What Spires does

Spires is a south London-based charity, operating as The Spires Centre (Registered Charity No. 1076888, Registered Company No. 3785409), that supports people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across Lambeth, Wandsworth, and Croydon. Founded in 1989 as a temporary Christmas centre and officially registered as a charity in 1993, Spires has run homelessness services for over 30 years. The organization operates five physical drop-in venues (Stockwell headquarters, Tooting, West Norwood, Streatham, Croydon) plus a Spires Streetlink nighttime outreach service delivered from a specially adapted vehicle to women engaged in street-based sex work across South London on Monday, Thursday, and Friday evenings and Monday mornings.

The service portfolio is built around four core programmes: Housing & Homelessness drop-ins (3,234 breakfasts served to 466 people across 266 sessions in 2024), Women's Space (supporting 133 women in 2024), Spires Streetlink outreach, and Refugee Support via a Croydon partnership launched November 2023. Spires functions as a multi-agency hub, co-locating NHS Health Inclusion nursing, START mental health support, Southwark Law Centre legal advice, DWP benefits support, and the Refuge/Gaia Centre domestic violence team. Service differentiation rests on the Streetlink outreach model (2013 London Homelessness Awards first prize), over 30 years of community relationships with churches and local authorities, and specialist expertise in sex work and refugee transition support.

The revenue model is entirely nonprofit: individual donations via JustGiving, Crowdfunder, and direct bank transfer (with Gift Aid), grants from Charitable Trusts and Foundations (Marsh, National Lottery, Albert Hunt, Chapman, Souter, Streets of London, LandAid/Streetsmart, Lambeth VCS), corporate partnerships (White Stuff, City Harvest, Wimbledon Foundation, Co-Op Community Fund, NatWest), individual fundraising events, and in-kind donations. The only priced product is the Spires Calendar 2026 at £4.99. Services are free at point of use. No revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Spires

Legal name

The Spires Centre

Website

https://spires.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spires is a south London registered charity (founded 1989, registered 1993) providing homelessness support, women's services, street outreach for sex workers, and refugee resettlement assistance across five drop-in sites and a nighttime outreach vehicle in Lambeth, Wandsworth, and Croydon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Homelessness support services
• Rough sleeper outreach
• Women's shelter services
• Refugee housing assistance
• Community drop-in services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, processed via Just Giving, Crowdfunder, and direct bank transfer. Gift Aid scheme allows UK taxpayers to boost donations by 25% at no extra cost.
2. Trusts & Foundations Grants: Multi-year and annual grants from charitable trusts and foundations including The Marsh Charitable Trust, The National Lottery, The Albert Hunt Trust, Chapman Charitable Trust, Souter Charitable Trust, and others. These provide operational stability for core services.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Support from businesses including White Stuff, City Harvest, Wimbledon Foundation, Co-Op Community Fund, and NatWest through fundraising, volunteering, donations, and promotional partnerships.
4. Individual Fundraising Events: Fundraising activities organized by individuals and groups including marathon runs, community events, workplace fundraisers, and the annual Spires Calendar sold for £4.99.
5. In-Kind Donations: Donations of items including food, clothing, toiletries, and sleeping bags from individuals and organizations to support service users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Spires is a South London-based charity providing free drop-in services, housing advice, and outreach support to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Its core offerings include the Housing & Homelessness drop-in (food, housing and tenancy support, benefits advocacy), Women's Space (specialist support for women facing domestic violence and exploitation), Spires Streetlink (nighttime outreach to women in street-based sex work from a specially adapted vehicle), and a Croydon Refugee Support service for newly granted refugees, complemented by NHS-partnered Health Inclusion clinics.

Product overview

Spires offers a multi-service charitable operation centered around supporting homeless and disadvantaged individuals in South London. The core portfolio includes: Housing & Homelessness Drop-In services providing food, advice, and casework across multiple locations; Women's Space offering specialist support for at-risk women; Spires Streetlink outreach vehicle service for women engaged in street-based sex work; Refugee Support Service for newly-granted refugees; and Health Inclusion partnerships with NHS. Additionally, Spires sells merchandise including the Spires Calendar 2026. The organization operates across five physical locations in Lambeth and Croydon plus nighttime outreach, providing assessment, intervention, and referral services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spires Streetlink: Outreach service for women engaged in street-based sex work, operating from a specially adapted outreach vehicle across South London.
• Women's Space
• Housing & Homelessness Service

Products and services

• Housing & Homelessness Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 143 people supported into accommodation in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• White StuffminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing fundraising support, donations, and promotional assistance to Spires' homelessness services.
• City HarvestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner contributing food donations and support to Spires' services for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.
• Wimbledon FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing funding and support through the Wimbledon Foundation to Spires' homelessness work.
• Co-Op Community FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-Op Community Fund partner supporting Spires through community funding initiatives and co-operative member contributions.
• NatWestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner providing corporate support and donations to Spires' homelessness services.
• TLC Streatham (The Lunch Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew charity providing food for people in need in Streatham. Delivers lunch every Thursday at St Leonard's Church Hall. Partnership allows Spires to deliver a whole day of support from the hall, combining Rough Sleeper space in the morning with lunch service.
• Croydon Refugee Day Centre (CRDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established November 2023 to deliver a targeted drop-in for newly granted refugees from CRDC's day centre. Spires provides a pop-up assessment service every Tuesday. Has successfully assisted over 100 individuals in the first year.
• Refuge / Gaia CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Refuge to join the referral pathway for people experiencing domestic violence in Lambeth. Members of the Refuge team join Spires' weekly Women's drop-in to provide integrated support.
• St Luke's Parish Church West NorwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner hosting Spires' drop-in services twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday). Has been incredibly supportive, flexible and understanding throughout the first year of the new service model.
• NHS Health Inclusion TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NHS to run weekly on-site drop-in with a community nurse. The nurse can triage and refer clients for further treatment, complete bloodwork and provide prescriptions. Highly attended sessions enabling clients to access healthcare who have not previously engaged.
• START Team (Mental Health Support)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health support team providing services from Spires' centre for homeless people who do not regularly access healthcare. Spires refers clients and supports engagement with the team.
• Southwark Law CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal partner providing immigration and other legal advice services from Spires' centre, supporting clients with complex legal issues including immigration status.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWP team supports clients to access the correct benefits, operating from Spires' centre to assist homeless and vulnerable individuals with welfare benefits.
• Croydon CouncilminorOthersLocal authority partner working with Spires to support refugees and homeless individuals with housing applications and homeless referrals.
• SPEAR (Outreach Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal outreach team receiving referrals from Spires for rough sleepers to be verified and supported into accommodation.
• Aves HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing provider offering hostel and semi-independent housing for single homeless people, including those with backgrounds of domestic violence.
• Young RootsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee organization referring young refugees to Spires' services and collaborating on supporting individuals facing homelessness.
• Street LinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization for reporting and responding to rough sleepers. Spires makes Streetlink referrals as the first step in getting someone verified as rough sleeping for outreach support.
• Crystal Palace Football Club / Maxence LacroixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional footballer visited Spires' service, donated over 50 support packs for those facing homelessness this winter, raising awareness through club channels.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Glass Door Homeless Charity: London-based charity providing emergency shelter and casework for rough sleepers. Directly comparable as a London grassroots drop-in/casework provider with volunteer mobilisation and church-venue model mirroring Spires' approach.
• St Mungo's: Largest London homelessness charity operating outreach, hostels, and recovery services across multiple boroughs. Direct comparability in mission, geography, and service mix (rough sleeper outreach, supported housing, women's services) — Spires operates at a smaller scale within overlapping catchment areas of Lambeth and Southwark.
• Single Homeless Project (SHP): London homelessness charity delivering supported housing, education, and health programmes. Comparable as a medium-sized London delivery organisation running multi-borough services with health and housing integration — closely aligned with Spires' multi-agency service model.
• Refuge / Gaia Centre: National domestic violence charity whose Gaia Centre Lambeth service embeds staff into Spires' Women's Space drop-in. Directly comparable on the women's-vulnerability and DV cohort that Spires serves, with overlapping service population.
• Thames Reach: London-based charity providing outreach, accommodation, and employment support to people experiencing homelessness. Most directly comparable in operational mix (drop-ins, outreach, housing outcomes) and in serving multiple London boroughs.
• SPEAR London: South West London-focused homelessness charity running the SPEAR Outreach team, which Spires explicitly refers clients into. Direct peer in geography and rough sleeper outreach model across Wandsworth and neighbouring boroughs.
• Croydon Refugee Day Centre: Strategic partner delivering the drop-in pipeline that feeds Spires' refugee housing support. Effectively a delivery peer in the Croydon refugee-housing pathway; comparable services and target population.

Broad incumbents

• Crisis UK: National homelessness charity providing education, housing, and campaigning from which Spires draws life-expectancy and policy data. Spires is a regional delivery peer; Crisis is the broader national advocacy and service incumbent.
• Shelter (UK): Nationwide housing charity and advice provider operating parallel but more policy/legal-oriented work to Spires' direct delivery. Comparable in housing advice and benefits support services, but operates as a national advisory and campaigning body rather than a London drop-in operator.
• Centrepoint: National youth homelessness charity running supported housing and employment programmes for 16-25 year olds. Comparable with Spires on the under-35 cohort (34% of Spires' caseload is under 35) and on housing outcomes work, but at significantly greater scale and with residential capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spireslondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirescentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpiresCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/spirescentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Spires