The Boys' Brigade

What The Boys' Brigade does

The Boys' Brigade is a UK and Republic of Ireland Christian youth organisation founded in 1883, operating as a registered charity (England & Wales No. 305969; Scotland No. SC038016). It delivers structured, age-banded programmes across four sections — Anchors (5-8), Juniors (8-11), Company (11-14) and Seniors (14-18) — reaching 20,000+ children and young people weekly. Programmes combine outdoor adventure, badge work, sport, music, crafts and Christian faith formation, culminating in the President's Badge and King's Badge awards and integration with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Delivery is decentralised through a network of locally hosted groups called Companies, embedded in churches and run by adult volunteer leaders, with spiritual oversight provided by chaplains. The national body — headquartered in Hemel Hempstead with a residential training centre at Carronvale House in Stirlingshire — provides programme content, safeguarding frameworks, training (including KGVI Youth Leader Training) and an administration platform. The Online Brigade Manager (OBM), developed and hosted by Online Youth Manager Ltd under contract, is a cloud-based system used by 100,000+ leaders globally for member management, attendance, badge tracking, programme planning (15,000+ activities), event management, parent communications and payments via GoCardless and Stripe integrations.

Revenue is generated from four streams: annual capitation fees from local Companies (voted annually at Brigade Council), donations and fundraising through the website and shop, merchandise and badge sales, and indirect monetisation of the OBM platform through payment processing. There is no equity funding, no parent company, and no public listing; governance rests with Brigade Council as the supreme body, with the most recent annual AGM scheduled for 5 September 2026. The Boys' Brigade is a member of the Global Fellowship of Christian Youth and participates in international leadership programmes such as Thrive in Zambia.

Name

The Boys' Brigade

Legal name

The Boys Brigade

Website

https://boys-brigade.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Boys' Brigade is a UK and Republic of Ireland Christian youth charity founded in 1883 that delivers structured, age-banded programmes (Anchors through Seniors) to 20,000+ children weekly via church-hosted volunteer-led groups, supported by the OBM administration platform, badge awards, and national competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programmes
• Christian youth ministry
• Age-based youth activities
• Badge award programmes
• Volunteer-led youth groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership/Capitation Fees: Local BB groups pay annual capitation fees to the national organisation. The proposed capitation fees for 2026/27 session are published annually and voted on at Brigade Council.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organisation accepts donations through its website and runs fundraising initiatives. Donations support the charitable mission of providing youth development programmes.
3. OBM Platform Services: The Online Brigade Manager platform is provided free to authorised users (leaders), with payment processing capabilities for membership fees and event payments via GoCardless integration.
4. Shop/Merchandise: Online shop selling BB branded merchandise, badges, and resources for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Boys' Brigade delivers structured, age-segmented youth development programmes for children and young people aged 5-18 (Anchors, Juniors, Company, Seniors), combining activities, outdoor adventure, badge awards, and Christian faith formation delivered through volunteer-led local groups hosted in churches. It is supported by the Online Brigade Manager (OBM) administration platform, a national events and competitions programme, and dedicated subgroups such as the BB Mountaineering Club.

Product overview

The Boys' Brigade is a Christian youth organization offering a structured programme across four age groups: Anchors (5-8 years), Juniors (8-11 years), Company (11-14 years), and Seniors (14-18 years). The core offering consists of activity-based programmes with badge awards culminating in the President's Badge and King's Badge. Digital administration is supported through the Online Brigade Manager (OBM) platform, which includes a Parent Portal module for family engagement. Specialised subgroups include the BB Mountaineering Club (BBMC) which organizes Adventure Camps and provides virtual peak bagging resources. The organization also runs international programmes like Thrive (Zambia), national competitions including 10 Pin Bowling Championships, and seasonal activities through Summer Adventures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Girls' Association: Christian youth organization for girls associated with The Boys' Brigade
• Online Brigade Manager (OBM)
• BB Mountaineering Club (BBMC)

Products and services

• Anchors Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 children and young people participate weekly in BB activities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Online Youth Manager Ltd (OYM)coreTechnology or IntegrationOYM developed and hosts the Online Brigade Manager (OBM) platform for The Boys' Brigade. OYM operates the platform under contract, providing member management, programme planning, badge tracking, and parent communication tools used by 100k+ leaders.
• Global Fellowship of Christian Youth (GF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Boys' Brigade UK & Republic of Ireland is a member of the Global Fellowship of Christian Youth. BB participates in international courses like Thrive (Zambia) which brings together young leaders from GF member organisations worldwide for leadership development.
• BB ZambiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBB Zambia hosts the Thrive international course at Kaniki Training Centre near Ndola. UK BB members travel to Zambia to participate in cross-cultural leadership training.
• University of London Mountaineering Club (ULMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBB Mountaineering Club holds residential meets at ULMC's Caseg Fraith Hut near Capel Curig in Eryri/Snowdonia, close to where the first BBMC event took place in Easter 1965.
• GoCardlesscoreTechnology or IntegrationGoCardless is integrated into the OBM platform to enable direct debit payments for membership fees and event payments. Leaders can collect payments from parents through this payment processor.
• Church of ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Boys' Brigade has a Guard of Honour at the Church of Scotland and has partnered with Church of Scotland for safeguarding training recognition. BB safeguarding courses are recognised by Church of Scotland as alternatives to their Introductory Course.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sea Cadets: UK uniformed youth charity offering nautical adventure and citizenship programmes to 10-18 year-olds. Comparable as a uniformed, badge-based, themed-outdoor youth organisation competing for the same volunteer and parent pool.
• Girlguiding UK: The UK's largest girls-only uniformed youth organisation. Most directly comparable to BB in mission (character and confidence building), four-tier age programme, church/faith roots, badge ladder, and decentralised local-unit operating model.
• Church Lads' Brigade: Historic Anglican uniformed youth organisation, explicitly a sibling/fellow organisation of BB. Closest structural and theological peer — same church-anchored, male-only tradition, similar badge system.
• Woodcraft Folk: Alternative UK youth movement focused on social justice and outdoor activity for children and young people. Comparable as a values-led, democratic, uniformed-but-soft youth programme serving similar age groups.
• Youth for Christ UK: Faith-based youth work charity in the UK. Comparable as a Christian-mission-driven youth organisation working with adolescents, schools, and churches in overlapping geographies.
• The Scout Association: Direct competitor for 5-18 year-olds in the UK, with overlapping badge/award structures, uniformed local groups, and a faith-adjacent ethos. Already identified as an OBM user, validating parity in volunteer/admin tooling.
• Volunteer Police Cadets: Uniformed youth programme for 10-18 year-olds in the UK, sponsored by police forces with a citizenship/leadership curriculum and badge structure. Direct thematic peer for Sections and adventure + service mix.
• St John Ambulance Cadets: Uniformed youth division of a major UK charity for 10-17 year-olds, mixing first-aid training, community service, badges and residential experiences. Strong overlap in structure, age-range and credentialing.

Regional players

• Girl Guides (Girlguiding) Australia: Comparable uniformed youth organisation operating in ANZ, illustrating how UK-origin uniformed-youth charities have internationalised. Useful benchmark for the Global Fellowship / Thrive international-expansion thesis in BB's data.

Others

• Online Youth Manager Ltd (OYM): Technology partner that built and hosts BB's OBM platform and serves a parallel role for Scouts/Guides. Comparable as the underlying SaaS layer; useful as a peer for sizing the platform opportunity behind BB's OBM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BBMountClub
• Facebookfacebook.com/r.php?fbpage_id=476071195767323
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-boys-brigade

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Boys' Brigade