Governance

How We Are Run

Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) Collective

There are forty-six individual Wildlife Trusts, each of which was formed by groups of active and motivated people getting together to make a positive difference to wildlife and future generations, starting where they live and work.

Each Trust is an independent charity but we all share a vision of people close to nature in land and seas rich in wildlife.

Every Wildlife Trust is a member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, a registered charity in its own right founded in 1912. This central charity’s role is to ensure a strong voice for wildlife at a UK and England level and, internally, to lead the development of the movement.

Taken together this movement is known as The Wildlife Trusts.

Our work wouldn't be possible without the support of our members but also the dedication of our staff and volunteers as well as our wider network of 46 Wildlife Trusts that come together to form The Wildlife Trusts movement and to make their local area wilder and make nature part of life, for everyone.

Find out more about how Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts is run

Our Governance

The governing body of Sussex Wildlife Trust is a board of Trustees. Our Trustees play a vital role in all aspects of our work; our Trustees are a group of volunteers who hold the financial and legal responsibility for everything Sussex Wildlife Trust does.

Giving their time free, like all our volunteers, our Trustees bring a wide range of knowledge, expertise and experience to the charity; they are responsible for approving our annual budget and Annual Report and Accounts.

Trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust which takes place each November.

Sussex Wildlife Trust has a Board of Trustees (Council) that consists members elected by the Trust’s membership. Council meets around six times a year and is responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the Trust, whereas operational management of the Trust is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Management Team, currently consisting of six Directors. The Chair of Trustees can be contacted via email on [email protected].

Meet our Trustees

Articles of Association and Charitable Objectives

The movement of Wildlife Trusts grew quickly after World War Two and many Wildlife Trusts shared governance documents as they formed. So whilst each Wildlife Trust is an independent charity with its own charitable objects, these are closely aligned.

View Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Memorandum and Articles of Association

In this section

Annual General Meeting

Recording and Minutes from our most recent Annual General Meeting

Policies & Public Documents

Annual reports and accounts, as well as policy and position statements