Gregson Arts and Community Centre Ltd

What Gregson Arts and Community Centre Ltd does

The Gregson Arts and Community Centre Ltd, legally The Gregson Community Association (registered charity 1115084, company 05676887), operates a community-owned arts and events venue in an 1889 heritage building at 33-35 Moorgate, Lancaster. The centre is community-owned and community-led, having been under continuous custodianship of the same charity for over 40 years and saved from COVID-era closure in 2020 through a community crowdfunding campaign that transferred direct management to the charity. It serves four distinct customer segments: local community members, emerging artists/performers, Lancaster and Cumbria university students, and the 70+ community groups, charities and CICs that use it as a regular base.

The centre runs four hireable event spaces — The Hall (150 capacity, performance-grade PA and lighting), The Olive Bar (90 capacity, divisible), The Meeting Room (45 capacity, £11/hr) and The Secret Cinema (25 capacity, intimate cinema with vintage seating) — alongside the only community-run cafe bar in Lancaster, a coworking offering (Work From Gregson), and a 'Coffee on Me' scheme for those in need. Creative development programmes include New Stages for emerging performers and a Creative Support Programme that subsidises room hire for new groups. There is no proprietary technology platform; the venue relies on standard equipment, a WordPress website, TryBooking ticketing, and direct booking via phone/email.

Revenue is generated from five streams: cafe bar sales (all profits donated to the charity), space hire across four tiered spaces, free memberships plus a Supporter donation programme (from £3/month), student discounts, and coworking day passes. The organisation receives no regular public subsidy, instead relying on National Lottery Community Fund, Sport England, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster City Council and various charitable trusts for project funding, with the balance from earned income and donations. Monthly running costs are publicly stated at £25,000, and 3,500 events are hosted annually.

Name

Gregson Arts and Community Centre Ltd

Legal name

The Gregson Community Association

Website

https://gregson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gregson Arts and Community Centre is a community-owned charity venue in Lancaster operating an 1889 heritage building with four hireable event spaces, a community-run cafe bar, and creative development programmes — serving local residents, 70+ community groups, emerging artists, and university students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Venue

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH), Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Community arts venue
• Event space hire
• Community cafe bar
• Grassroots community hub
• Community cinema space

Headquarters

HQ city

CARNFORTH

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cafe Bar Sales: Cafe bar operates 10am-11pm daily serving food by Toast and drinks including cask ales, draught beers, wines, spirits, and soft drinks. All profits are donated to the independent charity.
2. Space Hire: Hire of The Hall (up to 150 capacity), Olive Bar (up to 90), Meeting Room (up to 45), and Secret Cinema (up to 25). Various pricing tiers with and without staffed bar.
3. Membership & Donations: Free membership with voting rights. Gregson Supporters programme for financial donations starting from £3/month. One-off donations also accepted.
4. Student Deal: Students receive 10% off drinks, 50% off room hire, and free marketing support for events. Revenue from discounted services.
5. Work From Gregson: Remote working passes: £5 for unlimited coffee/tea, £8.95 for unlimited coffee plus a drink at end of day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community-owned arts and community centre operating hireable venue spaces (The Hall, Olive Bar, Meeting Room, Secret Cinema), an award-winning community-run café bar, coworking passes, and creative development programmes (New Stages, Creative Support, Student Deal) for local residents, emerging artists, community organisations, and students in Lancaster. All profits are reinvested into the centre and the wider community, and the centre hosts around 3,500 events per year and serves as the base for 70+ regular community groups.

Product overview

The Gregson Community & Arts Centre operates as a community-owned, community-led venue offering a portfolio of hireable event spaces and community services. Core venue products include The Hall (150 capacity performance space), The Olive Bar (90 capacity versatile space), Meeting Room (45 capacity), and Secret Cinema (25 capacity intimate cinema). Supporting services include an award-winning Café Bar (CAMRA Club of the Year 2025), Work From the Gregson coworking packages, and the Coffee on Me scheme for those in need. Creative development programmes include New Stages for emerging performers and the Creative Support Programme for new group leaders. The centre also offers Student Deal discounts and operates a free Membership Programme with a Supporter donation scheme. The centre hosts approximately 3,500 events per year and is home to 70+ community groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Hall
• The Olive Bar
• The Meeting Room
• The Secret Cinema
• Café Bar
• Work From the Gregson
• Coffee on Me Scheme
• New Stages
• Creative Support Programme
• Student Deal
• Membership Programme
• Supporter Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 community groups, charities, and CICs use the centre as their base
• +3 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ToastcoreOthersNeighbouring food business that provides all food in the cafe bar including brunch, main menu, and pizza for the Secret Cinema. Food is cooked on site and served in the cafe bar.
• Talk About TastyminorOthersSmall family business supplying homemade cakes for the cafe bar.
• Arts4Us (Edge Hill University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Edge Hill University research project exploring arts and wellbeing. Part of Health Research Institute research centre.
• Lancaster & District CVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Voluntary Service partner supporting local community organisations.
• Food Futures (North Lancashire's Sustainable Food Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner for sustainable food initiatives. Chair Jamie Murphy works with Food Futures.
• Gregson Festival GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-group of the charity that organises the annual firework display and bonfire. Maintains community events.
• Friends of Miss Whalley's FieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-group maintaining 'Gregson's Garden', an urban green space transformed from disused land.
• Highfield Recreation GroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-group that restored a derelict sport facility and provides outdoor community space.
• Gregson Cricket ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cricket club with full calendar of friendly fixtures, always looking for new players and touring sides.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ARC Stockton Arts Centre: Multi-purpose community arts venue presenting theatre, music, cinema, comedy and workshops, with a cafe/bar; directly comparable operating model combining hireable spaces, programmed performances and community engagement.
• The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster: Lancaster's flagship producing theatre and cinema operating nearby; shares the same catchment, audience pool, donor base and arts/creative community as the Gregson and competes for tickets, hires and programming.
• Rich Mix: London community arts centre with three gallery/performance spaces, cinema and a cafe/bar; same model of hireable event spaces, artistic programming and a community-focused bar.
• The Trades Club: Community-owned members' social club and live music/comedy venue in Hebden Bridge with a strong bar; highly comparable community-ownership, music-and-bar hybrid operating model.
• The Brudenell Social Club: Community-owned independent music venue and bar in Leeds; same hybrid model of hireable live-music space, affordable bar, and community-governance ethos as the Gregson.
• The Atkinson: Multi-purpose arts venue in Southport operating galleries, theatre, library and cafe/bar; directly comparable North West England community-arts-hub with diverse programming under one roof.
• The Albany, London: Community-led arts and cultural centre in Deptford offering hireable spaces, cafe, and a broad community programme; structurally similar charity-run, multi-use venue with subsidised hire schemes.
• Brewery Arts Centre: Community-rooted arts centre in Kendal, Cumbria, operating a multi-use venue with cinema, theatre, gallery and a busy cafe/bar — same regional community-arts-hub model as the Gregson, including similar reliance on mixed earned/income and grant income.

Emerging players

• settlement: Settle Stories, the prior employer of Gregson CEO Charles Tyrer, is a comparable arts/cultural charity operating across North Yorkshire with community programming and live performance — relevant for leadership comparison rather than direct venue competition.

Regional players

• The Grand Theatre, Lancaster: Same-city heritage venue hosting theatre, music, cinema and comedy; competes for the same Lancaster audiences and donors though focused more on programmed performances than community-group hire.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gregsoncentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/gregsoncentrelancaster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gregson-centre-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Gregson Arts and Community Centre Ltd