School of Hard Knocks
Analysis
School of Hard Knocks is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Edinburgh. It was registered in April 2012, 14 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 07743730). It says it provides services.
In the financial year ending March 2026, School of Hard Knocks reported income of £1.5m and spending of £1.4m, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £1.6m to £1.5m (-4.2%), an average of -1.1% a year. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.
Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, School of Hard Knocks 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 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families (£1.5m), Pen Green Centre (£1.5m) and Lighthouse Homes (£1.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 46%, trading 29% and donations and legacies 25%. Charitable activities took 76% of spending and raising funds 22%. Reserves of £179k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 26 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 25%
- Charitable activities 46%
- Trading 29%
- Other 0.0%
In the charity's own words
School of Hard Knocks uses sport and other challenging activities to help participants re-engage with school or find employment. All of our courses seek to develop a sense of citizenship and work towards improvement in mental and physical health and wellbeing. Other objectives include: Reduced crime, money management, career planning, increased confidence and increased personal responsibility.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families | London | £1.5m |
| Pen Green Centre | Corby | £1.5m |
| Lighthouse Homes | Rotherham | £1.5m |
| Barnet Citizens Advice Bureau | London | £1.5m |