Trustees' Report and Accounts 2024

The RSPCA is the world's oldest and largest animal welfare charity, operating across England and Wales since 1824. In 2024, 61,000 cruelty complaints were investigated; 527 animal abusers were convicted; 47,966 animals received personalised care; 26,294 animals were rehomed; 5,989 wild animals were returned to the wild; and 200,000+ members of the public used the online triage tool. Total income was £152.5m; total expenditure £174.4m. Five new animal welfare laws were secured including a ban on live animal exports.

Report snapshot
3 Views

📋About

Animal rescue and care (inspectorate, animal rescue volunteers, wildlife centres, animal hospitals, rehoming centres); RSPCA Assured farm welfare scheme (nearly 4,000 farms); advocacy and lobbying; prevention and education (WildThings, school programmes, Duke of Edinburgh); online triage system; community support (pet food banks, Community Paws events); RSPCA branches (134 branches, 48 animal centres, 25 clinics); RSPCA Trading; RSPCA Europe Custom geography from upload: England and Wales

📊Key Metrics

61,000 cruelty complaints investigated; 527 convictions secured; 40% more urgent cruelty/neglect cases attended following launch of online triage tool Key Metric 1
47,966 animals received personalised care; 26,294 animals rehomed; 5,989 injured/orphaned wild animals returned to the wild; 13,637 wild animals taken in Key Metric 2
200,000+ people used the new online triage tool; 800,000+ people in millions-strong movement; 424,000 regular giving supporters; 4,644 new volunteers welcomed; total income £152.5m Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • Five new animal welfare laws achieved in 2024: ban on live animal exports; CCTV in Welsh slaughterhouses; Pet Abduction Act (pet theft now a crime); cat microchipping law; primates licensing scheme; Government committed to phasing out animal experiments
  • Online triage tool launched August 2024 — response times dropped 42% for high-need animals; 200,000+ people empowered to help animals themselves; rebrand launched in 200th anniversary year attracted 11,000% increase in career searches
  • Net expenditure of £9.5m in 2024 (vs £13.7m surplus in 2023) due to increased animal centre/hospital costs and digital transformation investment; legacy income £89.7m; RSPCA Assured commissioned second independent review following media scrutiny; 200th anniversary marked with rebrand and refreshed 10-year strategy

📍Geography

UK-Wide

2025 Enhanced

Annual Review April 2024 to March 2025

Social care services provided to thousands of people with learning disabilities; information and advice service caseloads growing in complexity; financial resilience rebuilt ahead of NI cost pressures
Key Metric 1
Omaze Yorkshire House Draw partnership raised £3.9m in 6 weeks with Jodie Whittaker as ambassador; awareness of people with learning disability significantly boosted through campaign
Key Metric 2
Voices Council (led by people with learning disabilities) challenged decisions on service handbacks, agency staffing and benefits access; new strategy to 2030 under development; new CEO Jon Sparkes OBE joined June 2024
Key Metric 3
Rebuilt financial resilience ahead of NI cost increases — 'more fortunate than many in the sector'; 80th anniversary approaching; new CEO appointed to lead strategy development
2024 Enhanced

Annual Report and Accounts 2024

518 new guide dog partnerships created in 2024 — 10% increase beating projections; 1,379 new puppies from breeding programme; 400th buddy dog partnership matched
Key Metric 1
17,500+ volunteers giving 12 million+ volunteer hours collectively; 2,400+ volunteers looked after dogs; 7,000+ training sessions on tech, travel and life skills delivered by Vision Rehabilitation Specialists
Key Metric 2
£47m raised through Sponsor a Puppy; £3.1m from raffles; £8.3m increased income from gifts in Wills; 3.45 million clicks to digital information and advice content; 5,900 visits to new Tech Selector assistive tech review tool
Key Metric 3
1,864 children and family members attended My Time to Play sessions; 6,852 large-print books delivered; 5,991 habilitation sessions completed to help children learn essential skills; 432,817 online learners accessing digital content
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report 2024-25

202,694 people supported across 270 locations; 74,070 in drug and alcohol; 102,531 in mental health; 1,035 in learning disability; turnover £191.9m
Key Metric 1
96% of regulated services rated Good or Outstanding by CQC; 12,456 naloxone kits dispensed (5.6% increase); 11,405 Hepatitis C tests (59% increase); 7,448 FibroScans (300% increase)
Key Metric 2
234 peer mentors; 82 volunteers; 5,194 colleagues (60% with lived experience); £7.79m invested in local VCSE organisations; £131.87m social value from local employment
Key Metric 3
87% of people supported have overall positive experience; 90% feel safe; 774/1,063 (72%) in Birmingham social prescribing service achieved goals across health, community, emotional and employment domains; new Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership reached over 160 staff in year one