27/03/2026
Someone asked us recently…
“What does it actually cost to run a CIC?”
And the honest answer is…
Every CIC is different.
Some are small. Some run from shared spaces. Some have lower overheads.
But for us… this is a big operation.
We run two community spaces, and the reality behind the scenes looks like this:
Community Hub (Shop 1)
Rent £950
Buildings insurance £145
CCTV £15
Water rates £37
Stair lift £50
Gas & electric £360
Insurance (employers liability, public liability, professional indemnity, students, stock, electrical) £72
Internet & phone line £57
Business rates £102
Card terminal £18
Website £35
Parking permit £30
Commercial waste £55
Shop 2 (Children’s Store)
Rent £1100
Electric £390
Water rates £37
Business rates £87
Card terminal £18
Insurance (stock, electrical, student, public liability) £43
That brings our monthly running costs to around £3,760 every single month.
And that’s just to open the doors.
It doesn’t include the day-to-day essentials like cleaning products, toiletries, and everything else we need throughout the month.
It also doesn’t include our annual costs like servicing, alarms, and safety checks.
But there’s something else people don’t always see…
The hours.
Both shops are open 10am – 4pm.
That’s 6 hours a day, across two shops.
And on some days, we have 3–4 people helping across both spaces.
That means we’re not just covering one role — we’re covering multiple.
Across a week, that adds up to well over 100 volunteer hours.
Across a month, that’s 400+ hours.
And that’s just during shop opening times.
That doesn’t include the time volunteers arrive early, stay late, or support evening groups.
If we had to pay that at minimum wage, it would cost thousands more every month.
But we don’t.
Because our volunteers show up.
They give their time, their energy, their care… for free.
They’re not just helping… they’re holding this together.
Up until September, I had my job as a safety net. If things didn’t quite add up, I could fall back on that.
I don’t have that anymore.
So now, every single month, we rely on the community.
On people choosing to support us
On small purchases in the shop
On donations
On the fundraising we work so hard to organise
Because without that support… this doesn’t exist.
This space.
This support.
This community.
We’re not sharing this for sympathy.
We’re sharing it so people understand the reality of what it takes to keep something like this going.
And if you’ve ever supported us, in any way at all…
Please know — you are part of the reason we are still here 🤍
Because at the heart of it all…
We do this because we love it.
And it matters.
