What Readipop does

Readipop is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1123962) headquartered at 15 Trafford Road, Reading, delivering community music and arts programmes across Reading and the Thames Valley. Founded in 1998 and tracing its origins to the Beatroots community samba group established in 1996, the organisation operates a portfolio of interlocking programmes: Access All Areas (AAA) for young people aged 12-25, Beatroots Bateria and Tankata Percussion community bands, the XOX Electronic Music Heritage Studio featuring vintage Roland instruments, the RG EMOM electronic music open mic, the annual Readipop Festival, and the RISER artist development programme delivered in partnership with 1985 Promotions. It is also an Arts Award centre and Artsmark partner, delivering nationally recognised qualifications.

The charity serves four primary segments: vulnerable and socially excluded young people (the primary segment), community musicians and emerging artists, schools and educational institutions, and families. Its core delivery channels are Readipop Studios in Reading, venue partnerships (Weller Centre, Alderwood Leisure Centre in Aldershot), school and college outreach, and an annual festival. The XOX Studio is the most distinctive technical asset — a curated collection of original 1980s Roland XOX instruments (SH-101, MC-202, TB-303, TR-505, TR-606, TR-707, TR-808) that provides a unique hands-on electronic music heritage experience for workshops and live events.

The business model is grant-dependent and diversified across multiple revenue streams. Primary funding comes from grants and trusts including the National Lottery, Arts Council England, Youth Music, Berkshire Community Foundation, BBC Children in Need, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Blagrave Trust, Big Issue Invest, The Earley Charity, and the Chris Bevington Foundation. Secondary streams include individual and corporate donations (channeled via givealittle.co) and programme fees for community sessions such as Beatroots, processed via SumUp. The organisation is led by CEO/Artistic Director Gavin Lombos with two Executive Directors and a Board of Trustees chaired by Chris Bloomfield, with a stated headcount band of 11-50 employees.

Name

Readipop

Legal name

Readipop

Website

https://readipop.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Readipop is a UK registered charity (1123962) that delivers music and arts programmes across Reading and the Thames Valley, serving vulnerable young people, emerging artists, and community musicians through youth projects, community bands, electronic music heritage workshops, and an annual festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from charitable grants and funding from organizations including National Lottery, Arts Council England, Youth Music, Berkshire Community Foundation, and other charitable bodies.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting the charity's mission.
3. Program Fees: Fee-based participation in community music programs such as Beatroots Samba drumming sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Readipop is a registered charity that delivers community music and arts programmes from its Reading studios and outreach venues across the Thames Valley. Its core offerings include the Access All Areas (AAA) youth music programme, the Beatroots Bateria community Samba drumming group, the XOX electronic music heritage studio with vintage Roland instruments, the RISER artist development programme with 1985 Promotions, the RG EMOM Electronic Music Open Mic, Tankata Percussion workshops, the annual Readipop Festival, and Arts Award qualifications.

Product overview

Readipop is a community music charity (Registered Charity 1123962) that operates a portfolio of music and arts programmes rather than a traditional software product. The organisation offers: Access All Areas (AAA) youth programme, Beatroots Bateria community Samba drumming, RG EMOM electronic music open mic, Tankata Percussion, and community music sessions. Special initiatives include XOX (electronic music heritage project with vintage Roland instruments), RISER (artist development with 1985 Promotions), and the annual Readipop Festival. The charity also delivers Arts Award qualifications and provides music education workshops in schools. These programmes are coordinated through Readipop Studios in Reading, serving young people, aspiring artists, and the broader community across Reading and the Thames Valley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Access All Areas (AAA): Youth music programme providing opportunities for young musicians, including one-to-one sessions, group sessions, drop-in sessions, and family sessions. Specialises in working with socially excluded young people.
• RISER
• XOX
• Beatroots Bateria
• RG EMOM
• Tankata Percussion
• Readipop Festival

Products and services

• Access All Areas (AAA) Youth music programme for young people aged 12-25 offering one-to-one sessions, group sessions, drop-in sessions, and family music activities; specialises in working with socially excluded and vulnerable young people referred from pupil referral units and SEN schools. Funded primarily by Youth Music.
• Beatroots Bateria Community Samba drumming group with weekly sessions in Reading and Aldershot (Beatroots Rushmoor), with fee-based participation rewarding regular attendance via SumUp store. One of the UK's longest-established community samba groups.
• Readipop Festival Annual music festival held in Reading/Thames Valley featuring international artists, local acts, community bands and young performers from the AAA youth programme.
• XOX Electronic Music Heritage Project Electronic music heritage project featuring XOX Studio with vintage Roland instruments (SH-101, MC-202, TB-303, TR-505, TR-606, TR-707, TR-808), XOX workshops delivered in schools and colleges, and XOX Live events.
• RISER Artist Development Programme Artist development programme run with 1985 Promotions, supporting emerging musicians and producers with gigs at grassroots venues and festivals, career planning and development, media, marketing, merch and music industry insight.
• RG EMOM Electronic Music Open Mic Regular community event featuring live electronic music performances, networking and sonic exploration for musicians, producers and electronic music enthusiasts in Reading.
• Tankata Percussion African rhythms workshop teaching traditional drums and percussion including djembes and dun duns, with informal sessions leading to local performance opportunities.
• Arts Award Centre Provision National qualification programme for young people aged up to 25, delivered by Readipop as an Arts Award centre offering Discover, Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold levels with assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Performed at major events including WOMAD, Thames Festival, London 2012 Olympic Rowing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• 1985 PromotionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISER is an artist development programme led by 1985 Promotions with Readipop. Supports grassroots live music through gigs at grassroots venues and festivals, support for emerging artists, career planning and development, media, marketing, merch and music industry insight.
• Weller CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity venue partner hosting In The Mix sessions for young people on the Amersham Road Estate and surrounding area on Monday afternoons.
• English Made PossiblesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting XOX project live performances and studio access.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tomorrow's Warriors: UK charity supporting young musicians through education, mentoring and performance opportunities. Directly comparable as a community-focused music charity delivering programmes for underrepresented young people in the UK.
• Live Music Now: UK charity bringing live music to communities including vulnerable and older people. Comparable as a grant- and donation-funded music charity running participatory programmes with measurable community outcomes.
• Sound Connections: UK charity supporting young people's music-making and workforce development in the music education sector. Comparable as a community music charity delivering youth-focused programmes and sector training in the UK.
• Awards for Young Musicians: UK charity providing financial and developmental support to talented young musicians from low-income backgrounds. Comparable as a grant-funded UK music charity focused on developing young musicians' potential.
• Spitalfields Music: UK charity producing participatory music programmes and festivals in East London. Comparable as a community music charity combining festival programming with youth and community engagement work.
• Drake Music: UK charity pioneering music, disability and assistive technology. Comparable as a community music charity delivering inclusive programmes with funding from arts and youth bodies, with overlap in working with socially excluded young people.
• Music for Youth: UK charity providing young musicians with performance and development opportunities including festivals and workshops. Comparable as a UK youth music charity delivering festival-based community engagement.

Regional players

• London Music Fund: UK charity funding music education for disadvantaged young people in London. Comparable mission and beneficiary base, but operates in London rather than the Thames Valley, making it a regional parallel rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/readipop
• Facebookfacebook.com/readipop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/readipop-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Readipop