The Forest of Marston Vale Trust (aka Forest of Marston Vale)
Overview
The Forest of Marston Vale Trust's network
12 people5 organisationsi10 listed on the board plus 2 company secretaries. 5 organisations share a board member with this charity.The large node is The Forest of Marston Vale Trust. The map shows two steps out from the public record. Hover a node to focus its connections; click one to open it.The board
10 listed + 2 company secretariesiCurrent trustees as listed by the Charity Commission, which does not publish previous trustees.| Name | Role | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Calvert OBE | Chair | 2015 | 11 yrs |
| Cllr Sue Clark | Trustee | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Craig Austin | Trustee | 2017 | 9 yrs |
| David John Pryor | Trustee | 2026 | new |
| Debra Jane Hassall | Trustee | ||
| Gareth Richard Ellis | Trustee | 2016 | 10 yrs |
| Gordon Johnston | Trustee | ||
| John Christopher Thelwall | Trustee | 2015 | 11 yrs |
| James Russell | Company secretary (charitable company) | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Mr. Grant Sorrell | Company secretary (charitable company) | 2019 | 7 yrs |
Subsidiaries
2 companiesiEach company here has this charity named as an owner on the Companies House register of people with significant control (PSC).A charity is matched to a PSC entry by registration number, or by exact name and postcode. An entry that matches only by name (postcode differs) is marked likely. Names shared by several charities are never linked. Current directors are from Companies House.Marston Vale Farms Ltd 06537891 Subsidiary Active iOfficial. The PSC entry gives Companies House number 03462405, this charity's own company number, and its name matches the charity's name exactly.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Control: 75-100% of shares and votes, appoints directors (notified 6 April 2016)
Current directors
- Loading directors...
Marston Vale Services Trading As the Forest Centre Ltd 03538255 Subsidiary Active iOfficial. The PSC entry gives Companies House number 03462405, this charity's own company number, and its name matches the charity's name exactly.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Control: 75-100% of shares and votes, appoints directors (notified 6 April 2016)
Current directors
- Loading directors...
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control. Control levels are as filed by the company.
Board
The board
10 listed + 2 company secretariesiCurrent trustees as listed by the Charity Commission, which does not publish previous trustees.| Name | Role | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Calvert OBE | Chair | 2015 | 11 yrs |
| Cllr Sue Clark | Trustee | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Craig Austin | Trustee | 2017 | 9 yrs |
| David John Pryor | Trustee | 2026 | new |
| Debra Jane Hassall | Trustee | ||
| Gareth Richard Ellis | Trustee | 2016 | 10 yrs |
| Gordon Johnston | Trustee | ||
| John Christopher Thelwall | Trustee | 2015 | 11 yrs |
| Peter John Faulkner | Trustee | ||
| Robert Wallace | Trustee | ||
| James Russell | Company secretary (charitable company) | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Mr. Grant Sorrell | Company secretary (charitable company) | 2019 | 7 yrs |
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more
Former company secretaries of the charitable company: Nicholas John Webb (2012-2019), Antony John Blacquiere Talbot (2003-2012), Michael Smith (2002-2003), Judith Lesley Feline (1998-2003), Heald Solicitors (1997-1998). Full officer list
Subsidiaries
2 companiesiEach company here has this charity named as an owner on the Companies House register of people with significant control (PSC).A charity is matched to a PSC entry by registration number, or by exact name and postcode. An entry that matches only by name (postcode differs) is marked likely. Names shared by several charities are never linked. Current directors are from Companies House.Marston Vale Farms Ltd 06537891 Subsidiary Active iOfficial. The PSC entry gives Companies House number 03462405, this charity's own company number, and its name matches the charity's name exactly.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Control: 75-100% of shares and votes, appoints directors (notified 6 April 2016)
Current directors
- Loading directors...
Marston Vale Services Trading As the Forest Centre Ltd 03538255 Subsidiary Active iOfficial. The PSC entry gives Companies House number 03462405, this charity's own company number, and its name matches the charity's name exactly.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control.The PSC entry names The Forest Of Marston Vale Trust as a corporate owner of this company, notified 6 April 2016. Matching is exact on names, numbers and postcodes; nothing is matched loosely.
Control: 75-100% of shares and votes, appoints directors (notified 6 April 2016)
Current directors
- Loading directors...
Source: Companies House register of people with significant control. Control levels are as filed by the company.
Board DNA
iCounted from the dated Charity Commission trustee register: the current board only, past trustees excluded.How this board is put together, from Charity Commission trustee records and Companies House - deterministic, no AI.Average tenure
7.3y
median 9.5y
Longest tenure
11y
since 2015
Years in governance
12.3y
per person, across all their boards
Also company directors
7
also sit on company boards
Joined in the last 3 years
2
of 6 on the board
10 trustees on the board
- Rod Calvert OBE Chair since 2015
- Cllr Sue Clark since 2023
- Craig Austin since 2017
- Debra Jane Hassall
- David John Pryor since 2026
- Gordon Johnston
- Gareth Richard Ellis since 2016
- John Christopher Thelwall since 2015
- Peter John Faulkner
- Robert Wallace
Trustees past 6 years
- Rod Calvert OBE Chair since 2015
- Craig Austin since 2017
- Gareth Richard Ellis since 2016
- John Christopher Thelwall since 2015
First-time vs portfolio trustees
First-time (8)
- Rod Calvert OBE Chair since 2015
- Cllr Sue Clark since 2023
- Craig Austin since 2017
- Debra Jane Hassall
- David John Pryor since 2026
- Gordon Johnston
- Gareth Richard Ellis since 2016
- Peter John Faulkner
Portfolio (2)
- John Christopher Thelwall since 2015
- Robert Wallace
Sector coverageiThe charitable fields this board's trustees govern in elsewhere, by Charity Commission classification. Excludes this charity.
Environment/conservation/heritage 10Amateur Sport 1Disability 1Recreation 1The Prevention or Relief of Poverty 1
Commercial experienceiThe industries this board's members are company directors in, by Companies House SIC code. Excludes this organisation's own company.
Agriculture 10Education 1
Succession forecast
🔒 Succession forecast is a Pro feature - the board seats likely to open in the next year and the ideal next trustee. Explore Pro →
Network
Network
iThe large node is The Forest of Marston Vale Trust. Red nodes are organisations, white nodes are people. Dashed links are historical or inferred. Dashed blue-grey links are company secretaries. Click any node to explore.Most connected
Working out who is most connected...
Finances
5 financial years held, 2021 to 2025, years ending 31 March.
Income and expenditure
5 years · years end 31 MarchiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | |||||
| Total income | £1.51m | £3.00m | £3.64m | £5.71m | £4.35m |
| Total expenditure | £1.57m | £2.16m | £3.06m | £4.52m | £3.96m |
| Government income | |||||
| Government contracts | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Government grants | £408.35k | £274.59k | £1.61m | £3.19m | £2.00m |
| Income by source | |||||
| Donations and legacies | £369.35k | £525.86k | £591.92k | £566.48k | £662.45k |
| Legaciespart of donations and legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Charitable activities | £354.99k | £1.28m | £1.93m | £3.80m | £2.38m |
| Other trading activities | £583.82k | £1.08m | £994.54k | £1.21m | £1.17m |
| Investments | £72.34k | £74.34k | £128.89k | £132.82k | £133.60k |
| Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Other income | £127.66k | £41.23k | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Expenditure by type | |||||
| Charitable activities | £1.02m | £1.31m | £2.15m | £3.60m | £3.06m |
| Raising funds | £541.57k | £851.15k | £909.04k | £916.06k | £895.11k |
| Grants to institutionspart of charitable activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Governance | £64.66k | £60.89k | £60.36k | £73.30k | £62.12k |
| Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Other expenditure | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Definitions
- Total income
- Everything the charity received in the year, from all sources, as shown on its annual return.
- Total expenditure
- Everything the charity spent in the year.
- Government contracts
- Income from contracts with central or local government or other public bodies, as the charity declared it. Not reported means the register shows no amount (N/A), which can mean none or that the question was not answered.
- Government grants
- Grants received from central or local government or other public bodies, as declared.
- Donations and legacies
- Gifts and donations, including Gift Aid, and money left to the charity in wills.
- Legacies
- Money left to the charity in wills. Legacies are part of donations and legacies, not extra to them.
- Charitable activities (income)
- Income earned by doing the charity's work, such as fees and contracts for services.
- Other trading activities
- Fundraising trading, such as charity shops, events and sponsorship.
- Investments
- Dividends, interest and rent from the charity's investments.
- Endowments
- New endowment funds received in the year.
- Charitable activities (expenditure)
- Spending on the charity's purposes, including any grants it makes.
- Raising funds
- The cost of fundraising and trading.
- Grants to institutions
- Grants paid to other organisations. Part of spending on charitable activities.
- Governance
- The cost of running the charity as an organisation, such as the audit and trustee meetings.
- Investment management
- The cost of managing the charity's investments.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Assets and liabilities
5 years with detailiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own use assets | £10.13m | £10.28m | £10.23m | £10.39m | £10.48m |
| Long-term investments | £4.28m | £4.45m | £4.06m | £4.36m | £4.33m |
| Other assets | £1.18m | £1.99m | £2.81m | £3.63m | £4.59m |
| Defined benefit pension schemea minus figure is a deficit | £0 | -£85.00k | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total liabilities | £361.55k | £428.11k | £615.57k | £381.76k | £1.01m |
| Net assetsassets minus liabilities | £15.22m | £16.20m | £16.48m | £17.99m | £18.38m |
Definitions
- Own use assets
- Land, buildings, equipment and other fixed assets the charity uses for its work.
- Long-term investments
- Investments held for the long term, such as shares, bonds or property let to others.
- Other assets
- Current assets: cash, money owed to the charity and short-term investments.
- Defined benefit pension scheme
- The surplus (above zero) or deficit (below zero) on a final-salary type pension scheme.
- Total liabilities
- What the charity owes: creditors due within a year and after a year, and provisions. Drawn below zero in the chart and shown as a positive figure in the table, as the register does.
- Net assets
- Assets minus liabilities, including any pension surplus or deficit. Equal to total funds.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Funds and reserves
5 years with detailiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | £3.04m | £3.33m | £3.34m | £3.40m | £3.35m |
| Restricted funds | £12.19m | £12.87m | £13.14m | £14.60m | £15.03m |
| Endowment funds | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total funds | £15.22m | £16.20m | £16.48m | £17.99m | £18.38m |
| Reservesas declared by the charity | £622.42k | £681.52k | £818.61k | £756.90k | £610.87k |
| Assets besides buildingsinvestments, cash and money owed to it, before debts | £5.46m | £6.44m | £6.87m | £7.99m | £8.92m |
Definitions
- Unrestricted funds
- Money the trustees can spend on any of the charity's purposes, including funds they have set aside (designated) themselves.
- Restricted funds
- Money that must be spent on particular purposes set by the donor or the terms of an appeal.
- Endowment funds
- Capital the charity must keep, either permanently or until the terms allow it to be spent.
- Total funds
- All funds together. Equal to net assets.
- Reserves
- The charity's own figure for unrestricted funds that are freely available, after setting aside fixed assets and designated funds. Charities explain their reserves policy in their annual report.
- Assets besides buildings
- Long-term investments plus other assets (cash, money owed to the charity and short-term investments), before its debts are paid. If declared reserves are larger than this, they must include buildings.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Accounts and annual returns
Register page (opens in a new tab)iPlain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Reporting up to date
Every annual return and set of accounts arrived on time for 5 years.
| Year ending | Due by | Annual return | Accounts | Status | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 31 January 2026 | 17 December 2025 | 17 December 2025 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | 19 December 2024 | 19 December 2024 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | 13 December 2023 | 13 December 2023 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | 5 January 2023 | 5 January 2023 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | 15 December 2021 | 15 December 2021 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
Accounts filed at Companies House
Company 03462405 has made 29 accounts filings (2 amended filings included) since 1999. Each links to the copy at Companies House where it has been published online.
| Made up to | Filed on | Type | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 17 December 2025 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)57 pages |
| 31 March 2024 | 23 January 2025 | Amended: group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)57 pages |
| 31 March 2024 | 16 December 2024 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)51 pages |
| 31 March 2023 | 16 December 2023 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)58 pages |
| 31 March 2022 | 13 December 2022 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)58 pages |
| 31 March 2021 | 20 December 2021 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)57 pages |
| 31 March 2020 | 16 December 2020 | Amended: group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)61 pages |
| 31 March 2020 | 15 December 2020 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)61 pages |
| 31 March 2019 | 10 December 2019 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)55 pages |
| 31 March 2018 | 5 December 2018 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)46 pages |
| 31 March 2017 | 13 December 2017 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)47 pages |
| 31 March 2016 | 4 January 2017 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)42 pages |
| 31 March 2015 | 7 January 2016 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)37 pages |
| 31 March 2014 | 15 December 2014 | Total exemption full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)38 pages |
| 31 March 2013 | 19 November 2013 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)37 pages |
| 31 March 2012 | 13 November 2012 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)32 pages |
| 31 March 2011 | 7 November 2011 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)26 pages |
| 31 March 2010 | 13 October 2010 | Total exemption full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)26 pages |
| 31 March 2009 | 13 October 2009 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)26 pages |
| 31 March 2008 | 7 January 2009 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)24 pages |
| 31 March 2007 | 28 January 2008 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)24 pages |
| 31 March 2006 | 3 March 2007 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)33 pages |
| 31 March 2005 | 1 December 2005 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)22 pages |
| 31 March 2004 | 29 November 2004 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)19 pages |
| 31 March 2003 | 9 February 2004 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)20 pages |
| 31 March 2002 | 12 November 2002 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)19 pages |
| 31 March 2001 | 6 November 2001 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)19 pages |
| 31 March 2000 | 30 January 2001 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)16 pages |
| 31 March 1999 | 27 October 1999 | Full group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)15 pages |
Definitions
- Annual return
- The yearly return a charity sends to the Charity Commission. It is due 10 months after the end of the financial year. Charities with income over £10,000, and every CIO, must send one.
- Accounts
- The accounts and trustees' annual report. Required from charities with income over £25,000 and from every CIO; otherwise shown as Not required.
- On time
- Received on or before the due date.
- Late
- Received after the due date. The number of days is counted from the due date.
- Overdue
- Not received, and the due date has passed. Counted to today, or to the date a removed charity left the register.
- Qualified accounts
- The auditor or examiner raised a reservation about the accounts.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (annual return history), Open Government Licence v3.0. The register keeps the latest five years; earlier years come from older copies we hold. Accounts documents link to the Charity Commission register and to Companies House (filing history, Open Government Licence v3.0). Days late and overdue are worked out from the dates, as of 30 October 2026.
Grants
Funding received
8 grantsiFrom grants published by funders to 360Giving. Not every funder publishes, so this is not a complete record of a charity's income.Grants awarded 30 March 2000 to 23 June 2011.Total from published grants
£273k
£273,338
Grants
8
published to 360Giving
Funders
2
distinct funders
Latest grant
Jun 2011
23 June 2011
By year
iBy year the grant was awarded, in pounds.£90k2000
£68k2002
£25k2003
£67k2007
£5k2009
£10k2010
£10k2011
Funders
2 funders| Funder | Grants | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Heritage Fund | 3 | £182,500 | 2000 to 2003 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 5 | £90,838 | 2007 to 2011 |
Grants
newest first| Date | Funder | Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 June 2011 | The National Lottery Community Fund | Promoting the Forest of Marston Vale | £9,500 |
| 6 September 2010 | The National Lottery Community Fund | Shocott Spring Community Woodland | £9,820 |
| 15 April 2009 | The National Lottery Community Fund | Walk to your Wood | £5,000 |
| 28 November 2007 | The National Lottery Community Fund | (AW) Shocott Spring Community Woodland | £57,373 |
| 7 May 2007 | The National Lottery Community Fund | Forest of Marston Vale | £9,145 |
| 4 December 2003 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | "Woodworks!" | £25,000 |
| 4 November 2002 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | "Rectory Farm, Marston Vale, Bedfordshire - Acquisition" | £68,000 |
| 30 March 2000 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | "Changing Landscapes: Changing Lives, Marston Vale" | £89,500 |
Who published this data
Grant records are published by the funders named below to 360Giving, each under the open licence shown. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 where that licence is shown. Governance Register has reformatted the data, removed duplicate rows and matched recipients and funders to register records; it has not changed the amounts or dates published.
About
Purposes and governing document
Register page (opens in a new tab)Charitable objectsiAs filed with the Charity Commission. Clause breaks added for reading; the wording and capitals are unchanged.
- (1)
The
promotion and advancement of biodiversity, by planting trees and establishing and managing woodlands in the Marston Vale in Bedfordshire and the surrounding area; - (2)
To
promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Marston Vale in Bedfordshire and the surrounding area by creating the Forest of Marston Vale as a Community Forest; - (3)
To
advance, through community engagement, the education of the public in the improvement and protection of the environment, and in the environmental, social and economic benefits of tree planting, woodland creation and access to nature. - (4)
To
provide recreational and other facilities in the Marston Vale and the surrounding area to members of the public at large in the interests of social welfare.
What it does
Who it helps
How it helps
- Where it operates
- Local authorities: Central Bedfordshire, Bedford
- Area of benefit
- MARSTON
VALE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA as filed - Governing document
- MEMORANDUM
AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 07/11/1997AS AMENDED BY CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION ON CHANGE OF NAME DATED 13/06/2014 as amended on 03 Dec 2018 as amended on 13 Dec 2021 as amended on 09 Dec 2021 as filed - Register history
- 22 April 1998Registered
- 25 November 2024Received assets from Green Business Network (1069759)
- Working name
- Forest of Marston Vale
- Previous names
- Marston Vale Trust, The Marston Vale Trust, Forest of Marston Vale
Policies the charity says it has
Governing documents at Companies House
- 18 December 2021Memorandum and articles
- 18 December 2021Resolution
- 13 June 2014Certificate of change of name
- 6 June 2014Resolution
- 6 June 2014Notice of change of name
- 7 November 1997Incorporation documents
Read them in the filing history at Companies House (opens in a new tab)
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (governing document, classification, area of operation, register history and policies), and Companies House filing history, Open Government Licence v3.0.
About
- Website
- www.marstonvale.org (opens in a new tab)
- Linked company
- The Forest of Marston Vale Trust
- Registered
- 1998