Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT)

What Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT) does

Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT) is a registered UK charity (Charity Number 1049478) founded in 1995 and headquartered in Tiverton, Devon, delivering free, impartial, and confidential social support services across the Mid Devon area. Its core offerings span four integrated service lines: an emergency Foodbank and an affordable Food Pantry for food insecurity; Housing and Tenancy Advice for homelessness prevention; Debt and Money Advice including Debt Relief Orders, creditor negotiations, and budgeting; and Outreach Services providing weekly visits to Crediton, Cullompton, and Uffculme plus shower and laundry facilities for rough sleepers. CHAT additionally supports Homes for Ukraine guests and operates a referral pathway for professional agencies.

CHAT operates with a 9-person staff team supplemented by a large volunteer base, achieving measurable impact including 2,462 foodbank/pantry users, 225 people supported to remain in their tenancy, 2,533 advice sessions, and £3,157,518 of client debt managed during 2023/24. Service delivery is non-digital, face-to-face, and place-based rather than technology-mediated; the organization explicitly does not operate as a technology company.

The revenue model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial. Income streams include individual donations and the 'Give an Hour' monthly giving program, corporate fundraising partnerships (Devonshire Homes, Ashley Court), and charitable grants (Aviva match funding under the 'Money Advice Before Crisis' campaign, The King Charles III Coronation Food Project). Strategic partners include South West Water (embedded utility debt advisor), Tiverton Primary Care Network (social prescribing referrals), Homeless Link (industry membership), and the Mid Devon faith community. CHAT has no parent company, no equity investors, and no commercial pricing structure.

Name

Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT)

Legal name

Churches Housing Action Team Ltd

Website

https://chatmid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT) is a Mid Devon registered charity, founded in 1995, providing free foodbank, food pantry, housing/tenancy advice, and debt/money advice services to individuals and families facing hardship across Tiverton, Crediton, Cullompton, and Uffculme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Homelessness prevention services
• Foodbank and pantry support
• Housing and tenancy advice
• Debt and money advice
• Community welfare charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Tiverton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: CHAT operates primarily through donations from individuals and organizations. The 'Give an Hour' campaign encourages monthly donations based on one hour of wages. One-off and regular gifts are accepted. The organization also runs fundraising events and receives support from corporate partners.
2. Charitable Funding and Grants: CHAT receives funding from various sources including the King Charles III Coronation Food Project for sustainable pantry initiatives, and Aviva match funding campaigns. Funding supports expansion of services including debt and money advice.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CHAT is a registered charity providing free, impartial and confidential support across three integrated areas: emergency Foodbank and affordable Food Pantry; Housing & Tenancy Advice to prevent homelessness and evictions; and Debt & Money Advice including Debt Relief Orders, creditor negotiations and benefits support. Services are delivered from a Tiverton office with weekly outreach to Crediton, Cullompton and Uffculme, plus additional practical support such as household items and shower/laundry facilities for rough sleepers. All advice services are free at the point of use, funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

CHAT (Churches Housing Action Team) is a charity organization offering a coordinated suite of support services for people experiencing housing difficulties, food insecurity, and financial hardship in Mid Devon. The core offerings include an emergency Foodbank and affordable Food Pantry for food support; Housing & Tenancy Advice and Outreach Services for homelessness prevention; and Debt & Money Advice for financial management. Additional services include household items delivery and an agency referral system. Funded primarily through donations and the 'Give an Hour' monthly giving program, all advice services are free, impartial, and confidential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foodbank Emergency food parcels provided to individuals and families in need in Mid Devon. No referral required; open Monday-Friday, 9:30am-12:00pm.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,462 people accessed foodbank and pantry in 12 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Devonshire HomescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDevonshire Homes hosted a Charity Golf Day raising £7,100 for CHAT. Clive Williams, Chair of Trustees, attended the event. This represents a significant corporate fundraising partnership supporting CHAT's charitable work.
• Ashley CourtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAshley Court hosted a Summer Fayre with Morris Dancers, Classic Cars, and Cream Teas, raising nearly £3,500 for CHAT. Hosted by Tara and Nigel, with official opening by Town Mayor Cllr Susie Griggs.
• South West WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth West Water Debt Advisor Tom Hunt works in partnership with CHAT to support vulnerable people across the local community with water debt issues.
• Homeless LinkminorOthersCHAT is a member of Homeless Link, the national membership charity for organisations working directly with people who become homeless in England.
• Tiverton Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTiverton Primary Care Network refers patients to CHAT for support with food, housing, and money worries through social prescribing. Social Prescriber Sian Derrick endorses CHAT's services as essential community support.
• Mid Devon Churches/Faith CommunitymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAT originated from churches and maintains connections with the faith community across Mid Devon. The organization works with local vicars who may refer individuals to services (e.g., referral of client Jenny by local vicar).
• Lord-Lieutenant of DevonminorOthersHosted the Royal Visit from HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh on 19th September, arranged through David Fursdon as Lord-Lieutenant of Devon.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice: National network providing free, impartial advice on debt, housing, benefits, and money — directly overlapping CHAT's debt and housing advice lines. Comparable service model, free at point of use, with national reach versus CHAT's local focus.
• Shelter: The UK's largest housing and homelessness charity, offering housing advice, legal support, and campaigning. Comparable to CHAT as a housing-advice provider, but operating nationally with far greater scale and a broader remit.

Direct peers

• Crisis UK: National charity for people experiencing homelessness, offering housing advice, education, and support services. Comparable mission and service breadth to CHAT, particularly in tenancy sustainment and rough-sleeper outreach.
• Emmaus UK: Charity supporting people out of homelessness through residential communities and training. Comparable mission of homelessness prevention and reintegration, though with a residential community model rather than CHAT's advice-based model.
• Depaul UK: Charity working with people experiencing homelessness and those at risk, providing accommodation and support services. Comparable homelessness-prevention focus and UK charity status with CHAT.
• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's leading debt advice charity offering Debt Relief Orders, budgeting, and creditor negotiation — services CHAT also provides. Highly comparable specialist debt-advice focus, though at national scale.
• Trussell Trust: National foodbank network operating emergency food parcels across the UK. CHAT's foodbank operates a comparable model (voucher/emergency food distribution) and could plausibly be part of or affiliated with this network; highly comparable in core service.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting young people facing homelessness with housing, health, and money advice. Comparable in the homelessness-prevention and tenancy-support mission, though focused on a younger demographic and at national scale.
• Christians Against Poverty (CAP): UK charity offering free debt help, money coaching, and poverty-relief services through local church partnerships. Highly comparable faith-rooted charity model delivering free debt and money advice — closely aligned with CHAT's origin and service mix.

Others

• Homeless Link: National membership charity for organisations working with homeless people in England. CHAT is a member; comparable as an ecosystem/enabler rather than a direct service peer, supporting best-practice and policy advocacy across the sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chat_mid
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHATMidDevon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/churches-housing-action-team-mid-devon-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/chatmiddevon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Churches Housing Action Team Ltd (CHAT)