The Fifth Trust

What The Fifth Trust does

The Fifth Trust is a UK registered charity (registration number 1136718) established in 1990 and headquartered in Barham, Canterbury, Kent. It provides day services and structured enrichment programmes for adults with learning disabilities. The offering includes art, cook club, craft, horticulture, media, multi-skills, music and performing arts, outdoor active, photography, pottery, sports, and woodwork, plus skills training, work experience placements, and FTConnect, an in-house digital employment platform designed to support beneficiaries into paid work. The charity is led by CEO Nikki Marley.

Revenue is generated through a portfolio of trading social enterprises run from the Barham site: the Vineyard Garden Centre, Vineyard Café, Elham Valley Vineyard (producing still and sparkling wines), The Gift Shack for handcrafted goods, and Vineyard Logs. These activities subsidise the charity's day-services arm, supplemented by individual donations, a Friends membership scheme priced at a £25 minimum annual contribution, and corporate partnerships, including a 2026 Charity of the Year engagement with MattressNextDay and a £3,000 donation from the Forest of Blean Rotary Club. A 2025 research partnership with the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent produces third-party validated outcome evidence.

Commercial operations are supported by a WordPress/WooCommerce online shop with Stripe and PayPal payment processing, Mailchimp email marketing, and a WCAG 2.2 accessibility-tested web presence. No patents, trademarks, or industry awards are disclosed in the input data, and there is no evidence of AI or machine learning embedded in products or operations. The organisation operates with 11 to 50 employees on a single primary site, with retail wine cases priced £15-£174 and handcrafted goods sold at £3-£25.

Name

The Fifth Trust

Legal name

The Fifth Trust

Website

https://fifthtrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fifth Trust is a UK registered charity (founded 1990, Barham, Kent) providing day services and enrichment programmes for adults with learning disabilities, funded through five trading social enterprises, donations, and a Friends membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable disability day services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

DIY & Home Skills Workshops (Woodworking, Carpentry, Home Repair, Gardening) (THAJAKAI), Crafts & DIY (Paper, Fiber, Wood, Resin, DIY Projects) (EDAAAGAB), Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)

Keywords

• Learning disability day services
• Adult social care charity
• Social enterprise retail
• Vocational skills training
• Enrichment activities programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Barham, Canterbury, Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (Handcrafted Products): Sale of handcrafted items including greeting cards, woodwork products (bug hotels, bird boxes, hedgehog houses), ceramics, preserves, and branded merchandise through The Gift Shack and online shop. Products are made by students with learning disabilities in activity sessions.
2. Wine Sales (Elham Valley Vineyard): Sale of wines produced at Elham Valley Vineyard including Sparkling Rosé, Blanc de Noirs, Still Rosé, Seyval Blanc, Dry White, and Sparkling Cuvée. Products sold in single bottles, 3-bottle packs, and 6-bottle cases.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate partners, and community fundraising activities. Includes 'Friends of The Fifth Trust' membership scheme (currently under review).
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships such as 'Charity of the Year' arrangements where businesses fundraise and make donations. Example: MattressNextDay partnership with £2,396 donation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fifth Trust is a UK charity that delivers day services and enrichment activities for adults with learning disabilities, including art, cookery, horticulture, woodwork, pottery, sports, music, media, photography, multi-skills and skills training. It supplements these programmes with social enterprises — a garden centre, café, vineyard producing wine, gift shop, and logs — that provide real work experience and generate revenue. An online shop sells handcrafted products and wines made or grown by students, with proceeds supporting the charity's mission.

Product overview

The Fifth Trust is a UK-based charity providing day services for adults with learning disabilities through a diverse portfolio of enrichment activities and social enterprises. The activity program includes creative offerings (Art, Design & Print; Craft; Pottery; Photography; Music & Performing Arts), practical skills (Cook Club; Horticulture; Woodwork; Media; Multi-skills; Sports; Outdoor Active), and vocational training (FTConnect employment platform; Skills Training; Work Experience placements). The social enterprises include the Vineyard Garden Centre, Vineyard Café, Elham Valley Vineyard producing wine, The Gift Shack, and Vineyard Logs—all providing real work experience for students. An online shop sells handcrafted products made by students, including greetings cards, woodwork items, ceramics, preserves, and wine from the vineyard. The organization also offers a Friends membership program and site visit tours for prospective students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FTConnect: Digital platform for students to access resources and connect

Products and services

• Day Services and Enrichment Activities Programme Day-time enrichment programme for adults with learning disabilities covering art, design and print, cookery, craft, horticulture, media, multi-skills, music and performing arts, outdoor active, photography, pottery, sports, and woodwork, plus skills training and FTConnect employment support.
• Vineyard Garden Centre Social-enterprise garden centre retail operation selling plants, gardening supplies, and outdoor products, run as a work-experience venue for students.
• Vineyard Café Social-enterprise café serving food and beverages to visitors while providing work-experience placements for students with learning disabilities.
• Elham Valley Vineyard (Wine Production) Vineyard operation producing and selling wines including Sparkling Rosé, Blanc de Noirs, Still Rosé, Seyval Blanc, Dry White, and Sparkling Cuvée, in single bottles, 3-bottle packs, and 6-bottle cases.
• The Gift Shack Gift shop selling handcrafted items including greetings cards, woodwork (bug hotels, bird boxes, hedgehog houses), ceramics, preserves, and branded merchandise made by students with learning disabilities.
• Vineyard Logs Firewood and log products sold as part of The Fifth Trust's social enterprises.
• Online Shop WooCommerce-powered online retail platform selling handcrafted gifts, greetings cards, ceramics, preserves, woodwork items, wine, merchandise, and vouchers, with all proceeds supporting the charity.
• Friends of The Fifth Trust Membership Annual membership programme at a minimum of £25 per year offering 10% discount on plants and food/drink, priority event booking, and an exclusive newsletter; currently under review and not accepting new members.
• FTConnect Employment support sub-brand/platform connecting students with work opportunities and skills development.
• Site Visits Guided tours of The Fifth Trust sites allowing prospective students, parents, and carers to explore activities and meet staff before enrolment.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MattressNextDaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026MattressNextDay is The Fifth Trust's Charity of the Year partner for 2026. The partnership involves fundraising activities culminating in a £2,396 donation. The MattressNextDay team visited both sites, taking tours and meeting students. The partnership focuses on corporate social responsibility and community engagement.
• Forest of Blean Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Forest of Blean Rotary Club made a generous donation of £3,000 to support The Fifth Trust's students. The club has demonstrated ongoing commitment and kindness over the past year, with their support making a meaningful difference to students' learning and development.
• Tizard Centre, University of KentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership conducting a research project at Barham Skills Centre in 2025 exploring the lived experiences of students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Published research (Jewell, Evans & Oliver, 2025) documents the positive impact of The Fifth Trust on social inclusion and student wellbeing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hft: Hft is a UK national charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, including through day services and supported employment programmes — directly comparable in mission, beneficiary base, and service-delivery model to The Fifth Trust.
• United Response: United Response is a UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs, with a portfolio of social enterprises providing work experience — directly comparable to The Fifth Trust's workshop-plus-social-enterprise model.
• FitzRoy: FitzRoy is a UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities and autism through residential care, day services, and social enterprises — directly comparable in mission and operating model.
• MacIntyre: MacIntyre is a UK charity providing lifelong learning, day services, and supported employment for people with learning disabilities — directly comparable in beneficiary focus and service-delivery approach.
• Mencap (Royal Mencap Society): Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity, providing day services, employment support, and advocacy for adults with learning disabilities — a directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to The Fifth Trust.
• Leonard Cheshire: Leonard Cheshire is a major UK disability charity supporting people with learning and physical disabilities through education, employment, and day programmes — broadly comparable in mission and beneficiary focus.
• Camphill Communities: Camphill operates intentional communities in the UK providing supported living, day activities, and craft/workshop-based social enterprises for people with learning disabilities — closely comparable to The Fifth Trust's workshop-led, social-enterprise-funded model.
• Sense: Sense is a UK disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, offering day services, employment support, and social enterprises — directly comparable in beneficiary base and service mix.
• Thera Group: Thera is a UK charity supporting adults with learning disabilities through self-advocacy, supported living, and day services — directly comparable in mission and beneficiary focus to The Fifth Trust.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheFifthTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefifthtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fifth-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefifthtrust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Fifth Trust