecological processes. In early autumn 2025, funding from the Environment Agency and Somerset Rivers Authority, delivered through the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), was confirmed, allowing us to take another important rewilding step by beginning the renaturalisation of the water flows at the site.

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
Abi Rowley
----- End of picture text -----

Among the year’s most exciting developments were two remarkable beaver milestones. In May 2025, a new beaver dam appeared on the site and rapidly expanded, creating a growing wetland habitat. Later that summer, the birth of three wildliving beaver kits provided further evidence of the species’ successful establishment.

Our community engagement programme continued to grow, achieving some impressive results. During the year, we engaged with 295 people from underserved backgrounds and 999 young people. A new partnership with a local college saw rewilding embedded within its A- Level Environmental Science curriculum, helping to inspire and inform the next generation of environmental leaders. We also hosted 40 events, screenings and guided tours, reaching more than 1,539 people.

To support this growing programme, work was completed on a timber-framed cabin within one of the site's barns, creating a comfortable, weatherproof space for schools, community groups and event attendees. The commitment of our volunteers remained a cornerstone of Heal’s success. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 238 volunteers contributed an extraordinary 6,715 hours of their time - an increase of more than 250% on the previous financial year.

1

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Ecological monitoring continued throughout the year, with new surveys introduced, including an investigation into soil chemical composition across the site. In total, 35 surveys have now been undertaken, generating a wealth of data that informed the development of Heal’s first State of Nature report, work on which began in late 2025. This growing evidence base is helping us better understand ecological change at Heal Somerset and measure the impact of our rewilding approach.

The year also marked an important evolution in our governance and engagement practices. Heal’s second Future Advisory Panel completed its tenure in early 2026 and, following an extensive collaborative review, the decision was made not to continue with this approach to engaging young people. In its place, we have adopted a broader, shared decision-making approach to land management and visitor experience, designed to meaningfully involve young people, local residents, neighbours, community groups, volunteers and supporters alongside the core team. We believe this approach will strengthen trust and transparency while delivering outcomes that are more relevant, equitable and widely supported.

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

This has been a year of substantial progress and achievement for Heal. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our work - the Heal team, our dedicated volunteers, our donors, partners and supporters. Your commitment, generosity and enthusiasm make everything we achieve possible, and we thank you for helping us continue to build a wilder, more resilient future.

Jonathan Simnett

Chair of Trustees July 2026

----- Start of picture text -----
2
2
----- End of picture text -----

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026 Heal Rewi Raise money Buy land .Rewild it OAbi Rowley

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

About Heal

Heal Rewilding launched in March 2020 as the UK’s first charity dedicated to being a rewilding landowner. Heal’s name is its purpose: heal the land, heal nature, heal ourselves. Our aim is to acquire and rewild land across the UK, a site of around 500 acres in every English county. We secured our foundation site, Heal Somerset, in December 2022.

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’. Rewilding is an exciting and still relatively novel way of restoring ecosystems, with humans stepping back and letting nature lead. It allows plants to regenerate and creates spaces where wildlife can live freely and vulnerable species can thrive. Wildlife populations increase in variety and abundance.

Rewilding also contributes to the fight against climate change. 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

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

be captured every year, which is more than 12% of (1) current UK greenhouse gas emissions. Rewilding is also hugely beneficial to society. It improves soil health, cleans the air we breathe, reduces water pollution and ‘slows the flow’ to lower flood risk, and brings economic benefit. A study by Rewilding Britain found a 54% increase in full-time equivalent jobs on rewilding projects in England over around (2) ten years.

Heal Somerset was once an intensive dairy farm, comprising 460 acres of beautiful undulating countryside, with miles of hedgerows and three tributaries of the River Frome. In three years, our team has transformed the site into a place where nature is thriving. With the completion of 35 baseline surveys, our first kick-start interventions are underway, helping to restore missing or diminished natural processes. These include increasing disturbance, allowing natural regeneration and renaturalising water flows. The arrival of wild-living beavers has also had a material impact on habitats at the site.

As well as wildlife, people are central to everything we do at Heal. Key to our mission is increasing access to nature, and hence our site is open and free to access 24/7, all year round. We work hard to collaborate with the local community and run engaging and educational events and experiences.

We now have our sights set on our second project, Heal Yorkshire. The work has begun to find funding and to identify a potential site. Exciting times are ahead!

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

(2) https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/why-rewild/benefits-ofrewilding/nature-based-economies

4

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

A look back at the year

April 2025

Portrait auction

This stunning 30cm x 40cm portrait in oils of Sir David Attenborough was donated to Heal by artist Inge du Plessis, for us to auction to raise funds.

The painting is based on a photograph of Sir David taken by a Time Magazine photographer and created with the photographer’s permission.

Inge du Plessis is an awardwinning figurative oil painter with work in collections throughout the world. She is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, where she completed an Honours Degree in Fine Art. She has been painting professionally since 1999.

The deadline for submitting a bid was midnight on 12 December 2025, with the highest bid submitted securing the painting.

A special auction, World Rewilding Day and community planting

Rewilding Britain Network gathering

To celebrate World Rewilding Day on 20 March, Rewilding Britain brought together more than 70 people from larger rewilding projects in the Rewilding Network.

Community orchard planting day

Three of the Heal team went - Jan Stannard, Julia Galbenu and Daniel Hill - and on an epic first day, they saw magnificent whitetailed eagles fly right by the tour boat in Poole Harbour and then spent a fascinating afternoon exploring Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve, where impressive landscape-scale change is happening. On day two, they visited Wild Woodbury to see how this Dorset Wildlife Trust site is changing since its water flows were renaturalised. On the final day, they came together for a series of presentations on the theme of accelerating rewilding. Thanks to Sara King for organising this inspiring and very useful gathering.

Over a dozen volunteers from the local community joined Heal staff to plant a wild orchard in the Village Fields area of the Heal Somerset site. More than 600 trees were planted and a wonderful willow 'igloo' was created which will be a very special place for children in the village to enjoy.

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

5

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

A climbing badger, the start of a new intervention project and a major award

Climbing badger caught on camera!

Who knew that badgers climbed? Not us, but here's the proof - click on the link and 45 seconds in, watch one very agile individual doing just that!

Woodland regeneration project

At the beginning of a rewilding journey, land needs both time and a range of interventions to kickstart natural recovery. Over decades of intensive land use and in the absence of natural predators, deer have thrived, sometimes to the detriment of young plants and trees.

A December 2024 survey of Heal Somerset and adjacent land by the British Deer Society found local deer populations to be more than four times the level associated with successful scrub and woodland regeneration.

The Heal Somerset woodland regeneration project will address this challenge across part of the site. The work of enclosing a 71ha section of the Heal Somerset site - the Southern Fields - began in April, with long-term, but not permanent, perimeter fencing. This will protect regenerating vegetation from deer browsing, including scrub plants like hazel, hawthorn, bramble and dog rose, and tree species like young oaks, aspen and willow.

An award from Benefact

We were delighted to have been awarded £1,000 in the most recent Benefact Group Movement for Good Awards draw and thank you if you were one of the people that nominated Heal - it works!

Our biggest public fundraising challenge of the year, the Big Give Green Match Fund, kicked off in April. We had a really ambitious target of £40,000 this year. Donating to us during the campaign, which ran from midday on 22 April to midday on 29 April, enabled every £1 to be doubled!

CanvaHeal Rewilding

6

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

May 2025

Alastair Driver and Heal join forces

Wonderful news! Heal appointed Professor Alastair Driver as a Specialist Advisor. This spring, Alastair came on his first site visit as an official member of the team (having been a few times before). He's pictured above flanked by Daniel Hill, our Ranger, and Jan Stannard, Heal's co-founder.

Alastair was one of the first people we ever spoke to about the plans for Heal, in January 2020. In the way that the universe does its thing for us, it turned out that Jan and Alastair live only 20 minutes apart! They met up and he was hugely supportive. It was a really encouraging discussion, given that we were a newcomer doing something bold and ambitious in a world he already knew well. Having him on the team seems like a fitting milestone five years later.

Alastair will work on Heal’s behalf giving advice to UK landowners either embarking upon a rewilding project or needing help as their project unfolds

A feather in our cap, exciting wildlife sightings and a big thank you

A shortie is back!

Thrills on site earlier in 2025 when this beauty turned up at Heal Somerset, several days on the trot.

News of a shortie (short-eared owl, for the uninitiated) brought keen birders out to try to see it, including regular volunteer Jen Vickers who took this wonderful photo of it.

It could have been a tardy migrant, but our tour guide Nick Patel thinks that having one of these owls here so late in the season might mean it's breeding nearby (they have normally left for northern climes by now). Whatever the reason, there's lots of prey here for it.

Green Match Fund

We did it! Our Big Give Green Match Fund campaign raised almost £45,000, exceeding our target. This funding is going to make a big difference to our community work this year.

If you were one of the people that helped us succeed, thank you!

Jen Vickers

7

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Dirty work and a new team member

Getting the dirt on our ‘dirt’

Soil fertility sampling was one of the last baseline surveys still left to do, which involved a heroic effort from Dan and some of our volunteers. They mustered the energy to collect a huge number of soil samples from right across the site to enable us to check soil nutrient levels. We were curious to see what levels persisted after years of slurry being put onto the land.

Strap yourselves in for the stats: five days of solid effort, 33km (!) walked and 840 'sub-samples' taken. That was a heck of a lot of digging.

Dan put the sub-samples together to make up 42 samples overall, which he then had to bag up and send off for analysis.

Welcome Katie!

In April we were joined by Katie Stearn-Mills, our new Communications and Digital Media Coordinator.

Katie’s childhood was spent in rural Somerset, so a job with Heal – whose Somerset site is just up the road from her family home - was a particularly magical return to her roots.

After graduating from Durham University with an English degree, Katie took a different direction and moved to China for a year to work for an outdoor education company. This eventually led to a 12-year career as a Product Manager within the travel industry, working with a wide range of international suppliers and travelling extensively. The more she saw, the more she learned about the devastating impact that people continue to have on the land, which sparked her interest in using storytelling to increase engagement in ecosystem restoration and climate change mitigation.

To learn more, Katie studied a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Management, before seeking a new career within nature restoration. She spent time working for a pioneering conservation company and volunteering for the Mendip Hills National Landscape before making the move to Heal, where she says she is utterly delighted to be!

Heal Rewilding

8

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

June 2025

A humbling volunteer effort and a groundbreaking ceremony

The gift of 2,250 amazing hours

Since launching our new volunteer system TeamKinetic just a year ago, over 2,250 volunteer hours have been given to Heal's work. How amazing is that! People have gone onto TK, as we affectionately call it, and signed up for tasks at our Heal Somerset site and also for volunteering work they can do at home. Saying we are grateful seems so inadequate.

This incredible achievement is not ours but belongs to our amazing community of Heal Helpers. It's a true testament to their dedication, energy and passion. From digging badger tunnels and removing barbed wire, to prepping our food garden, conducting countless wildlife surveys and capturing it all on film for Heal the Land, every hour has made a real difference.

To everyone who's lent a hand, thank you. You are the heart of what we do.

SSEN joins Heal to celebrate woodland regeneration project

We celebrated a major milestone in our journey to restore native woodland with a ground-breaking ceremony marking the official start of our woodland regeneration project. Representatives from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the Environment Agency and Heal, including CEO Jan Stannard, gathered to put in the first fence post - a symbolic moment that signals the beginning of a vital restoration effort. We are hugely grateful to SSEN for funding this project.

This initiative, part of the Projects for Nature programme, saw the installation of a perimeter fence designed to manage an overpopulation of deer on the land. By reducing grazing pressure, the fence will give young saplings the space and protection they need to thrive. We’ve already got lots of saplings cropping up across the site - especially baby oaks - but they’re not always getting a chance to grow because the deer keep nibbling them! Supporting this natural regeneration will help restore woodland and boost biodiversity for the future.

As these woodlands mature, they will play an important role in capturing and storing carbon, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change and support a more resilient landscape. None of this would be possible without the generous support of SSEN.

9

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

New beaver dam and an unusual request

New beaver dam

It's as if we ordered a perfect 'demonstration dam' for visitors to see! The wild-living beavers on the Heal Somerset site have constructed this small but beautiful dam in the River Frome tributary in our Southern Fields. It's about five minutes from the visitor parking and really easy to see, so we hope it will encourage more visitors to come to the site during daylight hours.

The structure withstood some torrential rainfall and a deep pool built up behind it.

Formative wildlife encounters - we have a request!

In June we asked a small favour - would you be willing to take a short survey about childhood encounters with wild creatures? We believe that a deep connection with nature often begins with these early moments and we're curious to learn which animals, if any, sparked that first interest for you.

Some beautiful memories had already been related to us. One person recounted an unforgettable encounter with butterflies: "As a young child I lived on the edge of Wakefield and we would go for walks in the countryside. One day, while walking down a path along a hedge, we disturbed hundreds of red admiral butterflies which took off in a dense cloud. It looked as if the whole hedge was flying away. It was this moment that really woke me to the glories of nature."

This isn't a scientific study, but rather a heartfelt exploration of how people come to care about the natural world. The survey should only take a few minutes to complete and we are just so grateful to hear your thoughts!

David Scannell

10

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

July 2025

An iconic bird is back

We were thrilled to share some exciting news - turtle doves were recently spotted on our land! These beautiful and increasingly rare birds were released nearby as part of a conservation breeding programme and while there's no guarantee they'll stay, we're hopeful they'll find our habitat inviting enough to linger.

Turtle doves are one of the UK's fastest-declining bird species, so any sighting is a cause for celebration. Our land offers a good environment for them to thrive: scrubby areas, bushy hedgerows, and an abundance of wild plant seeds and invertebrates. These features are essential for their nesting and feeding, giving us cause to be optimistic.

Whether they're just passing through or considering setting up home here, we are absolutely delighted to see them and hope our visitors get a chance to spot them too!

An iconic bird, riverside encounters and Into The Light

Beaver news: otter encounters, TV fame and kits at last?

It was an exciting month for the wild-living beavers at Heal Somerset. The month began with an astonishingly rare moment captured on one of our trailcams - a surprise meeting between two otters and a beaver.

In the footage, the otters are seen climbing one of the newly built dams, only to come face-to-face with a beaver swimming in the top pool! All three creatures get a bit of a fright and scatter, then one curious otter bravely returns for a second look.

Into The Light 2025 - that's a wrap!

A month on and we were still feeling the after-glow from Into The Light! It truly was a magical two days and we were overwhelmed by the sense of community we felt throughout. Highlights for us included around 50 people joining Nick Patel on a wildlife walk (pictured), Karen Skeates' moving performance of Sometimes A Wild God around the campfire on Friday evening and Liv Torc ending the event with a recital of the combined haikus from those attending! We felt - and the feedback agreed - that it was an ideal blend of learning and creativity with plenty of time to connect and chat.

But the excitement didn't stop there. Just as the BBC confirmed their interest to feature the footage and interview our CEO Jan Stannard live on site, our trailcams captured something even more thrilling: a lactating female beaver! This was strong evidence that beaver kits are here.

To see more of what went on at Into The Light 2025, we created a gallery on our Heal Somerset website.

Heal Rewilding

11

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Summer solstice, a camping upgrade and how to visit virtually

Summer solstice with the Shakti Sings Choir

On Saturday 21 June we held a community nature retreat to celebrate the summer solstice, in collaboration with the wonderful Shakti Sings Choir. The retreat was our way of saying thank you to the community leaders and volunteers who give so much of themselves to support others - often without taking time to rest and recharge in nature themselves. The day kicked off with a beautiful river blessing by the choir, followed by a range of creative, hands-on workshops. Later, we gathered for a shared community supper at the farmhouse before closing the evening with singing and music around the campfire. It was a glorious experience, a beautifully fitting tribute to the longest day of the year and to the people who help keep the spirit of Heal alive.

Our wild camping site has had an upgrade

Tucked away in the heart of Heal Somerset, our peaceful camping field offers glorious views stretching across the landscape to the hills beyond. People love it for the back-to-nature wild camping vibe, the peace and quiet and the chance to spot some truly wonderful wildlife. Picture yourself cooking dinner by your tent, birdsong all around, hares bounding in the field and the gentle coo of turtle doves in the air. Bliss! And the best news - we've made the experience even better!

We are delighted to announce we have a new composting toilet at Heal Somerset campsite! Our fab new loo from WooWoo Waterless offers a much more sustainable, comfortable solution for guests who are caught short while out exploring the land, and makes the wild camping experience a little more comfortable.

Heal Rewilding

Visit Heal Somerset virtually

We know not all of our supporters can make it to Heal Somerset in person, but now you can experience the land, no matter where you are.

Thanks to the brilliant work of the team at Stitch Surveying, we were excited to share a new interactive digital map that brings our site to life. As you explore, you can click on icons located across the landscape to watch video clips and browse photographic stills. In some areas, you can navigate with your mouse to enjoy immersive 360° views or follow a mapped circular walk with on-theground footage to give you the feeling of strolling through the land. Cinematic drone footage showcases the site from above, beautifully positioning us within the wider landscape.

Whether you're near or far, we hope this new way of experiencing the site helps you feel more connected to Heal Somerset and the landscape we're restoring together.

12

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

August 2025

People and rewilding

People and their wellbeing have always been at the heart of our rewilding mission. July was a bumper month for us.

Action For Conservation

kicked off the month with their Youth Leadership Campout - a fun and inspiring weekend sharing ideas for how best to empower others to protect the natural world.

Later we welcomed Frome's Pod Youth Club, part of a brilliant charity supporting people with additional needs.

We also hosted a collaborative learning day with Neighbourhood Toolbox, exploring water, biodiversity and nature-focused design.

Through our local green social prescribing programme, we welcomed participants from Better Nature Help groups to Heal Somerset to explore how they could continue their nature connectivity journey.

In late July we welcomed a small group from Able2Achieve, which supports people with learning disabilities, to help in our food garden.

A bumper month for communities, baby beavers and going the extra mile for Heal

We have baby beavers!

We were utterly delighted to announce that we had seen not one but two beaver kits at Heal Somerset!

After the first trailcam footage of the pair, which caused huge excitement in the office, the babies were pretty elusive, only captured on camera together a handful of times.

At this point the kits were already around a month and a half old, and we'd seen them growing in confidence and independence already. They will stay with their parents for two years or so before they'll be forced to flee the nest (burrow) and find their own homes. During this time, the adult beaver pair may well have another litter of kits!

A mammoth sponsorship effort

We were in absolute awe of the sponsorship efforts of an incredible Heal supporter. John Rowland wanted to raise awareness and funds for Heal's rewilding work and he ran the Five Rivers 100-mile ultra marathon! John is a biology teacher and he organised an assembly at his school to educate the children about rewilding, increasing awareness still further.

For now, the beavers will continue to extend the existing dams as well as making new ones, so we are excited to see water levels rise and wetland creation in action.

John completed this incredible challenge in May and raised over £1,000 for Heal! John, you are a star and we couldn't be more grateful for your heroic efforts. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

13

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

An award-winning film, improved signage and the Festival of Hope

Our film - it’s awardwinning!

Howzat! Our nature

documentary Heal the Land won its first award! The film picked up 'Best Short Film' at the MY NAME IS CLIMATE Film Festival, an amazing accolade which is well-deserved recognition for our volunteer filmmakers extraordinaire Tom Francome and Hayley Smith. Here's hoping it's the first of many...

Festival of Hope round-up

The inaugural Festival of Hope was held on a beautifully sunny weekend in late July, bringing together a group of young people for a relaxed and uplifting experience at Heal Somerset. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, with plenty of time for connection, idea-sharing and exploring the land between engaging workshops and nature walks led by expert wildlife guide Nick Patel.

One of the most magical moments came on Saturday evening. As the group sat quietly by the river ahead of a glow worm survey, they were treated to the sounds of beavers gnawing and splashing as they busily worked on their dam nearby - a truly unforgettable encounter with nature.

A huge thank you to the Heal Future Panel for organising such a thoughtful and thoughtprovoking event. Here's to the beginning of a wonderful new tradition.

Signposting a better visitor experience

Look at these gorgeous new signs at Heal Somerset! Jonny, one of our wonderful volunteers, created these beauties to help visitors find their way more easily when arriving. These mark the beginning of some more changes we'll be making to improve our visitor experience - watch this space for updates over the coming months..

Heal Rewilding

14

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

September 2025

Multiplying beavers, Black2Nature visit and badger vaccinations

They’re multiplying!

We had previously announced that we had two wild-living beaver kits living at Heal Somerset... but we were wrong. Footage was subsequently seen confirming that there are three! This astonishing news took us all by surprise but we're delighted that our site is providing a home to a whopping five of these adorable ecosystem engineers.

Black2Nature visits Heal Somerset

At the end of July, we were delighted to welcome a group of young people from Black2Nature to Heal Somerset. The group, made up of children from global majority backgrounds living in nearby urban areas, spent a day exploring the site and experiencing rewilding for the very first time.

The day was packed with activities. The group took part in a worm survey and a reptile survey, and for many, the highlight was seeing a slow worm, a creature that none of them had encountered before. They also helped feed the pigs, enjoyed games and went on a wildlife walk to discover the many species thriving at Heal Somerset.

For these young visitors, rewilding was a completely new concept, and it was a joy to share the excitement of nature with them. Their curiosity and enthusiasm made the day extra special and we hope it has inspired a lifelong interest in the natural world.

----- Start of picture text -----
Remus86/Canva
----- End of picture text -----

Protecting local wildlife: badger vaccinations

Over the summer we completed year two of our badger vaccination programme at Heal Somerset, working with the Somerset Badger Group under a licence from Natural England.

After a detailed survey to identify signs of badger activity such as tracks, latrines and setts, the team set up bait points using peanuts and after a week of monitoring, 30 traps were placed.

Vaccination then took place over two early mornings. Traps were set each evening, then checked at sunrise by our ranger Dan, who is now fully trained in the entire process, and the Somerset Badger Group team. This year, 22 badgers were vaccinated, up from 15 - real progress in our four year programme.

Heal Rewilding

15

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Soil health surveying and a new community partnership

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

Soil chemistry

Frome Youth Climate Action comes to Heal

We were delighted to welcome the Frome Youth Climate Action Group to Heal Somerset recently for a fun afternoon of nature-focused activities. This dynamic group of young people is passionate about tackling climate change and protecting the environment, and they are building an impressive programme of events that combines art, conservation, wildlife, campaigning and action for local youth.

The results are in for our baseline soil chemistry testing. Knowing more about the soil chemistry across the site will help us understand what this might mean for the evolution of habitats. The tests looked at a range of factors, including pH levels, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) - essentially how well the soil holds onto nutrients.

In essence, our soils are still relatively high in nutrients, a legacy of the site’s dairy farming past. That gives the upper hand to strong, fast-growing grasses, making it harder for delicate wildflowers to thrive.

It's important to stress that we are not averse to our gorgeous long grasses, which provide a good habitat for many species of insects, birds and small mammals. The summer of 2025 was particularly bountiful across the site and although we don't yet have a proliferation of beautiful wildflowers, we and our visitors have all taken huge amounts of joy from the sights and sounds of life amidst the grassland.

The group had fun visiting the beaver dam and feeding the pigs, and took part in a productive reptile survey which revealed grass snakes, slow worms and even three common lizards basking on top of the tins. Later, everyone took part in a planning session with our Community Engagement Manager, Julia, to discuss more opportunities for collaboration in the autumn. Together, we're looking forward to creating more ways for young people to connect with nature and play an active role in conservation.

Frome Youth Climate Action Group

16

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

October 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Ruby Batt/Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

Wait, what?

Look how much this stream changed since the beavers got busy in May.

We are taking regular photos of the dam and when you compare them side by side, the transformation is simply staggering. And it's not just the dam itself which has grown (in width, length and sturdiness over time) - the pool behind the dam has deepened and widened too. It is now well over a metre deep and the whole area looks almost unrecognisable.

As you can see in the October image, the stream had burst its banks and begun flooding the field (yay!), and in response, the beavers have started packing mud and a few starter sticks outwards from the bank-height dam to widen it still further, to prevent the water rerouting around the side. Amazing!

Wetland transformations and a special thank you

Funding secured for our wetland restoration project

Our wetland restoration funding from the Environment Agency (EA) was confirmed, with additional support from FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group) agreed in principle. This meant we were able to move ahead with our big rewilding intervention - renaturalising the flows of water at the site.

An enormous thank you to Softcat

We wanted to take a moment to celebrate and thank our brilliant corporate partner, Softcat. They have supported Heal for two years and in that time donated nearly £10,000 to our work - a remarkable achievement.

The transformative plan included filling in some of the ditches, creating leaky dams to reconnect floodplains and digging scrapes, which are shallow pools designed to catch rainwater and help manage flooding naturally. These changes will bring more life to the site, slowing the flow of water, reducing erosion and creating wet habitats that countless species will benefit from.

What makes this support even more special is that every single penny has come from their own staff fundraising initiatives. From creative challenges to generous giving, Softcat’s team have been behind it all. This year alone they raised an incredible £7,500 for us!

Further ahead, we’ll also be tackling the legacy of land drains by smashing some of them to let the water move more freely again. That’s a longer-term project, not covered by this particular funding, and all part of the bigger picture of healing the land at the site.

It’s not just the funds that mean so much, but the energy and enthusiasm that Softcat bring to our partnership. Knowing that so many people have chosen to rally around Heal, raising money to help nature’s recovery, is deeply encouraging.

We’re so proud to have Softcat as partners.

Heal Rewilding

17

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Curriculum inclusion, food garden updates and a corporate visit

Bringing rewilding into the curriculum

In October we began an exciting new collaboration with Frome College to embed rewilding into their Environmental Studies A-level. Students will learn about rewilding and how it helps mitigate climate change through hands-on field trips to Heal Somerset, bringing the concept vividly to life for them. One teacher already provided some moving feedback, telling us that this work has brought fresh energy at a time when climate education can feel heavy and disheartening.

We are also extending this relationship by partnering with Earth House at Frome College, a group of students with additional learning needs. Together, we will be cocreating a green roof that not only supports biodiversity, but also captures rainwater for their outdoor learning space. We are delighted to be working on projects that are close to the students' hearts, creating tangible benefits for both people and nature.

Food garden challenges and successes

Every garden involves trial and error and our 'soup and salad' garden has been no exception. Earlier in the year, armed with advice and optimism, volunteers covered the garden with a double layer of cardboard and then a deep layer of (donated) compost to keep unwanted plants, which some call weeds, at bay. What we didn’t quite realise was that the ground needed a lot more preparation first. The result was that the garden is currently very enthusiastic about growing the plants we don't want, but not yet ready for full veg planting!

Having grown seedlings over the spring, we had some fun with a little experiment. We tried planting seedlings three different ways - straight into the soil, into planters and into straw bales soaked with a rich brew of nettle tea. It wasn’t the easiest summer to be trialling new methods thanks to the long heatwave, but we still managed to gather enough for some deliciously fresh salads - small, but very satisfying victories.

Heal Rewilding

----- Start of picture text -----
Alex Sams
----- End of picture text -----

A special outing for The Curious Network

In October we had the pleasure of welcoming our corporate partner The Curious Network (TCN) to Heal Somerset for a day that was equal parts learning, exploring and good fun.

The day began with an introduction to the site, with talks on our partnership and the bigger picture of rewilding. Then came a tour of the land, where TCN staff had the chance to see the habitats and wildlife that their support is helping to restore.

After lunch it was time for worm surveying. Teams headed out across the fields to search for these unsung heroes of soil health. Competition was fierce but good natured and one TCN staff member had even crafted an utterly original worm trophy!

The afternoon ended with a round of games and a bbq.

18

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

November 2025

Deer clear, knowledge sharing and a new nature app

A huge feat of organisation

Our 'deer clear' took place and what an incredible morning it was! Its success was down to the 59 amazing volunteers who turned out before dawn to help, with several people coming long distances. Many of them were visiting the site for the very first time and it was a fantastic show of commitment and community spirit. The excitement was heightened by the presence of a group of volunteer filmmakers, who brought along thermal drones not only to track the lines of volunteers (our mystery image above) relative to the eight or nine deer believed to be present in the area, but also to capture some incredible footage of the effort in action.

Thanks to everyone's immense patience, focus and cooperation, the clear went really well. In total, we managed to safely flush out at least four deer - a real achievement given the complexity of the task.

Bringing experts together

Earlier in November we were proud to host a day of collaboration and knowledge sharing with riparian habitat experts from across the South West, brought together by Somerset Wildlife Trust.

The event was a brilliant opportunity to connect with others working to protect and restore river and stream ecosystems. Through lively discussions and shared experiences, we explored a range of important topics, from how to work effectively with landowners, to navigating environmental policies, to the practical challenges and successes of habitat restoration.

It was inspiring to hear different perspectives and to see the collective energy and expertise in the room. Events like this are a reminder of how much can be achieved when we come together around shared goals.

A huge thank you to Somerset Wildlife Trust for organising such a valuable and engaging event - and to everyone who came and contributed to the conversation.

Heal Rewilding

A new app for nature

We were delighted to share that Heal went live on Wildling, a beautifully simple app that aims to inspire people to reconnect with nature. Through the app, users can find details of nearby nature spaces, wild places, conservation organisations, wildlife hotspots and more.

Wildling's mission is to help people feel better through time spent in nature and it deeply aligns with ours: heal the land, heal nature and heal ourselves. We're proud to be part of a community encouraging more people to step outside, slow down and rediscover their connection to the natural world.

19

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Somerset wetlands and a major West Country event

Rewetting the landscape

'Our' wild ecosystem engineers have been hard at work. The resident beavers have created an ever-increasing wetland area, widening their main dam leading to the formation of a second pool - shaping what’s fast becoming a vibrant, marshy habitat, as shown in the picture above.

Meanwhile, our wetland restoration project at Heal Somerset took a huge leap forward. After reporting last month that the funding had been secured, our on-the-ground work began - and was completed - within just four weeks.

----- Start of picture text -----
Alex Sams
----- End of picture text -----

Our biggest ever event!

We were still riding high weeks after our biggest event to date - the Bristol screening of Heal the Land, with over 250 people joining us for a powerful, uplifting evening.

Things kicked off with a guided urban wildlife walk led by Nick Patel, with 20 people coming to explore Bristol’s wild side before the main event.

The transformation has been dramatic. Our contractors delivered an ambitious series of interventions: blocking historic drainage ditches, re-routing water flow, breaking up land drains, installing leaky dams and even hinging trees into the watercourse to create more natural features. With recent rain, the results are already visible - wetland areas are forming and the landscape is changing before our eyes.

Then the main event, our film which documents a year at Heal Somerset. It was very well received and set the stage for two panel discussions. First, director Tom Francome, producer Hayley Smith and Dan shared behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the film. Then, we widened the lens with a conversation on rewilding and wildlife, featuring Heal CEO Jan Stannard, Eva Bishop from the Beaver Trust and Nick Patel, our resident wildlife expert.

We also heard from Sahil Jha, a 20-year-old activist cycling around the world to raise awareness for soil health - a timely and inspiring reminder of the global momentum behind nature restoration.

A huge thank you to everyone who came, especially those meeting Heal for the first time. Your energy, curiosity and support made the evening unforgettable.

20

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

December 2025

Seasonal gratitude to all Heal’s partners

Beavers, here because of you

Who'd have thought five years ago that today we would be running a beautiful rewilding site with a thriving wetland created by a family of five wildliving beavers? Here are our beaver wetlands, pictured above in glorious December sunshine.

'Our' beavers - and all the wildlife now at Heal Somerset - are only safe because of all our Heal supporters, especially those who have been with us since the inception of the charity.

And it's thanks to all our Heal supporters that hundreds of people from community groups have benefited from coming to the site.

We honestly couldn't be more grateful for your faith in us, your contributions of donations and time and your cheerful messages throughout our journey. Simply put: you have all made all this possible. Thank you.

Thousands of hours from our volunteers!

We couldn't possibly find enough space to list all the work achieved by our volunteers. They are amazing and we are so incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated and fun bunch of people willing to lend their expertise and their labour to Heal - we will never take you for granted. Since we launched our online volunteering system, our volunteers have logged a jaw-dropping 4,932 hours.

From projects across the land (come rain or shine, our Friday work crew does us proud) to remote research, providing advice or, in the case of our fantastic accountant Amy, quite literally keeping the show on the road, our volunteers are the backbone of Heal.

We cannot say it enough - thank you thank you THANK YOU!

Heal Rewilding

The quiet power behind Heal

The UK can only achieve nature recovery with a huge contribution from businesses. The estimate of the finance needed over the next decade is £56bn. Heal has depended on its business partners for core and project income since day one. The phenomenal backing of these generous companies has kept the lights on - quite literally. In the last financial year, an extraordinary 42 per cent of our total income came from corporate donations. That means these organisations aren't just helping us grow - they are enabling our very existence as a charity.

We are deeply grateful to the companies that have chosen to put their trust in a young, ambitious charity like ours. Their support is more than financial - it's an act of faith in our mission and in the impact we are committed to delivering.

We work hard every day to honour that trust. To every business partner who has stepped forward to invest in a wilder, healthier future: thank you.

21

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Seasonal gratitude to all Heal’s partners

Trusts and foundations supporting Heal

Another group of contributors to our work have been trusts and foundations, which made up 26 per cent of our income in the last financial year. To Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Awards for All, Hartswood Trust, Rewilding Britain's Innovation Fund and Newby Trust, thank you. Your belief in this mission is creating meaningful, lasting change and helping people to connect with nature.

In terms of nature connection, in just two years we've built 15 partnerships supporting underserved groups and had nearly 2,000 engagements - many being people in urban areas with limited access to green space.

Ticket and Tailor are free-roaming!

If you'd been passing Heal Somerset on a cold and windy morning in late November, you might have paused at a very curious scene. Members of the Heal team, a handful of volunteers and five (!) volunteer filmmakers were gathered in the middle of a field and then they all suddenly scattered in every direction. What on earth was going on?

All this commotion was to capture a truly momentous happening for us: the release of our two Tamworth pigs, our proxies for wild boar. With the new perimeter fence enclosing nearly 200 acres (~80 hectares) of the site, we opened up their electric fencing, coaxed them over the threshold and then watched them galumph joyfully into the big wide world.

This milestone was made possible through the generous support of B Corp Ticket Tailor, whose funding enabled the pig project. The pigs are named Ticket and Tailor in their honour. A huge thank you to Ticket Tailor from all of us (and from Ticket and Tailor!).

Thank you to the government and SSEN

A big shout-out to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) along with Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England, and partners Accenture, Crowdfunder and Wildlife and Countryside Link. SSEN made a transformative donation to us last year through the government's Projects for Nature initiative for a woodland regeneration project and this year, we completed the infrastructure stage, the new deer fence mentioned in the story above which is protecting newly emerging trees, scrub and other plants across a large part of the site (and keeping the pigs in as well as deer out).

One of the innovative components of the perimeter fence is a 'beaver gate' seen in the picture above, a bespoke structure built to stop deer coming in and pigs exiting, but ensuring uninterrupted to-andfro passage for species like beavers and otters. Recent footage confirms that the gate is working as intended, which is really good news.

None of this would have been possible without SSEN's support. Thank you.

Heal Rewilding

22

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

----- Start of picture text -----
Daniel Elkan
----- End of picture text -----

January 2026

Satish Kumar comes to Heal Somerset

We were deeply honoured to have been visited recently by Satish Kumar, the worldrenowned environmentalist, activist and spiritual thinker. Satish joined Jan for a short tour of Heal Somerset, taking time to walk the land, learn about our work and share reflections drawn from a lifetime dedicated to peace, ecological regeneration and social justice.

A prestigious visitor, online events and an extraordinary bid

Connecting beyond the land: launching online events

We listened to audience feedback and were delighted to announce that 2026 will see the launch of a regular programme of online events! We hope to offer at least one online event per month, with a range of topics, speakers and formats. The online programme kicked off with Hope for Nature, an introduction to why rewilding matters, given by our very own Jan Stannard.

Going, going, gone!

Our silent auction for this spectacular portrait of David Attenborough, generously donated by artist Inge du Plessis, came to a close in December and we were wowed by the extraordinary generosity shown by everyone who took part. The winning bid was for an incredible £1,025, for which we are hugely grateful. Thank you, and we hope the winner enjoys their new piece of art!

Jen Vickers

----- Start of picture text -----
Inge du Plessis
----- End of picture text -----

We would also like to thank everyone who placed a bid and shared their thoughts with us. We've listened carefully to your feedback and if we run something like this again in the future, we will make it a raffle rather than an auction, to help make it more inclusive. We are grateful for your support and for helping us to keep improving the way we do things.

23

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

A shared ethos and a new initiative

Community connections

Just before Christmas we were delighted to welcome two wonderful community groups to Heal Somerset for some shared learning, connection and hands-on land care.

First to come was Shared Earth Wellbeing, a group within the Shared Earth Learning forest school that focuses on outdoor wellbeing for adults. They joined us for some willow planting, helping to strengthen the riverbanks and support biodiversity. Our curious pigs even came along to supervise the planting! Everyone then gathered indoors to enjoy a hearty bowl of soup while watching our award-winning film Heal the Land.

Later in the week we welcomed Better Nature Ecotherapy for another rich and varied day on site. As well as more willow planting - this time alongside our newly created leaky dams - the group carried out a harvest mouse survey, finding an astonishing 16 nests within a 300m corridor in the Eastern Fields! The day ended indoors with a creative and reflective session making lanterns together - a gentle, grounding way to close a winter's day.

Both visits beautifully reflected the shared ethos of Heal, Better Nature and Shared Earth Learning: that caring for land and caring for people go hand in hand. Whether through education, ecotherapy or simple acts of working together outdoors, these days were a reminder of how powerful it can be when communities reconnect with nature and with each other.

Haymaking in support of rewilding

In August 2025, we cut hay from around 20 acres of land at Heal Somerset - just 4 per cent of the site - across carefully selected areas within four fields. This was a considered and purposeful decision, guided by ongoing discussions with our Land Management Advisory Group.

Hay cutting is an important tool in rewilding. By mowing small areas of grassland, we can mimic the natural grazing that large herbivores such as cattle, would typically provide. As we don't yet have large, free-ranging grazers at Heal Somerset, this gentle intervention helps support nature by cycling nutrients in the soil - reducing fertility and encouraging wildflower growth - while also creating a greater variety of habitats. Areas of shorter grass, for example, are beneficial for species like skylarks, which prefer more open ground.

The hay was stored over the autumn and in midDecember, agricultural agents Cooper and Tanner hosted an on-site auction to sell the bales to local farmers. For the Heal team, this was a first and an exciting morning to be part of. Around 15 local farmers attended and the auction moved at a typically brisk pace. We were delighted that the hay sold for more than our pre-estimated value and are very grateful to Cooper and Tanner for their expert guidance and for running such a smooth and successful auction.

24

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

February 2026

Earth House ambassadors’ visit

The year began as we mean it to continue - with a wonderful community group visit. Several young ambassadors from Earth House, a school climate group at Frome College, spent the day at Heal Somerset in gorgeously sunny but bitingly cold weather in early January. The day began with a tour around the Southern Fields, during which the group unwittingly played 'Pied Piper' to our insatiably curious pigs, who followed them for an hour and a half. The expanding beaver wetlands formed a key part of this tour, where the group learned all about the beaver family, how the dam was built and the benefits of storing more water on the land here at Heal.

Elsewhere, the group

conducted a harvest mouse survey, before finishing off at the farmhouse to give feedback and suggestions. It was a brilliant day and everyone mentioned how much they appreciated being given the opportunity to get involved in Heal's work.

A new community visit, shared decision-making and wetlandloving birds

Our inaugural shared decisionmaking survey

We held our very first shared decision-making survey, aimed at placing communities at the heart of rewilding.

We firmly believe that nature recovery will have the biggest and most long-lasting impact if those whose lives are most deeply rooted in the landscape can be involved in decisions about its management. To this end, we sent out a survey to a number of community groups and our Future Advisory Panel, to get some guidance on how to proceed with certain land management and visitor experience topics, such as adding bird boxes or benches across the site.

Wetland-loving birds are on the up!

We excitedly thought we finally had footage of a snipe at Heal Somerset - which was later properly identified as a woodcock.

Our excitement stemmed from the fact that a photo would have been an important piece of evidence. Since the wetlands began to develop, we have spotted various wetland-loving birds on site including snipe, water rail, teal, mallards, lapwing and (we think) redshank.

We have now had the results back and will be using this data to formulate a plan for the year.

A particularly gratifying moment occurred during a tour of the wetlands led by our Rewilding Ranger Dan. As the group was gazing out across our 'stage zero' restoration across the valley floor, a lapwing took off right in front of them! Its distinctive colouring made it easy to spot and a pleasure to watch.

----- Start of picture text -----
Canva
----- End of picture text -----

25

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Community reflections, a big ‘thank you’ and the map of dreams

Community workshop - reflections and celebrations

We held a workshop for our community engagement volunteers to come together and discuss the year's successes, challenges and learnings. We reflected on the importance of Heal's authentic and 'bottom up' approach which fosters trust and helps to build confidence in what can be really transformative ways. It was a wonderfully useful session which resulted in collaborative planning for how to expand and improve our community engagement programme.

One volunteer spoke about how our approach feels like being given power back to address the ecological and climate crises, by regaining access to the land. Another shared that Heal was a positive space of personal renewal, where professional skills could be reused in a different way and a new identity be formed.

Thank you to the Garfield Weston Foundation

We wanted to extend an enormous thank you to the Garfield Weston Foundation, who have awarded Heal a grant to allow us to continue our core mission of healing the land, healing nature and healing ourselves. The Garfield Weston Foundation is a familyfounded grant-maker that supports a wide range of charities, all united by their ability to make a positive difference within their communities. Thanks to this significant grant, we will be able to accelerate our growth and help to improve more people's health and wellbeing through meaningful access to nature. We are incredibly grateful for the confidence and belief that the Foundation shows in Heal.

Garfield Weston Foundation / Emma Lewis

Wild Kingdom’s map of dreams

Heal Somerset now appears on Wild Kingdom's 'map of dreams' - a fun and accessible map that showcases 'the UK's planet-saving hopes and dreams in an effort to inspire others'. The map is still growing but we are delighted to have joined this expanding nature recovery network of nurturers, growers, champions and supporters.

Several touchingly positive and emotional encounters were recounted among the group, which led to the suggestion that these be shared more widely - in Heal Highs - from time to time.

26

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

March 2026

World Rewilding Day

Looking ahead to 20 March and the global celebration of World Rewilding Day 2026, coordinated and promoted by our good friends at the Global Rewilding Alliance.

The day is held on the spring equinox and brings together people and projects from across the world who are helping nature recover - from rivers running free again to wildlife returning where it’s been absent for generations.

This year’s theme, Choose Our Future, shines a light on the practical hope that rewilding offers. Across continents, landscapes are healing, species are bouncing back, and communities are reconnecting with the wild around them. Organisations across the world will be sharing stories which remind us that when we give nature space, it responds.

World Rewilding Day, dragonflies and Heal work placements

Surveying dragonflies

This year we will start surveying dragonflies and damselflies. We're particularly excited about this, given our new wetland habitat, as this should attract a whole range of Odonata species. Earlier in January we hosted some County Recorders at Heal Somerset, who spent some time exploring the land to design survey transects for us. We will follow standard methodologies and survey from April to October - and look forward to more sightings like this golden-ringed dragonfly (pictured below), photographed by one of our volunteers Jen Vickers.

Work placement partnership scheme

We were delighted to have partnered with Fairfield College in Wiltshire on their work apprenticeship scheme. Fairfield is a specialist college for young people with additional needs, whose mission is to enable young people to live and work without barriers. On Fridays, we now have a student from the college joining us for our volunteer work party, where they will gain valuable experience in practical land management, working with other volunteers and learning to use different tools.

----- Start of picture text -----
Sven Ziegler/Canva
----- End of picture text -----

Jen Vickers

27

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Volunteer exchange, Biodiversity Net Gain and new nature books

Volunteer exchange

Our fantastic volunteers are a talented bunch, with a varied range of expertise between them. To share this knowledge, they have set up their own 'volunteer exchange programme', offering fun, unique and educational experiences for their fellow volunteers to join. This new programme so far includes a lichen walk and a 'big bat count', with a wetland restoration tour and more in the planning.

We are proud to work with such a proactive and skilled group!

Biodiversity Net Gain

Since 2024, a requirement called Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory in England for larger new housing developments, whereby the natural environment must be left in a measurably better state than before development started. Where it isn't possible to do this on the housing site itself, developers can purchase BNG units from a provider like Heal who will deliver the biodiversity gain offsite.

Our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) offering, underpinned by a comprehensive Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan, is almost ready to go live. Across our 460-acre (186ha) site, we will be offering over 600 highquality BNG units in total, with over 170 units in the first phase.

BNG regulations could be seen by some as a mandatory, tick-box obligation. We feel, however, that they present an opportunity to really make a positive impact. Not all units will offer the same quality, not all projects will create the same impact and not all providers deliver the same experience. We are proud of what we're achieving here at Heal, and feel confident that this quality of experience and influence will be reflected in our BNG offering.

----- Start of picture text -----
Sven Ziegler/Canva
----- End of picture text -----

New nature books we love

We’re delighted to share two recent reads that beautifully reflect so much of what we care about at Heal.

First is Nature Within by James Bashford. Grounded in up-todate neuroscience and decades of clinical experience, the book makes a compelling case for reconnecting with the natural world as a vital public health intervention. It explores how our minds and bodies are shaped by the environments around us - and how simple 'small resets' in our daily contact with nature can lead to profound changes in wellbeing.

Closer to home, David Glasman has spent the last three years researching the rich natural history of the River Frome. His new book, Somerset's River Frome, charts the story of the river’s wildlife from before the end of the last Ice Age through to the present day - from early farming to the rise of intensive agriculture and the widespread use of pesticides and fertilisers in the 20th century. It also looks ahead, considering how the river may change as our climate shifts towards 2100. We were delighted to see Heal Somerset mentioned along the way!

Heal Rewilding

28

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 March 2026

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2026. 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

• to advance environmental improvement and protection for the benefit of the public through the 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.

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;

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.

----- Start of picture text -----
29
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026
----- End of picture text -----

Trustees’ Report continued

Financial review

This was the charity’s sixth year of operation and its third operating its first nature recovery site, Heal Somerset.

Total income for the year was £668,218. Though the previous year’s income was £744,405, this included a major one-off donation of £166,430. Taking this outlier out of the picture, the Trustees are pleased to see an underlying 16 per cent increase in income from last year, from £577,795 to £668,218. Donations and legacies comprised £624,543.

Overall, unrestricted funding comprised 78 per cent and restricted 22 per cent. Unrestricted expenditure was £410,425 and restricted expenditure was £137,711. Restricted expenditure was used for salaries and projects at Heal Somerset.

Fundraising costs were £10,313 (under 2% of income) and charitable activities costs were £537,823, of which £110,164 related to Finance costs (a significant reduction from £277,476 last year).

Net income was £120,082, but after accounting for a £142,405 downward valuation adjustment on the Heal Somerset land, due to a broader market softening, there was an overall loss of £22,323.

The year’s results were impacted by external delays to the legal agreement securing the site’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units for sale and to the acceptance of the project for agrienvironment funding caused by resource issues within relevant government departments, and as a result, the charity continued to support the operating costs of the site.

Funds carried forward are now £666,203, primarily accounted for by a £451,898 gain on revaluation of the Heal Somerset land and buildings in 2024. This was an increase in the value of the land and is not a cash inflow to the charity.

Capital expenditure was focused on the development of a barn for community use, which is now being used regularly. It also included the first tranche of capital expenditure from the Woodland Regeneration Project grant, at £67,696, with the balance to be spent in this financial year. The £67,696 was spent on fencing, gates, including special river gates to allow beaver and otter passage, and wildlife transit tunnels. Although the Projects for Nature fund only shows expenditure of £15,276 in the year, this excludes capital expenditure of £67,696 ,giving a total expenditure of £82,972, with the balance to be spent in this financial year.

30

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Trustees’ Report continued

Net current assets were £328,061, an increase from £116,620 last year due to the refinancing of some lending (creditors fell from £421,884 last year to £121,918 this year).

Net assets were £666,203, a small reduction on FY25 (£688,526), and this primarily comprised the upwards land revaluation in 2024 (a non-cash movement), as well as cash in bank of £359,599.

Reserves were at target at the end of the financial year, at three months of average operating costs plus 4 per cent.

The charity continued to benefit from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s contribution to the charity's operational costs this year, generously donating £39,000, their fifth year of support for Heal. In addition, The Garfield Weston Foundation donated an inaugural £75,000 unrestricted grant. We were supported by four major corporate supporters, including Ticket Tailor, with gifts of over £10,000, alongside seven smaller business partners who contributed during the financial year. We also benefited from further invaluable pro bono support from BrightCarbon and Seven Legal as contributions as part of the 1% for the Planet scheme. Furthermore, we were deeply grateful to receive £62,100 in donations from individual major donors, whose generosity continue to be a cornerstone of our success.

Following the re-financing in 2025, the charity now has loans totalling £5.5m with Direct Line Group (UK Insurance Limited), with the first capital repayment due on 30 August 2027. There is also a £200,000 loan, due for repayment in 2028.

----- Start of picture text -----
Liam O’Mara
----- End of picture text -----

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 land income including natural capital income from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and agri-environment scheme income, 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. In particular, the Trustees note that land income revenues should finally begin to flow from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and agri-environment schemes, both delayed since 2023. Heal Rewilding has recently appointed Great Yellow to support the sale of its BNG units, providing a route to market for this emerging income stream. The Heal Somerset site has a long-term natural capital income potential from its habitat bank and an annual agri-environment income potential of around £100,000 per year when entry into this scheme is expected to be confirmed later in 2026. The charity has also begun discussions about its current funding and plans for expansion with Aviva, which now owns the charity’s lender Direct Line Group. Aviva is the UK’s foremost investor and donor in nature-based projects.

Based on this review, 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 2026

Heal Rewilding

Trustees’ Report continued

Future plans

The charity continues to focus on impact – upon nature, climate and people.

The long-awaited arrival of land income for Heal Somerset is expected to make a significant contribution to unrestricted operating income in FY27. The Trustees delayed the planned work on the acquisition of the next Heal site because of the land income delays at Heal Somerset. The charity has now announced that Yorkshire is the chosen county for its second site, has appointed a land agent to undertake a property search and is working with external investment advisors and potential philanthropic donors on the funding. The acquisition strategy will base the business plan on natural capital, potentially using an equity-based model through a special purpose vehicle.

Over the next 12 months, the charity expects to undertake its first consultancy activities and will begin to seek investment to underpin the development of this service with the support of one of the newly appointed Trustees who has start-up investment experience. Following major national coverage about the Heal Somerset project, recent increases in visitor numbers, tour participants and camping bookings are expected to continue to rise.

At the Heal Somerset site, further funding will be sought to support additional work on the renaturalisation of waterflows. The team expects to bring in its first herd of cattle, owned and managed by an external expert livestock manager. Funds will be raised to undertake further species and habitat monitoring will continue to be a key focus and this includes new work on whole ecosystem function assessments.

Structure, governance and management

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 fundraising environment continues to be challenging and the senior management team is focused on securing new corporate and philanthropic support.

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.

----- Start of picture text -----
32
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

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 (resigned in April 2025) J Simnett C Gale (resigned in April 2025) R Quinn

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
Jen Vickers
----- End of picture text -----

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

The Trustees have voted to increase reserves to six months of operating costs.

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

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

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:

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 July 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• 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.

34

----- Start of picture text -----
Heal Rewilding
----- End of picture text -----

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Heal Rewilding (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2026 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement 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).

In our opinion the financial statements:

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.

Conclusions relating to going concern

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2026 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

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.

35

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

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.

36

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

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.

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

• 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.

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: 24 July 2026

----- Start of picture text -----
37
Helena Crouch
----- End of picture text -----

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Statement of Financial Activities

for the Year Ended 31 March 2026

		Unrestricted Restricted 2026 total	Unrestricted Restricted 2026 total	Unrestricted Restricted 2026 total	2025 total
		funds	funds funds		funds
	Notes	£	£ £		£
INCOME AND
ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies	2	476,409	148,134 624,543		697,114
Other trading activities	3	38,276	- 38,276		46,212
Investment income	4	5,399	- 5,399		1,079
Total		520,084	148,134 668,218		744,405
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds	5	10,313	- 10,313		3,464
Charitable activities	6
Conservation		400,112	137,711 537,823		585,911
Total		410,425	137,711 548,136		589,375
NET INCOME /(EXPENDITURE)		109,659	10,423 120,082		155,030
Other recognised
gains/(losses)
Gains/ (losses) on revaluation of fixed		(142,405)	- (142,405)		(11,294)
assets Net movement in funds		(32,746)	10,423 (22,323)		143,736
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward		490,726	197,800 688,526		544,790
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED		457,980	208,223 666,203		688,526
FORWARD

38

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Balance sheet

31 March 2026

		Unrestricted Restricted	Unrestricted Restricted	2026 total	2025 total
		funds	funds	funds	funds
	Notes	£	£	£	£
FIXED ASSETS
Intangible assets	11	7,200	-	7,200	10,800
Tangible assets	12	1,635,556	110,385	1,745,941	1,631,105
Heritage assets	13	4,285,000	-	4,285,000	4,430,000
Investments	14	1	-	1	1
		5,927,757	110,385	6,038,142	6,071,906
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors	15	90,380	- 90,380		105,901
Cash at bank and in hand		261,761	97,838 359,599		432,603
		352,141	97,838	449,979	538,504
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due withing one year	16	(121,918)	- (121,918)		(421,884)
NET CURRENT ASSETS		230,223	97,838 328,061		116,620
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES		6,157,980	208,223 6,366,203		6,188,526
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due after more than one year	17	(5,700,000)	- (5,700,000)		(5,500,000)
NET ASSETS		457,980	208,223 666,203		688,526
FUNDS	20
Unrestricted funds				457,980	490,726
Restricted funds				208,223	197,800
TOTAL FUNDS				666,203	688,526

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf on 24 July 2026 by:

Jan Stannard Trustee

39

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Cash Flow Statement

31 March 2026

Cash flows from operating activities Finance costs paid Net cash provided by operating activities Notes Cash flows from investing assets Purchase of tangible fixed assets Sale of fixed asset investments Cash flows from financing activities New loans in year Net cash provided by financing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period Cash generated from operations 1 Interest received Net cash used in investing activities Loan repayments in year	2025 £ (164,113) 290,679 (63,130) 2 (62,049) (2,439,664) 88,336 316,966 115,637 432,603 454,792 1,079 2,528,000 2026 £ (109,832) (115,435) - (110,036) 200,000 (12,833) (73,004) 159,697 432,603 359,599 49,865 5,399 (212,833)

40

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to Cash Flow Statement

31 March 2026

1. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME / (EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Adjustments for: Net cash Debt Debts falling due within 1 year Total Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities) 432,603 Cash at bank and in hand At 01.04.25 Depreciation charges Interest received Finance costs Decrease in debtors Increase in creditors Net cash provided by operations 2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET DEBT Debts falling due after 1 year (212,833) (5,500,000) (5,712,833) (5,280,230) £

(5,340,401) - (5,700,000) (5,700,000) 359,599 (73,004) Cash flow At 31.03.26 212,833 (200,000) 12,833 (60,171) 2025 155,030 6,551 454,792 (1,079) 164,113 24,625 105,552 £ 2026 120,082 159,697 6,794 (5,399) 109,832 15,521 (87,133) £ £ £

41

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2026

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.

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.

42

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

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 - 6% - 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. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Gift aid Grants Donations	2025 £ 330,235 8,340 358,539 697,114 £ 2026 259,722 10,687 354,134 624,543

43

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
			2026	2025
			£	£
Fundraising events			6,758	-
Trading income			8,969	-
Licence fees			16,570	33,439
Other income			5,979	12,773
			38,276	46,212
4. INVESTMENT INCOME
			2026	2025
			£	£
Deposit account interest			5,399	1,079
5. RAISING FUNDS
Raising donations and legacies			2026 £	2025 £
Fundraising			10,313	3,464
6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS
			Support
			costs (see
		Direct costs	note 7)	Totals
		£	£	£
Conservation		337,413	200,410	537,823
7. SUPPORT COSTS
			Governance
	Management	Finance	costs	Totals
	£	£	£	£
Conservation	73,094	110,146	17,170	200,410

8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

The total remuneration and benefits paid to two of the trustees of the charity were £31,139 (2025: nil).

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

44

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

9. STAFF COSTS

9. STAFF COSTS Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2025 £ 170,775 9,990 3,844 184,609 £ 2026 229,549 14,173 4,359 248,081

The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £60,504 (2025: £52,870).

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

Conservation Administration	2025 6 1 7 2026 7 2 9

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

10. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	funds	funds	funds
	£	£	£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies	382,371	314,743	697,114
Other trading activities	46,212	-	46,212
Investment income	1,079	-	1,079
Total	429,662	314,743	744,405
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds	3,464	-	3,464
Charitable activities
Conservation	442,476	143,435	585,911
Total	445,940	143,435	589,375

45

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (16,278) 171,308 Net movement in funds RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD (16,278) 507,003 490,725 160,014 37,787 197,801 11. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS COST At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 AMORTISATION At 1 April 2025 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2026 At 31 March 2025 Notes to the Financial Statements_continued_ Gains on revaluation of fixed assets - (11,294) Other recognised gains / (losses) Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £ Charge for year At 31 March 2026		155,030 (11,294) Total funds £
		143,736 544,790 688,526
		Sporting rights £ 18,000 7,200 7,200 10,800 3,600 10,800

46

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

12. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2026 24,147 103,021 1,615,000 At 31 March 2025 20,137 35,537 1,570,000 Cost or valuation at 31 March 2026 is represented by: Plant and machinery Fixtures and fittings £ £ Freehold property £ Valuation in 2024 - - 171,898 27,036 103,607 1,451,801 27,036 103,607 1,615,000 Cost DEPRECIATION Charge for year 1,323 213 - At 1 April 2025 1,566 373 - At 31 March 2026 2,889 586 - Valuation in 2025 - - (11,294) COST OR VALUATION At 1 April 2025 Additions Revalutions Plant and machinery Fixtures and fittings £ £ 21,703 35,910 5,333 - 67,697 - Freehold property £ 1,570,000 42,405 2,595 At 31 March 2026 27,036 103,607 1,615,000 Valuation in 2026 - - 2,595	3,773 5,431 Motor vehicles £ - 8,291 8,291 1,658 2,860 4,518 - Motor vehicles £ 8,291 - - 8,291 -		1,745,941 1,631,105 Totals £ 171,898 1590735 3,194 4,799 7,993 (11,294) Totals £ 1,635,904 115,435 2,595 1,753,934 2,595
			,,
			1,753,934

47

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

13. HERITAGE ASSETS

13. HERITAGE ASSETS
	Total
	£
MARKET VALUE
At 1 April 2025	4,430,000
Revaluations	(145,000)
At 1 April 2026	4,285,000
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2026	4,285,000
At 31 March 2025	4,430,000
Cost or valuation at 31 March 2026 is represented by:	Heritage
	asset
	£
Valuation in 2024	280,000
Valuation in 2026	(145,000)
Cost	4,150,000
	4,285,000
14. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS
	Shares in
	group
	undertakings
	£
MARKET VALUE
At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026	1
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2026	1
At 31 March 2025	1

There were no investment assets outside the UK.

At the balance sheet date, the charity had one subsidiary company.

Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited (company number: 13353709). Heal Rewilding owns 100% of the share capital. During the year Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited made a loss of £1,513 and had net liabilities of £37,853 at the year end.

48

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

15. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade debtors Owed by group undertakings Prepayments and accrued income	2026 2025 £ £ 38,113 47,050 5,217 89,632 14,195 2,074 90,380 105,901

16. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade creditors Taxation and social security Other creditors	2026 2025 £ £ 8,405 5,288 108,225 10,007 3,106 408,771 121,918 421,884

17. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR

	2026	2025
	£	£
Bank loans (see note 18)	5,500,000	5,500,000
Other creditors	200,000	-
	5,700,000	5,500,000

49

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

18. LOANS

An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below:

Amounts falling due within one year on demand: Other loans Bank loans - 1-2 years Amounts falling between one and two years: Bank loans - 2-5 years Amounts falling due between two and five years: Other loans - 2-5 years	2026 £ - 5,500,000 - 200,000 200,000	2025 £ 212,833 -
		5,500,000 -
		5,500,000

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.

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 was 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.

A loan from Be The Earth was taken out in July 2025. The loan is £200,000 at a an interest rate of 4% on a three-year term.

19. SECURED DEBTS

The following secured debts are included within creditors:

Be The Earth Investments Ltd UK Insurance Limited (Direct Line Group)	5,500,000 200,000 5,700,000 2026 £	5,500,000 - 2025 £
		5,500,000

50

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

20. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

20. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
			Net	Transfers
	At 1.4.25 movement in funds			between funds	At 31.3.26
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS	£		£	£	£
General fund	147,242	65,137		217,769	430,148
Designated - Land Fund	343,484	(97,883)		(217,769)	27,832
	490,726	(32,746)		-	457,980
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Esmee Fairbairn	595	33,244		-	33,839
Projects for Nature	165,664	(15,276)		-	150,388
Benefact Consultancy	12,056	(5,850)		-	6,206
Awards for All	19,485	(2,910)		-	16,575
Innovation Fund	-		1,215	-	1,215
	197,800	10,423		-	208,223
TOTAL FUNDS	688,526	(22,323)		-	666,203
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	501,084	(293,542)		(142,405)	65,137
Designated - Land Fund	19,000	(116,883)		-	(97,883)
	520,084	(410,425)		(142,405)	(32,746)
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Esmee Fairbairn	81,900		(48,656)	-	33,244
Projects for Nature	-		(15,276)	-	(15,276)
Benefact Consultancy	12,370		(18,220)	-	(5,850)
Awards for All	-		(2,910)	-	(2,910)
Newby Trust	5,783		(5,783)	-	-
Innovation Fund	15,000		(13,785)	-	1,215
Water Environmental Grants	32,081		(32,081)	-	-
Workshops	1,000		(1,000)	-	-
	148,134		(137,711)	-	10,423
TOTAL FUNDS	668,218	(548,136)		(142,405)	(22,323)

51

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Notes to the Financial Statements continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

			Net
			movement in
		At 1.4.24	funds	At 1.4.25
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS		£	£	£
General fund		255,294	(108,052)	147,242
Designated - Land Fund		251,709	91,775	343,484
		507,003	(16,277)	490,726
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Esmee Fairbairn		-	595	595
Surveys		37,787	(37,787)	-
Projects for Nature		-	165,664	165,664
Benefact Consultancy		-	12,056	12,056
Awards for All		-	19,485	19,485
		37,787	160,013	197,800
TOTAL FUNDS		544,790	143,736	688,526
Comparative 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	327,690 (435,742)		-	(108,052)
Designated - Land Fund	101,972	(10,197)	-	91,775
	429,662 (445,939)		-	(16,277)
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Esmee Fairbairn	73,561	(72,966)	-	595
Surveys	-	(37,787)	-	(37,787)
Movement for Good	15,000	(15,000)	-	-
Projects for Nature	166,430 (766)		-	165,664
Benefact Consultancy	35,050 (11,700)		(11,294)	12,056
Awards for All	20,485 (1,000)		-	19,485
Newby Trust	4,217 (4,217)		-	-
	314,743	(143,436)	(11,294)	160,013
TOTAL FUNDS	744,405	(589,375)	(11,294)	143,736

52

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

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.

Movement For Good

The Movement For Good grant was received to be spent on the salary of one member of staff.

Projects for Nature

The Projects for Nature grant was received to be spent on the woodland regeneration project.

Benefact Consultancy

The Benefact Consultancy grant was received to be spent on consultancy costs for charity development research.

Awards for All

The Awards for All grant was received to be spent on the development of community facilities.

Newby Trust

The Newby Trust grant was received to be spent on the salary of one member of staff.

New restricted funds

Two new restricted funds were received, a Water Environmental grant for wetland creation and water flow renaturalisation, and a Workshop grant for the creation of a workshop for the team and volunteers.

21. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

At the year end the total due to the charity from Heal Rewilding (Trading) Limited was £38,113 (2025: £89,632).

J Coulter provided services to the charity during the year, amounting to nil (2025: £7,087).

J Stannard provided services to the charity during the year, amounting to nil (2025: £10,100).

53

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

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 to 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 and Rob Quinn

• To our wonderful 2025-26 Heal team : Alice Hopkins, Caddy Outhwaite, Daniel Hill, Julia Galbenu, Katie Ross, Katie Stearn-Mills, Rosa Romeo and Sarah Winchester

• To Direct Line Group (U K 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 Heal Helpers who undertook virtual and on-site volunteering tasks through the year

To Heidi Briggs , who proofread this document as a volunteer

• To Ticket Tailor , whose funding has been vital to the growth of our charity, enabling us to plan for the future

• To other grant-giving organisations who supported us with core funding or for key projects: Awards for All, Benefact Group, Big Give, Colbolt Trust, Consano Earth, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Hartswood Trust, Newby Trust, Ravensdale Trust, Rewilding Britain’s Innovation Fund, The Garfield Weston Foundation

• To our business partners who so generously support us, particularly Caution Your Blast, Glastonbury Festivals, Greenwood Place, onboard:earth, Polar Capital, Sandler Training Cambridge, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, See Saw Films, Softcat, The Curious Network, Ticket Tailor, TT Environmental Solutions, 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 and Sara King

54

Report & Financial Statements 31 March 2026

Heal Rewilding

Images

All images, with the exception of the front cover, were taken at Heal Somerset by staff or volunteers. Their descriptions are below:

Front cover: Silver-washed Fritillary

Table of contents: View across Heal Somerset’s northern fields

p.1 A message from the Chair of Trustees: Kingfisher

p.2 A message from the Chair of Trustees: View across Heal Somerset’s eastern fields, female Four-spotted Chaser

p.3 Beaver

p.4 About Heal: Frome College visit

p.29 Trustees’ report: Beaver wetlands at Heal Somerset

p.30 Trustees’ report: Bird surveyors at Heal Somerset

p.31 Trustees’ report: Fox

p.32 Trustees’ report: Micropterix calthella, view across Heal Somerset’s northern fields

p.33 Trustees’ report: Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet moth, view across Heal Somerset’s southern fields

p.34 Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities: Tour at Biodiversity Net Gain event

p.35 Report of the Independent Auditors: Beaver wetlands at Heal Somerset

p.37 Report of the Independent Auditors: Thick-legged Flower Beetle on Oxeye Daisy

p.55 Images: Blackthorn blossom

End page: Volunteer ‘thank you’ bbq at Heal Somerset

----- Start of picture text -----
55
Jen Vickers
----- End of picture text -----

[e-mail] 020 3355 2149

www.healrewilding.org.uk

www.healsomerset.org.uk

Heal Rewilding