Locality

What Locality does

Locality is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee (charity number 1036460, company number 2787912) operating as the national membership network for community organisations across England. Tracing its lineage to the 1884 Settlement movement, the London-headquartered entity serves roughly 2,000 member organisations that collectively support over 307,000 people weekly. It operates three revenue streams: recurring membership subscriptions (standard membership for community organisations and partner membership for national/regional bodies), paid specialist consultancy (community-led housing, planning, climate, and Pride in Place support), and event income anchored by the annual Locality Convention and Awards. In 2023 it distributed £3.9m in grants to member organisations and supported 2,616 organisations to become stronger.

The commercial spine sits on a hybrid subscription-plus-professional-services model. Membership is priced privately (annual cadence, undisclosed rates), while consultancy is quoted per-project. Acquisition runs through a community-led go-to-market: content marketing (research reports, toolkits, case studies), email nurture, the annual Convention, regional Power of Community meetings, and direct outreach by staff based across England. Distribution is entirely domestic (England-only), delivered via direct membership enrolment on the website, face-to-face consultancy, and a calendar of events.

The product surface is largely non-technological: there is no proprietary software platform, no public or partner API, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. Differentiated capability stems from a 140-year brand, a content and research library spanning community ownership, Keep it Local commissioning, neighbourhood planning, and climate action, and embedded policy access — including a seat on NHS England's VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance and co-authorship of the We're Right Here Community Power Act coalition. Strategic partners span social-investment funders (Charity Bank, Social Investment Business, Power to Change), sector bodies (Plunkett UK, Co-operatives UK), research partners (IPPR North, The Ubele Initiative, Ashden, Common Wealth), and delivery partners (West Yorkshire ICS, Lloyds Bank Foundation).

Name

Locality

Legal name

Locality

Website

https://locality.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Locality is the national membership network supporting ~2,000 community organisations across England, delivering paid consultancy (housing, planning, climate), policy campaigns (Keep it Local, We're Right Here), annual events, and grant distribution from its London headquarters as a registered charity founded on 1884 Settlement-movement roots.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Neighborhood Communities (BPAMABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

Keywords

• Community membership network
• Community consultancy services
• Neighbourhood planning support
• Community asset transfer
• Local authority advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Locality generates revenue through membership subscriptions from community organisations across England. They offer different membership packages including standard membership for community organisations and partner membership for national or regional organisations.
2. Consultancy services: They provide paid specialist advice and consultancy services including community-led housing consultancy, planning consultancy services, neighbourhood planning support, climate consultancy, and bespoke organisational support for local authorities and community organisations.
3. Events: Revenue generated from events including their annual Locality Convention, Locality Awards, and various webinars and training sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Locality is the national membership network for 2,000 local community organisations across England, providing peer learning, specialist advice, and resources to help members be strong and successful. It complements membership with paid consultancy services spanning community-led housing, neighbourhood and planning consultancy, climate consultancy, community ownership/asset transfer, and Pride in Place support, delivered by staff across the country. It also campaigns nationally (Keep it Local, We're Right Here, Save our Spaces) and produces research reports and toolkits for the community sector.

Product overview

Locality operates as a membership network platform offering consultancy services, policy campaigns, and community support programmes. The core offering consists of membership for 2,000 community organisations, supplemented by specialist consultancy services (community led housing, planning, climate, Pride in Place), policy and campaign work (Keep it Local, We're Right Here), and community ownership support. Annual events include the Locality Convention and Locality Awards. The organisation also produces research and resources through its reports programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Network National membership network with 2,000 community organisations across England, providing peer learning, member-only events, resources, toolkits, and national representation to help members be strong and successful.
• Consultancy Services Paid specialist advice and support delivered by Locality staff across England, covering community-led housing, neighbourhood planning, climate action, Pride in Place, and bespoke organisational support for community organisations and local authorities.
• Community Ownership Support Resources, training, and advice helping communities take buildings or spaces into community ownership through community asset transfer, available to members and paid consultancy clients.
• Neighbourhood Planning Support Guidance and support for communities to shape the future of their local area by creating a neighbourhood plan, including funded advice and planning consultancy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,616 organisations helped to become stronger and more successful in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plunkett UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation sharing commitment to the power of community. Co-branded on website as a partner of Locality.
• Co-operatives UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational trade body for co-operative enterprises, partnered with Locality to support community organisations.
• ECAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation working with Locality.
• HowdenminorOthersInsurance provider offering coverage options for charities and not-for-profit organisations, partnered with Locality.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocality is a member of NHS England's VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance. Conducted research on VCSE sector in health systems and developed guidance for Integrated Care Systems.
• West Yorkshire Integrated Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Integrated Care System to adopt Keep it Local approach. Locality worked with the ICS through its VCSE Alliance 'Power of Communities' to support implementation.
• We're Right HerecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of community leaders calling for Community Power Act. Locality is part of this campaign advocating for community rights over buildings, spaces, services, and funding.
• The Ubele InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner conducting work on community asset ownership within Black and racially minoritised communities. Published 'A Place to Call Home 2.0' with Power to Change funding.
• IPPR NorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for community organisations and climate action report, conducted extensive evidence review and developed climate impact framework.
• Common WealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink tank partnered on 'Clean Power = Community Power' report regarding community energy and net zero.
• AshdencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate charity partnered on 'Clean Power = Community Power' report supporting community energy initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England): ACRE is the national body for 38 rural community councils supporting community organisations in rural England, overlapping with Locality on community development, neighbourhood planning, and rural-community policy advocacy.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): NCVO is the largest umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England and Wales, providing membership, policy advocacy, research, and consultancy to charities — closely overlapping Locality's membership-network, policy-campaign, and sector-support model.
• ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations): ACEVO is a membership network for charity and social-sector chief executives, offering peer learning, events, and policy influence — a structurally similar membership-led model targeting community-sector leaders.
• Groundwork UK: Groundwork is a federation of local Groundwork trusts delivering environmental, community, and place-based programmes in England — directly comparable to Locality's member-organisations in scope, funding model, and local-authority relationships.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): NAVCA is a membership body for local voluntary and community-sector infrastructure organisations in England. It competes head-to-head with Locality in supporting CVS bodies and influencing local-authority commissioning.

Emerging players

• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): CLES is a think-and-do tank focused on local economic strategy and progressive procurement — closely aligned with Locality's Keep it Local commissioning-reform agenda and overlapping on research, consultancy, and local-authority advisory work.

Broad incumbents

• Big Society Capital: Big Society Capital is the UK's social-investment wholesaler, channelling capital to social enterprises and charities. It is adjacent but comparable as a UK infrastructure player funding the same community-sector organisations Locality supports.
• Power to Change: Power to Change is an independent charitable trust that funds and supports community businesses in England. It is a Locality financial partner and a comparable funder/research body in the community-ownership and community-business space.
• Plunkett UK: Plunkett UK is a national charity supporting community-owned enterprises (pubs, shops, etc.), explicitly listed as a Locality partner. Comparable in focus on community ownership, asset transfer, and member support within a narrower co-operative niche.

Others

• Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales: Lloyds Bank Foundation is a major funder of small and medium charities in England and Wales, and the principal funder of Locality's Keep it Local campaign. It is comparable as a sector-funder ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/localitynews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/locality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Locality