Nature of Learning Foundation CIO
(Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Trustees' Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2025
Charity registration number: 1201558
1. Reference and administrative details
| Registered name | Nature of Learning Foundation |
|---|---|
| Also known as | NoLF/NOLF |
| Charity registration number | 1201558 |
| Date registered | 12January2023 |
| Governing document | Constitution dated 5 January 2023 (amended once in 2024) |
| Type of charity | Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Foundation model) |
| Principal ofce | 15 Redgates Lane, Sewards End, Safron Walden,CB10 2LW |
| Bankers | Safron Building Society; The Co- operative Bank |
Trustees who served during the year ended 31 December 2025 (please confirm the final list and the dates each joined or left):
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Rebecca (Becca) Collins, Co-Chair until December 2025, then stepped back to a volunteer role
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Paul Allington, Co-Chair
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Sara Booth-Card, became a trustee in April 2025 and was appointed Chair in December 2025
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Margaret Shaw, Treasurer
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Sarah Allington, Trustee
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Francesca (Fran) Ouroussoff, Trustee and Funding Coordinator
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Michelle Eltis, Trustee
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Daniel (Dan) Paul, Trustee
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Katrina Branch, joined as a trustee mid-2025 and stood down in September 2025
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Clerk / Secretary (volunteer, not a trustee): Samantha Gair
2. Objectives and activities
The Nature of Learning Foundation (also referred to as NoLF) is a grant-giving charity. It raises funds from grant-makers and donors and awards grants to Forest School Association (FSA) accredited providers, so that children who face barriers (cost, disability or special educational needs) can access regular, supported Forest School sessions they could not otherwise attend.
Charitable object (as set out in the constitution):
The advancement of education for the public benefit by making grants to enable children, young people and adults who may otherwise be excluded by socio economic factors or disability to access the educational opportunities and experiences in the natural world offered by recognised Forest School Association forest school providers.
Main activities during 2025:
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Securing funding, including a 10,000 pound National Lottery Community Fund award, 1,000 pounds from the Co-op Local Community Fund, and 250 pounds from a Saffron Walden Round Table.
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Assessing [insert number] grant applications from FSA providers using a scoring matrix, through a grants assessment committee.
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Made 4 grants to fund Forest School places and 1:1 support for children with additional needs.
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1 grant was returned due to the family being funded by the local authority. The loan bridged the gap whilst the LA paid and back paid.
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Supported 13 children to access Forest School. 1 group of 6, 2 individuals, family of 2 children funded twice
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Strengthening governance, policies and reporting, including safeguarding, equality and diversity, GDPR and impact reporting. Staff also carried out safeguarding training.
Public benefit:
In shaping the charity's aims and planning its activities, the trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.
The advancement of education for the public benefit by making grants to enable children, young people and adults who may otherwise be excluded by socio economic factors or disability to access the educational opportunities and experiences in the natural world offered by recognised Forest School Association forest school providers.
3. Achievements and performance
2025 was the year in which the charity moved from its set-up phase into active grant-making. Total income rose from 539 pounds in 2024 to 11,499 pounds in 2025, driven mainly by the 10,000 pound National Lottery Community Fund award. This enabled the charity to fund Forest School provision at a meaningful scale for the first time.
The Foundation's grants through following our funding model- barrier → solution → impact
support inclusive Forest School projects by removing financial barriers that prevent children and young people from accessing opportunities for
participation, belonging, wellbeing and community through inclusive Forest School.
Funding may support inclusive projects in a variety of ways, including contributing towards additional staffing, reducing participation costs for families experiencing financial hardship, or meeting other additional costs needed to enable children and young people to participate safely and meaningfully alongside their peers.
Many of the children supported by the Foundation require enhanced adult support to participate safely and successfully in community activities. This additional support is essential to participation but substantially increases the cost of provision, creating a financial barrier for some families. By removing these financial barriers, the Foundation helps ensure that children and young people who might otherwise be excluded are able to access regular, inclusive Forest School experiences.
For some children, Forest School is one of the few community activities they can access successfully without a parent remaining present throughout, supporting both greater independence for the child and reducing pressure on families.
Grants funded Forest School places and 1:1 support for vulnerable children and children with special educational needs. The provider impact reports for the autumn 2025 terms record 13 children benefiting, aged 5 to 14, attending weekly sessions.
Outcomes evidenced in the provider impact reports include:
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Increased confidence, emotional regulation and willingness to try new things.
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Improved teamwork, cooperation and friendships, with children who had previously played alone joining group games.
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Improved gross motor skills, physical confidence and safe risk-taking.
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Sustained engagement and reduced anxiety through a low-arousal, attuned approach, with children independently using calming strategies such as the hammock, swing and quiet areas.
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Individual examples: a child processing complex feelings about identity and diagnosis through imaginative play; a child managing transitions calmly; and a child tolerating sensory challenges such as mud, cold and noise.
Governance also matured during the year. The charity moved to a quarterly meeting cycle (an AGM plus three trustee meetings), clarified the distinction between trustee and volunteer roles, restructured its committees to manage conflicts of interest, and adopted shared tools (Taskboard and a trustee SharePoint area) for coordination.
4. Financial review
| 4. Financial review | |
|---|---|
| Year ended 31 December 2025 | Pounds |
| Income | |
| Grants received (Lottery 10,000; Co-op 1,000; Round Table 250) |
11,250.00 |
| Donations | 0.00 |
| Interest | 248.96 |
| Total income | 11,498.96 |
| Expenditure | |
| Grants made | 1,591.25 |
| Media andpublicity | 0.00 |
| Overheads and general administration |
0.00 |
| Total expenditure | 1,591.25 |
| Net income for theyear | 9,907.71 |
| Funds at 1January 2025 | 381.55 |
| Funds at 31 December 2025 | 10,289.26 |
| of which committed to grants already awarded |
8,587.50 |
| uncommitted | 1,701.76 |
Funds are held in interest-bearing accounts with Saffron Building Society and The Co-operative Bank. The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis, as the gross income of the charity is well below 250,000 pounds. The accounts were checked on a voluntary basis by Mr Ian Jackson, a former bank employee. A statutory independent examination is not required, as the charity income is below 25,000 pounds.
The 10,000 pound National Lottery Community Fund grant must be spent within two years of the award (the spend window runs to approximately March 2027).
Reserves policy:
The charity does not currently hold a formal reserves policy and has not set a minimum level of free reserves. We do not have staff or premises or other financial commitments, therefore a reserve is not needed as grants promised would never exceed money held by the charity. The trustees note that 8,587.50 pounds of the funds held at the year-end is already committed to grants that have been awarded.
Going concern:
After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
Risk:
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in relation to its operation and finances, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to those risks.
5. Structure, governance and management
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, controlled by its governing document, a constitution. The constitution provides for between 3 and 12 trustees, who are also the voting members of the charity. Trustees are appointed and re-appointed at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with the constitution.
Governance developments during 2025:
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The role of Chair passed from Rebecca Collins to Sara Booth-Card, with the change recorded with the Charity Commission in December 2025.
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The charity moved from monthly to quarterly trustee meetings (an AGM plus three meetings).
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Committees were restructured into an assessment team and an approval team to separate the assessment of applications from the authorisation of payments and to manage conflicts of interest.
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A shared trustee SharePoint area and a Taskboard were adopted to coordinate actions and store documents.
Conflicts of interest:
Sarah Allington owns Nature of Learning Forest School, which is a recipient provider, and Paul Allington is married to her. Some other trustees also have operational links to providers. These interests are managed through written declarations, recusal from the relevant grant decisions, and ensuring that non-conflicted trustees outnumber conflicted trustees on any decision.
Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on 1[st] July 2026 and signed on its behalf by Sara Booth-Card, Trustee (Chair).