Working towards a wilder future
Surrey Wildlife Trust is one of only two organisations that have a county-wide mission to boost the diversity and abundance of nature across Surrey – and this critical mission depends on the support of people like you.
In this Impact Report for 2023-24, we showcase some of the highlights that supporters have helped us to achieve over the past year.
Meeting urgency with ambition
At Surrey Wildlife Trust we began our work 65 years ago, but there’s no doubt that it is more urgent than ever.
Wildlife is in dire trouble with one-third of Surrey’s species, from garden favourites like the Hedgehog to heathland specialists like the Heath Tiger Beetle at risk of disappearing for good.
But it’s not in our nature to let this happen. No matter what happens in politics or any other field, without waiting or asking permission, we will continue to focus steadily on our goal: to deliver nature recovery across Surrey. We will achieve that not just by delivering world-class
habitats on the three per cent of Surrey’s land that we manage directly, but by extending our influence on land we work on in partnership, which now covers well over five per cent. Our impact will increase as we introduce new partnerships across the county.
With just over five years to go until 2030 - the target for a global initiative to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature – we need everyone who can, from local families to major businesses and landowners, to get involved.
Time may be short, but our spirits are high. We are focused on results and we depend on your continued support to achieve them.
Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, Chief Executive
Blackcap,
Our impact in numbers
5,823 families engaged through Wilder Schools
6.5km of hedgerows managed
30ha+ of pollinator B-lines created 150 ecology projects delivered
Surrey Wildlife Trust has a broad and complex remit, and statistics can’t tell the full story of our impact on people, places and wildlife.
However, the numbers we present here show a proud record to be built on as we strive to achieve more and better results on behalf of our members and supporters year on year.
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27,000 Trust members
28,000 volunteer hours
4,916ha of land managed for wildlife
8,800ha of land influenced through engagement
6,000ha of land grazed for nature
Our members & donors 3
Thank you to all of our members and supporters. With your help Surrey Wildlife Trust can do much more to protect and restore Surrey’s precious habitats for nature.
Surrey Wildlife Trust has strong roots and a proud record of practical delivery –from maintaining our reserves in the best condition for nature in partnership with our volunteers, to safeguarding at-risk species and working with local businesses to reduce pressures on our local environment.
Without the kindness, commitment and expertise of our members and donors, we could not be an effective force for wildlife. In turn, our work is a solid investment in the landscapes, nature and communities that they care about.
In the last two years alone, kind donations have empowered us to extend our conservation grazing operation to improve rare heath and chalk grassland, have enabled us to create woodland and hedgerow habitat for the endangered Hazel Dormouse, and have helped Pirbright Ranges and its herd of Red Deer recover from a devastating wildfire.
Surrey Wildlife Trust is fortunate to have extremely passionate and engaged members and supporters. Our shared enjoyment and respect for nature is what powers us towards our goal of restoring 30% of Surrey for nature by 2030. Thank you for your generosity.
Sarah Jordan, Head of Fundraising & Communications
4,916ha of land managed for nature
27,000 Trust members
28,000 volunteer hours
8,800ha of land influenced through engagement
6,000ha of land grazed for nature
However you support our work, we are grateful for your time, generosity and commitment to wildlife and wild places in Surrey
A year in review
CONSERVATION GRAZING
Conservation grazing is a major success story for SWT, not least thanks to the generosity of members and supporters who contributed to our Grazing Heroes appeal in 2023, which raised over £50,000 in donations.
On an increasing number of sites, our Belted Galloway grazing cattle are no longer kept in fenced compartments. Instead, the cattle are kept to designated grazing areas using solar-powered ‘Nofence’ GPS collars, which emit a harmless electrical pulse to any individual that strays beyond a prescribed zone.
Following a successful introduction on Wisley Common in the summer of 2022, we expanded the
use of Nofence technology on heathland sites in 2023. We spent the spring of 2024 preparing more sites, including Elstead Common, Barossa Military Training Area and Whitmoor Common in the west of the county .
We have introduced mixed grazing on chalk grassland sites in East Surrey, including Quarry Hangers. We plan to graze wildflower-rich downlands at Fames Rough and the adjoining Coneyboro Hill with sheep, and a kind donation of £3,000 from the Chapman Charitable Trust has funded a rainwater harvesting system for livestock to be constructed at Long Plantation, which is also part of this site near Chipstead. We are also creating our own cross-breed of sheep to suit our conservation grazing needs and reduce veterinary and care bills.
35+ sites grazed
6,000 hectares grazed
350+ grazing animals
We have expanded the use of Nofence technology on our heathland sites
Nearly double the target of 6.5km of hedgerow restoration has been delivered across the North Downs and beyond
COPPICING & HEDGEROWS
Our four-year Heritage Lottery funded Hedgerow Heritage project was set up to inspire and teach young ecologists, practical conservationists and the wider community to restore, renew and create hedgerows in the North Downs and Surrey Hills.
Hedgerows are vital homes for wildlife from small insects to large mammals and increase the resilience of Surrey’s landscapes against the impacts of pollution and climate change.
Some 550 metres of hedgerow have been laid at Netley Park, 57 metres at Tytings Farm and 67 metres at Landbarn Farm. Other hedgelaying contracts successfully fulfilled by SWT include 90 metres at Quarry Hangers and 200 metres at The Moors.
Thanks in part to kind donations to our 2023 Hazel Dormouse appeal, volunteers have also coppiced Hazel stools on sites including Cucknell’s Wood, Wallis Wood and The Forest.
964m of hedgerow laid in 2023-24
8,912 people engaged
32,000 social media engagements
...a year in review
WORKING TOGETHER FOR WILDLIFE
Working with a range of private and public bodies from farms to golf courses enables SWT to deliver improved habitats for wildlife across 5.3% of Surrey, and demand for our Nature-based Solutions (NBS) advice continues to grow.
Improving the condition of our waterways is a core part of the Trust’s mission and can only be achieved in partnership with government, private bodies and community groups. The Trust co-hosts river catchment partnerships with the South-East Rivers
Trust; substantial volunteer and citizen science activity is underway, concentrating on water quality and testing including on rivers Wey and Mole.
Exploring and harnessing new financial mechanisms to support biodiversity, including through Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), will be key to achieving large-scale environmental improvements. Our expertise in this area continues to expand, with fruitful partnerships already forged with Shepperton Studios and the Hampton Estate.
In 2023-24 SWT Ecology Services Limited, a trading subsidiary of the Trust, delivered 150 projects including providing ecological information to inform planning applications, submitting management plans and providing advice to landowners on how to maximise biodiversity.
8,000ha engaged in partnership
48 landholdings engaged 150 projects delivered
We’re empowering local people to drive nature’s recovery
IN THE COMMUNITY
From carrying out species surveys and helping with our conservation grazing herd, to water sampling and riverbank maintenance and coppicing and scrub clearance, Surrey’s special habitats are in constant need of careful management – and this would be impossible without the support of our volunteers.
Many of our volunteers have invested many years of effort, but each year we warmly welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of expertise –helping create new friendships and enabling people to forge a close relationship with the natural world.
One of our stand-out community initiatives has been the Nextdoor Nature programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This empowered local communities in Guildford and Woking to work together to connect with nature and co-create wildlife-friendly local green spaces. Actions included the creation of a community sensory garden, a new no-mow initiative at a local school, and a fresh cohort of empowered community members across Guildford and Woking.
In August 2023 we celebrated the efforts of more than 35 independent local community groups we’ve worked with through our Community Champion Awards, and we have also partnered with Surrey Choices to create more opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in conservation.
4,000 active volunteers
28,000 volunteer hours
100 group members taking action for nature
WILDER SCHOOLS
Wilder Schools plays an important role in sparking an interest in nature in hundreds of young minds, leading to positive actions for wildlife in schools, at home and in the wider community.
Through the programme, school communities develop a meaningful relationship with nature by creating habitats in school and connecting to those around the school. This leads to greater biodiversity and more engaging surroundings, including through the addition of ponds, hedgerows, meadows, bug hotels and no-mow areas.
Teachers are trained to be more confident in taking learning outside, and children gain enhanced wellbeing and confidence, as well as practical skills including in research, monitoring and numeracy.
We also welcomed many other schools and families to our education centre at Nower Wood, and worked alongside other local organisations, including the Thames Basin Heaths Partnership to help children learn about and visit local sites.
Members of SWT’s Hedgerow Heritage team helped plant meadows and hedges with children from local schools, and we also used funding from this project to set up a tool library to help schools create hedgerows, ponds and meadows.
46 Schools on their wilder journey
5,820 families engaged with nature
600+ actions for nature
Wilder Schools plays an important role in sparking an interest in nature in hundreds of young minds
School Group, Peter Carins/2020VISION
Reducing our carbon footprint
OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS NET ZERO
As part of the Wildlife Trusts federation, Surrey Wildlife Trust is working towards Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Surrey Wildlife Trust commits to delivering annual action plans through to 2025-26 –aiming to reduce our baseline emissions by around 10% year on year. By the end of 2025-26, we will be in a better position to determine how much further we can go and when the ‘Net Zero’ point can be attained.
Data collection is continuously being refined as it is potentially complex and far reaching when extended to all supplies/products used and the companies which supply those items and services. Small wins are being made daily with changes to different suppliers and the selection of sustainable products.
Reporting on emissions is important for transparency and to help us to identify where
We aim to reduce our baseline emissions by around 10% year on year
we most need to make changes and ensure we are doing everything we can to stop using fossil fuels and other chemicals or processes which can damage our natural environment. Our mitigation work is happening alongside our work on climate change adaptation, which includes taking action to protect and prepare for the impacts of climate change, for both nature and people.
Conservation grazing, which is an important part of our conservation activities, represents a significant category of emissions; The current focus is to collect data in consecutive years to have reliable comparable data and then to determine the extent to which this category of emissions can be reduced.
IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2023-24...
10 diesel vehicles were removed from our fleet, 3 were replaced with newer, cleaner diesels and 5 fully electric vehicles were added to the fleet.
One water-saving toilet was installed at our Headquarters.
Hybrid working was further extended to reduce staff commuting (and enable flexibility) which has reduced emissions from staff travel.
Work was commissioned to assess further options at our Headquarters in relation to energy saving and alternative options for energy supply; plans will extend into the coming years to act on recommendations.
Encouragement to employees to commit to Net Zero in their personal lives continued with the promotion of clothes swaps and ethical products at the annual staff party.
Legacy income continues to be a vital income stream for Surrey Wildlife Trust. It enables us to deliver our mission within our Nature Reserves and beyond.
We have been fortunate to receive a very generous donation in memory of Paul Farrell. Paul was a long-standing member of the Trust who wanted to leave a lasting impact on the wildlife and landscapes of the county he loved to explore as a keen walker and intelligent observer of life.
We’ll be using this kind gift to support our Nature Restoration Trainee programme, which provides people who want to devote their careers to nature with the skills and experience they need to become the next generation of conservation specialists.
With the challenges faced by wildlife becoming ever greater, but our understanding of how we might meet those challenges also growing, there could be no better way of honouring Paul’s enquiring mind and love of nature. The impact of Paul and his partner Kate’s generosity will be felt for decades to come as our trainees use the skills and knowledge they’ll gain with us to help people work more closely and sympathetically with the natural world.
Paul’s legacy helps to fund three trainees to work across our reserves for 12 months. We hope that they will go on to achieve great things that would make Paul and Kate proud.
Find out more about leaving a gift in your Will at surreywildlifetrust.org/gift
£400,000+
legacy income received
A generous legacy has funded the 2023-24 Nature Restoration Trainee programme
Brown Hare, David Tipling/2020VISION
Our finances
2023-24 saw an increase in donations, legacy income and memberships
Surrey Wildlife Trust continues to maintain a healthy financial position, receiving income from a variety of sources.
How
Where your money goes
Of every Surrey Wildlife Trust receives... 76p is spent on conservation, both directly on our nature reserves and through conservation partnerships and advice
13p goes towards raising further funds 11p is used to empower people and communities to take action for nature
TOTAL INCOME 2023-24
£6,762,184
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 2023-24
£ 6,953,869
Hedgehogs, Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills
WE’RE ON A MISSION TO RAISE £1M FOR NATURE IN SURREY
Surrey has always been beautiful, diverse and brimming with life, but we are losing our precious wildlife and wild places.
According to the 2023 State of Nature report, native species have declined by an average of 19% since 1970, with one in six species at risk of being lost from United Kingdom.
Shockingly, one-third of Surrey's species, including Hedgehogs, Yellowhammers, European Eels, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Harvest Mice, and Hazel Dormice are in serious decline. If we allow this trend to continue, many of these species could soon disappear entirely.
It's not in our nature to stand idly by. Surrey Wildlife Trust has a long-term plan to conserve more habitats for wildlife, expand and connect Surrey’s wild places, and engage more people in the natural world and its benefits.
But we can't do it alone. Every one of us depends on a healthy natural world, and it’s imperative that we all play our part.
Please give as generously as you can – and please know that every donation we receive to Save Surrey’s Nature will be invested directly in conservation that makes a difference.
£1,000,000 to Save Surrey’s Nature
state of nature...
1 in 6 species are at risk of extinction nationally
19% of native species have declined in the UK since 1970
1/3 of Surrey’s wildlife is in decline or already extinct
Brown
Hairstreak, Tom Hibbert
ABOUT US
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a wildlife charity and is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK
With the invaluable support of volunteers and members we care for over 6,500ha of land for wildlife in Surrey. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live.
Our corporate partners
Gold Corporate Members
Andreas STIHL Ltd
Chessington World of Adventures
Eiger Trading Advisors
Kia UK Ltd
Oander Limited
Premier Asset Management Limited
Thakeham Homes
Toyota (GB) Plc
Vestel Holland B.V. UK Branch
Woking Golf Club
Silver Corporate Members
Affinity Water Ltd
SES Water Plc
Thames Water
Utilities Ltd
UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd
Bronze Corporate Members
Evolve Creative Solutions
Sibelco UK Ltd
Wild By Design Landscaping
Business Supporters
2JS Ecology
AL Marketing
Albury Vineyard
Amazon
Balfour Beatty Kingsgate
Belron
Benevity
Broadband UK Ltd
Cloudera
Crest Nicholson
Croydon Natural History Society
Ecclesiastical
Insurance Office
Fidelity International
Genesys Legacy
Give A Car
Guildford Enviromental Forum
Jacobs UK Limited
JMC Scientific
Natural England
Ringway
Sony
South East Water
Squires Garden Centre
Surrey Chambers of Commerce
Surrey Choices
Surrey Green Burials
Tribe Impact Capital
Vine House Farm
Virgin Wines
Weare8
Wienerberger
Wild! about Coffee
Small Business Supporters
Back On Track
Clandon Wood
Landscaping
Solutions Ltd
Novex Solutions
surreywildlifetrust.org
Registered Charity No. 208123
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 00645176.
VAT number GB 791 3799 78. Registered office
School Lane, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0JN