Norwich Unity Hub has been awarded a lease extension at Carrow House following a £6.5 million Community Impact Review. Chair of Trustees Maria Thornberg explains what it means
Norwich Unity Hub has welcomed the decision to award a new lease extension at Carrow House, securing the future of one of Norfolk’s most significant community assets after independent analysis showed the Hub and its members have generated more than £6.5 million in social value during their first year of operation. The decision provides longer-term stability for the growing community of charities, social enterprises, creative practitioners and community groups that call Carrow House home and comes as demand for space at the site continues to exceed capacity. Carrow House is currently fully occupied, supporting 25 resident VCSE organisations, 28 creatives and 52 member organisations, with a waiting list of organisations hoping to secure future space.
Since Norwich Unity Hub opened at Carrow House in October 2024, the Grade II listed building has been transformed into a thriving centre for collaboration, creativity and community action. The Hub now hosts an average of 48 room bookings and events every month and welcomed 18,642 visitors in 2025, with that figure set to double in 2026.
Social value calculations using recognised methodologies, including Measure Up and the National TOMs framework, found that Carrow House and its resident organisations generated more than £6.5 million in social value, a measure of the positive social, economic and environmental benefits created for local communities, including £3 million benefiting Norwich residents alone.
The impact is visible across a wide range of sectors and communities.
At Carrow House, organisations have:
- Supported unemployed people into volunteering, education and work, with 74% of Rippleacts participants progressing into positive opportunities.
- Diverted more than 12 tonnes of clothing from landfill through ReDo’s environmental initiatives.
- Delivered more than 4,500 hours of specialist support to social supermarkets and small businesses through the work of Tastebuds Collective.
- Created fully accessible creative and cultural opportunities for disabled people through organisations including Frozen Light and Musical Keys.
- Expanded mental health, wellbeing and community support services, reaching thousands of local residents.
Several organisations, including Tend Collective, Rippleacts and Carrow House Creatives, were able to establish and grow because affordable, accessible space was available at Carrow House.
The findings of Norwich Unity Hub’s social impact report conclude that Carrow House has become ‘vital civic infrastructure’, helping organisations become more resilient, supporting collaboration and addressing social challenges before they reach crisis point across the city and county.
Maria Thornberg, Chair of Trustees: “As one of the founding trustees of Norwich Unity Hub, I feel incredibly proud to see how far we have come. What started as an idea, and perhaps a little bit of a dream, has grown into a real, living space where people and organisations can come together, collaborate and make things happen.
“What makes Carrow House so special is that we have created something that is about more than simply providing space. It is about what happens when people meet as people, rather than as job titles or organisations. We have built a community where we share knowledge, resources, ideas and opportunities, and where we collaborate rather than compete.
“The £6.5 million social value generated in our first year is an incredible reflection of what can happen when you give communities the space and support to thrive. But for me, the real measure of success is in the relationships that have been built, the people who have found somewhere they belong, the ideas that have grown through collaboration, and the organisations that are stronger because they are not doing this work alone.
“Securing an extension of the lease at Carrow House gives us the opportunity to keep building on that foundation. It is a huge vote of confidence in what this community has created and in the true power of people working together. I am incredibly excited to see what we can achieve next.”
Councillor Josh Worley-Smith, Cabinet Member for Business and Social Justice, said: “We’re proud to extend the lease with Unity Hub and cement our partnership with them. Their fantastic work has had a real impact in making Norwich a fairer, more inclusive place in such a short time.”
The lease extension will enable Norwich Unity Hub and its members to deepen their impact, support more organisations and communities, and explore further opportunities for growth across Norwich.
With strong demand for affordable community workspace and regular enquiries from organisations seeking to join the Hub, Norwich Unity Hub is also exploring opportunities to expand its model to additional sites in the future.
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Featured image of members of the Norwich Unity Hub community gathered at Carrow House, Norwich, celebrating the generation of £6.5 million in social value during the Hub’s first year of operation. Photo credit – Dean Adams, Redo Norfolk
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