Predator Conservation Trust - a UK registered charity

The Predator Conservation Trust is a UK registered charity, and have been since 16th September 2003, shortly after the trust was formed. Our charity number is 1099452.

To be admitted to the Register of UK Charities there are a number of criteria which require to be met first:

The Trust or Institution has to be properly set up as a formal Legal entity which requires a valid Deed of Trust or Constitution.
The Trustees appointed by the Trust Deed must be proper persons (they are checked against a Register kept by the Charity Commissioners) to be Trustees of a Charity.
The purpose of the Trust must be Charitable – it is quite surprising what may not be considered to be a charitable purpose.

The objects of The Predator Conservation Trust are:

To advance the education of the public in the knowledge of those endangered species which are rare or threatened with extinction
To promote the conservation of any such species in any of their forms and in any parts of the world for the benefit of such species and the public
To promote education and research into rare and endangered species by the support of studies and educational activities and to publish the results of all such study and research

The benefits of being a UK Registered Charity:

A formal Legal status that is widely recognized internationally as being that of a proper and carefully monitored Institution.
Tax reclamation, through Gift Aid, in respect of donations received, currently 28 pence for every £1 given, which makes for a significant addition.
Some Commercial Institutions do not charge Charities for their services e.g. some Banks.

What is required of The Trustees by the Charity Commissioners:

Large and detailed returns!
That proper accounts are maintained and the submission of an annual properly audited account.
Total independence, so a UK Registered Charity cannot solely be a fund raising arm for another body.
Proper records of all meetings and decisions made. There are statutory minima for the number of meetings held each year and also as to how many Trustees require to be present to form a quorum and thus validate the decisions made.
That The Trustees retire at regular intervals (they may offer themselves for re-election so long as they continue to fulfill the legal requirements), so no posts for life !

What is required of the Trustees by Charity legislation:

Honesty and openness in the administration of the Trust and its Funds.
Impartiality – Trustees may not be paid – and any possible conflict of Interests should be avoided completely, but where such a conflict is unavoidable then it must be fully declared and properly recorded and the Trustee involved be absent from all pertinent decisions and even consider retiring
Serious and detailed consideration of all proposals for funding put to them.
Proper adherence to the objects of the Trust (the purpose for which it was set up) when offering Grants.
Proper checks of money spent by Grantees to ensure that the purpose for which the Grant was made has been strictly adhered to by them.