What Scripture Union Scotland does

Scripture Union Scotland is a registered Scottish charity (SC011222) and company limited by guarantee (SC54297) founded in 1867, headquartered in Glasgow. The organisation's core function is to provide children and young people (primarily P5-S6, aged approximately 9-18) with structured opportunities to explore the Bible and respond to the Christian faith, delivered through schools ministry, residential holidays, community-based missions, and training programmes. It operates a coordinated portfolio of programmes including SU Holidays (residential camps), SU Groups (school-based extracurricular groups), Bible Alive (a seven-session curriculum-integrated Bible overview for P5-P7), Community Based Missions/Holiday Clubs (church-partnered outreach), Magnitude (Christian festival and worship events), Equip (discipleship training for S3-S6), and COmMISSION (leadership training for ages 16-23). The organisation's underlying technology is modest and operationally focused: Microsoft Power Platform (Power BI, Power Apps, cloud flows) for internal data management and workflow automation, MS Dynamics as CRM, and Google Analytics for web analytics. Content products include the Bible Alive programme and downloadable holiday club resource manuals (Jungle Adventure, The Great Glen Green Welly Garden Show, A Tale of Two Kings) sold at £12.99 per digital title.

The organisation's business model is donation-dependent, supplemented by transactional revenue from holiday fees and digital resource sales. SU Scotland operates physical infrastructure comprising three residential activity centres (Lendrick Muir in Kinross, Alltnacriche near Aviemore, Gowanbank in Ayrshire) and seven regional offices (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Ayrshire/Darvel, Dumfries, Dundee, Inverness). Delivery is carried out by nearly 3,000 volunteers across Scotland, supplementing 101-250 paid staff. The go-to-market model is community-led, event-driven, and direct-to-consumer: SU Scotland reaches end-beneficiaries through partnerships with local churches and schools, a calendar of residential and regional events, and direct bookings via the SU Holidays website. Customer segments include children/young people (primary beneficiaries), schools, local churches, and financial supporters/donors. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees with senior public sector and charity-specialist leadership, and is affiliated with the wider SU International movement while operating as an independent Scottish entity.

Name

Scripture Union Scotland

Legal name

Scripture Union Scotland

Website

https://suscotland.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Scripture Union Scotland is a Glasgow-based Christian charity founded in 1867 that helps children and young people (P5-S6) explore the Bible through schools ministry, residential holidays, community missions, and training programmes, delivered via three residential centres, seven regional offices, and nearly 3,000 volunteers across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Youth Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Youth ministry services
• Residential activity centres
• School-based Bible programmes
• Community holiday clubs
• Christian charity programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: SU Scotland relies heavily on donations from supporters, individuals, and churches. The organisation uses legitimate interest as the legal basis for holding supporter details and administering donations. Explicit consent is relied upon for electronic communications.
2. Holiday Club and Mission Resource Sales: Digital holiday club resource manuals are sold for £12.99 each, including Jungle Adventure, The Great Glen Green Welly Garden Show, and A Tale of Two Kings. Resources include downloadable artwork, theme songs, drama scripts, and promotional templates.
3. Residential Holidays Revenue: SU Holidays generates revenue through week-long residential holidays for P5-S6 aged young people, including multi-activity holidays and specialised activity holidays (drama, baking, etc.). Regional weekends are also offered at activity centres.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Scripture Union Scotland is a Scottish Christian charity that delivers Bible-based youth ministry and discipleship programmes to children and young people (P5-S6) across Scotland. Its core offerings include residential SU Holidays, school-based SU Groups and Bible Alive, community Holiday Clubs and Missions partnered with local churches, a Christian festival (Magnitude), and discipleship and leadership training (Equip, COmMISSION). These are delivered through three residential activity centres, seven regional offices, and a network of nearly 3,000 volunteers.

Product overview

Scripture Union Scotland operates as a Christian children's and youth ministry organization offering a coordinated portfolio of programs and facilities. The core offerings include SU Holidays (residential camps during school holidays), SU Groups (school-based Bible exploration groups), Bible Alive (curriculum-integrated Bible overview program), and Community Based Missions (church-partnered holiday clubs with resource materials). These are supported by three residential activity centres (Lendrick Muir, Alltnacriche, and Gowanbank) providing outdoor adventure settings for programs. Additional ministry programs include Magnitude (festival), Equip (discipleship training), COmMISSION (leadership development), and Local Ministry Hubs (church coordination networks). Holiday club resource materials (Jungle Adventure, The Great Glen Green Welly Garden Show, A Tale of Two Kings) are sold as downloadable products for church use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SU Holidays: Holiday and residential camp programmes for children and young people.
• Magnitude
• Bible Alive
• Equip
• COmMISSION
• SU Groups

Products and services

• SU Holidays Residential camps and holiday programmes for children and young people (P5-S6) featuring outdoor activities, Bible exploration, worship, and fellowship. Offered during summer, Easter, and October holidays with multi-activity and specialist options (drama, baking, etc.). Booked via the SU Holidays website.
• Bible Alive Interactive seven-session Bible overview programme for P5-P7 pupils delivered in schools, using storytelling, costumes, props, music, drama, video, and British Sign Language (Rhyme and Sign). Mapped to the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence.
• SU Groups Extra-curricular school-based groups running during lunchtimes or after school, providing inclusive opportunities for children and young people to explore the Bible in a safe environment.
• Community Based Missions / Holiday Clubs Partnership programmes with local churches providing holiday clubs and missions across Scotland. SU Scotland provides training, resources, leadership development, and an SU Team Leader to support the church-led delivery.
• Magnitude Christian festival and worship nights for S1-S6 young people in Scotland, providing opportunities for discipleship, worship, and Bible teaching in a large gathering format.
• Equip Discipleship and training programme providing monthly gatherings for high school aged Christians (S3-S6) to grow in faith, tackle difficult topics, and become confident in sharing their faith at school. Includes Equip West and other regional variants.
• COmMISSION Leadership training programme for 16-23 year olds preparing them to serve as team members at SU Holidays and Missions, including discipleship and practical ministry skills development.
• Local Ministry Hubs Network of local church partnerships organised around high school clusters, meeting regularly to pray for schools and coordinate meaningful Christian contact in communities across Scotland.
• Lendrick Muir Activity Centre Residential activity centre in Rumbling Bridge, Kinross, offering outdoor adventures, team-building activities, and school residential programmes focused on Christian ministry and personal development. SU Scotland's largest residential centre with a planned large-scale development project (Growing Lendrick Muir).
• Alltnacriche Activity Centre Residential activity centre near Aviemore providing outdoor activities, adventure experiences, and residential programmes for schools and groups in the Scottish Highlands. Known as AV7, hosts the final SU Holiday of the summer.
• Gowanbank Activity Centre Residential conference and activity centre in Ayrshire (Darvel) offering outdoor activities, team-building, and venue hire for groups and churches. Primary and Secondary Regional Weekend events are held here.
• Jungle Adventure Outdoor woodland-themed five-day holiday club resource helping children aged 5-11 discover Jesus as their guide and friend through Bible exploration and nature-based activities. Sold as a digital PDF manual for £12.99.
• The Great Glen Green Welly Garden Show Five-day outdoor Bible-based holiday club material exploring God's relationship with humanity from creation through restoration in Jesus, designed for ages 5-11. Sold as a digital PDF manual for £12.99.
• A Tale of Two Kings Holiday club resource material introducing children to King David from the Old Testament and how his story points to King Jesus. Sold as a digital download within the Community Based Missions product line.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 children and young people impacted by Missions ministry each year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KYTHE (Kinross-Shire Youth Enterprise SCIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKYTHE is an associate trust working across Kinross-shire to serve young people's physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs through innovative Christian youth work. Gillian Lindsay serves as full-time Youth Worker, Abbie Leitch as Apprentice Youth Worker, and Andy Bradley as Head of Youthwork. KYTHE runs band camps, drop-ins, hub activities, and SU Groups in schools.
• KART (Kirkcaldy Area Reachout Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKART provides support to schools and churches in the Kirkcaldy area with the presentation of the Christian message among children and youth. Chris Beattie has served as full-time paid youth worker since 2009. KART runs SU Groups, after-school activities, and supports School Chaplains.
• Ferrywell Youth ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFerrywell Youth Project works in Edinburgh, providing one-to-one support, group work, and community youth work. Jane Hurst works part-time providing counselling at Craigroyston Community High School and support for Ferrywell. Erin Howieson has worked full-time at Ferrywell since 2022.
• COOL (Christian Opportunities for Outdoor Learning)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOOL is an interdenominational youth project working in schools and communities in North West Scotland. Heather Macdonald is the contact, based at Kyle Village Hall. The project aims to encourage young people to establish and strengthen their relationship with God and provide social and recreational opportunities.
• Kingdom 2000 (K2)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKingdom 2000 (K2) is an associate trust. Chris Cameron serves as the K2 worker, based at St David's Centre in St Andrews, working in the Kingdom 2000 area.
• Westside Youth ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestside Youth Project serves the Westside area. Anne Gunn serves as Schools and Families Worker since August 2024, having previously worked as a primary school teacher and at Kinmylies Church of Scotland for 16 years.
• Cambuslang & Rutherglen Reachout TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambuslang & Rutherglen Reachout Trust supports youth and schools work in the Cambuslang and Rutherglen area. Laura Hutchinson serves as youth and schools worker, delivering projects in primary schools, assemblies, SU groups, and serving on SU residential camps and KX1 on Arran.
• Radiate (Cathcart)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadiate is a youth and community project supported by three local churches in Cathcart, Glasgow. Gap year participant Lily Boyd is placed with Radiate for her gap:church placement, working with youth groups, school clubs, and community events.
• Innes & Partners LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJonathan Innes, a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant and Managing Director of Innes & Partners Ltd based in Inverness and Livingston, specialises in charity accounting and serves as a trustee for SU Scotland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Christian Aid Scotland: Christian Aid is a major UK Christian charity with significant Scottish operations focused on poverty relief and advocacy. While not a youth ministry peer, it competes for the same pool of Christian donors, church collections, and denominational partnerships across Scotland.
• SU International: SU International is the global umbrella of which SU Scotland is an independent member. It coordinates Scripture Union movements across more than 130 countries and shares programme methodologies (school-based groups, holiday missions, leadership training) that mirror SU Scotland's approach.

Broad incumbents

• Scripture Union UK: Scripture Union UK is the parent/affiliate movement of SU Scotland and runs the same faith-based youth and schools ministry across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Directly comparable mission, programmes (SU Groups, holiday missions, Bible engagement), and volunteer-driven model, but operating at a wider UK-wide scale.
• Barnardo's Scotland: Barnardo's is one of the UK's largest children's charities and runs extensive services in Scotland including schools-based programmes and residential support. Much broader scope and scale than SU Scotland, but competes for similar schools engagement and faith-sector volunteer/donor pools.

Direct peers

• Urban Saints (Crusaders): Urban Saints (formerly Crusaders) is a UK Christian youth charity delivering schools work, holiday clubs, and discipleship training for children and young people. Zonya Bewick (now SU Scotland's Director of Local Ministries) previously worked at Urban Saints, indicating direct operational overlap and shared methodology.
• Child Evangelism Fellowship UK: CEF runs Good News Clubs and holiday Bible clubs in schools and communities across the British Isles, with a strong volunteer model focused on children aged 4–11. Closely comparable mission (Bible-based outreach to children) and channel mix (schools, holiday clubs, volunteer-led delivery).
• Youth for Christ UK: Youth for Christ UK runs schools work, holiday missions, and Christian youth outreach across the UK with a similar volunteer-and-church-partnership model. It targets the same secondary-age audience and competes for the same donor and church-partner support.
• Boys' Brigade UK: Boys' Brigade is a long-established UK Christian uniformed youth organisation running weekly school-year programmes and residential experiences for children and young people. Comparable church-anchored, volunteer-led delivery model and faith-based youth formation focus.

Emerging players

• Hot Chocolate Trust: Hot Chocolate Trust is a Dundee-based Christian youth charity providing detached and relational youth work with teenagers. Operates at much smaller scale than SU Scotland but shares the same church-rooted, volunteer-and-staff-supported youth ministry model in Scotland.

Regional players

• Girls' Brigade Scotland: Girls' Brigade Scotland operates the same church-based, uniformed youth programme model as Boys' Brigade, focused on girls and young women across Scotland. Directly comparable geography, audience, faith-based mission, and volunteer-delivery approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SUScotland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SUScotland
• Facebookfacebook.com/SUScotland
• Instagraminstagram.com/suscotland
• TikToktiktok.com/@suscotland

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Scripture Union Scotland