What DENS - Helping Rebuild Lives does

DENS (Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter) is a registered UK charity (Charity no. 1097185, Company no. 4610820) founded in 1998 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, providing an integrated suite of services addressing homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion across the Dacorum borough. The organisation operates a 44-bed pet-friendly hostel (The Elms, the UK's first StreetVet Accredited Hostel), a Crash Pad emergency overnight accommodation, a Day Centre providing hot meals, showers, laundry, and advice, a Foodbank distributing emergency food parcels, a Therapy Centre offering one-to-one and group trauma support, and Employment & Skills Support delivered partly through Social Enterprises (Bike Project, Catering Project, Coffee Project, Kitchen Café). It also runs a Pet-Friendly programme, a Cost of Living Support / Financial Empowerment service in partnership with Trinity/Liberty Tea Rooms/Christians Against Poverty (Trussell-funded), and a new Private Rental Sector tenancy support service in partnership with the TDS Charitable Foundation. The headcount is 137 employees and leadership is led by CEO Wendy Lewington.

DENS operates a non-commercial revenue model: all services to beneficiaries are free at point of use. Income is generated from a diversified mix of individual donations, fundraising events (London Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Royal Parks Half Marathon, Hillbuster cycling, Sponsored Sleepouts, abseils, quiz nights, Gala Dinners), grants from trusts and foundations (Trussell Trust, Crisis, Hertfordshire Community Foundation, Enterprise Development Programme), corporate Charity of the Year partnerships (Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes 2026), legacy giving (Make A Will Month, partnered with local solicitors), social enterprise trading, and the newly launched DENS Weekly Lottery via Affinity Lottery. The charity holds multiple credentials including The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, NCVO Trusted Charity Mark Level 1, Living Wage Employer, Disability Confident Committed, and Fundraising Regulator registration. Its operating geography is strictly domestic and single-borough (Dacorum, Hertfordshire), with no evidence of geographic expansion beyond that remit.

In 2026 DENS is developing a new DENS Centre at the Paradise Depot site in Hemel Hempstead (56 social rent homes plus a new support hub), a project that materially expands its physical asset base. The organisation runs a multi-channel digital presence (website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, monthly newsletters) and utilises the Run for Charity platform for third-party event registration, with no disclosed proprietary technology platform.

Name

DENS - Helping Rebuild Lives

Legal name

DENS (Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter)

Website

https://dens.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DENS is a UK registered charity in Hemel Hempstead providing integrated homelessness, foodbank, therapy, employment, and social enterprise services to people in Dacorum, Hertfordshire facing poverty and social exclusion, funded by donations, grants, events, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Poverty 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 industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Homelessness support services
• Emergency accommodation
• Food poverty relief
• Charity social services
• Skills training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary donations from individual supporters. The charity operates online donation pages, monthly giving, and responds to targeted appeals such as the Winter Appeal and Adrian's Appeal for equipment for the new DENS Centre.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue from participants registering for and sponsoring challenge events including marathons, cycle rides, sleepouts, quizzes, and abseils. Runners commit to minimum sponsorship targets (e.g., £2,500 for London Marathon, £300 for Brighton Marathon).
3. Weekly Lottery: DENS Weekly Lottery launched in 2026 in partnership with Affinity Lottery, offering weekly cash prizes of up to £25,000 with entries from £1 per week.
4. Statutory Funding and Grants: Grants from trusts and foundations including Trussell Trust (Financial Empowerment Programme), Crisis ('In This Together' £5,000 grant), Hertfordshire Community Foundation, Enterprise Development Programme (£28,000 grant), and Dacorum Borough Council partnerships.
5. Social Enterprise Trading: Revenue from social enterprise projects including the Bike Project (bike sales and servicing), The Catering Project (external catering), and The Coffee Project. These provide employability training while generating trading income.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Charity of the Year partnerships (e.g., Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes 2026), business fundraising, matched giving schemes, and cause-related marketing with local businesses.
7. Legacy Giving: Gifts in Wills programme through Make A Will Month, in partnership with local solicitors (Machins Solicitors, Harrowell & Atkins). Recommended minimum donations of £175 for a single Will or £295 for mirror Wills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

DENS (Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter) is a registered charity delivering an integrated suite of free services to people in the Dacorum borough of Hertfordshire who are facing homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion. Its core offerings span emergency accommodation (Crash Pad overnight beds and the 44-bed The Elms hostel), a Foodbank distributing emergency parcels, a Day Centre providing meals and advice, a Therapy Centre offering trauma support, employment and skills training through Social Enterprises (Bike Project, Catering Project, Coffee Project, Kitchen Café), Cost of Living debt counselling, and a Private Rental Sector Tenancy Support service. All services are provided free at the point of use and funded through donations, grants, fundraising events, and trading income from social enterprises.

Product overview

DENS is a charitable organization offering an integrated portfolio of homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion services in Dacorum, Hertfordshire. The core services include emergency accommodation (Crash Pad, The Elms 44-bed hostel), a Day Centre providing meals and advice, a Foodbank distributing emergency parcels, and a Therapy Centre offering trauma support. Employment and skills development is delivered through Social Enterprise Projects including the Bike Project, Catering Project, and Kitchen Café. Additional services include Cost of Living Support (debt management), Pet-Friendly Services with StreetVet accreditation, and a new Private Rental Sector Tenancy Support service. The organization also operates a Weekly Lottery for fundraising. Services are interconnected, with clients often accessing multiple services as they progress from crisis through accommodation, therapy, skills training, and towards independent living.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Elms: 44-bed pet-friendly homelessness hostel providing temporary accommodation and support
• The Kitchen Café
• The Bike Project
• The Catering Project
• The Coffee Project
• DENNY The Bear
• Crash Pad
• First Impressions Service

Products and services

• Day Centre A drop-in centre in Hemel Hempstead where people facing homelessness or poverty can access hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, and receive one-to-one advice and support.
• Foodbank Provides emergency food parcels and household provisions to individuals and families in the Dacorum borough experiencing food insecurity, with distribution from Dacre House on Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead.
• The Elms Hostel A 44-bed temporary accommodation hostel in Hemel Hempstead (The Elms, Redbourn Road) offering comprehensive support services for people experiencing homelessness. Pet-friendly and StreetVet Accredited, accepting residents with their pets.
• Crash Pad Emergency Accommodation Free emergency overnight accommodation providing rough sleepers with a warm bed, hot meal, and specialist support, including extra winter spaces delivered with Dacorum Borough Council.
• Therapy Centre In-house therapeutic support on a one-to-one or group basis to help clients process past trauma, PTSD, mental health challenges, and addiction issues.
• Employment & Skills Support Helps people facing homelessness and social exclusion develop employment prospects, earn qualifications, and gain work experience opportunities, including barista, bike mechanic, catering, and life skills training.
• Bike Project Social enterprise providing bicycle repair and maintenance training, offering repaired bikes to clients for transportation and employment access, and a paid bike servicing offer to the public.
• Catering Project Social enterprise providing external catering services that enable service users to learn employability skills in food preparation and professional hospitality.
• Kitchen Café A café operated as part of DENS' social enterprise activities, providing barista and front-of-house training and employment opportunities for service users.
• Cost of Living Support Free financial support including debt counselling, budgeting advice, benefit checks, money management workshops, and tenancy management delivered in partnership with Liberty Tea Rooms, Christians Against Poverty, and Community Money Advice.
• Private Rental Sector (PRS) Tenancy Support Homelessness prevention service working with private landlords and tenants in Dacorum to provide greater access to safe and affordable homes through the Private Rental Sector.
• Pet-Friendly Services Pet-friendly accommodation and welfare services at The Elms hostel, with StreetVet accreditation providing free veterinary care, telemedicine, pet essentials, transport, and emergency kennelling for pet-owning residents.
• Move On Properties Shared properties for hostel residents ready to take the next step towards independent living, with continued DENS support during their transition.
• Resettlement Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 163 people stayed at The Elms hostel in 2023 with an average stay of 140 days
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.

• TDS Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with the TDS Charitable Foundation to deliver a new Private Rental Sector (PRS) Service designed to prevent homelessness by working with both local landlords and tenants in Dacorum to provide greater access to safe and affordable homes.
• Barratt Homes and David Wilson HomesflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Chosen as Charity of the Year for 2026. The companies will deliver fundraising and volunteering activities including a golf day, gala dinner, and staff volunteering days. CEO Wendy Lewington stated the partnership will raise awareness, generate vital funding and support delivery of services to those who need them most in the local area.
• Dacorum Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Dacorum Borough Council for cold weather provision and extra emergency accommodation spaces during winter. Also partnered for the Paradise Depot development (56 social rent homes plus new DENS Centre) and the Charity Abseiling event.
• Bugler DevelopmentsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Developer partner for the Paradise Depot development in Hemel Hempstead, partnering with DENS and Dacorum Borough Council for the Charity Abseiling event at the new development site.
• Machins SolicitorsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting DENS Make A Will Month (March 2026), donating legal time in return for client donations to DENS (recommended minimum £175 single Will, £295 mirror Wills).
• Run for CharityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Third-party event registration platform through which DENS distributes charity places for the Brighton Marathon, Royal Parks Half Marathon, and London Landmarks Half Marathon.
• Liberty Tea RoomscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Liberty Tea Rooms and Christians Against Poverty, funded by Trussell Trust, to deliver the Financial Empowerment Programme (Cost of Living Support). Provides free debt counselling, budgeting advice, benefit checks, and money management workshops to people accessing the Foodbank or at risk of needing it. Debt coach and Occupational Therapist placements at Liberty Tea Rooms support clients.
• Christians Against PovertycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with DENS and Liberty Tea Rooms, funded by Trussell Trust, to deliver the Financial Empowerment Programme providing free debt counselling and financial support to Dacorum residents facing financial hardship.
• British CyclingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Official partner for the Hemel Hillbuster cycling event, run in partnership with British Cycling to offer routes ranging from 25k to 120k.
• Watford FC TrustminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Watford FC's Trust and local homelessness charities for the Vicarage Road Stadium Sleep Out fundraising event.
• School for Social EntrepreneursminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Introduced to DENS Social Enterprises team through EDP and Homeless Link partnership. Provides additional training and support for social enterprise development.
• Homeless LinkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner of the Enterprise Development Programme that introduced DENS to additional training opportunities including the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
• Dacorum Borough Council (Recipe Book Partnership)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021DENS Catering Project contributed recipes to a local cookbook created by Dacorum Borough Council, with proceeds going to Sunnyside Rural Trust and the Trussell Trust.
• StreetVetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020StreetVet launched the UK's first pet-friendly hostel accreditation scheme, with DENS The Elms being the very first hostel to receive accreditation. StreetVet provides free veterinary care, telemedicine, pet essentials, transport to vet practices, and emergency kennelling for pet-owning residents at The Elms. The scheme was launched with funding from Purina's BetterwithPets prize.
• Affinity LotterymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Platform partner for the DENS Weekly Lottery (launched 2026), providing the technology infrastructure for the charity lottery offering weekly prizes up to £25,000.
• StreetLinkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Alert system used by DENS and the public to report rough sleepers in England and Wales, connecting them with local outreach teams. DENS encourages concerned members of the public to use StreetLink.

Scale indicators24 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Emmaus UK: UK federation supporting communities where formerly homeless people live and work. Comparable accommodation-plus-enterprise model, with social enterprises generating trading income alongside residential support.
• Depaul UK: UK charity working with people experiencing homelessness and those in insecure housing, providing supported accommodation, education, and employment programmes. Comparable multi-service model with similar donation-led funding approach.
• Trussell Trust: UK foodbank network that operates the DENS Foodbank via local partnership. Directly comparable emergency food relief service and an active funder of DENS's Cost of Living Support programme.
• Centrepoint: UK charity providing accommodation, employment support, and skills training for young people facing homelessness. Directly comparable service mix (housing, employment, skills) and similarly diversified donation/fundraising model.
• St Mungo's: UK charity providing hostels, supported housing, recovery, and employment services for people experiencing homelessness. Closely comparable multi-site service portfolio including hostels, outreach, and skills programmes.
• Crisis UK: National UK homelessness charity delivering accommodation, education, training, and resettlement services. Comparable integrated service model and a current grant funder of DENS, indicating direct programmatic alignment.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA England & Wales: National federation providing accommodation (including hostels), health and wellbeing, and training programmes. Comparable accommodation-plus-skills mix across multiple UK sites, operating at materially greater scale.
• The Salvation Army UK: Large UK charity operating hostels, foodbanks, employment services, and debt advice through a national network. Overlaps across virtually every DENS service line but at substantially greater scale and with a broader welfare mission.
• Shelter: UK-wide housing and homelessness charity providing advice, campaigns, and supported housing. Overlaps with DENS on housing/homelessness but operates at national scale with policy and campaigning remit beyond DENS's local service delivery.

Others

• Homeless Link: UK membership body for homelessness charities. Less a direct competitor and more an industry infrastructure partner — DENS engages with Homeless Link through the Enterprise Development Programme for training and development support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DENSCharity
• Facebookfacebook.com/DENSCharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dens
• Instagraminstagram.com/denscharity/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@denscharity

Compliance6 records

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 DENS - Helping Rebuild Lives