Open Minds Active CIC
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open Minds Active CIC does
Open Minds Active CIC is a Bristol-based Community Interest Company (Companies House No. 12045841) founded in 2020 to reduce health inequalities by widening access to nature and blue spaces. Its core delivery is a socially prescribed 6-week Wild Swimming for Wellbeing programme that uses group cold water immersion to address mental health and social isolation; participants enter through NHS social prescribing at Bristol health centres, with three annual intakes (April, June, September). The company also operates a year-round, term-time Women-Only Learn to Swim programme for global majority women (delivered at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre and Jubilee Pool), a seasonal Summer Programmes line (surfing at The Wave Bristol, outdoor swimming, breath work, night glow swims), and a calendar of paid events and workshops. Underlying infrastructure is human-delivered service rather than a technology platform: delivery is venue-based across Bristol lake, harbour, water park, and pool locations, with a website on Squarespace serving as the marketing and sign-up surface. There is no app, API, or software product.
The business model is a hybrid social enterprise revenue stack rather than a commercial SaaS or transactional model. NHS/ICB-funded social prescribing contracts form the institutional backbone — the Nature Consortia partnership formalised in 2025 operates under a 2-year ICB-funded contract. This is supplemented by grants from Sport England, NHS England, National Lottery Community Fund, and Comic Relief; individual donations across tiers from £10 to £5,000; and paid workshops and seasonal events. Participants referred through the NHS pathway receive programmes free of charge; community members can self-refer into Social Swimmers and Summer sessions at varying price points. Distribution is dual-channel: healthcare-professional-led referrals for the core wellbeing programme, and community word-of-mouth plus direct booking for social and summer activities.
Customer segments split across three personas: adults with mental or physical health conditions entering via NHS referral (primary), global majority women seeking learn-to-swim instruction (primary), and community members seeking affordable social swimming (secondary). Outcomes reported for 2025 include 48 new referrals, 98 participants engaged in more than one programme, a 98% average decrease in self-reported anxiety, 75% of participants from global majority backgrounds, and 52% with long-term health conditions. Operational evidence of demand-supply imbalance — Summer and September 2025 referrals closed due to oversubscription — indicates the binding constraint is delivery capacity rather than demand.
Open Minds Active CIC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Minds Active CIC
- Legal name
- Open Minds Active CIC
- Website
- https://openmindsactive.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Minds Active CIC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Wellbeing Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Aqua Fitness Classes (HSADABAL), Open Water Swimming Events (OWS Races, Swim Challenges) (MPAKAIAF)
Keywords
Where Open Minds Active CIC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Open Minds Active CIC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- NHS/Healthcare Social Prescribing: ICB-funded contracts through NHS social prescribing scheme. Participants are referred through GPs and social prescribers, with funding coming from healthcare commissioning.
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations from supporters. Donation tiers ranging from £10 to £5,000 supporting specific programme costs including swim sessions, volunteer bus passes, qualifications, and full programme delivery.
- Grants and Funder Support: Funding from Sport England, NHS England, National Lottery Community Fund, and other institutional funders supporting nature-based health initiatives.
- Paid Workshops and Events: Revenue-generating workshops and events during spring and summer seasons including swim technique coaching, breath work workshops, and night glow swims.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | NHS Referred - Free Programme |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Open Minds Active CIC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Minds Active CIC delivers socially prescribed wild swimming and learn-to-swim programmes that use group cold water immersion and water-based activity to improve mental health and reduce social isolation for underserved Bristol communities. Core services include the 6-week NHS-referred Wild Swimming for Wellbeing Programme, a women-only Learn to Swim programme for global majority women, summer water-based activities, and community workshops. The organisation operates as a Community Interest Company with funding from ICB contracts, Sport England, National Lottery Community Fund, and donations.
Product overview
Open Minds Active CIC is a community interest company offering multiple interconnected water-based wellbeing programmes. The core portfolio includes the Wild Swimming for Wellbeing Programme (a socially prescribed 6-week cold water immersion intervention), the Women Only Learn to Swim Programme (term-time swimming lessons for global majority women), Summer Programmes (surfing and outdoor swimming activities), and Events, Coaching and Workshops (technique courses and social swims). The company also participates in The Nature Consortia, a three-organisation partnership with Soul Trail Wellbeing and Active Being that enables participants to access a broader range of nature-based activities. All offerings are designed to reduce health inequalities by widening access to blue spaces for urban communities in Bristol.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wild Swimming for Wellbeing Programme A 6-week socially prescribed group cold water immersion programme that supports mental health and reduces social isolation for NHS-referred adults in Bristol. Three intakes per year (April, June, September) at lakes, harbours, and water parks.
- Women Only Learn to Swim Programme An adult women-only learn-to-swim programme for global majority women, running year-round during term time at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre and Jubilee Pool. Welcomes non-swimmers, beginners, and returners.
- Summer Programmes
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% average decrease in feelings of anxiety reported over the year
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Minds Active CIC
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Open Minds Active CIC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Open Minds Active CIC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- Soul Trail Wellbeing C.I.CcorePart of The Nature Consortia - a partnership of 3 organisations. Soul Trail Wellbeing offers inclusive nature trails and workshops to communities who need it most. 2025 marked the first official year of The Nature Consortia with a 2-year ICB funded contract.
- ActiveBeingcorePart of The Nature Consortia - using physical movement to connect with others through nature and creativity in local green and blue spaces. Offers programmes including Sista Trails, ActiveTalk, ActiveExperiences, and CreativeBeing. Partnership with Open Minds Active for 6-week funded learn to surf programme at The Wave.
- OrcasupportingSupportive partner who helped create the Water Stories video series. Orca provides special support for the community in creating powerful participant stories.
- Wetsuit OutletminorPartnership providing special discount code 'openminds15' for participants interested in purchasing their own swimming kit. Discount offered to community members.
- The Wave BristolsupportingVenue partner for 6-week funded learn to surf programme in partnership with ActiveBeing. Provides facilities for spring and summer water-based activities.
- Henleaze LakesupportingWild swimming venue for wellbeing programme - Tuesday morning mixed sessions May-September.
- West Country Water ParksupportingWild swimming venue for women's wellbeing programmes and social swim groups. Thursday mornings year-round. Booking available directly through the venue.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Open Minds Active CIC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wave Project: UK charity delivering surf therapy for young people experiencing mental health challenges. Directly comparable model of water-based intervention for mental-health referrals, scaled across multiple UK regions.
- SwimTayka: Open water swimming mental health charity combining cold-water swimming with psychological support. Closely comparable therapeutic cold-water proposition and NHS-adjacent positioning.
- Soul Trail Wellbeing CIC: Nature-trails and wellbeing CIC and a co-member of The Nature Consortia with Open Minds Active. Directly comparable nature-based wellbeing model and shared ICB-funded consortium structure.
- Outdoor Swimming Society: UK community organisation promoting wild swimming and connecting swimmers to events and venues. Directly comparable on wild swimming for wellbeing and community-led participation.
- Black Swimming Association: UK charity addressing why Black adults and other ethnic minorities are underrepresented in swimming. Directly comparable to Open Minds' Learn to Swim programme targeting global majority women (95% of black adults in England do not swim).
- ActiveBeing: Movement + nature wellbeing organisation and Nature Consortia partner alongside Open Minds Active. Comparable model of using physical activity in green/blue spaces for wellbeing, including joint 6-week surf programme at The Wave Bristol.
Broad incumbents
- Mind: Major UK mental health charity that includes physical activity as part of its wellbeing portfolio. Broad incumbent with overlapping mental-health beneficiary base but much wider service scope and brand.
- British Swimming: National governing body for swimming in the UK. Operates broadly across competitive and recreational swimming with portfolio reach that overlaps Open Minds' Learn to Swim and aquatics programmes.
Regional players
- The Wave Bristol: Inland-surf lake venue in Bristol that hosts Open Minds' 6-week funded learn-to-surf programme. Operates in the same geography with overlapping water-sport and wellbeing offerings but as a commercial venue rather than a referral-led CIC.
Emerging players
- The Wildlife Trusts: UK nature conservation charity with growing nature-based health and access programmes. Comparable in framing nature as a health intervention, though operating more broadly across green than blue spaces.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Minds Active CIC social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Minds Active CIC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Minds Active CIC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Open Minds Active CIC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Minds Active CIC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open Minds Active CIC
What does Open Minds Active CIC do?
Open Minds Active CIC delivers socially prescribed wild swimming and learn-to-swim programmes that use group cold water immersion and water-based activity to improve mental health and reduce social isolation for underserved Bristol communities. Core services include the 6-week NHS-referred Wild Swimming for Wellbeing Programme, a women-only Learn to Swim programme for global majority women, summer water-based activities, and community workshops. The organisation operates as a Community Interest Company with funding from ICB contracts, Sport England, National Lottery Community Fund, and donations.
Is Open Minds Active CIC a public or private company?
Open Minds Active CIC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Minds Active CIC founded?
Open Minds Active CIC was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Open Minds Active CIC based?
Open Minds Active CIC is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Open Minds Active CIC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. NHS/Healthcare Social Prescribing is the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, grants and Funder Support and paid Workshops and Events.
Who are Open Minds Active CIC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wave Project, SwimTayka, Soul Trail Wellbeing CIC, Outdoor Swimming Society, Black Swimming Association and ActiveBeing. Broad incumbents are Mind and British Swimming. The Wave Bristol is listed as a regional player. The Wildlife Trusts is listed as an emerging player.
Does Open Minds Active CIC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Minds Active CIC.
What industry is Open Minds Active CIC in?
Open Minds Active CIC's product category is Community Wellbeing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAIAF, Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding), with a secondary code of HSADABAL, Aqua Fitness Classes. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 8090.