Space to Breathe CIC

What Space to Breathe CIC does

Space to Breathe CIC is a Sheffield-based Community Interest Company (social enterprise), founded circa 2016 by Andy Freeman, that delivers mental health and wellbeing support through an integrated portfolio of services including one-to-one counselling (£55/session), group yoga, training courses, organisational wellbeing programmes, NHS-commissioned services, and community-led outreach in underserved Sheffield neighbourhoods (Burngreave, Pitsmoor, BAME communities, men, and carers). The organisation operates from Scotia Works on Leadmill Road and supplements in-person delivery with a Progressive Web App that hosts 100+ free wellbeing resources (MP3 meditations, breathing exercises, guides), a weekly Shhh... mindfulness meditation podcast with over 50 episodes, and a community platform called The Wellbeing Community. All services are unified by a proprietary 'Wellbeing Triangle' framework spanning Connection with Self, Connection with Others, and Connection with 'Other' (non-religious spirituality).

The technology foundation is deliberately low-friction: the PWA removes app-store friction for resource distribution, content is published across YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and a Squarespace-built website, and the catalogue is curated by a Mental Health First Aid-trained team. The organisation has invested in brand and ecosystem assets, including Social Enterprise UK certification, membership in the Association for Mental Health and Pastoral Care, and 2026 recognition in the Natwest SE100 Index and Impact Pioneers Top 100 List. Digital infrastructure has been externally funded, notably the app build by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Authority Levelling Up Fund and Enterprising Barnsley.

The revenue model is a hybrid of trading income, grants, and donations. Trading streams comprise fees for counselling and training (£10 to £600 per course), organisational wellbeing services (Wellbeing Audit £300, Culture of Wellbeing £250-£600, Suicide Prevention Training £350), monthly subscriptions (The Daily Exhale £5.99/month, Wellbeing Suite), and product sales (candles £7.99, bundles £19.99, stress ball packs, wellbeing boxes). Grant and contract income flows from Sheffield City Council, the This Is Us Programme (South Yorkshire ICB), NHS referral partnerships with Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Healthwatch Sheffield. A Future Fund crowdfunding campaign was launched in May 2026 with a £20,000 target. The go-to-market is community-led: NHS and VCSE referral pathways, self-referral, and direct community engagement across Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

Name

Space to Breathe CIC

Legal name

Space to Breathe CIC

Website

https://spacetobreatheuk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sheffield-based Community Interest Company delivering mental health and wellbeing support through counselling, training, NHS-commissioned programmes, a 100+ resource mobile app, and the proprietary Wellbeing Triangle framework, serving individuals, NHS trusts, employers, and underserved South Yorkshire communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Wellbeing Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK), Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Breathwork Facilitation (Pranayama, Somatic, Holotropic-style) (HSADAJAC), Yoga Nidra & Deep Relaxation Practices (HSADAJAE), Health, Wellness & Patient Communities (MPACAJAL)

Keywords

• Mental health support
• Wellbeing services
• Community mental health
• Mindfulness training
• Workplace wellbeing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fees for Services and Training: Revenue from counselling sessions (£55/session), wellbeing training events and workshops (priced from £10 to £600), and organisational wellbeing programmes (Wellbeing Audit £300, Culture of Wellbeing Staff Meeting £250, Culture of Wellbeing Tailored Session £600).
2. Product Sales: Sale of wellbeing products including candles (£7.99-£19.99), wellbeing boxes, stress ball packs, candle making kits, books, digital downloads and meditation resources through their online shop.
3. Subscription Services: The Daily Exhale subscription at £5.99/month, and the Wellbeing Suite monthly subscription. Also historical Well? Subscription service. Products help raise funds for wider community work.
4. Grants and Funded Programmes: Funded by Sheffield City Council for Men's Mental Wellbeing Programme (20 free places), This Is Us Programme (Burngreave & Pitsmoor for S3/S4 postcodes), NHS partnerships, Healthwatch Sheffield Speak Up Grants, and South Yorkshire Mayoral Authority / Levelling Up Fund for app development.
5. Donations and Crowdfunding: The Future Fund is a crowdfunding campaign targeting £20,000 to create a permanent wellbeing space and expand reach. Individual donations also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Space to Breathe CIC delivers mental health and wellbeing support through creative counselling sessions, one-to-one yoga, training courses, organisational wellbeing services, a progressive web app with 100+ free resources, subscription services (Wellbeing Suite, The Daily Exhale), a weekly mindfulness podcast (Shhh...), and physical wellbeing products (candles, wellbeing boxes, stress balls). All services are unified under the proprietary Wellbeing Triangle framework and are accessible via direct booking, NHS/VCSE referral, free/funded programmes and self-serve online channels.

Product overview

Space to Breathe CIC operates as a multi-service wellbeing organisation offering a coordinated portfolio of digital products, in-person services, training programmes, and physical products. The core offering includes the Space to Breathe App (progressive Web App with 100+ free resources), the Wellbeing Community membership platform, and the Wellbeing Suite subscription service. These digital foundations support service delivery alongside counselling sessions, one-to-one yoga instruction, and training courses including Meditation & Reflection for Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training. The organisation provides corporate services (Wellbeing Audits, Culture of Wellbeing sessions) and community programmes (Men's Mental Wellbeing, GP Access Project, Burngreave/Pitsmoor support). Physical products include candles, wellbeing boxes, and stress ball packs. Content offerings span the Shhh meditation podcast, downloadable MP3s, and the Wellbeing Made Simple guide. All services are underpinned by the Wellbeing Triangle framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shhh... Weekly mindful meditation podcast and in-person sessions
• Wellbeing Made Simple
• Future Fund
• The Wellbeing Community
• The Wellbeing Triangle
• Well? Subscription
• The Wellbeing Suite

Products and services

• Space to Breathe App (Progressive Web App) A progressive Web App providing 100+ free wellbeing resources including breathing exercises, mindfulness meditations, grounding techniques, self-care tools, guides and MP3 downloads. Accessible on any internet-compatible smartphone via web link or Google Play Store without app store barriers.
• The Wellbeing Community A free support network and membership community for anyone on a recovery journey, providing events, resources, community connection and belonging. Connected to the Wellbeing Wheel of the Year seasonal rhythm.
• Creative Counselling Sessions

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved patients' quality of life in 80% of NHS interactions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Synergy Sheffield Mental Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Space to Breathe has been involved in the formation of the Synergy Sheffield Mental Health Alliance since its inception. Andy Freeman serves on the Partnership Board since 2023. Space to Breathe benefits from and partners with Synergy in projects including Peer Support Work and the Wellbeing Community. Andy Freeman is providing interim consultancy support as Partnerships Manager during a transition period (up to 12 months), with Rethink Mental Illness acting as Lead Accountable Body.
• Sheffield Community Forensic TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Tackling Inequalities in Mental Health project alongside Sheffield Flourish, SADACCA and Faithstar, addressing mental health inequalities for people from BAME backgrounds in Sheffield's social care system. The project ran from October 2020 and developed ongoing projects including the Wellbeing Hub and Buddy Scheme.
• Sheffield FlourishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the Tackling Inequalities in Mental Health project. Also partnered for the Oasis Gardening allotment project (Grimesthorpe Allotments) hosting Wellbeing Wheel of the Year events. Active in the Sheffield mental health ecosystem.
• SADACCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Tackling Inequalities in Mental Health project supporting BAME communities in Sheffield, alongside Sheffield Flourish, Sheffield Community Forensic Team and Faithstar.
• FaithstarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Tackling Inequalities in Mental Health project supporting BAME communities in Sheffield, alongside Sheffield Flourish, Sheffield Community Forensic Team and SADACCA.
• Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VCS Waiting List Project since March 2022, working with eleven other Voluntary Sector organisations to support people waiting on Sheffield Health and Social Care's waiting list. Space to Breathe provided Wellbeing Zones one-to-one sessions, mindfulness groups, and Buddy scheme support.
• Voluntary Action SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the VCS Waiting List Project. Conducted the initial evaluation report of the integrated voluntary sector mental health support project. Highly commendatory about Space to Breathe's adaptive, flexible and holistic approach.
• Healthwatch SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the GP Access Project working with Burncross Surgery. Provided Speak Up Grants to enable the project which aims to improve mental health access at GP surgeries. Collaborated on pilot study published November 2023.
• Re:Think Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organisation of the GP Access Project ('ReThink's Mental Health Collaborative'). Tammy Raines (Expert by Experience) pioneered the work that the GP Access Project builds on. Space to Breathe is part of this collaborative alongside local partners. Contact: Anita Huckerby at [email protected].
• Burncross Surgery (Chapelgreen Practice)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot partner for the GP Access Project. Hosted listening spaces (creative and artistic) to enable people to share their views about improving mental health access at GP surgeries.
• Sheffield Poverty Truth CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace to Breathe was commissioned to support the Sheffield Poverty Truth Commission, bringing together people with lived experience of poverty and decision/policy makers to tackle poverty through collaborative approaches. Commission concluded October with embedding phase ongoing. Space to Breathe contributed alongside civic and business sectors.
• B:friendminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide wellbeing support to volunteers who befriend older neighbours. Testimonial given by a B:friend volunteer praising the value of Space to Breathe Wellbeing Sessions.
• Compassionate SheffieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Compassionate Sheffield for the Life, Loss and Death Festival 2024. Hosted 'Understanding Bereavement and Wellbeing' seminar. Building towards a monthly Bereavement Support Group working with Compassionate Sheffield.
• Sheffield Carers CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced as a route of support for Carers aged 18+ alongside Sheffield Young Carers. Space to Breathe promotes Sheffield Carers Centre on its Carers Wellbeing and Support page.
• Sheffield Young CarersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced as a route of support for young carers and young adult carers aged 8-25. Space to Breathe promotes Sheffield Young Carers on its Carers Wellbeing and Support page.
• Mindful PandaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring mindfulness stress ball packs to market. Space to Breathe stocks three-packs of fabric stress balls infused with essential oils (Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint), with a digital worksheet. Partnered on product co-development.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Healthwatch Sheffield: Local health and social care champion that provided Speak Up Grants to Space to Breathe's GP Access Project. Comparable as a community health intermediary and ecosystem participant.
• Synergy Sheffield Mental Health Alliance: Sheffield-based mental health alliance of VCSE organisations. Andy Freeman sits on its Partnership Board and provides interim consultancy; comparable as a regional ecosystem participant and partner.

Broad incumbents

• Mind (the mental health charity): UK's largest mental health charity providing information, local services, and workplace wellbeing programmes. Overlaps with Space to Breathe's NHS referral pathways, staff wellbeing, and community-facing programmes but at national scale.
• Rethink Mental Illness: National mental health charity providing support groups, advice, and partnerships with NHS/VCSE. Synergy Sheffield's Lead Accountable Body and named partner of Space to Breathe, with overlapping service populations.

Direct peers

• BetterHelp: Online counselling platform connecting users to licensed therapists via subscription. Comparable to Space to Breathe's £55/session creative counselling offering and one-to-one wellbeing services.
• Headspace: Subscription-based meditation and mindfulness app with employer wellbeing offerings. Comparable to Space to Breathe's Daily Exhale subscription and Culture of Wellbeing staff programmes.
• Togetherall (formerly Big White Wall): UK-based digital mental health platform offering anonymous peer support and resources, often commissioned by the NHS and universities. Directly comparable to Space to Breathe's PWA wellbeing app plus NHS referral model.
• Calm: Global meditation and mindfulness app with a large content library (sleep stories, meditations). Comparable to Space to Breathe's Shhh... podcast, MP3 meditations, and 100+ app resources, though at much greater scale.

Regional players

• Sheffield Flourish: Sheffield mental health charity offering community wellbeing hubs and BAME-focused support. Directly comparable as a co-delivery partner in the Tackling Inequalities project and Oasis Gardening allotment work.
• Compassionate Sheffield: Sheffield end-of-life and bereavement community partnership. Comparable through the Life, Loss and Death Festival collaboration and emerging Bereavement Support Group with Space to Breathe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLq82OurBM9bqiRhBXkUamG7h53abB9gRC

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Space to Breathe CIC