Grassroot Communities Cic

What Grassroot Communities Cic does

Grassroot Communities CIC is a Community Interest Company registered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that supports young people aged 8 to 30 from underserved communities through a portfolio of youth-work programmes. The organisation was founded by Ben Carpenter and operates with a small team reported at 1–10 employees.

Its core offerings include detached youth work delivered directly on the streets of underserved neighbourhoods, the Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP) — a structured pathway that progressed 26 participants into education, training, or employment in the most recent reporting period — alongside one-to-one mentoring, community projects, and ancillary initiatives such as the Creative Club and South Feast Pantry. The organisation also produces the "What Really Matters" podcast and runs the annual Bristol Birdman community fundraising event, which drew an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 spectators in 2026. The data does not indicate any proprietary technology platform or software product; service delivery appears to be staff-led and in-person.

The business model is non-commercial: programmes are free to beneficiaries and the organisation is funded through donations, fundraising events, and sponsorship. Bristol Birdman 2025 generated more than £10,000 in a single event, and Bristol Beer Factory has signed on as the first official sponsor of the 2026 edition. In the most recent year, the organisation reports engaging 5,200 young people, delivering 260 sessions, and achieving a 98% confidence uplift among participants. There is no disclosed revenue, balance-sheet, or restricted-funds data in the input.

Name

Grassroot Communities Cic

Legal name

Grassroot Communities CIC

Website

https://grassrootcommunities.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grassroot Communities CIC is a Bristol-based Community Interest Company that supports young people aged 8–30 from underserved communities through detached youth work, mentoring, the Grassroot Activators Programme, and the Bristol Birdman event, funded by donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Community Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

Keywords

• Detached youth work
• Youth mentoring services
• Community development programs
• Youth employment pathways
• Creative youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a Community Interest Company (CIC), Grassroot Communities raises funds through donations, individual giving, and fundraising campaigns. The annual Bristol Birdman event is a major fundraiser, having raised over £10,000 in 2025.
2. Event Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors support the Bristol Birdman event and the organization's broader programs. Bristol Beer Factory is cited as a long-standing supporter that has sponsored young people through the GAP programme.
3. Donations via GoodHub: The organization accepts donations through GoodHub platform for campaigns like the Bristol Birdman fundraiser.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grassroot Communities delivers free, face-to-face youth and community development services in Bristol for people aged 8-30 from underserved communities. Its core services include detached youth work, mentoring, youth-led community projects, and the yearlong Grassroot Activators Programme, supplemented by Creative Club and the South Feast Pantry.

Product overview

Grassroot Communities is a Community Interest Company (CIC) providing youth and community services across Bristol. Rather than a technology product company, it offers a portfolio of face-to-face youth work services and community programmes. The core offerings include Detached Youth Work (reaching young people in community spaces), Community Projects (youth-led creative and social initiatives), the Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP) - a yearlong development programme for 17-30 year olds, and Mentoring services. Signature events include The Bristol Birdman annual fundraising celebration. Media initiatives include the What Really Matters Podcast series. Newer programmes include Creative Club, a youth-designed creative space. All programmes are focused on supporting young people aged 8-30 from underserved communities to build confidence, skills, and pathways into education or employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• What Really Matters Podcast: A podcast series featuring panel discussions with voices from policing, youth work, community action, education, and frontline support exploring issues affecting young people.
• Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP)
• Bristol Birdman

Products and services

• Detached Youth Work Community-based youth work that reaches young people in public spaces where they gather, providing support, activities, and positive engagement outside traditional institutional settings.
• Community Projects Youth-led community initiatives designed and delivered by young people to address local needs through creative, sport, nature, and social action activities.
• Grassroot Activators Programme (GAP) A yearlong programme for people aged 17-30 from underserved communities that builds confidence and skills and supports pathways into education, employment, or enterprise through mentoring and real-world opportunities.
• Mentoring One-to-one and group mentoring that connects young people with trusted adult supporters who guide their personal and professional development.
• Creative Club A youth-led and youth-designed creative programme offering activities including break dancing, drama, and cooking through sessions led by young people.
• South Feast Pantry A youth-led food bank project created by students for students to address food insecurity among young people in school settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,200 young people supported last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bristol Beer FactorycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing sponsor of Grassroot Communities, supporting young people through the GAP programme and sponsoring the annual Bristol Birdman event. Bristol Beer Factory has shared experiences with young people, participated in the What Really Matters podcast, and championed local youth work. As first official sponsor of Bristol Birdman 2026, they are backing a team of young people to design and launch their own flying machine.
• Bristol Beer FactorycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsoring a team of young people and community participants through the Bristol Birdman 2026 event to design, build and launch their own recyclable, human-powered flying machine from the harbourside platform.
• First BusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner providing free bus travel scheme that enabled Grassroot Communities to run confidence-building trips for young people learning independent travel skills.
• BBC Radio BristolminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Media partner that covered Bristol Birdman and interviewed founder Ben Carpenter, providing earned media exposure for the organization and its mission.
• Bristol City CouncilminorOthers · 1 January 2025Approved the date and location for Bristol Birdman events, providing regulatory support for the annual community event.
• Knowle West Media CentreminorOthersHost venue for Grassroot Communities headquarters, located at Leinster Avenue, BS4 1NL in Bristol.
• Bristol Harbour MasterminorOthersAuthorised the annual Bristol Birdman event location on the Harbourside, with the Harbour Master noting it was the best attended fun family event at that end of the harbour in thirty years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: The UK's largest youth charity, supporting 11-30 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, training, and employment. Comparable beneficiary profile and outcomes focus (e.g., NEET progression, confidence-building), but operates nationally with substantially larger scale and resources.
• Catch22: A UK social business delivering services across education, employment, and youth justice. Comparable in working with disadvantaged young people and combining mentoring with pathways into employment, though Catch22 operates as a much larger multi-service national provider.
• The Mix: A UK charity providing free, confidential support and information for under-25s across mental health, money, housing, and work. Comparable in target demographic (UK youth) and free-access service model, though Mix operates nationally across digital and helpline channels.
• National Citizen Service (NCS): A government-backed youth programme for 16-17 year-olds delivering personal development, social action, and community engagement. Comparable in youth-led community project model and emphasis on confidence/social-action outcomes, but operates at national scale with public funding.
• UK Youth: A national membership body supporting a network of youth organisations across the UK. Comparable in advocating for and supporting youth-development practice, though UK Youth operates as an umbrella/membership organisation rather than direct service provider.

Direct peers

• OnSide Youth Zones: A UK charity network of state-of-the-art youth centres offering activities, mentoring, and personal development for young people aged 8-19 (up to 25 for those with SEND). Comparable in target age range, youth-development mission, and mentoring-focused programming.
• Off the Record (Bristol): A Bristol charity providing free mental health and wellbeing support for young people aged 11-25. Comparable in target demographic, free-to-access service model, and community-embedded presence in Bristol.
• 1625 Independent People: A Bristol-based charity working with young people affected by homelessness and housing insecurity, including detached and outreach youth work. Comparable in beneficiary profile (vulnerable Bristol youth) and outreach-driven service model.
• Young Bristol: A Bristol-based youth charity delivering detached youth work, mentoring, and community programmes for children and young people. Highly comparable in target geography, beneficiary age range, and community-led delivery model.

Regional players

• London Youth: A membership body supporting youth organisations across London, delivering programmes in youth voice, sport, and employability. Comparable in supporting youth organisations and delivering youth-development programmes, but London-focused rather than Bristol-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@grassrootcommunities
• Facebookfacebook.com/grassrootcommunities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grassroot-communities-cic
• Instagraminstagram.com/grassrootcommunities
• TikToktiktok.com/@grassrootcommunities

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 Grassroot Communities Cic