Three Peas

What Three Peas does

Three Peas is a volunteer-run charitable organization registered in England and Wales (Charity No. 1172777), founded in 2016 by a group of friends — connected to the Deutsche Schule London community — in response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Its core function is to channel donations, material aid, and logistical support to grassroots non-profit partners delivering services directly to refugees and asylum seekers, primarily across multiple locations in Greece (Lesvos, Samos, Athens, Thessaloniki, Chios, Leros) and, since 2022, to Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic and Romania. The organization co-manages housing programmes with Attika Human Support, funds distribution networks run by partners such as WAVE, STEPS and Just Action, and underwrites community facilities including the Sindos Community Centre (450 registered members) and the One Happy Family Community Center on Lesvos.

Three Peas operates no proprietary technology. Its activity is executed entirely by a flat volunteer team — the charity states there are no paid staff — coordinated from a Richmond upon Thames registered address (54 Mount Ararat Road) with secondary addresses in Hasland, UK, and operational sites across Greek islands and mainland. The cost structure is therefore unusual for a charity of its operational reach: zero payroll overhead and a stated commitment that 100% of donated funds reach beneficiaries, supported by UK Gift Aid eligibility.

The revenue model rests on four streams: individual donations (one-time and recurring, with Gift Aid), fundraising events (village discos, art auctions, music concerts, book launches), publishing partnerships with Scholastic Books (KIND, Welcome, LOVE) and Renard Press (Christmas Card Classics, 25% of RRP), and third-party fundraising platforms including JustGiving, GoFundMe, AmazonSmile, Easyfundraising, Benevity, Crowdfunder UK, Give as you Live, The Big Give, and Wonderful. Go-to-market is event- and donor-driven, with two high-profile patrons — illustrator Axel Scheffler (winner of the inaugural British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year, 2018) and composer Roxanna Panufnik (appointed 2022) — providing visibility. Customer segments served are the refugee population (primary) and partner NGOs as operational recipients (secondary).

Name

Three Peas

Legal name

Three Peas

Website

https://threepeas.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Three Peas is a UK-registered volunteer-run charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Greece and, since 2022, in Czech Republic and Romania, by funding and coordinating material aid, housing, education and community programmes through 15+ grassroots NGO partners, sustained by donations, fundraising events and publishing partnerships with Scholastic and Renard Press.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA), Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid
• Refugee support
• Charitable fundraising
• Nonprofit organization
• Community assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond upon Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Voluntary donations from individuals, including one-time and recurring contributions. The organization is eligible for UK Gift Aid, allowing charities to claim 25% tax back on qualifying donations.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from events including village discos, art auctions, music concerts, and book launches. All proceeds go directly to refugee support projects.
3. Publishing Partnerships: Books published in partnership with Scholastic Books (KIND, Welcome, LOVE) with proceeds or per-book donations going to the charity. Renard Press donates 25% of RRP on Christmas Card Classics to Three Peas.
4. Third-party Fundraising Platforms: Registered with platforms including JustGiving, GoFundMe, eBay for Charity, AmazonSmile, Easyfundraising, Benevity, Crowdfunder UK, Give as you Live, The Big Give, and Wonderful to facilitate donations from supporters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Three Peas is a volunteer-run non-profit charity that partners with grassroots NGOs to deliver material aid, housing, community services, and emergency support to refugees and asylum seekers, primarily in Greece. The organization raises funds through individual donations, community fundraising events, and book partnerships, channeling 100% of donated funds directly to partner organizations that distribute aid on the ground. Operations span Greek islands (Lesvos, Samos), Athens, and Thessaloniki, with expanded emergency support for Ukrainian refugees in Czech Republic and Romania.

Product overview

Three Peas is a non-profit charitable organization that does not offer commercial products or technology services. The organization supports displaced people and refugees through partnerships with grassroots groups, providing material aid, emergency assistance, housing programs, and community support primarily in Greece. The organization's activities are carried out by volunteers and funded through donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donation Programme Online and offline donation programme accepting one-time and recurring contributions from individual supporters. Donations are eligible for UK Gift Aid, enabling the charity to reclaim 25% of the basic rate tax on qualifying donations. Funds are channeled directly to refugee support projects in Greece and Ukrainian refugee support in Czech Republic.
• Lesvos Housing Programme Housing programme on Lesvos island co-run with partner NGO Attika Human Support. Funds rental housing for refugees, accommodating up to 9 refugees per housing programme location. Operations also include warehouse logistics and dispatching of goods across Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, and other Aegean islands.
• Samos Operations Operations on Samos island supporting partner Just Action with distribution of food, hygiene and clothing items, an organic vegetable garden, beach clean-outs, and environmental initiatives. Supports both refugee and local communities.
• Emergency Help Programme Rapid-response emergency relief programme providing material aid and financial support during humanitarian crises. Includes Ukraine emergency response facilitating transport of €20,000 worth of prams and baby equipment to Czech Republic, and the PEAS for PRAMS initiative donating 462 new pushchairs, 70 pram bodies, and 39 car seats worth €200,000 from Germany to Lesvos.
• Sustainability Programme Sustainability programme supporting environmental and community initiatives including the Sindos Community Centre in Thessaloniki (in partnership with IsraAID, Be A Robin, and Medical Volunteers e.V.), providing informal education in Greek and English, IT and music classes, CV workshops, and a Child Friendly Space. Approximately 500 refugees live nearby with 450 registered community members.
• Charitable Book Partnerships Publishing partnerships producing books with charitable proceeds donated to Three Peas. Includes 'KIND' (38 illustrators, Scholastic), 'Welcome' (Axel Scheffler illustration, Scholastic), and 'LOVE' (Axel Scheffler illustration, text by Sophie Cashell, Scholastic). Also includes Christmas Card Classics series with Renard Press donating 25% of RRP.

Quantifiable outcome

• Housed up to 9 refugees per housing programme location
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Attika Human SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019One of Three Peas' oldest and most significant partners. Attika runs the largest warehouse for donated goods on Lesvos and manages distribution across Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and other Aegean islands. Together they co-run housing programmes for refugees in Mytilini (Lesvos) and Athens.
• WAVE (Thessaloniki)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent volunteer group supporting people on the move or left out of the system in Thessaloniki. They organize food and basic need item distribution from their centre throughout the city and work closely with medical and legal teams.
• STEPS (Athens)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit association distributing food, water, hygiene and clothing items as well as offering counselling, legal aid, first aid to those in need on the streets of Athens, from both the refugee and local communities.
• Just Action (Samos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in winter 2020 during the Covid pandemic, Just Action supports both Samos refugee and local communities. They distribute food, hygiene and clothing items, run an organic vegetable garden, and organize beach clean-outs with strong ecological mindset.
• Yoga Sport with Refugees (Athens)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport centre run by asylum seekers under YSR Athens, one of the rare places in Athens offering sport for free. Initiated by asylum seekers Dana and Kamara, it offers a peaceful place to build self-confidence through sport.
• IsraAIDsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian aid organization. Three Peas has partnered with IsraAID on community centre operations including the Sindos Community Centre.
• One Happy Family Community CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity centre for refugees and asylum-seekers on Lesvos near Moria camp, providing meals, education services, and a library van with 1,500 titles in over a dozen languages.
• Scholastic Books UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor publishing partner that has published multiple books benefiting Three Peas including KIND (38 illustrators contributed), Welcome (Axel Scheffler illustration), and LOVE. The Scholastic team provides ongoing creative and financial support.
• Renard PresssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPublishes the Christmas Card Classics series with 25% of the RRP donated to Three Peas. For five years running, they publish pocket-size book cards including titles by Willa Cather, Washington Irving, O. Henry, Hans Christian Andersen, and Damon Runyon.
• Action for EducationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation-focused NGO working with refugees. Partner for specific projects in Greece.
• Better DayssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO working to improve conditions for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.
• Be A RobinsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in running the Sindos Community Centre alongside IsraAID and Three Peas.
• Home for AllsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization providing support to refugees and local communities.
• Medical Volunteers e.V.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical volunteer organization providing healthcare support to refugee populations.
• Refugee 4 RefugeessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee support organization active on Lesvos and Samos. Three Peas has provided emergency material and financial support.
• schwizerchrüz.chsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss humanitarian organization. Three Peas partnered with them in the past to run local guesthouses and apartments for refugees.
• Sindos Community CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity centre in a suburb of Thessaloniki providing informal education in Greek and English, IT and music classes, CV workshops, and Child Friendly Space. Approximately 500 refugees live nearby with 450 registered community members.
• Britax GermanysecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated baby equipment including prams and car seats worth €20,000 for Ukrainian refugee support in Czech Republic.
• Deutsche Schule LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman school in London where Three Peas was founded in 2016. The charity was started by friends from the school community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Samaritan's Purse: International Christian relief organisation that ran the PEAS for PRAMS baby equipment shipment alongside Three Peas. Larger incumbent executing comparable material aid logistics in European refugee contexts.
• Médecins Sans Frontières: Global humanitarian medical organisation operating in refugee crises including Greek islands and Ukrainian response. Broader incumbent with overlapping crisis response capability but professionalised, multi-country institutional structure rather than volunteer grassroots model.
• British Red Cross: UK humanitarian organisation with active refugee support programmes including in Greece and Ukrainian response. Much larger established institution offering similar categories of refugee aid through a professional, paid-staff model.

Direct peers

• Kitrinos Healthcare: UK-registered charity providing medical and mental health care to refugees in northern Greece. Direct peer operating in the same geography (Thessaloniki/Athens) with overlapping beneficiary base.
• Lighthouse Relief: Sweden-based NGO providing humanitarian aid and psychosocial support to refugees in Greece and the Balkans. Comparable Scandinavian donor base, all-volunteer ethos, and operational focus on Lesvos.
• Help Refugees (Choose Love): UK-based charity supporting refugees and displaced people with material aid and direct frontline programmes in Greece, France, and other transit countries. Closest direct peer — similar volunteer/partnership-driven model, geographic focus on Greek islands, and emphasis on urgent material relief.
• Refugee Support Aegean: Greece-based charity providing legal aid, psychosocial support, and material assistance to refugees on the Aegean islands and mainland. Directly comparable mission, beneficiary base, and operational geography.
• Better Days: Greek-based NGO explicitly listed as a Three Peas partner, working to improve conditions for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. Direct operational peer co-funded by Three Peas.
• Drop in the Ocean: Norwegian volunteer-run organisation operating in Greece to support refugees with food, clothing, and shelter. Highly comparable volunteer model, donor base geography (Northern Europe), and grassroots delivery approach.
• Boat Refugee Foundation: Dutch foundation supporting refugee rescue and aid operations in the Aegean. Comparable volunteer-run structure and focus on Greek islands with emergency response orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/three-peas-charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Three Peas