Community Places (NI)

What Community Places (NI) does

Community Places is a registered charity and not-for-profit social enterprise (company limited by guarantee, NI17958; charity NIC101428) headquartered at 2 Downshire Place, Belfast. Founded in 1984, the organisation delivers four interconnected service lines across Northern Ireland: a free, impartial planning advice service for individuals and community groups who cannot afford private planning consultants; community engagement facilitation; community planning support for councils and statutory partners; and Participatory Budgeting (PB) services coordinated through the PB Works Network, established in 2017. The organisation serves three principal segments: individuals and community groups needing affordable planning expertise (primary), community groups and networks seeking capacity building, and local councils and statutory partners requiring independent engagement facilitation and PB design.

Operationally, Community Places runs with five staff and is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors elected from its 200+ organisational members. The technology stack is conventional for the nonprofit sector, comprising Microsoft Office 365 for productivity and Salesforce for CRM and case management; there is no proprietary software platform, with service differentiation instead resting on unique participatory tools (the Planning Snakes and Ladders board game, My Place card game developed with Abbey Community College, and the Place Standard Tool) and frameworks (the PB Charter, Place Shaping Plans such as Tullycarnet and Glencairn 2035).

The business model combines grant funding from the Department for Infrastructure (part-funding the free advice service), competitive tenders from the National Lottery Community Fund and other philanthropic sources such as Oak Foundation, and fee-based consultancy and training income from councils and statutory partners. Pricing is freemium for the core advisory service and project-based for consultancy and bespoke training. Distribution is regionally direct, via Belfast headquarters outreach, telephone, email, online forms, and region-wide drop-in clinics, with awareness driven by word-of-mouth referrals from MLAs, councillors, community groups, and earned media.

Name

Community Places (NI)

Legal name

Community Places

Website

https://communityplaces.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Places is a Northern Ireland charity founded in 1984 that provides free, impartial planning advice to individuals and community groups, and supports councils and statutory partners on community engagement, community planning, and participatory budgeting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Planning and Engagement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Spatial planning advice
• Community engagement services
• Participatory budgeting support
• Community planning facilitation
• Independent planning charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Department for Infrastructure Funding: Core planning advice service is part-funded by the Department for Infrastructure, enabling free planning advice to individuals and community groups.
2. Consultancy Services: Income earned from consultancy work including community engagement facilitation, training programs, and place shaping plan development for councils and statutory partners.
3. Tendered Assignments: Grant funding from National Lottery Community Fund and other funders for specific projects such as the PB Works Project and Putting People in the Lead through Quality PB project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Community Places provides free, impartial planning advice to individuals and community groups who cannot afford a private planning consultant, alongside facilitated community engagement, community planning support, and participatory budgeting (PB) services for councils and statutory partners across Northern Ireland. The charity develops bespoke place-shaping plans, delivers training programs, and produces educational tools including the Planning Snakes and Ladders board game and the 'My Place' participatory card game. Core revenue is a blend of Department for Infrastructure grant funding and fees from consultancy and tendered assignments.

Product overview

Community Places (NI) is a charity and social enterprise offering four interconnected service areas: Planning Advice (free, impartial planning guidance), Community Engagement (facilitating community involvement in planning and public policy), Community Planning (supporting councils and partnerships), and Participatory Budgeting (promoting citizen-led budget decisions). These services are delivered alongside educational tools including the Planning Snakes and Ladders board game, 'My Place' participatory card game, downloadable Planning Guides, and the PB Charter framework. The organization also develops Place Shaping Plans for local communities and operates the PB Works Network for participatory budgeting practitioners. The portfolio operates as an integrated service model where advisory services, engagement facilitation, and educational resources support each other to empower communities in spatial and community planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PB Works: A collaborative project coordinated by Community Places to raise awareness of and advocate for Participatory Budgeting across Northern Ireland.

Products and services

• Planning Advice Service Free, impartial and confidential planning advice service for individuals and community groups who cannot afford a private planning consultant. Covers development proposals, commenting on applications, enforcement, appeals and local development plans. Part-funded by the Department for Infrastructure.
• Community Engagement Services Facilitation of community involvement and engagement programs, helping communities share comments on planning, public policies and services through capacity building, community-led plans, and bringing people together.
• Community Planning Services Support for councils and community planning partners to engage with communities and deliver services through building knowledge workshops, strategic planning, and outcome-based community planning.
• Participatory Budgeting Services Promoting people-powered budgeting across Northern Ireland since 2017, including guiding and mentoring groups through PB processes, capacity building, and facilitating networking opportunities. Coordinates the PB Works Project.
• Training Programs Bespoke training and support programs on planning, engagement, community planning, and participatory budgeting delivered to council officers and community groups.
• Planning Snakes and Ladders Board Game Interactive board game that breaks down the planning system into accessible information, taking players through key steps of responding to or commenting on a planning application.
• 'My Place' Participatory Card Game Interactive card game developed with Abbey Community College pupils for all age groups, framing conversations around the quality of local places using 14 place criteria including Appearance, Health and Wellbeing, Nature, Diversity, Family, Shelter, Access and Public Transport, and Feeling Safe.
• PB Charter (Participatory Budgeting Charter) A guiding document presenting nine key features to support quality participatory budgeting processes, developed through workshops with PB practitioners across the region.
• Place Shaping Plans Community-led planning documents co-designed with local communities to set out visions and regeneration priorities for specific areas over 10-year periods, addressing social, economic, community and environmental issues.
• Community Engagement Strategy Development Strategic workshops and support for public bodies to identify priorities, reach consensus, and develop engagement strategies with clear roles and actions.
• PB Works Network Free collaborative network coordinated by Community Places, including public, community and voluntary sector organizations working to create an enabling environment for Participatory Budgeting across Northern Ireland. Provides information, local learning events, support for engaging with policymakers, and shared learning materials.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Glencairn Community and Project Steering GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Collaborative partnership with Glencairn community and a Project Steering Group of statutory and non-statutory bodies to co-design and develop the Glencairn Place Shaping Plan 2035. Extensive community and stakeholder engagement ensured the plan was representative of the community.
• Housing ExecutivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Housing Executive and Deloitte on Tullycarnet Place Shaping Plan exploring regeneration potential of the area over ten years considering social, economic, community and environmental issues.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services partner working with Community Places and Housing Executive on Tullycarnet Place Shaping Plan development.
• National TrustnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL), Periscope and Useful Projects on Future of Urban Green Spaces project. Community Places led on public engagement to inform and shape the vision for urban spaces.
• Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked in partnership on Future of Urban Green Spaces project supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Community Places led public engagement activities.
• Community Foundation Northern IrelandnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Community Solutions to Housing and Homelessness Programme. Community Places worked with Project Steering Group and experts with lived experience to design the PB element targeting root causes of homelessness.
• PB Works NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network coordinated by Community Places including public, community and voluntary sector organizations working to create an enabling environment for Participatory Budgeting across Northern Ireland.
• Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Community Planning PartnershipnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed Tak£500+ participatory budgeting process as part of the PB Works initiative, one of multiple PB trailblazer projects sharing learning.
• Northern Area Community NetworknotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed Glens Healthy Places PB process as one of the PB trailblazer projects in the region.
• Active Belfast PartnershipnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed Move More and Eat Well to Feel Better participatory budgeting process across Belfast City Council area as part of the PB Works initiative.
• Forward South PartnershipnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational member represented on Community Places Board. Organizer of Open Botanic 2023 festival where Community Places contributed Snakes and Ladders board game activity.
• Abbey Community CollegenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with pupils to develop the My Place participatory card game - an interactive tool for discussing quality of local places.
• Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough CouncilnotableChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReceived PB training from Community Places for officers from across the council and Public Health Agency to develop understanding of participatory budgeting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI): UK chartered body for planners that runs Planning Aid, awards, and accreditation. Broader incumbent in the same planning space; the awarding body that gave Community Places its 2026 commendation and houses the most direct English/Welsh peer.

Direct peers

• Carnegie UK Trust: UK and Ireland charitable foundation focused on well-being and participative democracy, with a long-running Participatory Budgeting programme. Direct peer on the PB side: same regional footprint, similar funder profile, and overlapping PB methodology work.
• Involve: UK charity dedicated to public participation and democratic engagement, producing toolkits, training, and research on participatory methods including PB. Comparable as a participation-focused charity offering capacity building to communities and public bodies.
• Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA): UK-wide independent charity advocating for better planning, sustainable communities, and public participation. Comparable as a planning-focused charity that combines policy advocacy, training, and community-facing engagement programmes.
• Planning Aid England: Long-running independent planning advice service for individuals and communities in England, now operating under the RTPI. Most directly comparable peer: identical mission of providing free, impartial planning advice to those who cannot afford a private consultant, structured as a registered charity.
• Planning Aid Scotland: Scottish counterpart offering free, independent planning advice to communities and individuals. Direct functional peer operating the same charitable planning-advice model in a different UK jurisdiction, and the originator of the 14-aspect Place Standard Tool that Community Places uses.

Others

• Architecture and Design Scotland:
• Community Foundation Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland grantmaking foundation that has partnered with Community Places on the Community Solutions to Housing and Homelessness PB programme. Adjacent as a funder and ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor in planning advice.

Emerging players

• Sustrans: UK charity working on active travel, place-making, and community engagement around sustainable transport. Comparable as a charity delivering place-shaping engagement services and training to councils and communities across the UK and Ireland.
• The Democratic Society: UK and European organisation working on democratic participation, citizen-led decision making, and PB. Comparable as a smaller, emerging player in the same participation-and-PB space with overlapping training and advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/communityplaces
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSdtVK3Ir2dU-EPLNIxmKdw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityPlaces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-places-ni-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Community Places (NI)