Berwick Community Trust

What Berwick Community Trust does

Berwick Community Trust (BCT) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee (charity number 1109088) founded in 2004 and headquartered at the William Elder Building in Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK. Its stated mission is to make Berwick-upon-Tweed a prosperous, vibrant community where all generations want to live, work, and play. The trust operates a portfolio of community-facing services delivered through a lean paid staff of roughly 10–15 supported by a larger volunteer base: Here for You (free employment support and digital skills training, with 1,130 job outcomes recorded), Berwick Food Bank and Community Larder (emergency food provision distributing 19–41 parcels monthly in 2025), VisitBerwick (destination marketing for local tourism businesses), Beach Wheelchairs at Spittal (3 accessible chairs in partnership with Beach Access North East), and meeting and conference room hire at William Elder Building. It also manages a portfolio of town centre retail properties acquired in November 2023 and is developing the Old Brewery Artist Studios in Tweedmouth (8 studios, gallery and teaching space, launching summer 2026 on a £1 million budget, with £565,000 raised to date). Revenue is generated through charitable grants and donations from foundations, local and central government, restricted project funding (e.g., DWP historically, Garfield Weston and Barbour Foundations recently), legacy gifts, room and property rental income (tiered hourly rates of £10–25 for commercial hire, discounted for local charities), and trading income from the Marygate/Hide Hill retail portfolio. Cumulative community investment since 2005 exceeds £3 million, and the organisation received the King's Award for Voluntary Service in November 2025.

Name

Berwick Community Trust

Legal name

Berwick Community Trust

Website

https://berwicktrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berwick Community Trust is a registered charity operating since 2004 in Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK, delivering employment support, food aid, meeting rooms, tourism promotion, beach accessibility, and town centre property services funded by grants, donations, and rental income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development and Charitable Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community regeneration services
• Charitable employment support
• Community development programs
• Food bank services
• Tourism promotion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berwick-upon-tweed

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: The trust receives grant funding from foundations, local and central government, and charitable organisations to fund its various community projects and services.
2. Room Rental Income: Meeting rooms, conference facilities, and office spaces at William Elder Building are rented to charities, community groups, and commercial organisations at tiered hourly rates.
3. Legacy Gifts and Legacies: Donors can leave gifts to the trust in their wills as legacy donations, contributing to sustained delivery of vital community services.
4. Community Wind Turbine Income: Income from the community wind turbine (sold in 2018) supports the CoRE Legacy Fund which provides grants for renewable energy projects in North Northumberland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Berwick Community Trust is a registered charity delivering community regeneration services in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Its core offerings include free employment support (Here for You), emergency food provision (Berwick Food Bank and Community Larder), accessible beach wheelchairs, tourism promotion (VisitBerwick), affordable meeting rooms, and grant programs (CoRE Legacy Fund and Lions House Fund). All services are anchored in the William Elder Building and supporting community locations.

Product overview

Berwick Community Trust operates as a community development charity offering a diverse portfolio of services organized around several key areas: employment support through Here for You; food support via Berwick Food Bank and Community Larder; grant programs including the CoRE Legacy Fund and Lions House Fund; accessible tourism with Beach Wheelchairs; tourism promotion through VisitBerwick; property management providing affordable retail spaces and meeting room hire; and major cultural development projects such as the Old Brewery Artist Studios. The organization functions as a single-entity charity rather than a platform with modular products, with all services delivered through the William Elder Building and various community locations in Berwick upon Tweed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Here for You: Employment support service helping job seekers with CV writing, job searching, benefits advice, and career support.
• Berwick Food Bank
• VisitBerwick
• CoRE Legacy Fund
• Old Brewery Artist Studios
• Berwick Community Larder

Products and services

• Here for You A free employment support service assisting both employed and unemployed customers with job searching, CV writing, benefits claims, and interview preparation. Also operates as a UK Online centre offering computer access and digital skills training.
• Berwick Food Bank Emergency food provision service for households in crisis, providing parcels and tailored support including benefits checks and budgeting advice to alleviate stress.
• Berwick Community Larder Community food larder providing surplus food at low cost to residents, operating on a minimum £2 donation basis for up to 10 items, helping prevent food waste. Operates Tuesdays 4-6pm and Fridays 10am-12pm.
• Beach Wheelchairs Accessible beach wheelchair service at Spittal Beach (within Spittal Splashpark), providing 3 beach-accessible wheelchairs for visitors and residents through partnership with Beach Access North East.
• VisitBerwick Tourism Promotion Tourism promotion service for Berwick upon Tweed, managed by a dedicated Tourism Officer, responsible for website and social media content, and working with local businesses, festivals, and attractions.
• Meeting Room Hire Flexible meeting room facilities at the William Elder Building including Conference Room (up to 70 capacity), Meeting Room (up to 30 capacity), and Small Meeting Room (up to 5-6 capacity), with catering and equipment options.
• Old Brewery Artist Studios Creative workspace development converting the Old Brewery building in Tweedmouth into 8 studios, a gallery space, and teaching facility for artists and makers. A £1 million project scheduled for summer 2026 launch.
• CoRE Legacy Fund Grant fund supporting North Northumberland communities with renewable energy or demand reduction projects, funded by income from a former community wind turbine.
• Lions House Fund New grant fund supporting new and growing businesses in Berwick upon Tweed, particularly those related to the River Tweed Trail, with maximum awards of £5,000.
• Marygate/Hide Hill Properties Portfolio of three town centre retail units providing affordable spaces for local businesses, including units on Marygate housing artisan traders and a pop-up shop at Hide Hill for short-term lets.
• Castlegate Community Garden Community garden project producing fruit, vegetables, and herbs for residents to harvest, developed in partnership with local businesses and community groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 people found work and 12 businesses started through Reach Project
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beach Access North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Beach Access North East to bring beach wheelchair accessibility to Spittal Beach. Organisation provides knowledge, advice, support, and includes Berwick site on their booking system. The wheelchairs can be booked through their system and the partnership has been instrumental in making Spittal beach accessible for everyone.
• Berwick Town CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Provided support for beach wheelchair project, allowed container to be sited in Splashpark near the pavilion and promenade ramp, and provided electricity connection to power the hoist. Key local government partner for accessibility initiatives.
• Northumberland County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey funding and strategic partner. County Councillor Georgina Hill provided support for beach wheelchair project. Council involved in economic development, Family Hubs, and various community initiatives.
• Create Berwick (Creative & Culture Zone)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative & Culture Zone partnership supporting Old Brewery Artist Studios project. Actively working on funding proposals and planning applications with CCZ support.
• UK Online / Learn my WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered UK Online centre offering Online Basics training for both PCs and mobile technology through Learn my Way program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Locality: National membership body supporting community-led organisations across England. Operates at a much larger scale but is the closest umbrella peer for BCT's model of community-owned, multi-purpose local trusts.
• Power to Change: UK-wide charitable trust funding and advocating for community businesses. Relevant as both a potential funder and a broader peer in the community-enterprise space that BCT occupies via Lions House Fund and Marygate/Hide Hill retail.
• Plunkett Foundation: UK charity supporting community-owned enterprises (village halls, community shops, pubs). Comparable governance and community-ownership logic to BCT's membership/trustee structure, and overlap on affordable retail space at Marygate.
• Groundwork UK: National federation of charities delivering community regeneration, green-space, and employability programmes. Strong overlap with BCT's employment support, community garden, and renewable-energy heritage.
• Big Local (Local Trust): National Lottery-funded programme channelling £1m+ to 150 small-area community partnerships. Comparable in scale of single-area endowment, community-led governance, and grantmaking to local groups that BCT deploys.

Direct peers

• Northern Community Foundation: Grantmaking charity covering North East England and Cumbria. Direct regional peer to BCT's CoRE Legacy Fund and Lions House Fund, operating from the same geographic footprint.
• Frome Community Education Trust: Somerset town community organisation delivering employment support, community facilities, and regeneration activity. Comparable geographic scope (single small town), service mix, and community-led governance to BCT.
• Hebden Bridge Community Association: Long-standing community association running a town hall and mixed community programmes in a small Yorkshire town. Directly comparable to BCT's William Elder Building community hub model with multi-service delivery in a single rural town.
• Saltburn Community Association: Small North East coastal community association providing community facilities, heritage preservation, and visitor services. Comparable geographic and demographic profile to Berwick, with a tourism/community blend analogous to BCT's VisitBerwick work.

Regional players

• Tyne & Wear Community Foundation: Regional grantmaking community foundation covering parts of North East England. Adjacent geography to BCT's North Northumberland catchment and similar grantmaking model via endowed funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/berwicktrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/414357921918858_1137787912909185
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berwick-community-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/berwicktrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Berwick Community Trust