FRIENDS OF CASTLE GREEN C.I.C.

What FRIENDS OF CASTLE GREEN C.I.C. does

Friends of Castle Green CIC (FoCG) is a volunteer-led Community Interest Company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Hereford, United Kingdom, that manages the historic Castle Green area and its associated facilities in central Hereford. The organization's primary role is the stewardship and operational management of the Georgian Pavilion building, the timber Club House, and surrounding parkland on Castle Green — a Scheduled Ancient Monument with origins dating to around AD550. FoCG runs on a Board of volunteer directors supported by a small team of 5 employees, and operates under a long-term lease assumed from Hereford Council in 2018.

FoCG's commercial offering is built around venue hire and on-site programming. The Pavilion contains the River Room (ground floor, up to 50 seated, £17–£145 per booking) and the Artists Room (first floor with River Wye views, £22.50–£200 per booking), suitable for parties, exercise classes, workshops, meetings, and conferences. The Club House, acquired in early 2024, provides lower-cost basic meeting space (£10–£40 per booking) and an adjoining 2,000 square metre outdoor bowling green for larger events. A £1.56 million Stronger Towns Fund grant, secured in September 2022 and completed in September 2025, fully refurbished the Pavilion and enabled the 2025 launch of CSONS — a tenant-operated cafe and roof terrace offering daily breakfast, lunch, and weekend supper service. Recurring programming includes multiple weekly wellness classes (Pilates with Jade, Easy Pilates with Catriona Hopkins, Chair Yoga with Lucy Adam, Yoga Coffee Community), cultural events (Book Social Herefordshire, Fine Art Workshops with Katie Hollinshead, Milfest Military History Festival), and the volunteer-run Hereford Youth Canoe Club serving ages 11-18.

The business model combines transactional venue hire (pay-as-you-go unit pricing), a £10/year membership program providing bi-annual newsletters and AGM invitations, class/workshop fees ranging from £7–£50 per session, and tenant rental income from CSONS. GTM is community-led, relying on the website, bi-annual newsletters, social media (primarily Facebook), local word-of-mouth, the volunteer network, and direct booking via the Operations Manager. Customer segments span community groups, private individuals, and businesses seeking city-centre event space, with no significant customer concentration and no external venture investment.

Name

FRIENDS OF CASTLE GREEN C.I.C.

Legal name

Friends of Castle Green CIC

Website

https://friendsofcastlegreen.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Castle Green CIC is a volunteer-led Community Interest Company managing historic Castle Green in Hereford, UK, operating venue hire at the Pavilion and Club House, hosting the CSONS cafe tenant, and running community wellness classes and youth programming for local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Venue Hire

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Community venue hire
• Event space rental
• Heritage preservation
• Community classes
• Youth activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Space Hire - The Pavilion: The Pavilion offers two large rooms for hire - the River Room (ground floor) and Artists Room (first floor). Rooms are available to community groups, companies, and private individuals at competitive rates. River Room for non-profits: £17/hour, £60/half day, £100/full day. Artists Room for commercial: £22.50/hour, £80/half day, £150/full day.
2. Space Hire - The Club House: The Club House is a basic meeting space available for hire by community groups. Includes hourly (£10), half day (£25), and full day (£40) rates. Combined Club House and Bowling Green hire available at £30/hour, £100/half day, £200/full day.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership at £10 per year, providing members with bi-annual newsletters and AGM invitations.
4. Cafe Operations (CSONS): CSONS operates a cafe and roof terrace within the Pavilion, open daily for breakfast, coffee, lunch, tea and cakes, plus Friday/Saturday evening supper service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friends of Castle Green CIC manages and hires out community spaces at the historic Castle Green site in Hereford, including the Georgian Pavilion (River Room and Artists Room) and the Club House, for events, classes, meetings, and conferences. The organisation also runs community programming such as yoga and Pilates classes, literary events, and supports the Hereford Youth Canoe Club, while hosting the CSONS cafe as a tenant within the Pavilion.

Product overview

Friends of Castle Green CIC operates as a community interest company managing the historic Castle Green area in Hereford city center. The organization offers a portfolio of venue hire services centered around two primary facilities: The Pavilion (a Georgian building with River Room and Artists Room for events and classes) and The Club House (basic meeting space for community groups), both available for hire. The organization hosts CSONS cafe within The Pavilion and supports the Hereford Youth Canoe Club. Regular programming includes wellness classes (yoga, pilates, chair yoga) and literary events (Book Social). The offering functions as a collection of community spaces with organized activities rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Pavilion Venue Hire A Georgian community venue on Castle Green offering two hireable spaces — the River Room on the ground floor (up to 50 seated) and the Artists Room on the first floor overlooking the River Wye — for parties, exercise classes, workshops, meetings, and conferences. Available to community groups, companies, and private individuals at hourly, half-day, and full-day rates.
• The Club House Venue Hire A timber-structured building offering basic meeting space with a kitchenette and changing rooms, available for hire by community groups on hourly, half-day, and full-day rates. The adjoining bowling green is a large enclosed outdoor space (approximately 2,000 square metres) suitable for outdoor events and community get-togethers.
• Hereford Youth Canoe Club Paddle sport opportunities for young people aged 11–18 on the River Wye from the Pavilion at Castle Green. Run by volunteer coaches providing kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and water safety instruction.
• Easy Pilates with Catriona Hopkins Weekly rehab-based pilates sessions held Wednesdays 9–10AM at Castle Green Pavilion, suitable for all skill levels, with 4-week block booking at £32 (£8 per class).
• Pilates with Jade Weekly pilates classes held every Monday 10–11AM at The Pavilion, suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced, at £10 per class.
• Chair Yoga with Lucy Adam Seated yoga and gentle movement class held Fridays 10–11AM at The Pavilion, suitable for ages 50+ and beginners, at £10 per class.
• Yoga Coffee Community Monthly gentle yoga sessions followed by hot drinks and treats at The Pavilion, held on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2:30–4:30PM, at £7 standard or £14 concessions (inclusive of yoga, hot drink and treat).
• Book Social Herefordshire Monthly book social events held on Wednesdays 6:30–8:30PM at The Pavilion, featuring local and national authors in discussion with host Joseph Emmett.
• Annual Membership Programme Annual membership at £10 per year providing members with bi-annual newsletters (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter editions) and AGM invitations, supporting the FoCG mission to protect and enhance Castle Green.
• Fine Art Workshops with Katie Hollinshead Fine art workshops hosted at The Pavilion at £50 per person with all materials provided.

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CSONScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CSONS (four Crouch brothers) operates a cafe and roof terrace within the newly refurbished Pavilion building. The cafe offers breakfast, coffee, lunch, tea and cakes daily, plus Friday/Saturday evening supper service. Menu features locally sourced, seasonal produce from Herefordshire suppliers. The partnership provides food service amenities to Pavilion visitors and generates revenue for FoCG through tenant arrangement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Historic Royal Palaces: Charity managing unoccupied royal palaces with venue hire, events, and cafe/restaurant operations. Comparable business model of operating historic buildings for community and commercial use, though with royal estate scale.
• National Trust: UK conservation charity operating historic houses, gardens, and parks with venue hire, cafes, and events. Comparable heritage asset operator with community programming and cafe tenants, though at massive scale.
• English Heritage: Charity that manages Scheduled Ancient Monuments and historic sites across England, including venue hire for events. Directly comparable in managing a heritage site with public access, but operates at a national scope with professional staff.
• The Landmark Trust: UK charity that restores and lets out historic buildings for short stays and events. Comparable to FoCG in operating historic heritage assets for community and visitor use, but at national scale and with overnight accommodation.

Direct peers

• Better (GLL): Social enterprise leisure operator providing community gym, fitness class, and venue hire services on behalf of local councils. Comparable mix of community wellness classes, recreational programming, and venue hire at a local-authority-partnered scale.
• Places Leisure: Charitable leisure operator running community centres, sports halls, and fitness studios across the UK. Comparable in offering community-led venue hire, fitness classes, and wellness programming on a local-authority-partnered model.

Regional players

• Herefordshire Wildlife Trust: Local charitable trust managing nature reserves and heritage sites in Herefordshire with community events, volunteer programs, and venue hire. Comparable regional mission of preserving a heritage asset for community use in the same county.

Emerging players

• Burgh Island Hotel: Privately operated heritage Art Deco hotel offering venue hire, events, and dining on a tidal island. Comparable in operating a heritage asset with venue hire and F&B, but as a for-profit hospitality business.

Others

• Groundwork UK: Federated charity supporting community-led regeneration of parks, green spaces, and heritage sites. Comparable in mobilizing volunteers and community grants to maintain and activate public greenspace assets.
• The Lord Mayor's Charity Appeal / Community Foundation: Local community foundation supporting CICs and small charities in Herefordshire. Comparable as a community-interest structure serving the same geographic community, though a grant-maker rather than a venue operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herefordyouthcanoeclun
• Instagraminstagram.com/hereford.youth.canoe.club
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-castle-green-c-i-c-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 FRIENDS OF CASTLE GREEN C.I.C.