Campaign to Protect Rural England
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1926
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Campaign to Protect Rural England firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Campaign to Protect Rural England industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Campaign to Protect Rural England is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Campaign to Protect Rural England business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- 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
- Individual donations: One-time and recurring donations from supporters, with a donate page and various giving options
- Legacy gifts and bequests: Leaving gifts in wills, with a free will writing service partnership through Farewill
- Corporate partnerships: Partnering with purpose-led companies for corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, and major gifts
- Organisational membership: Parish, town councils and organisations can join from £5/month or £60/year
- Memorial donations and tribute funds: Donations in memory of loved ones and dedicated tribute funds
- Fundraising events: Community fundraising activities and events by supporters
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual membership from £5/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Household membership from £7/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Organisational membership from £5/month or £60/year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Campaign to Protect Rural England product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Campaign to Protect Rural England
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Campaign to Protect Rural England technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Campaign to Protect Rural England partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- National Housing FederationminorPublished joint charter to boost affordable rural homes.
- UK Deposit AllianceminorCPRE launched UK Deposit Alliance presenting European evidence that deposit schemes on drinks containers cut litter, boost recycling, and create jobs.
- Scouts and Guides AssociationsminorCPRE launched national countryside warden scheme with Scouts and Guides to promote responsible behaviour, laying foundations for the Country Code.
- National TrustcoreFounding 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 InstitutescoreFounding member of CPRE in 1926, historically supported CPRE initiatives including countryside warden scheme with Scouts and Guides.
- Commons Preservation SocietycoreFounding member of CPRE in 1926 as part of coalition to protect the countryside.
- Community Energy EnglandcoreCPRE 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 DistrictminorJoining Hedgerow Heroes project for first time in 2025-26 season, working across The Howgills, River Pettril, and Ullswater catchment areas.
- Wild OxfordshireminorLong-term partner of CPRE Oxfordshire in Hedgerow Heroes project.
- Manhood Wildlife and Heritage GroupminorPartner with CPRE Sussex in Hedgerow Heroes project at Oakhurst Farm.
- Herts & Middlesex Butterfly Conservation groupminorPartnering with CPRE Hertfordshire in Hedgerow Heroes to plant hedgerows across north and east of county.
- FarewillminorFree 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-opminorCase study partner showcasing ethical, community-led rooftop solar projects.
- NurtureminorCentenary partner supporting CPRE's 100-year celebration activities.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Campaign to Protect Rural England competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging 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
Campaign to Protect Rural England social profiles
Digital presenceCampaign to Protect Rural England financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Campaign to Protect Rural England leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Campaign to Protect Rural England funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Campaign to Protect Rural England M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&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
What does Campaign to Protect Rural England do?
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.
Is Campaign to Protect Rural England a public or private company?
Campaign to Protect Rural England is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Campaign to Protect Rural England founded?
Campaign to Protect Rural England was founded in 1926. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Campaign to Protect Rural England based?
Campaign to Protect Rural England is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Campaign to Protect Rural England make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Membership subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are individual donations, legacy gifts and bequests, corporate partnerships, organisational membership, memorial donations and tribute funds and fundraising events.
Who are Campaign to Protect Rural England's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Soil Association, Greenpeace UK and Marine Conservation Society. English Heritage is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and National Trust. Direct peers are Friends of the Earth, Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and Campaign for National Parks.
Does Campaign to Protect Rural England have an API?
No public API is recorded for Campaign to Protect Rural England.
What industry is Campaign to Protect Rural England in?
Campaign to Protect Rural England's product category is Environmental Advocacy and Conservation Charity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAK, Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAFADAK, Nonprofit & Cause Communications. Its NAICS code is 813312.