St Martins

What St Martins does

St Martins Housing Trust (registered charity no. 802013; company limited by guarantee no. 02390375) is a UK homelessness charity founded in the 1970s and headquartered in Norwich, Norfolk. The organisation delivers accommodation, outreach, support, and care services to single homeless adults aged 18 and over across Norwich and Norfolk, supporting approximately 200 people at any one time through a portfolio of facilities that includes Bishopbridge House (30 beds), Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub (16 units), St Martins House (23 rooms), Community Shared Housing (45 residents), Dibden Road Hostel, Highwater House, Webster Court, and Under 1 Roof. Service delivery is human-led and facility-based; there is no evidence of a proprietary technology platform, software product, or digital infrastructure underpinning operations.\n\nAlongside accommodation, the charity runs an educational programme called Reality Check and, since March 2018, has delivered mental health support through the acquired Bridges service. It also leads the Pathways consortium, a seven-partner collaboration targeting rough sleeping in Norwich, and has participated in Norfolk-wide mental health partnerships. These moves reflect service-line and consortium expansion rather than product or technology development.\n\nSt Martins is funded through a mix of local government contracts (notably Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council, plus Clinical Commissioning Groups), individual donations, charity retail, and social enterprise income. A £758,000 Norwich City Council contract was secured over a three-year term in 2018, evidencing the local-authority contract dependency that anchors the revenue base. The charity is not a commercial enterprise; its end users receive free support and are not paying customers, so customer and funder concentration must be assessed against counterparties rather than buyers.

Name

St Martins

Legal name

St Martins Housing Trust

Website

https://stmartinshousing.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St Martins Housing Trust is a Norwich-based UK charity founded in the 1970s that delivers accommodation, outreach, support, and care services to single homeless adults aged 18+ across Norwich and Norfolk, supporting approximately 200 people at any time through a portfolio of housing facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Supported Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Homeless accommodation services
• Emergency hostel support
• Rough sleeper outreach
• Supported housing care
• Homelessness charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Local Authority Contracts: St Martins receives funding through contracts and grants from Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council, and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to deliver homelessness support services including the Pathways rough sleeping service, hostels, and mental health support partnerships.
2. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The charity raises funds through individual donations (online via website, contactless card donations at Norwich Cathedral), community fundraising events, corporate donations, school fundraising, and legacy giving.
3. Retail Shop Income: St Martins operates a charity shop (shop.stmartinshousing.org.uk) selling donated goods, generating retail revenue to support its charitable activities.
4. Social Enterprise Activities: Revenue generated from services such as the Under 1 Roof training and development centre, community engagement programmes (Reality Check), and rental income from residents contributing to housing costs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St Martins Housing Trust provides a continuum of homelessness services in Norwich and Norfolk, including emergency and direct-access hostels, move-on supported housing, residential care for people with complex needs, mental health support, training, and community outreach. Services are delivered free of charge to service users and are funded through local authority contracts, grants, and charitable donations.

Product overview

St Martins Housing Trust operates a comprehensive portfolio of homeless services in Norwich and Norfolk, structured as interconnected pathways through homelessness. The core offering consists of emergency accommodation services (Bishopbridge House 30-bed direct access hostel, Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub with 16 units), second-stage move-on housing (St Martins House with 23 rooms, Community Shared Housing for 45 residents, Dibden Road Hostel), and long-term residential care (Webster Court for 50+, Highwater House for dual diagnosis). These are supported by specialist services including the Pathways outreach partnership with seven local organisations, the Bridges mental health support service, Magdalen Road Project for move-on support, and Under 1 Roof training centre. Prevention and education work includes Reality Check talks in schools. The services are designed as a continuum from crisis intervention through to independent living, with each stage offering progressively more independent accommodation while maintaining support access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bishopbridge House A 30-bed direct access hostel, the only such facility in Norwich, providing emergency temporary accommodation with 24/7 support for homeless single people aged 18+.
• Pathways Service A collaborative outreach and support service led by St Martins with six partner organisations (Shelter, YMCA Norfolk, The Salvation Army, Future Projects, The Magdalen Group, NSFT), providing street outreach and personalised support for people sleeping rough in Norwich.
• Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• In the last three months (July–September 2018), 51 known individuals were found bedded down in Norwich through the Pathways service, 17 of whom were new to the streets. 15 of these were found suitable accommodation.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Norwich Puppet TheatreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 December 2018Norwich Puppet Theatre (located in the former St James church, the site of St Martins' original night shelter in the 1970s) hosted Chris Jennings' album launch 'This is Me', with proceeds of £325 donated to St Martins.
• StreetSmartminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 November 2018StreetSmart is a national winter fundraising campaign operating in over 500 restaurants nationwide. Norwich restaurants Frank's Bar and Farmyard participate by adding £1 per table to bills, with 100% of funds raised going to local homelessness charities including St Martins.
• The Maddermarket TheatreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 October 2018The Maddermarket Theatre helped St Martins install and use contactless donation technology, enabling theatre-goers to make cashless donations to support homeless people in Norwich.
• Norwich CathedralminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 September 2018Norwich Cathedral hosts one of St Martins' contactless donation machines in the Refectory, enabling customers and visitors to donate to St Martins using contactless debit and credit cards.
• SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018Shelter is one of seven partner organisations in the Pathways collaborative project led by St Martins, providing a coordinated response to rough sleeping in Norwich. The Pathways service operates on a 'no wrong door' principle, with partner agencies working together to support people sleeping rough.
• YMCA NorfolkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018YMCA Norfolk is a partner in the Pathways collaborative project, contributing to the multi-agency approach to supporting people sleeping rough in Norwich.
• The Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018The Salvation Army is a partner in the Pathways collaborative project, providing additional support capacity and resources to the coordinated rough sleeping response in Norwich.
• Future ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018Future Projects is a partner in the Pathways collaborative project, contributing to the multi-organisational approach to ending rough sleeping in Norwich.
• The Magdalen GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018The Magdalen Group is a partner in the Pathways collaborative project, participating in the coordinated outreach and support service for people sleeping rough in Norwich.
• NSFT (Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2018NSFT is a partner in the Pathways collaborative project, providing NHS mental health expertise to the multi-agency team supporting people sleeping rough in Norwich.
• Norwich City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2018Norwich City Council awarded a grant of £758k over three years (from 2018) to a consortium of eight local organisations including St Martins, to address rough sleeping and support people with complex needs in Norwich.
• Together for Mental WellbeingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2017Together for Mental Wellbeing is the lead partner in a county-wide mental health service partnership selected by Norfolk County Council, alongside St Martins Housing Trust, Norwich and Central Norfolk Mind, West Norfolk Mind, and Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind. The service began operating in March 2018, building on St Martins' existing work to support vulnerable people.
• Norwich and Central Norfolk MindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2017Partner in the Norfolk-wide mental health service partnership led by Together for Mental Wellbeing, selected by Norfolk County Council to deliver integrated mental health support across the county.
• West Norfolk MindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2017Partner in the Norfolk-wide mental health service partnership led by Together for Mental Wellbeing, selected by Norfolk County Council to deliver integrated mental health support across the county.
• Great Yarmouth and Waveney MindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2017Partner in the Norfolk-wide mental health service partnership led by Together for Mental Wellbeing, selected by Norfolk County Council to deliver integrated mental health support across the county.
• Under 1 Roof / 12th MancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2017Under 1 Roof (St Martins' training and development centre) collaborated with 12th Man and other organisations to deliver World Homeless Day Norwich 2017, providing homeless people with hot showers, new clothes, haircuts, and other practical assistance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Crisis UK: National charity focused on single homelessness, providing hostels, education, training, and campaigning. Comparable to St Martins in mission, client base, and service breadth, though operating nationally rather than regionally.
• Shelter: National homelessness and housing-advice charity. Direct Pathways partner alongside St Martins, providing overlapping services in housing advice, emergency accommodation, and advocacy — the most directly comparable UK peer.
• Single Homeless Project: London-based charity delivering hostels, outreach, and support for single homeless adults — closely aligned with St Martins' primary segment of single homeless adults aged 18+ with complex needs.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless young people through accommodation, education, and employment programmes. Comparable mission and continuum-of-care model to St Martins, primarily operating in London with national reach.
• St Mungo's: Major UK homelessness charity operating hostels, recovery services, and rough-sleeper outreach, primarily in London and the South. Highly comparable service mix including dual-diagnosis residential care.
• Depaul UK: National charity providing accommodation and support for young people and adults experiencing homelessness. Comparable operating model with regional delivery and local-authority contract funding.
• Emmaus UK: National federation supporting formerly homeless people through 'companions' communities, social enterprise, and supported housing. Highly comparable model of moving people from homelessness through supported accommodation into training and work.

Emerging players

• Together for Mental Wellbeing: Lead partner of the Norfolk-wide mental health service partnership that includes St Martins. Provides supported housing and mental health services that overlap with St Martins' Bridges service and dual-diagnosis work.

Regional players

• YMCA Norfolk: Regional YMCA providing supported housing, hostels, and youth services across Norfolk, including as a Pathways partner alongside St Martins. Most directly comparable on geography and target population.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army: Large international faith-based organisation with hostels, supported housing, and addiction services; a Pathways partner alongside St Martins. Comparable services but operates at much larger scale across the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stmartinsnfk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuT9OuGQaiqSTIoxWx4VO9A?
• Facebookfacebook.com/stmartinsnfk
• Instagraminstagram.com/stmartinsnfk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-martins-housing-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 St Martins