Partnering with Councils to Revive Empty Spaces
Bring life back to your borough’s vacant properties — and create lasting community impact.
Across the UK, councils are under pressure to deliver more with fewer resources, while thousands of commercial units sit empty, draining budgets, attracting antisocial behaviour, and wasting potential. Starting Out partners with councils to unlock this potential, transforming underused buildings into vibrant community hubs that provide vital resources, create jobs, support well-being, and open up new opportunities for those most in need.
We’ve worked alongside councils for over 28 years, creating spaces for social enterprises, youth programmes, family support, pop-up food banks, and more. Our award-winning model offers fully-managed, compliant solutions that turn liability into local value, at zero cost to the council.
A Proven Partnership Model
When councils connect us with available commercial units, directly or via property stakeholders, we manage everything from site preparation to volunteer mobilisation, compliance, safety, and ongoing operations. The result is a revitalised property delivering community benefit and measurable ESG outcomes.
Since 1997, we have partnered with local councils to activate unused spaces, support services, and deliver social value. Councils bring local knowledge and networks that link us to third-sector and business partners, helping us target support where it is needed most.
We have worked with boroughs across Greater London and beyond, building strong relationships with officers in employment and regeneration, housing, estates, youth services and community engagement. Our model is simple, agile, and proven across different borough priorities.
Let’s Work Together
If you’re part of a local authority and want to explore how we can support your borough, the first step is simple: connect us with the team responsible for your empty property portfolio or community partnerships.
370,000 sq ft of commercial property put to charitable use so far.
15 council areas home to Starting Out Charity projects so far.
£4,000,000+ in savings generated for owners so far.
Camden Council is grateful to the Starting Out Charity for supporting us over the years. We look forward to continuing our work together
The Stating Out Charity Hub work means so much to the community in Redbridge
Proud Partners to Local Authorities Across the UK
Starting Out Charity works closely with councils to activate underused spaces, deliver cost-effective community support, and advance local social impact goals.
By partnering with boroughs like Camden, Ealing, Islington, Redbridge, Harrow, Brent and many more, we’ve transformed vacant buildings into thriving hubs — tackling food poverty, supporting families, and delivering measurable value for residents.
Together with local authorities, we turn empty property into opportunity.
Explore some of the councils who are helping us build stronger communities, one space at a time.
