About us
Every person should know the feeling of being utterly captivated and intrigued by nature
Our Heritage & Future Aspirations
Our story spans six English counties, seven decades and growing team of dedicated staff, often working in partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organisations across the UK.
Our work is increasingly achieved through these collaborations and with our funding partners, whose contribution significantly boosts the scale and reach of our work. Together, we seek to share our passion for the outdoors with underserved children and young people, their families and communities, including those from minoritized ethnic groups.
In this unprecedented era of nature and environment crisis, the Trust’s work has never been more urgent and important, with the next chapter of our story proving to be the most compelling and ambitious yet.
The Ernest Cook Trust has already demonstrated the transformative power of nature for young people. As we seek to grow our impact and influence, it’s vital that people and access to nature are placed at the centre of the national debate on land use. The Trust’s story can bring land and people together, centred on multifunctional landscapes delivering learning, biodiversity and food.
As a convener, connecting delivery partners, young people, communities, tenants, policy makers and funders, The Ernest Cook Trust has potential for wider impact beyond its boundaries. The Trust needs to increase its profile to build bigger partnerships and reach our goal to deliver £5M+ of charitable activities by 2029.
Such aspirations require a Board of Trustees that maintains the specialist knowledge, skills and experience as we continue to bring these plans to fruition.
Reporting to the Chair of Trustees, our new Trustee will find themselves in an important and rewarding role providing educational expertise, working alongside a diversely talented team, at Board level and beyond.
Could this be you?
Strategies to meet
our Ambitions
Being part of this organisation means being heard, valued and leading change from the front. It’s empowering to know that our voices
shape the future.
Tasneem Chihani
Programme Officer at The Ernest
Cook Trust (former Youth Advisory
Board member)
A comprehensive review of our programmes has resulted in an ambitious Learning Strategy to guide our future partnerships, grant giving and direct
delivery. This ensures our learning activities make the best use of the Trust’s landholdings, maximise the impact of our work and remain true to our charitable object, which is education.
Our Values
Our values guide and shape everything we do.
Emerging from a carefully facilitated process across the whole organisation, they are a distillation of our unique stories, experiences and motivations.
We are immensely proud of our values, they energise us and give purpose to our work, every day.
