The Athlone Trust CIO (TAT) is a small charity dedicated to providing financial support for the education of all adopted children living in the UK. This mission addresses a critical societal need, given that there are approximately 80,000 adopted children in the UK at any given time, a figure that includes annual adoptions and children transitioning into adulthood as they turn 18. Such a tremendous social issue highlights a profound failure of our grown-up society, with the results of this placed directly on the children themselves. The rupture of the bond between mother and child creates a trauma in that child, even when the separation occurs at birth. This requires a level of understanding from society, and especially for those who support adoptees; they need to be aware that the effects of trauma may lead to significant, often hidden, educational and wellbeing needs. In a society built on financial resources, these needs inherently require a greater financial response. Tragically, society has not built the systems to fully meet these needs; instead, it expects adoptive families to produce the necessary financial resources.
To understand the scale of this financial demand, we look at the broader context of poverty and hardship across the UK. There are approximately 14.4 million children in the UK, and the most recent statistics (Financial Year Ending 2024) indicate that 31% of all UK children, equating to about 4.5 million children, are living in relative poverty after housing costs are taken into account. Relative poverty is defined as a household’s disposable income being less than 60% of the UK median household income once essential housing costs like rent or mortgage interest are paid. For example, for a couple with two children, if the median household income was around £45,933 per year in 2022/23, the poverty threshold (60%) would be approximately £27,560 per year. Families living below this income are considered to be in relative poverty. Applying this national average to the adopted child population, we estimate that 31% of 80,000 adopted children, which is approximately 24,800 adopted children, are living in poverty. This stark figure highlights that even within the adopted community, a significant number of adoptive families already face extreme financial hardship.
Beyond those in direct poverty, TAT also supports families across a wider income spectrum who face significant financial implications in meeting their adopted children’s educational needs. It is estimated that 80-85% of all UK families have an annual household disposable income of up to and including £70,000. Applying this general population income distribution to the adopted children population, it indicates that approximately 64,000 to 68,000 adopted children are part of families with an annual household disposable income of up to and including £70,000. While some adopted children are siblings within the same family, meaning the exact number of families would be slightly less than this figure, it still represents a very substantial number of adoptive families for whom our support is vital, navigating costs not of their own fault.
We are here to help.
The financial impact of adoption, within a society driven by financial resources, fundamentally demands a financial response. Our grants directly address this. We provide crucial financial assistance to empower adopted children to thrive in their education, and we ensure adoptive families are not left alone to carry this vital responsibility that we, as a society, have placed upon them.
Our fundraising plan
One of our trustees, Augusto Nembrini, has been appointed by the Board as Fundraiser. This activity will be done as follows:
- Openness and transparency. As part of this process, TAT will be entirely open and transparent about our activities around fundraising, how these are obtained and used. Our financial statements are publicly available from the Charity Commission. Of course maintaining confideniality of adoptees and their families as beneficiaries.
- Minimum Threshold. No compensation shall be paid to the Fundraiser unless and until TAT has received at least £20,000 in Funds Raised during the financial year.
- Maximum Cap. The maximum amount payable to the Fundraiser under this agreement shall not exceed £50,000 in the first financial year (2025-2026) and £150,000 in any subsequent financial year, regardless of targets being surpassed or met ahead of schedule.
- Commission. The Fundraiser shall be entitled to 5% of Funds Raised, calculated on the amount exceeding the Minimum Threshold. If the funds raised are £20,000 commission is £0, from £21,000 it would be £50.
The full draft (redacted for privacy and safety) of this agreement will be made available on the website once approved by Trustees.
The Athlone Trust CIO 