What Willowbrook Hospice does

Willowbrook Hospice is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1020240) operating a specialist palliative care unit from Portico Lane, Prescot, Merseyside, founded in 1993. It serves a catchment population of approximately 340,000 people across St Helens and Knowsley, delivering 24/7 inpatient and outpatient palliative care, day therapies, a specialist telephone advice line for healthcare professionals, bereavement support, and community-based programmes such as Compassionate Neighbours and Chatty Cafes. Operating costs are £5.9m per year, with a daily patient care cost of £960.

The organisation funds its operations through a diversified non-profit revenue mix: voluntary donations, a weekly Hospice Lottery at £1 per entry, a network of 13+ charity retail shops across St Helens and Knowsley (plus online sales via Vinted and eBay under Willowbrook Hospice Trading Co), the Memory Tree tribute programme at £200 per 12-month leaf dedication, gifts in wills, room hire, and corporate sponsorships. Underlying technology is operationally focused rather than product-differentiated, centred on the TeamKinetic volunteer management platform for recruitment and scheduling, Charity Checkout for online donations, and standard e-commerce integrations. Distribution is hybrid: direct clinical services are delivered at the Prescot hospice and via outreach, while fundraising and community engagement flow through the physical retail shop estate, The Living Well community hub (with Sunflower Coffee Shop), and event-based channels (Memory Walk, Born Survivor, Ladies Lunch, marathon participation).

Willowbrook is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Charity Commission, and Companies House, holds Disability Confident employer status, and is a recipient of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service — the highest UK honour for volunteer-led organisations. With 51–100 employees and a £5.9m cost base, it sits in the small-to-mid-sized UK hospice segment, deeply embedded in its local community through volunteer networks, charity retail, and recurring donor programmes rather than scale or geographic diversification.

Name

Willowbrook Hospice

Legal name

Willowbrook Hospice

Website

https://willowbrook.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Willowbrook Hospice is a UK-registered charity (founded 1993) providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care to a 340,000-person catchment in St Helens and Knowsley from its Prescot hospice, funded by donations, lottery, and a 13-shop retail network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Prescot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Hospice Lottery: Weekly lottery program with participants paying £1 per week, with regular prize draws for winners
2. Charity Retail Shops: Network of charity shops selling donated goods, clothing, furniture and collectables across St Helens and Knowsley areas
3. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate donations, and community fundraising events including marathon sponsorship (minimum £800), memory walks, and event participation
4. Memory Tree Programme: Copper leaf engravings on memory tree for £200 per 12-month period, offering commemorative tributes
5. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving programme where supporters leave bequests in their wills to support ongoing hospice services
6. Room Hire: Facility hire services for community events and gatherings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Willowbrook Hospice is a UK-based non-profit hospice providing specialist palliative care services to patients with life-limiting conditions and their families. Services are delivered through a combination of direct hospice care, community-based programmes, bereavement support, charity retail, and a hospice lottery that funds the charitable mission.

Product overview

Willowbrook Hospice is a specialist palliative care unit providing a comprehensive range of services for patients, families, and the community in St Helens and Knowsley, Merseyside. The core offering centers on inpatient and outpatient palliative care services, complemented by community support programs including Compassionate Neighbours, Chatty Cafes, and a 24/7 telephone advice line for professionals. The Living Well building serves as a hub offering a coffee shop, retail boutique, and reception services. The organization operates 13 charity retail shops across the region and runs a weekly lottery program for fundraising. Additional donor engagement includes the Memory Tree tribute program. A 3D virtual tour enables remote exploration of facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Living Well: A facility within Willowbrook Hospice offering a coffee shop, retail shop, and reception services for patients, families, and visitors.
• The Sunflower Coffee Shop
• Compassionate Neighbours
• Chatty Cafes
• Memory Tree

Products and services

• Specialist Palliative Care Specialist palliative and end-of-life care for patients with life-limiting conditions, delivered through the hospice and community-based programmes.
• Bereavement Support Emotional and counselling support for family members and individuals coping with the loss of a loved one.
• Community Programmes Community-based outreach and support programmes that extend hospice services beyond the inpatient setting.
• Charity Shops Retail stores selling donated second-hand goods, with proceeds supporting the hospice's charitable activities.
• Hospice Lottery Subscription-based weekly lottery that generates fundraising income for the hospice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 340,000 people supported in local community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TeamKineticcoreTechnology or IntegrationTeamKinetic provides the volunteer management platform powering Willowbrook's volunteer recruitment, scheduling, and coordination. The platform enables volunteers to register, browse opportunities, and manage their involvement with the hospice.
• F11 PhotographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to create the 3D virtual tour of the hospice facility, allowing patients, families and visitors to explore the hospice remotely before visits.
• Corporate Volunteering PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies offering volunteering days for employees, providing group volunteering opportunities and corporate social responsibility engagement with the hospice.
• Chatty Cafe SchememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Chatty Cafes are registered with the national Chatty Cafe scheme, a programme combatting loneliness through community cafe gatherings.
• Horizon Shutters and BlindsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for the Summer Singalong Bingo event 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Hospice UK: National membership body representing UK hospices and palliative care providers. Not a direct competitor but a sector enabler that advocates for hospice funding and shares best practice - relevant for understanding regulatory/funding environment.
• St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: Local NHS acute trust serving the same St Helens and Knowsley population. Functions as a key commissioning and referral partner for Willowbrook, and a structural counterparty whose funding decisions materially affect the hospice's operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: National UK cancer charity providing specialist palliative and end-of-life support through Macmillan nurses. Comparable as a non-profit providing palliative care services to cancer patients, but operates at national scale with broader scope than hospice-only operations.
• Marie Curie: National UK charity operating the largest charitable hospice network alongside home-based nursing services. Comparable as a hospice/palliative care provider with overlapping patient segments, but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth than Willowbrook.
• Sue Ryder: National UK charity running multiple hospices, neurological care centres, and bereavement support services. Direct overlap on hospice/palliative care and bereavement offerings, but operates a broader portfolio of services across many regions.

Direct peers

• Woodlands Hospice: Liverpool-based specialist palliative care hospice providing inpatient and day therapy services. Direct geographic and operational peer in the Merseyside region, serving an overlapping population with similar charity-shop fundraising and NHS partnership dynamics.
• Halton Haven Hospice: Runcorn-based hospice providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care in Halton. Regional peer operating with a comparable charity retail network and volunteer-dependent model in a neighbouring Merseyside borough.
• Queenscourt Hospice: Independent UK hospice serving Southport, Formby and West Lancashire with similar inpatient, outpatient, bereavement and community services. Directly comparable as another regional specialist palliative care charity with comparable scale (£5–6m operating cost range) and similar NHS-funded / donation-funded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wbhospice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WBHchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillowbrookHospiceOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willowbrookhospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/willowbrookhospice

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Willowbrook Hospice