Friends of The Elderly

What Friends of The Elderly does

Friends of The Elderly is a UK-registered charity (no. 226064) and company limited by guarantee (no. 133850), founded in 1905 and headquartered at The Bradbury Centre, Smiles Place, Woking, Surrey. The organisation provides residential, dementia, nursing, respite, and day care services for older people across approximately nine to ten care homes and four day care centres in England, supplemented by home care services in Sutton, Malvern, and Woking, and a charitable grants programme that supports state-pension-age individuals on low incomes across England and Wales. Pricing follows a weekly subscription model with individually assessed fees ranging from approximately £1,325/week for residential care (Malvern) to £1,915/week for nursing care (Bernard Sunley, Woking), and the charity is supported by Royal Family patronage (Princess Royal as Patron, Princess Alexandra as President) for over 60 years.

The operating model relies on electronic care planning systems deployed across all homes, acoustic monitoring devices for resident safety, and the proprietary Virtual Dementia Tour for staff training. Care quality is differentiated by a specialist Dementia Education Programme co-developed with the University of Worcester's Association for Dementia Studies under Professor Dawn Brooker MBE. All care homes are CQC-regulated, with Little Bramingham Farm holding an Outstanding rating (inspected 2022) and several others rated Good (Bernard Sunley, Redcot, New Copford Place, Malvern homes); the charity also holds dual oversight from the Charity Commission.

Revenue is generated through a mix of weekly care home and day care fees (recurring subscription model), home care service charges, donations and legacies, corporate partnerships, and grant-making from charitable foundations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via phone enquiries (care line 03305 550 378; central office 020 7730 8263), website forms, care home open days, and community outreach including the Football Friends programme (partnered with QPR, West Ham United, Luton Town, Woking, and Aldershot Town). Customer concentration is low, with a long tail of individual residents paying recurring weekly fees across multiple geographies.

Name

Friends of The Elderly

Legal name

Friends of the Elderly

Website

https://fote.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Friends of The Elderly is a UK charity founded in 1905 operating approximately nine to ten care homes, four day care centres, home care services, and a grants programme for older people in financial need across England and Wales, funded through weekly care fees and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elderly Residential Care Services

NAICS

Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury / High-End Assisted Living Communities (HLADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dementia & Alzheimer’s Respite Care (HSABAGAF), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Adult Day Respite Programs (Daytime Relief) (HLADAKAC), Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Elderly care services
• Dementia care homes
• Nursing care
• Residential care
• Day care services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Care Home Fees: Weekly fees charged to residents for residential, dementia, and nursing care services in the charity's nine care homes across England
2. Day Care Services: Fees for day care services provided at multiple locations in England for older people
3. Charitable Grants Programme: Grants provided to older people of state pension age or above living on low incomes across England and Wales for heating, cooking, and connectivity needs. Funded by donations and fundraising
4. Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations, corporate support, legacy gifts, and fundraising activities from supporters to fund charitable activities and grants programme
5. Respite Care: Short-term care stays for older people, charged on a weekly basis

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Friends of The Elderly delivers residential, dementia, nursing, and respite care from nine care homes across England, complemented by day care at four locations (Kidderminster, Malvern, Wallington, Woking) and home care services in Sutton, Malvern, and Woking. As a registered charity it also administers grants to older people of state pension age on low incomes across England and Wales, helping with heating, cooking and staying connected with family.

Product overview

Friends of the Elderly is a not-for-profit charity offering a comprehensive portfolio of care services for older people. The core offering consists of residential care homes (including The Lawn, Bernard Sunley, New Copford Place, Orford House, Redcot, Little Bramingham Farm, Friends Place, and homes in Malvern, Bournemouth, and Oxfordshire), providing dementia care, nursing care, and respite care. Day care services operate in Kidderminster, Malvern, Wallington, and Woking. Home care services are available in Malvern, Sutton, and Woking. The charity also provides grants for older people in financial hardship. All services are delivered through a network of care homes across England, with a focus on person-centred care, dementia support, and enabling older people to live fulfilled lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Care (Care Homes) Long-term residential care for older people across nine care homes in England (Woking, Alton, Colchester, Coulsdon, Haslemere, Luton, Malvern, Reading, plus Bournemouth and Oxfordshire), providing 24/7 personal care, meals, activities and accommodation.
• Dementia Care Specialist dementia care with person-centred plans, cognitive stimulation, reminiscence therapy and sensory activities, delivered across multiple care homes including Little Bramingham Farm and Redcot, with staff trained through the Dementia Education Programme.
• Nursing Care Nursing care delivered by registered nurses for older people with complex medical needs, including medication management, clinical monitoring and palliative care, offered at Bernard Sunley (Woking) and the Malvern care homes.
• Respite Care Short-term care breaks for older people charged on a weekly basis, providing temporary support and relief for family caregivers, with options such as a luxury bookable respite room at Little Bramingham Farm.
• Day Care Services Daytime care services offering structured activities, meals and social engagement for older people at four centres in Kidderminster, Malvern, Wallington and Woking.
• Home Care Services Personal care and practical help delivered to older people in their own homes in Sutton, Malvern and Woking, supporting them to remain independent.
• Grants for Older People Charitable grants for older people of state pension age or above on low incomes across England and Wales, typically for heating, cooking, or means of staying in touch with family. Funded by donations and fundraising, distributed through referral agents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Little Bramingham Farm achieved Outstanding CQC rating (February 2022)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• D&D LondonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2025D&D London's 'Invisible Soup' fundraising event raised over £12,000 for Friends of the Elderly's Grants Programme supporting older people in financial need.
• University of Worcester - Association for Dementia StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignificant partnership with the University of Worcester's Association for Dementia Studies and Professor Dawn Brooker MBE to deliver a comprehensive Dementia Education Programme. Staff receive specialist training in dementia care best practices.
• QPR (Queens Park Rangers) Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball Friends programme partnership connecting older people through football. QPR has partnered for events, visits, and the Football Friends initiative that helps reduce isolation among older fans.
• West Ham United Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Football Friends programme. Sir Trevor Brooking made memories for older West Ham United fans; programme helps fans reconnect through their love of football.
• Luton Town Football Club Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball Friends partnership connecting Luton care home residents with the local football community through activities and visits.
• Aldershot Town Football ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club presented special gift to Alton care home resident, supporting community connections.
• British AirwaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBritish Airways treated 99-year-old Mary to VIP trip to Ireland, demonstrating community support for older people.
• Woking Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball Friends partnership delivering football sessions to Bernard Sunley care home residents, maintaining community connections through sport.
• Asda FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAsda Foundation funded a greenhouse at Bournemouth care home and nominated Day Care Woking for recognition.
• The Access GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteers from The Access Group UK spruced up care home garden furniture for summer at The Lawn care home in Alton.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Barchester Healthcare: One of the UK's largest private care home operators with over 200 homes offering residential, nursing, and dementia care at the premium end of the market. Direct competitor for self-funded residents but as a commercial operator with significantly larger scale.
• HC-One: The UK's largest care home operator, running around 270+ homes with a mix of residential, nursing, and dementia care. Competes across the same geographic and demographic segments as Friends of the Elderly but at substantially greater scale.
• Care UK: Large UK provider of residential and nursing care homes plus home care services. Operates over 150 care homes, providing both a scale and home care overlap comparable to Friends of the Elderly's multi-channel offering.
• Avery Healthcare: Mid-sized UK care home operator running around 60 homes with a premium positioning in dementia and nursing care. Closely comparable in service mix and quality tier to Friends of the Elderly but as a commercial operator.

Direct peers

• MHA (Methodist Homes): One of the largest UK charitable providers of residential, nursing, and dementia care for older people. Operates a comparable multi-channel model (care homes, retirement living, day services) under a faith-based charity structure, making it the closest analogue to Friends of the Elderly.
• Orders of St John Care Trust: UK charitable trust operating around 70 care homes across England providing residential, nursing, and dementia care. Closely comparable charity model, service mix, and reliance on voluntary sector ethos.
• RMBI Care Company (Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution): Charity operating 18 care homes across the UK and a home care service for older people, including specialist dementia care. Highly comparable charity operator with multi-channel residential and community services.
• Abbeyfield Society: Not-for-profit UK charity providing sheltered housing, residential care, and dementia services for older people. Shares the charity ownership model and resident-focused ethos with Friends of the Elderly.
• Anchor: Major UK not-for-profit provider of housing, care homes, and community support for older people. Operates a similar not-for-profit model offering residential, dementia, and nursing care with comparable demographic focus and charitable funding mix.
• Jewish Care: UK charity operating care homes, independent living schemes, and community day services for older people. Comparable multi-channel elderly care model under charitable governance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/FriendsElderly
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendsElderly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1181762

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Friends of The Elderly