Countryside Education Trust

What Countryside Education Trust does

The Countryside Education Trust (CET) is a UK-registered educational charity founded in 1975, based at Home Farm, Palace Lane, Beaulieu, Hampshire, within the New Forest National Park. It operates two physical sites — a working farm and the Treehouse Study Centre in Hartford Wood — and delivers outdoor education, countryside experiences, and venue hire to schools, families, children, clubs, and corporate groups. Core programmes include curriculum-linked school trips (Early Years through A-level/BTEC/GNVQ), the tiered Owls Club children's programme (Owlets 0-2, Little Owls 2-4, Big Owls 4-7, Eagle Owls 7-13), adult and family countryside workshops, residential accommodation, and Treehouses and Home Farm venue hire for weddings, corporate events, children's parties, and film locations. Supporting revenue is generated through memberships (Owls Club, Friends of the Trust, Friends for Life) and donations. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed beyond a transactional website and two Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather stations whose data is shared with the University of Reading.

Name

Countryside Education Trust

Legal name

The Countryside Education Trust

Website

https://cet.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Countryside Education Trust is a UK charity founded in 1975 operating a working farm and woodland treehouse site in Beaulieu, Hampshire, delivering outdoor education, school trips, children's clubs, workshops, venue hire, and accommodation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor / Nature-Based Nursery & Forest Playgroups (EDACACAH), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB), Rural/Farmstay-Style Hostels (THAGAGAK), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Countryside education
• Outdoor learning
• Environmental education
• Farm experiences
• School trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaulieu

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual memberships for Owls Club (1 child £45, 2 children £90, 3 children £135) and Friends of the Trust (£12 annual, £200 lifetime). Provides recurring revenue and community engagement.
2. Events and Workshops: Ticket sales for countryside workshops, guided walks, and skill-building courses ranging from £7-£40 per person.
3. Venue Hire: Rental of Treehouses and Home Farm for weddings, corporate events, filming locations, and children's parties.
4. Accommodation: Residential centre accommodation for school groups, families, clubs, and corporate groups with meeting facilities and self-catering options.
5. School Trips: Educational visits for schools covering curriculum themes including environment, farming, gardening, history, and living wild across all key stages.
6. Donations: Donations accepted to support animal care and operational costs, with suggested amounts from £5-£15.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Countryside Education Trust is a registered educational charity operating a working farm (Home Farm) and an ancient-woodland Treehouse Study Centre in Beaulieu, Hampshire. It delivers curriculum-linked school trips, the age-tiered Owls Club children's programme, countryside skills workshops, accommodation, and venue hire for weddings, corporate events, and film shoots, funded through memberships, event tickets, venue fees, donations, and corporate sponsors.

Product overview

The Countryside Education Trust operates as a charitable educational organization offering a diverse portfolio of countryside experiences centered around two distinct sites: Home Farm in Beaulieu, Hampshire (Victorian buildings, orchard, farmland) and adjacent Hartford Wood featuring Treehouses (turreted treehouses in ancient woodland). The core offerings include curriculum-linked school programs across multiple themes (Environment, Farming, Gardening, History, Living Wild) for students from Early Years through A-level, and the Owls Club children's program with age-specific clubs (Owlets 0-2, Little Owls 2-4, Big Owls 4-7, Eagle Owls 7-13). The trust provides venue hire services through Treehouses and Home Farm for weddings, corporate events, children's parties, wellbeing retreats, and film locations. Additional revenue streams include Countryside Workshops (apple juice making, herb gardens, tree ID, wildlife walks), accommodation services (corporate, club, family), and membership programs (Friends of the Trust, Friends for Life). The organization also operates weather monitoring stations and is developing the Fort Climate Centre for climate education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Owls Club: A children's outdoor education program with age groups including Owlets (0-2), Little Owls (2-4), Big Owls (4-7), and Eagle Owls (7+) featuring farm visits, woodland activities, and seasonal events.
• Treehouses
• Home Farm
• Fort Climate Centre

Products and services

• Schools Educational Programs Curriculum-linked school trips and educational programmes covering Environment, Farming, Gardening, History and Living Wild themes for students from Early Years through Further Education (A-level, BTEC, GNVQ).
• Owls Club Children's Programme Age-tiered outdoor playgroup programme for children aged 0-13, with Owlets (0-2), Little Owls (2-4), Big Owls (4-7), and Eagle Owls (7+) clubs, including farm visits, woodland activities, seasonal events, arts, crafts, and stories.
• Treehouses Venue Hire Turreted treehouse venue in ancient woodland with rope bridges, ponds and wildflower meadows, available for weddings, corporate events, children's parties, wellbeing retreats, and educational hire.
• Home Farm Venue Hire Farm venue with Victorian buildings, orchard, cottage, and self-catering accommodation for family holidays, corporate events, children's parties, and educational hire.
• Countryside Workshops Adult and family skill-building workshops including apple juice making, herb gardens for wildlife, charcoal making, tree identification, deer walks, bat talks, hedge laying, jam making, and pony and commoning.
• Accommodation Services Residential accommodation for school groups, families and friends, clubs, and corporate groups, with meeting facilities, self-catering options, family rooms, twin rooms, and adventure play areas.
• Friends of the Trust Membership Annual membership at £12 supporting the trust's work, with invitations to special events, news updates, and access to partner offers.
• Friends for Life Membership Lifetime membership at £200 with exclusive group benefits including special events, site tours, picnics, and dinners.
• Donations Donation programme supporting the trust's work caring for farm animals including guinea pigs, geese, and goats, with suggested amounts from £5-£15.
• Film Location Services Film and photography location hire at Treehouses (ancient woodland with turreted treehouses) and Home Farm (Victorian buildings, orchard, cottage) in the New Forest.
• Run Beaulieu Fundraiser Event Off-road running event offering 10km, 5km, and 3km trail options through Beaulieu Estate private grounds to raise funds for the trust.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connecting people of all ages with the British countryside

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• New Forest ActivitiesminorOthersLocal activity provider based in Beaulieu village offering high and low rope challenges, canoeing, and archery for corporate groups and visitors to the Countryside Education Trust.
• ExxonMobil FawleyminorOthersCorporate sponsor mentioned in relation to farm and community engagement activities. Supported Farm and Community Trainee programme.
• University of ReadingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeather station data from Home Farm and Treehouses is sent to University of Reading for use in scientific studies and research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: UK heritage and conservation charity operating historic properties, gardens, and countryside with extensive school and family education programmes — broader incumbent competing for the same educational outdoor visit spend.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Major botanical garden and UNESCO site with extensive schools, family, and event programmes — a much larger incumbent demonstrating the scale potential of botanical/outdoor education venues.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): UK's largest nature conservation charity, operating nature reserves with extensive educational programming for schools and families — a much larger incumbent in the same nature-education category.

Direct peers

• Cotswold Farm Park: Working farm attraction in the Cotswolds offering educational farm experiences, family visits, school trips, and events — directly comparable to CET's Home Farm experience layer and school programmes.
• The Country Trust: UK charity that arranges countryside and farm visits for school children — the closest direct peer to CET, operating the same model of school-focused countryside education with no direct overlap in geography.
• Bocketts Farm Park: Educational farm park in Surrey offering animal encounters, school trips, children's parties, and family events — a directly comparable combination of farm experience, education, and event hire.

Regional players

• New Forest Wildlife Park: Wildlife and nature attraction in the same New Forest region as CET, offering animal experiences and educational visits — regional competitor drawing on the same tourist population and school catchment.

Emerging players

• Woodland Trust: UK charity focused on woodland conservation and public access, with growing schools and family education programmes — directly comparable in the woodland education niche where CET's Treehouse Study Centre operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cetnewforest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@countrysideeducationtrust705
• Facebookfacebook.com/CETnewforest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/countryside-education-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Countryside Education Trust