Crown Paints spotlights Britain’s Most Valuable B Buildings.
Five community centres around the country – in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Loughborough, Fife, and Dundee – have been listed for £500,000,000 each, making them the most valuable properties on the market, to highlight that their value isn’t financial, it’s social.
Crown Paints has listed five community centres across the UK for sale, each valued at £500,000,000 to reflect their overlooked role as mental health lifelines.
The campaign spotlights buildings in regions among the hardest hit by local authority cuts, drawing attention to the real value of the UK’s shared spaces. It calls attention to the need for the UK national and local government to unlock rapidly the funding needed for shared spaces, libraries, youth clubs and community halls. Without that these resources “will disappear, and with them, the beating heart of our communities”.
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The campaign follows publication of a nationwide survey of 2,000 adults which revealed that 35% of Britons say these spaces help them escape loneliness, with 34% saying that having access to community spaces has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
A mock advert on Gumtree for the Craigrothie Village Hall.
The study also found that nearly nine in ten (87%) say vibrant community spaces are important, with 41% expressing concerns for future generations if these places disappear altogether.
Freedom of Information data (from requests to 155 local authorities) shows that local funding has fallen 18% since 2022, and more than 4,000 public buildings are being sold off every year.
A mock ad on Fliq for the Granton Hub
Crown Paints and Mind campaign
The campaign was launched in partnership with mental health charity Mind. It sees listings of the five community centres “hijack” property websites, feature in classified ads and even pop up in an estate agent’s window for sale.
A spoof advert in an estate agents’ window for a community venue.
Amanda Bolton, a spokesperson for the campaign at Crown Paints, said:
“When we talk about mental health, we often overlook the walls that quietly hold us up. These are the spaces where real life happens. The toddler groups, the art classes, and those evening drama clubs. Places that offer comfort, connection and community. By listing them as Britain’s Most Valuable Buildings, we’re shining a light on the everyday spaces that hold our communities – and wellbeing – together.”
Andrew Berrie, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, added:
“Community spaces are important for our mental wellbeing. They provide accessible, welcoming places to connect with others and help reduce loneliness, which can have a negative impact on mental health.
“Crown’s research shows the public feel their loss deeply, with many worried about the impact on future generations. Protecting these spaces must be part of the national conversation on mental health.”
WATCH: Inside Britain’s Most Valuable Buildings
Fundraising tips for community centres
As part of the campaign Crown Paints has launched an online resource with fundraising tips for community centres.
This forms part of Crown’s wider Project Possible commitment to supporting communities through the power of paint, with the ambition of donating 50,000 litres of paint or more to support community projects nationwide.
Amanda continued: “From creating more joyful paces through the power of colour, to supporting community regeneration with uplifting murals and paint projects, we’re helping communities to grow and thrive. This campaign builds on our Project Possible commitments, showing how we can play a meaningful part in the places that matter most.”
A spoof newspaper property ad for a community centre in the Liverpool Echo on 3 October 2025.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.