Xiaohongshu
What do we mean by non-profit?
Discover organisations creating positive change in communities across London. From local charities and community groups to social enterprises and campaign organisations, non-profits tackle some of society's biggest challenges. Exploring their work is a great way to find causes you care about, understand social issues more deeply and discover opportunities to get involved.
Non-profits are organisations that exist to create positive social, environmental or community impact rather than generate profits for owners or shareholders. In the UK, this includes charities, community organisations, voluntary groups, community interest companies (CICs) and many social enterprises. Any surplus money they make is typically reinvested into their mission, helping them support people, communities and causes.
Non-profits play a huge role in UK society. According to the UK Civil Society Almanac 2024, there are around 166,000 voluntary organisations across the UK, working on issues ranging from mental health and homelessness to climate action, education and community development.
By exploring non-profits, you can discover causes that matter to you, learn how social change happens, and find opportunities to contribute your own skills, time and ideas.
Why should I care?
The Volunteering, Community & Social Enterprise sector is rich and diverse, fast-paced and values-based. It employs over 1 million people and you can expect specialisms and expertise just like in any other sector. There are statisticians, researchers, project managers, practitioners, accountants, finance. copy writers, communications and marketing. Not so dissimilar to UCL actually!
Most organisations are very small and some are medium- to -large in scale.
There is a huge amount of skill and expertise in the sector and therefore lot to be learned and inspired by. We've got a few suggestions for you to help you check out this wonderful part of life in London and perhaps give you an idea for how to make a difference yourself:
- What cause are you interested in? Whether it's homelessness, health inequalities, or the climate there will be a charity operating in London. Try using Copilot to build a picture depending on your interests.
- Instagram - so many non-profits are on Insta now. Follow them and see what they're up to.
- LinkedIn - just like us, non-profits have realised a LinkedIn presence is important these days. Search LinkedIn to see who you'd like to connect with.
- Newsletters - while we are not for signing up with total abandon every single newsletter (there is a huge environmental impact to our email inboxes), at the same time making a judicious selection of non-profits to sign up for their newsletters is a really good move. Many updates also happen in LinkedIn once you follow
- Dig around their webpages - there'll be impact reports, project reports that will bring to life what they do, how they operate, and why they do what they do.
We have the privilege of working with lots of local non-profits and you can check out our Directory here!
Explore Nearby
If you’re looking to explore the UCL East Campus, why not make a day of it? East London is full of community projects, social enterprises and creative spaces shaping the future of food, sustainability and culture. Here are a few places we love nearby:
Arts, Culture & Creative Spaces:
- Chats Palace - Community Arts & Events space (performances, workshops, talks etc)
- Stour Space - Not-for-profit exhibition and performance space in Hackney Wick
- Yard Theatre - Local theatre to "reflect the stories, cultures, subcultures and communities of East London." (next performances in July 2026)
- Arbeit Studios - Part of the creative hub at Trowbridge Gardens, hosting exhibitions and cultural events.
Food, Cafés & Social Spaces:
- Hearth Bakery - Social Enterprise in Hackney Wick (open 9-3 on weekdays)
- Grow - Food drinks and events space. Committed to balancing environmental impact, social equity, and economic resilience in everything we do, from our energy use to the way we support artists, communities, and local ecosystems. (great mezze platters too)
- Thingy Cafe at Trowbridge Gardens - A relaxed garden café and event space.
Social Enterprises & Community Projects
- Hackney Herbal - Social Enterprise promoting wellbeing through herbs
- Core Clapton - Yoga, pilates and wellness classes and workshops. Through income from these classes, Core Clapton provides low-cost osteopathy and wellness classes to underserved communities, providing drug-free alternatives for managing their pain.
