Centre 404

What Centre 404 does

Centre 404 is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 299889) founded in 1951 by family carers to advocate for better rights and services for people with learning disabilities. The organisation provides direct social care services to more than 2,000 children, young people, adults, and family carers annually across 8-9 London boroughs, operating from its headquarters at 404 Camden Road, North London (refurbished in 2020) and from Day Opportunities sites in Islington, Crouch Hill (Brickworks Community Centre) and Haringey.

The service portfolio is structured across four core pillars: Adult Support Services (supported living, floating support, outreach, day opportunities, adult groups and activities); Children and Young People Services (playschemes, afterschool clubs, short breaks with overnight stays, outreach); Family Carers and Parents support (information, support groups, workshops, SENDIASS); and specialist Positive Behaviour Support, dementia care, and end-of-life care. Centre 404 also sells CPD UK-accredited training externally, including the 'Learn With Us' documentary and 'Mind the Gap(s)' conflict-resolution films used nationally as social care training resources, and generates supplementary revenue through venue hire at its headquarters.

Centre 404 earns revenue primarily through commissioned service contracts with London local authorities (Islington, Camden, Haringey, Barnet, and others) and NHS bodies, supplemented by donations, community and corporate fundraising, trusts and foundations (including the Bupa Foundation), legacy giving, and venue hire. The organisation holds CQC Good and Ofsted Good ratings, is CPD UK accredited, holds Investing in Volunteers and UKIED Silver accreditations, and became Great Place To Work UK certified in 2024. Centre 404 is governed by a board of trustees and led by CEO Anna McEwen (appointed 1 July 2025), with a senior management team spanning services, people and culture, children and families, and finance.

Name

Centre 404

Legal name

Centre 404

Website

https://centre404.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Centre 404 is a London-based charity founded in 1951 that provides social care services — supported living, outreach, day opportunities, family support, and specialist Positive Behaviour Support, dementia, and end-of-life care — to more than 2,000 people with learning disabilities and their families across 8-9 London boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Learning Disability Social Care

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-Diagnosis Transition & Hospital-to-Home Dementia Support (HSABAEAL), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

Keywords

• Learning disability support
• Supported living services
• Social care charity
• Positive behaviour support
• Family carer advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Centre 404 raises funds through individual donations, community fundraising events (quiz nights, jumble sales, Christmas fayres), runs and challenge events, corporate fundraising partnerships, and legacies/bequests. The organisation is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and works with trusts and foundations including The Bupa Foundation.
2. Trusts and Foundations: Long-standing partnerships with charitable trusts and foundations who fund specific projects and services. Funders receive detailed outcome reports focusing on quality of life improvements for service users and family carers.
3. Service Contracts: Commissioned services through local authority contracts (Islington, Camden, Haringey, Barnet and other London boroughs) providing supported living, outreach, day opportunities, and children and young people's services. Revenue is derived from public sector commissioning relationships.
4. Venue and Space Hire: The charity's headquarters at 404 Camden Road offers training rooms, board rooms, and office spaces for hire at competitive rates, with discounts for partners and voluntary organisations. All hire revenue supports the charity's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centre 404 is a registered charity providing social care and support services for people with learning disabilities, autism and dementia across North London boroughs. Its core offer comprises Supported Living, Day Opportunities, Positive Behaviour Support, a Specialist Dementia Service, an End-of-life Care Service, Children, Young People and Families services, a family carer support helpline, accredited training, and a community venue hire service. These services are predominantly commissioned by London local authorities and the NHS, with supplementary income from donations, grants and community fundraising.

Product overview

Centre 404 is a social care charity offering a comprehensive portfolio of support services for people with learning disabilities and autism across 8-9 London boroughs. The organisation operates a multi-service model consisting of Adult Support Services (supported living, floating support, outreach, day opportunities), Children and Young People Services (playschemes, afterschool clubs, short breaks), Family Carers Support, and specialist Positive Behaviour Support services. Centre 404 also provides accredited training programmes including the Learn With Us documentary-based training resource and Mind the Gap(s) conflict resolution film, plus PBS Training. Additional revenue-generating services include events venue hire and a structured fundraising programme. The organisation is NOT a technology company and does not offer software products, APIs, or AI-powered digital products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supported Living Supported Living service providing personalised housing and support arrangements for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, enabling them to live as independently as possible in their own homes within North London boroughs. Services are typically commissioned by local authorities and the NHS and are delivered under the charity's CQC-registered framework.
• Day Opportunities Day Opportunities service providing meaningful daytime activities, skills development and community participation for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. Designed to reduce social isolation and support independence, typically commissioned by local authorities for adults across Centre 404's North London footprint.
• Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Positive Behaviour Support service for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour is described as challenging. Delivered using Centre 404's in-house PBS framework, including proprietary training films, to reduce restrictive practices and improve quality of life. Targeted at service users, families and external care-sector professionals.
• Specialist Dementia Service Specialist Dementia Service providing tailored support for people with learning disabilities affected by dementia - particularly relevant for people with Down syndrome who face a higher risk of early-onset dementia. Combines learning disability and dementia expertise under one provider.
• End-of-life Care Service End-of-life Care Service delivered alongside ongoing support to people with learning disabilities and dementia, ensuring continuity of care from the same trusted provider into the end-of-life stage. Reflects Centre 404's person-centred, continuity-of-care model.
• Children, Young People and Families Service Children, Young People and Families Service providing dedicated support, advice and activities for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism and their families. Includes school-linked work, family-facing support and engagement, reflecting Centre 404's family-carer-led origins.
• Family Carer Support Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and their families supported every year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bright FuturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBright Futures is an Islington-based support service for families with children aged 5–19 (up to 25 with additional needs). Centre 404 collaborates with Bright Futures to deliver coffee mornings, family support surgeries and workshops covering parenting advice, benefit support, housing issues and school engagement.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWP Disability Employment Advisor Barbara Elliott works with Centre 404 to deliver workshops helping families navigate the migration from Housing Benefit or ESA to Universal Credit, covering application processes, required documents, timelines and payment changes.
• CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) - IslingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 hosts informal Q&A sessions with Anna Warburton, Parent Worker from the Neurodevelopmental Team at Islington CAMHS, helping families access neurodevelopmental assessment services and support for children with Autism and ADHD.
• Islington Learning Disability Partnership (ILDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multi-agency partnership including social services and health professionals. ILDP works with Centre 404 to coordinate care packages, transitions (such as Cedrick's move to Kendal House in June 2022), and ongoing support for people with learning disabilities in Islington.
• Islington Learning and Development TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the 'Learn With Us' training resource in partnership with family carers and Islington's Learning and Development Team, creating a national training tool for social care staff.
• UCL (University College London)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCL research collaborations include: AI and autism research exploring how AI can represent the autistic perspective; MSci Psychology dissertation projects on non-verbal communication; and the Amplifying Autistic Autonomy Workshop. UCL students also volunteer at Centre 404 regularly.
• Skills for CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 participates in the Skills for Care #KeepLearning campaign, sharing staff case studies on learning and development. Centre 404's training follows Skills for Care framework on minimum training standards for health and social care staff and the Positive Behaviour Support Framework.
• Association for Real Change (ARC England)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 is a proud member of ARC England, aligning with the association's values and mission to promote respect, inclusion and continuous improvement in care for people with learning disabilities.
• Learning Disability England (LDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 is a member of Learning Disability England, a membership organisation bringing together people with learning disabilities, families, professionals and organisations to improve lives through collective action.
• BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 is a member of BILD, which champions human rights of people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health conditions. Centre 404's in-house PBS training is confirmed as up to quality standards through this Bild partnership and PBS Academy standards.
• Victoria and Stuart ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 teams participated in the Victoria and Stuart Project Toolkit research, focused on ensuring people with learning disabilities are at the centre of conversations and planning regarding their end of life.
• Driving Up QualitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 has signed up to the Driving Up Quality Code and completed its self-assessment report, pledging to provide high quality, values-led services for people with learning disabilities and autism.
• STOMP-STAMPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre 404 has signed the STOMP-STAMP Pledge to stop the over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both, in line with NHS guidelines.
• IMAXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMAX joins Centre 404's coffee mornings to provide advice, support and guidance for families in Islington, complementing the work of Bright Futures.
• Family Carers Action GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the 'Mind the Gap(s)' training film with the Family Carers Action Group and Islington Learning Disabilities Partnership, presenting fictional stories of conflict between families and social workers to generate discussion and learning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Choice Support: Charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs through supported living and community-based services across England. Directly comparable supported living and outreach model.
• Hft: National charity supporting people with learning disabilities through supported living, residential care and community outreach. Closely matches Centre 404's adult supported-living, day opportunities and PBS-adjacent services, with overlapping London borough presence.
• Real Life Options: UK provider of supported living and community support services for people with learning disabilities and autism. Directly comparable service offering, particularly supported living and outreach.
• United Response: National disability charity delivering supported living, outreach and personalisation services for people with learning disabilities and autism. Comparable service model and commissioning relationships with local authorities.
• MacIntyre: Charity providing lifelong learning disability services including supported living, day services and Positive Behaviour Support. Highly comparable service portfolio to Centre 404, with strong overlap in PBS and family-centred care models.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, autism and sensory impairments. Comparable specialist expertise model and overlap in supporting people with profound disabilities and complex needs.
• KeyRing: National learning disability charity providing community-based support, supported living and personalisation services. Comparable person-centred support model and reliance on local authority commissioning.

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: The UK's largest learning disability charity, providing supported living, advocacy and family support across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Directly comparable to Centre 404's mission and service mix, but operating at national scale with significantly larger fundraising and lobbying capacity.
• Turning Point: Large social enterprise providing learning disability, mental health and substance misuse services. Overlaps with Centre 404 in supported living and community outreach, but operates across a much broader health and social care portfolio.

Regional players

• Brandon Trust: Bristol-based learning disability charity providing supported living, day services and respite care primarily in the South West and parts of London. Operates an equivalent service portfolio to Centre 404 but in a different primary geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Centre_404
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAhgYRAHQpbv09uQwQKRemA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Centre404
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-404
• Instagraminstagram.com/centre404

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Centre 404