Smile Mediation

What Smile Mediation does

Smile Mediation Limited is a UK registered charity and Company Limited by Guarantee (Charity Reg. No. 1092212) established in 1998 and headquartered in Burnley, Lancashire. The organisation delivers conflict resolution services across five core service lines: community and neighbourhood mediation (free via partner referrals), workplace mediation (£1,000 per day), family and peer relationships mediation (£135 per individual meeting / £270 per joint meeting), group mediation and facilitation, and one-to-one conflict resolution coaching. These services are supported by six College of Mediators-approved training programmes ranging from half-day NLP workshops (£115) and conflict coaching skills training (£225) up to the five-day Level 3 Mediator Skills qualification (£995). A network of 90+ professionally trained volunteer mediators, supported by a small paid staff of approximately five, performs delivery.

The business operates through a hybrid revenue model combining fee-for-service contracts with local authorities and social housing providers (including Birmingham City Council, Sovereign Network Group, Stockport Homes, Stonewater, and Manchester City Council), paid workplace mediation and training services, grant funding from charitable foundations (National Lottery Community Fund, Forte Charitable Foundation, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Lancashire Community Cohesion and Resilience Fund, and Trusthouse Charitable Foundation), and free community mediation delivered via referrals from housing providers, councils, and police. Since April 2023, Smile has operated as a subsidiary of Resolve ASB, a community safety and anti-social behaviour centre of excellence, under shared leadership with CEO Rebecca Bryant overseeing both entities.

Distribution relies on partner agency referrals for community services, direct engagement with HR and management teams for workplace mediation, in-house and virtual training delivery for organisational clients, and government procurement processes for council contracts. Marketing channels include LinkedIn, Facebook, a podcast (The Middle Ground), an annual conference (The Smile Conference), email newsletter, and a content-led website. The organisation holds GDPR compliance and a registered charity status, and reports outcome metrics of 93-95% case resolution rates with no further complaints six months post-closure.

Name

Smile Mediation

Legal name

Smile Mediation Limited

Website

https://smilemediation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smile Mediation is a UK registered charity and social enterprise that provides community, workplace, family, and group mediation services alongside College of Mediators-approved training programmes, serving social housing providers, local authorities, employers, and individuals across the UK through a network of 90+ volunteer mediators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Coaching, Mentoring & Facilitation Services (BPACANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Community mediation services
• Workplace conflict resolution
• Mediator training programmes
• Neighbourhood dispute mediation
• Family relationship mediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government and NGO Contracts: Fee-for-service contracts with local authorities, housing providers, and government bodies for mediation and conflict resolution services. Includes Birmingham City Council contract for homelessness prevention and community relationship strengthening.
2. Workplace Mediation Services: Fee-based workplace mediation services at £1000 per day for most 2-party cases. Targets organisations with employee conflict issues.
3. Training Programme Fees: College of Mediators approved training programmes including Level 3 Mediator Skills (£995), Conflict Coaching (£225), NLP for Mediators (£115), and Dialogue without Drama (£320). Delivered virtually or in-house.
4. Family Relationship Mediation: Non-legal family and peer relationships mediation at approximately £135 per individual meeting and £270 per joint meeting.
5. Grant Funding: Charitable grants from National Lottery Community Fund (£19,982), Forte Charitable Foundation (£9,991), UK Shared Prosperity Fund (£5,236), Lancashire Community Cohesion and Resilience Fund (£5,000+), and Trusthouse Charitable Foundation (£9,236).
6. Community Mediation (Free): Free community and neighbourhood mediation services for individuals referred by partner agencies (housing providers, councils, police). No cost to referred individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smile Mediation is a registered charity and social enterprise delivering professional mediation, conflict resolution coaching, and accredited training services. Core mediation offerings cover community/neighbourhood disputes, workplace conflict, family and peer relationships, group facilitation, and one-to-one coaching, delivered by a network of 90+ trained volunteer and professional mediators across the UK. The training arm provides College of Mediators approved programmes including the Level 3 Mediator Skills qualification, conflict coaching, NLP, and team management courses.

Product overview

Smile Mediation is a registered charity and social enterprise offering a portfolio of conflict resolution services, professional training programmes, and community engagement initiatives. The core offering consists of five mediation service lines (Community & Neighbourhood Mediation, Workplace Mediation, Family and Peer Relationships Mediation, Group Mediation/Facilitation, and Conflict Resolution Coaching) delivered by trained volunteer and professional mediators. These services are complemented by a suite of six training programmes (Mediator Skills Level 3, Mediation Skills Training Programmes, Managing Conflict in Teams, Dialogue without Drama, NLP for Mediators, and Conflict Coaching Skills Training) approved by the College of Mediators. The portfolio also includes a Volunteer Mediator Programme, The Middle Ground Podcast, and The Smile Conference annual event. Services are delivered in-person, virtually via Zoom or Teams, or by telephone, with a focus on empowering people to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict constructively.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community & Neighbourhood Mediation Dispute resolution service helping neighbours and residents address conflicts related to noise, parking, boundaries, shared spaces, and other neighbourhood issues through structured, impartial mediation. Free when referred by partner agencies (housing providers, councils, police).
• Workplace Mediation
• Family and Peer Relationships Mediation
• Group Mediation, Facilitation and Group Work
• Conflict Resolution Coaching
• Mediator Skills Level 3
• Mediation Skills Training Programmes
• Managing Conflict in Teams
• Dialogue without Drama
• NLP for Mediators
• Conflict Coaching Skills Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of community mediation cases closed with no further complaints to housing providers six months after closure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Birmingham City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Smile awarded contract to deliver mediation and conflict resolution services across Birmingham with focus on preventing homelessness and strengthening community relationships. Provides tailored mediation, conflict coaching, professional training, and facilitated group conversations.
• Sovereign Network Group (SNG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Following successful tendering process, Smile awarded contract to provide mediation and coaching services for SNG who provide over 84,000 homes across South of England including London.
• Resolve ASBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Smile Mediation became a subsidiary of Resolve ASB in April 2023. Resolve ASB is a Centre of Excellence focused on community safety and anti-social behaviour with 28 years of operation. This partnership strengthened Smile's reach and expertise, enabling innovative, tailored solutions for clients.
• Stockport HomescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Stockport Homes awarded their mediation contract to Smile starting April 2023. Smile working with Stockport Homes team delivering mediation services for their customers.
• StonewatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmile providing community mediation services for Stonewater, one of the largest social housing providers in the UK. Stonewater offers homes for rent, shared ownership, specialist housing, retirement schemes, domestic abuse refuges, and young people's foyers.
• Fylde CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFylde Council chose Smile to facilitate group discussions and workshops with themselves, Lytham Festival organisers (Cuffe & Taylor), and local residents for annual festival site decisions.
• Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmile moved office to BPRCVS premises on Yorkshire Street in Burnley after outgrowing previous location at Calico Homes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice: UK's largest independent advice network helping people resolve legal, financial, and social issues including neighbour disputes. Comparable as a UK charity with government and grant funding that resolves community-level disputes and trains advisers.
• Relate: UK's largest provider of relationship support, including couple, family, and individual counselling. Comparable as a long-established UK charity offering fee-based and grant-supported mediation and relationship support services to individuals and organisations.
• ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service): Statutory UK body providing free and impartial workplace conflict advice, conciliation, and training. Comparable as a major UK workplace mediation and training provider with government backing and broad employer relationships.
• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR): Leading UK mediation and alternative dispute resolution body offering accredited mediator training and commercial mediation services. Comparable for its training accreditation programmes and mediation services to businesses and individuals.

Direct peers

• Hampshire Mediation Service: UK community mediation charity delivering neighbourhood, family, and workplace mediation plus training. Directly comparable as a registered charity with a similar service portfolio and volunteer mediator model.
• National Family Mediation: UK charity providing family mediation services and training family mediators. Directly comparable as a registered charity delivering family and relationship mediation plus mediator training across the UK.
• Resolve ASB: Parent organisation of Smile Mediation since April 2023; Centre of Excellence focused on community safety and antisocial behaviour. Directly comparable as a UK community-safety and conflict resolution provider serving housing providers and local authorities.

Emerging players

• ADR Group (Alternative Dispute Resolution): UK provider of accredited mediation, civil, and workplace mediation services and training. Comparable for its registered mediation practitioner accreditation programmes and fee-based mediation services to organisations.
• Restorative Justice Council: UK membership body for restorative practice and restorative justice practitioners. Comparable for its training, practitioner accreditation, and conflict resolution focus across criminal, community, and organisational settings.

Regional players

• Mediation Hertfordshire: Regional UK community mediation charity covering Hertfordshire with community, workplace, and family mediation services. Comparable service mix though geographically focused on a different UK region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smile-resolve

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Smile Mediation