The Hive Shrewsbury

What The Hive Shrewsbury does

The Hive Shrewsbury is a registered charity (Charity no: 1108488, Company no: 05280336) operating from a creative venue at 5 Belmont in Shrewsbury town centre. Founded in 1999 (with charity operations tracked from 2005), the organisation runs a dual model combining a commercial venue/events business with a portfolio of wellbeing projects across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. Its charitable programmes focus on vulnerable children and young people — particularly those with SEMH needs, EHCP or EOTAS packages, care experience, or anxiety-related school attendance difficulties — through its Alternative Provision service, the Amplify music-industry programme, the Vital Hive mental-health and play-therapy project, and the Wild Hive nurture garden. The organisation operates with a small team of approximately 10 employees led by CEO Katie Jennings, supported by Marketing Manager Vicki Duckett-Snape and Youth Engagement Lead Amy Smith.

The organisation has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of a charity website, an in-house ticketing platform for events, and an artist portal. Its venue and programmes are delivered through in-person creative arts activities (DJing, singing, recording, songwriting, drumming, photography, videography, graphic design), outdoor growing sessions, and 1-2-1 therapeutic work. Over 18 years it has supported more than 44,000 people and brought over £4.5 million into the region across more than 200 charity projects, with 2,000+ workshop spaces and 600+ workshop hours delivered in 2023.

The Hive's revenue model blends grant funding (Arts Council England, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Youth Music, Children in Need, Heritage Lottery Fund, Shropshire Council), commissioned local authority payments for Alternative Provision, ticket and box-office revenue (with a £1 transaction fee) from gigs, films, and workshops priced £3-£25, venue hire income, and a recently launched Hive100 monthly donation membership at £12/month. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, partnerships with 50+ community organisations, schools, and local authorities, and direct engagement through social channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram) and a newsletter. In 2024 the organisation faced a funding crisis, prompting a 'Save The Hive' campaign and the launch of The Hive100 to establish more sustainable recurring income.

Name

The Hive Shrewsbury

Legal name

The Hive

Website

https://hiveonline.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hive Shrewsbury is a registered charity and creative venue in Shrewsbury, UK, delivering wellbeing projects and Alternative Provision for vulnerable young people with SEMH needs across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, funded by grants, local authority commissions, ticket sales, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Wellbeing Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF)

Keywords

• Community wellbeing programs
• Alternative education provision
• Creative arts venue
• Youth mental health support
• Music industry training

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership (The Hive100): Monthly donations from community supporters starting at £12 per month, with founding members receiving exclusive benefits including name on website, behind-the-scenes updates, canvas tote bag, and priority access to showcase events.
2. Ticket Sales: Box office sales for events including gigs, films, workshops, and theatre productions. Booking fee of £1 per transaction. Tickets range from free events to £25 for premium performances.
3. Venue Hire: Spaces available for hire for meetings, creative activities, and events. Revenue from renting out venue spaces to external groups and organizations.
4. Alternative Provision Funding: Funded by local authorities for children with EHCP, EOTAS packages, care experience, or SEMH needs. Provides educational support in a non-academic creative setting.
5. Project Grants and Commissioned Work: Funding from Arts Council, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Children in Need, Heritage Lottery Fund, and other grant-making bodies for specific wellbeing and creative projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Hive Shrewsbury is a registered charity and creative venue that operates a multi-use space in Shrewsbury town centre hosting gigs, films, workshops, and theatre performances. It delivers community wellbeing projects across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, including Alternative Provision for children struggling with formal education, the Amplify music industry training programme, and the Vital Hive counselling and play therapy service. The organization combines arts venue operations with educational and therapeutic services for vulnerable populations.

Product overview

The Hive Shrewsbury operates as a dual-purpose organisation combining a creative venue with charity wellbeing projects. As a venue, it offers space hire, a diverse events programme (gigs, films, workshops), and box office services. Its charitable arm delivers wellbeing projects including Alternative Provision for children struggling with formal education, the Amplify music programme, Vital Hive, Wild Hive garden project, and bespoke creative commissions. The Hive100 is a monthly membership/donation programme supporting the organisation's mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alternative Provision Alternative Provision service that supports children and young people who struggle with formal education or have been excluded from school, providing tailored educational and creative engagement. The service is commissioned by local authorities and schools and supports vulnerable groups including those with SEMH needs and care-experienced youth.
• Amplify Amplify is a music industry training programme that provides young people aged 14-18 with hands-on experience, qualification accreditation, and real-world work opportunities in the music sector. The programme uses the Hive's dedicated Studio One facility and is supported by music industry professionals.
• Vital Hive Vital Hive is a counselling and play therapy service that supports the emotional wellbeing of children and young people accessing The Hive's programs. The service provides therapeutic interventions alongside the organization's educational and creative offerings.
• Venue Events Programme The Hive's venue events programme hosts gigs, films, workshops, and theatre performances at the organization's 25 Castle Street venue in Shrewsbury town centre. Events are ticketed and serve as both a community cultural offering and a revenue stream supporting the charity's wellbeing work.
• Studio One Studio One is a dedicated music practice facility that supports the Amplify programme and provides professional music practice space for young people and community members. The facility strengthens the organization's music industry training capabilities.
• Crafternoon Crafternoon is a regular creative arts session for children and families held at The Hive venue, providing accessible creative activities. Sessions are priced at £6 per child with a suggested £1 donation to support the charity's work.
• Hive100 Membership Hive100 is a monthly membership programme that enables community supporters to make regular donations to The Hive, starting at £12 per month. Membership provides sustainable funding for the charity's wellbeing projects and community programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ workshop spaces made available to the community in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Shrewsbury Town CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on community events including Obsessed! workshop delivered in partnership with Shrewsbury Town Council's National Lottery Million Hours Fund.
• Shropshire Youth TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producing Write A-Round week of theatre-making for young people aged 9-14 with Eightball Productions.
• Shropshire Autism HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting autistic young adults through creative wellbeing programs.
• Shrewsbury Flaxmill MaltingsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sounds of Here project focusing on sound experimentation and heritage site engagement.
• SongLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic industry partner supporting young people's musical development and Amplify project.
• Eightball ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre partner co-producing Write A-Round youth theatre course with Shropshire Youth Theatre.
• Shrewsbury Film SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner presenting film screenings including The President's Cake, The Room Next Door, and other international films.
• Crossroads TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization supporting wellbeing projects.
• Trinity ChurchesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting regular creative youth group on Meole Estate and community initiatives.
• Grain PhotographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for photography projects and workshops.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Battersea Arts Centre: London-based charitable arts venue running a community-focused programme, scratch/development opportunities, and a year-round events calendar with a social mission. Highly comparable dual venue-plus-charity model, though operating at larger scale in an urban setting.
• Creative Youth Network: Bristol-based charity delivering creative arts programmes for young people, particularly those facing disadvantage, alongside youth venues. Strong overlap with The Hive's wellbeing-for-vulnerable-young-people mission and SEMH-style outcomes.
• ARC Stockton: Stockton-on-Tees arts centre that combines a programming venue with participatory community and young people's projects in a regional UK town. Closely comparable regional creative-arts charity with similar scale and mission.
• Midlands Arts Centre (MAC): Birmingham-based charitable arts centre hosting theatre, film, music and participatory programmes with strong youth and community engagement. Comparable regional venue-and-charity structure with educational and wellbeing outreach.
• The Albany: Deptford-based community arts charity delivering creative programmes for young people and vulnerable groups alongside an events and hire programme. Mirrors The Hive's hybrid venue + wellbeing/youth-focused charity model and reliance on grant funding and earned income.

Regional players

• Tron Theatre: Glasgow-based charitable theatre running community and education programmes alongside a venue. Comparable regional UK arts-charity model though focused more heavily on theatre programming.
• HOME Manchester: Manchester-based combined arts venue (theatre, cinema, galleries) with a strong participation and learning programme. Operates a similar hybrid venue/community-arts model but in a major UK city rather than a regional town.
• Tobacco Factory Theatres: Bristol-based theatre and arts venue with a participatory and learning programme for young people and communities. Comparable regional UK venue-charity but with a stronger theatrical programming focus.

Broad incumbents

• Roundhouse: Large London youth-arts charity focused on creative programmes for 11–25 year-olds, including music, media and performance, plus a hireable venue. Larger scale and broader remit than The Hive but overlapping youth-creative-arts mission and venue-hire model.

Emerging players

• SoundLab Arts: UK music-education charity supporting young people's musical development, similar to The Hive's Amplify project. Smaller and more narrowly focused on music than The Hive but directly comparable on youth-creative-music outcomes.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheHiveShrewsbury
• Facebookfacebook.com/hiveshrewsbury
• Instagraminstagram.com/hiveshrewsbury
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-hive---shrewsbury

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Hive Shrewsbury