THE GORDON FOUNDATION
The Foundation is established to educate or contribute to the education of boys and girls having particular regard to those with a specific boarding or educational need with a view to fitting them for further education or for earning their livelihood.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £696,216 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted funds of £14,470,805. However, the trustees note that free reserves are negative, defined as total unrestricted funds having eliminated the net book value of unrestricted fixed assets, and have set a policy to restore and build these reserves. The charity holds significant long-term liabilities, including bank loans totaling approximately £6.2 million, and manages a defined benefit pension scheme which showed an asset surplus that was not recognized due to insufficient evidence of recoverability.
What the accounts disclose
“Free reserves, defined as total unrestricted funds having eliminated the net book value of unrestricted fixed assets, are negative and the Foundation Committee have set a policy to restore and build free reserves” — page 11
Corporate structure
- Registered company of the charity Companies House 00027272
- Trading subsidiary: THE GORDON ENTERPRISES UK LIMITED Companies House 04104254
- Turnover: £545k
- Profit before tax: £188k
- Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £188k
- The company is part of a VAT group, creating joint and several liability for VAT liabilities across the group.
“Gift aid donation to The Gordon Foundation - (188,330)”
Company officers (Companies House)
- BUCKLAND, Joshua Alan on trustee list
- MOSS, James Richard on trustee list
- RAWAL, Shenila, Dr on trustee list
- FERNANDES, James Edouard Roderick on trustee list
- KRUGER, Jessica on trustee list
- LANCASTER OF KIMBOLTON, John Mark, Lord not on trustee list
- CRIPWELL, Richard John, Lieutentant General on trustee list
- MULLIN, Jonathan Graeme, Brigadier on trustee list
- JONES, Peter Michael on trustee list
- AZEEM, Shahid on trustee list
- HOUNSHAM, Sally on trustee list
- MCKENZIE, Deborah on trustee list
- STEPHENS, Anne not on trustee list
- BARNES, Martin David on trustee list
- VALNER, Jane on trustee list
- GORDON, Thomas Oliver on trustee list
- WHITTINGTON, Richard Gordon on trustee list
- TAYLOR, Jennifer Sarah
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)
Trustees
- Lieutenant General Richard John Cripwellchair
- Anne Lesley Motan
- Brigadier Jonathan Mullin
- Dr Shenila Rawal
- JANE VALNER
- James Fernandes
- James Moss
- Jessica Kruger
- Joshua Buckland
- Lord John Mark Lancaster
- Martin Barnes
- Mr Peter Jones
- Mr Shahid Azeem
- Mrs Deborah McKenzie
- Mrs Sally Hounsham
- RICHARD WHITTINGTON
- Thomas Oliver Gordon
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/08/2025 | £21.8m | £21.2m |
| 31/08/2024 | £19.3m | £19.2m |
| 31/08/2023 | £18.2m | £18.4m |
| 31/08/2022 | £16.3m | £16.5m |
| 31/08/2021 | £14.1m | £15.7m |
Common questions
Is THE GORDON FOUNDATION financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net income of £696,216 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total unrestricted funds of £14,470,805. However, the trustees note that free reserves are negative, defined as total unrestricted funds having eliminated the net book value of unrestricted fixed assets, and have set a policy to restore and build these reserves. The charity holds significant long-term liabilities, including bank loans totaling approximately £6.2 million, and manages a defined benefit pension scheme which showed an asset surplus that was not recognized due to insufficient evidence of recoverability. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Alliotts LLP.
Who funds THE GORDON FOUNDATION?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE GORDON FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2025 | £25k | |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £21k | |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £19k | |
| THE GIRDLERS' COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2023 | £16k | Selected Appeals |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE GENERATIONAL FOUNDATION | 1 | £500k |
| THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL | 1 | £350k |
| SIR JEREMIAH COLMAN GIFT TRUST | 1 | £4k |
| ELEANOR HAMILTON EDUCATIONAL TRUST | 1 | £4k |
Charities like this
- HUMAN PRACTICE FOUNDATION UK
- THE DONALD GORDON SECOND FOUNDATION
- BECKETT'S AND SARGEANT'S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
- THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL
- THE DONALD GORDON THIRD FOUNDATION
- THE GENERATIONAL FOUNDATION
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE GORDON FOUNDATION | £21.8m | — | — | below | — | no doubt |
| HUMAN PRACTICE FOUNDATION UK | £184k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE DONALD GORDON SECOND FOUNDATION | £3.2m | Under £60,000 | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| BECKETT'S AND SARGEANT'S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | £284k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL | £11.3m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE DONALD GORDON THIRD FOUNDATION | £1.7m | — | 0 | unclear | — | not going concern |