The Ecology Centre

What The Ecology Centre does

The Ecology Centre is a registered Scottish charity (SC028174) and private non-profit founded in 1998 and operating from a single site at Kinghorn Loch, Fife, Scotland. It delivers a diversified portfolio of community, educational, and environmental programmes: an award-winning outdoor education programme serving primary and secondary schools across Fife (including Forest School, FOLA qualifications, Nature Nurture for vulnerable youth, and CPD for teachers); the Restoration Forth seagrass and native oyster restoration project in the Firth of Forth, delivered in partnership with WWF Scotland and Project Seagrass; the Nest Café social enterprise providing employment pathways for individuals facing barriers to work; a Tool Library and Tool Shed workshop; and the South Fife Snorkel Trail for marine awareness.

Its underlying technical capability centres on community-led marine restoration science — proprietary Dispenser Injection Seeding methods, fixed transect monitoring across four seasonal surveys, drone-based spatial mapping for seed capacity estimation, and a reproductive shoot assessment methodology — together with curriculum-aligned environmental education content and SCQF-recognised Forest and Outdoor Leadership Awards. The organisation is the sole community entity within the European Seagrass Restoration Alliance (ESRA).

Revenue is generated through a mix of multi-funder grants (Restoration Forth's £2.4 million first-phase budget from Aviva, ScottishPower Foundation, Moondance Foundation, and the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund; current phase from Sky and Cinven Foundation), fee-based education programmes priced per block of sessions (£1,290–£2,500), pay-as-you-go outdoor learning (£185–£275 per session), a £20/year Tool Library subscription, café sales, and individual donations including a monthly giving scheme and the Big Give campaign. Customer concentration is centred on Fife schools and youth organisations, with named partners including Pathhead Primary School, Kirkcaldy High School, and Fife Young Carers.

Name

The Ecology Centre

Legal name

The Ecology Centre

Website

https://theecologycentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ecology Centre is a community-led Scottish charity at Kinghorn Loch, Fife, delivering outdoor environmental education to schools, seagrass and oyster restoration through the Restoration Forth project, and community services including a social-enterprise café and tool library.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education & Community Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Outdoor learning
• Seagrass restoration
• Community conservation
• Citizen science

Headquarters

HQ city

Kinghorn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, including a monthly giving scheme. Big Give campaign raised £9,195.50 (grand total with gift aid).
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from NatureScot, Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund, Aviva, Sky, Cinven Foundation, Moondance Foundation, ScottishPower Foundation for Restoration Forth and general operations.
3. Education Programs and Training Fees: Paid education sessions for schools and groups including outdoor learning, Forest School, Nature Nurture, and CPD training. Revenue from SCQF Forest & Outdoor Leadership Awards (FOLA).
4. Tool Library Membership: Annual membership fee of £20 for tool borrowing service.
5. Nest Café Revenue: Café sales of food and drinks, operating as a social enterprise at the centre.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Ecology Centre provides environmental education sessions, outdoor learning, and community engagement programmes from its Kinghorn, Fife site, alongside marine restoration projects (Restoration Forth seagrass work), a community café (Nest Café), a snorkel trail, and a lending Tool Library. It sells school/group education sessions, accepts donations, and runs a paid Tool Library membership programme.

Product overview

The Ecology Centre operates as a community-led charity offering a diverse portfolio of environmental, educational, and community services centred around Kinghorn Loch in Fife. The organisation's core offerings include the Nest Cafe social enterprise, the award-winning Education Programme with Forest School and Nature Nurture streams, and the Restoration Forth seagrass and oyster restoration project. Additional services encompass a Tool Library and Tool Shed for community skill-building, a South Fife Snorkel Trail for marine education, EV charging facilities, and CPD training for practitioners. The centre functions as an integrated hub where environmental conservation, community development, and education intersect.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Nest Cafe: A social enterprise cafe that provides training and employment opportunities for individuals facing barriers to work, operating as part of the ecology centre's community programs. Open Thursday to Monday with takeaway available seven days per week.

Products and services

• School & Group Education Sessions Curriculum-linked outdoor learning and environmental education sessions for schools, nurseries, and youth groups visiting the Kinghorn site.
• Restoration Forth (Seagrass Restoration) Marine restoration project restoring seagrass (Zostera) meadows in the Firth of Forth in partnership with WWF Scotland and other coalition members.
• Tool Library Community lending library of tools, available via an annual paid membership (~£20/year).
• Nest Café Community café operating at the Kinghorn site, open to visitors and groups.
• Kinghorn Snorkel Trail Self-guided snorkel trail supporting citizen science and marine awareness at Kinghorn.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120 primary school classes and nurseries received outdoor environmental education across Fife
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WWF ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022WWF Scotland manages the Restoration Forth Project, a £2.4 million initiative to restore 4 hectares of seagrass and 30,000 native oysters in the Firth of Forth. The Ecology Centre is the primary delivery partner for seagrass restoration activities in the Fife area.
• NatureScotcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022NatureScot manages the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund which funds the Restoration Forth project. NatureScot also facilitates and supports the project.
• Project SeagrasscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Seagrass provides scientific expertise, training, and operational support for seagrass restoration. RJ (CEO) and Esther (Operations Lead for Scotland) work closely with Restoration Forth team. Project Seagrass pioneered hessian bag seagrass restoration methods and provides drone mapping capabilities.
• European Seagrass Restoration Alliance (ESRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESRA was founded to bring together seagrass restoration practitioners across Europe to connect, share ideas, and learn from scientific research. Restoration Forth's seagrass officers Eleri and Lyle attended the second ESRA workshop in Arcachon, France.
• Scottish Seabird CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarie from the Scottish Seabird Centre works alongside Restoration Forth's seagrass officer (Lyle) as a counterpart, managing seagrass restoration activities on the Lothian side of the Forth. The Seabird Centre hosts the Restoration Forth project page on their website.
• SeawildingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeawilding is a community-led charity restoring native oyster beds and seagrass meadows in Loch Craignish. They were the first community organisation in Scotland to actively restore seagrass. Restoration Forth staff visited Seawilding to learn techniques including hessian bag planting.
• Fife Coast & Countryside TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the Restoration Forth project page, involved in environmental monitoring and restoration efforts throughout the Forth.
• Marine Conservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the Restoration Forth project page.
• Edinburgh ShorelineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the Restoration Forth project page, working on restoration initiatives in the Edinburgh coastal area.
• Scottish Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe South Fife Snorkel Trail is part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's wider Snorkel Trail Network, promoting marine awareness and sustainable snorkelling.
• Lobster Hatchery (North Berwick)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lobster Hatchery in North Berwick houses seagrass seed tanks where collected seeds are stored and processed before spring release into the Forth.
• University of St AndrewsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of St Andrews student Sasha undertook a week-long internship at The Ecology Centre working with the Restoration Forth team, contributing to seagrass mapping and fieldwork in Pettycur Bay.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheEcology_1
• Facebookfacebook.com/theecologycentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ecology-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/theecologycentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Ecology Centre