Linx Youth Project

What Linx Youth Project does

Linx Youth Project is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the UK Charity Commission as charity number 1208024, founded in 1993 by Hemlington Residents' Association members using Safer Cities funding to address rising crime and anti-social behaviour on the Hemlington Estate in Middlesbrough. Over thirty years later, it operates as a grassroots, non-profit youth services provider running free open-access youth clubs Monday to Friday across multiple Middlesbrough wards (Hemlington, Newport, Whinney Banks, Trimdon Avenue) for young people aged 10–19 and up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs. The portfolio of activities includes cooking, games, team sports, music, project work, arts and crafts, photography, coding, social action, volunteering, climate action, supervised holiday activities, and residential trips, with sessions designed to support personal, social, educational and emotional development.

The organisation's core "products" are three delivery lines: (i) Open-Access Youth Clubs (the historical core, delivered free of charge with only basic emergency-contact registration required); (ii) Climate Action Middlesbrough (CAM), a National Lottery Community Fund–funded climate-action and sustainability programme covering sustainable food, transport, energy, waste and the natural environment; and (iii) a Schools Programme delivering informal training and learning packages during term time and holidays, covering health & wellbeing, personal development and social inclusion. A volunteer and sessional youth worker pipeline, plus a safeguarding structure (Designated/Deputy Safeguarding Officers and a Board-level Safeguarding Lead), supports delivery. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is in-person and community-based.

The business and revenue model is that of a UK small charity, not a commercial enterprise. Income streams consist of (i) reduced local authority funding for youth services, (ii) the National Lottery Community Fund grant under the Climate Action Fund for the CAM programme, and (iii) charitable donations accepted via a JustGiving widget on the website. Pricing to beneficiaries is "freemium" in the colloquial sense — all sessions are free with no membership fees — while the funding model is grant- and donation-based rather than fee-based. Go-to-market is community-led: open-access drop-ins, school partnerships, word-of-mouth, and earned media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, newsletter, local press), operating exclusively across Middlesbrough and the wider Teesside area in the United Kingdom.

Name

Linx Youth Project

Legal name

Linx Youth Project

Website

https://linxyouthproject.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Linx Youth Project is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity 1208024), founded in 1993 in Middlesbrough, that delivers free open-access youth clubs, a National Lottery–funded Climate Action programme, and school-based learning packages for young people aged 10–25 across Middlesbrough wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth services
• Community youth work
• Youth development
• Youth club operations
• Climate action education

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlesbrough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Local Authority Funding: Government funding from local authorities to provide youth services across Middlesbrough. The organization notes that local authority funding has been greatly reduced, making charitable donations and other funding sources more critical.
2. National Lottery Community Fund: Grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund Climate Action Fund to support Climate Action Middlesbrough project.
3. Donations: Charitable donations accepted through JustGiving platform and other channels. The organization is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with Charity number 1208024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Linx Youth Project runs free open-access youth clubs Monday to Friday across multiple wards in Middlesbrough for young people aged 10-19 (up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs), offering cooking, games, sports, music, project work, arts and crafts, and skills development. In addition, it delivers informal school-based learning packages covering health and wellbeing, and runs the Climate Action Middlesbrough programme funded by the National Lottery to educate and engage young people in sustainability.

Product overview

Linx Youth Project is a charitable youth organization operating across Middlesbrough, offering a portfolio of open-access youth clubs (Monday-Friday across multiple wards), a Climate Action Middlesbrough programme funded by the National Lottery, and schools-based learning packages. The organization also recruits sessional youth workers and volunteers to support young people aged 10-25 years. All services are provided free of charge and focus on personal development, social participation, health and wellbeing, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Clubs
• Schools Programme
• Climate Action Middlesbrough (CAM)
• Volunteer Youth Worker Programme

Named customers6 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tees Valley Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partnered with Linx Youth Project for National Marine Week activities. Young people from Linx participated in beach activities with the Trust to discover rock pool wildlife and learn about marine conservation and climate change impacts.
• Middlesbrough Youth MutualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership working with Middlesbrough Youth Mutual to coordinate and enhance youth services across the area. Richard Fruin serves as Middlesbrough Youth Mutual Strategic Co-ordinator within Linx.
• Local Statutory and Voluntary AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks in partnership with key statutory, voluntary, and community agencies alongside government programmes and initiatives to break down barriers and promote social inclusion.
• Middlesbrough Council Children's Social CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEssential partnership for safeguarding referrals and coordination. The organisation liaises with MBC Children's Social Care Department for child protection matters, including during and out of office hours.
• Local Schools in MiddlesbroughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools across Middlesbrough to deliver training packages and learning opportunities. Linx's youth work team delivers informal educational programs during school hours and holiday periods.
• Cleveland PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for safeguarding matters and child protection referrals where appropriate. Contact number provided for reporting concerns.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Youth Agency: The national body for youth work in England, setting standards and supporting the youth sector. Comparable in mission to advance youth work practice and standards, though operating at a policy and infrastructure level rather than direct service delivery.
• Catch22: A UK social business delivering services for vulnerable young people including education, employability, and social justice programmes. Comparable in target beneficiary profile (disadvantaged young people) and educational/youth development mission.
• The Prince's Trust: A major UK national youth charity delivering personal development, education, and employability programmes for 11-30 year olds. Comparable as a large-scale youth services provider in the UK, though operating at national scale rather than community-level.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities delivering services for vulnerable children and young people. Comparable in mission to support disadvantaged young people through community-based programmes, though operating at significantly larger national scale.
• The Children's Society: A major UK national charity supporting disadvantaged children and young people through community-based programmes. Comparable as a peer delivering youth-focused community services with similar beneficiary age range and safeguarding-led delivery model.

Direct peers

• UK Youth: A national membership body and infrastructure charity supporting a network of youth organizations across the UK. Highly comparable as a peer supporting community-level youth organisations with similar age demographics (children and young people) and youth development mission.
• Middlesbrough Youth Mutual: Strategic partner and co-located youth services coordinator in Middlesbrough. Directly comparable as a peer youth services organisation operating in the same geographic market with overlapping programme types and shared beneficiaries.

Emerging players

• Groundwork UK: A federation of Groundwork trusts delivering environmental and community-based programmes across the UK. Comparable in delivering community-led environmental and youth engagement programmes, including climate action initiatives similar to Linx's CAM programme.
• Locality: A UK membership organisation supporting community-led organisations including youth and family services. Comparable as a peer supporting the community-led organizational model Linx embodies, with similar funding streams and community development focus.

Regional players

• Tees Valley Wildlife Trust: A wildlife and conservation charity operating in the Teesside region that has partnered with Linx. Comparable as a regional non-profit partner delivering environmental education programming to similar youth demographics in the same geographic area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMpF-xwRBG8lLO8TP6csIkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/LinxHemlington
• Instagraminstagram.com/linxyouthproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linx-youth-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Linx Youth Project