OnSide North West

What OnSide North West does

OnSide Youth Zones (formerly OnSide North West) is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1125893; Company No. 06591785) operating a federated network of purpose-built Youth Zones that deliver affordable out-of-school activities and structured youth work to young people aged 8–19, extending to 25 for those with disabilities. The organisation was founded in 2008 by Bill Holroyd CBE DL, with roots in the 1889 Bolton Lads and Girls Club, and is headquartered in Bolton, England. As of 2024 the network comprises 15 open Youth Zones serving more than 60,000 young people annually and generating approximately 666,000 annual engagements, with publicly stated ambitions to reach 35 sites by 2035.

Name

OnSide North West

Legal name

OnSide Youth Zones

Website

https://onsideyouthzones.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OnSide Youth Zones (formerly OnSide North West) is a UK charity operating a federated network of 15 purpose-built Youth Zones delivering subsidised youth services to 60,000+ young people aged 8–19 annually, funded via a four-way local authority, corporate, philanthropic, and community partnership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: OnSide raises funds from individual donors, corporate partners, philanthropists, and foundations to build new Youth Zones and support the network. Capital campaigns typically raise £11 million per new Youth Zone (split roughly 50% local authority, 50% private donors). Operating costs are partially covered through donations and gifts.
2. Local Authority Funding: Local authorities provide sites and contribute funds to support the build and running costs of each new Youth Zone. This represents approximately half of the £11 million capital cost for each new Youth Zone.
3. Youth Zone Membership and Entry Fees: Youth Zones charge affordable fees to young people: £5 annual membership and 50p per visit. This provides minimal revenue but ensures accessibility.
4. Gift Aid: UK taxpayers can Gift Aid donations, allowing OnSide to claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated at no extra cost to the donor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OnSide operates a federated network of purpose-built Youth Zone facilities across the UK, providing young people aged 8-19 (up to 25 with additional needs) with affordable access to sports, arts, music, cooking, and leisure activities seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, delivered by trained youth workers. Each Youth Zone runs as an independent local charity under the OnSide national umbrella, supported by shared training (Talent Academy), impact measurement (Me App), and a four-way partnership funding model. Services are accessed via a £5 annual membership and a 50p per-visit fee.

Product overview

OnSide Youth Zones operates a platform of state-of-the-art youth centers called Youth Zones across the UK, providing young people aged 8-18 (up to 25 with additional needs) with access to sports, arts, and leisure activities seven days a week. The core Youth Zones product is supported by the Talent Academy (a comprehensive training and development program for staff), the Me App evaluation system (for measuring impact and outcomes), and research publications including Generation Isolation reports and Social Return on Investment analyses. The network currently comprises 19 independent local charities working together to deliver exceptional youth work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OnSide Youth Zones: The national youth charity operating a network of state-of-the-art Youth Zones
• Talent Academy
• Generation Isolation
• Me App

Products and services

• Youth Zones
• Talent Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 76% of young people increased or maintained self-confidence (2024/25)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lidl GBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026Partnership with Lidl GB to deliver free Lidl Foodies Summer Clubs at five Youth Zones across the country, helping around 1,000 young people develop healthier cooking habits and nutrition awareness.
• SkiddlecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2026New partnership giving thousands of music and event-goers the opportunity to support young people across the UK through Skiddle's platform.
• GSKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Partnership with GSK to inspire young people and open up opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across the OnSide Network.
• Children's Booker PrizecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026OnSide named as delivery partner for the launch of the new Children's Booker Prize 2027, a major new award to inspire a new generation of readers across Youth Zones.
• YouGovcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Research partnership conducting the Generation Isolation youth research studies, based on responses from over 5,000 young people to understand social lives and isolation trends.
• EDIT (Evidence Development and Incubation Team) at King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to design the Me App evaluation system for measuring youth outcomes across the network.
• Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-way partnership model where local authorities provide suitable sites and contribute funds to support the build and running costs of each new Youth Zone.
• UFCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to continue expansion of youth mentoring program across the OnSide Network.
• Shaping the Future with VolunteeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop The Big Help Out enabling young people at three OnSide Youth Zones to volunteer.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Citizen Service (NCS): Government-backed programme delivering personal and social development opportunities for 16–17 year-olds across England. Comparable to OnSide in its youth personal-development mission and UK-wide reach, although funded and delivered through a different (government-commissioned) model.
• Girlguiding UK: Major UK youth organisation for girls and young women delivering skills, confidence and social-development programmes nationally. Comparable to OnSide in scale, mission focus on young people's personal development, and UK-wide footprint.
• UK Youth: Umbrella charity supporting a national network of youth organisations and developing youth-work practice. Comparable to OnSide in focusing on youth-sector capacity-building and quality youth work across the UK.
• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity supporting young people aged 11–30 through education, training and enterprise programmes. Comparable to OnSide as a large-scale UK youth charity delivering personal development outcomes for disadvantaged young people, although its model is more programme-based rather than centre-based.
• The Scout Association: One of the UK's largest youth organisations, delivering structured personal development through volunteer-led programmes for ages 4–25. Comparable to OnSide in scale and mission of developing young people across the UK, though delivered through volunteer-led section meetings rather than paid-staff centres.
• YMCA England & Wales: Operates a federation of community/youth facilities across England and Wales with housing, health and youth programmes. Closely comparable to OnSide in operating physical community spaces for young people through a federated model, though broader in scope (housing, health, fitness) beyond youth work.

Broad incumbents

• National Youth Agency (NYA): The professional body for youth work in England. Comparable to OnSide as the leading UK sector voice on youth services and youth-work standards, though it operates as a membership/standards body rather than a direct youth-service provider.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: US federation of centre-based youth clubs serving millions of young people. Closest conceptual analogue to OnSide's federated centre-based youth-work model, but operates in the US rather than competing in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OnSideYZ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OnSideNW
• Facebookfacebook.com/Onsideyouthzones
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/760796
• Instagraminstagram.com/onsideyz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries22 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 OnSide North West