The Cart Shed

What The Cart Shed does

The Cart Shed Charity is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1167802) founded in 2011 and based at Devereux Wootton Farm in Norton Canon, north Herefordshire. It delivers therapeutic woodland-based programmes to adults and young people experiencing mental health difficulties, emotional imbalances, neurodivergence, or transition challenges including armed forces veterans. The core technical offering is a craft-based therapeutic methodology — green woodworking (pole lathes, shave horses, carving axes), willow working from on-site willow beds, horticulture in polytunnels and raised beds, and coppicing as the primary woodland management practice — delivered across two purpose-built woodland sites equipped with workshops, woodland kitchens, polytunnels and fire circles, with renewable energy supplied by an on-site wind turbine and photovoltaic panels.

The business model is a grant-and-donation-funded charity rather than a commercial product company. All adult and young people's courses are fully funded through grants from Herefordshire Community Fund, Veterans' Foundation, Herefordshire Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, West Mercia Police, Talk Community, and ACL Herefordshire; participants may also opt to make voluntary contributions via a pay-what-you-can arrangement. Donations are accepted one-off or recurring via KindLink, BACS, cheque, Give As You Earn workplace giving, and givestar contactless, with Gift Aid reclaim available. The stated unit economic is £100 per participant-day covering transport, occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, skilled crafts tutors and activity costs. Participants access services via self-referral or agency referral (GPs, social workers, schools, social prescribers, Mind, HVOSS), with free volunteer-driven minibus transport from Hereford, Leominster and Kington; services operate Monday–Thursday daytime only in six-week course blocks. Children's holiday clubs (Escape to the Woods, ages 6–12) are the only line that is not externally funded and is charged at cost unless a funder is identified. Distribution is regional, demand reportedly exceeds supply, and the organisation's competitive position is reinforced by the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2017), Armed Forces Covenant signatory status (2014), and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award (2021).

Name

The Cart Shed

Legal name

The Cart Shed Charity

Website

https://www.thecartshed.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cart Shed is a Herefordshire-based UK charity providing woodland-based therapeutic programmes — including green woodworking, willow craft, horticulture and coppicing — to adults, young people, neurodivergent individuals and armed forces veterans experiencing mental health difficulties, delivered by occupational therapists and skilled tutors across two farm sites, funded primarily by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Wellbeing Services

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Woodland therapy services
• Mental health support
• Therapeutic crafts programs
• Nature-based wellbeing
• Coppice craft therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Norton Canon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Funding (Fully Funded / Pay-What-You-Can): Most courses are fully funded through grants and charitable funding. Participants can opt to pay what they can via voluntary contributions. The average cost of a day at The Cart Shed is stated as £100, which covers transport, occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, skilled crafts tutors, and activities.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The charity accepts one-off and recurring donations via KindLink, BACS, cheque by post, Give As You Earn workplace giving, and givestar contactless app. Gift Aid can be claimed on eligible donations. Recycle4Charity inkjet cartridge recycling programme generates £1–2 per cartridge. Participants are invited to make voluntary contributions.
3. Grant and Funder Revenue: Funded by multiple institutional funders including Herefordshire Community Fund, Veterans' Foundation, Herefordshire Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, West Mercia Police, Talk Community, and ACL. Funding from the Veterans' Foundation specifically supports armed forces community participants. All adult and young people's courses are fully funded.
4. Event Fundraising (Spring Plant Fair): Annual Spring Plant Fair event generates funds, hosted at Garnons with support from Sir Harry and Lady Cotterell. All proceeds support delivery of services and transforming lives of participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cart Shed is a registered charity delivering therapeutic wellbeing programmes in woodland settings in north Herefordshire. Participants engage in traditional crafts — green woodworking, willow work, coppicing, and horticulture — facilitated by occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, and skilled crafts tutors to support mental health recovery, build confidence, and develop skills. Courses are structured in six-week blocks, run Monday–Thursday, and are primarily fully funded through grants and donations.

Product overview

The Cart Shed is a charitable organization providing therapeutic woodland wellbeing services in north Herefordshire. Rather than a traditional technology product, it offers a portfolio of person-centered programs and courses designed to support mental health through nature-based activities. The core offering centers on woodland activities including green woodworking, willow work, and horticulture conducted at outdoor woodland sites. The organization delivers specialized programs including neurodivergent courses (Being Autistic, Being ADHD, Being AuDHD), youth programs (Young Cart Shed with Explore/Into/Through the Woods tracks), children's holiday clubs (Escape to the Woods), armed forces community support, and general adult courses. Sessions are facilitated by occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, and skilled tutors in outdoor environments featuring workshops, woodland kitchens, polytunnels, and fire circles. All courses are operated Monday through Thursday with transport available from Hereford, Leominster, and Kington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Cart Shed: Courses for young people aged 10-25 offering woodland activities, skill development, and mental health support.
• Escape to the Woods
• Courses for Adults
• Being Autistic, Being ADHD, Being AuDHD
• Armed Forces Community Programme

Products and services

• Courses for Adults

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants report enhanced confidence, improved mental health, reduced isolation, and life-saving support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Esse StovescoreOthersDonated a new stove installed at the Willowbed site, reducing smoke and increasing efficiency. The stove was installed by Oak Tree Stoves with a flue from Midtherm, improving the woodland kitchen facilities.
• Herefordshire CouncilcoreOthersProvided a significant grant from the Community Infrastructure Grant to install solar panels on The Cart Shed office. Also contributed to an office extension for meetings and confidential discussions, alongside the Clive Richards Foundation.
• Clive Richards FoundationcoreOthersContributed funding to the office extension for meetings and confidential discussions alongside Herefordshire Council's Community Infrastructure Grant.
• Veterans' FoundationcoreOthersProvides funding specifically to support the armed forces community (veterans, serving personnel, and their families) attending The Cart Shed courses.
• Herefordshire Community Fund (HCF)coreOthersFunder supporting The Cart Shed's charitable activities. Logo appears on the funders page.
• Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)minorOthersFunder of The Cart Shed's activities.
• West Mercia PoliceminorOthersFunder of The Cart Shed's charitable activities.
• Talk CommunityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunder of The Cart Shed. Talk Community is a Herefordshire-based community support initiative.
• ACL (Adult Community Learning) HerefordshireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFunder of The Cart Shed's activities. ACL Herefordshire provides adult learning services in the region.
• Devereux Wootton FarmcoreOthersProvides The Cart Shed's home on a working farm in north Herefordshire. The farm has strong environmental credentials with energy from wind turbine and photovoltaic panels. Hedges, field margins and orchards are managed to a high environmental stewardship standard.
• Oak Tree StovesminorOthersInstalled the Esse stove at the Willowbed site, working with the donated stove and a flue from Midtherm.
• The Green Dragon HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cart Shed is The Green Dragon Hotel's Charity Partner for 2026. This is a fundraising and awareness partnership with the local hotel.
• Sir Harry and Lady CotterellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted The Cart Shed's annual Spring Plant Fair at Garnons for the second time, providing the venue for this major community fundraising event.
• Certainly WoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDescribed as a major friend and sponsor to The Cart Shed. Nic Snell from Certainly Wood conducted a fireside chat with Chief Exec Katie Eastaugh about the charity's vision.
• NHS / Healthcare SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorks with GPs, social prescribers, and healthcare coordinators as referrers. Acts as a Tier 1 mental health service. Provides safe discharge pathways from hospital as part of care pathways, working with participants' GPs or healthcare coordinators.
• Recycle4CharityminorOthersInkjet cartridge recycling programme where each cartridge recycled generates £1–2 for The Cart Shed. Supporter number C104796.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brathay Trust: UK charity using outdoor and adventure-based activities in the Lake District to support young people and vulnerable adults with mental health and wellbeing needs - directly comparable delivery model (outdoor therapeutic activities for youth mental health) and similar cohort focus.
• Venture Trust: Scottish charity supporting vulnerable adults facing complex life circumstances through wilderness therapy and personal development - closely comparable in using outdoor, nature-based programmes as a therapeutic intervention for mental health and social recovery.
• Combat Stress: UK charity providing specialist mental health treatment for veterans - directly comparable in serving the armed forces community with mental health difficulties, although delivered through clinical rather than woodland craft modalities.
• Care Farming UK: UK network representing care farms that use agricultural and natural-environment activities therapeutically - directly comparable model of using farming/crafts for mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including horticulture and woodland elements.
• Together UK: UK mental health charity supporting people with mental health needs to lead fulfilling lives - comparable mission and clinical-support approach, including peer support and recovery-focused programmes for adults experiencing mental health difficulties.

Broad incumbents

• Mind: National mental health charity referenced as a referral partner for The Cart Shed - comparable mission and beneficiary base (mental health recovery) but operating at much larger scale and through information/advice/lobbying rather than direct outdoor therapy.
• Help for Heroes: Major UK armed forces charity supporting wounded veterans and their families - comparable in serving the armed forces community cohort that The Cart Shed specifically caters to, but offering a broader portfolio of grants, recovery, and welfare support.
• Rethink Mental Illness: National charity supporting people severely affected by mental illness - comparable beneficiary cohort (adults with mental health difficulties) but operating nationally through advice, services, and campaigning rather than a single-region woodland programme.

Emerging players

• The Calvert Trust: UK outdoor activity centres providing adventurous outdoor experiences for people with disabilities - comparable outdoor-activity therapeutic model and reliance on residential/regional sites, though focus is on physical rather than mental health disabilities.

Others

• The Conservation Volunteers: UK charity connecting people with green spaces through conservation volunteering - adjacent to The Cart Shed's use of outdoor woodland activities for wellbeing outcomes, though its primary mission is environmental rather than mental health therapy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheCartShed
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecartshedherefordshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cart-shed-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecartshedcharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Cart Shed