1625 Independent People

What 1625 Independent People does

1625 Independent People is a UK-registered charity (Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, reg: 23964R) founded in 1990 that supports young people aged 16–25 who are homeless, leaving care, or at risk of homelessness in the Southwest of England, primarily Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Its service portfolio is organised around a core accommodation program and complemented by education, employment and training support, financial capability training, relationship-building, health and wellbeing, and positive contribution services. The organisation operates Bristol Youth MAPS — a multi-agency partnership acting as the central referral hub for at-risk youth in Bristol — alongside physical drop-in sites in Patchway and the ongoing restoration of Grade II* listed Kingsley Hall into a dedicated youth hub, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The business model is non-commercial: services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, with revenue derived from charitable donations (individual giving via JustGiving), corporate partnerships, mass-participation fundraising events such as Bristol's Biggest Sleep Out and the 1625 Challenge, and grant funding (including the heritage grant underwriting the Kingsley Hall capital project). The charity has begun to commercialise intellectual property externally via the 'Better Conversations with DNA-V' training program (core and Extras Pack), and runs an Independent People Ambassadors (IPA) youth leadership board plus mentor/volunteer pipelines for service delivery.

Operationally, the charity runs a direct support model with a distributed staff team of 101–250 employees, a leadership and trustee governance structure, and a multi-channel engagement stack (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, email newsletter, community events). Technology plays no material role: no mobile app, no public APIs, no proprietary platform, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. Outcome reporting for 2023–2024 indicates 82% of young people supported into accommodation with appropriate independence, 70% progressing on education/employment/training goals, 72% developing financial skills, 75% building relationships, and 71% improving health and wellbeing.

Name

1625 Independent People

Legal name

1625 Independent People

Website

https://1625ip.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

1625 Independent People is a Bristol-based UK charity, founded in 1990, that provides accommodation, education, employment, financial, and wellbeing support to young people aged 16–25 who are homeless, leaving care, or at risk of homelessness across the Southwest of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Homelessness and Social Support Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

Keywords

• Youth homelessness support
• Supported accommodation services
• Youth independent living
• Homelessness charity services
• Social support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and corporate partners, including events like the annual Bristol Sleep Out challenge and the 1625 Challenge fundraising campaign.
2. National Lottery Heritage Fund: Heritage funding for restoration of Grade II* listed Kingsley Hall to create a new hub for young people facing homelessness and leaving care.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

1625 Independent People provides integrated, free-of-charge support services for young people aged 16-25 who are homeless, leaving care, or at risk of homelessness in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Its core offering centres on safe, stable accommodation with varying levels of independence, wrapped around complementary services covering education, employment and training, financial capability, relationship building, health and wellbeing, and positive contribution. Access is coordinated through the Bristol Youth MAPS multi-agency referral service and delivered alongside volunteer mentors, the Independent People Ambassadors youth board, and the DNA-V Better Conversations training program.

Product overview

1625 Independent People is a charitable organization providing integrated social services for young people aged 16-25 who are homeless, leaving care, or at risk of homelessness in the Southwest of England. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected support services organized around a central accommodation program, with complementary services including education and employment support, financial capability training, relationship building, health and wellbeing support, and positive contribution opportunities. Key service offerings include Bristol Youth MAPS (a multi-agency referral service), the Better Conversations with DNA-V training program, and practical support through IndYkits. The organization also runs fundraising initiatives like The 1625 Challenge and is undertaking a major heritage restoration project at Kingsley Hall to expand its service capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bristol Youth MAPS: A multi-agency partnership service serving as the primary referral pathway for young people aged 16-24 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Bristol.
• 1625 Challenge

Products and services

• Bristol Youth MAPS A multi-agency partnership service providing coordinated support for young people aged 16-24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Bristol, connecting them with appropriate accommodation and support services through a single referral point (phone 0117 332 7111 / Freephone 0800 0354213).
• Accommodation Services Provides safe, stable housing options with varying levels of independence for young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk, including supported accommodation and independent living placements, with out-of-hours emergency support (0117 927 6600) and a repairs reporting line (0800 731 72 13 / 0117 317 8800).
• Education, Employment and Training Support Helps young people progress toward education, employment and training goals through CV writing, interview preparation, job searching support, and identifying opportunities for training and development.
• Financial Capability Support Develops and improves young people's financial skills including budgeting, managing bills, and understanding financial independence to support sustainable living.
• Relationship Building Support Builds, develops, or improves positive relationships and relationship-building skills among young people through mentoring programs and peer support initiatives.
• Health and Wellbeing Support Supports young people's mental and physical health through mental health resources, emotional support, and connections to healthcare services to improve overall wellbeing.
• Positive Contribution Program Engages young people in activities, volunteering opportunities, and community involvement to build confidence, purpose, and social connections.
• Better Conversations with DNA-V Training Program A training program based on the DNA-V (Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor, Valued) psychological framework, helping young people develop conversational skills and emotional resilience. Available as core training and an extras pack.
• IndYkits Practical Support Provides essential household items including cookware, plates, cups, cutlery, saucepans, pots and pans, towels, bedding, and toiletries free of charge to young people living in 1625ip accommodation. Contact: [email protected].
• Independent People Ambassadors (IPA) A board of young ambassadors who represent and advocate for young people using 1625ip services, providing feedback and helping shape service delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of young people supported into accommodation with highest appropriate independence level
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bristol Youth MAPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency partnership serving as the central referral hub for young people aged 16-21 who are homeless or at risk in Bristol. Located at Nelson House, Nelson St, Bristol.
• Diversity TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting equality, diversity and inclusion work across the charitable organization and colleague engagement.
• SARIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization working to address equality issues and support diversity and inclusion initiatives within the charity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Emmaus UK: Federated UK charity providing supported accommodation and training opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion, including young people. Shares the multi-faceted housing-plus-support ethos and community-led model used by 1625ip.
• Depaul UK: Charity supporting young people facing homelessness and disadvantage through accommodation and prevention services across multiple UK regions. Closely comparable mission, age band (16-25), and supported housing + education/employment model to 1625ip.
• The Children's Society: UK charity supporting vulnerable children and young people, including those leaving care and at risk of exploitation, through housing, mental health, and advocacy services. Strong overlap with 1625ip's leaving-care and youth housing mission in the Southwest.
• P3 (People, Potential, Possibilities): UK charity providing supported housing, homelessness prevention, and life-skills support across multiple regions, including services for young people. Closely comparable supported-living and outcomes-based delivery model to 1625ip.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA England & Wales: Federation of local YMCAs delivering supported accommodation, health, and training services to young people across England and Wales. Comparable in target demographic and supported housing-plus-services model, though much larger and more diversified.
• Crisis UK: National charity focused on ending homelessness, with a strong youth homelessness offering and education-to-employment programs. Comparable mission and outcomes framework, but operates nationally with a strong policy and campaigning function that 1625ip does not run.
• St Mungo's: Major London-headquartered charity supporting people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. Provides accommodation, recovery, and education services using a similar wraparound model to 1625ip, but with a broader age range and adult-focused portfolio.
• Centrepoint: UK's largest youth homelessness charity serving 16-25 year-olds nationally. Operates a portfolio of supported housing, education, and health services targeting the same demographic as 1625ip, but at national scale with a much stronger national brand and fundraising footprint.

Others

• Homeless Link: UK-wide membership and support body for homelessness charities. Not a direct service provider but acts as an enabling/coordinating organization in the same sector that 1625ip operates in, including representative and training functions.
• Golden Key Consortium (Bristol): Bristol-area partnership coordinating homelessness services across the city. Operates in the same referral and partnership ecosystem as 1625ip's Bristol Youth MAPS but as a cross-agency coordinating structure rather than a direct delivery charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/1625ip
• Facebookfacebook.com/1625IndependentPeople
• Instagraminstagram.com/1625ip

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 1625 Independent People