Change, Grow, LIVE

What Change, Grow, LIVE does

Change Grow Live (CGL) is a UK-registered health and social care charity founded in 1977 (originally as the Sussex Association for the Rehabilitation of Offenders, later Crime Reduction Initiatives, rebranded to its present name in 2016) and headquartered in Brighton, with a secondary leadership presence in London. It delivers free, confidential treatment, support and information across drug and alcohol use, homelessness, criminal justice and probation, employment and training, domestic abuse, smoking cessation, and young-people services, through more than 150 service locations across the United Kingdom plus a national webchat advice channel (built on LiveChat and ChatBot tooling). CGL serves tens of thousands of service users each day and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff, with peer mentors — many of them former service users — playing a central operational role; CEO Mark Moody joined as a volunteer in 2000 and is the longest-serving employee.

CGL's "product" is an integrated care pathway spanning prevention, harm reduction (including naloxone distribution and needle exchange), medically-supervised detox, residential rehab referral, recovery support, and onward pathways into housing, employment and the criminal-justice system. The internal technology stack centres on CRiiS, a proprietary client management database used to track service-user records across regions, supplemented by a Service Finder locator, the #BelieveInPeople podcast, and a broad social/content presence (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube). Technology is positioned primarily as an enablement layer for clinical and operational delivery, and is not productised for external sale; no public APIs, SDKs, MCP server, or developer platform exists.

The commercial model is publicly funded: operating income derives principally from commissioned service contracts with UK councils and local authorities, supplemented by voluntary public donations via JustGiving, cheques, and fundraising events. All end-user services are free of charge. The organisation has historically grown through mergers and service transfers (Sova in 2012, Lifeline services in 2017) rather than equity funding, is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Sue Killen, and reinvests all surplus into service delivery on a non-profit basis.

Name

Change, Grow, LIVE

Legal name

Change Grow Live

Website

https://changegrowlive.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Change Grow Live is a UK health and social care charity delivering free drug and alcohol treatment, housing, criminal justice, and employment services through 150+ locations nationwide, serving tens of thousands of service users daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Lifestyle Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifestyle & Habit Change Coaching (HSADAGAB), Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Drug alcohol treatment
• Homelessness support services
• Criminal justice services
• Peer mentoring recovery
• Health social care

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Commissioning: Funded by councils and local authorities who commission services from the charity. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Public Donations: Donations from the public via JustGiving page, cheques, and fundraising events. One-off and monthly contribution options available.
3. Free Services Model: All services are provided free of charge to service users, funded entirely through public commissioning and donations rather than direct user fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Change Grow Live is a UK health and social care charity that provides free and confidential treatment, support and information across drug and alcohol use, smoking cessation, homelessness, criminal justice and probation, and employment. Services are delivered through 150+ local service locations across the UK and a national webchat channel, with peer mentoring, detox, rehab, naloxone distribution, family support, and children/young people services integrated into the offering.

Product overview

Change Grow Live is a health and social care charity that operates as a single, integrated service platform providing free and confidential support across multiple interconnected areas. The core offering includes Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services (with detox, rehab, and medication-assisted treatment), supported by Peer Mentoring Programs, Webchat Services, and Find a Service Locator tools. The organization also provides specialized services for Children and Young People, Homelessness Support, Justice and Probation Services, Employment and Training Services, Domestic Abuse Support, Smoking Cessation, and Family and Friends Support. The charity offers the Naloxone Program for overdose prevention and runs the Believe In People Podcast. All services are delivered through a network of local services across the UK, with internal systems like CRiiS for client management. The organization partners with external platforms like Breaking Free Online and various peer support groups for additional resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Free and confidential treatment, support and information about drug and alcohol use, including alcohol treatment options, drug treatment options, detox, and rehab services for adults struggling with substance use.
• Webchat Service National online chat service connecting users with experienced practitioners for confidential advice and support on alcohol, drugs, young people issues, family/friends, and professional queries.
• Peer Mentoring Program Peer support service where mentors with similar lived experiences help and inspire others through one-to-one support and group sessions as part of their recovery journey.
• Children and Young People Services Support and guidance for children and young people facing challenges with drugs, alcohol, or other safety and wellbeing issues, including advice for parents and professionals.
• Homelessness Support Housing advice and support services to help people experiencing homelessness find accommodation and stability, often delivered alongside street outreach.
• Justice and Probation Services Support for people in the criminal justice system, including prison information, arrest referral, prison-based support, and probation-related services.
• Employment and Training Services Work, training and education support to help people develop skills and find employment as part of their recovery journey.
• Domestic Abuse Support Support services for people affected by domestic abuse, providing safe guidance and resources, often intersecting with substance use issues.
• Smoking Cessation Support and advice for people who want to quit smoking, including stop smoking advice and programs.
• Family and Friends Support Support services for family members and friends of people struggling with drugs or alcohol, including advice on how to help and take care of their own wellbeing.
• Naloxone Program Naloxone overdose reversal drug program providing training and supplies to help prevent overdose deaths among people at risk.
• Detox Services Medically supervised detox programs for alcohol and drug dependency, including in-patient treatment and home-based options.
• Rehabilitation Services Residential rehab programs for people who are drug-free, involving in-patient treatment at rehab clinics with group therapy and support.
• Believe In People Podcast Podcast hosted by ReNew service in Hull exploring substance use, recovery, and stigma with guests sharing their own stories and experiences to reduce stigma and encourage community compassion.
• Find a Service Locator Online service finder tool allowing users to search for local Change Grow Live services by location and type of support needed within specified radii.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% reoffending rate for Bounce Back partnership beneficiaries vs 50% national average
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bounce BackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bounce Back charity that trains and supports people in prison to prepare for employment on release. Bounce Back delivers training in construction skills (painting, decorating, scaffolding, dry lining, CSCS) in seven prisons and operates a social enterprise. To date, Bounce Back has engaged with around 10,000 people with a 10% reoffending rate vs 50% national average. The partnership supports the final stage of transition into employment for people leaving prison.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing substance use, mental health, learning disability and housing services. Most direct head-to-head competitor in the commissioned substance use treatment market with overlapping service lines and similar local authority funding model.
• The Forward Trust: UK charity delivering substance use, criminal justice, and education services, including prison-based programmes. Direct overlap with CGL's justice and probation services and substance use treatment.
• We Are With You: UK-wide substance use charity (formerly Addaction) delivering drug and alcohol treatment, mental health and family support. Comparable scale, similar local authority commissioning model, and overlapping geographic coverage.
• Humankind: North England-focused charity (formerly Aquarius) providing substance use, housing, and family services. Operates similar commissioned model with overlap in young people's, family, and recovery services.
• Catch22: UK social justice charity delivering young people's services, justice, employability, and substance use programmes. Comparable holistic model spanning justice, education, and family support.
• Phoenix Futures: UK charity focused on substance use recovery, including residential rehabilitation and community-based recovery housing. Overlaps with CGL's rehab referral pathway and peer-led recovery model.
• St Mungo's: UK charity providing homelessness and rough sleeping services, including recovery support for people with co-occurring substance use. Overlaps with CGL's homelessness and outreach services.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless and vulnerable young people aged 16-25 with housing, health and education services. Comparable to CGL's young people's and homelessness portfolios.

Others

• Aquarius (part of Humankind): Brand entity operating within Humankind focused on alcohol, drugs and gambling across the Midlands. Adjacent peer within the substance use recovery ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Single Homeless Project: London-based charity supporting single homeless people including those with substance use and mental health needs. Partial overlap with CGL's homelessness and outreach services, primarily urban.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRLdZblXjg7dUZyfExjViGQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/changegrowlive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/change-grow-live
• Instagraminstagram.com/changegrowliveuk
• Xx.com/changegrowlive

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

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 Change, Grow, LIVE