SHIFT BRISTOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

What SHIFT BRISTOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY does

Shift Bristol Community Interest Company is a Bristol, UK-based not-for-profit social enterprise founded in 2010 that delivers immersive, in-person adult education in practical sustainability and permaculture. Its two core products are the year-long Practical Sustainability Course (PSC) — ten integrated modules and over 650 hours of in-person teaching for up to 30 students per cohort — and the shorter three-month Permaculture Design Course (PDC), which is accredited by the Permaculture Association and awards a globally recognized certificate against a 72-hour curriculum standard. The PSC was created by co-founders Sarah Pugh and Laura Corfield out of the expansion of a Full Permaculture Design Course and serves adult learners seeking career change, deeper ecological literacy, and community-based practical skills; over 400 PSC alumni ("Shifties") have graduated to date.

The organization operates without fixed premises — describing itself as "nomadic" — and delivers its curriculum through partnerships with a network of 40+ active practitioner-tutors and a portfolio of community venues in and around Bristol, including the Gasworks studio in St Werburghs, Grow Wilder (Avon Wildlife Trust) and the Pickle Factory in Easton. Course delivery includes field trips to demonstration sites such as Ragmans Lane Farm, Tinkers Bubble, Bioaqua Farm and Three Hares Market Garden, plus hands-on roundhouse builds delivered in collaboration with Sheltercraft. A 350-book lending library and an annually refined curriculum handbook support learning. The organization holds no patents, owns no technology IP beyond its pedagogy, and runs no app or platform; its distribution is direct-to-consumer via its website, Google Forms-based application/booking funnels, email newsletter, Instagram and alumni word-of-mouth.

Shift Bristol monetizes primarily through tiered course fees with built-in cross-subsidization. The PSC is priced at a standard fee of £4,350, with a supporter tier up to £8,000 and concessionary tiers at £3,795 (part) and £3,195 (full); the PDC is priced at £345–£545 with installment payment options. Headcount is 1–10 employees with the broader 40+ tutor network engaged as practitioners. Following co-founder Sarah Pugh's death in 2022, leadership transitioned to Laura Corfield and an expanded shared stewardship model of facilitators and tutors; the organization is currently running a "Shifting Shift" crowdfunder campaign to secure its financial future. There is no external investment, parent company, or disclosed funding round.

Name

SHIFT BRISTOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY

Legal name

Shift Bristol CIC

Website

https://shiftbristol.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shift Bristol CIC is a Bristol-based not-for-profit social enterprise delivering year-long and short-course practical sustainability and permaculture training to adult learners through in-person, community-embedded education and a 40+ practitioner tutor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• Permaculture training
• Regenerative design
• Community resilience
• Experiential learning

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Course Fees - Practical Sustainability Course (PSC): Year-long intensive course with tiered pricing: Full fee £4,350, Supporter fee up to £8,000, Part-Concession £3,795, Full Concession £3,195. Fees cover tuition, practical materials, and field trip accommodation.
2. Course Fees - Permaculture Design Course (PDC): Three-month weekend course with tiered pricing: Full Fee £545, Part-Concession £445, Full-Concession £345. Installment options available (3, 6, or 9 payments with small admin fee).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shift Bristol delivers practical sustainability and permaculture design education to adult learners through two flagship courses: the year-long Practical Sustainability Course (PSC) with 650+ hours of in-person teaching across ten integrated modules, and the 3-month Permaculture Design Course (PDC) accredited by the Permaculture Association. Teaching is experiential and hands-on, drawing on a network of 40+ active practitioner tutors and field trips to working land projects across Bristol and Southwest England.

Product overview

SHIFT Bristol is a not-for-profit community interest company providing two primary educational programmes: the year-long Practical Sustainability Course (PSC) and the 3-month Permaculture Design Course (PDC). Both courses offer immersive, experiential learning in sustainable practices, permaculture design, and community resilience. The PSC, launched in 2010, serves as the flagship offering with over 650 hours of in-person teaching across ten integrated modules. The PDC provides a more condensed, accredited pathway into permaculture education. Both courses are delivered through partnerships with a network of over 40 practitioners, field trips to real-world projects, and collaborative community-based learning experiences. The organisation operates as a nomadic entity without fixed premises, teaching across various community venues in and around Bristol.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Practical Sustainability Course (PSC) A year-long immersive educational programme providing hands-on training in sustainable practices, regenerative design, permaculture principles, and community resilience. The course comprises ten integrated modules covering earth care, people care, and fair share themes, delivered through workshops, field trips, and design projects across 650+ hours of in-person teaching. Designed for adult learners seeking transformation and career change.
• Permaculture Design Course (PDC) A 3-month part-time course delivered over weekend workshops and field trips, providing comprehensive training in permaculture ethics, design principles, and sustainable living practices. The course is accredited by the Permaculture Association and awards a globally recognised certificate upon completion. Designed for individuals seeking permaculture certification for personal garden design, supporting existing projects, or pursuing careers in teaching or consulting.

Named customers1 record

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SheltercraftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Shift Bristol, Sheltercraft (natural building enterprise formed by previous PSC students), and site partners for roundhouse builds. Sheltercraft teaches roundhouse building to PSC students as part of the green building module. Shift Bristol pays £10-11K for tuition and project management.
• Boiling Wells / St Werburghs City FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast location for PSC roundhouse builds. One of several community partner sites used for hands-on building experience.
• Grow Wilder / Avon Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite partner for roundhouse builds and classroom location for forest garden design and woodworking sessions. Home to CSA and legacy of past Shift Design Projects.
• Leigh Woods / National TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast location for roundhouse builds, hosting PSC students for hands-on building experience.
• Community Greenspaces and Land ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious community greenspaces host PSC design projects, permablitzes, and living willow installations. Provides real-world learning sites while projects receive design input and volunteer labor.
• Permaculture AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body for the PDC. Sets 72-hour study requirement. Students can also progress to the Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design through the Association.
• Tinkers BubbleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination for PSC students. Inspirational project demonstrating permaculture principles in action.
• Ragmans Lane FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination and site for permaculture education. Hosted courses for teachers including Bill Mollison. Now owned by Ecological Land Co-operative.
• Three Hares Market GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination. Organic salad and veg operation founded on food sovereignty principles, supplying local community.
• Bioaqua FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination for PSC students demonstrating aquaponics and conservation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Field Families CIC: Community interest company co-facilitated by Tammi Dallaston (a Shift Bristol Lead Tutor) delivering nature-connected family and permaculture education. Strong adjacency to Shift Bristol's pedagogy and partially overlapping practitioner network.

Regional players

• Small Farm Training Group (SFTG): Southwest England-based training network for smallholders and new entrants to ecological farming. Geographically overlaps Shift Bristol's catchment and partially overlaps on practical land-based curriculum.

Direct peers

• Embercombe: Devon-based social enterprise offering courses, retreats and training programmes in permaculture, sustainability and leadership. Directly comparable to Shift Bristol on immersive adult sustainability education and community-embedded delivery.
• Findhorn Foundation / Findhorn College: Scotland-based community and education centre offering experiential programmes in sustainability, ecovillage design and personal transformation. Comparable to Shift Bristol's blend of community living, permaculture and adult transformative learning.
• Apricot Centre: Small UK social enterprise running permaculture design and land-based learning courses. Comparable to Shift Bristol's PDC as an accredited permaculture training provider serving a similar UK adult learner segment.
• Schumacher College: Devon-based provider of short and long-form transformative education in ecology, sustainability and systems thinking. Comparable to Shift Bristol's experiential, cohort-based model with high tuition and a focus on personal transformation alongside ecological skills.
• Centre for Alternative Technology: Wales-based education charity running long-form sustainability, permaculture and renewable energy courses. Most direct UK competitor to Shift Bristol's PSC, with overlapping curriculum (ecological design, green building, food growing) and similar immersive, practitioner-led pedagogy.

Broad incumbents

• Permaculture Association: UK-wide membership body that accredits Shift Bristol's PDC and runs its own introductory courses, Diploma pathway and networking events. Indirect peer — sets the standards and partially competes for permaculture learners.

Others

• Landworkers Alliance: UK union and advocacy body for small-scale farmers and land workers, employing several Shift Bristol alumni. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but shares the same target learner demographic.
• Ecological Land Co-operative: UK cooperative creating affordable smallholdings for ecological land use; hosted Ragmans Lane Farm and is in Shift Bristol's alumni/partnership orbit. Ecosystem enabler for hands-on learning, not a competing education provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@shiftbristol
• Instagraminstagram.com/shiftbristol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shift-bristol-community-interest-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 SHIFT BRISTOL COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY