Rotunda

What Rotunda does

Rotunda is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 518951, Company Number: 02050597) operating as a multi-service community hub from five Grade II listed Georgian terrace houses at 107-115 Great Mersey Street in Kirkdale, North Liverpool. Founded in 1985 and operating for almost 40 years, the organisation delivers an integrated stack of services including adult education (Rotunda Community College), an Ofsted-rated 'Good' nursery for children aged 12 months to reception age, women's and family wellbeing programmes, free food provision (Right Fed Shed), after-school tutoring, financial advice through embedded partner Raise, venue hire, an Enterprise Centre of serviced offices, and a cafe bistro. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is in-person, people-intensive, and built around walk-in access Monday–Friday 9am–5pm.

The business model blends grant-funded and earned revenue across multiple streams: core programme funding from the National Lottery Community Fund (~£500K awarded in April 2023 for the Healthy Neighbours Project), Torus Foundation, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Steve Morgan Foundation, Power to Change, Jo Malone London, Peel Ports, Microsoft, and Liverpool City Council; transaction-fee revenue from room hire (from £15/hour or £100/day), cafe sales, and minibus hire; subscription revenue from Friends of Rotunda memberships (£3–£10/month) and F.A.B. corporate sponsorship (from £1,000 for two years); and fees from the Enterprise Centre office leases for 2–7 person teams and the 29-child nursery. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, local events such as the annual Folly Fest, organic social media, the ROAR newsletter, and direct walk-in engagement rather than paid acquisition.

The customer base spans four primary segments: adult learners in North Liverpool seeking qualifications and job placement, families with young children needing affordable childcare, community members facing isolation or hardship requiring wellbeing support, and small community-focused businesses renting office space. Adult courses (Health and Social Care, Teaching Assistant, Functional Skills, computer skills) come with guaranteed job interviews through local employer partnerships, distinguishing Rotunda's offering from traditional education providers. Strategic priorities, evidenced by recent moves, include geographic extension via the Torus Healthy Neighbours partnership into St Helens and Warrington, leadership expansion with two new Operating Vice Presidents, and formalisation of recurring-revenue instruments (F.A.B. sponsorships, Friends of Rotunda subscriptions).

Name

Rotunda

Legal name

Rotunda Community College and Wellbeing Hub

Website

https://therotunda.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rotunda is a UK-registered charity operating a multi-service community hub in Kirkdale, North Liverpool, delivering adult education, an Ofsted-rated nursery, wellbeing programmes, and enterprise workspace from Grade II listed Georgian terraces for nearly 40 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education and Wellbeing Services

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drop-In / Flexible Nursery Care (EDACACAF)

Keywords

• Adult education services
• Community wellbeing support
• Childcare nursery services
• Venue hire services
• Community enterprise hub

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Venue and Space Hire: Revenue from hiring out rooms, offices, gardens, and the minibus to individuals and businesses. Spaces include conference rooms, enterprise centre offices, and event venues.
2. Membership and Sponsorship: Monthly 'Friends of Rotunda' subscriptions at £3-10/month and F.A.B. business sponsorship packages from £1,000 for two years, providing logos, event access, and discounts.
3. Cafe Bistro Sales: Food and beverage sales from the on-site cafe bistro serving breakfast, lunch, and drinks to visitors and the public.
4. Education Funding: Government-funded adult education programs for residents aged 19+, free at point of access with eligibility criteria based on location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rotunda is a community-led education and support hub operating for nearly 40 years from five Grade II listed Georgian terrace houses in Kirkdale, North Liverpool. It delivers adult education courses (Health and Social Care, Teaching Assistant, Functional Skills, computer skills), Ofsted-rated 'Good' nursery childcare for children aged 12 months to reception, and community wellbeing services including a Women's Hub, free food service (Right Fed Shed), and tutoring. Supporting offerings include serviced office space (Enterprise Centre), venue hire, a bistro café, wellbeing gardens, and minibus hire.

Product overview

Rotunda is a community-led education and support hub in Kirkdale, North Liverpool, operating for almost 40 years. The organization offers a multi-service platform combining adult education (Rotunda Community College), childcare (Rotunda Nursery), women's support services (Women's Hub), and community wellbeing programs. Supporting services include an Enterprise Centre for business workspace, a Bistro & Café, Wellbeing Garden, Heritage Centre, venue hire facilities, and practical support services like Right Fed Shed (free food), Homework Hub, Lending Library, and financial advice through partnership with Raise. Revenue streams include education services, nursery fees, venue and office hire, and sponsorship programmes (F.A.B). The organization is registered as Charity No. 518951.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• F.A.B - Funders & Altruistic Benefactors of Rotunda: A sponsorship programme for local businesses making a difference in the community. Businesses contribute from £1,000 for two years and receive perks including F.A.B membership cards, logo placement, event invitations, and discounts on room hire.
• F.O.R - Friends of Rotunda
• R.E.S.T

Products and services

• Rotunda Community College Adult education and training courses in Health and Social Care, Teaching Assistance, Functional Skills (English, Maths), and computer skills with flexible scheduling and guaranteed job interviews with local employers. Targeted at adults in North Liverpool returning to learning or changing careers.
• Rotunda Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• SROI of £6.51 for every £1 invested in the Healthy Neighbours Project

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Torus FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Torus Foundation launched the Healthy Neighbours Project across Torus neighbourhoods in Liverpool, St Helens and Warrington, commissioning local organisations including Rotunda to deliver targeted activities tackling local health issues. Rotunda runs leisure and wellbeing groups as a local delivery partner.
• RaisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaise is an independent charity providing free, confidential advice and support around benefits, debt, and managing money. Based in Rotunda's Enterprise Centre, they offer a safe, supportive space for community members seeking financial guidance.
• Envoy PartnershipminorOthersConducted Social Return On Investment (SROI) evaluation for the Healthy Neighbours Programme, highlighting £6.51 return for every £1 invested.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Locality: UK national membership body for community organisations, supporting community hubs with similar integrated service models — comparable as a sector peer and potential replication/franchise network for Rotunda's model.
• Workers' Educational Association (WEA): UK-wide adult education charity delivering community-based courses including functional skills and health & social care — overlapping significantly with Rotunda Community College's course catalogue and target learners.
• Citizens UK: UK community organising coalition with member institutions delivering community services across the country — comparable to Rotunda's civic and social organisation role and its member-style community engagement model.
• Groundwork: Federated UK charity delivering community regeneration, wellbeing and learning programmes in disadvantaged areas — comparable to Rotunda's combination of wellbeing, education, and community capacity building.

Direct peers

• Toynbee Hall: Historic London East End charity operating as an integrated community hub offering adult education, advice services, and community programmes — closely comparable to Rotunda's multi-service, community-led model.
• The Mary Ward Centre: London-based adult education charity offering flexible, community-based learning to under-served adults — comparable to Rotunda's adult learner proposition and free-at-point-of-access ethos.
• The Bread and Butter Thing: UK charity tackling food poverty through community food hubs — directly comparable to Rotunda's Right Fed Shed surplus food service and anti-poverty community work.

Regional players

• The Reader: Liverpool-based charity using reading and shared activities to tackle social isolation and mental health — comparable to Rotunda's wellbeing-led community support work in the same Merseyside geography.
• The Black-E: Liverpool community arts and engagement charity operating from a heritage building with mixed community programming — comparable to Rotunda's Grade II listed heritage building and multi-purpose community venue model.

Others

• Community Foundation for Merseyside: Merseyside-focused grant-making foundation that funds community organisations including Rotunda — comparable as a local funding ecosystem participant and potential strategic partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rotunda.liverpool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rotunda-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/Rotunda_Liverpool
• Xx.com/RotundaLtd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Rotunda