The Ernest Cook Trust

Analysis

The Ernest Cook Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Gloucestershire. It was registered in March 2012, 14 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 07907411). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Ernest Cook Trust reported income of £6.3m and spending of £10.0m, spending 158% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £5.4m to £6.3m (+16%), an average of +3.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 84%. Over the whole period it spent 118% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Ernest Cook Trust sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include St Aubyn's (Woodford Green) School Trust (£6.3m), Brambletye School Trust Limited (£6.3m) and Our Lady's Abingdon Trustees Limited (£6.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 23%, trading 7.4% and charitable activities 5.8%. Charitable activities took 40% of spending and raising funds 2.5%. Grants to other organisations totalled £2.2m. Reserves of £1.4m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 53 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.