Community hubs: Understanding survival and success

There are an estimated 1,650 community hubs in England, each of them providing an open and accessible space and vital services for local people. They vary in terms of size, ownership model, assets, staffing and income. Yet there is little information on how these facilities achieve viability and sustainability.

Community hubs: Understanding survival and success attempts to fill this gap. Drawing on research with over 120 hubs and exploring the topic through 8 detailed case studies, this report provides useful insights into how those who run community hubs can achieve long-term financial sustainability.

Community hubs was researched by Neal Trup, David Carrington and Steve Wyler and funded by Local Trust and Power to Change in June 2019.

Read Steve Wyler’s blog on the resilience and adaptability of community-led business and Niamh Goggin’s blog on the importance of developing a sustainable business model .

As a response to this research, we commissioned The Community Hub Handbook which is a practical, go-to guide for anyone running their own local community hub.