The Merlin Trust

Cambridge, England · United Kingdom Charity No 803441 (Charity Commission) Environment
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82 / 100
Integrity score
Strong transparency

About

The aim of the Trust is to give financial assistance to keen young horticulturists, and those new to horticulture, enabling them to further their knowledge of plants in the wild, or in gardens. This study could take any of the following forms - photography, painting, written observations, seed collecting or help with conservation projects, especially involving garden plants.

Focus & reach

Category
Causes

Verification & registration

Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.

Integrity assessment

A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →

Registration 16/20
Government registration ID on record +8
Sourced from official registry +4
Cross-referenced (2+ sources) +4
Profile not yet claimed by organization 0
Financial Transparency 20/30
No financial documents found on website 0
Financial filing on record +8
Revenue figure disclosed +6
Spending figure disclosed +6
No detailed financial breakdown disclosed 0
Governance 16/20
At least 1 officer disclosed +5
3+ officers disclosed +3
Officer titles disclosed +2
Executive compensation not disclosed 0
Mission / description on file +3
Founding date on file +3
Contact Availability 10/10
Website +3
Email +3
Phone +2
Physical address +2
Data Recency 15/20
Updated within 1 year +15
Newer data needed for full score 0
Red flags 0
No red flags detected, so nothing is deducted 0

Financials

Charity Commission (UK)
Annual revenue
£27,478
Reporting year
2025
See 5 years of financials
Revenue history, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet, free with an account.
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Leadership at a glance

Official filings
DA
David G••••••••
Trustee
JI
Jim J••••••••
Trustee
JO
Jonathan T••••••••
Trustee
KI
Kit S••••••••
Trustee

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GiveRadarGiveRadar Intelligence

GiveRadar Analysis

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, The Merlin Trust has a substantially complete profile, sourced from the Charity Commission.

  • GiveRadar holds 5 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 82 places it in the top 10% of the 5,685 environment charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Annual revenue
£27,478
Figures from Charity Commission (UK).
See 5 years of financials

Filing history

5 years on file from Charity Commission (UK): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021.
Financial details are free with a GiveRadar account

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Tax deductibility

Whether a gift to The Merlin Trust lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.

Tax-deductible

UK donations qualify for Gift Aid. THE MERLIN TRUST is registered with the Charity Commission. Eligible UK taxpayers can boost their gift by 25% at no extra cost.

This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership & board

Official filings

Board members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.

See full names, roles, and stories

7 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.

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Officer names and roles come straight from official filings. We mirror the official record exactly and never edit it.

No red flags detected

Screened for the risks donors care about.
Charity Commission removal None found
Open investigations None found
Governance scandals None found
Related-party deals None found
Excessive exec comp None found

Timeline

From official filings

Key dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.

FY2025
Form filed
£0.0M revenue, Charity Commission (UK)
FY2024
Form filed
£0.0M revenue, Charity Commission (UK)
FY2023
Form filed
£0.0M revenue, Charity Commission (UK)
FY2022
Form filed
£0.0M revenue, Charity Commission (UK)
FY2021
Form filed
£0.0M revenue, Charity Commission (UK)

In the news

From public news

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

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How it stacks up against peers

Compared with 8 similar environment charities in United Kingdom.

Integrity Assessment Behind peer average
This charity
82 Peer average
86

Cause areas in United Kingdom

Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.

Education
72,716
Health
26,318
Religion
24,342
Arts & Culture
24,283
Community Development
16,310
Social Services
8,665
Environment
6,258
Youth Development
4,668
See all cause areas

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
Financial filings
Charity Commission annual returns · Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities · 7 disclosed in the public registry.

What we know and don't know

Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.

Financial data
Named leadership
Government registration
Official website
Headquarters address
Direct contact
Tax-deductibility
Founding date
Executive pay
Mission statement
Programs & activities

Data freshness

How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.

Last updated
September 1, 2026
Profile edits and newly added data
Registry checked
September 1, 2026
Reconciled with the official source
Latest financials
Financial year 2025
Most recent filing on record
Profile completeness
65%
Data points we track that are filled in

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology
Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about The Merlin Trust

The Merlin Trust is a registered environment nonprofit based in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1990 and has been operating for 36 years. Its registration number is 803441. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 82/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £27K in annual revenue. 7 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Based on official filings, The Merlin Trust has £27K in annual revenue. Its revenue is below the peer average of £1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

The aim of the Trust is to give financial assistance to keen young horticulturists, and those new to horticulture, enabling them to further their knowledge of plants in the wild, or in gardens. This study could take any of the following forms - photography, painting, written observations, seed collecting or help with conservation projects, especially involving garden plants. The Merlin Trust is classified as an environment organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1990.

The Merlin Trust is a charitable trust, the oldest legal form for UK charities. Trusts are governed by a trust deed and overseen by trustees who manage the charity's assets for the benefit of its stated purposes. Trusts are not incorporated and do not have a separate legal personality. Its Charity Commission registration number is 803441.

The Merlin Trust's registered charity number is 803441. You can use it to look up the organization on the Charity Commission register.

The Merlin Trust is located in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1990 and has been active for 36 years.

The Merlin Trust is based in Cambridge in England. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.

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Quick facts about The Merlin Trust

What is The Merlin Trust?
The Merlin Trust is a environment trust based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The aim of the Trust is to give financial assistance to keen young horticulturists, and those new to horticulture, enabling them to further their knowledge of plants in the wild, or in gardens. This study could take any of the following forms - photography, painting, written observations, seed collecting or help with conservation projects, especially involving garden plants.
When was The Merlin Trust founded?
The Merlin Trust was founded in 1990.
Where is The Merlin Trust located?
Headquartered in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom.
What is The Merlin Trust's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is £27,478.
Is The Merlin Trust trustworthy?
The Merlin Trust has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 82 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is The Merlin Trust's registration number?
Registration: 803441 (United Kingdom).
What is The Merlin Trust's website?
https://merlin-trust.org.uk/
Are donations to The Merlin Trust tax-deductible?
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.