The HEY Smile Foundation

What The HEY Smile Foundation does

HEY Smile Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number: 1125856) operating as a local infrastructure charity that supports other charities, voluntary organisations, and community groups across Hull and East Yorkshire. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Hull with secondary operations at The Crown Building in Bridlington, the foundation serves a portfolio of more than 200 grassroots charities annually, providing community development, governance training, funding facilitation, equipment lending, and operational support. Its core service catalogue includes The Vault/Smile Vaults (free equipment lending, 5,755 items borrowed in 2025), the Crown Community Hub (generating £1.91M in social value in 2025), Community Development Officers, the Trustee Academy & Network, Smile Chances (emergency funding), the I AM Fund (performing arts grants), Growing Green and Blue Communities, Inclusion Health, DBS Checks, and Data & Community Intelligence reporting. The foundation also develops and manages NHS charitable funds (Health Tree Foundation for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust; Health Stars for Humber NHS Foundation Trust) and administers foundations on behalf of corporate partners including MKM Building Supplies.

Name

The HEY Smile Foundation

Legal name

HEY Smile Foundation

Website

https://heysmilefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The HEY Smile Foundation is a Hull- and East Yorkshire-based infrastructure charity that supports 200+ local charities, voluntary groups, and NHS trusts with community development, equipment lending, funding facilitation, governance training, and managed foundation administration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Infrastructure and Community Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Charity infrastructure support
• Equipment lending library
• Trustee training programs
• Grant administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: The foundation receives funding from various sources including National Lottery, local authority grants, and charitable trusts to support its operations and community programmes.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Meaningful corporate partnerships connecting businesses with communities, providing skills, resources, and long-term commitment from companies like MKM Building Supplies.
3. Event Fundraising: Organised events including Devil's Kitchen culinary competitions, golf days, quiz nights, and the Smile Ball that raise funds for community causes.
4. I AM Fund Administration: The foundation acts as grant panel representative for the Audrey Mosey Fund (I AM Fund), managing grant distributions to performing arts projects in Hull and East Yorkshire.
5. Foundation Governance Services: Providing independent governance and administration for foundations like the MKM Foundation, ensuring transparent donation management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The HEY Smile Foundation is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee operating as a local infrastructure charity that supports other charities, voluntary organisations, and community groups across Hull and East Yorkshire. It delivers a portfolio of interconnected services including free equipment lending (The Vault), hands-on community development support, training, trustee development, DBS check processing, grant administration (I AM Fund), NHS charitable fund management (Health Tree Foundation and Health Stars), and fundraising events.

Product overview

The HEY Smile Foundation is a local infrastructure charity supporting other charities across Hull and East Yorkshire. Rather than a single product, it offers a portfolio of interconnected services including The Vault/Smile Vaults (equipment lending), Community Development programmes, the Crown Community hub, Smile Chances (emergency funding), the I AM Fund (grant-making), training and Trustee Academy, DBS check processing, Data & Community Intelligence, and event programmes like Devil's Kitchen. These services are designed to strengthen local charities, volunteer organisations, and community groups by providing tools, confidence, funding access, and operational support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Vault: Equipment lending service providing items to charities and community groups across Hull and East Yorkshire
• Smile Vaults
• Smile Soup
• The Crown Community
• Community Collectives
• Trustee Academy & Network
• Leaders Supper Club
• Think Tank
• Growing Green & Blue Communities
• Inclusion Health
• DBS Checks
• Smile Health
• Smile by the Sea
• Smile365
• Devil's Kitchen
• Smile Chances
• Time2Volunteer Awards
• The Smile Ball
• Business Meets Community
• I AM Fund

Products and services

• The Vault (Smile Vaults) Equipment Lending Free equipment lending service providing items such as gazebos, tables, and games to charities and community groups across Hull and East Yorkshire, enabling grassroots activity, connection, and events.
• Community Development Hands-on community development support helping local organisations strengthen their foundations, respond to community needs, build governance frameworks, apply for funding, and develop HR and compliance policies.
• Crown Community Hub The Crown Building in Bridlington serves as a community hub delivering high-impact projects, hosting community groups, and generating measurable social value across multiple outcome areas.
• Trustee Academy & Network Training and networking programme supporting charity governance through trustee development, recruitment guidance, and AGM setup assistance.
• DBS Checks Disclosure and Barring Service check processing for volunteers and staff of charities and community organisations.
• Training Capacity-building training services covering governance, funding applications, HR basics, compliance, and volunteer management for charities.
• Growing Green and Blue Communities A nature and health programme connecting communities with green spaces and environmental initiatives for wellbeing benefits.
• Inclusion Health Health inclusion programme supporting vulnerable populations and addressing health inequalities across the region.
• Data & Community Intelligence Analytics and insight services helping organisations understand community needs and measure impact.
• I AM Fund (Audrey Mosey Fund) Grant programme supporting performing arts and good causes in the Hull and East Yorkshire area, administered by HEY Smile Foundation as grant panel representative alongside Gosschalks Solicitors and Audrey's estate.
• NHS Charitable Fund Administration (Health Tree Foundation and Health Stars) Governance and administration of NHS-associated charitable funds at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (Health Tree Foundation) and Humber NHS Foundation Trust (Health Stars).
• Corporate Foundation Governance (MKM Foundation) Independent governance and administration services for corporate foundations, ensuring transparent donation management and credible community impact delivery; provided to MKM Foundation since 2026.
• Smile Chances (Emergency Funding) Emergency and vital funding programme providing essential equipment, training, volunteer support, and family experiences for charities and voluntary groups in crisis.
• Devil's Kitchen Fundraising Event Culinary team competition event where businesses prepare three-course meals to raise funds for the foundation; over 4,000 people have dined at Devil's Kitchen events since inception.

Quantifiable outcome

• £12.53 social return for every £1 invested in The Crown Building
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• MKM Building SuppliescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026HEY Smile Foundation acts as independent partner providing governance and administration for the newly launched MKM Foundation marking 30 years of community support. Smile ensures donations are managed transparently and reach intended communities and causes. MKM has contributed over £5 million through fundraising over 30 years.
• Audrey Mosey (I AM Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The I AM Fund launched in 2019 through a gift in the will of Audrey Mosey (died 2018, aged 91) who wanted to support good causes in her beloved area. Her passion for dance and performing arts led to the Audrey Mosey Fund. HEY Smile Foundation serves on the grant panel alongside Gosschalks Solicitors and Audrey's estate.
• Smailes Goldie Chartered AccountantsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 201412-year partnership (minus Covid year) hosting the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year event. Raised £5,910 at the 11th event in 2026, with funds supporting Smile Chances programme providing emergency funding to charities.
• Gosschalks SolicitorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Gosschalks has provided office space, IT equipment, legal advice, and business development support since 2011, saving the charity approximately £45,000 per year. Enables annual income growth from £100,000 to £600,000 and supports over 200 charities annually.
• Health Tree FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEY Smile Foundation develops the Health Tree Foundation which manages charitable funds at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, enhancing NHS services.
• Health StarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEY Smile Foundation develops Health Stars which runs charitable funds at Humber NHS Foundation Trust, enhancing healthcare provision.
• Hull Truck TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI AM Fund 2026 grant recipient providing inclusive opportunity for young people to perform as part of Hull Truck's 2026 Christmas production.
• Humber Theatre TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI AM Fund 2026 grant recipient providing free technical theatre training introducing young people to backstage roles.
• She ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI AM Fund 2026 grant recipient delivering drama workshops for young children from low-income households.
• Welcome HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI AM Fund 2026 grant recipient working with Falling Stars Theatre to deliver drama workshops for refugee and asylum-seeking young people.
• Rotary Club of HullmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on the Humber Bridge Half Marathon for the past four years, working together to raise funds for local charities.
• East Riding of Yorkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on volunteering drop-in sessions across East Yorkshire and coordination of community funding programmes.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Locality: UK-wide membership and support body for community organisations and social enterprises; directly comparable to HEY Smile as a VCSE infrastructure organisation providing training, governance support, and capacity-building to local charities.
• UK Community Foundations: UK network of community foundations managing local grantmaking and philanthropy; directly comparable to HEY Smile's grantmaking, corporate foundation administration, and community foundation positioning.
• NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action): National membership body for local VCSE infrastructure organisations in England; directly comparable to HEY Smile as a coordinating body supporting Councils for Voluntary Service and similar local infrastructure charities.
• ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England): National rural community development network supporting village halls and community organisations with funding, governance, and training support; comparable to HEY Smile's community development and capacity-building work outside of urban centres.
• Groundwork UK: Federation of regional Groundwork trusts delivering community-based environmental and regeneration programmes with measurable social value; comparable to HEY Smile's community hub and environmental health (Growing Green & Blue) programmes.

Regional players

• Voluntary Action Leeds: Regional Council for Voluntary Service in West Yorkshire offering similar infrastructure services (funding support, governance training, volunteer coordination); a near-comparable regional peer to HEY Smile's Hull/East Riding role.
• Hull CVS: Hull-based Council for Voluntary Service that operates in the same city as HEY Smile; overlapping scope in supporting local VCSE groups, making it the closest geographic peer and likely collaborator/competitor for local infrastructure funding.
• Community First Yorkshire: Regional infrastructure charity serving Yorkshire with a very similar model — supporting community groups, providing funding advice, training, and trustee support; closely comparable to HEY Smile's role in East Yorkshire.

Broad incumbents

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK-wide umbrella body for the voluntary sector; comparable as a national infrastructure organisation serving charities, though operates at a much broader scale and remit than HEY Smile's regional focus.

Emerging players

• Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): Manchester-based charity focused on community wealth building and local economic strategy; adjacent peer with overlapping concern for community resilience, place-based impact, and VCSE empowerment, but operating more at policy and advocacy level.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/The-HEY-Smile-Foundation-586194624733108
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hey-smile-foundation

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 The HEY Smile Foundation