The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship

What The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship does

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF) is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1965 by MP Douglas Houghton, that supports former civil servants and their dependants in retirement. Its core services include a national befriending scheme (phone calls, letters, emails and home visits), a network of more than 40 local community groups across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, online book and social groups delivered via Zoom, a freephone information and advice helpline, and pre-retirement planning workshops offered to departments and teams. The charity also signposts beneficiaries to accredited later-life financial advisers through a partnership with the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA).

CSRF operates with a small staff team from a registered office in Greenwich, London, and is constituted as a company limited by guarantee (No. 6297479), with separate charity registrations in England and Wales (No. 255465) and Scotland (No. SC039049). Its technology footprint consists of a content-managed website (csrf.org.uk), email newsletters, YouTube-hosted podcast content, Zoom for online groups, and standard member communication tools; there is no proprietary software, app, or AI component disclosed. In 2025 the organisation celebrated its 60th anniversary (Diamond Year) and launched several new programmes including the Not Done Yet podcast, an Ambassador Network of serving-civil-servant volunteers, the Digital Donor tier, and the Let's Do Lunch community-growth campaign.

CSRF is funded through annual supporter subscriptions (regularly £33 single / £55 joint, discounted to £13.20 / £22 for first-year subscribers in the Diamond Year), one-off and recurring donations, and the £3/year Digital Donor contributions from serving civil servants. The go-to-market is community-led: reach is built through local groups, befriending referrals, member story content, the podcast, and workplace outreach at events such as Civil Service Live. The primary customer segment is retired UK civil servants, with serving civil servants as a secondary pipeline segment positioned to become future members and active supporters.

Name

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship

Legal name

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship

Website

https://csrf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship is a UK charity, founded in 1965, that supports retired civil servants and their dependants through befriending schemes, 40+ local community groups, online social and book groups, retirement planning workshops, and a national helpline, funded by subscriptions, donations, and a Digital Donor programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Community Services for Retired Civil Servants

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Charitable befriending services
• Retirement community support
• Volunteer-led programs
• Later life advice
• Civil service charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Subscriptions: Retired civil servants pay annual subscription fees for membership access to community groups, befriending services, and support resources. Regular rate is £33 single or £55 joint annually.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on donations from supporters, annual appeals, and digital giving programmes. One-off and recurring donation options are available on their website.
3. Digital Donor Programme: Serving civil servants can sign up as Digital Donors for £3 per year to support retired colleagues, creating a pipeline of future members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship is a national UK charity that supports retired civil servants and their dependants through befriending schemes (phone calls, letters, home and email visits), a network of more than 40 local community groups across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, online book and social groups, a national advice and signposting helpline, and pre-retirement planning workshops delivered to civil service departments. Services are funded by annual membership subscriptions, donations and fundraising.

Product overview

The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship (CSRF) operates as a unified charity providing friendship and support services to retired civil servants. The core offering consists of befriending schemes (matching volunteers with isolated retirees for phone calls, letters, and visits), a network of over 40 local community groups across the UK for in-person social connection, and a national helpline providing advice and signposting. Additional services include online book groups, an online social group via Zoom, retirement planning workshops, and a digital donor programme for serving civil servants. The charity also runs the 'Not Done Yet' podcast and '60 Voices' podcast as content platforms. During its 60th anniversary in 2025, the organisation launched new initiatives including an Ambassador Network and 'Let's Do Lunch' campaign to expand community reach. All services are provided free or at low cost to beneficiaries, funded through donations, membership subscriptions, and fundraising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Not Done Yet Podcast: A fresh, engaging podcast that celebrates later life, challenges ageism, and explores the issues that matter most to those beyond the workplace. Hosted by Denise and David.
• 60 Voices Podcast
• Follow The Leader

Products and services

• Befriending Schemes National befriending service matching trained volunteers with retired civil servants for regular friendship through phone calls, letters, emails and home visits, designed to combat loneliness and social isolation among UK retired civil servants.
• Local Community Groups Network of more than 40 local CSRF groups across the UK where retired civil servants meet regularly for chats, activities, coffee mornings, walks, trips and lunches to maintain social connections.
• Online Book Groups Monthly online book groups delivered via Zoom for community members to share reading experiences and discuss literature with fellow retired civil servants.
• Online Social Group Monthly online social group via Zoom offering chair workouts, baking demonstrations, talks and Christmas parties for retired civil servants who cannot easily attend in-person groups.
• Information and Advice Advice, information and signposting service on subjects relevant to later life including housing, pensions, health and bereavement, delivered through a freephone national helpline and online resources.
• Pre-retirement Workshops Workshops available to any civil service department or team throughout the year, helping serving civil servants plan for retirement, covering pensions, wellbeing and life after work.
• Later Life Financial Advice Signposting service delivered in partnership with the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) to provide trusted accredited financial advisers who understand financial needs in later life.
• Annual Supporter Membership Annual subscription programme for retired civil servants to support the charity, with special 60th anniversary rates of £13.20 (single) or £22 (joint) for first-time subscribers in 2025 and regular rates of £33 single / £55 joint.
• Digital Donor Programme Annual digital membership option for serving civil servants to support retired colleagues for £3 per year, building a pipeline of future members and ongoing financial support for the charity.
• Ambassador Network Network of volunteers who promote the charity within civil service departments, support colleagues approaching retirement, and champion the CSRF cause through fundraising, awareness activities and recruitment of new supporters.
• Let's Do Lunch Campaign Campaign to open new local lunch groups in areas without an existing CSRF group presence, supported by volunteer local co-ordinators making reservations at local venues.
• Not Done Yet Podcast Podcast hosted by Denise and David celebrating later life, challenging ageism and exploring issues relevant to retired individuals including pensions, wellbeing, purpose, community and identity.
• 60 Voices Podcast Podcast series sharing stories from retired civil servants and celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 people receive visits and calls annually from befriending services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOLLA provides trusted accredited financial advisers who understand financial needs in later life. CSRF references SOLLA on their website to provide later life financial advice to beneficiaries.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorOthersCSRF displays the NCVO logo on their website indicating membership in this umbrella organisation for the voluntary sector in England.
• Civil Service Pensions SchememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to promote the Civil Service Pensions Podcast and help civil servants understand their pension options during retirement planning.
• The Charity for Civil Servants (CFCS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCFCS provides support to civil servants with various life challenges. Referenced as a resource during CSRF pre-retirement workshops.
• CSSC Sports & LeisureminorOthersNot-for-profit membership organisation for civil servants offering health and wellbeing benefits. Referenced as a resource during workshops.
• Civil Service Insurance Society (CSIS)minorOthersInsurance provider for civil servants offering competitive rates. Referenced as a resource during CSRF retirement planning workshops.
• Centre for Ageing BetterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing resources and research relevant to later life. Referenced as a resource for mid-life MOT and retirement planning.
• Rest LessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital community platform for people in their 50s and above. Referenced as a resource for later life opportunities and services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal British Legion: Large UK membership charity supporting Armed Forces veterans and their families with welfare, community and advice services. Comparable to CSRF in operating as a long-standing, membership-and-community-driven charity dedicated to a specific retired occupational group, with analogous local branch structure and welfare/advice offering.
• Independent Age: National UK charity providing free advice, information and support services to older people and their families. Comparable to CSRF because it competes for the same advice, information and signposting need — but operating at much larger scale and serving the general older population.
• Age UK: The largest UK charity for older people, offering advice, befriending, information and local community services nationwide. Comparable to CSRF because it delivers an overlapping functional proposition (befriending, advice, local groups) at much greater scale, but to the general over-60 population rather than civil servants specifically.
• CSSC Sports & Leisure: UK not-for-profit membership organisation for civil servants and public sector workers offering health, wellbeing and leisure benefits. Comparable to CSRF because it serves the same civil-servant member base (CSRF already references CSSC as a partner) with a related membership/community-led model, though focused on active-life benefits rather than retirement support.

Emerging players

• Rest Less: Digital community and content platform aimed at the UK's over-50s, offering articles, events and resources on later-life topics. Comparable to CSRF because it targets overlapping needs (community, advice, purpose in later life) for an overlapping demographic, but as a digital-first, broader-reach challenger that CSRF itself lists as a partner resource.

Direct peers

• Friends of the Elderly: UK charity supporting older people through residential care, day clubs, befriending and grants. Comparable to CSRF as a direct competitor in the befriending and community-services space for older adults, though with a residential-care heritage that CSRF does not have.
• The Silver Line: UK charity operating a free helpline and befriending service for older people, with similar volunteer-led phone call, letter and group activity models. Direct functional peer to CSRF's befriending scheme and helpline, though serving a broader elderly audience rather than civil servants only.
• Re-engage: UK charity (formerly Contact the Elderly) combating loneliness among older people through volunteer-led group activities, befriending and tea parties. Highly comparable to CSRF's community-group and befriending model, addressing the same loneliness problem in older adults with the same volunteer-driven delivery mechanism.
• The Charity for Civil Servants: UK charity supporting current and former civil servants with welfare, financial and life-challenge advice. Closest direct peer to CSRF: serves an overlapping civil-servant beneficiary base with a related (though broader, pre- and post-retirement) service remit; CSRF already references CFCS as a partner in retirement-planning workshops.

Others

• Civil Service Insurance Society (CSIS): UK mutual insurance provider serving civil servants and public sector workers, referenced by CSRF as a partner in retirement-planning workshops. Comparable to CSRF as a long-standing, civil-service-specific member-benefit organisation, though offering insurance rather than community/welfare services — making it an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@THECSRF
• Xx.com/THECSRF
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-civil-service-retirement-fellowship

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Civil Service Retirement Fellowship