Crossroads Youth & Community Association

What Crossroads Youth & Community Association does

Crossroads Youth & Community Association (CYCA) is a registered Scottish charity (SC006859, Company No: SC148252) founded in 1968 and headquartered at The Barn Youth Centre, 37 Abbotsford Place, Gorbals, Glasgow G5 9QS. The organisation delivers youth work and community development services to residents of the Gorbals and Govanhill areas of Glasgow, with a primary beneficiary cohort of young people aged 8–24 and a secondary cohort of local adult residents, parents, and carers. CYCA operates as a free, grant-funded service provider with no commercial revenue model; all programmes are delivered to beneficiaries at no charge.

The core service portfolio comprises structured evening youth sessions (juniors and seniors, 48 weeks per year), outdoor residential and camping trips, accredited award programmes (Duke of Edinburgh and John Muir Awards), the SHINE Project addressing child poverty and adverse childhood experiences, and the Fairer Food Project delivering 200+ meals weekly. Adult-facing community groups (sewing, arts and crafts, computer literacy, yoga, chess, baby/toddler groups, social drop-ins) are delivered through a weekly schedule, and CYCA hosts Social Security Scotland appointments on-site. CYCA operates with no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-centered and delivered through The Barn Youth Centre and outdoor locations across Scotland including Mull and the Cairngorms.

CYCA is funded through a diversified portfolio of grants and donations from Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, BBC Children in Need, Inspiring Scotland, People's Postcode Lottery, The Robertson Trust, Young Start, and Virgin Money. The organisation is governed by a voluntary Board of 8 Directors and employs a team of 10 staff including Youth Workers, Community Development Workers, a Charity Manager, an Admin & Finance Officer, and a Cleaner. CYCA maintains longstanding partnerships with Glasgow University (operating the first social work fieldwork unit in Scotland), Glasgow Children's Holiday Scheme, TASK Early Years and Child Care Centre, the Gorbals 3rd Sector Forum, and Giggle 'n Grow.

Name

Crossroads Youth & Community Association

Legal name

Crossroads Youth & Community Association

Website

https://cyca.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crossroads Youth & Community Association (CYCA) is a Glasgow-based registered charity delivering free youth work and community development services to residents of the Gorbals and Govanhill areas, supporting young people aged 8–24 and local adults through centre-based and outdoor programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Community youth services
• Charitable youth work
• Community development programs
• Youth support services
• Nonprofit community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Grants: Operating as a registered charity (SC006859) since 1967, funded through grants, charitable donations, and public funding from organizations such as Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, and charitable foundations including Robertson Trust and People’s Postcode Lottery.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crossroads Youth & Community Association delivers free youth work and community development services to residents of Gorbals and Govanhill in Glasgow. Services include structured evening youth sessions, outdoor residential and camping trips, accredited award programmes (Duke of Edinburgh and John Muir), community development initiatives such as the Fairer Food Project and Link Up Programme, and a range of community groups covering sewing, housing, crafts, knitting, yoga, computer literacy, and social drop-ins. All services are provided free of charge through The Barn Youth Centre and outdoor locations across Scotland.

Product overview

Crossroads Youth & Community Association is a registered charity (established 1967) offering community and youth services in Gorbals and Govanhill areas of Glasgow. The organization operates from The Barn Youth Centre and delivers a portfolio of interconnected services including: the SHINE Project (youth poverty alleviation), structured evening youth work sessions for juniors and seniors, outdoor residential and camping trips, accredited award programmes (Duke of Edinburgh and John Muir Awards), community development initiatives, and various community groups (sewing, arts & crafts, yoga, chess, computer literacy, and social gatherings). Services are coordinated through a volunteer Board and staff team, with a focus on building status, control, and affiliation for community members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SHINE Project A youth work project for young people aged 8-24 aimed at alleviating the direct effects of child poverty and addressing food insecurity, leisure poverty, and adverse childhood experiences while building resilience and agency.
• Evening Youth Work Sessions Structured 3-hour evening youth work sessions held Monday and Wednesday for juniors (ages 8-12) and Tuesday and Thursday for seniors (ages 12-24), running 48 weeks per year with activities, mindfulness exercises, and hot meals.
• Residential and Camping Trips Outdoor-based day-trips, residential, camping and expedition experiences organised at least six times per year for 70+ young people to wild natural environments across Scotland including Mull and the Cairngorms.
• Duke of Edinburgh Awards Programme Accredited Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme offered free of charge to all registered young people, delivered across 80 sessions per year.
• John Muir Award Programme Accredited environmental award programme with a strong outdoors learning element contributing towards building confidence, resilience, skills for work, and social bonds.
• Community Development Work Community development work focused on local neighbourhood issues, addressing the impact of social and economic forces, and helping people understand and confront the use and misuse of power, structured around factors of opportunity, motivation, and capacity.
• Fairer Food Project Strategic effort to address the worst effects of food poverty on young people, working alongside six local partners in Gorbals, serving 200+ fresh healthy meals weekly cooked by young people for young people, with 4 sessions per week introducing culinary skills and dietary awareness.
• Gorbals 3rd Sector Forum Collaborative body of Gorbals third sector organisations strategically linked to public sector services and working closely with local people for delivery of Gorbals Thriving Place priorities.
• Link Up Programme Inspiring Scotland-backed community development programme operating in nine communities across Scotland, amongst the largest and longest-running individual and community wellbeing programmes in Scotland.
• Student Unit (Fieldwork Practice Teaching) Fieldwork practice teaching unit delivered in partnership with Glasgow University, the first in Scotland for social work and community development students, having trained over 700 students over the years.

Quantifiable outcome

• 192+ evening youth work sessions delivered annually across 48 weeks
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Social Security ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing residents to set up appointments at Crossroads premises by phoning 0800 182 2222, providing accessible access to social security services in the community.
• Giggle 'n GrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization offering an hour of stimulating fun for children with opportunities for parent and child to interact together. CYCA provides venue and promotes their services.
• Glasgow UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating with Crossroads for the Student Unit - the first fieldwork unit in Scotland for social work and community development students. Over 700 students trained through this partnership.
• Glasgow Children's Holiday SchememajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership evolved from Crossroads' original holiday scheme for children and families, ensuring the most deprived children in Gorbals have fun-filled breaks.
• Gorbals 3rd Sector ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative body of Gorbals third sector organisations strategically linked to public sector services and working closely with local people for Gorbals Thriving Place priorities. Crossroads was instrumental in organizing this forum.
• TASK Early Years and Child Care CentremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildcare centre established through Crossroads' TASK campaign to address lack of childcare services in Gorbals, still managed by the original campaigners.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Inspiring Scotland: Scottish charitable foundation that runs the Link Up community development programme—the same programme in which Crossroads participates. Directly comparable as a partner in the same funded programme and a Scotland-based youth/community development organization.
• Scouts Scotland: Scottish branch of the UK Scouts movement, delivering outdoor-based youth programmes including expeditions and accredited awards (e.g., Duke of Edinburgh). Comparable in delivering residential/outdoor youth experiences and structured youth sessions in Scotland.
• YMCA Scotland: Federated Scottish charity delivering youth work, housing support, and community programs across Scotland. Comparable as a youth-focused Scottish community charity offering structured activities, life skills, and outdoor experiences to young people.
• Children 1st: Scottish children's charity supporting children, young people, and families through direct service delivery and community-based work. Directly comparable as a Scotland-focused nonprofit delivering youth and family support services with a community development lens.
• Aberlour Scotland: Scottish children's charity delivering family support, residential care, and community-based services across Scotland. Comparable as a Scotland-based nonprofit working with disadvantaged children and families through community-rooted programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting disadvantaged young people (16-24) with housing, employability, and personal development. Comparable in serving a similar age cohort with holistic support, though focused on youth homelessness rather than community-based drop-in services.
• Barnardo's: The UK's largest children's charity, operating across children's services, early years, and youth work nationally. Comparable as a UK charity delivering youth-focused community programs, though at vastly greater scale and broader geographic scope.
• Prince's Trust Scotland: Major UK youth charity focused on employability, skills, and personal development for young people aged 11-30. Comparable in mission (youth development and confidence-building) but operates at national scale with structured programmes rather than hyperlocal community work.
• Children in Scotland: Scottish national membership organization for children and young people's sector, working across policy, training, and service improvement. Comparable as a Scotland-based umbrella supporting the children's services ecosystem in which Crossroads operates.

Others

• Volunteer Scotland: Scotland's national centre for volunteering, supporting volunteer-involving organizations. Comparable as ecosystem partner to Crossroads, which relies on an 8-member volunteer Board of Directors and community participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Crossroads_YCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/BarnYouthCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/crossroads_yca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crossroads-youth-and-community-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Crossroads Youth & Community Association