Groundwork North East

Analysis

Groundwork North East is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Newton Aycliffe. It was registered in March 1993, 33 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02702815). It says it provides human resources, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Groundwork North East reported income of £8.2m and spending of £7.9m, spending 97% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £6.5m to £8.2m (+26%), an average of +5.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 40%. Over the whole period it spent 98% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Groundwork North East sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Plantlife International-The Wild Plant Conservation Charity (£8.1m), King Charles III Charitable Fund (£8.4m) and Groundwork Greater Manchester (£8.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 86%, trading 12%, donations and legacies 1.1% and investments 1.0%. Charitable activities took 90% of spending and raising funds 9.9%. Reserves of £1.2m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 160 people.