What Wickers charity does

The Wickers Charity is a registered UK charity (England and Wales 1178580), founded in 2018 by Henry Smith, CEO of Aitch Group, in direct response to the consequences of knife crime in East London. It operates as a non-profit youth organisation delivering free services to young people aged 8-21 in the East London boroughs, with a registered office in Shoreditch and a main operational hub at Hackney Bridge, and runs a team of 8 employees and trustees under a board that includes Wendel Henry and Chelsea Reynolds.

Its core offering is organised around three service pillars: (1) after-school activities including football, boxing, basketball, music production, cycling, and the Wickers Girls' Club; (2) employability programmes for NEET and at-risk young people aged 16-24, delivered through the HeadStart Action partnership with London Youth and Family Action, plus corporate insight days such as the Tokio Marine Insight Day and skills workshops including Family Action CV workshops and FMLY CRTV film workshops; and (3) 1-1 and group mentoring delivered across 12 schools in East London, alongside a knife-awareness programme delivered 50 times in schools. Underlying technology is minimal and operational rather than product-led — Stripe processes donations and Upshot handles activity/club registration — with no proprietary software, AI, or platform architecture.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded. All services are provided free to beneficiaries; revenue is generated through individual donations (tiered from £10 to £10,000), corporate sponsorships, and major annual fundraising events, notably the Great Gatsby Boxing Gala (raised over £155,000 in 2025 and £150,000+ in prior years) and It's a Knock Out (£12,000 in 2023). Institutional and grant funding is provided by the Mayor of London, Hackney Council, Youth Endowment, Jack Foundation, Peabody, and others; flagship corporate partners include Aitch Group, Equifinance, and Tokio Marine. The charity's go-to-market relies on a dense local partner network (schools, Hackney Quest, London Youth, Metropolitan Police, Leyton Orient) plus social media presence across TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, supported by earned media including a London Assembly Police and Crime Committee appearance at City Hall.

Name

Wickers charity

Legal name

The Wickers Charity

Website

https://wickers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wickers Charity is a registered UK non-profit, founded 2018, delivering free after-school activities, employability programmes, and school mentoring to young people aged 8-21 in East London, funded through donations, grants, and annual gala fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Youth charity services
• After-school programmes
• Youth mentoring
• Employability training
• Knife crime prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

London (Hackney)

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and public support to fund its operations and youth programmes. Donations are solicited through the website with various giving tiers ranging from £10 to £10,000.
2. Gala and Event Fundraising: Major fundraising events including the annual Great Gatsby Boxing Gala (raising £155,000+ in 2025) and It's a Knock Out community event (raising £12,000 in 2023). These events generate significant revenue for youth programmes.
3. Employability Programme Partnerships: Partnerships with companies like Tokio Marine, Family Action, FMLY CRTV, and HeadStart Action provide employability workshops and programmes, which may include funding or in-kind support for young people.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Wickers Charity delivers free after-school activities, employability programmes, and mentoring services for young people aged 8-21 in East London. Its core portfolio combines extra-curricular activities (football, boxing, basketball, music production, cycling), skills and employability training (CV workshops, insight days, film workshops, the HeadStart Action programme), and 1-1 and group mentoring delivered in schools.

Product overview

The Wickers Charity is a non-profit youth organization offering a unified portfolio of services for young people aged 8-21 in East London. The core offering combines three pillars: (1) After-School Activities including football, boxing, basketball, music production, and the Girls' Club; (2) Employability Programmes including the HeadStart Action programme, Tokio Marine Insight Day, CV workshops, and film workshops; and (3) Mentoring Services providing 1-1 and group sessions in schools. The charity also operates fundraising events including The Great Gatsby Boxing Gala and It's a Knock Out, and runs the Community Hub at Hackney Bridge as a safe space for young people. All services are free to access and designed to keep young people off the streets and away from knife crime.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After-School Activities

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ young people reached weekly
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Aitch GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAitch Group is a major supporter and partner of The Wickers Charity. Founder Henry Smith is connected to The Wickers and Aitch Group has been involved in major fundraising events including the Great Gatsby Boxing Gala.
• Hackney QuestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHackney Quest provides venue space for The Wickers Charity Girls' Club activities, running every Friday during term time.
• Metropolitan PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on community safety and youth protection. The Wickers participates in London Race Action Plan meetings and contributes to discussions about reducing violence and protecting young people.
• London YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon Youth is a partner organization supporting youth programmes. The Wickers participates in London Youth events including netball tournaments and Coram's Fields football tournaments.
• Leyton OrientminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club partnership providing sporting activities and engagement opportunities for young people.
• NikeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting sports activities and programmes for young people.
• LacosteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting youth programmes and activities.
• Coca-ColaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting community programmes and events.
• TescominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate community partner supporting youth activities and programmes.
• FMLY CRTVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilmmaking workshop partner who delivered February Half-Term film workshops teaching directing, cinematography, and editing skills to young people.
• Family ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in HeadStart Action Employability Programme. Family Action delivered CV workshops designed to enhance employment prospects of young individuals.
• Osmani TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organisation working with young people in East London.
• The DukeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting youth programmes and activities.
• The CribminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organisation.
• Hackney CVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHackney Council for Voluntary Service - partner organisation supporting community initiatives.
• Elite EvolutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports development partner supporting youth football and sporting activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Switchback: UK charity supporting young men aged 14-25 in the criminal justice system or at risk of involvement, via intensive mentoring and real-world training. Comparable to The Wickers' work with at-risk young people around knife crime and gang involvement, focused on long-term, relationship-driven engagement.
• St Giles Trust: UK charity supporting people affected by criminal justice involvement, including dedicated services for young people at risk of gang involvement and knife crime. Comparable in its violence prevention mission and population served, though operating nationally with a much larger footprint.
• London Youth: Umbrella and capacity-building body for youth organisations across London. The Wickers is an active member and partner, participating in London Youth events including netball and football tournaments. Comparable at the network and ecosystem level for London-based youth provision.
• NACRO: UK charity working on crime reduction, education and youth justice, including programmes aimed at preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system. Overlaps with The Wickers on knife crime awareness, mentoring and NEET-focused employability.
• XLP: East London youth charity delivering mentoring, employability support and positive activities to young people facing disadvantage. Highly comparable mission and beneficiary profile to The Wickers, with the same focus on long-term relationship-based engagement.
• Hackney Quest: Hackney-based youth charity offering mentoring, activities and positive opportunities for young people. Already a venue and delivery partner for The Wickers' Girls' Club, operating in the same geography with overlapping beneficiaries and similar programmatic mix.
• Street League: UK charity using sport (primarily football) to engage disadvantaged young people and support them into education, training and employment. Direct comparison to The Wickers' sports-based engagement model combined with employability outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Catch22: UK social business delivering services across education, justice and employability for disadvantaged young people. Overlaps with The Wickers on employability, mentoring and youth violence prevention, but as a multi-service national provider rather than a community-rooted charity.
• The Prince's Trust: One of the UK's largest youth charities, supporting 11-30 year-olds into education, training and employment through a portfolio of programmes. Overlaps with The Wickers on employability and NEET outcomes, but operates at vastly greater scale and across the whole of the UK.

Others

• Youth Endowment Fund: Funded by the Home Office, YEF invests in and evaluates interventions to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. The Wickers is a current YEF grantee, and YEF is a comparable ecosystem participant shaping the violence prevention funding landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WickersThe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuDc-W8HuT0jel7R0ztVOcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewickerscharity
• Instagraminstagram.com/thewickerscharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wickers-charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wickers charity