The Newbury Community Resource Centre

What The Newbury Community Resource Centre does

The Newbury Community Resource Centre (NCRC) is a registered charity (no. 1082243) established in 2000 and headquartered at Bone Lane, Newbury, United Kingdom. It operates four interconnected community programmes serving West Berkshire and North Hampshire: two Community Furniture Projects in Newbury and Basingstoke that retail donated pre-loved furniture, electrical items, bicycles, books, and household goods; the Growing 2gether therapeutic horticulture project at a Greenham Trust-owned site near Kingsclere; and a Training & Community Support Centre delivering accredited LASER Learning Awards and LEAP courses to vulnerable adults and young people. Customers of the furniture projects include the general public as well as benefits recipients and state pensioners who receive discounted pricing on proof of receipt, with free collection in West Berkshire and Basingstoke & Deane and a drop-off point at Newtown Road Recycling Centre.

NCRC generates revenue through three streams: retail sales of donated goods at its two furniture shops, financial donations from individuals and organisations, and grant funding from charitable trusts (Greenham Trust, Sheepdrove Trust) and local authorities (West Berkshire Council, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council). Pricing follows a two-tier unit-pricing model with pay-as-you-go billing; profits from furniture sales cross-subsidise the training and supported volunteering programmes. Distribution is physical-first through retail storefronts supplemented by a free collection service; marketing combines website content, Instagram and Facebook activity, email newsletter, community events, and local-authority partnership outreach. The organisation is governed by a board of trustees chaired by John Unsworth, with operational leadership under Chief Executive Kelvin Hughes (in role since June 2004) and a small management team of project managers, a Head of Finance & Administration, and a Fundraising & Marketing Manager.

No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, patents, mobile applications, or external funding rounds are disclosed; the underlying platform is standard charity retail and training infrastructure. The customer base is highly distributed across individual retail shoppers, benefits recipients, supported volunteers, trainees, and homeless individuals served through the 2023-24 winter homeless partnership. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, and the charity is recognised as Greenham Trust's Charity of the Year 2025.

Name

The Newbury Community Resource Centre

Legal name

Newbury Community Resource Centre

Website

https://n-c-r-c.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Newbury Community Resource Centre is a UK registered charity operating two Community Furniture Projects, a therapeutic horticulture programme (Growing 2gether), and a Training & Community Support Centre serving vulnerable adults, young people, and low-income households across West Berkshire and North Hampshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Charity Services

NAICS

Reupholstery and Furniture Repair (811420)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

DIY & Home Skills Workshops (Woodworking, Carpentry, Home Repair, Gardening) (THAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)

Keywords

• Reused furniture retail
• Supported volunteering programs
• Accredited community training
• Therapeutic horticulture services
• Charity furniture reuse

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail sales of donated furniture and goods: Sale of donated pre-loved furniture, electrical items, household goods, bicycles, books and bric-a-brac through Community Furniture Project shops in Newbury and Basingstoke. Two-tier pricing offers discounts to benefits recipients and state pensioners.
2. Financial donations: Monetary donations from individuals and organisations to support the charity's programs and services.
3. Grant funding: Funding from charitable trusts (Greenham Trust, Sheepdrove Trust), local authorities (West Berkshire Council, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council), and national grant-making trusts to support operations and specific projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Newbury Community Resource Centre operates two Community Furniture Projects (Newbury and Basingstoke) that retail donated pre-loved furniture, electrical items, bicycles, books and household goods at low cost, with two-tier pricing offering discounts to benefits recipients and state pensioners. It also runs Growing 2gether, a therapeutic horticulture and gardening project for adults and young people with disabilities, and a Training & Community Support Centre delivering supported volunteering and accredited LASER / LEAP skills training to vulnerable adults and young people not in mainstream education across West Berkshire and North Hampshire.

Product overview

The Newbury Community Resource Centre operates four interconnected community service projects: two Community Furniture Projects (in Newbury and Basingstoke) that sell donated pre-loved furniture and household goods, providing income that funds the charity's other services; the Growing 2gether therapeutic horticulture project offering environmental education and skills training; and the Training & Community Support Centre providing supported volunteering and accredited training for vulnerable adults and young people. The furniture projects operate a two-tier pricing scheme with discounts for benefit recipients, and proceeds from all sales support the wider charitable mission of poverty alleviation and environmental conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Furniture Project (Newbury) A furniture and household goods re-use project selling donated pre-loved furniture, electrical items, bicycles, books and bric-a-brac at low cost, with additional discounts for customers in receipt of benefits or state pensions. Located at Bone Lane, Newbury RG14 5SS, open Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm, with free parking and a low-cost delivery service within West Berkshire.
• Community Furniture Project (Basingstoke) A furniture and household goods re-use project serving the Basingstoke & Deane District, selling donated pre-loved furniture and household goods with discounted pricing for benefit recipients. Located at Units 11 & 12, Joule Road, Basingstoke RG21 6XH, open Monday–Friday and Saturday with a lunch break.
• Growing 2gether A therapeutic horticulture and gardening project for adults and young people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental ill health, offering supported volunteering, accredited training and environmental education activities at Cottismore Park, Newbury Road, Kingsclere RG20 4SY. The site includes greenhouses, allotments, an orchard, a workshop, a kitchen and a wildlife / forest school education area, and also runs primary school sessions and a free toddler group.
• Training & Community Support Centre Services for adults with complex learning disabilities, people with mental health issues and young people not engaged in mainstream education, providing supported volunteering opportunities and accredited LASER Learning Awards through LEAP courses in practical transferable skills including bicycle repair, electrical repair, furniture restoration and cookery. Services are delivered at the Bone Lane site in Newbury and at the Basingstoke Community Furniture Project.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37 homeless individuals supported with 1,324 nights of accommodation through winter homeless project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• West Berkshire HomelessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local homeless support charity. Partner in winter homeless project 2023-2024 providing accommodation for rough sleepers in West Berkshire.
• Newbury Soup KitchenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local charity. Partner in winter homeless project providing emergency accommodation and support for homeless individuals.
• Loose Ends NewburyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local charity. Partner in winter homeless project providing support for homeless individuals in West Berkshire.
• West Berkshire Council Rough Sleeper TeamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local authority team. Partner in winter homeless project providing accommodation and tailored support for rough sleepers.
• Greenham TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor long-term supporter across all projects. Owns the Growing 2gether site at Cottismore Park. Provided substantial ongoing support and funding. Named as Charity of the Year 2025.
• West Berkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner providing support in various ways. Works with NCRC's Adult and Community Learning Department for LEAP course delivery. Also partner in winter homeless project.
• Basingstoke & Deane Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner providing support and recognition of positive difference made to residents' lives.
• LASER (Learning Awards South East Region)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited learning awards provider enabling NCRC to deliver LEAP (Learning, Employment and Progression) courses tailored to all ability levels in horticulture, food production, conservation and other practical areas.
• West Berkshire Council Adult and Community Learning DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports delivery of accredited courses for volunteers at NCRC's Training and Community Support Centre.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Emmaus UK: UK charity running furniture reuse shops and supported accommodation for formerly homeless people. Combines a trading furniture arm with community and homelessness programmes in a structure very similar to NCRC's Community Furniture Projects plus winter homeless project.
• MacIntyre: UK charity providing lifelong learning, supported employment, and community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism. Comparable to NCRC's Training & Community Support Centre in supporting vulnerable adults with complex disabilities through training and supported volunteering.
• Thrive: UK charity using therapeutic horticulture and gardening to improve lives of disabled and disadvantaged people. Directly comparable to NCRC's Growing 2gether project in mission, beneficiary group, and intervention design.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities (including learning disabilities, autism, deafblindness) through accommodation, education, and community programmes. Comparable in serving NCRC's vulnerable-adult beneficiary group via supported services and skills development.
• St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP): Operates charity furniture reuse shops across the UK selling donated household goods to fund support for people in poverty. Closely comparable to NCRC's two Community Furniture Project shops in mission, retail format, and funding-model.
• Hft (Hft - learning disability support): National UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities through personalised support, housing, and day services. Comparable in supporting adults with complex learning disabilities via supported services, though at much larger scale than NCRC.

Others

• Reuse Network: UK umbrella membership body for charities running furniture and household goods reuse schemes. Comparable as a sector coordinator that NCRC could partner with or benchmark against in scaling furniture reuse operations.
• Greenham Trust: Local charitable trust (West Berkshire) that is NCRC's primary long-term funder and owns the Growing 2gether site at Cottismore Park. Not a peer in operational terms but a key stakeholder and funding counterpart whose priorities directly shape NCRC's strategy.

Broad incumbents

• British Heart Foundation (Furniture & Electrical Stores): Major UK charity retailer with a national network of furniture and electrical reuse shops generating income to fund health research and services. Comparable in charity-retail furniture reuse but at much larger scale and with medical research mission.
• Sue Ryder: Large UK charity operating charity retail shops (including furniture and homewares) that fund healthcare and community services. Comparable charity-retail-meets-mission model but on a national scale with a different service mix (palliative care).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gr0wing2gether
• Instagraminstagram.com/growing2gethernewbury
• Xx.com/CentreNewbury
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-furniture-project

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 The Newbury Community Resource Centre