A Charity Built on Purpose and Powered by Partnerships
We support community members in need by providing essential items, vital spaces, and opportunities to create, grow and sustain new enterprises.
We’ve built a strong network of volunteers, local councils, corporate sponsors, and property owners, and we’re always looking for more positive partners. Sharing your time, products, or, very importantly, empty spaces can have a meaningful impact on others and real-world monetary value for you.
Help us help others and help yourself, your business and community along the way.
PROPERTY OWNERS
Reduce your commercial rates bills. Protect your property and create a positive Impact.
Vacant commercial properties come with risks: business rates liability, vandalism and squatters. Starting Out offers a proven solution: we transform empty offices, warehouses, and retail units into secure, vibrant community spaces that benefit everyone involved.
Our expert team manages the entire process. We help you access business rates relief, meet ESG goals, and turn underused assets into social value with minimal effort. We ensure your property is protected, maintained, and returned exactly when you need it.
COUNCILS
Unlock the social value of empty buildings in your borough.
Across the UK, councils are facing mounting challenges, with rising demand for support services and steadily diminishing budgets. At the same time, thousands of vacant commercial council-owned properties sit unused, draining budgets and missing opportunities to serve communities. At Starting Out, we work with local authorities to transform empty shops, offices, and warehouses into vibrant spaces that serve local needs.
Through partnerships with councils, we bring underused buildings back to life as education centres, business incubators, and dynamic multi-purpose charity hubs. With more than 28 years of expertise in vacant property transformation, we provide fully managed, compliant solutions that build public trust, deliver measurable results, and create lasting social impact aligned with ESG goals.
BRAND SUPPORTERS
Create Meaningful Impact with Your Brand, Your Products and Your Team
Looking for ways to align your business with real social value? At Starting Out, we work with companies of all sizes to support communities through product donations, team volunteering, and CSR programmes.
Whether you are clearing surplus stock, engaging your workforce, or strengthening your ESG profile, we help turn your support into visible and lasting impact. From hands-on team days in our charity hubs to high-impact donations that directly help families and vulnerable groups, your business can create meaningful change while gaining positive brand exposure and measurable outcomes.
CHARITY PARTNERS
Space & support to grow your community project
Too many positive initiatives struggle because of a lack of affordable space and access to resources. Starting Out partners with UK charities, CICs, social enterprises, and local groups to transform vacant commercial properties into thriving centres of activity, learning, and care.
If you are running a positive project in the UK, we may be able to provide a fully managed space tailored to your needs. Alongside this, we offer access to a network of peer organisations, volunteers, and resources to help your project thrive.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer your time & skills, change a life, including your own
Want to make a real difference in your community? Whether you have a few hours or a few days, Starting Out offers hands-on volunteering opportunities that create meaningful and lasting impact. From supporting our charity hubs to helping online or driving vehicles, every action matters and everyone is welcome.
Volunteering with us is flexible, inclusive, and rewarding. It is a chance to meet new people, strengthen your CV or UCAS application, support a cause you care about, or involve your school, company, or community group in a day of action.
NEED HELP?
Need Help? Please get in touch
We support people affected by the cost-of-living crisis, homelessness, and other challenges by providing access to essential items, community spaces, and peer-led support. We also stand behind those who support others, so if that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.
Whether you need a safe place to run your project or help with vital supplies, we will do our best to guide you. We may not be able to meet every request, but we are always here to listen and to try.
L&Q are proud to have The Staring Out Charity deliver their projects from our empty units.
The Starting Out Charity has created an impressive army of volunteers and corporate partners to do good across the capital.
The Starting Out Charity are a great bunch of people. Origin is always happy to have them care for our empty buildings.
The Starting Out Charity is a well run organisation that really makes a difference.