Output
Learners completing a course
840learners
84% of targetUp 20% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 840 learners |
|---|---|
| Target | 1,000 learners |
| 2023-24 | 700 learners |
840 learners in 2024-25, 84% of the 1,000 learners target, up 20% on 700 learners in 2023-24.
Overview
A year of progress, told through people and results.
A year in brief
Fernmoor Foundation helps people of every age learn, find good work and feel at home in their community. In 2024-25 we reached more people than in any year since we began, and we can show more clearly than ever what changed for them.
840 adults completed a Second Chance Learning course, a fifth more than last year. Two in three young people we mentored were in work, education or training six months later. Our Open Kitchens served 412,600 hot meals, and six new digital skills hubs opened in libraries and on high streets.
We did not hit every target. Course completions reached 84% of our goal after a new centre opened late, and our carbon emissions, though lower again, stayed above where we aimed to be. This report sets out each result beside its target and last year’s figure, explains how we measured it and links to the stories behind the numbers.
Where the money went
For every £1 we spent, 87p went straight into our programmes. Income grew by 8.1%, led by trusts and foundations backing our mentoring work, and we closed the year with a small surplus of £44,000.
Results
Every result sits beside its target and the previous period. Outputs count what was delivered; outcomes show what changed for people. Open any result to see how it was measured, where the figure comes from and the story behind it.
Outcome
Young people in work, education or training six months on
68%
97.1% of targetUp 7 percentage points on 2023-24 · an improvement
| 2024-25 | 68% |
|---|---|
| Target | 70% |
| 2023-24 | 61% |
68% in 2024-25, 97.1% of the 70% target, up 7 percentage points on 61% in 2023-24.
Output
Mentoring matches started
412young people
114.4% of targetUp 16.1% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 412 young people |
|---|---|
| Target | 360 young people |
| 2023-24 | 355 young people |
412 young people in 2024-25, 114.4% of the 360 young people target, up 16.1% on 355 young people in 2023-24.
Output
Community meals served
412,600meals
108.6% of targetUp 13% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 412,600 meals |
|---|---|
| Target | 380,000 meals |
| 2023-24 | 365,200 meals |
412,600 meals in 2024-25, 108.6% of the 380,000 meals target, up 13% on 365,200 meals in 2023-24.
Outcome
Participants reporting greater confidence
79%
105.3% of targetUp 2 percentage points on 2023-24 · an improvement
| 2024-25 | 79% |
|---|---|
| Target | 75% |
| 2023-24 | 77% |
79% in 2024-25, 105.3% of the 75% target, up 2 percentage points on 77% in 2023-24.
OutputLower is better
Average wait for a first learning session
9days
Within targetDown 57.1% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 9 days |
|---|---|
| Target (max) | 14 days or less |
| 2023-24 | 21 days |
9 days in 2024-25, within the target of 14 days or less, down 57.1% on 21 days in 2023-24. Lower is better for this measure.
OutputLower is better
Operational carbon emissions
118tCO2e
Above targetDown 9.9% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 118 tCO2e |
|---|---|
| Target (max) | 110 tCO2e or less |
| 2023-24 | 131 tCO2e |
118 tCO2e in 2024-25, above the target of 110 tCO2e or less, by 8 tCO2e, down 9.9% on 131 tCO2e in 2023-24. Lower is better for this measure.
Output
Digital skills hubs opened
6hubs
120% of targetUp from zero on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 6 hubs |
|---|---|
| Target | 5 hubs |
| 2023-24 | 0 hubs |
6 hubs in 2024-25, 120% of the 5 hubs target, up from zero in 2023-24.
Output
Volunteer hours given
18,450hours
No target setUp 9.2% on 2023-24
| 2024-25 | 18,450 hours |
|---|---|
| Target | Not set |
| 2023-24 | 16,900 hours |
18,450 hours in 2024-25, no target was set, up 9.2% on 16,900 hours in 2023-24.
Programmes & stories
Second Chance Learning
Free courses in English, maths and digital skills for adults who missed out the first time. Classes run on weekday evenings and at weekends across four learning centres, with childcare on site at two of them.
Pathways Mentoring
One-to-one mentoring for young people aged 16 to 24. Volunteer mentors come from local employers, colleges and the wider community, and meet their mentee every fortnight for six months.
Open Kitchens
Eight community kitchens serving hot meals in warm, welcoming spaces. Each kitchen also hosts free advice sessions on benefits, housing and work.
Digital skills hubs
New for 2024-25. Drop-in help with devices, online forms and job applications in six libraries and high-street spaces, run with local councils.
Stories from this year
Finances
Where the money came from and where it went, beside the previous period. Totals and shares are calculated from the same lines shown in the tables below.
Income
Grants from trusts and foundations£1,420,000
2023-24: £1,265,000 · Up 12.3%Individual giving and legacies£684,000
2023-24: £612,000 · Up 11.8%Contracts and public funding£541,000
2023-24: £588,000 · Down 8%Community fundraising and events£236,000
2023-24: £214,000 · Up 10.3%Investments and other income£59,000
2023-24: £41,000 · Up 43.9%Total incomeNot reported
Expenditure
Charitable activities£2,512,000
2023-24: £2,301,000 · Up 9.2%Raising funds£286,000
2023-24: £270,000 · Up 5.9%Governance and support£98,000
2023-24: £92,000 · Up 6.5%Total expenditureNot reported
Charitable spending by programme
Second Chance Learning£1,012,000
2023-24: £948,000 · Up 6.8%Pathways Mentoring£806,000
2023-24: £762,000 · Up 5.8%Open Kitchens£488,000
2023-24: £591,000 · Down 17.4%Digital skills hubs£206,000
2023-24: £0 · Up £206,000Total charitable spendingNot reported
For every £1 we spent, 87p went straight into our programmes. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
Methodology & sources
How we measure
Every figure in this report comes from our own programme records, collected throughout the year and checked by our impact team before publication. We count each person once per programme, even if they took part more than once.
Outputs and outcomes
Outputs count what we delivered, such as courses completed or meals served. Outcomes describe what changed for people, such as moving into work. Every result in this report is labelled so you can tell the difference.
Targets and comparisons
Targets were agreed by our trustees in March 2024. Comparisons are with 2023-24 unless a result says otherwise. When a figure is itself a percentage, changes are shown in percentage points.
Financial figures
Financial figures come from our annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025 and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Spending shows what we invested, not the difference it made. The results chapter shows that.
Scope and limitations
This report covers the four programmes run directly by Fernmoor Foundation between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. It does not include work delivered by partner organisations with our grants.
Mentoring follow-up relies on the participants we could reach six months later, so we publish the response rate beside the result.
Confidence scores are self-reported and can reflect how people feel on the day of the survey.
Carbon figures use national conversion factors, which are averages rather than direct measurements.
Sources
Second Chance Learning enrolment and booking records
Learner completions and waiting times, April 2024 to March 2025
Pathways Mentoring case records and six-month follow-up survey
286 of 412 participants reached, a 69% response rate
Open Kitchens daily service logs
Meals counted at the point of service in all eight kitchens
End-of-programme participant survey
1,904 responses across all programmes
UK government greenhouse gas conversion factors 2024
Used to calculate operational carbon emissions
Annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025
Source of every financial figure in this report
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