People's Voice Media

What People's Voice Media does

People's Voice Media is a UK-registered civil society organisation (Charity No. 1059681, Company No. 3083575) founded in 1995 and headquartered in Oswestry, Shropshire. The organisation develops and disseminates the Community Reporting methodology — a three-phase digital storytelling framework covering story gathering, story curation, and story mobilisation — that supports individuals from underserved communities to capture and share their lived experiences for use in research, policy, and service design. A small core team of approximately 10 staff (plus a board of trustees) operates remotely across the UK, leading a wider Community Reporter Network of 2,000+ trained reporters and 50+ active partner organisations spanning the UK and Europe.

The organisation's underlying technology comprises the Community Reporter Network digital platform (communityreporter.net) — a Drupal-based site functioning as an "insight engine" that hosts and organises stories — supplemented by Ripple Effect Mapping for impact evaluation and bespoke digital media production (video, podcasts, animations) for project outputs. The methodology is delivered through training programmes, hackathons, and co-designed project partnerships rather than as licensed commercial software. There is no evidence of AI/ML components in the disclosed product set; the approach is human-facilitated and peer-to-peer by design.

Revenue is generated through three streams: project funding and grants from trusts, foundations, and government bodies (BBC Children in Need, National Lottery Community Fund, NHS England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Research England); bespoke Community Reporting training sold to partner organisations; and consultancy work in learning-partner, evaluation-partner, and co-production roles. Customers span public sector bodies (NHS Integrated Care Systems, local authorities including Bristol City Council), third sector organisations (Macmillan Cancer Support, Equality Trust, Disability Rights UK, Ideas Alliance, Refugee Women's Connect), and universities (UCL Co-Production Collective, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Birmingham, Cardiff University SPARK). Distribution is direct and partnership-led rather than channel-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing and high reliance on grant cycles for revenue cadence.

Name

People's Voice Media

Legal name

People's Voice Media

Website

https://peoplesvoicemedia.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

People's Voice Media is a UK not-for-profit (founded 1995) that uses its Community Reporting three-phase storytelling methodology to capture and mobilise lived experience, serving 50+ public sector, charity, and university partners across the UK and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Audio & Live Community Platforms (BPAMABAH)

Keywords

• Lived experience storytelling
• Community development consulting
• Social impact research
• Third sector training
• Co-production engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Salford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project Funding and Grants: Primary revenue comes from project-based funding grants from trusts, foundations, and government bodies including National Lottery, BBC Children in Need, NHS England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Erasmus+, and Research England.
2. Training Services: Delivery of bespoke Community Reporting training packages to partner organizations, upskilling staff and volunteers in lived experience storytelling methodologies.
3. Consultancy and Partnership Development: Working as learning partners, evaluation partners, and in co-production roles with various organizations to embed lived experience approaches.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

People's Voice Media is a civil society organisation that delivers Community Reporting—a peer-to-peer digital storytelling methodology structured around three phases (story gathering, story curation, story mobilisation). It sells bespoke training packages, consultancy, and collaborative project delivery to public bodies, charities, universities, and health systems, equipping them to gather, curate, and act on lived experience stories, supported by the Community Reporter Network digital platform (insight engine) and Ripple Effect Mapping evaluation.

Product overview

People's Voice Media operates as a civil society organisation offering a suite of interconnected products and services centred on lived experience storytelling for social change. Their core offering is the Community Reporting methodology—a three-phase digital storytelling framework (story gathering, curation, and mobilisation)—delivered through the Community Reporter Network platform. This is complemented by training programmes, hackathons, and evaluation services including Ripple Effect Mapping. The organisation also delivers thematic projects addressing health, disability rights, anti-racism, youth empowerment, and civic participation. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where the methodology, platform, and training services enable partners to collect, analyse, and mobilise lived experience stories for research, policy influence, and service improvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Reporter Network: A digital storytelling network that spans the UK and Europe, with 50+ active partner organisations and 2,000+ trained Community Reporters.
• Community Reporting

Products and services

• Community Reporting A digital storytelling methodology that uses peer-to-peer approaches to support people to tell their own stories in their own ways, structured around three phases: story gathering, story curation, and story mobilisation; designed to transform lived experiences into real-world change for partner organisations in the public, third, and academic sectors.
• Community Reporter Network A digital platform spanning the UK and Europe that hosts lived-experience stories, provides an 'insight engine' for organisations to access research resources, and connects storytellers with decision-makers to catalyse social change; the network includes 50+ active partner organisations and 2,000+ trained Community Reporters.
• Community Reporting Training Bespoke training programmes that equip organisations and individuals with skills in story gathering, safe and responsible practice, digital recording, sense-making, and story curation, enabling partners to use the Community Reporting methodology independently.
• Community Reporting Hackathon Intensive collaborative events that bring together lived-experience experts, researchers, creative practitioners, and sector workers to develop innovative solutions for making storytelling practice more accessible and inclusive.
• Ripple Effect Mapping A qualitative research method used alongside Community Reporting to gather data about impacts, outcomes, and challenges from project participants, producing visual representations of effects; used for evaluating programme effectiveness and community change.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 Community Reporters trained across the network
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Agora KolnsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cologne-based partner in Cultural Bridge project funded by Cultural Bridge Fund (UK-Germany). Investigates civic participation motivations in urban and rural contexts using Community Reporting methods.
• Lincolnshire Voluntary Engagement Team (LVET)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025LVET brings together voluntary, community, faith-based, and social enterprise (VCFSE) organizations across Lincolnshire committed to health, care, or wellbeing. Partnership to deliver Community Reporting training and build county-wide capacity for lived experience storytelling in health services.
• It's All About PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Partner in Lincolnshire Community Reporting Applied Learning Project, contributing to training delivery, Conversation of Change events, and ongoing work to improve health and wellbeing services in Lincolnshire.
• Army of Kindness RochdalecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025First youth organization partner in Future Changemakers project. Young people receive Community Reporter training to develop skills for gathering stories and creating social action projects.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership on ethnic minority communities' experiences of cancer. Training provided to Social Prescribers and Cancer Care Coordinators to use Community Reporting approach to enhance project reach.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Obert Tawodzera serves as Research Fellow at University of Birmingham. Research focuses on migration, adult social care, and amplifying voices of disadvantaged communities through co-production approaches.
• Manchester Metropolitan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Paula Sergeant works in Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at Manchester Metropolitan University. Partnership brings expertise in strategic planning, financial oversight, and international project management.
• SPARK at Cardiff UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hayley Trowbridge serves as Research Fellow at SPARK. Partnership supports third sector leadership, research expertise, and business development activities.
• Co-Production Collective (UCL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Led 'Understanding Racism in Co-Production' project exploring experiences of racialised individuals in co-production spaces. Also partnered on 'Value of Co-Production' project examining the value of co-production for individuals, organisations and society.
• Equality TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated on 'Stories for Change' project to gather stories of structural inequalities. The Equality Trust used Community Reporting to connect with diverse groups and enable systems and policymakers to better understand structural inequalities.
• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to evaluate the £4million Community Resilience Fund capital investment programme. Used Community Reporting and Ripple Effect Mapping to capture impacts on grantee organisations and communities in Bristol.
• Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership under Research Engagement Network Development Fund (NHS England) to increase participation from under-served communities in health and care research. VCSE partners recruited lived experienced researchers to tell and share their stories.
• Wolverhampton Voluntary Community Action (WCVA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023VCSE network partner in Black Country REND programme, supporting recruitment of lived experience researchers and community engagement in health research.
• Association of CameradoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023People's Voice Media serves as Learning Partner for the Camerados social movement. Co-designed learning framework focused on iterative learning, participatory practices and human insight. Supports use of Community Reporting and Ripple Effect Mapping.
• GaddumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Manchester-based mental health and carer support organization received online Community Reporting training workshops. Training supports evaluation of Shared Lives and Hospital Discharge schemes and upskilling co-production work.
• Bronte Youth and Community CentresecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Delivered series of workshops developing community reporting skills, confidence, and enthusiasm among young people who then interviewed community members.
• Ideas AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Seven-year partnership bringing Community Reporting into health and social sector work. Ideas Alliance views People's Voice Media as 'go-to partner' for community reporting with deep knowledge and expertise.
• Curators of Change CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Longtime friend and collaborator. Shared values around ethics and lived experience. Partnership on amplifying unheard voices through transformative Community Reporting methodology.
• GeniocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership on Learning As You Scale project supporting social innovations scaling in complex environments. Collaboration on practical guides and tools for involving beneficiaries in scaling processes.
• Disability Rights UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership on COVID-19 inquiry work gathering stories of Disabled people's pandemic experiences. Stories formed part of Disability Rights UK's core participant submission to national COVID-19 inquiry.
• Refugee Women's ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner in Home? Heritage project collecting lived experiences of people seeking sanctuary and migrants in Northern England. Delivered Community Reporting training and archive research sessions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): Membership body representing the UK voluntary sector. Comparable to PVM as a UK-wide infrastructure organisation working with charities and community organisations, but operating at significantly larger scale and broader remit.
• Carnegie UK Trust: UK-wide charitable trust working on well-being, participation, and innovation policy. Comparable to PVM in using participatory and co-production methods to influence public policy across the UK and Ireland.

Regional players

• Locality: UK membership network supporting community-led organisations and community anchors. Comparable to PVM in mission around community empowerment and grassroots-led change, but with a broader organisational development focus rather than storytelling methodology.

Direct peers

• Involve: UK charity focused on public participation and democratic engagement, designing and delivering participatory processes for citizens and institutions. Comparable to PVM in centering lived experience in policy and service design, particularly with UK public sector partners.
• StoryCorps: US-based non-profit that records and preserves personal stories using a structured storytelling methodology. Closely comparable to PVM's Community Reporting approach: trains everyday people to gather stories and uses them as a force for social and civic impact.
• The Moth: Non-profit organisation dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling, hosting live storytelling events and a podcast. Comparable to PVM in using lived-experience narrative as the core engagement mechanism, though delivered through events rather than a peer-led methodology.
• Narrative 4: International non-profit that uses personal narrative exchange to foster empathy and social connection. Directly comparable methodology to PVM's peer-to-peer Community Reporting approach and similar mission of using stories to drive social change.

Emerging players

• Shared Lives Plus: UK membership body for Shared Lives schemes supporting adults with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and older people. Comparable to PVM in operating across health/social care and using lived experience to influence commissioning and service design.
• Centre for Ageing Better: UK charity working on healthy ageing through research, advocacy, and partnerships. Comparable to PVM in combining research, lived-experience engagement, and cross-sector partnerships to drive policy and service improvement.
• The Young Foundation: UK social innovation organisation that develops new approaches to social challenges through research and place-based programmes. Comparable to PVM in combining participatory research, lived experience methods, and a mission to influence systemic change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Pe0plesVoiceMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peoples-voice-media
• Xx.com/peoplesvoice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 People's Voice Media