Streets of Growth

What Streets of Growth does

Streets of Growth is a UK registered charity (Charity No: 1143126; Company No: 4863196) founded on 11 September 2001 by Darren Way, Diane Peters and Lucky Nessa, headquartered in Tower Hamlets, London. The organisation delivers long-term, relational interventions for vulnerable young people aged 15-21 who are at risk of, or experiencing, violence, exploitation and criminality. Approximately 200 young people are supported intensively each year, taking the cumulative total to over 6,000 since inception. Service delivery is anchored by trained "Intervention+ Coaches" operating a structured engagement model with pathways into education, employment and training.

The charity's underlying capability stack combines direct street-based outreach, the EpiCentre venue, an Employer Partnership Programme, and Insight Tours, supplemented by the Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) and a Street-to-Data Platform designed to formalise outcome measurement. Case management runs on Apricot software. The operating model is funded through a diversified base of charitable trusts and foundations (Esmee Fairbairn, Impetus, Lloyds Bank Foundation, CD&R Foundation), corporate partners (Unite Students, Berkeley Group, Canary Wharf Group, BSQ Group, SMBC Bank), and public-sector commissioners (Mayor of London, Tower Hamlets, City of London). Annual organisational running cost is approximately £800,000. A Royal visit by the Princess of Wales in September 2023 and multiple 2024–2025 awards have reinforced the charity's reputational standing ahead of its 25th operating year.

Name

Streets of Growth

Legal name

Streets of Growth

Website

https://streetsofgrowth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Streets of Growth is a London-based charity founded in 2001 that delivers long-term, relational interventions for vulnerable young people aged 15-21 at risk of violence and exploitation in Tower Hamlets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Intervention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth intervention services
• Violence reduction programmes
• Cognitive behavioural coaching
• Employability progression programmes
• Community outreach charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Manor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: Charity operates primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations. 100% of donations go into intervention projects and frontline operations.
2. Venue Hire Services: The EpiCentre venue is available for hire for events, featuring stage lighting, surround sound, and an immersive 16x10 foot projection screen. All proceeds go directly into frontline work with young people.
3. Insight Tours: Pre-booked behind-the-scenes tours offering insights into 30 Years of Outstanding Youth Intervention, including visuals and live presentations of the model of approach. Revenue supports frontline work.
4. Employer Partnership Programmes: Partnerships with employers providing work experience, career insight sessions, and employment pathways for young people including Fashion & Textiles, Film & Photography, Music, Podcasting, Construction Industry, Furniture Upcycling, Bicycle Maintenance, and developing pathways into Hospitality, Heritage and Tourism sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Streets of Growth is a UK grassroots charity that delivers intensive long-term intervention coaching to vulnerable young people aged 15-21 facing violence, criminal exploitation, gang involvement, and poverty. Its Appropriate Intervention Plus Model (AIM+) combines targeted street outreach, cognitive behavioural skills development, harm-reduction lifestyle change, and transition into employment across a 3-phase change programme. The charity also operates the EpiCentre venue hire, runs the Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation (C.A.R.E.), and offers employer partnership programmes providing pathways into creative industries and other sectors.

Product overview

Streets of Growth is a grassroots charity offering a unified intervention program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offering is the Appropriate Intervention Plus Model (AIM+), a three-phase change program combining targeted outreach, cognitive behavioral skills coaching, lifestyle change support, and employability progression. The organization operates its EpiCentre venue for events and community programs, while its Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) provides internal research capabilities. Additional offerings include Insight Tours, educational films like 'If Only', and a Video Library showcasing program outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Appropriate Intervention Plus Model (AIM+) A comprehensive three-phase intervention model incorporating systems thinking to address youth violence, exploitation, and harm. Combines targeted outreach, cognitive behavioural skills development, lifestyle change support, and employability progression into a unified 3-phase Change Programme (Initiating Change, Engaging Change, Maintaining & Programme Exit) with a third-year post-programme follow-up.
• Intervention Coaching Services One-to-one trauma-informed coaching delivered by specialist Intervention+ Coaches who work with young people aged 15-21 facing exploitation, violence, and criminality. Includes street-level outreach in council estates, community-based support, and centre-based engagement at the EpiCentre, with referrals screened by the Frontline Team.
• Employability Progression Programme Supports young people in transitioning into employment through career coaching, professional mentoring, work placements, and industry-specific training. Includes creative industries pathways in Fashion & Textiles, Film & Photography, Music, Podcasting, Construction, Furniture Upcycling, and Bicycle Maintenance, with emerging pathways into Hospitality, Heritage, and Tourism sectors.
• EpiCentre Venue Hire Commercial venue hire of the EpiCentre, a cutting-edge open-spaced theatre and performance venue above the historic Boar's Head Playhouse site, featuring stage lighting, surround sound, an immersive 16x10 foot projection screen, and optional external catering. All proceeds go directly into frontline youth work.
• Insight Tours Pre-booked behind-the-scenes tours offering insights into the organisation's 25+ years of youth intervention practice. Includes visuals and live presentations of the model of approach for visiting CEOs, practitioners, and academics. Revenue supports frontline work with young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 young people transformed since 2001
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• BSQ GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025BSQ Group, based in Covent Garden, London, is a CSR partner that donated electrical items including kettles, air fryers, and sandwich toasters to young people on Streets of Growth's programme living in poverty. They also participate in team volunteering activities.
• St James & St WilliamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Community partnership with St James and St William schools/churches in Tower Hamlets. The partnership includes hosting site tours, careers insight sessions at the Bethnal Green site, supporting holiday workshops and awards evenings.
• London Muslim Shopping FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership providing paid work experience opportunities for young people at the 'World's Biggest Pre-Ramadan Shopping Experience' at Excel Centre East London. Young people worked on the Modest Fashion Live Runway Show and WAW Creative Arts Kid's Zone.
• Tower Hamlets Council 'High Streets Team'minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Funded the community mural project on Usk Street, E2, commissioned with directional signs to encourage people to visit the high street on Roman Road as part of the Roman Road West improvement works.
• Unite StudentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022In September 2022, Streets of Growth were selected as the multi-award-winning grass-roots charity to lead and run the D1 Community Development and Performance space at Unite Students' flagship building, Hayloft Point, at Aldgate East in London. This is the first secure long-term headquarters Streets of Growth has ever had in its 22-year history, raising the bar on intervention and access into creative industries for young people. The space includes a purpose-built glass-sided performance venue and museum of artefacts discovered during site excavation.
• Berkeley GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBerkeley Group is a major housing developer partner providing funding support to Streets of Growth. They are included in the Funder logos section of the website.
• ImpetuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpetus is a funder and strategic partner working with Streets of Growth to further refine and advance their theory of change delivery model. In partnership with Impetus, the organisation is currently further refining and advancing their AIM+ model.
• London YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon Youth is a funder and partner, providing programmes including HeadStart Action as part of the Mayor of London's 'New Deal for Young People'.
• Tower HamletscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTower Hamlets local authority is a key partner in providing referrals, co-funding projects, and supporting the organisation's work in the borough including through Tower Hamlets Homes.
• Met PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreets of Growth consultants train new Police Constables and trainee Detectives in their model of approach and 'lived experience' neighbourhood insights as part of the Met Police Familiarisation Training. The organisation works with Met and City Police in creating better safety for communities.
• East London Business Alliance (ELBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerELBA is a strategic partner that facilitated a Government Home Office VRU visit to Streets of Growth and collaborates on violence reduction initiatives.
• Roca Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoca Inc. in Boston is a longstanding and loyal international partner that inspired Streets of Growth's model of approach. The Princess of Wales highlighted this partnership noting Streets of Growth's work is inspired by Roca Inc.'s approach in Boston.
• Tower Hamlets HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTower Hamlets Homes is a housing partner that collaborated on the 'If Only' short film project and the Youth Enterprise Programme. They also provided temporary use of community hub centre building in Bethnal Green E.2.
• St Peter's Immaculata Youth Club (Belfast)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-design relationship with Belfast youth club for a pilot project involving research exchange with young people aged 15-20 visiting Belfast and London, exploring commonalities and differences in youth experiences.
• WAW Creative ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 'World's First Muslim Creative Arts School' for children providing work experience opportunities and creative arts classes across East London including at Streets of Growth's Creative Hub in Aldgate.
• British Bangladeshi Fashion CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the British Bangladeshi Fashion Council to create the dynamic youth intervention and creative industries hub called 'The Manor' through crowdfunding.
• The Boar's Head TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe historic Boar's Head Playhouse site now houses the EpiCentre, a cutting-edge open-spaced theatre with heritage significance (mid-16th-century Elizabethan Theatre site).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roca Inc. Boston-based nonprofit delivering street-outreach, cognitive behavioural intervention and employment pathways for at-risk young people. Roca is explicitly cited by Streets of Growth as the inspiration for the AIM+ model and is a longstanding international partner.
• London Youth: Membership body and funder supporting grassroots youth organisations across London. Streets of Growth is both a member and a partner delivering the Mayor of London's HeadStart Action via London Youth's network.
• Centrepoint: Major UK youth homelessness charity supporting 16–24 year-olds via housing, employability and personal development. Overlaps with SOG's employability progression work and young-person cohort, though with a housing-led delivery model.
• Leap Confronting Conflict: UK charity delivering conflict-resolution and youth intervention programmes. Previously awarded Streets of Growth (Lighting the Fire Award, 2015) and works on overlapping youth-violence reduction themes.
• Safer London Foundation: London-based charity focused on protecting young people from gangs, county lines and exploitation through direct intervention. Closely overlapping geography (pan-London) and service model.
• Redthread: UK charity providing youth-violence intervention, including in hospital and community settings, to young people affected by exploitation, gangs and county lines. Highly comparable mission and methodology to Streets of Growth.
• Switchback (formerly part of St Giles Trust): Charity providing intensive one-to-one mentoring and employability support for young men in the criminal justice system. Comparable AIM-aligned model of long-term, relationship-based intervention and progression into work.

Others

• Impetus: Social-impact intermediary that funds and supports high-performing charities, including Streets of Growth's AIM+ refinement. Listed as a partner rather than a peer-operator, but central to SOG's funder mix and theory-of-change development.

Broad incumbents

• Catch22: Large UK social business running multiple services for vulnerable young people including gang exit and county lines programmes. Comparable mission but with broader portfolio, pan-UK footprint, and significant government contracts.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities, delivering services including exploitation support and youth justice intervention. National scale and broad portfolio make it adjacent rather than directly competitive at the borough level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/streetsofgrowth
• Xx.com/SoGrowth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Streets of Growth