Macular Society

What Macular Society does

Macular Society (legally The Macular Disease Society) is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Andover, England. It holds multi-jurisdiction charity registrations in England and Wales (1001198), Scotland (SC042015), and the Isle of Man (1123), with a staff of 11–50 and a network of more than 300 local support groups spanning England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The organization is the only UK charity dedicated solely to macular disease, serving a stated addressable population of nearly 1.5 million people in the UK affected by conditions including age-related macular degeneration, Stargardt disease, diabetic macular oedema, and myopic macular degeneration.

Core service delivery is built around a free telephone helpline (0300 3030 111), one-to-one befriending, professional counselling, Treatment Buddies peer support, and an annual Macular Disease Conference, supplemented by a Research Participant Database for clinical-trial matching. Educational products include webinars, the AMD Risk Checker online tool, Skills for Seeing training, and low-vision aids guidance. The retail offering includes large-print diaries, tactile/Braille Christmas cards, writing aids, and visual-impairment awareness badges, with VAT exemption available for eligible customers. Technology is a conventional digital service-delivery stack — website, email, webinar platform, member CRM, and the Research Participant Database — with no disclosed AI, ML, or proprietary software products beyond these standard components. Certifications include Fundraising Regulator membership, AMRC peer-review audit, Patient Information Forum Trusted Information Creator, and Disability Confident Employer status.

Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of streams: individual donations, a £22 annual membership after a free six-month trial, weekly lottery and raffle, legacy giving (with a free will-writing service), retail shop sales, corporate partnerships, and grants from charitable trusts and major-donor philanthropy. The go-to-market model is community-led through local support groups, helpline-driven direct-to-consumer service delivery, and event-driven engagement anchored by the annual conference. Customer segments include diagnosed patients (primary), family members and carers, eye-care and healthcare professionals (via professional referral pathways), and academic/clinical researchers accessing the participant database and grant programmes.

Name

Macular Society

Legal name

The Macular Disease Society

Website

https://macularsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Macular Society is a UK-registered charity that supports people with macular disease through a helpline, counselling, befriending, over 300 local support groups, research funding, and a research participant database, serving an addressable population of nearly 1.5 million UK residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Andover

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters, including one-time and regular giving, processed through website, phone, and post
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership at £22 per year after free six-month trial period for UK residents
3. Shop Sales: Sale of products including large print diaries, calendars, tactile/Braille Christmas cards, writing aids, and awareness badges
4. Lottery and Raffle: Weekly lottery and raffle superdraw as ongoing fundraising streams
5. Legacy Giving: Gifts left in Wills, free Will-writing service offered to supporters
6. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate fundraising and partnership programs
7. Trusts and Philanthropy: Funding from charitable trusts and major donor philanthropy

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Macular Society is a UK charity that provides free support services (helpline, counselling, befriending, local support groups, and treatment buddies) for people affected by macular disease. It funds world-class medical research into macular conditions, maintains a research participant database, and operates an online shop selling accessible products such as tactile Christmas cards, large print diaries, and writing aids for visually impaired customers.

Product overview

The Macular Society offers a comprehensive suite of support services for people affected by macular disease, including a free helpline (0300 3030 111), telephone befriending, counselling, and treatment buddy programs. The organization facilitates over 300 local support groups across the UK and maintains a research participant database for clinical trial recruitment. Membership is free for six months then £22/year, providing access to the quarterly Sideview magazine in accessible formats. The Society operates an online shop selling tactile products including large print diaries, calendars, writing aids, and tactile Christmas cards designed for Braille readers and visually impaired individuals. Additional services include webinars, AMD risk assessment tools, skills for seeing training, low vision aids guidance, and an annual Macular Disease Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Macular Society Helpline Free telephone helpline offering advice, support, and information for people affected by macular disease. Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm on 0300 3030 111.
• Telephone Befriending Connects members with volunteer befrienders for regular telephone conversations to provide emotional support and reduce isolation for people affected by macular disease.
• Free Counselling and Emotional Support Professional counselling services available free of charge for individuals affected by sight loss from macular disease.
• Treatment Buddies Peer support service connecting individuals undergoing treatment with others who have been through similar experiences with macular disease.
• Local Support Groups Network of over 300 local support groups across the UK providing peer support and community connections for people with macular disease.
• Macular Society Membership Free six-month trial membership followed by £22 per year membership, offering access to the quarterly Sideview magazine in large print, audio CD, or online formats, plus exclusive benefits and support.
• Research Participant Database Registry enabling people with macular disease to participate in clinical research and be matched with relevant clinical trials and surveys.
• Webinars Online educational sessions covering topics related to macular disease, treatments, research updates, and living with sight loss.
• AMD Risk Checker Online tool that assesses individual risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through five simple questions.
• Skills for Seeing Training program helping individuals with macular disease maximize their remaining vision through practical techniques and aids.
• Macular Disease Conference Annual conference bringing together people affected by macular disease, researchers, and healthcare professionals. The 2026 conference is scheduled.
• Tactile Christmas Cards (Dotty) Tactile Christmas cards featuring raised dot designs and Braille greetings, priced at £35 for five cards. Eligible for VAT exemption for blind/partially sighted customers.
• Large Print Diaries and Calendars Large print 2026 and 2027 diaries and calendars in yellow and blue color options, designed for people with sight loss.
• Writing Aids Bold lined writing pads in white and yellow, signature guides, and fine-tip markers designed for people with visual impairment.
• Visual Impairment Awareness Badges VIP awareness badges and supporter badges for people with visual impairment, priced at £3.00.
• Weekly Lottery and Raffle Weekly lottery and raffle programs as ongoing fundraising streams for the Macular Society, alongside a raffle superdraw.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK affected by macular disease served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): RNIB is the largest UK charity supporting people with sight loss, covering all eye conditions (broader than macular-only). It directly competes for UK donors, volunteers, and policy attention, and overlaps in offering helplines, support groups, and information services for people with visual impairment.
• Blind Veterans UK: Blind Veterans UK is a UK sight-loss charity serving a defined beneficiary population (vision-impaired ex-servicemen and women). While its beneficiary base differs, it operates a comparable model of helpline, rehabilitation, and tailored support and overlaps in the broader UK sight-loss donor pool.
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: Guide Dogs is a large UK charity supporting people with sight loss through mobility services and advocacy. It competes for the same pool of UK individual donors and corporate partnerships as Macular Society, though its service offering (guide dog training) differs materially.
• Thomas Pocklington Trust: Thomas Pocklington Trust is a UK charity supporting blind and partially sighted people, with overlapping focus on low vision services, housing, and employment. It is comparable as a UK sight-loss support provider addressing disability-related needs of visually impaired people.

Direct peers

• Glaucoma UK: Glaucoma UK is a UK charity focused specifically on glaucoma, operating a similar disease-specific model with support services, research funding, and member engagement. It competes head-to-head with Macular Society for eye-health-focused donors and grant-making influence in UK ophthalmology research.
• Retina UK: Retina UK is a UK charity dedicated to inherited and age-related retinal conditions, including some overlap with macular conditions such as Stargardt disease. It provides a comparable model of research funding, patient support, and information resources for people with retinal sight loss in the UK.
• Fight for Sight: Fight for Sight is a UK charity that funds research into a broad range of eye conditions, including macular disease. It is comparable as a peer AMRC-member research funder competing for philanthropic and trust income earmarked for ophthalmology and vision research in the UK.

Regional players

• American Macular Degeneration Foundation: The American Macular Degeneration Foundation is a US-based nonprofit dedicated to macular degeneration awareness, support, and research. It is structurally comparable in mission, scope, and disease focus but operates in a distinct geography with no overlap in donor base.
• Macular Disease Foundation Australia: The Macular Disease Foundation Australia is Australia's leading macular disease nonprofit, providing research funding, education, and support. It is the most direct international peer in disease-focus and model but serves the Australian market only.

Emerging players

• Henshaws Society for Blind People: Henshaws is a northern-England based sight-loss charity providing information, advice, and support services to visually impaired people. It is comparable in service mix (advice, support, assistive-tech guidance) and competes in regional UK donor and volunteer pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MacularSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/macularsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macular-disease-society
• Xx.com/MacularSociety

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Macular Society