Women's Health Matters

What Women's Health Matters does

Women's Health Matters (WHM) is a Leeds-based UK registered charity founded in 1987 and registered in 1993 (Charity No. 1048788, Company No. 2835637) that delivers trauma-informed, woman-centred support services to disadvantaged and marginalised women and girls in Leeds and the surrounding West Yorkshire area. The organisation runs approximately 20 distinct service programmes organised around six primary beneficiary cohorts: women experiencing domestic violence and abuse (Leeds Domestic Violence Service, Breathe Free, LDVS Sanctuary Support Scheme), women seeking asylum (Rainbow Hearts, Naya Rhythm), mothers whose children live elsewhere (Inside Out, Rosebuds, Our Circle), pregnant women facing complex challenges (Pregnancy Choices Advocacy Service), young women and girls aged 11-25 (Art of Her, The Key Change, Bluebirds), and women with disabilities or complex needs (Feel Good). In 2025/26 WHM worked with 1,847 women and girls across 25 projects, delivering 970 group sessions and 1,518 one-to-one sessions.

The organisation's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue is generated primarily through restricted and unrestricted grants from trusts, foundations, and public sector bodies — including Leeds City Council, the National Lottery Community Fund, Sport England, Postcode Lottery, Womble Bond Dickinson Foundation, the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust. A secondary income stream is B2B professional training delivered to social workers, healthcare professionals, schools, and workplaces: the Survivors' Voices DVA Awareness Training, Understanding the Impact of Child Removal training (£90 per person for open courses or £800 for in-house delivery), Menopause Awareness training, and The Key Change school assemblies/workshops. A third stream comprises individual donations through LocalGiving, EasyFundraising, Give as you Live, and community fundraising events such as the Leeds 10k. The 2024/25 cohort spanned 37 nationalities and 33 languages, and stated 2025/26 outcome metrics include 100% service satisfaction, 96% improved mental wellbeing, and 95% feeling safer. WHM employs 11-50 staff, is supported by 46 volunteers, and is governed by a Board of Trustees led by Chair Hannah (appointed March 2025, succeeding Alison) with CEO Rachel Kelly as operational lead.

Name

Women's Health Matters

Legal name

Women's Health Matters

Website

https://womenshealthmatters.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Health Matters is a Leeds-based UK charity (founded 1987) delivering trauma-informed support services across ~20 programmes to marginalised women and girls, including domestic violence survivors, asylum seekers, separated mothers, and at-risk young women in West Yorkshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's and girls' community support services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Women's Health & Life-Stage Wellness Education (Fertility, Pregnancy, Menopause) (EDAAAHAI)

Keywords

• Women's support services
• Domestic violence support
• Trauma-informed care
• Community outreach programmes
• Charitable training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Charitable Grants: Women's Health Matters relies primarily on grant funding from trusts, foundations, and public sector bodies including Leeds City Council, National Lottery players, and various charitable funders to sustain its operations and service delivery.
2. Training Course Fees: The organisation generates revenue through professional training courses delivered to other organisations and professionals, including the Survivors' Voices Domestic Abuse Awareness Training, Understanding the Impact of Child Removal training, Menopause Awareness training, and The Key Change school assemblies and workshops.
3. Donations & Fundraising: Individual donations are received through the LocalGiving platform, with additional fundraising supported via EasyFundraising and Give as you Live shopping platforms. The organisation also participates in community fundraising events such as the Leeds 10k.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Women's Health Matters is a Leeds-based charity that provides trauma-informed, woman-centred support services to disadvantaged and marginalised women and girls, alongside a portfolio of paid professional training courses for organisations. Its programmes span domestic abuse response, support for women seeking asylum, child removal and maternal mental health, learning disability support, creative wellbeing, and accredited training in domestic violence awareness, child removal impact, and menopause awareness.

Product overview

Women's Health Matters is a charitable organization in Leeds, UK (founded 1987) providing a portfolio of holistic, trauma-informed support services for disadvantaged and marginalised women and girls. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers approximately 20 distinct service programmes including group work initiatives (Art of Her, Sister Songbirds, Naya Rhythm, The Key Change, Breathe Free, Rosebuds, Our Circle), specialist support services (Leeds Domestic Violence Service, Pregnancy Choices Advocacy Service, Rainbow Hearts for asylum seekers), and professional training courses (Survivors' Voices DVA Training, Understanding Child Removal, Menopause Awareness, The Key Change School Workshops). Services are delivered through intensive one-to-one support, group sessions, peer support models, and outreach work, operating from a women-centred holistic approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art of Her An art therapy and creative wellbeing programme designed for young women aged 16-25, supporting mental health and self-expression.
• Breathe Free Domestic abuse stabilisation groups and a healthy relationships course for women affected by domestic abuse.
• Rainbow Hearts Weekly support groups and advocacy for women who are seeking asylum, addressing immigration-related hardship and isolation.
• The Key Change A school-based programme, including assemblies and workshops, for girls aged 11-18 covering domestic abuse awareness, healthy relationships and PSHE topics.
• Pregnancy Choices Advocacy Service (PCAS) Advocacy and support service for women navigating pregnancy choices, working alongside statutory maternity and health partners.
• Inside Out A 13-week structured peer support course for mums whose children are looked after elsewhere, focused on emotional recovery and wellbeing.
• Rosebuds Peer support group for mums whose children are looked after elsewhere, offering ongoing connection and mutual aid.
• Our Circle Support programme for care-experienced mums, addressing the intersection of care history and maternal mental health.
• Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of women feel happy with the service received
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Being You Leeds PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeing You Leeds is led by a partnership of local third-sector organisations including Touchstone, Barca, Hamara, Health for All, Holbeck Together, LS14 Trust, Women's Health Matters, Inspire North, and Humans Being. Together they work to promote positive wellbeing in Leeds. WHM participates in this partnership and co-runs the Sister Songbirds singing group through this collaboration.
• University of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Birmingham is conducting the evaluation of the Breathe Free project, with a focus on co-production at the core of the research work. The partnership involves academic evaluation to measure project outcomes.
• Vicky (Lived Experience Co-facilitator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVicky, a woman with lived experience of child removal, co-facilitates the Understanding Child Removal training course alongside Taylor Harrison. This co-production model ensures that real voices are central to the training delivery.
• Your Space Wellbeing Service (Touchstone)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYour Space Wellbeing Service (part of Touchstone) delivers sessions focusing on self-care, creativity, and linking into social activities as part of the Breathe Free project. This partnership brings additional expertise in wellbeing and creative practice.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southall Black Sisters: West London-based charity supporting Black and minoritised women facing domestic violence, asylum issues, and related challenges. Comparable specialist women's support service with strong community-led and rights-based approach.
• Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS): London-based charity supporting Latin American migrant women affected by domestic violence, poverty, and social isolation. Comparable community-based, women-only support model addressing domestic abuse, asylum, and wellbeing.
• Jewish Women's Aid: UK charity providing culturally sensitive DVA support and refuge services for Jewish women. Comparable specialist DVA focus and women-only, trauma-informed service model.
• Together Women: Yorkshire-based charity (Bradford and Leeds footprint) supporting women in the criminal justice system and those affected by DVA, trauma, and disadvantage. Direct geographic overlap and comparable holistic, trauma-informed women's services.
• WomensCentre.com (Halton & Warrington Women's Centre): Regional women's charity delivering DVA support, counselling, training, and wellbeing services in the North West of England. Comparable multi-service women's support model with strong training and prevention programming.
• RISE (formerly Brighton Women's Centre): Regional women's charity delivering trauma-informed support, domestic abuse services, and training in Sussex. Highly comparable as a regional women's support organisation with similar group work, one-to-one, and lived-experience co-production models.
• Coventry Haven Women's Aid: Regional DVA charity in the West Midlands providing refuge, outreach, and prevention services. Comparable regional women's charity delivering direct DVA support and training to professionals.

Emerging players

• Imkaan (Black, Minoritised and Migrant Women's Organisation): UK-wide federation of specialist BME women's organisations addressing violence against women and girls. Comparable specialist women-led, trauma-informed approach with overlaps in asylum-seeker and minoritised women's support.

Broad incumbents

• Refuge: One of the UK's largest specialist DVA charities, providing refuges, community outreach, and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline. Comparable DVA focus and trauma-informed service delivery, though operating nationally rather than regionally.
• Women's Aid: National federation coordinating DVA services across the UK. Directly comparable mission (supporting women affected by domestic abuse) and overlapping service delivery model (refuges, outreach, training), but operates at a national rather than regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WHMLeeds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/71006499
• Instagraminstagram.com/whmleeds
• Xx.com/whmleeds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Women's Health Matters