Finance Score: 7
Governance Score: 5
Support Score: 13
  • Good reserves management: +3
  • Pension deficit: -1
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Mainly male board: -1
  • Grant maker support: +13
Overall GiG Score: 25 ?

AMBITIOUS ABOUT AUTISM 

AMBITIOUS ABOUT AUTISM IS THE NATIONAL CHARITY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM. WE PROVIDE INFORMATION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT, RUN A RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY SERVICES INCLUDING THE PIONEERING TREEHOUSE SCHOOL, AND CAMPAIGN TO MAKE THE ORDINARY POSSIBLE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • The Board is predominantly male

Financial issues to consider:

  • There is a pension deficit of £284,000
Established: 27 years

www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

finance@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

02088155444

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/08/22£24,473£23,423£1,050£750£20,072£9,1244.746120
31/08/21£22,852£21,584£1,268£642£16,367£8,967547720
31/08/20£20,039£19,239£800£936£15,321£7,4764.746020
31/08/19£18,777£18,168£609£952£14,733£7,633542620
31/08/18£16,462£15,224£1,238£761£14,383£7,0885.638220
31/08/17?£23,209£17,883£5,326£1,143£12,888£6,5574.43370
31/03/16£10,789£11,980£-1,191£1,049£7,441£7,1157.12660
31/03/15£9,739£9,703£36£752£8,717£7,8919.82120
31/03/14£10,000£8,976£1,025£781£8,613£3,01242170
31/03/13£8,597£8,221£376£641£7,615£2,7794.12070
31/03/12?£5,614£5,253£361£393£7,171£1,9744.52020
31/07/11£7,923£7,784£139£524£6,793£1,6672.61990
31/07/10£7,677£6,866£812£524£6,651£1,6832.91800
31/07/09£7,241£6,535£705£608£5,829£1,3762.51710
31/07/08£7,285£5,207£2,077£811£5,124£1,2352.81420
31/07/07£5,132£4,378£754£573£3,047£9382.61190
31/07/06£3,983£3,639£344£0£0£0n/a00
31/07/05£2,808£3,017£-209£0£0£0n/a00
31/07/04£3,633£2,388£1,245£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 3.2%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 3.3%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 11%
Highest pay band: £150,000-£200,000
Liabilities/Assets: 29%
Liabilities/Income: 34%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 45%
Reserves/Spending: 4.7 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 3 months
Quick Ratio: 2.5
Asset Split ?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • Education/Training
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Throughout England And Wales,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • People With Disabilities
Who works here?
  • 461 employees
  • 20 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Pears Foundation£900,000
National Lottery Community Fund£450,000
Esmee Fairbairn£268,954
City Bridge Trust£242,900
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£16,810 13/02/2023
Towards unrestricted core costs as a Cost of Living Uplift
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£10,000 07/10/2022
towards the Family Support Programme at Ambitious College
Joseph Levy Foundation - Learner and Family Support Programme
£60,000 31/03/2022
24
Match funding contribution to programme offering expert advice relating to the education, health and wellbeing of autistic children, young people, and their families.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£242,900 15/03/2022
60
Funding over five years of £242,900 (£46,300; £47,700; £48,700; £49,600; £50,600) towards a FTE Family Support Officer and associated running costs to provide transition support to young people ....more
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£20,000 28/10/2021
towards the Family Support Programme at Ambitious College
National Lottery Community Fund - Employ Autism Network
£350,000 29/09/2021
The group is using funding to build on the Autism Exchange project with the aim of creating better employment opportunities for young people aged 16-25 with autism through networks of support made up ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£400,000 27/09/2021
Employ Autism
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£252,144 14/09/2021
36
Towards project costs for an Ambitious Youth Network: a unique platform for online engagement, where young people can embrace their autistic identity, campaign and influence change.
The Rayne Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£20,000 18/05/2021
Towards a one-year extension grant for the salary of the Project Manager, Autism Exchange project.
The Foyle Foundation - Learning (MGS)
£20,000 28/04/2021
towards the Assistive Technologist post over the next twelve months to enable autistic children and young people to learn and communicate (awarded grant in response to coronavirus)
Pears Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£50,000 12/02/2021
Core Funding - additional Covid19 grant
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£45,000 02/02/2021
Refurbishment of building for a charity supporting autistic children and young people in Haringey
Joseph Levy Foundation - Covid-19: core funding contribution
£30,000 09/11/2020
12
Covid-19: core funding contribution to support the charity's work with autistic people, their families and carers
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£35,000 05/11/2020
towards the Family Support Programme at Ambitious College
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£79,146 09/09/2020
12
COVID19 - This project will deliver emergency welfare support to young people with autism. The activities will result in improved mental health, increased family support and an opportunity to make ....more
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£36,333 29/06/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£3,000 17/06/2020
6
COVID19 - This grant will fund an additional worker to provide advice/support to young people with Autism (& their families) who are particularly isolated at home during COVID-19, to help raise ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Ambitious About Autism- Covid 19 Response
£100,000 02/06/2020
6
This funding will help create new digital platforms with online resources and participation and engagement opportunities for young people with autism and their parents and carers. The group expects ....more
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£3,000 22/05/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£50,000 15/04/2020
3
COVID19 Appeal
Masonic Trust - MCF Large Grant
£60,000 10/02/2020
Grant to fund an Assistive Technologist to support young people with autism.
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism/ Treehouse School
£35,000 03/12/2019
towards a family liaison transitions worker
Pears Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£400,000 08/07/2019
24
Employ Autism Project
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£125,507 26/06/2019
36
Transition support for young people with autism across London. By accessing support young people will have improved resilience and confidence and raise their aspirations.
The Foyle Foundation - Learning (MGS)
£30,000 25/04/2019
towards The Rise Sixth Form for learners aged 16 to 18 years with autism
Joseph Levy Foundation - Ambitious Programme - development and evaluation (autism)
£234,565 18/01/2019
36
To contribute towards the cost of the 3-year Ambitious Approach programme which will comprise development, piloting, evaluation and dissemination of a tailored Positive Behaviours Support (PBS) ....more
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism/ Treehouse School
£35,000 29/11/2018
towards a family liaison transitions worker
The Rayne Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£45,000 15/03/2018
36
Towards the part-funding of a Project Manager to increase the employability of young people with autism by raising awareness of autism through training employers/ education partners, and providing wor
Garfield Weston Foundation - Major Grants award
£200,000 16/11/2017
Ambitious College, West Thames Capital Project
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Ambitious about Autism/ Treehouse School
£100,000 02/03/2017
Development of Ambitious College for young people with complex autism aged 16-25 within West London Education College
Comic Relief - Youth Patrons
£96,482 28/01/2015
36
Young people with autism can face challenges in accessing appropriate educational provision, with repercussions around access to further education or employment. This grant will support the ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Talk about Autism Mobile Compatibility
£10,000 04/07/2013
12
This is a project by a charity in Haringey. The group will use the funding to develop and create a mobile device compatible version of their online community forum. This will enable the group's ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Ambitious About Autism
£100,000 13/06/2013
towards the building costs of a specialist day college for young people with autism in North London
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Ambitious about Autism
£90,000 26/03/2009
36
Towards Project costs Towards the cost of developing a national training programme for professionals working with autistic children.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 30-70
  • IAN CAPLAN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Civil Servant
  • JACK WELCH Appointed: 2021, Occupation: National Health Service
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 02/07/1997, number: 1063184
  • Registered at Companies House on 23/05/1997, number: 03375255
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Other Regulators
  • Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education)
  • Care Quality Commission
Policies in force
  • Complaints handling
  • Conflicting interests
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
19 returns made; all on time
Main office

Pears National Centre for Autism
Woodside Avenue
London
N10 3JA

Objectives

THE OBJECTS OF THE COMPANY ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO PROMOTE, MAINTAIN, IMPROVE AND ADVANCE THE EDUCATION, HEALTH, WELFARE AND CARE OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND/OR OTHER RELATED IMPAIRMENTS AND DISABILITIES.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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