Citizen Network is a non-profit organisation based in Sheffield with members all around the world. It is dedicated to creating a world where everyone matters.
In 2009 Simon Duffy and Nicola Protopapadakis created the Centre for Welfare Reform to be an independent not-for-profit, think tank, based in the North of England. In 2016 the Centre established Citizen Network as a global community to help create a world where everyone matters.
In 2020 we created a cooperative called Citizen Network Osk (cooperative) based in Helsinki Finland; however at the end of 2024 we agreed that the cooperative was not functioning effectively and we decided to close it down.
At the beginning of 2025 the Centre for Welfare Reform changed its official name to Citizen Network.
Since 2009 annual funding has varied around an average of about £75,000 and in 2025 it is expected to be about £100,000. We currently have 3 staff and other costs. Our accounts are lodged with Companies House and you can check out our accounts there.
Our income comes from multiple sources:
If you can help in any way please consider donating or get in touch.
This is a list of all our funders who have contributed more than £5,000.
For enquiries about the Centre for Welfare Reform or Citizen Network Research please contact:
Citizen Network
Bierlow House
8 Oakdale Road
Sheffield
S7 1SL
hello@citizen-network.org
+44 114 258 6965
Our office is based in Bierlow House which was named to commemorate the old name for the part of Sheffield in which it is situated, Ecclesall Bierlow. Bierlow was commonly used in place names in Yorkshire, to describe an extensive parish, which also acted as the area for a local court of justice. Bierlow is probably cognate with by-law, which in turn derived from the Middle English term byrlaw. This word derived from the Old Norse words of for 'local' and 'law'.
So, in other words, the word Bierlow is derived from the ideas of neighbourhood and justice - two ideas that are very important to Citizen Network.
