THE ALDINGBOURNE TRUST
Registered charity 276484 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ALDINGBOURNE COUNTRY CENTRE
The Aldingbourne Trust provides support which helps people with learning and or physical disabilities and/or autism to develop and live the life they choose. We do this by providing opportunities to work, make friends, get good housing, make choices and follow their interests.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a deficit of £192,732, resulting in a decrease in total reserves from £9.1m to £8.9m. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £2,423,657, which is above the stated policy target of three months of running costs (approximately £1.7m). The auditors confirmed that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: three months of running costs (held: £2.4m)
“it has been decided that reserves should be increased, over the medium term, to three months of running costs (currently approximately £1.7M).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Services purchased from Mrs A Rowe, wife of trustee Mr N Rowe.
“Services totalling £20,793 were purchased during the year from Mrs A Rowe, fund-raising consultant for the Trust, who is the wife of trustee, Mr N Rowe.” — page 56
“Goods totalling £2,124 were purchased from the Woodhorn Group which is owned by trustee, Mr J Pitts.” — page 56
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Goods purchased from Woodhorn Group, owned by trustee Mr J Pitts.
“Services totalling £20,793 were purchased during the year from Mrs A Rowe, fund-raising consultant for the Trust, who is the wife of trustee, Mr N Rowe.” — page 56
“Goods totalling £2,124 were purchased from the Woodhorn Group which is owned by trustee, Mr J Pitts.” — page 56
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Sumer Audit. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Alex Brooks Johnson — CEO (source)
- Alicia Gooderson — COO (source)
- Michael Hackwell-Read — Finance Director (source)
Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
- Department of Health — “Here at the Aldingbourne Trust we look after a group of Health & Social Care employers that have joined together to access these funds that …” (source page)
- Skills for Care — “Here at the Aldingbourne Trust we look after a group of Health & Social Care employers that have joined together to access these funds that …” (source page)
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- ROWE, Nicholas Denton — director, appointed 20/09/2022on trustee list
- TOUT, Rachael Diana — director, appointed 22/09/2020on trustee list
- JAMES, Paula Caryn — director, appointed 24/09/2019on trustee list
- PITTS, Andrew John — director, appointed 19/03/2013on trustee list
- DIXON, John Douglas — director, appointed 07/12/2010on trustee list
- HILDITCH, John David — director, appointed 08/12/2009on trustee list
- RUSSELL, Frances Mary — director, appointed 19/03/2003on trustee list
- WILLISCROFT, Jackie Mary — director, appointed 22/11/1999on trustee list
- GODSMARK, David John — director, appointed 17/02/1997on trustee list
- IRWIN MITCHELL SECRETARIES LIMITED — corporate secretary, appointed 23/05/1994
Official officers record.
Property (HM Land Registry)
7 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (4 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
CQC provider record: The Aldingbourne Trust — Registered, 7 registered locations, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 14/11/2019.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£105k
Reported reserves equal ~3.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (81% 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: 1.1% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Care Quality Commission ratings
CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).
- DAVID GODSMARK
- Desmond Partrick Wynne
- FRANCES RUSSELL
- JACQUELINE MARY WILLISCROFT · trustee of 1 other charity
- JOHN DAVID HILDITCH
- JOHN DOUGLAS DIXON
- Nicholas Rowe
- Paula Caryn James
- Rachael Diana Tout
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: East Sussex · Portsmouth City · West Sussex
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE ALDINGBOURNE TRUST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a deficit of £192,732, resulting in a decrease in total reserves from £9.1m to £8.9m. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £2,423,657, which is above the stated policy target of three months of running costs (approximately £1.7m). The auditors confirmed that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sumer Audit.
Who funds THE ALDINGBOURNE TRUST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ALDINGBOURNE TRUST as a grant recipient include CULLUM FAMILY TRUST, THE F GLENISTER WOODGER TRUST CIO, THE HIVE PORTSMOUTH, THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUST, The Patricia Routledge Foundation.
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 ALDAG (ALWAYS LEARNING DEVELOPING AND GROWING).
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.