Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust (Elizabeth House Community Centre)

What Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust (Elizabeth House Community Centre) does

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust operates Elizabeth House Community Centre, a registered charity (no. 1029704) and company limited by guarantee based at 2 Hurlock Street in the Arsenal Ward of Islington, London. Founded in 1993 to save the building from closure, the centre was restored and formally reopened by HRH the Princess Royal in February 2002, with a major refurbishment completed in 2017. The organisation delivers an open-access multi-service portfolio including Ofsted-registered childcare (After School Club and Holiday Playscheme), a Youth Club for ages 11-18, the Food Hub (launched March 2020, distributing 25,000+ parcels and serving 200+ residents weekly), over-50s programmes (Blue House Club, Tech Tea and Biscuits digital inclusion, Winter Wellness), women-only services, free counselling for ages 5-18 via Room Counselling partnership, and the 21st Century Skills IT employability programme delivered with Peoples Place Community Partnerships.

Revenue is generated through five streams: room hire across five venues (Hall, Moonstone, Jade, IT Suite, Kitchen) at £21-£48/hour; childcare fees with concession rates for low-income families; Food Hub membership at £3/week; donations including the Friends of Elizabeth House recurring programme; and grants from a diversified funder base spanning National Lottery Community Fund, Sport England, Camden & Islington Public Health, Natwest Foundation, The Headley Trust, London Community Foundation, Julia and Hans Rausing, UK Power Partners Fund, and Islington Council. The centre employs a core team of approximately 10 staff plus dynamic playworkers and youth workers, supported by 120+ volunteers at the Food Hub alone.

The operating model is community-led: services are accessed via walk-ins, referrals, word-of-mouth, and partnerships, with marketing concentrated on the website, email newsletter, and organic social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). Governance is provided by a board of trustees comprising local residents and professionals, chaired by Garry Luxford, with Jeremy Corbyn MP appointed as Patron in December 2024. The technology layer is non-proprietary: standard office equipment, an IT suite with 13 desktop computers, solar PV panels for energy generation, and Google Analytics for website measurement.

Name

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust (Elizabeth House Community Centre)

Legal name

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust

Website

https://elizabeth-house.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust operates Elizabeth House Community Centre, an Islington-based charity delivering Ofsted-registered childcare, a weekly Food Hub, youth services, over-50s programmes, and venue hire to local residents across the N5, N4, and N7 postcodes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Centre Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• Community centre services
• Youth childcare programmes
• Food poverty support
• Community venue hire
• Registered charity programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Room Hire: The centre generates income by hiring out spaces including the Hall, Large Moonstone room, Medium Jade room, IT Suite, and Kitchen to community groups, event organizers, and private individuals. Pricing varies by time slot (daytime vs evenings/weekends).
2. Childcare Services: Fees charged for After School Club (£14/session, £5 concession for Gillespie School low-income families) and Holiday Playscheme (£30/day, £140/week, with concession rates for low-income families).
3. Donations and Fundraising: Recurring donations from Friends of Elizabeth House members (starting from £5/month), one-time donations, and grant funding from trusts, foundations, and government bodies.
4. Food Hub Membership: Food co-op membership at £3 per week provides residents with food parcels worth at least £40 in essential items and fresh produce.
5. Grants and Funding: Income from charitable foundations, government bodies (Islington Council, Camden & Islington Public Health), Sport England, National Lottery Community Fund, and other institutional funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Elizabeth House Community Centre delivers open-access community services including Ofsted-registered childcare (After School Club, Holiday Playscheme), a Youth Club for ages 11-18, a Food Hub providing weekly food parcels to food-insecure residents, support programmes for over 50s (Blue House Club, Tech Tea and Biscuits digital inclusion, Winter Wellness), women-only services, IT employability training (21CS), free counselling therapy for children and young people, community nature activities, and paid hire of venue spaces including the Hall, Moonstone, Jade, IT Suite, and Kitchen.

Product overview

Elizabeth House Community Centre is a community-focused organization offering a diverse portfolio of services organized around childcare, community support, food security, digital inclusion, and venue hire. Core services include the Holiday Playscheme, After School Club, and Youth Club for children and young people; the Food Hub addressing food insecurity; and various programmes for over 50s including the Blue House Club, Winter Wellness, and Tech Tea and Biscuits digital inclusion support. The 21st Century Skills IT Training programme provides employability training with industry certifications. Room Hire offers venue spaces for community events and activities. Additional services include Women's Group, fitness classes, counselling therapy, and the Greening Highbury Quadrant nature connection project. The centre operates as a multi-service hub serving the local Islington community through both direct service delivery and partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holiday Playscheme Ofsted-registered holiday childcare for children from Reception to Year 9 during school holidays, offering activities including sports, cookery, team games, music, arts and crafts, and weekly trips. Standard £30/day or £140/week; £40/day non-Islington residents; £15/day or £75/week low-income concession (household income under £35,000/year on Universal Credit/DWP support).
• After School Club Ofsted-registered after-school childcare running during term times from 3.30 PM to 6 PM for children from Reception to Year 6, providing games, arts and crafts, sports and healthy snacks. £14 per session standard rate; £5 concession for Gillespie School low-income families (household income under £34,999/year who work or study).
• Youth Club Open-access youth club for young people aged 11-18, running every Monday and Friday from 6.30 PM to 8.30 PM, offering multi-sports, study space, IT suite access, cooking, arts and crafts, and various activities in a safe environment.
• Food Hub Weekly food support service for residents in N5 1, N5 2, N4 2, N4 3 and N7 7 postcodes experiencing food insecurity. £3/week membership provides food parcels worth at least £40 including fresh produce and store cupboard essentials. Supported over 1,000 residents with 25,000+ parcels and 18,000+ cooked meals since 2020, partnered with The Felix Project and City Harvest London.
• Winter Wellness Support programme for Camden and Islington residents aged 65+ to stay warm, safe, active and connected through phone outreach and community meetings, connecting them to housing, health and community services during winter months. Funded by Camden & Islington Public Health.
• Blue House Club (Over 50s) Weekly social club for over 50s offering gentle exercise, hot meals, arts and crafts, games, singing, and workshops with no booking required. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
• Tech, Tea, and Biscuits Free digital inclusion support service for over 50s providing one-to-one tech support sessions with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and internet usage.
• 21st Century Skills (21CS) IT Training Employability programme targeting disadvantaged young people, providing IT training, industry certifications (Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, ECCouncil, ITSpecialist), and work placement opportunities in technical call centre environments. Delivered in partnership with Peoples Place Community Partnerships (PPCP) since 2018, with graduates securing IT roles at Canary Wharf, NHS and technology companies.
• Room Hire Venue hire service offering Hall (150 m², capacity up to 150), Large Moonstone (48 m²), Medium Jade (20 m²), Kitchen, and IT Suite (29 m² with 13 desktop computers) for parties, events, meetings, classes and training. Pricing varies by space and daytime (9 AM – 3 PM) versus evenings/weekends, e.g., Hall £28/hr daytime, £48/hr evenings/weekends; IT Suite £34/hr daytime, £48/hr evenings/weekends.
• Greening Highbury Quadrant - Nature Connections Community nature garden project transforming green spaces on Highbury Quadrant Estate into food growing areas, wildlife habitats, and outdoor social meeting spaces for local residents. Activities run Saturday mornings 10am-12pm; free membership with 100+ members and 78+ resident volunteers. Delivered in partnership with Octopus Community Networks and Islington Council.
• Children and Young People Therapy Free weekly one-to-one counselling sessions for children and young people aged 5 to 18, delivered in partnership with Room Counselling using BACP-registered professional therapists.
• Women's Group Safe space for local women to meet others, learn new skills, relax, participate in community projects, and receive practical support, running every Monday during term times.
• Women Only Fitness Classes Women-only fitness sessions including Zumba and general fitness classes, funded by Sport England through the This Girl Can programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 residents supported with 25,000+ food parcels distributed since 2020
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• The Felix ProjectcoreOthers · 23 March 2020Food surplus redistribution partner providing surplus food to Elizabeth House Food Hub since March 2020. The Felix Project collects surplus food from supermarkets, manufacturers, and wholesalers that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes to community organisations.
• City Harvest LondoncoreOthers · 23 March 2020Food rescue charity partner supporting the Food Hub with surplus food redistribution since March 2020. City Harvest collects excess food from businesses and delivers to community organisations.
• Peoples Place Community Partnerships (PPCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, PPCP has worked alongside Elizabeth House to deliver the 21st Century Skills (21CS) employability programme targeting disadvantaged young people. PPCP provides vocational IT training, certifications (Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco), and work placements through their technical call centre. Multiple programme graduates have secured IT employment.
• Room CounsellingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free weekly one-to-one counselling sessions for children and young people aged 5-18 at Elizabeth House. Therapists are professional members of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
• Bright Start IslingtonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver 6-week baby massage courses for new mums and babies. Course must be booked through Bright Start and is available for Islington residents only.
• Octopus Community NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Growing Programme partner supporting the Greening Highbury Quadrant project since 2019. Octopus provided expertise and experience in developing community nature gardens using permaculture principles.
• Islington CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicence holder for the 3 Nature Garden spaces. Funded through Greener City Fund (Mayor of London), Islington Council's Community Investment Levy, Active Spaces, and Highbury Ward Councillors. Partnership for food hub, holiday playscheme, after school club, and various community programmes.
• Highbury Quadrant Estate Tenants & Residents AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the Greening Highbury Quadrant project, collaborating on community consultations and ongoing management of Nature Gardens.
• Jeremy Corbyn MPminorOthersPatron of Elizabeth House since December 2024. One of the founding members of Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust in 1993, founded to save Elizabeth House. MP for Islington North since 1983 and former Labour Party leader (2015-2020).
• Uptown SwingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal dance school delivering Swing Dance Classes at Elizabeth House every Wednesday 7:30 PM. Contact and booking handled directly through Uptown Swing.
• Nightingale School of Dance (Jayne)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal ballet teacher delivering toddler ballet lessons (2-4 year olds) on Monday and Thursday during term times. Classes follow RAD Graded system. Contact via phone or email directly.
• Michelle (Aerobics Instructor)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal instructor delivering Aerobics classes every Monday 9:15-10:15 during term times. Booking and payment handled directly with Michelle.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Mill Community Centre: East London community centre offering a multi-service programme including childcare, food support, youth work, older adult services, and room hire. Comparable scale and service breadth to Elizabeth House as a London-based multi-service community hub.
• St Luke's Community Centre: Islington-based community centre delivering childcare, older adult services, health and wellbeing programmes, and room hire. Directly comparable mission, location, and service mix to Elizabeth House's children, over-50s, and community wellbeing offerings.
• Hanley Crouch Community Centre: Multi-service London community centre offering childcare, adult learning, community activities, and venue hire in a comparable inner-London setting. Operates with a similar community-led charity model targeting local residents with a comparable mix of grant, fee, and donation income.
• Coram's Fields: Children and family-focused London charity providing supervised play, youth services, counselling, and family support. Comparable as a community-rooted charity delivering children/youth programmes with paid and free service tiers in central London.

Broad incumbents

• The Trussell Trust: National UK food bank network supporting hundreds of community food programmes. Comparable to the Elizabeth House Food Hub in mission (addressing food poverty via surplus redistribution) but operates at vastly greater scale and as a national umbrella rather than a single community centre.

Emerging players

• Age UK Islington: Local Islington charity delivering services for older adults including social activities, digital inclusion, advice, and wellbeing support. Comparable to Elizabeth House's Blue House Club, Tech Tea and Biscuits, and Winter Wellness programmes but focused exclusively on the over-50s segment.

Others

• The Felix Project: London food surplus redistribution charity that supplies Elizabeth House's Food Hub. Not a competitor but a key upstream supplier; comparable mission (reducing food waste and food poverty) and a strategic operational dependency for the Food Hub's cost structure.
• Islington Food Partnership: Borough-level coordination network for food poverty and food justice organisations in Islington. Comparable ecosystem context to Elizabeth House's Food Hub work and acts as a referral and partnership channel rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Eh_highbury
• YouTubem.youtube.com/channel/UCmYEorB4_ebo_NhWOh7Ry6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElizabethHouseCommunity
• Instagraminstagram.com/elizabethhousecommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highbury-vale-blackstock-trust-elizabeth-house-community-centre

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust (Elizabeth House Community Centre)