Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

Read our full Risk Warning

Invest in a charity educating and caring for vulnerable children and young people

Charity bond
Birtenshaw
IFISA eligible
Minimum Investment £50
Term 6 years
Interest 7.75% per year
£171,568
Raised
£3,000,000
Target
6%
£1m min. raise
Sign up or login to view the offer
89 days left

Please note that payment of interest and capital is not guaranteed and is dependent on management’s ability to operate a successful operating model.

Birtenshaw

Birtenshaw supports children and young people with physical disability, complex health needs and learning disability by providing education, care and therapy. The charity was established in 1956 in Bolton by a group of parents as a special school for children with cerebral palsy.


Today it operates two special schools, a specialist college and children’s homes. It also provides supported tenancies for adults, an adult enrichment day service and complementary services. All services are based in Bolton and Merseyside in the North West of England. The charity generated income of around £28m in the year to 31 March 2025.


The charity’s vision is to improve the quality of life of all those it supports so they can become confident and independent members of the community. The charity believes in “ordinary life principles” to provide people with the same social and learning opportunities as others, enabling all to fulfil their potential.


Quote Thumbnail

“Our mission is to create a bespoke specialist college which will transform the lives of young people with special education needs and disability and in particular those with autism, so that they can lead independent, interesting and fulfilling lives whilst being a useful member of their local communities ”

David Reid, Chief Executive

The bond offer

Birtenshaw is raising funds through this bond offer to contribute to the redevelopment of its specialist college in Bolton. The college provides education for around 40 young adults aged from 16 to 25. It is an old building which was originally a residential care home for the elderly and isn’t fit for purpose as a space for young adults with physical disability, complex needs and learning disability. 

The new building will be a highly inclusive purpose built facility designed for learners with special education needs and disability. It will include teaching areas, therapeutic spaces, social zones, multiple accessible toilets and wetrooms. It will also have a learner kitchen to encourage lifeskills training and a community café enabling community interaction. There will be generous outdoor breakout spaces.

Capacity at the site will double from 40 to 80 learners to meet the demand for places.

The total costs for the project are expected to be around £18 million. £15m of this is being provided through bank loans and the remaining £3m through this bond offer.

IFISA eligible

Birtenshaw bonds are eligible to be held in a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). As with all ISAs, there are eligibility criteria and you receive interest tax-free. ISA eligibility does not guarantee returns or protect consumers from losing all of money they have invested.

To invest in Birtenshaw bonds through a Triodos IFISA, select the ‘Invest through IFISA’ option. This selection will add to your current year IFISA or will open a new IFISA if you haven’t previously opened one.

Transferring an existing ISA

If you want to invest by transferring an existing ISA to a Triodos IFISA you must first request the transfer. You can do this under ‘Account’ once you’ve become a registered user of the platform. Your ISA transfer must be completed first, before you make an application for bonds.

Key terms

Issuer
Birtenshaw
Target amount
£3,000,000
Term
6 years, repayable in three equal annual instalments with the first repayment on 28 February 2030 and the final repayment on 28 February 2032.
Minimum investment
£50 
Interest
7.75% gross per year. Payable in arrears on 28 February each year (paid net of UK basic rate tax unless held in an IFISA) with the first payment on 28 February 2027. Payment of interest and repayment of capital are not guaranteed.
Early repayment
Birtenshaw has the right to repay the bonds without penalty from 28 February 2029.
Unsecured
The Bonds are unsecured which means that Bondholders will rank equally with Birtenshaw’s other unsecured creditors and behind secured and preferential creditors on insolvency. In the event of any wind-up or liquidation Triodos Bank and ASR as senior lenders will be repaid first and have full control in a default or enforcement scenario until they are repaid in full. 
Transferability
Bonds are transferable but are not listed on any investment exchange which means that bondholders will have to find a willing buyer and agree a purchase price with them, which in practice may not be easy. Investors should be prepared to hold the bonds for their full six-year term.
Covenants
A gearing covenant which restricts total borrowings as a proportion of total assets and a debt service cover covenant which measures annual earnings as a ratio of borrowing costs. Both covenants will be measured annually based on 12 months management accounts. A breach of these covenants triggers a higher rate of interest for the period of the breach. Two consecutive breaches triggers an event of default.
Minimum raise
£1,000,000. If the minimum raise has not been achieved by the closing date, the bond offer will be withdrawn and the subscription monies returned to investors without interest.
Timetable
Closes on 15 March 2026, unless fully subscribed earlier or the offer is extended. Bonds are allotted 14 days after close and investors start to accrue interest from that date.
Capital at risk warning
Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. Investors should read the offer document in full, including the risks section, before deciding whether to invest.

Sign up or login to view the offer

Sign up or login

Invest in a charity educating and caring for vulnerable children and young people

Birtenshaw

Picture

“Our mission is to create a bespoke specialist college which will transform the lives of young people with special education needs and disability and in particular those with autism, so that they can lead independent, interesting and fulfilling lives whilst being a useful member of their local communities ”

David Reid, Chief Executive

Birtenshaw

Birtenshaw supports children and young people with physical disability, complex health needs and learning disability by providing education, care and therapy. The charity was established in 1956 in Bolton by a group of parents as a special school for children with cerebral palsy.


Today it operates two special schools, a specialist college and children’s homes. It also provides supported tenancies for adults, an adult enrichment day service and complementary services. All services are based in Bolton and Merseyside in the North West of England. The charity generated income of around £28m in the year to 31 March 2025.


The charity’s vision is to improve the quality of life of all those it supports so they can become confident and independent members of the community. The charity believes in “ordinary life principles” to provide people with the same social and learning opportunities as others, enabling all to fulfil their potential.


The bond offer

Birtenshaw is raising funds through this bond offer to contribute to the redevelopment of its specialist college in Bolton. The college provides education for around 40 young adults aged from 16 to 25. It is an old building which was originally a residential care home for the elderly and isn’t fit for purpose as a space for young adults with physical disability, complex needs and learning disability. 

The new building will be a highly inclusive purpose built facility designed for learners with special education needs and disability. It will include teaching areas, therapeutic spaces, social zones, multiple accessible toilets and wetrooms. It will also have a learner kitchen to encourage lifeskills training and a community café enabling community interaction. There will be generous outdoor breakout spaces.

Capacity at the site will double from 40 to 80 learners to meet the demand for places.

The total costs for the project are expected to be around £18 million. £15m of this is being provided through bank loans and the remaining £3m through this bond offer.

IFISA eligible

Birtenshaw bonds are eligible to be held in a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). As with all ISAs, there are eligibility criteria and you receive interest tax-free. ISA eligibility does not guarantee returns or protect consumers from losing all of money they have invested.

To invest in Birtenshaw bonds through a Triodos IFISA, select the ‘Invest through IFISA’ option. This selection will add to your current year IFISA or will open a new IFISA if you haven’t previously opened one.

Transferring an existing ISA

If you want to invest by transferring an existing ISA to a Triodos IFISA you must first request the transfer. You can do this under ‘Account’ once you’ve become a registered user of the platform. Your ISA transfer must be completed first, before you make an application for bonds.

Key terms

Issuer

Birtenshaw

Target amount

£3,000,000

Term

6 years, repayable in three equal annual instalments with the first repayment on 28 February 2030 and the final repayment on 28 February 2032.

Minimum investment

£50 

Interest

7.75% gross per year. Payable in arrears on 28 February each year (paid net of UK basic rate tax unless held in an IFISA) with the first payment on 28 February 2027. Payment of interest and repayment of capital are not guaranteed.

Early repayment

Birtenshaw has the right to repay the bonds without penalty from 28 February 2029.

Security

The Bonds are unsecured which means that Bondholders will rank equally with Birtenshaw’s other unsecured creditors and behind secured and preferential creditors on insolvency. In the event of any wind-up or liquidation Triodos Bank and ASR as senior lenders will be repaid first and have full control in a default or enforcement scenario until they are repaid in full. 

Transferability

Bonds are transferable but are not listed on any investment exchange which means that bondholders will have to find a willing buyer and agree a purchase price with them, which in practice may not be easy. Investors should be prepared to hold the bonds for their full six-year term.

Covenants

A gearing covenant which restricts total borrowings as a proportion of total assets and a debt service cover covenant which measures annual earnings as a ratio of borrowing costs. Both covenants will be measured annually based on 12 months management accounts. A breach of these covenants triggers a higher rate of interest for the period of the breach. Two consecutive breaches triggers an event of default.

Minimum raise

£1,000,000. If the minimum raise has not been achieved by the closing date, the bond offer will be withdrawn and the subscription monies returned to investors without interest.

Bondholder benefits

Closes on 15 March 2026, unless fully subscribed earlier or the offer is extended. Bonds are allotted 14 days after close and investors start to accrue interest from that date.

Timetable

Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. Investors should read the offer document in full, including the risks section, before deciding whether to invest.

Capital at risk - warning

Please note that payment of interest and capital is not guaranteed and is dependent on management’s ability to operate a successful operating model.

Please note that payment of interest and capital is not guaranteed and is dependent on the continued successful operation of The Birtenshaw Group

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Investments offered on this platform are not readily realisable, which means that they may be difficult to sell and you may not get back the full amount invested. Investments are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and your capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. Repayment of capital and interest or payment of dividends will be dependent on the success of the organisation's business model and past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future performance. You should always read the offer document in full before deciding whether or not to invest as it will cover risks specific to an individual investment. You can read more about the general risks associated with making these types of investments. If you are unsure if any of these investments are right for you, you should contact an Independent Financial Adviser.

Triodos Bank UK Ltd. Registered Office: Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS. Registered in England and Wales No. 11379025. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 817008.