How we're funded
The majority of our work is funded via small donations and one-off fundraisers from our supporters. This currently represents around half the income the campaign receives each year. Becoming a regular small donor is the most reliable and sustainable way to support our campaigning.
We also receive grant funding from organisations who support our work. The most consistent of these has so far come via Patagonia’s International Grants programme. There are no ‘strings’ attached to these grants (e.g. we are not asked by Patagonia to promote their brand in exchange). We have also received support via one-off collaborations. E.g. in 2023 we worked with LUSH, who supported us through the sale of an organic soap called Right to Foam. We don’t accept money where we ascertain the source is environmentally detrimental.
Sometimes we organise discrete crowdfunders or the sale of prints and to keep the campaign on (or rather, off) the road. We may formalise this via an online shop soon.
In 2024 the campaign published Wild Service: Why Nature Needs You. The advance covered the cost of contributors, editing and illustrating the book. Any subsequent royalties will go to the campaign.
To avoid confusion
The campaign is associated with two books written and illustrated by its co-founder, Nick Hayes: The Book of Trespass and The Trespasser’s Companion. The books established and popularised many of the campaign’s themes. We recommend them! But unlike Wild Service there is no financial relationship between the books themselves and Right to Roam. The books were private contracts and produced before the campaign’s formal incorporation. Right to Roam receives no financial benefit from their sale. The campaign also uses Nick’s artwork but rights of use and distribution etc remain with him as the artist.
Several of the campaigners in Right to Roam are established authors and while their books often (unsurprisingly) speak about access, nature, and wider land justice themes, they are also not formally or financially connected to the campaign.
How we spend it
The vast majority of our expenses cover staff time and travel, event costs (transport, venue hire) and our online infrastructure (e.g. website & mailing list, google workspace). Sometimes we commission one-off pieces of work when it aligns with our objectives.
We don’t have any offices. The team works remotely and meets in-person for quarterly gatherings where we focus on our strategy and make core organisational decisions.
We currently have six team members, all of whom work part-time for the campaign (equating roughly to three full-time members of staff). We don’t operate an internal hierarchy and everyone is paid the same flat wage.