ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
To promote the conservation of biological diversity and the natural environment for the public benefit by conserving wild birds and other wildlife, and the environment on which they depend,protecting, restoring and re-creating habitats.To raise public understanding and awareness,and to provide information on,such matters.To advance education of the public in conservation of the natural environment
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£169,877,000
Donations and legacies | £130.46m | |
Charitable activities | £2.27m | |
Other trading activities | £35.04m | |
Investments | £1.72m | |
Other | £399.00k |
Total expenditure:
£167,994,000
Raising funds | £42.71m | |
Charitable activities | £125.28m | |
Other | £0 |
£2,857,000 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £1,034,563 from 43 government contract(s) and £14,793,678 from 294 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £42.71m | |
Charitable expenditure | £125.28m | |
Retained for future use | £1.88m |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £42.71m | |
Charitable expenditure | £125.28m | |
Retained for future use | £4.74m |
People

2517 Employee(s)
12 Trustee(s)
13500 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£60k to £70k | 62 |
£70k to £80k | 24 |
£80k to £90k | 7 |
£90k to £100k | 11 |
£100k to £110k | 3 |
£110k to £120k | 1 |
£120k to £130k | 1 |
£140k to £150k | 1 |
£200k to £250k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Animals
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Throughout England And Wales
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Cyprus
- Falkland Islands
- Ghana
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Isle Of Man
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Malta
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Nigeria
- Northern Ireland
- Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie And Oeno Islands
- Poland
- Saint Helena
- Scotland
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Taiwan
- Tristan Da Cunha
- Turks And Caicos Islands
- Zimbabwe
Governance
- 22 September 1962: Standard registration
- R S P B (Working name)
- THE RSPB (Working name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
12 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Sir Andrew Thomas Cahn | Chair | 12 October 2024 |
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Simon Patrick Loftus Butcher | Trustee | 22 October 2024 |
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Jane Elizabeth Reeves | Trustee | 12 October 2024 |
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Catherine Thea Dugmore | Trustee | 12 October 2024 |
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Susanna Clare Dinnage | Trustee | 12 October 2024 |
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William James Sutherland | Trustee | 17 January 2023 |
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James Nicholas Lowther | Trustee | 15 October 2022 |
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Dr Benjamin Lian Caldecott | Trustee | 15 October 2022 |
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JOHN MASON | Trustee | 07 December 2021 |
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Judith Anne Annett | Trustee | 10 October 2020 |
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Kerry Elizabeth Ten Kate | Trustee | 20 October 2018 |
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Robert Cubbage | Trustee | 20 October 2018 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £146.91m | £142.38m | £157.70m | £164.70m | £169.88m | |
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Total expenditure | £125.04m | £121.62m | £143.11m | £164.82m | £167.99m | |
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Income from government contracts | £825.81k | £937.92k | £937.92k | £822.97k | £1.03m | |
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Income from government grants | £14.46m | £14.94m | £14.94m | £17.24m | £14.79m | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £119.02m | £117.87m | £126.84m | £132.91m | £130.46m | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £20.41m | £0 | £24.85m | £23.69m | £35.04m | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £6.46m | £0 | £5.76m | £6.86m | £2.27m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £384.00k | £0 | £125.00k | £1.11m | £1.72m | |
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Income - Other | £653.00k | £0 | £131.00k | £136.00k | £399.00k | |
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Income - Legacies | £37.58m | £0 | £41.03m | £44.21m | £42.54k | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £93.78m | £89.63m | £106.26m | £120.62m | £125.28m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £31.26m | £31.99m | £36.85m | £44.20m | £42.71m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £568.00k | £246.00k | £277.00k | £320.00k | £522.00k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £6.21m | £0 | £4.60m | £6.63m | £7.63m | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £150.00k | £208.00k | £163.00k | £167.00k | £134.00k | |
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Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | £215.46m | £216.07m | £222.08m | £231.23m | £232.84m | |
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Long-term investments | £32.83m | £52.10m | £55.45m | £41.66m | £40.94m | |
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Other assets | £41.37m | £40.16m | £42.04m | £45.22m | £43.63m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | -£48.17m | -£57.34m | -£23.95m | -£24.08m | -£29.15m | |
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Total liabilities | £14.05m | £14.78m | £16.75m | £23.73m | £24.79m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 27 January 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 27 January 2025 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 29 January 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 29 January 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2022 | 30 January 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2022 | 30 January 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2021 | 30 January 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 30 January 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 29 January 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 29 January 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
ROYAL CHARTER GRANTED 03/11/1904 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 24/04/1996 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 16/07/2014 AS AMENDED BY SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTER DATED 13 FEB 2019
Charitable objects
1) TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY: A. CONSERVING WILD BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ON WHICH THEY DEPEND; B. PROTECTING, RESTORING AND RE-CREATING HABITATS. AND, IN FURTHERANCE OF THAT PRIMARY OBJECTIVE, TO RAISE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ON SUCH MATTERS. 2) TO ADVANCE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT."
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED
Linked charities
- 22 September 1962 : Standard registration
Contact information
- Address:
-
R S P B
THE LODGE
POTTON ROAD
SANDY
SG19 2DL
- Phone:
- 01767 680551
- Email:
- membership@rspb.org.uk
- Website:
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