Dorothy House Hospice Care

Name

Dorothy House Hospice Care

Legal name

Dorothy House Hospice Care

Website

https://dorothyhouse.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Routine In-Home Hospice Care (HSABAFAA), Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice care
• End-of-life care
• Bereavement support
• Community healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford-on-avon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The organisation raises over £19 million each year primarily through donations, fundraising events (skydives, treks, walks), and community engagement campaigns.
2. Retail Operations: Network of 30 high street charity shops selling pre-loved items (clothes, furniture, books) providing a large part of income. Also includes online shop, eBay page, and upcycling campaigns like Threads for Care.
3. Government Funding: Government funding covers approximately 20% of costs, with the organisation exceeding government funding by £2 million in 2024 through own-generated income.
4. Hospice Lottery: Local Hospice Lottery programme generating ongoing support from participants.
5. Legacies and Wills: Leaving a gift in will programme - legacy donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Dorothy House Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illnesses across Bath, North East Somerset, Wiltshire, and parts of Somerset. Core services include a 17-bed Inpatient Unit at Winsley, Hospice at Home care, Nurse Specialist clinics, a 24-hour Advice Line, bereavement support, family and children's wellbeing services, creative arts and physiotherapy, and education and research programmes. Approximately 80% of operating costs are funded through charitable donations, 30 charity shops, the Local Hospice Lottery, legacies, and challenge events such as skydives and treks.

Product overview

Dorothy House Hospice Care is a unified hospice care service providing compassionate, personalized palliative and end-of-life care across Bath, North East Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire and Somerset. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of clinical services centered around its Inpatient Unit at Winsley House and Hospice at Home program, complemented by Nurse Specialists, Bereavement Support, Creative Arts, physiotherapy, and emotional/psychological services. Community engagement is supported through 30 charity retail shops, the Local Hospice Lottery, and diverse fundraising events including skydives, treks, and the immersive Moments of Light installation. The hospice also operates education and research programs, a 24-hour advice line, and community groups. Sustainability initiatives include the Threads for Care upcycling campaign and Ubiety vegan product line. All services are unified under a single charitable mission to help people live well and die peacefully in the last 1,000 days of life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Threads for Care: An upcycling campaign collaboration as part of Dorothy House's sustainability initiatives to raise funds through pre-loved clothing donations.
• Ubiety
• Fireflies
• Local Hospice Lottery

Products and services

• Inpatient Unit (IPU) Specialist palliative care provided at Winsley House, offering overnight stays and daily care for patients requiring intensive symptom management and pain relief.
• Hospice at Home Overnight and daytime care delivered in patients' homes, providing respite for carers and enabling patients to remain in familiar surroundings at the end of life.
• Nurse Specialists Highly experienced registered nurses who serve as first point of contact, providing expert advice on symptom control, advance care planning, and emotional support in GP practices, homes, clinics, and community settings.
• Bereavement Support Comprehensive bereavement services including Understanding Your Grief sessions, group support, one-to-one practitioner support, community groups, and Bereavement Help Points across the service area.
• Children and Young People's Wellbeing Hub Specialist support services for children and young people facing bereavement or dealing with a parent or guardian's life-limiting illness.
• Family Support Services Emotional, practical, and psychological support for families, friends, and carers of patients, including counselling and family courses.
• Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Service Joint service with the Royal United Hospital providing a single point of contact and ongoing support for MND patients, their families, and carers, including specialist practitioners and home visits.
• Creative Arts Therapeutic creative activities including pottery, painting, silk painting, encaustic art, needle felting, mosaic, and hand casts with loved ones, supporting patients and families emotionally through creative expression.
• Physiotherapy and Therapies Gym sessions, seated exercise classes, and individual physiotherapy to help patients manage symptoms, maintain mobility, and improve quality of life.
• Emotional and Psychological Support Specialist counselling and psychological support for patients and families dealing with the emotional challenges of life-limiting illness and bereavement.
• Life Story Project Volunteer-led service enabling patients to document their memories and life stories through various media including voice recordings, poetry, keepsakes, and letters for loved ones.
• 24-Hour Advice Line Round-the-clock telephone advice line providing guidance and support to patients, families, and healthcare professionals on palliative care matters.
• Centre for Education and Research Education and training programmes for healthcare professionals, students, and the community, including courses, workshops, and research initiatives in palliative care.
• Wellbeing Sessions Online Zoom sessions covering relaxation, fatigue management, breathlessness, anxiety, and eating and drinking challenges for patients living with palliative conditions.
• Charity Retail Shops Network of 30 high street shops selling pre-loved items including clothes, furniture, and books, forming a major income source for the hospice.
• Local Hospice Lottery Weekly lottery programme operated in partnership with Local Hospice Lottery (LHLL), providing regular fundraising support.
• Events and Fundraising Activities Range of events including skydives, treks, abseils, Women's Walk, and the Moments of Light installation, enabling community fundraising for hospice care.
• Free Wills and Legacy Planning Free will writing service and guidance on leaving gifts in wills, helping supporters plan their legacy support for the hospice.
• Firefly Appeal and Firefly Woods Permanently installed light installation by Bruce Munro in the hospice grounds, with a dedicated light dedication programme for remembrance and a live webcam for remote viewing.
• Moments of Light Large-scale temporary light installation by Bruce Munro at the hospice grounds running from October to December 2026, featuring thousands of illuminated forms for beauty and remembrance.
• Interactive Nature Trail Outdoor trail with QR code-enabled boards allowing visitors to collect stamps, discover facts, and take photos using the Good Thyngs app.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,200 families supported with end-of-life diagnosis in the last year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017SSEN's Thomas Gardiner has volunteered time since January 2017. The distribution network operator provides vehicles and chippers required for Christmas tree recycling collection operations, supporting the charity's largest annual fundraising event.
• Wessex WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWessex Water employees volunteer for annual Christmas tree collection, providing vans and support for the recycling operation that raises significant funds for the hospice.
• JustHelpingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Christmas tree collection programme. JustHelping receives 5% of funds raised to support local charities, with the remainder going to Dorothy House.
• Bath CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBath College provides Macauley Building venue for Bath City Abseil events. Three packed days of fundraising in the heart of Bath, with college providing venue and student participation.
• GoSkydive SalisburyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoSkydive provides tandem skydive experiences at Old Sarum for Dorothy House fundraising events, including the 50th anniversary skydive challenge.
• Bruce MunrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally renowned artist and Dorothy House Ambassador who created Firefly Woods installation and Moments of Light (2026), donating artistic services and raising profile through high-profile installations.
• Local Businesses (Christmas Tree Collection)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 40 local businesses including Pennys Group, Keynsham Allotment Association, Wessex Water, C&C Tree Services and others provide vehicles, equipment, refreshments and support for annual Christmas tree collection raising over £97,000.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sue Ryder: National UK hospice and palliative care charity operating multiple inpatient hospices and home-care services; comparable in mission, service breadth (inpatient, hospice at home, bereavement) and community fundraising model, though at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Marie Curie: Major UK charity providing hospice care at home, inpatient hospices and a 24/7 support line; directly comparable to Dorothy House's Hospice at Home and IPU model and competes for the same donor and volunteer pool nationally.

Direct peers

• Severn Hospice: Regional hospice serving Shropshire and Mid/West Wales with inpatient units, hospice at home and bereavement services; structurally similar to Dorothy House as a single-region hospice of comparable scale, with overlapping volunteer, retail and lottery fundraising mechanics.
• Pilgrims Hospices: East Kent-based hospice charity operating three inpatient sites plus community and bereavement services; a direct regional peer in scope of services, charity shop network and event-driven fundraising model.
• Trinity Hospice (Blackpool): Single-site regional hospice offering inpatient palliative care, hospice at home and bereavement support; comparable in operating model and reliance on community fundraising, retail and lottery income to supplement NHS grants.
• St Joseph's Hospice: East London hospice providing inpatient, community and bereavement services; comparable as a long-established (150+ years) independent hospice with a diversified fundraising base including charity shops and challenge events.

Others

• Hospice UK: National membership and advocacy body for UK hospices; not a direct clinical peer but a sector infrastructure partner that influences government hospice funding, regulatory standards and commissioning frameworks affecting Dorothy House.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: Large UK cancer charity providing clinical, emotional and financial support overlapping with hospice-adjacent services; comparable in fundraising scale, charity retail and lottery operations, and competes for the same donor and legacy gift pool.
• Local Hospice Lottery: Shared lottery operator run by Local Hospices Lottery Limited (LHLL) of which Dorothy House is a participating hospice; a direct ecosystem partner that pools marketing and prize-funding across multiple hospices to drive subscription fundraising.

Regional players

• Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust: Co-delivery partner on the Motor Neurone Disease joint service and a regional NHS acute provider operating in the same catchment; not a direct competitor but a critical clinical and commissioning partner that shares patients and influences local palliative-care pathways.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DorothyHouseHC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DorothyHouseHC
• Facebookfacebook.com/dottyhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorothy-house-hospice-care
• Instagraminstagram.com/dorothyhousehc
• TikToktiktok.com/@dorothy.househc

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorothy House Hospice Care