Sing Inside
Sing Inside is a UK-registered charity that delivers volunteer-led group singing workshops and choirs in prisons across England to build wellbeing, confidence, and community among people in custody.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sing Inside does
Sing Inside is a registered charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) in England and Wales (charity number 1182678), headquartered in London. Founded in 2015 and registered as a CIO in March 2019, the organisation delivers volunteer-led group singing workshops and choirs in prisons across England, with the explicit purpose of supporting wellbeing, confidence and social connection among people in custody. Its service offering comprises three primary product lines: Weekly Choirs (recurring 1-2 hour sessions led by a local musical leader and volunteer team), One-Day Workshops (single-visit sessions for up to 30 participants culminating in a performance or recording), and the Ambassador Scheme (a National Lottery Community Fund-backed programme that trains prison residents to help design and promote workshops). Additional services include Musical Leadership Training for facilitators and Remote Learning Resources developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organisation operates a direct service delivery model, with staff and volunteers travelling into prisons to deliver programming. Its customer base comprises public and private prisons (including HMP Lancaster Farms, HMP Styal, HMP Long Lartin, HMP Whitemoor, HMP Humber, and HMP Liverpool), with partnerships established via prison governors, chaplains, and education departments. Local Area Committees coordinate regional volunteer recruitment and visit planning. There is no fee-for-service revenue; the organisation is entirely funded by donations, trust and foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual fundraising events.
Sing Inside's revenue model consists of four streams: individual donations through tiered giving programmes (Wren at £5-£20/month, Hawk at £300-£500/year, Eagle at £1000+/year) plus one-time JustGiving donations; grants from a diversified base of charitable trusts and foundations; corporate sponsorship packages; and community fundraising events. With 1-10 employees, 18 prison partners, 35 workshops and 400+ participants served in 2024-25, and a volunteer network of 123 individuals, the organisation operates at a small but growing scale within the UK criminal justice arts sector.
Sing Inside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sing Inside
- Legal name
- Sing Inside
- Website
- https://singinside.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sing Inside is a UK-registered charity that delivers volunteer-led group singing workshops and choirs in prisons across England to build wellbeing, confidence, and community among people in custody.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sing Inside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts in Criminal Justice / Community Music Services
- NAICS
- Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Correctional Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (In-Custody) (BPAKANAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sound Meditation & Sound Bath Sessions (HSADAJAD), Adult Corrections (Prisons & Jails) (BPAIAFAD)
Keywords
Where Sing Inside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sing Inside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Regular monthly giving programs at three tiers: Wren (£5/£10/£20/month), Hawk (£300/£500/year), and Eagle (£1000+/year). One-time donations also accepted via JustGiving platform.
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from charitable trusts and foundations including Garfield Weston Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, Noel Buxton Trust, Leathersellers Charity, John and Susan Bowers Fund, The BRIT Trust, D'Oyly Carte Trust, Victoria Wood Foundation, Magic Little Grants, Neighbourly Foundation, Woodward Trust, Samuel Gardner Trust, and Evan Cornish Foundation.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships and payroll giving programs for businesses. Packages include sponsor and patron levels for businesses wanting to support the charity.
- Fundraising Events: Individual and group fundraising events including marathons, swims, concerts, quizzes, and other community-organized activities. Volunteer fundraisers drive donations through various challenge events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Wren - Monthly donor (£5/£10/£20 per month) |
| Subscription | Annual | Hawk - Annual sponsor (£300/£500 per year) |
| Subscription | Annual | Eagle - Patron (£1000+ per year) |
| Other | Annual | Corporate Sponsorship Packages |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Sing Inside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sing Inside delivers volunteer-led group singing workshops and choirs directly inside prisons across England and Wales. Offerings include weekly choirs (regular 1-2 hour sessions), one-day workshops (up to 30 participants), and the Ambassador Scheme that trains prison residents to help organise and promote sessions. The work targets wellbeing, confidence, and social connection for people in prison.
Product overview
Sing Inside offers group singing workshops in prisons as a single unified service offering, consisting of Weekly Choirs (regular ongoing sessions), One-Day Workshops (single-visit sessions), and the Ambassador Scheme (a participatory programme where prisoners help design and promote workshops). The organisation also provides Musical Leadership Training for those who wish to facilitate sessions, and developed Remote Learning Resources during the pandemic. The core service model centers on bringing community singing to prisons to build wellbeing, confidence, and positive connections among participants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Weekly Choirs Regular weekly singing sessions lasting 1-2 hours, led by a local music leader with a small team of volunteers. Participants develop positive connections, improve singing skills and work towards performance opportunities; designed for people in prison.
- One-Day Workshops A choir for a day accommodating up to 30 prison participants. Activities include warm-ups, confidence-building games, singing techniques and learning several songs, concluding with a performance or recording; led by a musical leader and supported by around 10 volunteers.
- Ambassador Scheme A participatory programme identifying Ambassadors among prison residents who help organise, promote and shape singing workshops to meet the needs of their prison community, placing prisoner voices at the heart of programme design and delivery.
- Musical Leadership Training Training programme for musicians and workshop leaders who want to deliver Sing Inside sessions in prisons, covering the organisation's pedagogy model and practical understanding of the prison environment.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of prison participants feel more part of a community
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sing Inside
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sing Inside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sing Inside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Forward TrustcoreForward Trust is a rehabilitation organization working in prisons. Their Regional Manager provided testimonial about Sing Inside's work, noting that Sing Inside works 'patiently and creatively to run events within a challenging environment' and that preparation and running of days is 'always smooth'. They collaborate on workshops at HMP Humber and other sites.
- Oxford University CollegessupportingPartnership with Oxford colleges including St Peter's College, St Hilda's College, Balliol College, University College Oxford, Merton College, and New College Chapel. These academic institutions support through volunteers, fundraising, and organizational engagement.
- Cambridge University CollegessupportingPartnership with Cambridge colleges including Christ's College, Darwin College, Girton College, Hughes Hall, Selwyn College, Sidney Sussex, Trinity College, Trinity Hall, Wolfson College, King's College, and Jesus College. Students and alumni volunteer and support fundraising efforts.
- ClarasysupportingBusiness supporter providing financial and in-kind services to help achieve Sing Inside's mission.
- Strawberry WordssupportingConsultancy firm led by Rebbecca Hemmings that has provided EDI and anti-racism training and support to Sing Inside's executive team, board, and volunteers.
- Institute of Criminology, CambridgesupportingAcademic partner providing research and knowledge sharing related to criminal justice and prison reform.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sing Inside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Create: UK charity delivering creative arts workshops in prisons and with disadvantaged communities, including criminal-justice settings. Directly comparable in its volunteer-led creative workshop model targeting people in custody.
- Geese Theatre Company: Theatre company that runs programmes in prisons and with probation services using interactive performance for offender rehabilitation. Comparable as a performing-arts-in-custody provider targeting similar participant outcomes.
- Shannon Trust: Charity that supports prisoners to learn to read and mentor other learners through a peer-led model. Comparable in its in-prison delivery model and emphasis on prisoners themselves becoming programme leaders/mentors (akin to the Ambassador Scheme).
- Clean Break: Charity using theatre and the arts to empower women in the criminal justice system. Comparable as an arts-based criminal-justice charity focused on wellbeing and rehabilitation outcomes in custodial settings.
- Koestler Arts: Charity that encourages prisoners and detainees to engage with the arts and showcases their work. Comparable as a UK arts-in-prison charity serving a similar prisoner segment with a curated portfolio of creative programmes.
- Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons): UK charity running music-making projects in prisons and with ex-offenders — the closest direct analogue to Sing Inside, with overlapping music-in-custody delivery model, volunteer involvement, and wellbeing outcomes focus.
- Fine Cell Work: Charity training prisoners in needlework and other crafts to foster creativity and rehabilitation. Comparable as a UK charity delivering skills/creative programmes inside prisons with rehabilitation and wellbeing aims.
- Safe Ground: Charity running group-based rehabilitation programmes in prisons and the community for people in contact with the criminal justice system. Comparable in its group-facilitation model and prison-based delivery targeting personal development outcomes.
Emerging players
- Sound Connections: UK charity supporting the development of community music-making, particularly with disadvantaged young people and excluded communities. Comparable as a community-music charity with shared volunteer-led group music delivery ethos, though focused on youth rather than prisons.
Broad incumbents
- National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance: Alliance of over 700 arts organisations working in criminal justice settings across the UK. A broader umbrella body representing the same sector Sing Inside operates in, useful as a sector context and funding-navigation reference rather than a direct delivery competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sing Inside social profiles
Digital presenceSing Inside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sing Inside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sing Inside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sing Inside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sing Inside
What does Sing Inside do?
Sing Inside delivers volunteer-led group singing workshops and choirs directly inside prisons across England and Wales. Offerings include weekly choirs (regular 1-2 hour sessions), one-day workshops (up to 30 participants), and the Ambassador Scheme that trains prison residents to help organise and promote sessions. The work targets wellbeing, confidence, and social connection for people in prison.
Is Sing Inside a public or private company?
Sing Inside is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sing Inside founded?
Sing Inside was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sing Inside based?
Sing Inside is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sing Inside make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are trust and Foundation Grants, corporate Sponsorships and fundraising Events.
Who are Sing Inside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Create, Geese Theatre Company, Shannon Trust, Clean Break, Koestler Arts, Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons), Fine Cell Work and Safe Ground. Sound Connections is listed as an emerging player. National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sing Inside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sing Inside.
What industry is Sing Inside in?
Sing Inside's product category is Arts in Criminal Justice / Community Music Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKANAG, Correctional Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (In-Custody), with a secondary code of HSADAJAD, Sound Meditation & Sound Bath Sessions. Its NAICS code is 71113 and its SIC code is 7997.