Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

What Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland does

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), registered as a company limited by guarantee in Scotland (SC129114) and regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (SC018761), is described as Scotland's largest health charity. It supports people living with chest conditions (COPD, bronchiectasis, IPF, asthma), heart conditions (coronary heart disease, heart failure, angina, cardiac arrest), stroke and TIA, and Long Covid, alongside their families, carers, and the healthcare professionals who serve them. Its core delivery is the Community Healthcare Support Service, which combines a free confidential Advice Line (0808 801 0899), 100+ Peer Support Groups, stroke nurse support, kindness calls, supported self-management programmes, and a 12-week Living Well with Aphasia course. Long Covid-specific services — including the Long Covid & Me Podcast, factsheets and jointly Scottish Government-funded support — sit alongside a Health Information Resources Hub with multilingual content and a free Weather Alert text service.

The charity operates a non-profit, donation-funded business model with no service charges to beneficiaries. Revenue is generated through individual one-off and monthly donations, legacy gifts, community and corporate partnerships, fundraising events (Kiltwalk, Beast Race, Great Scottish Run, Tartan Tea Party, etc.), and a 46-strong charity shop estate across Scotland supplemented by an online shop (shop.chss.org.uk) and eBay store. Around 8,500 volunteers underpin service delivery, and strategy is set by the 'No Life Half Lived' 2023–2028 plan, which targets reaching 150,000 people in Scotland by 2028. Governance sits with a Board of Trustees chaired by Colin Briggs, with Jane-Claire Judson as Chief Executive and HRH The Duke of Kent as President; key institutional partners include NHS Scotland Health Boards, the Scottish Government, Strathclyde University, the Scottish Football Association and Pogo Digital Healthcare.

There is no proprietary technology platform described in the source material. Service delivery runs on standard third-party infrastructure — Blackbaud for fundraising and donations, Eventbrite for volunteer sessions, a Microsoft Power Apps portal for referrals, and conventional telephony, text, and web channels. The Long Covid Digital Pathway Pilot with Pogo Digital Healthcare and NHS Lothian represents the most material digital initiative and is positioned as a pilot rather than a scaled platform. The charity does not describe AI/ML capabilities, proprietary models, patents, or research-driven data flywheels; the 1 in 5 Report (1,850+ survey responses) is positioned as policy insight rather than as a training data asset.

Name

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

Legal name

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

Website

https://chss.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is Scotland's largest health charity, delivering free Community Healthcare Support Services — including an Advice Line, 100+ Peer Support Groups, stroke nurses, and self-management programmes — to people living with chest, heart, stroke conditions and Long Covid. It is funded by donations, fundraising events and a 46-shop retail estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Charity Community Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cardiac & Pulmonary Clinical Home Health (e.g., CHF/COPD) (HSABACAI), Home-Based Primary Care / Medical House Call Practices (HLAFAEAI), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Community healthcare support
• Health charity services
• Peer support groups
• Charity retail operations
• Fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream from one-off and recurring donations from individuals, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and legacy gifts in wills. The charity emphasizes that all money raised in Scotland stays in Scotland.
2. Charity Retail Shops: 46 charity shops across Scotland selling pre-loved clothing, accessories, homeware, and books. Revenue from retail sales of donated goods. Also operates online shop and eBay store.
3. Online Shop Sales: Scottish-themed cards, gifts, stationery, and more sold through the online shop at shop.chss.org.uk.
4. Surplus Business Stock: Businesses can donate excess stock to CHSS, which generates revenue while providing CSR benefits and tax relief to donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland delivers a free, comprehensive Community Healthcare Support Service to people in Scotland living with chest, heart, stroke conditions and Long Covid, including a specialist Advice Line, one-to-one community support, peer support groups, stroke nurse services, health information resources, and self-management programmes. Additional revenue is generated through a network of 46 charity shops across Scotland, an online shop, donations, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) is a health charity offering a comprehensive suite of services rather than a single product. The core offering is the Community Healthcare Support Service, which encompasses the Advice Line (free confidential support), Peer Support Groups (100+ groups nationwide), Health Information Resources, and clinical services including Stroke Nurses. Additional services include the Living Well with Aphasia Programme (12-week course), Supported Self Management Programme (6-week course), and specialized Long Covid Services including the Long Covid & Me Podcast. The charity operates a retail network of 46 physical charity shops and an online shop, plus support services like Weather Alerts and Kindness Calls. The organization also runs advocacy campaigns, eLearning for healthcare professionals, and extensive volunteering opportunities with over 8,500 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Healthcare Support Service Free, comprehensive support service for people in Scotland living with chest, heart, stroke conditions and Long Covid, including one-to-one community support, peer support groups, stroke nurse support, kindness calls, and self-management programmes; available free at point of use, delivered across all NHS Scotland Health Board areas.
• Advice Line (0808 801 0899) Free telephone advice line staffed by specialist nurses and health professionals, providing confidential information and support to people affected by chest, heart, stroke conditions and Long Covid, as well as a dedicated Advice Line for Health Professionals.
• Peer Support Groups Over 100 peer-led support groups across Scotland where people living with chest, heart, stroke or Long Covid conditions, and their carers, can share experiences and connect with others facing similar challenges.
• Stroke Nurse Service Specialist stroke nurse support service delivered in partnership with NHS Scotland to support people recovering from stroke, including rehabilitation advice and clinical guidance.
• Supported Self-Management Programme Six-week structured self-management programme supporting people with chest, heart, stroke or Long Covid conditions to develop skills and confidence in managing their condition day to day.
• Living Well with Aphasia Programme Twelve-week structured programme specifically designed to support stroke survivors living with aphasia, helping them and their families build communication skills and confidence.
• Long Covid Services Dedicated support services and resources for people in Scotland living with Long Covid, including self-management, peer support, and a digital pathway pilot developed with NHS Lothian and Pogo Digital Healthcare.
• Health Information Resources Hub PIF TICK-accredited library of trusted, evidence-based health information resources covering chest, heart, stroke and Long Covid conditions, available as booklets, guides, and audio content such as the Long Covid & Me podcast.
• Kindness Calls Regular, friendly telephone welfare check-in calls provided by trained volunteers to people who are isolated due to their chest, heart, stroke or Long Covid condition.
• Weather Alert Service Weather alert notifications that help people with chest or heart conditions prepare for and stay safe during adverse weather events.
• Charity Shops (Retail Network) Network of 46 charity shops across Scotland that sell donated goods (clothing, books, homeware, etc.) to generate income for CHSS's health services.
• Online Shop (shop.chss.org.uk) and eBay Store Online retail store at shop.chss.org.uk and an eBay store, selling donated and new goods to generate charitable income for CHSS's health services.

Quantifiable outcome

• People supported by CHSS rated their health and wellbeing greater than those who didn't get CHSS support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Cheyne GangcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support community singing groups for people with respiratory conditions. The Cheyne Gang runs Sing to Breathe groups in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk, Fife, Forres, Inverness, Scottish Borders and online. Singing has been shown to help with breathing control, respiratory muscle strengthening, and combating isolation for people with COPD, asthma, and bronchiectasis.
• Strathclyde UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Strathclyde University Stroke Rehab Centre. Pioneering work on stroke rehabilitation continuing to grow through this collaboration.
• NHS Scotland Health BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHSS Community Healthcare Support Service works in partnership with NHS Health boards across Scotland, helping provide better care for people who need it most. Services include training and education for healthcare professionals to improve patient care.
• Scottish Ambulance ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Scottish Ambulance Service and Scottish Government to develop support for those who have performed or witnessed CPR in the community.
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on multiple initiatives including Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund (extending Kindness Calls to Urdu and Punjabi speakers), and joint funding for Long Covid support services following successful campaigning.
• Scottish Football Association (SFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to improve health outcomes for women across Scotland through recreational football sessions, working on women's health initiatives.
• Walking Football ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing health checks (blood pressure, cholesterol) at Walking Football Scotland teams, improving health of thousands of over 50s in Scotland.
• NHS LothianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Lothian partnership includes Long Covid Digital Pathway Pilot with Pogo Digital Healthcare and Tayside Neuro hub collaboration.
• NHS GrampianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly funded Community Respiratory Team with NHS Grampian for respiratory care support.
• FAST PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) stroke awareness campaign partnership developing new materials to share with partners ensuring everyone knows stroke signs and action to take.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK charity providing community-based support for people with serious illness. Comparable to CHSS in operating model (advice line, peer support, healthcare professional partnerships) and beneficiary experience (chronic condition, NHS gap-filling), though focused on cancer.
• British Heart Foundation: UK-wide cardiac charity providing heart-disease research, support, and retail network. Directly comparable to CHSS's heart-focused services but operates at national scale with substantially larger revenue (~£300m+). The most direct peer in cardiac health.
• British Red Cross: Major UK humanitarian charity offering community support, mobility aids, and wellbeing services. Comparable to CHSS's Kindness Calls, community support at home, and emergency response (e.g., partnership with Scottish Ambulance Service). Operates at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Asthma + Lung UK: UK-wide respiratory health charity (formerly British Lung Foundation) supporting people with COPD, asthma, IPF, and bronchiectasis — directly comparable to CHSS's chest condition services. Operates advice lines, peer networks, and research funding similar to CHSS.
• Stroke Association: UK-wide stroke charity offering peer support, information, and recovery services — directly comparable to CHSS's stroke nurse service, peer support groups, and rehabilitation programs. Operates across all UK nations, providing a useful scale benchmark.
• Royal Voluntary Service: UK charity mobilizing volunteers to support NHS patients and older people. Highly comparable to CHSS in volunteer-led community support model (8,500+ volunteers operates similarly to RVS's volunteer network), advice line services, and NHS partnership delivery.

Regional players

• ENABLE Scotland: Scotland's largest disability charity supporting people with learning disabilities and their families. Comparable to CHSS in Scotland-wide charity scale, family/carer support services, and policy advocacy focus. Suggests how CHSS might expand its disability-support remit for stroke survivors.
• Age Scotland: Scotland-focused arm of Age UK providing services for older adults — many of CHSS's beneficiaries are elderly stroke/heart patients. Comparable in Scotland-specific charitable service delivery, peer support models, and NHS partnership structures.

Emerging players

• Different Strokes: UK charity focused on stroke recovery for younger working-age survivors. Comparable to CHSS's stroke support and Kindness Calls services, but with a narrower demographic focus. Demonstrates how single-condition stroke charities can compete with CHSS's broader portfolio.
• Long Covid Support: UK-based Long Covid charity providing peer support, advocacy, and information. Directly comparable to CHSS's Long Covid services including the Long Covid & Me Podcast and community support pathways. Operates at much smaller scale than CHSS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chsscotland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/chsscotland
• Facebookfacebook.com/chsscotland
• Instagraminstagram.com/chsscotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland