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Make your donationAbout The Polar Academy
We work with 13–18-year-olds with mental well-being challenges or lacking self-esteem and confidence. We give them an intensive 1 year physical and mental training programme culminating in a winter sledge hauling expedition in the Arctic, which changes the mindset of the young people as well as their families, schools, communities, and positively impacts the local economy. Our model is built around an 18-month planning schedule for each annual intake of young people where we liaise closely and responsibly with schools, mostly in deprived areas, teachers, parents/ carers, and the community. We provide pastoral care and personal support to every kid and family we work with from when they start the programme, to its completion, and often beyond their adolescence. 'the …
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar education in United KingdomConcerns
· None foundWhere every £1 goes
· FY2025 · oscr (FY2025)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
GiveRadar's verified records show The Polar Academy with a substantially complete profile, sourced from OSCR.
- GiveRadar holds 5 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 51 is below most of the 87,708 education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. GiveRadar bases this on limited verified information so far, with little on record for its governance. Explore United Kingdom data
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- leadership details (present for 78% of comparable organizations)
- third-party accreditation
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyThe Polar Academy is a registered education nonprofit in United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 2014 and has been operating for 12 years. Its registration number is SC044605. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 51/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £599K in annual revenue.
The Polar Academy's official registration number is SC044605, as recorded in the national registry of United Kingdom.
The Polar Academy has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 51/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 51 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. The charity allocates 98% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United Kingdom is 86/100.
The Polar Academy is based in Scotland, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 2014 and has been active for 12 years.
Based on official tax filings, The Polar Academy has £599K in annual revenue. It allocates 98% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 98% for education charities in United Kingdom. Fundraising costs represent 2%. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
The Polar Academy is classified as an Education organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as a SCIO. It has £599K in annual revenue.
According to GiveRadar's records, The Polar Academy is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and overseen by the Charity Commission. It reports that 98% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 98%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
We work with 13–18-year-olds with mental well-being challenges or lacking self-esteem and confidence. We give them an intensive 1 year physical and mental training programme culminating in a winter sledge hauling expedition in the Arctic, which changes the mindset of the young people as well as their families, schools, communities, and positively impacts the local economy. Our model is built around an 18-month planning schedule for each annual intake of young people where we liaise closely and responsibly with schools, mostly in deprived areas, teachers, parents/ carers, and the community. We provide pastoral care and personal support to every kid and family we work with from when they start the... The Polar Academy is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 2014.
Among education charities registered in United Kingdom: It allocates 98% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 98%. Its annual revenue of £599K is comparable to the peer average of £994K.
You can verify The Polar Academy in several ways. First, search the Charity Commission Register at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/ - every charity registered in England and Wales appears here with its registration number, trustees, governing document, and filed accounts. Second, check whether the charity's annual return and accounts are up to date - the Commission flags charities with overdue filings. Third, look for the Fundraising Regulator badge on the charity's website, which signals voluntary compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
You can donate to The Polar Academy directly through its donation page (https://www.justgiving.com/polaracademy/donate/?utm_source=website_cid251179&utm_medium=buttons&utm_content=polaracademy&utm_campaign=donate_white). UK charities typically accept online card payments, direct debit, and bank transfer. Many also use platforms such as JustGiving or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure to tick the Gift Aid box: it lets the charity reclaim 25p from HMRC for every pound you give at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the difference between basic-rate and their marginal rate through Self Assessment. Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) lets you donate pre-tax through your employer.
Donations to The Polar Academy are eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK income-tax or capital-gains-tax payer. Gift Aid adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you (the charity reclaims basic-rate tax from HMRC). Higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference through Self Assessment or by adjusting their PAYE tax code. Gifts of shares, property, or land to charity are free of Capital Gains Tax and can be deducted from your income for Income Tax purposes. Legacy gifts (in your will) reduce the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax and can lower the IHT rate from 40% to 36% if you leave at least 10% to charity.
The Polar Academy was first registered in 2014, making it approximately 12 years old. UK charities must file an annual return with the Charity Commission to remain on the register. A long registration history generally indicates sustained operations and continuous regulatory compliance.
Filing history
5 years on file from oscr (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
The Polar Academy is in United Kingdom, a TGE (Transnational Giving Europe) member country. Dutch donors can route gifts via Stichting Transnational Giving Europe to receive Dutch ANBI-equivalent deductibility, subject to TGE's 5% pass-through fee.
The Polar Academy is registered in United Kingdom. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
We check government filings and charity disclosures quarterly. If you represent this charity, claim this page to add officers directly.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
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Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United Kingdom
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United Kingdom
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
- Financial filings
- Charity Commission annual returns - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2025 on record
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 2014
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Named leadershipBoard and officer list not yet indexed
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Executive payTop-officer pay not disclosed
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Mission statementNo self-published statement of purpose
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about The Polar Academy
- What is The Polar Academy?
- The Polar Academy is a education scio, United Kingdom. We work with 13–18-year-olds with mental well-being challenges or lacking self-esteem and confidence. We give them an intensive 1 year physical and mental training programme culminating in a winter sledge hauling expedition in the Arctic, which changes the mindset of the young people as well as their families, schools, communities, and positively impacts the local economy. Our model is built around an 18-month planning schedule for each annual intake of young people where we liaise closely and responsibly with schools, mostly in deprived areas, teachers, parents/ carers, and the community. We provide pastoral care and personal support to every kid and family we work with from when they start the programme, to its completion, and often beyond their adolescence. 'the advancement of education','the advancement of health','the advancement of citizenship or community development','the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science' The SCIO is established for charitable purposes only and the SCIO’s principal purpose is for the benefit of the public in Scotland and elsewhere to advance: 5.1 education. 5.2 citizenship and community development. 5.3 science. and 5.4 health by inspiring young adults to achieve their goals and its activities in furtherance of those purposes will include delivering motivational school talks, the provision of training courses, the provision of expeditions to the Polar regions and the creation of a new generation of community role models.
- When was The Polar Academy founded?
- The Polar Academy was founded in 2014.
- Where is The Polar Academy located?
- Headquartered in Scotland, United Kingdom.
- What is The Polar Academy's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately £100K-£1M. 98% of expenses go to program services.
- Is The Polar Academy trustworthy?
- The Polar Academy has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 51 out of 100 (Partial transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is The Polar Academy's registration number?
- Registration: SC044605 (United Kingdom).
- What is The Polar Academy's website?
- https://www.thepolaracademy.org
- Are donations to The Polar Academy tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.