The Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve have given Horsham District Council more than £250,000 since 2017. Their own income hit a record £91,542 last year.
A volunteer group that runs the visitor centre and café at Warnham Local Nature Reserve has now given Horsham District Council more than £250,000 towards the reserve since 2017. The Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve marked the total at their annual volunteers’ barbecue, and council officers attended to thank them (Horsham District Council).
The council says the money has paid for a run of visible things on the ground:
- the Discovery Hub
- the Shelley Wildlife Garden
- a new tern raft
- a recently installed boardwalk
It also goes towards the day-to-day management and maintenance of the reserve.
The scale of it, from the charity’s own filings
The Friends are a registered charity, number 1171924, and their filings put a number on how quickly the operation has grown. Total gross income by financial year ending 31 March:
| Year to 31 March | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £14,940 | £24,510 |
| 2022 | £62,990 | £47,880 |
| 2023 | £77,480 | £52,210 |
| 2024 | £76,570 | £54,900 |
| 2025 | £91,542 | £59,472 |
Last year was a record, and income rose 19.6% on the year before. The charity has 10 trustees and 55 volunteers, no paid trustees and no trading subsidiaries, and the Commission records its reporting as up to date (Charity Commission).
The 2021 figure is the one that puts the rest in context. That was the year the visitor centre and café could not open normally, and the charity spent £9,570 more than it took in. Four years later it is taking in more than six times as much.
The charity describes what it does plainly in its own registration: it supports the maintenance of the reserve for the public and the wildlife, manages the visitor centre, collects entrance fees, runs a small café, puts on events and has funded bird hides and live webcams.
What the reserve is
Warnham Local Nature Reserve is owned and managed by Horsham District Council, and was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1988. It sits on Warnham Road, RH12 2RA, about a 30-minute walk or 15-minute cycle from the Carfax.
The practical details, from the council:
- Open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
- April to September: reserve and car park 10am to 5pm, café closes 4pm.
- October to March: reserve and car park 10am to 4pm, café closes 3pm.
- Home to more than 3,000 individual species, with a 17-acre millpond, ancient woodland, reedbeds and meadow.
- Five bird hides and two viewing screens.
- Level paths suitable for buggies, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
- No dogs, anywhere on the reserve.
- Parking is free, but there is a 2-metre height barrier and the car park is locked when the reserve closes.
- The reserve takes card payments only.
The number 51 bus from the Carfax or the railway station stops at Redford Avenue and Saxon Crescent, about ten minutes’ walk away (Horsham District Council).
What it means for you
If you want the £250,000 figure to keep going up, there are two routes and they cost different amounts.
- Join the Friends for £10 a year. The membership year runs 1 April to 31 March.
- Buy an annual permit to the reserve. The council states that an annual permit includes complimentary membership of the Friends, so a regular visitor gets both for one payment.
The Friends also rely on volunteers to staff the visitor centre and the Herons Rest café and to help at events through the year. Their contact details are on the charity register: 01403 756238.
One caveat on the numbers above. The charity’s own website was not reachable when we checked, so the income and volunteer figures here come from the Charity Commission register and the projects list from the council’s statement, not from the Friends directly.
If you are walking to the reserve from town, note that the route out along North Parade and Warnham Road passes the West Parade closure, which the county council expects to finish on 11 September. Details are on our Horsham roadworks and travel page.
Sources
- Horsham District Council: council thanks Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve for £250,000 of support
- Charity Commission for England and Wales: The Friends of Warnham Local Nature Reserve, registered charity 1171924 (income and expenditure 2021 to 2025, trustees, volunteers, activities)
- Horsham District Council: Warnham Local Nature Reserve opening times and admission
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