Footprints Conductive Education Centre

What Footprints Conductive Education Centre does

Footprints Conductive Education Centre is a Nottingham-based registered charity (Charity Commission registered 17 July 2002, operational as Rutland House School since 1978) delivering Conductive Education to children with motor and communication disabilities across the East Midlands. The charity applies the Pető method, a holistic educational approach developed at the Pető Institute in Hungary, to support children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and related conditions through group and individual sessions delivered by conductors trained in that method. In the past year the charity served more than 90 children with a team of approximately 10 employees, including conductors with multi-decade tenure.

The core service model centres on Conductive Education sessions delivered by specialist conductors, supplemented by an expanding portfolio of inclusive programmes including We Belong (in partnership with Notts County Foundation, launched 2023), Epic Bounce (with Epic Partners, launched 2024), and the forthcoming Pulp & Prints Coffee Bar (with Pulp Friction, 2025/2026). Revenue is raised through a mixed model: family contributions of £390 per child per year against a true cost of £5,066, multi-year grants from charitable trusts such as BBC Children in Need and the Samworth Foundation, corporate "Empowerment Partner" sponsorships at £5,066 per child per year, individual fundraising, and National Lottery income. The implied monthly operating requirement is approximately £30,916, placing the charity in the small UK charity revenue band.

In June 2025 Footprints opened its first owned premises, the Footprints Centre in Clifton, a step change for an organisation that had previously operated from leased space. In 2026 the charity attained ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, and it is also adding on-site sensory facilities and a community-facing social enterprise café. These moves signal infrastructural consolidation and revenue-model diversification while retaining the charity's specialist regional remit within the East Midlands.

Name

Footprints Conductive Education Centre

Legal name

Footprints Conductive Education Centre Ltd

Website

https://footprintscec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Footprints Conductive Education Centre is a Nottingham-based registered charity delivering the Pető method of Conductive Education to children with mobility and communication difficulties across the East Midlands, funded through grants, corporate sponsorships, family contributions, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Disability Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gross Motor Development & Motor Learning Interventions (EDAKAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

OT Evaluations, Assessments & IEP/504 Planning Support (EDAKAFAM), IEP Speech/Language Evaluation, Goal Setting & Compliance Documentation (EDAKAEAC), Parent & Caregiver Training for LD/Dyslexia Support (EDAKAJAJ)

Keywords

• Conductive education services
• Disability therapy services
• Special needs education
• Children's charity services
• Early intervention support

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Family Contributions: Families asked to contribute £32.50 per month (£10 per session or £390 per annum) towards costs. This is subsidised as actual cost is £162.39 per session (£5,066 per annum)
2. Charitable Trusts and Foundations: Funding from trusts including BBC Children in Need (3-year grant), Samworth Foundation, Avery Dennison Foundation, Barbara Ward Children's Foundation, Boots Charitable Trust, Bupa Foundation, and others
3. Empowerment Partner Sponsorships: Businesses sponsor a family space for £5,066 per year, receiving brand benefits, tax relief, and PR opportunities
4. Individual Fundraising and Donations: Direct donations, JustGiving, monthly giving through Raisely platform, lottery (£1/week with chance to win £10,000), and event participation
5. Corporate Partnerships: Charity of the year partnerships, matched giving, payroll giving schemes, and skills-based volunteering from businesses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Footprints Conductive Education Centre is a Nottingham-based charity delivering Conductive Education sessions and related therapeutic, communication, and family support services to children aged 6 months to 11+ years with mobility and communication difficulties (cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, motor disorders, and other neurological conditions). The core method is the Petö-based Conductive Education approach, complemented by speech and communication sessions, Gym Club, hydrotherapy, Makaton courses, sleep support workshops, after-school sensory and sports programs (Epic Bounce, We Belong), a befriending programme (Positive Playmates), and a community coffee bar (Pulp & Prints).

Product overview

Footprints Conductive Education Centre is a charity offering a portfolio of educational and therapeutic services for children with mobility and communication difficulties. The core offering is Conductive Education sessions, a holistic approach developed by Hungarian physician Dr Andras Petö. Additional services include Speech and Communication Sessions for children with Down Syndrome, Gym Club for children over 5, hydrotherapy swimming sessions, Epic Bounce trampoline therapy, Positive Playmates befriending programme, Makaton courses, and sleep support workshops. The centre also operates an inclusive community coffee bar called Pulp & Prints. Services are delivered from their purpose-built Footprints Centre in Clifton, Nottingham, with families contributing £32.50 per month for sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empowerment Partners: A sponsorship program where organizations sponsor a space for a child and family to attend Conductive Education centre and transformative services for a year, donating £5,066 annually.
• Epic Bounce
• We Belong
• Pulp & Prints
• Positive Playmates
• Pulp & Prints

Products and services

• Conductive Education Sessions

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of families reported increased movement skills in children
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brewin DolphincoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026RBC Brewin Dolphin Nottingham chose Footprints as their Charity of the Year for 2026, with team participating in volunteer days and fundraising events.
• Pulp FrictioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative partnership running Pulp & Prints, an inclusive wellbeing coffee bar at the Footprints Centre. Coffee bar open to public and community, run by Pulp Friction team. Provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Epic PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to deliver Epic Bounce after-school service for children aged 4-11 with disabilities, and We Belong inclusive multi-sports programme for 5-18 year olds.
• Notts County FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Epic Partners to launch We Belong, providing inclusive after-school sports sessions for children and young people aged 5-18 with disabilities.
• Barratts SolicitorscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Empowerment Partner renewing for second consecutive year, sponsoring a family space for £5,066 annually. Provides business promotion and PR benefits.
• Inhouse Corporate ServicescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Empowerment Partner for third year running, sponsoring a family space. Volunteer Teresa Pilkington from the company volunteers one day per week.
• T Bailey Asset ManagementcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Empowerment Partner for third year running, sponsoring a family space at Footprints Centre.
• Blueprint InteriorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed transformation project of Footprints' new charity home in Clifton, coordinating industry partners for donations of labour and materials.
• GleedsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional services firm that volunteered at Footprints Centre transformation, painting and site work.
• SpecsaversminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVolunteered at Footprints Centre transformation and painting days.
• Irwin MitchellminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm that volunteered at Footprints Centre transformation days.
• AmtrustminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCorporate volunteer team at Footprints Centre transformation.
• Scientific Laboratory SuppliesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCorporate volunteer team at Footprints Centre transformation.
• Hill & Smith InfrastructureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCorporate volunteer team at Footprints Centre transformation.
• Proludic LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArranged donation of outdoor play equipment for Footprints Centre, installed by Horizon Landscapes LTD.
• Play to MeasurecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTransformed outdoor space with accessible timber decking, ramp and accessible sandpit, funded by The Nottingham Gordon Memorial Trust.
• MedequipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided and installed adult spec tracking hoist in accessible bathroom at new Footprints Centre.
• Enable LawminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSupport partner providing free legal services including pre-recorded webinars and helpline for families.
• KIDScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity supporting children with disabilities. Footprints was part of KIDS from 2011-2014 before becoming independent.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• WellChild: UK national charity supporting seriously ill children and their families, including those with neurological conditions. Comparable in serving families of children with complex disabilities but operates at national scale and focuses on nursing/care support rather than education.
• TreeHouse (Ambitious about Autism): UK national charity providing education and support for autistic children and young people. Comparable as a special-needs education charity with school-based delivery, though focused specifically on autism rather than broader neurological movement disorders.
• Contact (for families with disabled children): UK-wide charity providing support, information, and befriending for families of disabled children. Comparable in beneficiary segment (families of disabled children) but focuses on advice/advocacy rather than direct therapeutic education delivery.

Direct peers

• PACE Centre: UK charity providing Conductive Education and related therapies for children with cerebral palsy and motor disabilities. Head of Service Erika Juhasz previously worked at PACE, making it a directly comparable peer in the same therapeutic modality and beneficiary group.
• National Centre for Conductive Education (NCCE): Birmingham-based centre offering Conductive Education programmes, including conductor training, for children and adults with neurological conditions. Directly comparable peer delivering the same Pető-method intervention model in the UK.
• Steps Conductive Education Centre: Loughborough-based charity delivering Conductive Education to children with motor disabilities. New Footprints conductor Becky Eve trained at Steps, indicating directly comparable service offering and population served within the same UK Conductive Education provider network.

Broad incumbents

• Cerebra: UK charity supporting children with neurological conditions and their families through research, advice, and direct services. Comparable in serving families of children with brain-related conditions including cerebral palsy, though operating at a broader national scale.
• Scope: Large UK disability charity originally running the Rutland House School where Footprints originated. Footprints' founders separated from Scope in 2002 due to funding pressures. Comparable in mission (disability support) but operates at much broader national scale across multiple disability areas.
• KIDS: UK national charity supporting disabled children, of which Footprints was a part from 2011-2014 before re-establishing independence. Comparable in beneficiary group and broad disability services but operates as a much larger national organisation.

Regional players

• Rainbow House (Reach Child Development): Lancashire-based charity providing Conductive Education and therapies for children with neurological disabilities. Directly comparable service model but operates in a different UK region (North West), making it a regional rather than direct East Midlands competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/footprintscec
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FootprintsConductiveEducationC
• Facebookfacebook.com/footprintscec.newsandinformation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/footprintsconductiveeducationcentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/footprints_nottingham
• TikToktiktok.com/@footprints_nottingham

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Footprints Conductive Education Centre