ACORN ALTERNATIVE PROVISION

Registered charity 1204618 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Acorn Alternative Provision works in partnership with local churches, to deliver trauma-informed educational programmes and wrap-around support to young people who are facing exclusion or disengagement from mainstream school.

Objects

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS WHICH ARE CARRIED OUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHARITY?S CHRISTIAN ETHOS AND IS FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO ADVANCE EDUCATION BY THE PROVISION OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AGED BETWEEN 11 AND 18 WHO ARE NOT ENGAGING IN OR ARE AT RISK OF EXCLUSION FROM MAINSTREAM EDUCATION.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£492k

Latest spending

£466k

Registered

2023

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £26,566 for the year, resulting in total unrestricted and restricted funds of £20,017. However, the trustees' report notes that the reserves balance of £9,595 is significantly below the stated policy target of £130,000, which represents three months of operating costs. The charity faces risks related to fluctuations in demand and income, with one centre closed due to low referrals.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £10k; policy: three months of operating costs)

“Within the accounts, the amounts of reserves required currently to cover 3 months of operating costs is £130,000. At the year end the reserves balance was £9,595.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Acorn Alternative Provision (matched by registered charity number).

Trustees · trustee networks

Scott James Halliganchair
John Elijah Carter
Jonathan Brennan

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£492k	£466k
31/08/2024	£408k	£415k

Common questions

Is ACORN ALTERNATIVE PROVISION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £26,566 for the year, resulting in total unrestricted and restricted funds of £20,017. However, the trustees' report notes that the reserves balance of £9,595 is significantly below the stated policy target of £130,000, which represents three months of operating costs. The charity faces risks related to fluctuations in demand and income, with one centre closed due to low referrals. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds ACORN ALTERNATIVE PROVISION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ACORN ALTERNATIVE PROVISION as a grant recipient include BOLTON COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICES.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
BOLTON COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICES	FY2025	£15k

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
CRH CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BRAMSHOTT AND LIPHOOK	1	£6k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PAULS, CAMBERLEY	1	£3k
THE NINEVEH CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ACORN PRE-SCHOOL CIO.

ACORN PRE-SCHOOL CIO income £127k
ACORN CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION income £113k
THE ACORN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED income £965k
ACORN COMMUNITY CARE income £2.4m
LITTLE ACORNS PLAYGROUP (EVERSHOT) income £182k
ACORN RECOVERY PROJECTS income £5.8m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ACORN ALTERNATIVE PROVISION	£492k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
ACORN PRE-SCHOOL CIO FY2025	£127k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
ACORN CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION FY2025	£113k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ACORN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£965k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
ACORN COMMUNITY CARE FY2025	£2.4m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
LITTLE ACORNS PLAYGROUP (EVERSHOT) FY2025	£182k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.