What The Starr Trust does

The Starr Trust is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1127497) founded in 2008 by Rob Starr, operating from Hove in East Sussex. It provides financial grants to young people aged 10–25 from low-income backgrounds in the Greater Brighton area, supporting participation in sports, the arts, education, and enterprise pursuits. The organisation serves as a small-grant intermediary between donors and disadvantaged youth, with grants covering costs such as equipment, training, travel, and materials that beneficiaries could not otherwise afford.

The charity's income model is event-led and sponsor-supported. The flagship Winter Extravaganza Ball (2024: £65,505; 2023: £50,000; 2022: £40,000) is the largest single fundraiser, alongside the Cornwall-to-Brighton bike ride and the 52x52 Challenge (cumulative £105,160). Corporate sponsors include The Implant Centre (the longest-standing partner, with cumulative contributions of approximately £163,400 since 2014), Webtrends Optimize, Brighton Palace Pier, and Hilton Brighton Metropole. The charity has only 9 employees, and all running costs are underwritten by Seico Group, Rob Starr's commercial business, meaning donated funds are not eroded by overhead. In 2023, the trust received a High Sheriff Award in recognition of its community impact in Sussex.

The organisation does not operate as a commercial enterprise; it is a grant-making foundation reliant on goodwill, sponsor relationships, and event execution. Its competitive position is therefore best understood in terms of fundraising share within the Sussex youth-charity segment rather than market share in a commercial market. Reported income is small in absolute terms (annual gross fundraising likely in the low hundreds of thousands of pounds), and the operational model is unsuited to venture or growth-equity investment. Any investor relevance would be in the context of impact philanthropy, corporate sponsorship leverage, or the related commercial businesses (e.g., Seico Group) that finance the charity's operations.

Name

The Starr Trust

Legal name

The Starr Trust

Website

https://starrtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Starr Trust is a UK-registered charity (founded 2008) that provides financial grants to young people aged 10–25 from low-income backgrounds in the Greater Brighton area, supporting sports, arts, education, and enterprise pursuits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Grants (Charitable Services)

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Youth grants
• Community fundraising
• Charity programs
• Youth development
• Donation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hove

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Community Fundraising & Events: Income generated from community fundraising events including bike rides, balls, golf days, and other fundraising activities organized by the charity.
2. Corporate Donations & Sponsorship: Donations and sponsorship from businesses including Webtrends Optimize, The Implant Centre, Gardner & Scardifield, and other local Sussex businesses.
3. Starr Lottery: Monthly lottery program allowing supporters to make regular contributions while being entered to win prizes.
4. Grants to Beneficiaries: Provides financial grants up to £5000 for individuals or £10,000 for groups to support training and development of young people's skills in sports, arts, and education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Starr Trust provides financial grants and mentoring support to young people aged 10-25 from low-income backgrounds in the Greater Brighton/Sussex area, structured as Sports, Art, Education, Enterprise, and Community Project awards of up to £5,000 (individuals) and £10,000 (groups). It funds these grants through community fundraising events (bike rides, Winter Extravaganza Ball, Golf Day), corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and a monthly Starr Lottery, with 100% of public donations reaching beneficiaries because running costs are covered by the Seico Group.

Product overview

The Starr Trust is an independent, family-run charity offering a portfolio of award programs and fundraising initiatives. The core offering is the Starr Trust Awards system, providing financial grants up to £5,000 for individuals and £10,000 for groups, structured as Sports Award, Art Award, Education Award, Enterprise Award, and Community Project Award. The charity complements these grants with a mentoring network and celebratory events. Fundraising is driven through events including the annual Bike Ride, Winter Extravaganza Ball, Golf Day, and Starr Lottery. The 52x52 Challenge was a notable fundraising campaign where founder Rob Starr completed 52 Olympic triathlons in 52 weeks in 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starr Trust Awards (Sports, Art, Education, Enterprise, and Community Project Awards) Award programme providing financial grants up to £5,000 to individuals (aged 10-25) and up to £10,000 to groups/charities, structured as Sports Awards (club fees, kit, training, equipment, travel, competitions), Art Awards (equipment, courses, exams, exhibitions), Education Awards (tuition, school fees, equipment, alternative provision), Enterprise Awards (CVs, business plans, training, apprenticeships, start-up grants for ages 18-25), and Community Project Awards (time-bounded group projects in the Brighton/Sussex area). For young people aged 10-25 from low-income backgrounds facing specific roadblocks in sport, art, education, or enterprise.
• Starr Lottery Monthly lottery programme allowing individual supporters to make regular donations while being entered into a prize draw, providing recurring revenue to fund grants for disadvantaged young people. Open to members of the public.
• Starr 100 Challenge Fundraising challenge programme that invites supporters to take on personal physical or creative challenges (e.g., endurance events) to raise money for the trust, providing a structured way for community fundraisers to participate.
• 52x52 Challenge (Rob Starr's 2022 Triathlon Challenge) Year-long fundraising campaign in which founder Rob Starr completed 52 Olympic-distance triathlons in 52 weeks to raise £105,160 for the trust's grant programme, particularly to support Paralympic-track beneficiaries.
• Bike Ride Events Annual multi-day cycling challenges (e.g., Coast to Coast in Scotland, Cornwall to Brighton, and Nice to Nîmes) in which supporters and corporate teams pay to participate and fundraise for the trust.
• Winter Extravaganza Ball Annual black-tie fundraising gala and the trust's biggest single-event fundraiser, raising over £65,505 in 2024 and £50,000 in 2023, hosted with corporate sponsors and event partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grants up to £5,000 for individuals and £10,000 for groups to remove specific roadblocks.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brighton Palace PiercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2022Brighton Palace Pier announced Starr Trust as their Chosen Charity Partner. The partnership includes sponsorship of a VIP Brunch launching the Winter Extravaganza Ball, summer jobs recruitment initiative for young Starrs, and banner placement on the pier to raise profile.
• The Implant CentrecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward-winning dental implant specialist with clinics in Hove and Haywards Heath. Long-term supporter since 2014, headline sponsor of annual Bike Ride. Generously given over £38,000 and helped raise £163,400 through events. Team members actively participate in bike rides.
• Webtrends OptimizecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCEO Matt Smith is a Starr Trust Ambassador. Company organizes annual charity bike ride in support of Starr Trust and co-sponsors events. Cycling from Cornwall to Brighton raised over £20,000.
• Gardner & ScardifieldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness supporter and sponsor of cycling events including Cornwall to Brighton bike ride.
• Hilton Brighton MetropolecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner hosting Winter Extravaganza Ball and other major Starr Trust events.
• Rubix VTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Winter Extravaganza Ball 2022, including snowboarding experience and topped up fundraising to £40,000.
• HandelsbankenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Winter Extravaganza Ball and golf events.
• Kaiser Carpet CleaningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndependent carpet and upholstery cleaning business in Brighton & Hove that chose Starr Trust as its Charity of Choice.
• Brighton Table Tennis ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal table tennis club whose under 19s team (including Starr Trust beneficiaries Ryan and Harvey) won Boy's Division 3 in Junior British League.
• DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton MetropoleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted carnival-themed New Year's Eve Ball with percentage of ticket sales donated to Starr Trust, raising £1,035.
• Little Jasmine SpaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrighton spa that held December raffle raising £1,266 for the Starr Trust.
• The Upside Down House BrightonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrighton attraction that continued longstanding support by committing percentage of December ticket sales to Starr Trust.
• The Brunswick PubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal pub where Mark Bassey's Jazz Jamboree Orchestra event raised over £300 for the charity.
• E3 Group and Focus FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Brighton Family Panto Jack and the Beanstalk that raised £8,647.47 for Starr Trust.
• Networking with Balls Pool League (David Quinton/Metro Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPool league tournament run by Metro Bank with raffle proceeds split between Starr Trust and Rockinghorse Children's Charity, raising £635.
• Mannings Heath Golf & Wine EstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue for Starr Trust Annual Golf Day, raising almost £7,000 for the charity.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• UK Youth: National UK charity supporting a network of youth organisations and projects serving young people. Comparable beneficiary segment and youth-development focus, with grantmaking and capacity-building support similar in spirit to the Starr Trust's Community Project Award track.
• Buttle UK: UK charity providing individual grants and pastoral support to children and young people facing financial hardship. Directly comparable model of small, targeted cash grants plus follow-up support for disadvantaged young people in the UK.
• The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation: UK family-funded charitable foundation making grants to UK-registered charities, with a strong focus on education and supporting disadvantaged young people. Closely mirrors the Starr Trust's profile as a small, founder-driven UK grantmaking foundation.
• The Woodward Charitable Trust: Small UK grantmaking trust funding individuals and small organisations, with a notable focus on disadvantaged young people and education. Closely matches the Starr Trust's structure as a small, independent grantmaking trust providing modest individual grants.
• Sussex Community Foundation: Regional grantmaking foundation covering the same Sussex/Brighton geography. Awards grants to local charities and community projects, with a comparable mission of distributing philanthropic funds to local causes — directly overlapping in catchment, beneficiary base, and grantmaking structure.

Emerging players

• Youth Endowment Fund: UK grantmaking fund focused on preventing youth violence and supporting vulnerable children. Comparable in being a UK grantmaking entity serving disadvantaged youth, but with a narrower thematic focus and an endowment-style funding model rather than community fundraising.

Broad incumbents

• The Dulverton Trust: Independent UK grantmaking foundation supporting education, youth opportunities, and conservation. Overlaps in grantmaking to disadvantaged young people in the UK, but operates as a much larger endowed foundation rather than an event-driven community fundraiser.
• The Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Major UK grantmaking foundation with programmes supporting young people, education, and the arts. Comparable in supporting youth development and arts access, but at significantly greater scale with endowed funding rather than event-driven donations.
• The Prince's Trust: UK's largest youth-focused charity providing financial grants, training, and mentorship to 11–30 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Directly comparable beneficiary segment (low-income young people) and grant-plus-mentorship model, but operates nationally with vastly greater scale and resources.
• BBC Children in Need: National UK children's charity distributing grants to projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people. Comparable mission and grant-based funding model, but operates at UK-wide scale via the BBC brand and appeals infrastructure rather than community fundraising events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starrtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5HHLTQhN-tVb15SRsOD4ag/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/StarrTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-starr-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Starr Trust