About us

We look after around half of the Isles of Scilly, making sure that Scilly stays special. We help wildlife thrive and provide opportunities for us all to enjoy nature.

Our mission
Our mission is to keep Scilly special – to protect the islands’ unique heritage, particularly its native wildlife, ensuring that this heritage can be enjoyed by all.

Our vision
Our vision is of an archipelago where wildlife thrives, and our rich heritage is an important part of all our lives.

We are guided by five key values that our staff, trustees and volunteers embody every day. They steer how we talk to and work with people, how we make decisions for wildlife, how we take action for nature and how we inspire more people to get involved. 

Kind
We are friendly and inclusive, fostering a welcoming atmosphere.

Resilient
Island life comes with challenges. We must be resourceful and determined to stay effective.

Community
We recognise our responsibilities within the islands. We do all we can to keep Scilly special.

Trusted
We listen and learn, developing our expertise, so we can provide an authoritative voice for wildlife.

Joyful
We celebrate Scilly’s wildlife and the people who champion it, embracing positive wildlife stories and inspiring others to take action.

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust (IoSWT) is a charity limited by guarantee, and the principle nature conservation organisation in the Isles of Scilly. We are governed by a board of trustees largely made up of local people. Our tenancy covers around 700ha above Mean High Water mark plus extensive intertidal areas - just under half of the area of the islands at high tide.

The Isles of Scilly are made up of around 200 islands and significant rocks, and is largely owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. We employ ten members of staff. We rely on grants and voluntary donations, and no regular funding is provided by the Duchy of Cornwall.

All of Scilly is designated as a National Landscape (previously known as an AONB). The Wildlife Trust is delivery partner for the National Landscape, to ensure the limited budgets available achieves as much as possible for these very special islands.

Isles of Scilly National Landscape

Our origins lie in the formation of the Isles of Scilly Environmental Trust in 1985, to take on the management of the extensive untenanted parts of the Duchy of Cornwall’s estate. A 99-year lease for this land was signed in 1987. Around 2000, the decision was taken to constitute the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, to take over from the Environmental Trust as a full (and independent) member of The Wildlife Trusts partnership. IoSWT was registered with the Charity Commission in 2003. The assets of the Environmental Trust were subsequently transferred across to IoSWT, and the Environmental Trust was wound-up. The 99-year lease is subject of an assignment from the Environmental Trust to IoSWT.

IoSWT is one of the 46 Wildlife Trusts in The Wildlife Trusts movement. Our strategy has been strongly influenced by The Wildlife Trusts 2030 Strategy (Bringing Nature Back).

Find out more about The Wildlife Trusts

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is governed (under charity law) by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. These documents are reviewed periodically by the Trustee Board to ensure that they are fit for purpose; this was last undertaken in 2017.

The day to day work of the charity is carried out by our staff team, lead by the Chief Executive who is responsible for ensuring the charity delivers the objectives set out in the Strategic Plan.  The Chief Executive also makes sure that the charity is run efficiently and effectively and that a statement of financial accounts is produced each year by our qualified auditor.  

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and are members of the Institute of Fundraising. We have a Fundraising Promise which sets out our commitment to fundraise in an ethical way.

Our policies