Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust

What Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust does

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) is a registered charity (no. 210531) and company limited by guarantee (no. 561833) founded in 1956 and headquartered in Leicester, United Kingdom. It operates as the only wildlife conservation charity dedicated specifically to Leicestershire and Rutland, managing 35 nature reserves covering over 1,234 hectares, including the flagship Rutland Water Nature Reserve under a 50-year partnership with Anglian Water. The Trust is best known for the pioneering Rutland Osprey Reintroduction Project, now in its 30th year with 200+ chicks fledged, and is one of 46 member organizations of The Wildlife Trusts federation. Programmatic activities include nature reserve management, species monitoring (over 30,000 birds ringed since 1987 via the Constant Effort Sites scheme), environmental education (Wild Forest School, TEAL Education Hide, Green Influencers youth scheme engaging 1,500 young people), community engagement via Nextdoor Nature and local groups, and landscape-scale restoration projects including Restoring the Soar (£500K+ development phase, £3m delivery target), Rewilding Harborough (500 acres), and the Wilder Charnwood Appeal (£350,000 target). Sir David Attenborough serves as President; Mat Carter has been CEO since August 2022.

The Trust operates a diversified non-profit revenue model drawing on individual and family memberships (17,000+ members), one-time and monthly donations, legacy gifts, corporate partnerships, and event-based revenue. Historical event revenue was dominated by the Rutland Water Birdfair (1989-2019), which generated £5m+ for Birdlife International and averaged £900,000 annual revenue against £600,000 costs before being discontinued in 2021 due to COVID-19 financial impacts and climate footprint concerns. Current funding architecture relies heavily on restricted grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, including £2.77m for Charnwood Forest restoration and £500K+ for Restoring the Soar, supplemented by revenue from memberships, donations, corporate Wild Work Days, and Volunteer Training Centre room hire. The organization is supported by 35 staff and 700+ volunteers. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via lrwt.org.uk and physical visitor centres at Rutland Water, with corporate partnerships handled through direct B2B engagement. The Trust has a wholly-owned subsidiary, Leicestershire Wildlife (Sales) Ltd, which handles commercial activities.

Name

Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust

Legal name

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Website

https://lrwt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is a 70-year-old UK conservation charity managing 35 nature reserves across Leicestershire and Rutland, serving 17,000+ members and 700+ volunteers through biodiversity programs, the flagship Rutland Osprey Project, and landscape-scale restoration initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation
• Nature reserve management
• Habitat restoration
• Environmental education
• Conservation charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Individual and family membership programs providing recurring revenue. Includes benefits such as free entry to nature reserves, newsletters, and member events.
2. Donations and Appeals: One-time and monthly donations across multiple fund categories including Nature Reserves, Rutland Ospreys, Nature Recovery, and Community Engagement. Current Wilder Charnwood Appeal targeting £350,000.
3. National Lottery Heritage Fund Grants: Major project funding including £500,000+ development phase for Restoring the Soar project and £2,767,300 for Charnwood Forest landscape restoration.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Business partnerships including Wild Work Days, Volunteer Training Centre room hire, and corporate membership sponsorships.
5. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts in wills as long-term revenue stream for sustained conservation work.
6. Birdfair Event (Historical): Previously operated Birdfair event raising over £5 million for Birdlife International over 30+ years. Revenue averaged £900,000 per year with costs of £600,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is a registered conservation charity that manages 35 nature reserves covering more than 1,234 hectares across Leicestershire and Rutland. Its core work centres on habitat management and species recovery (notably the pioneering Rutland Osprey reintroduction project, now in its 30th year with 200+ chicks fledged), delivered alongside membership programmes, public events, school and community education, landscape-scale restoration projects (Restoring the Soar, Rewilding Harborough, Charnwood Forest), and corporate partnership offerings.

Product overview

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust operates as a conservation charity managing 35 nature reserves covering 1,234 hectares across two counties. The organization functions as a unified platform of interconnected conservation services rather than a modular software product. Core offerings center on nature reserve management (including flagship Rutland Water partnership) and the pioneering Rutland Osprey Project now celebrating its 30th anniversary. These are supported by digital engagement tools including Wildlife Recording/Species Explorer, membership programs, and educational initiatives like the Wild Forest School and 30 Days Wild campaign. Major landscape restoration projects (Restoring the Soar, Rewilding Harborough, Wilder Charnwood Appeal) work alongside corporate partnerships, volunteer programs, and community engagement through the Nextdoor Nature initiative. The Trust previously operated the Rutland Water Birdfair (1989-2019), raising over £5 million for international conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Restoring the Soar: A river restoration project in partnership with Leicester City Council, Canal and River Trust to improve the urban stretch of the River Soar.
• Rewilding Harborough
• Wilder Charnwood Appeal
• Rutland Ospreys
• Nextdoor Nature

Products and services

• Family Membership Annual subscription providing families with access to all Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust nature reserves, newsletters, and member events. Half-price promotions are offered periodically.
• Individual Membership Annual subscription for personal supporters providing reserve access, member communications, and invitations to events across the Trust's 35 nature reserves.
• Gift Membership One-time annual gift membership purchase enabling members of the public to give a year of Trust membership to friends or family.
• Osprey Cruises Paid boat cruises at Rutland Water Nature Reserve offering opportunities to view ospreys and wetland wildlife from the water, marketed to visitors and wildlife enthusiasts.
• Volunteer Training Centre Room Hire Hire of meeting and training rooms at the Volunteer Training Centre (VTC) at Rutland Water, offered to corporate and community clients, operated in partnership with Anglian Water.
• Corporate Partnerships and Wild Work Days Paid corporate team-building and volunteering days, plus sponsorship and corporate membership packages offered to local and national businesses seeking CSR opportunities.
• Biodiversity Training for Parishes Free online training course delivered to parish councillors and staff in partnership with Leicestershire County Council to support statutory biodiversity duties and ecological emergency response.
• Wild Forest School Outdoor education programme for children including Wild Art competitions, school workshops, and nature-based learning activities delivered at Trust reserves for schools and youth groups.
• Nature Reserves Management Management, conservation, and public access to 35 nature reserves covering over 1,234 hectares across Leicestershire and Rutland, including Charnwood Lodge, Cossington Meadows, and Rutland Water Nature Reserve.
• Rutland Osprey Project Reintroduction, monitoring, and public engagement programme for ospreys at Rutland Water, including the osprey webcam, education programmes, cruises, and the Wings for the Future 30th anniversary appeal.
• Restoring the Soar Urban river restoration project improving the River Soar corridor from West Bridge to the county boundary and Watermead Park, delivered in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Canal and River Trust with National Lottery Heritage Fund support.
• Rewilding Harborough Landscape-scale rewilding project covering 500 acres in south Leicestershire, led with Harborough District Council, Market Harborough & Bowden's Charity, East Mercia Rivers Trust, and Anglian Water.
• Wilder Charnwood Appeal Active fundraising appeal to secure the future of Charnwood Forest expansion, seeking £350,000 in donations from members and supporters.
• Wildlife Recording and Species Explorer Digital tools on the Trust website enabling the public to record local wildlife sightings and explore species and habitats across Leicestershire and Rutland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ osprey chicks fledged since reintroduction project began
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Harborough District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lead strategic partner in Rewilding Harborough project; initiated council purchase of 133 acres of land as catalyst for wider 500-acre rewilding initiative.
• Market Harborough & Bowden's CharitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partner in Rewilding Harborough, contributing to landscape-scale nature recovery across south Leicestershire.
• East Mercia Rivers TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partner in Rewilding Harborough project contributing river habitat restoration expertise.
• Leicester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership in Restoring the Soar project to enhance river corridor from West Bridge to county boundary and Watermead Park. Joint river restoration and community engagement initiative.
• Canal and River TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in Restoring the Soar river restoration project bringing waterway management expertise and community engagement resources.
• Rutland County CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in Sea Dragon discovery conservation and preservation efforts at Rutland Water.
• Birdlife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Beneficiary of Birdfair donations; LRWT raised over £5 million over 30 years for international wildlife conservation projects through Birdfair.
• Leicestershire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for biodiversity training for parish councils and river restoration collaboration.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Origin of new CEO Mat Carter before joining LRWT in August 2022.
• RSPBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Co-promoter of Birdfair with LRWT for over 30 years, raising £5m+ for Birdlife International. Co-founded by Tim Appleton MBE of LRWT and Martin Davies of RSPB.
• Anglian WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970Long-standing strategic partnership for Rutland Water Nature Reserve management. Anglian Water owns the reservoir and LRWT manages the nature reserve. Joint funding for Sea Dragon exhibition and habitat restoration. Partner in Rewilding Harborough project.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring regional Wildlife Trust operating a comparable portfolio of nature reserves, education programmes, and corporate partnerships in the West Midlands.
• Derbyshire Wildlife Trust: Another East Midlands Wildlife Trust with overlapping geographic remit. Operates the same national Wildlife Trusts campaigns and reserve management model as LRWT.
• Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust: Adjacent regional Wildlife Trust with comparable reserve management, volunteer programmes, and membership structure to LRWT.
• Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust: Adjacent East Midlands Wildlife Trust operating a comparable model of nature reserves, membership programmes, and community engagement in a neighbouring county. Directly comparable as a regional peer with similar operational structure.

Direct peers

• Canal & River Trust: Active partner in LRWT's Restoring the Soar project. Comparable as a charity managing waterways with restoration projects, volunteer programmes, and visitor engagement at scale.
• Woodland Trust: UK's leading woodland conservation charity managing nature reserves, tree-planting programmes, and membership-based supporter engagement. Comparable as a nature reserve operator with similar conservation and education focus.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust: Wetland-focused conservation charity and former employer of LRWT CEO Mat Carter. Directly comparable as a wetland reserve operator and species conservation organisation; both manage flagship wetland sites with visitor centres and education programmes.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): Co-founded the Birdfair with LRWT in 1989 and is the UK's largest wildlife conservation charity. Highly comparable as a membership-based conservation organisation operating nature reserves, running species recovery programmes, and engaging volunteers.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: UK's largest conservation charity managing heritage properties and significant natural landscapes. Overlapping scope includes nature reserve management, membership model, and landscape-scale conservation, though broader in remit (heritage + nature).
• The Wildlife Trusts: Umbrella federation of 46 independent Wildlife Trusts including LRWT itself. Directly comparable as a national network managing nature reserves, running conservation campaigns, and coordinating the 30 Days Wild initiative that LRWT participates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lrwt56
• Facebookfacebook.com/Leicswildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leicswildlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/leiceswildlife/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust