SAHELI HUB

What SAHELI HUB does

Sähëlï Hub is a Birmingham-based registered charity (no. 1153202) and charitable company (no. 08373929) that delivers free, culturally-appropriate physical activity and health intervention programmes to women and ethnic minority communities across 17+ Birmingham neighbourhoods. Founded in 1998 as Sähëlï Women's Group and reorganised as Sähëlï Hub in 2016, the organisation operates two physical centres — Calthorpe Wellbeing Hub in Balsall Heath and Alum Rock Community Centre (ARCC, managed since 2023) — alongside partner-venue delivery. Services span cycling (its flagship programme, having taught approximately 3,000 people to ride), multi-sport classes (tennis, squash, archery, badminton, swimming, fitness, walking/jogging/running), the NHS-commissioned Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes (CAPD) programme, social prescribing, gardening, arts and crafts, and community social clubs. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is a service-based, human-delivered model grounded in "The Sähëlï Way" methodology of working with communities rather than at them. Revenue is generated from grant funding (Sport England, Birmingham City Council, Heart of England Community Foundation, Clarion Futures), NHS and Primary Care Network commissioning, and partnership co-delivery with national governing bodies of sport (England Squash, LTA Tennis Foundation, Archery GB, Cycling UK) and other community organisations, with all participant-facing sessions delivered free of charge.

Name

SAHELI HUB

Legal name

Sähëlï Hub

Website

https://saheli.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sähëlï Hub is a Birmingham-based charity delivering free, culturally-appropriate physical activity and health programmes — including cycling, multi-sport classes, social prescribing and the CAPD diabetes prevention programme — to women and ethnic minority communities across 17+ neighbourhoods, funded via grants and NHS commissioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community health and wellbeing services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Promotion, Prevention & Community Health Programs (BPAIAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based Preventive & Health Promotion Clinics (HLAFAGAO), Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAGAH), General Health Coaching (HSADAGAA), Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Community health programmes
• Culturally appropriate physical activity
• Social prescribing services
• Diabetes prevention programme
• Women-only fitness sessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Sähëlï Hub operates as a registered charity funded primarily through grants from Sport England, Birmingham City Council, Heart of England Community Foundation, and other charitable funders. Grants cover capital costs, staff, and running costs for long-term service delivery.
2. Social Prescribing Commissioning: Commissioned by NHS partners including Primary Care Networks and Integrated Care Systems to deliver health intervention programmes such as the Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes (CAPD) programme.
3. Partnership-based Delivery: Partnership arrangements with national governing bodies of sport (England Squash, LTA Tennis Foundation, Archery GB) and community organizations for co-delivery of activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sähëlï Hub delivers free, culturally-appropriate physical activity, sport and health intervention programmes to women and ethnic minority communities across Birmingham. Its core offerings centre on a Cycling Programme (learn-to-ride through road ride), the CAPD diabetes prevention programme delivered through GP referrals, multi-sport activities (squash, tennis, archery, swimming, fitness classes), and social prescribing services connecting NHS-referred patients to community-based support. All services are delivered free at two physical centres and across 17+ Birmingham neighbourhoods through partnerships with the NHS, Sport England, Birmingham City Council, and national governing bodies of sport.

Product overview

Sähëlï Hub is a community health and wellbeing organization operating as a single unified service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization runs two physical centers (Calthorpe Wellbeing Hub in Balsall Heath and Alum Rock Community Centre) and delivers services across Birmingham neighbourhoods. The core offering centers on physical activity programmes (cycling, fitness classes, sports like tennis, squash, archery, swimming) combined with health interventions (Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes/CAPD programme, social prescribing). Supporting services include arts and crafts social club, gardening, and community events. The Cycling Programme is their most popular activity, having taught approximately 3,000 people to ride. All services follow 'The Sähëlï Way' methodology emphasizing culturally appropriate, women-focused, long-term community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Calthorpe Wellbeing Hub Primary community centre located at 257 Edward Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 9LF, offering a wide range of health and wellbeing activities and services free of charge to participants.
• Alum Rock Community Centre (ARCC) Community centre at 1 Ward Close, Alum Rock, Birmingham B8 3LT, providing the Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes (CAPD) programme and other health services; managed by Sähëlï Hub since 2023.
• Cycling Programme Free learn-to-ride, park ride and road ride sessions for all abilities with trained instructors; bikes (including trikes) and Brompton folding-bike loans are provided, with women-only, men-only and mixed sessions available.
• Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes (CAPD) Programme GP-referred diabetes prevention programme providing culturally appropriate knowledge on diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes; participants attend weekly sessions and receive regular health checks, with NHS commissioning through Primary Care Networks.
• Fitness and Sports Activities Multi-sport and exercise classes including archery, badminton, keep fit, squash, swimming, tennis, walk/jog/run and multi-sports and games for all abilities and age groups, delivered free to participants.
• Social Prescribing Programme partnering GPs and Primary Care Networks to refer patients to community health services; helps tackle health inequalities in inner city Birmingham.
• Arts and Crafts Social Club Weekly craft sessions providing social connection and skill-building opportunities; includes activities such as crochet, knitting, and various craft projects.
• Gardening and Growing Gardening activities with vegetables grown and shared among participants; includes lifestyle coaching on healthy eating.
• Sähëlï Cycling Club Organized cycling club offering women-only, men-only, and mixed sessions; includes ride leaders and qualification support for participants.
• Sähëlï Running Club Running group for participants to walk, jog, or run together with community support.
• Sähëlï Football Club Football sessions organized for community participation and physical activity.
• Adventure Hub (former fitness facility) Former health and fitness facility launched in 2006 with exercise equipment, changing rooms, exercise classes, showers and toilets; later evolved into the services now operated from the Calthorpe Wellbeing Hub.
• Sähëlï Social's Club Social gatherings and community events including the annual TRY-athlon for trying different sports and activities.
• South Yardley Lunch Club Community lunch club providing social connection and healthy eating support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 3,000 disadvantaged women engaged annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Active CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Active Wellbeing Society's Active Communities programme for community health and wellbeing delivery in Birmingham neighbourhoods.
• The Active Wellbeing SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing holistic interventions and social prescribing services, working together on community wellbeing programmes.
• Holistic InterventionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for culturally-appropriate social prescribing approaches within the holistic interventions framework.
• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partnership through Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care System for social prescribing and health intervention commissioning.
• Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic commissioning partner for health services, particularly the Culturally Appropriate Prevention of Diabetes (CAPD) programme.
• Canal & River TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for boating activities on Birmingham's canals, expanding the range of accessible physical activities.
• LTA Tennis FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body partnership for tennis delivery, supporting racquet sports accessibility in underserved communities.
• England SquashminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with England Squash to deliver women's only squash sessions and mixed gender squash sessions at Edgbaston Priory Club.
• Archery GBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership expanding activity offerings to include archery for community participants.
• Cycling UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting cycling programmes and ride leader training for community cycling delivery.
• BEC Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Care Network partner for social prescribing referrals and health programme delivery.
• Bordesley East PCNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Care Network partner for health referrals and community health programme delivery.
• Washwood Heath Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Care Network partner for social prescribing and CAPD programme delivery.
• Birmingham Community MattersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization network supporting neighbourhood-based delivery.
• Hall Green CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbourhood network scheme partner supporting local community engagement.
• Yardley Neighbourhood Network SchememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability network partner supporting accessible community activities.
• POhWERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy and support organization partner for Hodge Hill neighbourhood network scheme.
• SPORTEDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity sports charity partnership supporting sports development in disadvantaged areas.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Better (GLL): UK's largest public-leisure charitable social enterprise operating community leisure centres including in Birmingham; comparable as a community physical-activity operator but with a commercial-membership model and no ethnic-minority specialism.
• Diabetes UK: National charity for diabetes prevention and management; directly comparable through its NHS-commissioned prevention pathway, which parallels Sähëlï's CAPD programme culturally-tailored diabetes prevention model.
• British Heart Foundation: National health charity funding community physical-activity and CVD prevention programmes through NHS and local-authority partnerships; comparable funding channels and overlap on cardiovascular risk reduction outcomes (BP, BMI) that Sähëlï already measures in CAPD participants.
• Mind: Large UK mental health charity with an established physical-activity-and-nature referral pathway (e.g., Mind Get Set to Go); comparable as a national charity delivering community-based mental and physical wellbeing but at much broader scale and without Sähëlï's cultural specialism.
• Parkrun: UK-wide volunteer-led free mass-participation physical activity movement; comparable as a free, community-based physical-activity charity operating in Birmingham parks but with no cultural-specialisation layer.

Others

• Locality: UK membership body supporting community-led organisations including charities running community centres and health programmes; comparable ecosystem role but acts as an umbrella/developer rather than a direct delivery peer.

Direct peers

• Women in Sport: UK charity advocating for and delivering programmes that increase women's and girls' participation in sport and physical activity; comparable mission and beneficiary segment, though operating as a national advocacy/grant-maker rather than a Birmingham delivery charity.
• The Active Wellbeing Society: Birmingham-based community wellbeing charity delivering physical activity, social prescribing, and holistic interventions in the same neighbourhoods Sähëlï serves; also listed as a strategic partner of Sähëlï, indicating closest overlap in geography, mission and commissioning relationships.

Regional players

• Age UK: National charity with Birmingham local branches delivering community health, social connection, and physical-activity programmes for older adults; comparable as a Birmingham community-health delivery charity but targeting elderly rather than ethnic-minority women.

Emerging players

• Mosaic Clubhouse: Community-based charity supporting recovery and wellbeing through meaningful activity; comparable community-led wellbeing model but focused on mental health recovery rather than ethnically-tailored physical activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SaheliHub
• Facebookfacebook.com/sahelihub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/92730676
• Instagraminstagram.com/saheli_hub
• TikToktiktok.com/@sahelihub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SAHELI HUB