Arcadia Partnership

The Arcadia Partnership unites national expertise with local drive, accelerating community hubs across the UK. Major brands and organisations collaborate to invest in sectors like gyms or theatres, supporting local operations while gaining equity and branding. This public-private-third sector model blends grants with investment, ensuring sustainable, community-owned growth through two key approaches: private sector investments to nurture local businesses and consortia strategies for government contracts - all while embedding transformative mental health integration into the heart of community life.

Partnership Structure

• Private Sector Partners

  Provide setup, models, and consultancy for local businesses (e.g., a community gym run by locals with national training); retain minority stakes and branding.

• Public Sector Partners

  Allocate funds for essential services like health integration, guided by entities like NHS England or local government.

• Third Sector Partners

  Drive community connectors, volunteering, and initiatives like addiction support or faith inclusion, key in tenders.

Arcadia's Role: Oversees centres, trains staff for seamless integration, and formulates consortia for robust development.

Targeted sectors include gyms, softplay, co-working, education providers, restaurants, community volunteers, civic societies, and public bodies like the Department of Health.

Private Sector Investment Approach

The private sector approach focuses on national leaders in key sectors (e.g., gyms, restaurants, co-working spaces, adult education providers, softplay) activating and supporting local businesses within Arcadia Community Centres. This creates sustainable revenue streams while ensuring local ownership and community focus.

National partners invest in local ventures by providing initial capital, business models, training, and ongoing consultancy. In return, they gain minority equity stakes - sized based on their contributions, with options for local buyouts over time - along with lasting branding association. Local entrepreneurs retain majority ownership and profits, managing daily operations to align with community needs.

For instance, a major gym chain might fund and mentor a community fitness space, equipping it with resources and expertise while earning long-term returns through equity and enhanced brand reputation tied to social good. If no local initiative exists, the national partner can fully own and operate until a suitable local group takes over.

This model blends with public grants during pilots, transitioning to self-sustaining income from services like fee-based co-working or cafés, reducing dependency on taxpayer funds and fostering enduring prosperity.

Consortium Approach

Arcadia strengthens consortia formation, where national partners team up to bid on government opportunities like the Flexible Support Fund or UK Shared Prosperity Fund, then deliver via local affiliates. For example, a consortium might include a national economic activation organisation (e.g., similar to The Prince's Trust for youth skills), a substance abuse support group (e.g., akin to Turning Point), an adult education provider (e.g., like the Workers' Educational Association), and a volunteering coordinator (e.g., NCVO). Together, they secure contracts to boost economic activity in multiple deprived areas, working with local orgs to integrate health, skills, and volunteering pathways in Arcadia Centres - reducing inactivity while ensuring sustainable impact and transformative mental health support within community settings.

Benefits for All

• Local Health Authorities: Easier implementation of community-focused wellbeing, reducing isolation and costs through integrated, non-alienating mental health approaches.
• Private Businesses: Expand reach with equity, enhance brands through social impact.
• Third Sector: Central spots for volunteer recruitment and responding to needs like poverty or elderly support.
• Communities: Strong ownership, access to well-run facilities forging real togetherness, with mental health transformed in the bosom of daily life.

This partnership cements legacies, creating prosperity from grassroots up.