YMCA Burton

What YMCA Burton does

YMCA Burton is an independent registered charity (number 1077798) and limited company (number 3646202) operating in East Staffordshire, UK, delivering comprehensive homeless support and community services since its founding in 1887. The organization is headquartered at Northside House, Northside Business Park, Hawkins Lane, Burton upon Trent, with operational and retail sites spread across Burton, Uttoxeter, Rocester, Swadlincote, Alvaston, and Derby. Its core service portfolio comprises Reconnect Housing (71 single-occupancy accommodation units across three sites with 24/7 staffing), a Food Bank (3,100+ emergency parcels distributed in 2022), four Happy Homes furniture retail shops, Mediation and Counselling, Education programmes for 14–18-year-olds, a Chaplaincy service, and 24/7 Street Outreach. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Dr Charles Pidsley and led operationally by CEO Paul Laffey (22 years tenure).

The underlying "technology" is service-delivery infrastructure rather than software: purpose-built facilities with on-site lounges, showers, laundry, and counselling rooms; a furniture redistribution retail chain; and an outreach team covering a defined geographic footprint. The digital stack is minimal and commodity — Stripe for payment processing, Google Analytics, YouTube embeds, reCAPTCHA, and WebToffee cookie consent — with no proprietary software, app, or API. No AI/ML capabilities are deployed.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of individual donations (one-off, regular, text-giving at £5/£10/£20 via shortcode 70085, and legacy giving), corporate partnerships and sponsorships, restricted grants (notably the two-year Cadent Safe and Well Communities Project for fuel poverty), event-based fundraising (the signature annual Sleepout at Pirelli Stadium has raised £400,000+ over 15 years), and retail margins from Happy Homes furniture shops. The organization serves homeless adults aged 18–64, individuals and families in food crisis, families in conflict, rough sleepers, and young people in East Staffordshire, with self-referral and referral channels through Social Services, Police, Schools, and Colleges.

Name

YMCA Burton

Legal name

Burton upon Trent and District YMCA

Website

https://burtonymca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YMCA Burton is a UK-registered charity providing integrated homeless support across East Staffordshire, operating 71 housing units, a 24/7 food bank, four Happy Homes furniture shops, plus mediation, counselling, education, and street outreach services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless support services
• Emergency housing
• Food bank services
• Family mediation counselling
• Charity donations fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Burton-on-trent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations (one-off and regular), text giving (£5/£10/£20), legacy giving, corporate donations, and fundraising events including Sleepout, quizzes, golf days, and fashion shows.
2. Furniture Shop Sales: Revenue from four furniture shops (Happy Homes) selling donated furniture, white goods, and household items at affordable prices across Burton, Swadlincote, and Alvaston.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Charity of the year partnerships, corporate fundraising events, pro-bono support, gifts in kind, and sponsorship of events.
4. Government/Charitable Grants: Partnership with Cadent for Safe and Well Communities Project providing slow cookers, carbon monoxide alarms, and staff training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YMCA Burton is a UK non-profit charity that provides supported housing for homeless adults (71 single occupancy units across 3 sites at the Reconnect centre), 24/7 outreach to rough sleepers, an emergency food bank, family mediation and counselling, chaplaincy, homelessness awareness education, and affordable furniture through its Happy Homes shops. The charity is funded by donations, retail sales, corporate partnerships, and grants, and delivers services free to vulnerable individuals in East Staffordshire.

Product overview

YMCA Burton is a charitable organization providing a comprehensive suite of homeless support and community services. The core offering includes supported housing (Reconnect with 71 accommodation units across 3 sites), emergency food assistance through its food bank and emergency food parcels, and four furniture shops (Happy Homes) redistributing affordable household items. Additional support services include 24-hour outreach, mediation and counselling, education programs, and chaplaincy. The organization also runs annual fundraising campaigns including the Sleepout event, manages donations through multiple channels (online, text, legacy), and engages volunteers and corporate partners. These services work together to provide a holistic safety net for homeless and vulnerable individuals in East Staffordshire, from emergency accommodation to long-term support and community reintegration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reconnect Housing Main homeless centre providing 71 single occupancy accommodation units across 3 sites with round-the-clock staff support seven days a week, 365 days a year, for homeless adults aged 18-64 in East Staffordshire. On-site facilities include lounge, shower, laundry room, and counselling services.
• Food Bank Emergency food parcel service issuing parcels containing enough food for three days, open to everyone for self-referral from the Reconnect centre. Distributed over 3,100 emergency parcels in 2022.
• Happy Homes Furniture Shops Three (or four) Happy Homes furniture shops in Burton, Swadlincote, and Alvaston/Derby offering low-cost and affordable white goods, furniture, and essential household items as part of a furniture redistribution enterprise.
• Mediation & Counselling Services Counselling services helping residents address previous traumas and facilitate lasting behavioral change, and mediation services open for self-referral to assist families and neighbours in finding peaceful resolutions. Accepts referrals from Social Services, Police, Schools and Colleges.
• Education Services Homelessness awareness sessions for young people aged 14-18 delivered in schools, colleges, churches and community groups to break down common stereotypes of homelessness and offer insight into realities of independent living.
• Chaplaincy Service Non-judgemental space for clients and staff to reflect on day-to-day pressures, working with local churches to create a valued space for discussion, reflection and prayer.
• Outreach Service 24-hour outreach team available to assist rough sleepers in East Staffordshire, covering Burton, Uttoxeter and Rocester areas, reachable via dedicated helpline 0800 130 3415.
• Sleepout Event Annual fundraising event where participants experience sleeping rough for one night to raise awareness and funds for homelessness, held at Pirelli Stadium and other venues with participants sleeping in boxes.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities in shops, outreach service, counselling provision, and ad-hoc fundraising at events. DBS checks required for some positions.
• Corporate Partnership Program Corporate partnership opportunities including charity of the year nominations, fundraising events, pro-bono support, corporate donations, and event sponsorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,100+ emergency food parcels distributed in 2022
• +3 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

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CadentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2023Cadent, the UK's largest gas distribution network, partnered with YMCA England and Wales for a two-year Safe and Well Communities Project. For YMCA Burton, this includes providing slow cookers for residents, carbon monoxide alarms, and staff training on energy efficiency and financial management to combat fuel poverty.
• Pilgrim's Food MastersminorOthersLocal food company in Burton on Trent that donates ready meals to YMCA Burton for use in food bank and housing services.
• Alexander AccountancyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts annual crazy golf fundraising day at Branston Golf Club for YMCA Burton, engaging staff and volunteers in charitable activities.
• Rushton HickmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial property agents and chartered surveyors running Burton 10k to raise funds for YMCA Burton, demonstrating corporate social responsibility.
• Hoar Cross HallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Spanish tapas and quiz night event that raised £126 for YMCA Burton through raffle donations.
• Burton Albion Football Club (Pirelli Stadium)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHome ground venue for annual Sleepout event, provides breakfast for participants, and sponsors boxes. Long-standing partnership supporting homelessness awareness.
• St Modwen ChurchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides venue for Sleepout event (graveyard location), delivers breakfast rolls to participants, and supports chaplaincy services through local church network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Passage: London-based homelessness charity running residential services, day centres and outreach for rough sleepers. Highly comparable service mix (housing, day services, outreach) but geographically concentrated in Westminster rather than East Staffordshire.
• Nottinghamshire YMCA: Midlands-region YMCA offering housing, family support and health/wellbeing programmes. Comparable regional YMCA federation model to YMCA Burton with overlapping supported housing and community services in a neighbouring region.

Direct peers

• St Mungo's: Major UK charity providing accommodation, rough-sleeper outreach and recovery support across London and the South. Closest national peer to YMCA Burton's housing-plus-outreach model, though at substantially greater scale and contract-led funding.
• Centrepoint: UK youth homelessness charity running supported housing, education and employment programmes for ages 16-25. Comparable service architecture to YMCA Burton's housing-plus-skills approach, with shared Princess Trust and education pathways referenced in client case studies.
• YMCA Derbyshire: Adjacent county YMCA offering housing, health & wellbeing and youth services. Directly comparable as a regionally focused YMCA federation operating integrated homelessness and community programmes; also a 2021 YMCA of the Year co-finalist with YMCA Burton.
• One YMCA (Hertfordshire): Federated YMCA delivering supported housing, youth services and community programs in the East of England. Closest operating analogue to YMCA Burton as an affiliated YMCA combining accommodation, food support, training and outreach under a single brand.
• Emmaus UK: Federated UK charity combining supported housing with social-enterprise retail (second-hand furniture, house clearance). Direct structural analogue to YMCA Burton's housing-plus-Happy Homes furniture shop combination.

Broad incumbents

• Crisis UK: National charity focused on single homeless people, delivering housing, education and outreach year-round. Overlaps YMCA Burton's housing, education and outreach services but operates through regional centres rather than permanent sites.
• Trussell Trust: UK-wide food bank network coordinating a foodbank infrastructure that overlaps with YMCA Burton's 22-year foodbank operation. Operates as a network/support body rather than direct service provider, but the most established food poverty comparator in the UK.
• Shelter (UK): National housing and homelessness charity providing advice, advocacy, and supported housing across the UK. A broader incumbent operating across the same housing/homelessness space as YMCA Burton but with a policy/advice focus rather than direct service delivery in the East Staffordshire footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YMCA_Burton
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb687jnYZrmUMI4LhacWQBw
• Facebookfacebook.com/burtonymca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burton-upon-trent-and-district-ymca
• Instagraminstagram.com/ymca_burton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 YMCA Burton