The Big Life group
The Big Life Group is a UK non-profit community services organisation headquartered in Manchester that delivers NHS-commissioned mental health services, community centres, primary schools, social enterprises, and training programmes to disadvantaged populations across Northern England through a group structure of charities and social enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Big Life group does
The Big Life Group is a UK-registered non-profit community services organisation headquartered in Manchester, founded in 1996 and operating as a group structure comprising Big Life Services (a registered charity), Big Life Company (a social enterprise responsible for administrative functions), Big Issue North Trust (a charity enabling income generation through Big Issue magazine sales in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield), and Big Life Schools (a multi-academy trust running Longsight Community Primary and Unity Community Primary schools plus associated nurseries). Its stated mission is to fight inequality in health, wealth, and life outcomes for disadvantaged populations in Northern England. The group employs 251-500 staff across more than 15 service locations spanning Greater Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Tameside, Rochdale, East Cheshire, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield.
The service portfolio is organised across three principal verticals: (1) health and wellbeing — including NHS-commissioned Talking Therapies services in partnership with NHS Manchester, NHS Stockport, NHS East Cheshire, NHS Trafford, and NHS Heywood/Middleton/Rochdale, plus Living Well community health programmes in Rochdale and Tameside, Be Well Manchester, SAFE Tameside, Thinking Ahead Rochdale, and physical community centres (Zion, Kath Locke, and Energise); (2) children and families — through Big Life Schools, including Longsight Community Primary, Unity Community Primary, and Slade Lane Nursery; and (3) skills, employment, and social enterprise — encompassing Big Issue North magazine distribution, Big Life Homes in Liverpool, Community Voice (Liverpool), and formerly Wesley Community Furniture (which closed in June 2025). The Learn Well division delivers training programmes including Health Coaching Development, Peer Support, and a newly announced Self-Care for Helping Professionals course for 2026. Distribution is anchored in physical community centres and NHS referral pathways; the Big Views digital platform collects service user feedback.
The revenue model is a hybrid of public sector commissioning (NHS Talking Therapies contracts, local authority service contracts, academy trust funding), social enterprise trading income (Big Issue North magazine sales, Big Life Homes), and commercial training fees (Learn Well). The organisation has held the Investing in Volunteers Award for over 15 consecutive years, evidencing disciplined volunteer management infrastructure. A single disclosed funding event of £1,154,141 was received from Social and Sustainable Capital in December 2020. No parent company, equity investor, or acquisition by a larger group is identified; ownership and governance rest with the board and a network of paid staff and volunteers.
The Big Life group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Big Life group
- Legal name
- The Big Life group
- Website
- https://thebiglifegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Big Life Group is a UK non-profit community services organisation headquartered in Manchester that delivers NHS-commissioned mental health services, community centres, primary schools, social enterprises, and training programmes to disadvantaged populations across Northern England through a group structure of charities and social enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Big Life group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health and Social Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
Keywords
Where The Big Life group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices14 records
Markets served
The Big Life group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Funding and Grants: The organization operates as a registered charity and social enterprise receiving public funding to deliver community services including health, employment, and educational programs.
- Social Enterprise Revenue: Revenue generated through social enterprises including Wesley Community Furniture (furniture sales), Big Issue North (magazine sales), and other community services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Low-cost and subsidized services for low-income households |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Big Life group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Big Life Group delivers community-based health, wellbeing, education, and employment support services across Northern England. Its portfolio includes NHS Talking Therapies, Living Well and Thinking Ahead wellbeing programmes, community centres, primary schools through a multi-academy trust, training programmes via Learn Well, and social enterprises such as Big Issue North magazine sales. Services are targeted at disadvantaged populations including people experiencing mental health challenges, unemployment, educational disadvantage, and homelessness, and are delivered through physical community centres, NHS partnerships, schools, and direct community engagement.
Product overview
The Big Life Group is a UK-based community organization comprising multiple sub-brands and services united by a mission to fight inequality and change lives. The group consists of Big Issue North Trust (income generation through magazine sales), Big Life Services (registered charity delivering community services), Big Life Company (social enterprise for administrative functions), and Big Life Schools (multi-academy trust). Its service portfolio spans health and wellbeing — including NHS Talking Therapies across Manchester, Stockport, Eastern Cheshire, and Trafford, plus Living Well centres in Rochdale and Tameside — community centres (Energise, Kath Locke, Zion), Learn Well training programmes (Health Coaching Development, Peer Support, Self-Care for Helping Professionals), schools (Longsight Community Primary, Unity Community Primary), and skills and employment services (Big Issue North, Big Life Homes, Community Voice). The portfolio also includes Big Views, a service user involvement platform. Wesley Community Furniture, previously part of the group, closed in June 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NHS Talking Therapies (Manchester)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,000 volunteer hours walked for walk leaders in Rochdale
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Big Life group
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Big Life group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Big Life group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rochdale Council of MosquescoreJoint partnership to set up Rochdale's first pop-up vaccination clinic at Castlemere Community Centre, working to improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake among BAME communities.
- Wesley Community FurnitureminorWesley Community Furniture joined The Big Life group as a social enterprise providing low-cost furniture and household items. The Wesley has since closed (final trading day June 13).
- NHS East Cheshire Talking TherapiescoreDelivers talking therapies and mental health services in partnership with NHS East Cheshire.
- NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Talking TherapiescoreDelivers talking therapies and mental health services in partnership with NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.
- NHS Manchester Talking TherapiescoreDelivers talking therapies and mental health services in partnership with NHS Manchester.
- NHS Stockport Talking TherapiescoreDelivers talking therapies and mental health services in partnership with NHS Stockport.
- NHS Trafford Talking TherapiescoreDelivers talking therapies and mental health services in partnership with NHS Trafford.
- Rochdale Health AlliancecorePartnership working on the borough-wide response to COVID-19 in Rochdale.
- Big Issue NorthcoreBig Issue North Trust is part of The Big Life Group, providing people with a means to earn an income through selling The Big Issue magazine.
- Muslim Runners (Active Inclusion Network)minorCommunity running group providing shared experience, faith and encouragement for members including Big Life staff.
- Longsight Community PrimarycorePart of Big Life Schools multi-academy trust, providing primary education services.
- Unity Community PrimarycorePart of Big Life Schools multi-academy trust, received positive Ofsted report in April 2026.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Big Life group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Locality: UK national network supporting community-led organisations with advice, training and lobbying. Comparable as a community-rooted intermediary helping local groups deliver health, housing and social services across England.
- Catch22: UK social business operating across education, employment and social justice with a public-sector contract-heavy model. Comparable as a large charity delivering commissioned public services with a mix of grant and contract income.
- Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless and at-risk young people through housing, health and employability services. Comparable focus on disadvantaged populations with integrated health, housing and employment offerings.
- We Are With You (formerly Addaction): UK charity delivering community-based health, mental health and substance misuse services, often under NHS contracts. Directly comparable model of delivering publicly commissioned health and wellbeing services through local centres.
- The Big Issue: National UK social enterprise providing income-earning opportunities for marginalised individuals through magazine sales. Highly comparable model: The Big Life Group actually operates the Big Issue North Trust under its umbrella, sharing the same earned-income-plus-charity hybrid structure.
- Groundwork: UK federation of community charities tackling disadvantage through environmental, employment and health programmes. Comparable multi-region, multi-service community charity model delivering commissioned services for local authorities and the NHS.
Broad incumbents
- Mind: National UK mental health charity. Comparable on the Talking Therapies and mental health service pillar, though Mind operates primarily as a federation and campaigning body rather than a direct NHS service provider.
- Citizens Advice: National UK advice charity providing casework, advocacy and referral across welfare, debt, housing and employment. Comparable in the advice/casework pillar of Big Life's service portfolio, though operating at much greater scale.
- Rethink Mental Illness: National UK mental health charity running direct support services, peer support and housing programmes. Comparable to Big Life's Living Well, Thinking Ahead and Peer Support offerings but at significantly larger national scale.
- Shelter: National UK housing and homelessness charity. Comparable only on the housing/homelessness pillar of Big Life's portfolio (e.g., Big Life Homes Liverpool); broader and more national in scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Big Life group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Big Life group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Big Life group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Big Life group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Big Life group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Big Life group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Big Life group
What does The Big Life group do?
The Big Life Group delivers community-based health, wellbeing, education, and employment support services across Northern England. Its portfolio includes NHS Talking Therapies, Living Well and Thinking Ahead wellbeing programmes, community centres, primary schools through a multi-academy trust, training programmes via Learn Well, and social enterprises such as Big Issue North magazine sales. Services are targeted at disadvantaged populations including people experiencing mental health challenges, unemployment, educational disadvantage, and homelessness, and are delivered through physical community centres, NHS partnerships, schools, and direct community engagement.
Is The Big Life group a public or private company?
The Big Life group is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Big Life group founded?
The Big Life group was founded in 1996. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Big Life group based?
The Big Life group is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Big Life group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are social Enterprise Revenue.
Who are The Big Life group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Locality, Catch22, Centrepoint, We Are With You (formerly Addaction), The Big Issue and Groundwork. Broad incumbents are Mind, Citizens Advice, Rethink Mental Illness and Shelter.
Does The Big Life group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Big Life group.
What industry is The Big Life group in?
The Big Life group's product category is Community Health and Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAB, Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers, with a secondary code of BPAGACAD, Mental Health & Crisis Support Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.