Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

What Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust does

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a registered UK charity (Charity No. 1097807, Company No. 04726698) and the sole nature conservation organization dedicated to the Isles of Scilly archipelago, managing approximately 700 hectares of land across ten islands — roughly half of all land in the archipelago — together with over 85 km of public paths and protection of more than 170 Scheduled Monuments. Founded as a charitable entity in 2003 (succeeding the 1985 Environmental Trust), it operates from St Mary's as an independent member of The Wildlife Trusts federation (46 charities across the UK, Isle of Man, and Alderney). Its programmatic work spans wildlife monitoring, habitat management, archaeological preservation, invasive species control (notably rat clearance on St Agnes and Gugh in 2013–2015), and community engagement.

The Trust's technical work includes notable drone-based wildlife survey capabilities — specifically UAV censuses of Grey Seal haul-out sites and a full island pup census every three weeks — and a research partnership with the University of Oxford's Marine Conservation, Ecology and Management group to develop an AI model for individual seal identification from aerial imagery. It also operates systematic Manx Shearwater burrow surveys using playback protocols and correction factors, alongside conservation grazing programs using traditional breeds. These capabilities support long-term ecological datasets rather than commercial technology products.

Revenue is generated through four streams: (1) Membership subscriptions from island residents and "Friends" located elsewhere, (2) donations and themed appeals such as the Storm Goretti emergency fund and the "Keep Scilly Special 2026" campaign, (3) annual species adoption packs (Scilly Shrew, Shearwater, Grey Seal) priced from £30/year, and (4) corporate partnerships. Distribution is primarily direct via the Trust's website and on-island community presence, with earned media coverage in BBC Cornwall, ITV West Region, and CBBC Newsround. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by CEO Julian Branscombe, with a small team of 11–50 staff and active volunteer networks supporting field operations across inhabited and uninhabited islands.

Name

Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

Legal name

Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

Website

https://ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a UK registered charity that is the sole nature conservation organization for the Isles of Scilly archipelago, managing approximately 700 hectares of land, 85 km of public paths, and 170 Scheduled Monuments across ten islands, funded through memberships, donations, adoption packs, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks) (THAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Nature conservation
• Wildlife monitoring
• Habitat management
• Species adoption
• Membership charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Hugh Town

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership for island residents and 'Friends' membership for supporters living elsewhere, providing ongoing funding for conservation work
2. Donations and Appeals: One-off donations, emergency appeals (Storm Goretti Fund), and the 'Keep Scilly Special 2026' campaign
3. Species Adoption Packs: Eco-friendly adoption packs sold annually featuring species such as Scilly Shrew, Shearwater, and Seal, including wooden decorations, prints, and postcards
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses for funding and support

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a registered nature conservation charity that manages approximately 700 hectares of land across ten islands of the Isles of Scilly archipelago, maintains over 85km of public paths, protects 170+ Scheduled Monuments, and delivers species monitoring and recovery programs for seabirds, Grey Seals, and rare flora and fauna. It funds this work through membership programs, species adoption packs, donations, fundraising appeals, corporate partnerships, and grants.

Product overview

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust operates as a nature conservation charity offering membership programs for island residents and Friends elsewhere, species adoption packs (Scilly Shrew, Scilly Shearwater, Grey Seal), and various fundraising appeals including the annual Keep Scilly Special campaign and emergency storm recovery funds. The Trust also provides nature reserve access through an extensive path network spanning over 85km across ten islands, and communicates with supporters via the Wild Scilly monthly newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Island Membership Annual membership for supporters who live on the Isles of Scilly, providing the Wild Scilly newsletter and supporting conservation funding.
• Friend Membership
• Scilly Shrew Adoption Pack
• Scilly Shearwater Adoption Pack
• Grey Seal Adoption Pack
• Keep Scilly Special 2026 Appeal
• Emergency Storm Goretti Fund
• Nature Reserve Access
• Wild Scilly Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• 60%+ of all Grey Seal pups in southwest England born in Scilly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Wildlife TrustscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a full and independent member of The Wildlife Trusts federation, comprising 46 charities across the UK, Isle of Man and Alderney. This provides national brand cohesion, shared resources, and collective advocacy for wildlife conservation.
• University of Oxford (Marine Conservation, Ecology and Management group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Thomas Stone PhD student conducting long-term Grey Seal population research using drone surveys and AI model development for individual seal identification. Oxford team provides scientific methodology while Trust provides field access and local knowledge.
• BuglifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on conservation of the Red-barbed Ant, one of the UK's rarest insects, with surveys conducted on St Martin's as part of efforts to understand and protect this endangered species.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeabird partnership supporting rat clearance and seabird recovery efforts. RSPB provides expertise and funding for island restoration projects to protect breeding seabirds.
• Tresco EstateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate island estate providing residential volunteer accommodation during winter rat clearance operations to support seabird recovery project.
• Tregarthen's HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal hotel providing residential volunteer accommodation for seabird project field teams during challenging winter weather conditions.
• St Agnes BoatingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal boat service providing transportation for field teams to off-islands during rat clearance operations, essential for project logistics.
• Tresco BoatingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoat service supporting access to seabird project sites on uninhabited islands during weather-dependent field operations.
• IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupportive partner for Jof Hicks' plastic-free lobster pot project demonstrating sustainable fishing practices and food production that works for people and wildlife.
• Council of the Isles of ScillycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership for bird flu response strategy, dead bird removal coordination, and climate change action planning. Trust works with Council on wildlife emergency response.
• South West WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater utility company that has coordinated with Trust on drought response measures and water-saving advice during extreme weather events affecting freshwater resources.
• Exeter University Masters StudentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing student support for Manx Shearwater survey correction factor calculations, helping estimate burrow occupancy rates.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sussex Wildlife Trust: Sussex Wildlife Trust is a fellow member of The Wildlife Trusts federation operating across multiple reserves with similar conservation, education, and member-funded programs. Comparable mission, structure, and scale.
• Kent Wildlife Trust: Kent Wildlife Trust operates the same Wildlife Trusts model with comparable land management, species protection, and community engagement activities. Directly comparable organizational structure and mission.
• Cornwall Wildlife Trust: Cornwall Wildlife Trust is the closest geographic peer — a fellow UK Wildlife Trust operating in the same South West region with a comparable model of land management, species protection, and community engagement. Operates at a larger scale but the most directly comparable structure and mission to IoSWT.
• Dorset Wildlife Trust: Dorset Wildlife Trust is another Wildlife Trust operating in southern England with similar reserves, marine interests, and member-funded model. Directly comparable in organizational structure, mission, and approach to IoSWT.
• Devon Wildlife Trust: Devon Wildlife Trust is a neighboring Wildlife Trust in the South West of England with overlapping species protection work, marine conservation interests, and a comparable organizational structure. Closely comparable in mission and approach to IoSWT.
• Norfolk Wildlife Trust: Norfolk Wildlife Trust is one of the larger UK Wildlife Trusts with comparable coastal/seabird conservation work and membership-driven funding model. Operates at a larger scale but follows the same Wildlife Trusts federation model.
• Buglife: Buglife is an active partner of IoSWT (collaborating on Red-barbed Ant conservation on St Martin's). As the UK's only charity dedicated to invertebrate conservation, Buglife shares the same charity model and conservation mission at a slightly larger but comparable scale.
• Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx Wildlife Trust operates in a comparable island ecosystem (Isle of Man) with similar conservation challenges around seabirds, seals, and small-island land management. Both are independent members of The Wildlife Trusts federation with similar scale and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): RSPB is the UK's largest bird/nature charity and an active partner of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust on seabird recovery and rat clearance. While much larger and operating nationally, RSPB shares core conservation objectives and methodology around protected seabird colonies.
• National Trust: The National Trust is a much larger UK-wide heritage and conservation organization managing significant coastal and island landholdings. While operating at vastly greater scale with a broader heritage remit, it overlaps with IoSWT on land management, public access, and conservation grazing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scillywildlife
• Facebookfacebook.com/scillywildlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/scillywildlife
• Xx.com/scillywildlife

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust