Sturts Community Trust

What Sturts Community Trust does

Sturts Community Trust is a UK-registered non-profit operating from a 90-acre Demeter-certified organic biodynamic farm in West Moors, East Dorset. The organization delivers four integrated service lines: (1) supported living services for adults with learning disabilities, regulated by the Care Quality Commission; (2) community housing under the Clover Community Housing brand, comprising six neighborhoods of 10-17 residents each across three sites (Sturts Farm, Gullivers Farm, and West Moors community); (3) day opportunities programs providing land-based skill development and horticulture activities; and (4) Gullivers Farm Shop & Kitchen, a direct-to-consumer retail outlet opened in October 2015 that sells biodynamic produce, artisan deli products, and locally sourced goods. The Trust operates as a Camphill Community with over 30 years of heritage in this model.

The organization's underlying technology is its biodynamic farming system: a Demeter-certified regenerative approach using ploughing and weeding instead of chemicals, with a closed-loop animal feed system where livestock are fed exclusively on farm-grown produce. The farm rotation system treats the entire 90-acre estate as a single organism, growing seasonal fruit, vegetables, salad leaves, and herbs that supply both the farm shop and local pubs and restaurants. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining social care funding (supported living fees), housing-related income (licence agreements and assured shorthold tenancies), retail sales (farm shop and deli kitchen), and donations/fundraising through events and the CAF platform. The customer base spans adults with learning disabilities, co-worker volunteers and gap year students, local community consumers, and Dorset hospitality businesses.

Name

Sturts Community Trust

Legal name

Sturts Community Trust

Website

https://sturtscommunitytrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sturts Community Trust is a UK non-profit operating a 90-acre biodynamic farm in West Moors, Dorset, delivering supported living, community housing, day services for adults with learning disabilities, and a farm shop retail outlet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Moors

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Farm Shop Sales: Retail sales through Gullivers Farm Shop offering seasonal produce, artisan products (sausage rolls, pasties, pies, quiches), and locally sourced goods. Opened October 2015 in renovated 1789 building.
2. Supported Living Services: Care services regulated by Care Quality Commission, providing supported living for adults with learning disabilities. Revenue from social care funding arrangements.
3. Community Housing: Housing association providing accommodation through licence agreements and assured shorthold tenancy agreements. Part of registered housing association (No. 5089).
4. Day Opportunities Program: Day service offering individualized programs for skill development and personal growth for adults with learning difficulties, with limited spaces available.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Non-profit making organization accepting donations via CAF (Charities Aid Foundation), cheques, and organized fundraising events. Funds support action plan items including greenhouse, van, theatre conversion, and shop extension.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sturts Community Trust operates a 90-acre biodynamic farm combined with CQC-regulated social care services for adults with learning disabilities. It delivers supported living, day opportunities, and community housing (Clover Community Housing) and runs a connected social enterprise comprising Gullivers Farm Shop & Kitchen and a Market Garden that supplies local pubs and restaurants.

Product overview

Sturts Community Trust operates as a single integrated social enterprise offering multiple interconnected services: a biodynamic/organic farm and market garden producing food for the farm shop and deli kitchen; Gullivers Farm Shop retail outlet opened in 2015; community housing under the Clover Community Housing brand with multiple neighbourhoods; supported living services for adults with learning disabilities; and day opportunities programs. The organization functions as a Camphill Community, combining farming, social care, housing, and retail into a unified community-focused operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gullivers Farm Shop & Kitchen: Farm shop offering award-winning seasonal produce from their own farm and local farms, with a café and deli kitchen
• Clover Community Housing

Products and services

• Supported Living Services CQC-regulated personalized support for adults with learning disabilities, enabling them to live as independently as possible within a community setting.
• Day Opportunities Program Daytime activity and skill-development program for adults with learning disabilities, delivered through the social enterprise model.
• Clover Community Housing Community housing scheme comprising six neighborhoods across Sturts Farm, Gullivers Farm, and West Moors, providing supported housing for adults with learning disabilities under licence and assured shorthold tenancy agreements.
• Twin Oaks Housing Scheme New-build community housing scheme on the Sturts site, providing additional supported housing units for adults with learning disabilities as part of Clover Community Housing.
• Gullivers Farm Shop & Kitchen On-site retail shop and kitchen selling seasonal biodynamic produce and artisan food (including sausage rolls, pasties, pies and quiches) to the local community; won the 2019 Best Independent Retailer award.
• Market Garden B2B Produce Supply Direct supply of seasonal biodynamic produce harvested the same morning to local pubs and restaurants in Dorset.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of biodynamic farming heritage
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Camphill CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Association of Camphill Communities, a network of communities providing support and opportunities for people with learning disabilities. SCT operates as a Camphill Community with over 30 years heritage within this network.
• Demeter (Biodynamic Certification)coreOthersBiodynamic and organic farming methods certified by Demeter, the internationally recognized certification body for biodynamic agriculture. Ensures adherence to strict standards for ecological and ethical farming.
• Care Quality CommissioncoreOthersRegulatory body overseeing care services. SCT's care services are regulated by CQC, ensuring compliance with national standards for adult social care.
• Regulator of Social HousingcoreOthersHousing association regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. SCT is registered as a housing association (No. 5089) and subject to regulatory oversight.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCAF provides online donation platform allowing supporters to make donations. Donors search for 'Sturts' on CAF website to find SCT for online funding.
• Cohousing NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Cohousing Network supports SCT's co-housing development vision, providing resources and network connections for community housing initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United Response: United Response is a national UK charity providing supported living, personal assistance, and community-based services for people with learning disabilities and mental health needs. It offers the same supported living category SCT serves, but with broader geographic reach and portfolio.
• SENSE: SENSE is a large UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, providing housing, supported living, and day services. It is comparable as a multi-segment disability support organization with regulated housing and care services.
• Hft (formerly Home Farm Trust): Hft is a major UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities through supported living, residential care, and day services across multiple regions. It is a broad incumbent providing similar CQC-regulated supported living services as SCT, though at significantly greater scale.

Others

• Cohousing Network UK members: SCT is a member of the Cohousing Network and its Clover Community Housing mixed-neighbourhood model is comparable to other UK cohousing schemes serving older adults, multigenerational, and supported-living populations across the country.
• Country Land and Business Association (CLA) members / Biodynamic farm shops UK: The Biodynamic Association UK certifies and connects biodynamic farms including SCT's Sturts Farm. Comparable farm shop peers within this ecosystem include Tablehurst Farm, Plaw Hatch Farm, and other Demeter-certified farm shops selling direct to community and restaurants.

Emerging players

• Daylesford Organic: Daylesford is a high-end organic/biodynamic farm with farm shops, cafés, and B2B hospitality supply in the Cotswolds and London. While much larger and commercially-focused, it is comparable to Gullivers Farm Shop on product, certification (organic/biodynamic), and direct-to-restaurant produce supply.

Direct peers

• Ruskin Mill Trust: Ruskin Mill Trust runs land-based therapeutic learning programmes for young people with learning disabilities and autism using biodynamic and organic farming across multiple sites. It overlaps directly with SCT's farm-based day opportunities and Steiner/Camphill-aligned pedagogy.
• Camphill Village Trust – Botton Village: Botton Village is the largest Camphill community in the UK, offering supported living, land-based work, and community housing for adults with learning disabilities in North Yorkshire. It is the closest direct analogue to SCT's integrated Camphill model combining biodynamic farming, housing, and social care.
• Camphill St John's: Camphill St John's is a Camphill community in Nottinghamshire providing supported living, day opportunities, and craft-based work for adults with learning disabilities. It mirrors SCT's mix of community housing, individualized support, and shared-life volunteering model.
• Camphill Communities across England and Wales: The Association of Camphill Communities network includes around 30 member communities across England and Wales running shared-life communities, biodynamic land-based work, and supported living for adults with learning disabilities. SCT is a direct member and these communities share model, governance ethos, and operational framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sturts-community-trust

Compliance4 records

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 Sturts Community Trust