Springboard Opportunity Group

What Springboard Opportunity Group does

Springboard Opportunity Group is a registered UK charity (Charity no. 1025787, Company Limited by Guarantee no. 2844191) founded in 1986 in Clevedon, North Somerset, by a group of local mothers seeking SEND provision that was unavailable locally. Operating as the only specialist early years SEND provider in North Somerset, the charity runs four Ofsted-inspected settings (one in Clevedon and three in Weston-super-Mare) employing 45 staff and serving more than 150 families each week. Its core product is in-person specialist early years education and daycare for children aged 0-5 with special educational needs and disabilities, supported by family practitioner services (guidance, form-filling, home visits, emotional support), Stay and Play sessions, Makaton training workshops, traded training for early years professionals, and an outreach service for other settings. Underlying capability rests on specialist human expertise in Makaton, autism, PMLD, SCERTS framework, and sensory processing rather than proprietary technology.

The business model is hybrid charity funding: statutory local-authority funding for childcare provision (described as unpredictable and insufficient), donations and community fundraising (raising nearly £300,000 annually), trust and foundation grants (including £60,000 from Garfield Weston Foundation over two years and £21,154 via Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025), corporate sponsorship (Irwin Mitchell, Nimble Elearning, Anorak Cat Websites), the North Somerset Community Lottery (50p per £1 to Springboard), and a small but growing earned-income layer from traded training workshops priced at £300-£325 per session for up to 10 participants and Makaton Level 1 Zoom workshops at £69 per person. Governance is led by CEO Ruth Glover and Chair of Trustees Jenie Eastman (since June 2023), with co-founder Ann Ramsey as Honorary President and actor Sonya Cassidy (Reacher, Amazon Prime) as a 10-year ambassador.

Recent strategic direction includes development of specialist SEND online learning courses in partnership with Nimble Elearning to extend reach beyond the physical settings, a 40th anniversary campaign in 2026, and sustained grant capture to bridge statutory funding shortfalls. The organisation's competitive position rests on Ofsted Outstanding ratings across inspected settings, four decades of community trust, and a monopoly position as North Somerset's only specialist early years SEND provider; its primary risk is the structural gap between statutory funding and the true cost of service delivery, requiring continuous fundraising intensity.

Name

Springboard Opportunity Group

Legal name

Springboard Opportunity Group

Website

https://springboardweb.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Springboard Opportunity Group is a North Somerset charity founded in 1986 that operates four Ofsted-inspected settings, delivering specialist early years education, family support, Makaton training and outreach for children aged 0-5 with SEND and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Needs Early Years Education

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity) (EDACAIAF), Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO), Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN)

Keywords

• Special needs early education
• SEND family support
• Makaton sign training
• Early years outreach
• Ofsted registered childcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Clevedon, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Statutory Funding: Government/statutory funding for childcare provision, though described as unpredictable and insufficient to cover costs.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Nearly £300,000 raised each year through donations, fundraising events, and community support to ensure services can continue.
3. Grant Funding: Substantial grants from foundations and trusts for core costs and specific projects, including £60,000 from Garfield Weston Foundation over 2 years.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Support from corporate sponsors including Irwin Mitchell, Nimble Elearning, and Anorak Cat Websites.
5. Community Lottery: North Somerset Community Lottery participation where 50p in every £1 comes directly to Springboard.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Springboard Opportunity Group operates as a registered charity delivering specialist early years education and daycare for children aged 0–5 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across four Ofsted-registered settings in North Somerset. Services are supplemented by family practitioner support (guidance, home visits, workshops), Stay and Play sessions, an outreach support service for early years settings, and traded training including qualified Makaton tutor workshops for professionals and parents.

Product overview

Springboard Opportunity Group operates as a single-service charity providing specialist early years education and support for children aged 0-5 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across North Somerset. The organization offers a unified service model comprising: core early years SEND daycare at four Ofsted-registered settings (Outstanding or Good rated); family practitioner support services offering guidance, workshops and home visits; professional training programs including Makaton certification and traded training workshops for early years practitioners; and an outreach support service. In 2026, Springboard began collaborating with Nimble Elearning to develop specialist SEND online learning courses for wider distribution. The organization does not operate a traditional SaaS product but provides in-person educational and support services supplemented by training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Years SEND Education Services Specialist early years education and daycare services for children under five with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), delivered across four Ofsted-registered settings (Outstanding or Good) in North Somerset. Children follow a tailored Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum with individual support plans, play-based learning, and access to sensory rooms.
• Family Practitioners (SEND) Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of children made progress in Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nimble ElearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProudly collaborating with Springboard developing specialist early years SEND online learning courses. Nimble brings tools and experience to turn Springboard's knowledge into accessible online training.
• North Somerset Community LotteryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity lottery where 50p in every £1 comes directly to Springboard, with chance to win £25,000.
• Big GivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUK's biggest annual match-funding campaign platform. Springboard raised £21,154 through 2025 Christmas Challenge where donations were matched.
• Tesco Stronger StartsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlue token vote programme supporting initiatives for children to access healthy food. Springboard selected for vote to fund healthy snacks in playrooms.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Scope: UK disability charity offering family support, early-years resources, and SEND guidance. Comparable in family-facing SEND services and policy advocacy, though broader in scope than early-years specialism.
• Mencap: Major UK learning-disability charity providing family support, education, and training. Broader remit than Springboard but overlapping in SEND family support services and professional learning programmes.
• National Autistic Society (NAS): Large UK charity providing autism schools, training, and family services. Broader portfolio than Springboard but overlapping in specialist SEND education, training courses, and family support for autistic children.

Regional players

• Prior's Court Foundation: UK charity operating specialist residential and day school for children with severe autism in Berkshire. Comparable in Ofsted-regulated specialist SEND setting model, though geographically distant from North Somerset.
• Sunfield School (Clent Grove Trust): UK charity offering specialist education and residential care for children with autism and complex needs. Comparable in specialist SEND setting delivery, though focused on a different age band and region.

Direct peers

• Seashell Trust: UK charity operating specialist residential and day education for children with severe SEND, autism and learning disabilities. Comparable in running Ofsted-regulated specialist settings with multi-disciplinary support.
• Kids (Kids Active CIC): National UK charity providing SEND support, inclusive nurseries, and family services. Comparable service mix (daycare + family support + training) and similar regional delivery model serving children with additional needs.
• Contact (formerly Contact a Family): UK charity supporting families with disabled children, including SEND-specific guidance, family workshops, and early years support. Comparable in family-practitioner model and parent-facing services.
• Ambitious about Autism (formerly TreeHouse School): UK charity running specialist schools, nurseries, and post-16 provision for autistic children. Closely comparable in operating specialist early years settings for children with SEND and trading training services to professionals.

Emerging players

• The Makaton Charity: UK charity that owns and licenses the Makaton language programme and runs training courses. Direct overlap with Springboard's Makaton training product line, though Makaton Charity is the originator and Springboard is a licensed training provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpringboardOpportunityGroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/springboardopportunitygroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springboard-opportunity

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 Springboard Opportunity Group