Station South CIC

What Station South CIC does

Station South CIC is a Community Interest Company founded in 2017 by three Levenshulme, Manchester residents to restore a disused Victorian train station into a multi-purpose community venue. The organisation opened to the public in March 2022 after a multi-year capital campaign that combined £66,000 of community crowdfunding from 1,161 supporters with grant funding from Railway Heritage Trust (£100,000), Key Fund, Power to Change, Architectural Heritage Fund, Sport England, Transport for Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council, and One Manchester, alongside a £400,000 final-phase build contract awarded to Medlock FRB.

The venue operates five interconnected business lines from a single restored heritage building overlooking the Fallowfield Loop: a cycle café and bar (open Wednesday-Sunday with full alcohol licence), the Bike Station workshop (repairs, servicing, bike hire, and a free Bike Library including an electric trike), the Station South Cycling Club with color-coded Yellow/Blue/Pink rides for beginner/intermediate/advanced cyclists, an 800-square-metre urban garden (Station Green) maintained by volunteer Station Growers, and venue hire for weddings, corporate events, and community celebrations. Community cycling programmes operate through partnerships with Cycling UK (Big Bike Revival) and Move Her Way (weekly women's rides). Ancillary revenue is generated from event programming (Station Selects DJs, Soul Station live music, Bakeface, quiz nights, film screenings, language exchanges) and corporate team-building days.

The business model blends commercial revenue (food and beverage sales, bike services, venue hire, corporate days) with grant funding and community crowdfunding under a CIC structure that mandates reinvestment of surpluses into community benefit. The building has been owned by Manchester City Council since July 2023 under a 25-year lease with a 5-year rent-free period, securing long-term tenure. The organisation employs 11-50 staff across café, kitchen, bar, bike workshop, events, and garden operations, led by a Board of Directors chaired by Florence Morton. Founding CEO Abigail announced her departure in late 2025 after four years, with the Board recruiting a successor. The venue won the National Railway Heritage Awards Commercial Restoration Award in 2022 and was nominated for Manchester Food and Drink Awards Best Coffee Shop of the Year.

Name

Station South CIC

Legal name

Station South CIC

Website

https://stationsouth.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Station South CIC operates a restored Victorian train station in Levenshulme, Manchester as a community hub offering a cycle café and bar, bike workshop and hire, an urban garden, event venue hire, and structured community cycling programmes for local residents and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Venue & Cycling Hub

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Community cycling programs
• Bike repair services
• Community cafe operations
• Urban garden projects
• Venue hire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Levenshulme, Manchester

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: The cycle café and bar generates revenue from seasonal food menus, coffee, teas, alcoholic beverages including beers, ciders, wines, cocktails, and special event drinks. The café operates Wednesday through Sunday with kitchen hours typically 10am-6pm.
2. Bike Workshop Services: The Bike Station provides bike repair, servicing, and maintenance services. Opening hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10am-6pm. Customers can drop off bikes during café hours or during workshop hours.
3. Bike Hire: Bike hire services are offered, including access to the bike library with free bikes for beginner rides and an electric trike.
4. Venue Hire and Private Events: The venue is available for private hire for weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, and community celebrations. The venue features a restored Victorian train station with licensed bar, catering options, and dance floor with disco ball.
5. Cycle Club Membership: SSCC (Station South Cycling Club) operates with structured rides across three ability levels. No membership fee is charged for Blue rides organized through Spond platform.
6. Grant Funding and Crowdfunding: As a CIC, Station South receives funding from multiple sources including Railway Heritage Trust, Key Fund, Power to Change, Architectural Heritage Fund, Sport England, Transport for Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council, and community crowdfunding.
7. Corporate Days and Team Building: Corporate team building days and activities are offered for businesses looking for community-focused corporate away days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Station South CIC operates a restored Victorian railway station in Levenshulme, Manchester as a multi-purpose community hub, selling food and drink from its cycle café and bar, providing bike repair, servicing, and hire through the Bike Station, running the Station South Cycling Club (SSCC) and community cycling programmes, and hosting private venue hire, events, and an urban garden (Station Green) open to the public.

Product overview

Station South CIC operates as a multi-faceted community venue offering a unified experience centered around cycling, food, and community. The core offering consists of a Cycle Café & Bar, the Bike Station workshop for repairs and bike hire, and the Station South Cycling Club (SSCC) with color-coded rides for all abilities. Additional services include an urban garden (Station Green) maintained by volunteers, venue hire for private events, regular events programming (live music, DJ sets, screenings, workshops), and corporate team-building days. The venue, a restored Victorian train station in Levenshulme, Manchester, serves as a hub for the local community with cycling programs, gardening activities, and entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bike Station: Bike workshop offering repairs, servicing, and maintenance for bicycles
• Station Green
• SSCC - Station South Cycling Club
• Station Growers
• Station Selects
• Soul Station
• Bakeface
• Cycle Fest

Products and services

• Cycle Café & Bar A destination café and bar serving seasonal menus, coffee, beers, ciders, wines, and cocktails to walk-in visitors and event attendees in the restored Station Hall, with views over the Fallowfield Loop cycling and walking path.
• Bike Station (Workshop & Repairs) An on-site bike workshop providing repair, servicing, mechanic advice, and cycling accessories to cyclists in Levenshulme and Fallowfield Loop users, open Wednesday to Saturday.
• Station South Cycling Club (SSCC) A community cycling club offering organised group rides across three ability tiers: Yellow (beginner/learn to ride), Blue (intermediate/chilled distance), and Pink (advanced/faster), organised via Spond and Eventbrite.
• Bike Hire An on-site bike hire service offering bicycles and an electric trike for beginner rides and visitor use, with sliding-scale hire opportunities through the associated Bike Library.
• Community Cycling Programmes Inclusive cycling programmes including Learn to Ride sessions for beginners and returners, Big Bike Revival maintenance workshops and rides, school cycling events, and women's Friday rides delivered in partnership with Move Her Way.
• Station Green Urban Garden An 800 square metre community urban garden with wildflower meadows, a wildlife hedge, raised beds, and food growing areas maintained by Station Growers volunteers during weekly Thursday sessions.
• Venue Hire Private hire of the restored Victorian train station for weddings, birthdays, corporate functions, and community celebrations, including a licensed bar, catering options, and a dance floor.
• Events & After Dark A regular events programme including Station Selects (Friday DJ nights), Soul Station (monthly live soul music), quiz nights, film and World Cup screenings, language exchanges, and seasonal workshops, ticketed via Eventbrite.
• Corporate Days Out Team building and corporate away days combining cycling activities, garden volunteering, and venue use for local businesses and organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115+ people reached through Big Bike Revival cycling events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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, minor and major.

• SpondcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 September 2025Platform used for organizing Station South Cycling Club (SSCC) Pink rides and managing ride sign-ups. No membership fee for Blue rides, all rides organized through this platform.
• EventbritecoreTechnology or Integration · 29 September 2025Official ticketing and events platform for Station South. Hosts cycling rides, workshops, live music, and community events. Event calendar integrated on website.
• Move Her WaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025Partnership delivering women's cycling sessions every Friday with rides heading out from Station South at 10am. Perfect for women new to cycling or returning after time away. Ongoing weekly rides as part of SSCC Yellow section.
• Manchester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2023Manchester City Council purchased the Station South building (975-997 Stockport Road) and adjacent land in 2023. The council recognized the importance of Station South to Levenshulme and the wider community. Station South's tenancy and long-term tenure is protected under the new ownership. Partnership aligns with MCC's active travel strategy to double cycling by 2028.
• Manchester ActivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2023Working alongside Manchester City Council and Station South to strengthen the sustainable future of the venue and support active travel initiatives in Greater Manchester.
• The Public SpiritminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 October 2022Drinks partner supplying spooky rum cocktails and special event beverages. Local, socially minded liquor supplier featuring in Halloween and special event cocktail menus.
• Ken Foster's Cycle LogicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2022Local cycling partner involved in Big Bike Revival 3 events. Organized Tour De Station ride with group of 23 cyclists along Fallowfield Loop.
• Levenshulme MarketminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2022Local market partner where Station South brought pop-up bike repair workshop. Worked on 29 bikes during busy market day as part of community engagement.
• Cycling UK / Big Bike RevivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2022Ongoing partnership delivering cycling education, bike maintenance workshops, community cycling events, and learn-to-ride sessions. Supported 208 one-to-one cycling tutorials and multiple Big Bike Revival events since before opening.
• Jonathan Davidson ArchitectsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 January 2022Architecture firm responsible for Station South restoration design, contributing to National Railway Heritage Awards Commercial Restoration Award win.
• Medlock FRBmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 September 2021Specialist build and fit-out contractor appointed to complete the final phase of building works at Station South. £400K contract for restoration including opening up views to Fallowfield Loop, heritage features, accessibility improvements, and final fit-out.
• ReShaped Landscape ArchitectsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 February 2019Award-winning landscape architects appointed to help Station South and community realize shared vision for Station Green urban garden design. 800 sq metre external space development.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bristol Bike Project: Bristol-based community cycling charity running a refurbishment workshop, learn-to-ride, and Bike Buddy scheme. Closely mirrors Station South's combination of community benefit focus, donation/refurb model, cycling education, and CIC-style structure.
• Manchester Bike Kitchen: Manchester-based volunteer-led community bike workshop teaching people to repair their own bikes. Directly comparable Bike Station-type peer operating in the same Greater Manchester market.
• Look Mum No Hands: London-based cycle café, restaurant and bike workshop that pioneered the UK cycle-café hybrid. Closest direct analogue to Station South's café + workshop + bar + events combination, with a similarly strong community/events focus and urban regeneration narrative.
• Re~Cycle: UK charity refurbishing donated bikes for shipment to Africa. Shares Station South's community-interest charitable structure and reliance on volunteer-powered bike workshops, though upstream in the bike-recycling value chain.
• London Bike Kitchen: Charity-run community bike workshop with a strong learn-to-repair and education remit. Highly comparable to Station South's Bike Station arm in terms of volunteer-driven bike repair and women/beginner-friendly programming.
• Rapha Cycle Club: Global network of premium cycling cafés combining clubhouse-style hospitality with community rides. Highly comparable café + cycling-club + events offering, though at the premium end of the market rather than the community-interest end.
• Bike for Good: Glasgow-based community cycling social enterprise providing refurbished bikes, repairs, and training to deprived communities. Comparable funding base (Sport Scotland/local authority), CIC/charity structure, and learn-to-ride programming.

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon UK: Mass-market sporting goods retailer with a strong cycling category offering retail, repairs, and workshops. A broad incumbent that competes for the same consumer pool of recreational cyclists and beginner riders.
• Evans Cycles: Largest UK specialist cycling retail chain offering bike sales, servicing, and accessories. Serves the same mass-market cycling consumer as Station South's bike workshop, hire, and accessories retail.

Emerging players

• Cycling UK: UK cycling charity (formerly CTC) delivering community cycling programmes, Big Bike Revival (a direct partner/funding source for Station South), and adult cycle training. Comparable mission, programmatic scope and partnership profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bikestationmcr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/station-south-cic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Station South CIC