Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

What Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust does

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) is an independent UK registered charity (charity number 232580) founded in 1961 and headquartered at the Conservation Centre in Robinswood Hill Country Park, Gloucester. The Trust is the largest county-level nature conservation body in Gloucestershire, managing 46 nature reserves spanning over 1,000 hectares and serving a community of more than 27,000 members and 500 active volunteers who contribute practical conservation work, surveying, visitor engagement, and community action. Its portfolio spans species recovery (Severn Vale Beaver Project with Forestry England; pine marten, adder, and eel programmes), habitat management (HabiMap decadal habitat surveys, conservation grazing at Lower Woods, wetland restoration such as Trillis), flood mitigation (Waterscapes SuDS and rain garden installations with Intact Insurance and the Environment Agency), environmental education (Wilder Learning tiers from Nature Tots through tertiary), and community mobilisation (Team Wilder, People's Nature Reserve). It also operates the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records as a hosted local records centre and offers commercial ecological consultancy via Wild Service.

The Trust funds its activities through a diversified non-profit revenue stack: monthly membership subscriptions (Individual £4.00, Joint £4.50, Family £5.00); donations eligible for Gift Aid (25p per £1 reclaimed from HMRC); a Wildlife Lottery priced at £1 per week with prizes to £25,000; grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Forestry England, and local authorities (notably Stroud District Council and Gloucestershire County Council); an e-commerce merchandise and guidebook shop (gloswildlife.myshopify.com); and charitable trading income from wholly-owned subsidiary Gloucestershire Wildlife Enterprises Limited (company number 09706354). Its go-to-market is community-led: digital channels (website, e-news, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky) drive top-of-funnel engagement, while 46 physical reserves, visitor centres, events, and educational programmes convert interest into subscriptions, donations, and volunteer commitments. The Trust is affiliated with the wider Wildlife Trusts federation of 47 charities but maintains independent governance under a Board of Trustees.

Operationally, the Trust combines a small paid workforce (11–50 employees) with extensive volunteer capacity and a project-funded delivery model that depends heavily on institutional and corporate partnership funding. Strategic emphasis is placed on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation (flood mitigation through SuDS), statutory biodiversity net gain services to developers, and landscape-scale species reintroduction as pathways to deepen impact and diversify revenue beyond traditional philanthropy.

Name

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Legal name

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Website

https://gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is an independent UK registered charity, founded in 1961, managing 46 nature reserves across Gloucestershire for 27,000+ members and 500+ volunteers through habitat conservation, species reintroduction, environmental education, and ecological consultancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Habitat restoration projects
• Nature reserve management
• Conservation volunteering
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Gloucester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly membership subscriptions ranging from £4.00 for individual to £5.00 for family membership, providing recurring revenue from supporters.
2. Donations and Fundraising: One-time and recurring donations, fundraising appeals, major gifts, and gifts in wills. Gift Aid scheme allows claiming 25p per £1 donated from HMRC.
3. Wildlife Lottery: Weekly lottery game where participants pay £1 per week with prizes up to £25,000, generating funds for wildlife conservation.
4. Heritage Funding: Grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Forestry England, Stroud District Council, and other institutional funders for specific conservation projects.
5. Online Shop: E-commerce store selling merchandise, guidebooks, and nature-related products.
6. Trading Operations: Gloucestershire Wildlife Enterprises Limited, a charitable trading company that raises funds for the parent charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity that protects and restores wildlife habitats across Gloucestershire. It manages 46 nature reserves covering more than 1,000 hectares, delivers species reintroduction and habitat restoration projects, runs community engagement programmes, and offers membership subscriptions, educational programmes, ecological consultancy, a fundraising lottery, and an online shop of nature-themed merchandise.

Product overview

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust operates as a unified portfolio of conservation and engagement products centered around nature protection and community involvement. The core offerings include membership programs (Individual, Joint, and Family tiers from £4.00-£5.00/month), providing access to 46 nature reserves spanning over 1,000 hectares. Supporting infrastructure includes an online shop (Shopify-based), Wildlife Lottery (from £1/week), and Team Wilder community movement. Educational products span Wilder Learning programs from pre-school through tertiary education. Conservation services include species recovery projects (Severn Vale Beaver Project, Waterscapes flood mitigation), habitat management (HabiMap surveys, Conservation Grazing), and ecological consultancy via Wild Service. The trust also maintains the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records for wildlife data management. Over 500 volunteers support operations across practical conservation, surveying, and community engagement roles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Team Wilder: Community action initiative where volunteers act as ambassadors helping to build local movements of positive change for wildlife.

Products and services

• Individual Membership Monthly subscription membership for one person, starting from £4.00 per month, providing access to 46 nature reserves, member events, and benefits supporting Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's conservation work.
• Joint Membership Monthly subscription membership for two adults, starting from £4.50 per month, providing joint access to nature reserves and member benefits.
• Family Membership Monthly subscription family membership starting from £5.00 per month, including child-focused extras and access to family activities at the Trust's nature reserves.
• Online Shop E-commerce store selling wildlife-themed merchandise, guidebooks, and nature-related products to support the Trust's conservation work.
• Wildlife Lottery Weekly lottery game with entries from £1 per week offering cash prizes up to £25,000, operated as a fundraising mechanism to support wildlife conservation across Gloucestershire.
• Wild Service Ecological Consultancy Professional ecological consultancy providing biodiversity net gain advice, planning application support, and nature-based solutions for developers, planning consultants, and landowners.
• Wilder Learning Education Programmes Educational programmes for schools and young people, including Nature Tots (pre-school), EYFS/Primary Schools Programme, Secondary Schools (Youth Rangers, Youth Advisory Group, work experience), and Further/Tertiary Education initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% public support for beaver reintroduction in Gloucestershire (feasibility study)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Forestry EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Joint partnership for beaver reintroduction project (Severn Vale Beaver Project) and previous collaboration on pine marten reintroduction to the Forest of Dean. Partners on species recovery initiatives with shared commitment to ecological restoration.
• Environment AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the Waterscapes flood mitigation project, supporting nature-based solutions for flood risk reduction in Gloucestershire.
• Gloucestershire County CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the Waterscapes flood mitigation project, collaborating on county-wide flood resilience initiatives.
• Natural EnglandmajorOthersStatutory body responsible for licensing approvals for species reintroduction projects including beaver reintroduction.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Worcestershire Wildlife Trust: Direct local peer under the Wildlife Trusts federation with overlapping West of England ecosystem, similar reserve portfolio and membership/donation fundraising motion.
• Avon Wildlife Trust: County Wildlife Trust covering Bristol/Bath area with identical mission, reserve-management approach, and membership/education revenue streams.
• Somerset Wildlife Trust: Neighbouring county Wildlife Trust running the same membership, reserve-management, and volunteer-led conservation model across Somerset reserves — directly comparable on scope, revenue mix, and member pricing tiers.
• Herefordshire Wildlife Trust: Border county Wildlife Trust with comparable reserve network, species recovery work, and member-funded conservation model.
• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust: Another neighbouring county Wildlife Trust operating reserves, education programmes, and community engagement under the same Wildlife Trusts federation — a near-identical operating model in an adjacent geography.

Broad incumbents

• The Wildlife Trusts: National federation of 46 independent Wildlife Trusts including Gloucestershire WT itself; same mission of nature recovery, comparable membership/donation/lottery model, and benchmark for shared services and brand standards.
• National Trust: Major UK conservation charity managing significant natural and built heritage; competes for members, volunteers, and heritage funding within overlapping supporter demographics.
• Woodland Trust: UK-wide conservation charity focused on woodland and tree planting with overlapping membership model and corporate-partnership fundraising motion relevant to GWT's habitat restoration projects.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): UK's largest wildlife charity with overlapping conservation, membership, and reserve-management activities; competes for the same national donor pool and government grants.

Emerging players

• Buglife: Specialist invertebrate conservation charity operating with a similar advocacy-plus-on-the-ground-project model; competes for limited conservation grant funding and policymaker attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/gloswildlife.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GlosWildlifeTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/gloswildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gloucestershire-wildlife-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/goswildlife

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust