THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
- Building public awareness about the benefits of organic food and farming through: education and public information; and public events programme. - Training and support for producers on organic practice. - Regional development programme to link producers to consumers at a local level. - Ensure the integrity of organic food by the continued development of organic standards.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£8,148,000
Donations and legacies | £1.86m | |
Charitable activities | £5.22m | |
Other trading activities | £30.00k | |
Investments | £1.04m | |
Other | £0 |
Total expenditure:
£21,658,000
Raising funds | £1.07m | |
Charitable activities | £20.59m | |
Other | £0 |
£9,000 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £926,711 from 17 government contract(s) and £1,381,257 from 15 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 | £1.07m | |
Charitable expenditure | £20.59m |
People

379 Employee(s)
12 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
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£60k to £70k | 8 |
£70k to £80k | 5 |
£80k to £90k | 1 |
£90k to £100k | 1 |
£100k to £110k | 2 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Animals
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- Throughout England And Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
Governance
- 23 August 1973: Standard registration
No other names
- 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
- 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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Dr Anthony Ballance | Trustee | 24 January 2023 |
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Lauren Anne Bryan | Trustee | 24 January 2023 |
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Richard Friend Allan | Trustee | 24 January 2023 |
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Sabine Vandenbroucke | Trustee | 01 November 2022 |
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ROSEMARY ANNE RADCLIFFE | Trustee | 01 November 2021 |
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Caroline Ann Missen | Trustee | 20 July 2021 |
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Steven Lancaster Lizars | Trustee | 20 July 2021 |
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Philip Edward Fearnley | Trustee | 20 July 2021 |
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Jonathan William Spencer | Trustee | 01 March 2020 |
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Andrew Stanley Burgess | Trustee | 01 November 2019 |
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Martin John Nye | Trustee | 01 November 2017 |
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Prof Isabel Oliver | Trustee | 15 March 2017 |
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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 | £15.00m | £23.39m | £16.30m | £18.55m | £21.51m | |
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Total expenditure | £16.53m | £16.06m | £17.73m | £20.76m | £21.66m | |
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Income from government contracts | £1.35m | £1.10m | £873.39k | £902.07k | £926.71k | |
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Income from government grants | £520.55k | £689.12k | £531.87k | £956.42k | £1.38m | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £1.74m | £6.49m | £1.75m | £2.15m | £1.86m | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £251.00k | £196.00k | £351.00k | £1.09m | £30.00k | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £13.00m | £16.42m | £14.19m | £15.29m | £5.22m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £9.00k | £5.00k | £4.00k | £14.00k | £1.04m | |
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Income - Other | £0 | £270.00k | £8.00k | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Legacies | £166.00k | £82.00k | £328.00k | £377.00k | £170.00k | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £15.92m | £15.38m | £16.86m | £18.90m | £20.59m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £527.00k | £613.00k | £737.00k | £897.00k | £1.07m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £31.00k | £45.00k | £51.00k | £57.00k | £66.00k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Other | £79.00k | £61.00k | £132.00k | £966.00k | £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 | £6.95m | £9.89m | £9.67m | £9.56m | £9.38m | |
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Long-term investments | £85.00k | £103.00k | £117.00k | £143.00k | £152.00k | |
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Other assets | £10.71m | £14.80m | £12.73m | £10.80m | £12.54m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | £8.70m | £8.42m | £7.56m | £7.76m | £9.46m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 30 January 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 30 January 2025 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 31 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 | 24 January 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 24 January 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 18 January 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 18 January 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 3/5/1946 AS AMENDED 24/1/1961, 22/11/1961, 1/11/1967, 5/11/1968, 18/11/1970, 2/11/1974, 14/10/1978, 21/12/1981, 3/11/1984, 18/11/1989, 7/8/96, 7/10/2000, 12/10/2002 , 4/10/2003 , 1/10/2005 AND 1/11/2012 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION ON 11/07/2015
Charitable objects
(A) TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY PROMOTING A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE VITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL, PLANTS, ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT (B) TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC BY CARRYING OUT RESEARCH (AND DISSEMINATING THE RESULTS) INTO AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY PRODUCTION METHODS AND THE EFFECTS OF THESE METHODS ON THE QUALITY OF FOOD AND OTHER OUTPUTS ON HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT (C) TO PRESERVE, CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE PRUDENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING BY THE PROMOTION OF ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING TECHNIQUES (D) TO PROMOTE AND ENHANCE HUMAN HEALTH THROUGH PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ADVICE IN RELATION TO HEALTHY EATING AND NUTRITION (E) TO PROMOTE HIGH STANDARDS IN THE CARE AND WELFARE OF FARM ANIMALS TO PREVENT CRUELTY TO AND SUFFERING BY FARM ANIMALS
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED
Linked charities
- 23 August 1973 : Standard registration
Contact information
- Address:
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SOIL ASSOCIATION
SPEAR HOUSE
51 VICTORIA STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 6AD
- Phone:
- 03003300100
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