The Bradgate Park Trust is a charity, established to care for the heritage and wildlife rich landscapes that make up Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood.

Is the Bradgate Park Trust funded by local authority?

The Trust is a charity, independent of local authority. Just 1% of the £2 million annual cost of caring for the Estate comes from local authority through our holding trustees. The large majority of funds are raised by the Trust through the multiple sources of income outlined below. 

Expenditure

The Trust has worked hard to be financially resilient, with every penny raised being spent to support its charitable objectives. Day to day this looks like:

• Provision of welfare facilities for visitors;
  
  
• Conservation work and habitat management;
  
  
• Educational activities, including our free-to-visit Visitor Centre and Forest School site;
  
  
• Care for the deer during the winter months;
  
  
• Removal of litter;
  
  
• Provision of enriching volunteering opportunities;

• Caring for the nationally significant, historical landmarks

Grant Funding

In all of our work we actively seek grants and support from funding bodies for events, conservation projects and development work for community and educational delivery. From the establishment of a woodland workshop to the acquisition of electric operated power tools we are grateful for the generous grant aid support we have received.

One recent example has been through the creation of Alblaster Hay woodland generously funded through the National Forest Company's Changing Landscapes Scheme. The woodland now contains over 5,000 woodland and parkland trees and hedgerow plants, all of which were planted in 2023 with the help of the volunteers and rangers at the Park.

Another way we work is through partnerships. The Rotary Club of Leicester has championed this in recent years, raising over £175,000 for our Visitor Centre development.

Finally, as a charity we rely on donations and gifts from businesses, groups, and, of course, individuals who love the Park as much as us. The latter includes monthly giving, gifts in wills and donations through boxes and contactless devices across the site as well as online. We are extremely thankful for all the help we receive and hope that together we can continue to protect and share the Park, now and for generations to come. To find out how you can support us click here

We are open and transparent about funding and each year our audited accounts are sent to the Charity Commission and published in our annual report, which can be downloaded using the links below.

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Annual Reports

The Trust’s annual report and accounts detail the work carried out each year against the Charity’s Strategic Objectives and the finances behind this work.

For the years 2016 to 2021, these can be downloaded below; for the years 2021/22 onwards, they can be downloaded from the Charity Commission website here.

Annual Report and Accounts 2020 - 21 - Click here to download

Annual Report and Accounts 2019 - 20 - Click here to download

Annual Report and Accounts 2018 - 19 - Click here to download

Annual Report and Accounts 2017 - 18 - Click here to download

Annual Report and Accounts 2016 - 17 - Click here to download