Campaign to Protect Rural England

What Campaign to Protect Rural England does

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is the United Kingdom's longest-established countryside charity, founded in 1926 as the Council for the Preservation of Rural England by a coalition including the National Trust, Women's Institutes and the Commons Preservation Society. Registered as a charity (number 1089685) and private company limited by guarantee (number 04302973), CPRE operates a federated model with a national headquarters in London (15-21 Provost Street, N1 7NH) and local CPRE groups in every county across England. Its mission is to protect and regenerate the English countryside from inappropriate development, climate change and nature loss, and to shape sustainable land-use policy.

The organisation delivers its work through a diversified portfolio of campaigns, practical programmes and engagement products. Core advocacy campaigns include Hedgerow Heroes (a five-year hedgerow planting and restoration initiative now in Phase Five across 13 local CPRE groups), Rooftop Solar (successfully securing a 2027 government commitment to solar on all new-build homes), Greening the Grid (an eight-principle manifesto for countryside-friendly energy infrastructure), Food Procurement, New Towns Done Well, Love Your Countryside, and the 'Up the Energy' community power campaign. Engagement is supported by a custom technology stack including the Interactive Housing Pipeline Map for England's housing development pipeline, the Love Your Countryside Interactive Map, and a Volunteer Hub. CPRE's digital presence spans its main website (cpre.org.uk), active social channels on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn, and a dedicated donate platform.

CPRE is funded primarily through a community-led revenue model combining individual and household membership subscriptions (from £5/month and £7/month respectively), organisational memberships for parish and town councils (£5/month or £60/year), one-off and recurring donations, legacy gifts through a Farewill partnership, corporate partnerships with purpose-led companies, trust and foundation grants, and community fundraising events. It serves over 75,000 supporters and members, over 1,600 active volunteers and over 200 trustees, with documented legislative influence including 36 mentions in parliament in the past year and historical wins shaping National Parks, Green Belts, hedgerow protection, the 5p plastic bag charge, and rooftop solar policy.

Name

Campaign to Protect Rural England

Legal name

Campaign to Protect Rural England

Website

https://cpre.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is the UK's oldest countryside charity, founded 1926, operating a federated network of local groups across every English county to protect and regenerate the countryside through advocacy campaigns, hedgerow restoration, and planning policy influence, funded by 75,000+ members and diverse donation streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Conservation Charity

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Countryside conservation advocacy
• Environmental charity campaigns
• Rural planning policy
• Hedgerow habitat restoration
• Community membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Individual membership from £5/month, household membership from £7/month, providing ongoing recurring revenue with benefits including Countryside Voices magazine and discounted attraction entries
2. Individual donations: One-time and recurring donations from supporters, with a donate page and various giving options
3. Legacy gifts and bequests: Leaving gifts in wills, with a free will writing service partnership through Farewill
4. Corporate partnerships: Partnering with purpose-led companies for corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, and major gifts
5. Organisational membership: Parish, town councils and organisations can join from £5/month or £60/year
6. Memorial donations and tribute funds: Donations in memory of loved ones and dedicated tribute funds
7. Fundraising events: Community fundraising activities and events by supporters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CPRE is a UK-registered environmental charity, founded in 1926, that campaigns to protect, enhance and regenerate the English countryside. It pursues this mission through policy advocacy on planning, housing, energy and farming; grassroots campaigning; mapping and research outputs; and a national network of volunteer-led local groups. It sustains activity through individual and organisational memberships, donations, legacies and grants from trusts, foundations and corporate partners.

Product overview

CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a membership-based charity offering individual, household, and organisational memberships alongside various campaigns and initiatives. The core products include membership programs with exclusive magazine access, volunteering opportunities including Online Campaigns Activist micro-volunteering, legacy giving programs, and fundraising options. The campaign portfolio features Hedgerow Heroes (hedgerow restoration), Rooftop Solar advocacy, Greening the Grid (energy infrastructure), Food Procurement (50% local sourcing), New Towns Done Well (sustainable development), Love Your Countryside (community celebration), and Up the Energy (community energy). Together, these form a comprehensive approach to countryside protection through advocacy, community engagement, and practical action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual and Household Membership
• Organisational Membership
• Countryside Voices Magazine
• Hedgerow Heroes Campaign
• Rooftop Solar Campaign
• Greening the Grid
• Food Procurement Campaign
• New Towns Done Well
• Love Your Countryside Programme
• Up the Energy (Community Energy)
• Volunteering Programme
• Online Campaigns Activist (OCA) Programme
• Legacy / Gift in Wills Programme
• Donation and Fundraising Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 125,000 hedgerow trees planted between 2024-25
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Housing FederationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Published joint charter to boost affordable rural homes.
• UK Deposit AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013CPRE launched UK Deposit Alliance presenting European evidence that deposit schemes on drinks containers cut litter, boost recycling, and create jobs.
• Scouts and Guides AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1935CPRE launched national countryside warden scheme with Scouts and Guides to promote responsible behaviour, laying foundations for the Country Code.
• National TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926Founding member of CPRE (originally Council for the Preservation of Rural England) in 1926, united with Women's Institutes and Commons Preservation Society to protect the countryside.
• Women's InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926Founding member of CPRE in 1926, historically supported CPRE initiatives including countryside warden scheme with Scouts and Guides.
• Commons Preservation SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1926Founding member of CPRE in 1926 as part of coalition to protect the countryside.
• Community Energy EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPRE is a member of Community Energy England and has joined their 'Up the Energy' campaign to urge government to remove barriers to local power and ensure communities share benefits of clean energy.
• Friends of the Lake DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoining Hedgerow Heroes project for first time in 2025-26 season, working across The Howgills, River Pettril, and Ullswater catchment areas.
• Wild OxfordshireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner of CPRE Oxfordshire in Hedgerow Heroes project.
• Manhood Wildlife and Heritage GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with CPRE Sussex in Hedgerow Heroes project at Oakhurst Farm.
• Herts & Middlesex Butterfly Conservation groupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with CPRE Hertfordshire in Hedgerow Heroes to plant hedgerows across north and east of county.
• FarewillminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFree will writing service partner offering supporters online and telephone will writing services. While no obligation to leave a gift, many supporters remember CPRE with a legacy.
• The Big Solar Co-opminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase study partner showcasing ethical, community-led rooftop solar projects.
• NurtureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCentenary partner supporting CPRE's 100-year celebration activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Soil Association: UK charity focused on organic and sustainable food and farming. Comparable advocacy on land use, food procurement and rural sustainability, and overlapping leadership alumni with CPRE (Roger Mortlock previously at Soil Association).
• Greenpeace UK: Environmental campaigning organisation with a UK donor base and active advocacy on energy, climate and planning. Comparable activist and supporter mobilisation model, though with a more confrontational direct-action approach than CPRE's policy-led style.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK charity protecting marine environments with membership, donation and volunteer income. Comparable UK charity operating model, member mobilisation and policy advocacy on environmental issues, though focused on ocean rather than terrestrial countryside.

Regional players

• English Heritage: UK heritage charity caring for historic sites and landscapes. Comparable membership model, volunteer engagement and English geographic focus, with overlap on landscape character and planning advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): Large UK wildlife charity with membership model, volunteer network, and active policy advocacy. Comparable membership/donation revenue model and conservation remit, though focused specifically on birds and broader biodiversity rather than countryside land use.
• National Trust: UK's largest conservation charity, holding heritage land and countryside properties. Directly comparable as a membership-funded, advocacy-active environmental charity, but operates at a much larger scale and with a broader heritage remit than CPRE.

Direct peers

• Friends of the Earth: Environmental advocacy charity with active UK campaigns on planning, energy and consumer issues. Comparable policy-advocacy model, grassroots activism, and parliamentary engagement, though broader in environmental scope than CPRE.
• Woodland Trust: UK charity focused on woodland conservation and tree planting. Comparable membership and donation revenue model, similar volunteer and corporate partnership channels, and overlap with CPRE on hedgerow and tree-planting campaigns.
• The Wildlife Trusts: Federation of 46 local wildlife trusts across the UK. Directly comparable structure to CPRE's local-group network, with membership funding, volunteer mobilisation, and conservation advocacy on land use and planning issues.
• Campaign for National Parks: UK charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing National Parks. Comparable remit on landscape protection, planning policy advocacy, and member-driven campaigning, with overlapping organisational history (former CPRE director Dame Fiona Reynolds).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CPRE1926
• Facebookfacebook.com/22827312848
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/campaign-to-protect-rural-england
• Instagraminstagram.com/cpre
• TikToktiktok.com/@thecountrysidecharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Campaign to Protect Rural England