THE ERNEST COOK TRUST
Registered charity 1146629 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register
Land-owning educational grant-making charitable company, making grants throughout the United Kingdom. Grants are awarded for projects that support young people in Outdoor Learning, environmental engagement, connection to nature and Learning from the Land. The Trust also makes use of its landed estates as a direct resource for educational visits and associated activity.
Causes: Education/training · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total funds increased by £1.35m to £316.7m, driven by significant gains on property disposals and revaluations. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £1.4m against a policy target of six months' working capital, while the expendable endowment stands at £315.2m. The trustees report no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: six months' working capital, including grant commitments (held: £1.4m)
“the Trustees’ policy is for the Trust to hold liquid assets equivalent to at least six months’ working capital, including grant commitments.” — page 5
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Transactions with ECT Farms Ltd
“For ECT Farms Ltd the charity incurred costs of £379,668 (2024 - £529,030) and received income of £6,800 (2024 - £152,285). During the year ECT Farms Ltd repaid £250,445 to the Trust. At the year end The Ernest Cook Trust was owed £439,880 (2024 - £317,457) by the subsidiary” — page 32
“For Mintglebe Ltd the Charity incurred costs of £Nil (2024 - £Nil). During the year the charity made a loan of £700,000 to its subsidiary Mintglebe Ltd. Interest was charged at 4.5% per annum above the Bank of England base rate. The loan was repaid on 12 December 2024. At the year end The Charity owed Mintglebe Ltd £92,724 (2024 - Mintglebe Ltd owed the charity £686,828).” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Transactions with Mintglebe Ltd
“For ECT Farms Ltd the charity incurred costs of £379,668 (2024 - £529,030) and received income of £6,800 (2024 - £152,285). During the year ECT Farms Ltd repaid £250,445 to the Trust. At the year end The Ernest Cook Trust was owed £439,880 (2024 - £317,457) by the subsidiary” — page 32
“For Mintglebe Ltd the Charity incurred costs of £Nil (2024 - £Nil). During the year the charity made a loan of £700,000 to its subsidiary Mintglebe Ltd. Interest was charged at 4.5% per annum above the Bank of England base rate. The loan was repaid on 12 December 2024. At the year end The Charity owed Mintglebe Ltd £92,724 (2024 - Mintglebe Ltd owed the charity £686,828).” — page 32
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Hazlewoods LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
In the news
Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).
What the charity says about itself (2024/25)
From its own voluntary annual review / impact report — the charity’s account of its work, distinct from the statutory accounts analysed above.
The report details that the charity funded 121 organisations and 455 schools during the period.
“We were able to fund 121 organisations and 455 schools this year.”
The OWL Collaboration programme engaged 1,561 young people in its fourth year.
“The OWL Collaboration engaged 1,561 young people, a 27% increase compared to Year 3.”
The charity awarded 366 grants under its Outdoor Essentials Grant scheme, totaling £238,500.
“Outdoor Essentials Grant Total no. grants awarded: 366 Total amount awarded: £238,500”
Property (HM Land Registry)
125 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (125 freehold); recorded price paid £3.5m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£262k
Reported reserves equal ~1.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Other (64% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 4.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (10/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (05/12/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE ERNEST COOK TRUST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total funds increased by £1.35m to £316.7m, driven by significant gains on property disposals and revaluations. The charity holds unrestricted reserves of £1.4m against a policy target of six months' working capital, while the expendable endowment stands at £315.2m. The trustees report no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Hazlewoods LLP.
Who funds THE ERNEST COOK TRUST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ERNEST COOK TRUST as a grant recipient include THE DULVERTON TRUST, THE AURORA TRUST.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE SARGENT CHARITABLE TRUST.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.