The Ackers Trust
Charity 511343
Overview
Summary
The Ackers Trust appears to be a place-based charity whose distinctive role is to turn a large urban green space into both a public amenity and an active outdoor-learning environment. Its model combines long-term stewardship of 75 acres in Small Heath with bookable adventure provision delivered as Ackers Adventure. This creates a potentially valuable bridge between informal local recreation, environmental volunteering and more structured activities for groups, schools and families close to Birmingham city centre.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Small Heath
Confidence: medium
The Charity Commission describes The Ackers Trust as conserving a 75-acre site at Small Heath, and the associated Ackers Adventure venue identifies its activity centre as being in Small Heath. This is strong evidence of a single, site-based operational presence, but the published address also uses Sparkbrook and the evidence reviewed does not provide a current ward-boundary plan for the full site.
- Charity Commission register: The Ackers Trust (charity 511343)
The charity's current activity description states that it conserves a 75-acre site at Small Heath, Birmingham; manages it as a public amenity; provides environmental volunteering and education; and makes pitches and a MUGA available for community use. - Ackers Adventure official contact page
The associated activity-centre operator states: "Our activity centre is in Small Heath in the heart of Birmingham", and describes access through the fenced parkland and sports pitches.
Remaining uncertainties
- The available evidence identifies the Trust's land as being in Small Heath, while its correspondence/venue address is labelled Sparkbrook and its governing document refers to land at Tyseley. These locality descriptions do not establish the precise current ward boundary of the entire 75-acre site.
- Outdoor adventure activities at the site are stated by the Charity Commission to be managed by Ackers Adventure, a separately registered charity (number 1107240). The evidence supports a material operational relationship at the same site, but does not establish the contractual or governance arrangement between it and The Ackers Trust.
- The Trust's 1981 objects name several historic electoral wards as intended beneficiary areas. This does not demonstrate current service delivery or physical operations in each corresponding modern ward, so they have not been recorded as operational areas.
- The evidence shows that the amenity and activity centre are accessible to schools, groups, businesses and the wider public, potentially drawing users from across Birmingham. It does not demonstrate that The Ackers Trust itself delivers mobile, outreach or site-based services elsewhere in the city.
Additional evidence needed
- A current site ownership or boundary plan showing which present-day Birmingham ward or wards contain the Trust's 75-acre landholding.
- A current management agreement, annual report or operational statement clarifying which facilities and services are directly managed by The Ackers Trust and which are delivered by Ackers Adventure.
- Current monitoring data or an impact report showing the geographic origins of users and whether the Trust funds or delivers activity beyond the Small Heath site.
Areas of work
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Recreation
Who they help
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A green-space trust with an activity-centre delivery model
The available evidence suggests that the Trust’s role extends beyond maintaining land: it uses the site’s landscape and facilities to deliver organised adventure activities. Ackers Adventure appears to be the public-facing operational expression of that wider charitable asset.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the organisation from a conventional park manager or leisure provider. Its facilities, natural setting and activities appear to reinforce one another rather than operate as separate services.
Show evidence
“The charity conserves a 75 acre site at Small Heath and offers outdoor adventure activities managed by Ackers Adventure.”
Source:Charity Commission“Activities take place across over 75 acres of grassland, woodland and marsh, with adventure facilities including a ski slope, climbing walls and a canal basin.”
Source:Organisation
Access appears to be designed in layers
The organisation appears to combine no-cost community access with bookable, structured provision. Public walks, cycling, picnic areas and free pitches sit alongside activities, group packages and a residential centre.
Why it matters
This may indicate a mixed access model: the site can serve people seeking everyday local recreation while also attracting schools, groups and paying participants. Understanding how these layers interact would be important in assessing public benefit and inclusion.
Show evidence
“The site is managed as a public amenity offering walks, cycling, picnic and recreational areas, with free use of pitches and MUGA for community.”
Source:Charity Commission“The organisation offers activities, school and youth-group packages, holiday camps and a self-catering residential centre.”
Source:Organisation
Its charitable geography and practical audience may have broadened
The founding object is tied to named local wards, while current reporting identifies beneficiaries as the general public and the website promotes city-wide accessibility. This may indicate that a locally rooted trust now serves a wider Birmingham audience.
Why it matters
This is relevant to understanding whether the organisation’s strongest civic value lies in neighbourhood provision, city-wide specialist facilities, or the connection between the two.
Show evidence
“The charity object names Small Heath, Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Acocks Green and Saltley wards.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity helps the general public.”
Source:Charity Commission“The centre is located two miles from Birmingham city centre and is accessible by car and public transport.”
Source:Organisation
- Whether local residents use the site proportionately to visitors from elsewhere in Birmingham.
- How free community provision is funded alongside bookable activities.
- Whether environmental volunteering and education are central programmes or relatively small parts of delivery.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports showing income sources, participant numbers and use of charitable funds.
- Geographic, demographic and affordability data for users, especially free versus paid provision.
- Details of partnerships with local schools, community organisations and environmental groups.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
CONSERVES 75 ACRE SITE AT SMALL HEATH, IN BIRMINGHAM. PROVIDES ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES& EDUCATION. SITE IS MANAGED AS A PUBLIC AMENITY OFFERING WALKS, CYCLING, PICNIC & RECREATIONAL AREAS ETC. FREE USE OF PITCHES AND MUGA FOR COMMUNITY SITE ALSO OFFERS OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE MANAGED BY ACKERS ADVENTURE.
Charity objects
THE RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF LAND AT TYSELEY FOR USE AS AN OPEN SPACE AND PLACE OF RESORT FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORAL WARDS KNOWN AS SMALL HEATH WARD, SPARKBROOK WARD, SPARKHILL WARD, ACOCKS GREEN WARD AND SALTLEY WARD AS THEY EXISTED AT THE DATE OF THE TRUST DEED (30/03/1981).