Heart of Newhaven

What Heart of Newhaven does

Heart of Newhaven Community SCIO is a community-led Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) constituted in January 2019 and registered in February 2020 (SC049919). It operates "The Heart," an intergenerational community hub housed in the 180+ year-old former Victoria Primary School at 4-6 Main Street, Newhaven, Edinburgh, acquired from the City of Edinburgh Council via Community Asset Transfer in August 2022 with funding from the Scottish Land Fund. The organisation serves local residents of Newhaven, Leith, and surrounding areas, plus targeted cohorts including people living with dementia and their care partners, isolated older adults, and children/families. Its core offering centres on physical space and in-person programming: over 50 weekly activities (lunch clubs, yoga, knitting, digital skills, gardening, heritage tours), a Dementia Meeting Centre for people with mild-to-moderate dementia, a room-hire operation across seven event spaces, and project-based work including the National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported SchoolDays project (4,073 participants), the World's Tallest Knitted Christmas Tree, a community podcast, and a re-photography project.

The business model combines voluntary donations (with suggested tiers of £10/£20/£50/£100 tied to specific uses), room hire fees, modest per-session contributions (£1 WWCA activities, £5 Dementia Meeting Centre), and fundraising events such as Afternoon Tea parties. Membership is free (542 Ordinary and Associate Members) and grants ultimate governance control to the local community via a Board of Trustees elected by members. There is no proprietary technology; the organisation runs on a Squarespace website, basic email/phone booking, and standard social media (Facebook, Instagram). Revenue is grant-dependent (Scottish Land Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Government) and operationally lean at 6-8 core staff plus a large volunteer base.

Distribution is exclusively local and in-person through the single Edinburgh building. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with over 50 weekly activities driving footfall, word-of-mouth referral, and event programming (Gala Day, Tattie Fest, Fair Saturday) reinforcing engagement. The organisation hosts 19 resident partner charities and artists, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem that anchors both supply (activities) and demand (visitors). Pricing is structured as a hybrid of freemium membership, unit-priced voluntary contributions, and one-off room-hire fees, with donation appeals (e.g., the Willy's Birthday Appeal supporting the Dementia Meeting Centre) driving incremental income.

Name

Heart of Newhaven

Legal name

Heart of Newhaven Community SCIO SC049919

Website

https://heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heart of Newhaven is a community-owned SCIO operating an intergenerational hub in the former Victoria Primary School in Newhaven, Edinburgh, delivering 50+ weekly activities, a Dementia Meeting Centre, room hire, and heritage projects for 542 members and local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Hub Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Large Campus / Multi-Building Assisted Living Communities (HLADABAG)

Keywords

• Community hub services
• Intergenerational programmes
• Dementia meeting centre
• Community venue hire
• Heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Newhaven

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Voluntary donations from supporters; current appeal for Willy's Birthday supporting Dementia Meeting Centre. Suggested amounts: £10 for refreshments, £20 for room hire, £50 for Lunch Club, £100 for free class or workshop. 3% optional fee coverage available.
2. Room Hire: Rental of community spaces including Victoria Hall (120 capacity theatre-style), Anchor West (60 capacity), Anchor East (30 capacity), Victoria Kitchen, Rab's Room, and Green Room. Bookings via online form, phone, or email with 2-3 business day response.
3. Session Contributions: Requested £1 contribution for WWCA (Welcoming Whole Community Activities) marked activities. Dementia Meeting Centre requests £5 per session donation after free first month. Care partners attend free.
4. Membership: Free membership model with Ordinary Members (local residents with voting rights) and Associate Members (non-residents, non-voting). 542 current members with ultimate control over organization governance.
5. Fundraising Events: Revenue-generating events such as Afternoon Tea Party. Proceeds support ongoing charitable activities and community programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heart of Newhaven is a community-led Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) operating an intergenerational community hub in a converted Victorian school building in Newhaven, Edinburgh. It delivers over 50 weekly community activities (lunches, yoga, knitting, digital skills, gardening, dementia programmes), hires out seven event spaces to community groups, runs specialist heritage and dementia programmes, and operates a free membership model with 542 community members who hold voting rights over governance.

Product overview

Heart of Newhaven operates as a single unified community hub rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is The Heart—a converted Victorian school building providing community facilities and programmes. Core services include room hire across seven distinct event spaces (Victoria Hall, Anchor West, Anchor East, Victoria Kitchen, Rab's Room, Green Room), and a regular activities programme hosting over 50 weekly activities including lunch clubs, yoga, knitting, digital skills, and gardening. Specialised programmes include the Dementia Meeting Centre providing person-centered support for people with mild to moderate dementia, and the SchoolDays heritage project which engaged over 4,000 participants. Community engagement is supported through membership (542 members), volunteering opportunities, and a donations programme. The organisation also hosts 19 resident partner charities and artists in office/studio spaces. Revenue is generated primarily through room hire fees and donations, with all membership being free.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dementia Meeting Centre: A social club for people living with mild to moderate dementia, offering person-centred activities including creative fun, music, art, and chair yoga.
• Schooldays Project
• Knitted Tree
• Newhaven Coastal Echo
• Knitting Stories Podcast

Products and services

• The Heart (Community Hub) A community centre housed in a converted Victorian school building in Newhaven, Edinburgh, serving as an intergenerational hub for culture, heritage, learning, and community wellbeing through 50+ weekly activities and seven bookable spaces.
• Room Hire Venue rental service offering seven distinct spaces: Victoria Hall (capacity 120 theatre-style), Anchor West (capacity 60), Anchor East (capacity 30), Victoria Kitchen, Rab's Room, and The Green Room for meetings, workshops, conferences, parties and events.
• Regular Activities Programme Over 50 weekly activities including two community lunches, knitting, yoga, tech support, gardening, repair shed, dementia-inclusive exercise classes, digital skills, and heritage activities for local residents.
• Dementia Meeting Centre A social club for people living with mild to moderate dementia, offering person-centred activities including music, art, and chair yoga every Tuesday. Free first month, then £5 per session suggested donation. Includes Carer's Club for care partners who attend free.
• SchoolDays Heritage Project National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported intergenerational and cross-cultural heritage project engaging primary school pupils from four local schools alongside older adults in memory sharing, oral history, craft, visual art, music, storytelling, and performance.
• Knitted Tree Project Community craft project featuring the 16ft World's Tallest Knitted Christmas Tree and the subsequent Enchanted Crocheted Forest installation, generated BBC News and BBC Radio coverage.
• Knitting Stories Podcast A community-led podcast exploring the healing power of knitting, co-designed with the Warm Welcome Saturday group.
• Coastal Echoes Project A re-photography project capturing historic Newhaven locations from identical viewpoints to show change over time, displayed at the Newhaven Maritime Festival.
• Heritage Tours Free guided and self-guided tours of the 180+ year historic former Edinburgh state primary school building, now a community hub.
• Membership Free community membership offering Ordinary Members (residents within the Area of Benefit) voting rights and eligibility to stand as Trustees, and Associate Members participation without voting rights.
• Volunteering Programme Volunteer opportunities including Warm Welcome sessions, Lunch Club support, heritage tour guiding, gardening, Knit & Natter, and administrative support.
• Donations and Fundraising Donation programme supporting the Heart's ongoing costs with specific appeals such as Willy's Birthday Appeal for the Dementia Meeting Centre. Suggested donation tiers: £10 refreshments, £20 room hire, £50 Lunch Club, £100 free class/workshop.
• Resident Partners Programme Office and studio space rental to 19 local charities and artists including History of Education Centre, Men of Leith Men's Shed, Mwamba, Vintage Vibes, Ink on Mesh, Tortoise in a Nutshell, and various craftspeople.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,073 participants engaged in SchoolDays project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CyrenianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for free hot lunch programme. Cyrenians provides food while Heart of Newhaven hosts Lunch Club sessions - Monday 12:30-1:30pm and Saturday 12noon-1:30pm. Vital community resource providing free meals.
• Men of Leith Men's ShedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Repair Shed at the Heart on Mondays (1:30-4:30pm) and Wednesdays (10am-3pm). Community members drop off broken household items for free repair (cost of parts only). Also Men's Shed resident partner occupying space.
• History of Education CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident partner with Victorian Schoolroom providing unique heritage education opportunity. Co-delivered SchoolDays project. Victorian Schoolroom available for tours and workshops.
• ACE I.T.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh charity helping people over 50 learn digital skills. Runs Digital Skills Sessions at the Heart on Wednesdays 9:30am-12noon. Booking via phone (0131 667 2053) or email.
• AGE ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrop-in advice sessions on first Wednesday of each month (9:30am-12noon). AGE Scotland representative available to discuss issues affecting older people.
• Vintage VibesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to tackle isolation and loneliness in over 60s. Vintage Vibes pairs volunteers with VIPs (elderly) who share interests to create lasting friendships.
• MwambaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident partner providing support for African and ethnic minority women in Edinburgh. North East Edinburgh Counselling Service supports mental wellbeing. Co-delivered SchoolDays project.
• City of Edinburgh CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransferred former Victoria Primary School building to Heart of Newhaven via Community Asset Transfer. Cllr Katrina Faccenda holds monthly surgeries at the Heart. Collaborated on various community initiatives.
• Pilmeny Development ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration partner in SchoolDays project. Member of The Newhaven Friendship group. Worked with on heritage activities and community engagement.
• Ink on MeshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident partner - creative space for artists, makers, graduates and hobbyists. Provides accessible studio space for screen printing and textiles. Promotes creative expression and community connections.
• Tortoise in a Nutshell Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident partner delivering visual theatre, participatory projects, touring productions and community engagement programmes. Co-delivered SchoolDays project.
• Local Primary Schools (Victoria, Trinity, Holy Cross, Wardie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchoolDays project engaged P6-P7 pupils from four local primary schools. Intergenerational heritage activities brought children together with older community members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bridgend Farmhouse: Edinburgh community hub offering gardening, cooking, wellbeing, and intergenerational activities in a converted farm building. Similar community-owned charity model with focus on wellbeing, food, and reducing isolation.
• Pilmeny Development Project: Leith-based community organisation delivering heritage, intergenerational, and community engagement programmes including The Newhaven Friendship group alongside Heart of Newhaven. Most direct local peer with overlapping service mix and target population.
• WHALE Arts Agency: Edinburgh-based community anchor providing arts, heritage, learning, and wellbeing programmes from a converted primary school in Wester Hailes. Closest comparable Scottish model: historic building conversion, intergenerational programming, and community ownership structure.
• Centre for Life (Newcastle): Newcastle charity providing community activities, learning, and intergenerational programmes from a dedicated community building. Comparable model of a community-owned venue delivering multiple programmes across demographics.
• North Edinburgh Arts: Edinburgh charity delivering arts, heritage, and community engagement programmes in North Edinburgh including intergenerational and dementia-friendly activities. Overlapping geographic focus and similar programming mix.
• The Albany (Deptford): South London community centre offering intergenerational programmes, community space hire, learning, and wellbeing activities. Comparable scale and breadth of community programming with multi-purpose venue model.
• Bromley by Bow Centre: Community hub and charity in East London offering intergenerational activities, social prescribing, and community wellbeing programmes. Comparable model as a multi-purpose community anchor combining room hire, partner organisations, and health/wellbeing services.
• Castlehaven Community Association: London-based community association providing intergenerational activities, dementia support, room hire, and community wellbeing from a heritage building. Similar model of combining physical community hub with broad activity programming and partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Age Scotland: National Scottish charity supporting older people through advice, campaigns, and community services. Provides drop-in advice sessions at Heart of Newhaven; comparable elder-focused community service delivery.

Regional players

• Vintage Vibes: Edinburgh-based charity tackling isolation in over 60s through volunteer friendship matching. Active partner of Heart of Newhaven; comparable mission around loneliness intervention and elder wellbeing.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/heartofnewhaven
• Instagraminstagram.com/heartofnewhaven
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-newhaven

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Heart of Newhaven