Pie Factory Music

What Pie Factory Music does

Pie Factory Music is a registered UK charity (No. 1097561) and company limited by guarantee (No. 4602033) founded circa 2004 in Ramsgate, Kent, delivering free youth services to approximately 1,000 young people aged 8-25 annually across the Thanet district of East Kent. The organisation operates from the Ramsgate Youth Centre — whose freehold it acquired in February 2026 with a £535,000 capital grant from the Pride in Place programme — and runs a portfolio of integrated programmes: Junior and Senior Youth Clubs, Band Room, Live Room, Open Arms (for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees aged 13-21), the Emerging Artists career development programme, Bike Project, Duke of Edinburgh Award support, and free face-to-face and online counselling. A secondary arm provides commercial services including venue hire, equipment hire, recording studio hire at £55/hour, and bespoke creative workshops delivered via a Mobile Music Unit (converted minibus).

The technical platform is conventional and centred on physical assets: a high-spec recording studio (The Assembly Line) with acoustically treated control and live rooms and an in-house sound engineer, music production software (GarageBand, Bandlab, Charanga), a Shopify e-commerce shop, and a podcast ("Slice of Pie") distributed via Acast, Spotify, and YouTube. The Emerging Artists programme additionally operates Wantsum Music?, a youth-owned record label launched in 2021 for releasing singles from local young musicians.

Revenue is generated predominantly through institutional grant funding from BBC Children in Need, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Youth Music, NHS Kent and Medway, Kent Community Foundation, Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, Swire Charitable Trust, and the Pride in Place programme, supplemented by individual donations (one-off and monthly tiers from £5 to £1,000), the Thanet Lotto local charity lottery, merchandise sales (Open Arms Cookbook £15, Pie t-shirts £20, sketchbooks £5), and the commercial hire services listed above. The wholly-owned subsidiary Piece of the Pie CIC (Company No: 6438870) channels commercial profits back to the charity. All youth-facing services are provided free of charge, and the organisation has cumulatively raised £6.4M+ for young people across 20 years of operation, serving 55,000+ beneficiaries through 180,000+ sessions.

Name

Pie Factory Music

Legal name

Pie Factory Music

Website

https://piefactorymusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pie Factory Music is a registered East Kent youth charity delivering free music, creative arts, youth work, and counselling programmes to approximately 1,000 young people aged 8-25 annually from its owned Ramsgate Youth Centre, funded by UK foundation grants, donations, and commercial venue and studio hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Community Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School Enrichment & Activities Facilitation (Arts/STEM/Clubs) (HSAAAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI), Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Youth services
• Creative arts programs
• Music education
• Youth charity
• Community youth work

Headquarters

HQ city

Ramsgate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through website (PayPal), monthly giving, and crowdfunding campaigns. Young campaigners raised £25k via crowdfunder for repairs and renovations. Thanet Lotto receives 60% of ticket sales (£1/week). Gift Aid enabled through PayPal.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: Funding from multiple organisations including BBC Children in Need, Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, NHS Kent & Medway, Kent Community Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Ramsgate Town Council, Swire Charitable Trust, Thanet District Council (UK Shared Prosperity Fund), The Philip and Connie Phillips Foundation, Youth Music. Pride in Place programme provided £535k capital grant for Ramsgate Youth Centre purchase.
3. Venue and Studio Hire: Recording studio available for private hire at £55/hour with sound engineer support. Venue hire of Ramsgate Youth Centre rooms (foyer, kitchen, training room, hall). Equipment hire for music gear (PA & Sound equipment with engineer, drumming/percussion, Samba Drums, Mi-Pod inflatable room).
4. Merchandise and Shop Sales: Online shop selling Open Arms Cookbook (£15), Pie t-shirts (£20), A4 Sketch Books (£5), and cookbook bundles (£30). All purchases support the charity's work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pie Factory Music is a creative youth charity operating from Ramsgate Youth Centre in East Kent that delivers free drop-in youth sessions, music and creative arts programmes, pastoral care and counselling for young people aged 8-25 in Thanet. Services include youth clubs, band/live rooms, music career development, bike maintenance workshops, trips and residentials, and support for refugees/asylum seekers. The charity also generates supplementary income through studio hire, venue hire, equipment hire, bespoke workshops, training packages, and merchandise sales through an online shop.

Product overview

Pie Factory Music is a creative youth charity operating as a single integrated organisation offering multiple interconnected services for young people aged 8-25 in East Kent. The core offering consists of free youth sessions (Youth Club, Band Room, Live Room), music programmes (Emerging Artists, Recording Studio), pastoral support (Counselling), and community initiatives (Open Arms for refugees, ACT! volunteer group, Bike Project). Supplementary paid services include Venue Hire, Equipment Hire, Bespoke Workshops, and Training programmes. The organisation also sells merchandise (Open Arms Cookbook, t-shirts, sketchbooks) through its online shop. All services are provided free to young people and are designed to support personal development, creativity, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Slice of Pie: Podcast featuring East Kent's young people voicing what matters to them, produced by Emerging Artists
• Bike Project
• Band Room
• Open Arms
• Emerging Artists
• Wantsum Music?
• ACT! (Action Community Thanet)

Products and services

• Recording Studio (The Assembly Line) High-spec recording studio at Ramsgate Youth Centre offering vocal tracking, mixing, urban/dance music production, voice-over recording, and sound-to-picture editing services at £55/hour with professional sound engineer support. Targeted at musicians, artists, and organisations needing professional recording.
• Youth Club Sessions Free youth club sessions for 8-17 year olds offering cooking, arts and crafts, sport, games, and music activities, including Junior Youth Club (Thursdays 5-7pm, 8-12 years) and Senior Youth Club (Mondays and Tuesdays 7-9pm, 13-17 years).
• Band Room Free weekly Tuesday drop-in session for 11-17 year olds to play, rehearse, mix and master music, with access to instruments, music studio, practice space, and guidance from two music practitioners.
• Live Room Free weekly Monday drop-in session for 13-17 year olds offering cooking, games, pool, gaming, table tennis, arts and crafts, instrument use, singing and music activities with sound engineer support.
• Open Arms Safe, relaxed open access sessions for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees aged 13-21 years, offering weekly Friday sessions with cooking, art, music and games activities. Travel expenses provided.
• Emerging Artists Programme Year-long programme for 18-25 year olds providing in-depth guidance on music industry rights, promotion, recording, and performing, with access to industry mentors and local music venues, including the Wantsum Music youth record label launched in 2021.
• Bike Project Free weekly Monday drop-in session teaching 11-17 year olds bike maintenance with on-hand advice, bike builds, skills development, and all bikes and tools provided. Some participants gain qualifications leading to employment at Decathlon.
• Counselling Free face-to-face and online counselling sessions for 13-18 year olds in East Kent, with professional qualified counsellors offering support for mental health, racial trauma, identity, gender and sexuality. Delivered in Ramsgate and Margate.
• Action Community Thanet (ACT!) Weekly youth volunteer group for 13-19 year olds planning and organising community projects and fundraising initiatives, including summer fun days, litter picks, and sleepouts for local charities.
• Trips and Residentials

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,000 young people supported over 20 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• The Bike ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership where young people from Pie's Bike Project have learned bike maintenance skills, with some gaining qualifications leading to employment opportunities at Decathlon.
• Discovery PlanetsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Open Arms programme to offer science-inspired workshops to young asylum seekers and refugees.
• Sports ConnectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for weekly football sessions, keeping 'World Cup fever' going with footie activities and an end of summer tournament.
• Whereelse MargatesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal live music venue where Emerging Artists perform gigs as part of their professional development.
• Olby's Creative HubsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal venue hosting Emerging Artists performances and music events.
• Tom Thumb TheatresupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal venue providing performance opportunities for Emerging Artists programme participants.
• Ramsgate Music HallsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor local music venue where Emerging Artists perform gigs, including headline events.
• Ramsgate RadiosupportingTechnology or IntegrationRadio station where the Slice of Pie podcast is generously recorded.
• Buddy PeacesupportingTechnology or IntegrationAudio producer who produces the Slice of Pie podcast featuring young people's voices.
• Arete Outdoors CentresupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdventure centre in Wales where Pie runs residential trips including kayaking, coasteering, rock climbing, and gorge walking for young people from Thanet.
• Piece of the Pie CICsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity interest company set up to support Pie Factory Music. As a profit-making organisation, all profits made are donated to Pie Factory Music to support the free workshop programme for young people across East Kent.
• Wantsum Music?supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth record label launched in 2021 by Emerging Artists programme participants to give local young people a platform to promote their new music. Has released multiple singles to local acclaim.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brighter Sound: Manchester-based charity creating music-making opportunities for children and young people, including talent development programmes and live performance. Directly comparable to Pie Factory Music's mix of free music sessions, Emerging Artists-style progression support, and recording/performance opportunities.
• Sound Connections: London-based charity supporting music-making for children and young people, particularly those with fewer opportunities, through workforce development, project funding and direct programmes. Comparable as a grantmaker-and-deliverer focused on music education access for under-served young people.
• The Garage Norwich: Norfolk-based charity running free performing and creative arts workshops, projects and performances for young people aged 5-25. Comparable as a regional UK creative youth charity offering free multi-disciplinary arts sessions with progression pathways.
• Create London: East London charity delivering creative arts programmes for children and young people in under-served communities, with a strong focus on progression and social outcomes. Comparable as a community-embedded creative youth charity using arts for personal development.
• Roundhouse: London-based creative youth charity offering free music, performing arts and creative media programmes for 11-25 year olds, including recording studio access. Comparable as a UK youth music/creative-arts charity combining free drop-in sessions, recording facilities and progression pathways for young musicians.
• WAC Arts: London-based youth arts charity providing free after-school and weekend programmes in music, dance, drama and creative media for young people aged 5-25. Comparable as a community-rooted creative youth charity delivering free multi-disciplinary arts sessions with progression pathways.
• National Youth Theatre: UK-wide charity providing free access to performing arts training and performance opportunities for 14-25 year olds, with a strong progression pathway into the creative industries. Comparable as a free-to-access performing arts youth charity with talent development outcomes.

Others

• London Music Fund: Charity funding music education bursaries and progression pathways for disadvantaged young London musicians. Thematically related as a music-education access funder, but does not deliver direct youth services or own venues in the way Pie Factory Music does.

Regional players

• The Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead): North East England music charity and venue running music education and participation programmes for young people, alongside venue and studio hire. Comparable as a regional music charity combining youth music education with commercial venue/studio hire.
• mac birmingham: Midlands-based creative arts centre and charity offering year-round creative learning and participation programmes for children and young people. Comparable as a regional creative arts charity, but operating in a different geography to Pie Factory Music's East Kent focus.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/piefactorymusic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL01d85rE8J2Ne-IJ7G9Qkh7uT7Lp_M3CF
• Facebookfacebook.com/piefactorymusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/piefactorymusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pie-factory-music

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Pie Factory Music