Core & Co Foundation
Charity 1189760
https://core-education.co.uk/core-co-foundation/
Overview
Summary
Core & Co Foundation appears to function as a partnership-building charitable vehicle around CORE Education Trust, using arts, media, sport and civic-engagement activity to extend educational opportunity beyond conventional school provision. Its stated focus on vulnerable, at-risk and under-served communities suggests an equity-oriented role, while its projects and governance indicate that it can convene prominent external contributors. The available evidence points to a small, strategically positioned organisation whose value may lie more in creating cross-sector opportunities than in directly delivering a broad range of standalone services.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Ladywood
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence: Echo Eternal lists City Academy, Birmingham as a participating school, and the Trust identifies City Academy as located in Ladywood. Reasonable interpretation: this is a Foundation project delivery location because the Foundation presents Echo Eternal as one of its projects. The participant list is not dated by school, so it does not independently confirm participation in the 2026 programme.
- Charity Commission-derived organisation record supplied for CORE & Co Foundation
The charity address is CORE & Co Foundation, City Academy, Birmingham. - CORE Education Trust, City Academy page
City Academy is located in Ladywood, Birmingham. - Echo Eternal, Schools Participants page
City Academy, Birmingham is listed as a participating school; Echo Eternal states that participating schools create responses to survivor testimony.
Soho and Jewellery Quarter
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence: Echo Eternal lists Jewellery Quarter Academy, Birmingham as a participating school, and the Trust locates the academy in the Jewellery Quarter. Reasonable interpretation: this is a Foundation project delivery location because the Foundation presents Echo Eternal as one of its projects. The participant list is not dated by school, so it does not independently confirm participation in the 2026 programme.
- CORE & Co Foundation, Echo Eternal project page
The Foundation presents Echo Eternal as a commemorative arts, media and civic-engagement project delivered through collaborative partnerships. - Echo Eternal, Schools Participants page
Jewellery Quarter Academy, Birmingham is listed as a participating school. - CORE Education Trust, Jewellery Quarter Academy page
Jewellery Quarter Academy is located in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.
Alum Rock
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence: Echo Eternal lists Rockwood Academy, Birmingham as a participating school, and the Trust identifies Rockwood Academy's location as Alum Rock. Reasonable interpretation: this is a Foundation project delivery location because the Foundation includes Echo Eternal among its projects. The school-participant page does not state the period of each school's participation.
- CORE & Co Foundation, Echo Eternal project page
The Foundation describes Echo Eternal as a collaborative arts, media and civic-engagement project involving schools and partner organisations. - Echo Eternal, Schools Participants page
Rockwood Academy, Birmingham is listed as a participating school. - CORE Education Trust, Rockwood Academy page
Rockwood Academy is located in Alum Rock, Birmingham.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence establishes a Birmingham footprint across several school locations, but does not provide a current, dated delivery schedule showing which Birmingham schools are participating in Echo Eternal during 2026.
- City Academy is the Foundation's registered address, but the available evidence does not establish whether the Foundation has separately dedicated premises there rather than using a Trust school address for administration and correspondence.
- The Foundation's site describes Echo Eternal as its project, while the Echo Eternal site says it was created by CORE Education Trust. The available material does not specify the respective operational, financial and delivery responsibilities of the Foundation and the Trust.
- Other Birmingham schools are listed as Echo Eternal participants, but their exact current participation status and ward locations were not established from sufficiently current and location-specific evidence; they have therefore not been included.
- The organisation's Birmingham activity is not best understood as neighbourhood-based: its active project model links multiple schools and partners, while its wider programme explicitly draws participating organisations from across England.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Foundation annual report, impact report or project delivery report naming the Birmingham schools, venues and dates supported in the most recent year.
- A current Echo Eternal participant register or 2026 programme identifying participating Birmingham schools and any Birmingham performance, exhibition or workshop venues.
- Confirmation from CORE & Co Foundation of whether City Academy is an operational delivery base, an administrative base, or solely its registered/correspondence address.
- A current breakdown of the Foundation's direct delivery, grant-making and partnership activity, distinguishing activity delivered by the Foundation from activity delivered by CORE Education Trust.
Areas of work
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Education/training
- General Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- Children/young People
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A bridge between schools and external sectors
The Foundation appears designed to connect a school trust and partner schools with organisations and individuals in creative, cultural, sporting, media and technology fields, rather than operating solely as an education provider.
Why it matters
This suggests its distinctive role may be as a broker of opportunities and relationships: bringing resources, experiences and partners into young people's education that schools may struggle to assemble alone.
Show evidence
“The charity was set up by CORE Education Trust in 2020 to develop creative partnership programmes for children and young people.”
Source:Organisation“It regularly partners with collaborators in education, the arts and sport, and in media and technology.”
Source:Organisation
Equity is framed through access to creative opportunity
The Foundation appears to address disadvantage principally by creating developmental and artistic opportunities for young people, rather than by presenting itself as a specialist welfare or crisis-support charity.
Why it matters
This clarifies both its contribution and its likely limits: it may complement organisations addressing material hardship, safeguarding or mental health by offering participation, voice and aspiration-building opportunities.
Show evidence
“Much of the charity’s focus is aimed at working with vulnerable, at risk or under-served communities.”
Source:Organisation“The charity advances the development and education of children and young people under 25 through interventions including artistic activities.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its public-facing projects may combine remembrance with youth development
Echo Eternal suggests the Foundation may use civic and historical themes as a route into creative learning, public participation and dialogue across communities.
Why it matters
This is more distinctive than generic arts provision: it may position the organisation as a potential partner for heritage, anti-prejudice, citizenship and community-cohesion work.
Show evidence
“Echo Eternal is a commemorative arts, media and civic engagement project inspired by Holocaust survivor testimony.”
Source:Organisation“The Foundation exists to drive positive societal change by bringing different communities together.”
Source:Organisation
- Whether activity primarily serves CORE Education Trust pupils or reaches young people beyond its school network.
- The scale, geography, frequency and outcomes of its programmes are not available.
- It is unclear which partnerships are ongoing, project-specific or aspirational.
Remaining uncertainties
- Programme-level data showing participants, partner organisations, locations and outcomes.
- Annual reports or accounts showing income sources, expenditure and the scale of direct delivery.
- Case studies or evaluations showing how projects affect young people and participating communities.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The objects of the CIO are, for the public benefit, to advance the development and education of children and young people under the age of 25, providing interventions including artistic activities for the students of CORE Education Trust and partners schools, but not exclusively.
Charity objects
THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 25, PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUPILS OF CORE EDUCATION TRUST AND PARTNER SCHOOLS, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY.