Thistledown Education Trust

Analysis

Thistledown Education Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hampshire. It was registered in May 1995, 31 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Thistledown Education Trust reported income of £2.1m and spending of £2.3m, spending 107% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £2.2m to £2.1m (-3.0%), an average of -0.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income dropped by 37%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, Thistledown Education Trust sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Coram Intercountry Adoption Centre (£2.1m), The Society of Operations Engineers (£2.1m) and Stormont School (£2.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 95% and donations and legacies 3.7%. Charitable activities took 15% of spending and raising funds 82%.