What Challengers does

Challengers (legally "Disability Challengers") is a UK registered charity founded in 1979 by Colin Hassell and Dr Helen Foley MBE, headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, with the legal entity registered as Companies House number 04300724 and Charity Commission number 1095134. The organisation provides inclusive play, youth and alternative-provision services for disabled children and young people aged 4–18 across the South East of England, operating Play Schemes, Youth Schemes, the 555 alternative-provision service and The Hub community initiative from purpose-built centres in Guildford and Farnham plus partner-venue locations in Kingston, Richmond, Winchester and Chichester. Its non-exclusion policy guarantees admission regardless of the complexity of a child's needs or the family's financial situation, and 61% of surveyed families report Challengers is the only service accessible to them.

The underlying technology stack is operationally modest: a Salesforce-based booking platform (challengers.my.site.com/bookings) manages session registration and payment, with Ticket Tailor handling Hub event ticketing, Affinity Lottery powering the weekly lottery, and integrations with JustGiving, EasyFundraising and Ziffit for donations and in-memory giving. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, mobile application or API are disclosed. Services are delivered through employed play workers, youth workers and service managers supported by volunteers, with a headcount band of 101–250; key staff include Head of Service Paul Wilson (20+ years tenure) and CEO Gen Dearman (appointed February 2022, 17+ years charity-sector experience).

The business model is a diversified charity funding stack. Direct service income comes from session fees of £37 per day, with concession rates of £5 per day for families on means-tested benefits (largely funded at Kingston and Richmond by Achieving for Children). The remainder is raised through one-off and recurring donations, a weekly lottery (50p of every £1 played retained), a Business Club at an annual corporate membership fee, corporate partnerships (notably Brewers, Kelly's Storage, COINS Foundation), trust and foundation grants (including a flagship National Lottery Community Fund grant underwriting The Hub), challenge events (London Marathon, ultra-challenges, wing walking), legacies via The Goodwill Partnership, and ancillary retail (Challengers-branded gnomes). Distribution is direct to families supplemented by school and local-authority referral channels, with go-to-market driven by community events, parent ambassadors, earned media and a Salesforce booking funnel.

Name

Challengers

Legal name

Disability Challengers

Website

https://disability-challengers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Challengers is a UK charity, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Guildford, that delivers inclusive play, youth and alternative-provision services for disabled children and young people aged 4–18 across the South East of England, operating from owned and partner-venue centres under a non-exclusion admissions policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Social Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Inclusive play services
• Disability charity
• Youth leisure programs
• Respite care services
• Alternative education provision

Headquarters

HQ city

Guildford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: One-off and recurring donations from individuals, with gift aid support. Donors can give specific amounts (£20, £37.50, £75) or custom amounts for various purposes including care hours, medication training, and parent support.
2. Weekly Lottery: Weekly lottery operated through Affinity Lottery platform. Players pay £1 per line per week with prizes including £25,000 jackpot. Approximately 50p from every £1 played goes directly to Challengers.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Business Club: Corporate partners sponsor events, provide grants, and participate in Charity of the Year programs. Business Club membership provides £500 annual fee that funds 50 hours of play for disabled children. Major partners include Brewers (£1M donation), Kelly's Storage (£500K+ raised), COINS (£87,964 invested), and NFU Mutual (£16,494).
4. Trust and Foundation Grants: Partnerships with charitable trusts and foundations that provide funding to support operational costs and service delivery.
5. Session Fees: Families pay session fees for Play and Youth schemes. Standard rate is £37 per day at most schemes; concession rates of £5 per day available for families in receipt of certain benefits. 555 Service and Pre-schools have separate pricing structures.
6. Legacies and Gifts in Wills: Legacy gifts from supporters who include Challengers in their Wills. Partnership with The Goodwill Partnership for Will writing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Challengers is a registered charity providing inclusive play and leisure services for disabled children and young people aged 4-18 across the South East of England. Core offerings include Play Schemes (ages 4-12), Youth Schemes (ages 11-18), the 555 Service (alternative education provision for ages 5-18 out of school), Pre-Schools, and The Hub community initiative. Services are delivered from purpose-equipped centres in Guildford and Farnham and through community venue partnerships in Kingston, Richmond, Winchester, and Chichester, supported by training in complex health conditions and behaviour management. The charity operates a unique non-exclusion policy ensuring no child is turned away based on complexity of needs or financial situation.

Product overview

Challengers offers a portfolio of inclusive play and leisure services for disabled children and young people aged 4-18 across the South East of England. The core offerings include: Play Schemes (ages 4-12) providing weekend and holiday activities with tailored staffing support; Youth Schemes (ages 11-18) offering social activities and day trips; the 555 Service providing alternative education provision for those out of school; and The Hub delivering family support, SEND workshops, and community events. Services operate from multiple locations in Surrey, Hampshire, West Sussex, and London boroughs, united by a non-exclusion policy that ensures access regardless of need complexity or financial circumstances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Play Schemes Weekend and holiday play schemes for disabled children aged 4-12 across Winchester, Farnham, Guildford, Kingston, and Richmond. Staff provide 2:1, 1:1, or non-1:1 support tailored to each child's needs. Standard rate £37 per day; concession rate £5 per day for eligible families on means-tested benefits. Sessions run 10am-4pm.
• Youth Schemes Weekend, evening, and holiday youth schemes for disabled young people aged 11-18, including day trips to bowling, beaches, zoos, and theme parks. Available in Chichester, Farnham, Guildford, Richmond, and Kingston. Standard rate £37 per day; concession rate £5 per day available at Richmond and Kingston.
• 555 Service Alternative education provision for disabled young people aged 5-18 who are out of education, awaiting placement, excluded, or unsupported by current school. Runs weekdays term-time from Farnham and Guildford locations, up to 3 days per week for 3-5 hours daily. Helps maintain routine, develop skills, and prepare for return to education.
• The Hub Community Initiative Community initiative providing SEND events (Family Fun Days, coffee mornings, workshops), one-to-one support, co-working space for parents, and help with forms (EHCP, Blue Badge) and benefit applications. Free to attend, funded by National Lottery. Open to all families regardless of whether children attend Challengers services.
• Pre-Schools Inclusive pre-school services for younger disabled children, subject to availability and using a separate booking/payment process.
• Business Club Corporate Membership Annual Business Club membership programme for corporate partners at £500/year that funds 50 hours of play for disabled children. Includes exclusive quarterly events, networking opportunities, and recognition as supporters of disabled children.
• Weekly Lottery Weekly lottery operated through Affinity Lottery platform at £1 per line per week, with a £25,000 jackpot and £1,000 prize for matching 5 numbers. Approximately 50p from every £1 played goes directly to Challengers. Players can enter up to 5 lines per week.

Named customers7 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

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guildford JazzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Wood Street Jazz Festival with Challengers. Annual event held on Wood Street Village Green, Guildford, raising funds for Challengers while providing cultural event for community. Guildford Jazz organizes performers including Liane Carroll Trio, James Davison & Callum Au Quintet, and Somethin' Else Big Band.
• Achieving for ChildrencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal authority partner funding concession places at Kingston and Richmond Play and Youth schemes. £5/day rate available at these locations, with spaces largely funded by Achieving for Children, enabling families to access inclusive play services at reduced cost.
• The Goodwill PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for legacy giving and Will writing services. The Goodwill Partnership offers free home appointments and cost-effective Will writing service for supporters considering gifts in Wills to Challengers.
• British Gnome StoresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulie Martin from British Gnome Stores in Shamley Green, Surrey designed and handcrafts Challengers branded gnomes (Colin and Helen, named after founders). Each gnome sold for £30 with proceeds benefiting Challengers. Gnomes are wool-felt, hand-sewn, and individually unique.
• Affinity LotterycoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform provider for Challengers Weekly Lottery. Runs lottery on Affinity Lottery platform with weekly Friday draws, £25,000 jackpot, and 50p from every £1 played going to Challengers. Provides random number generator for draws tested and approved by Gambling Commission certified test house.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: One of the UK's largest learning disability charities providing direct support, information, and advocacy. Comparable as a major UK disability-focused charity serving children and families, though operating across the full lifespan and at national scale.
• United Response: National charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs across England and Wales. Overlaps in disability-services delivery though broader age range and different service mix.
• Sense: National UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including deafblindness. Both organisations serve disabled children and families across the UK; Sense operates at much broader national scale with a wider portfolio of services while Challengers specialises locally in inclusive play.

Direct peers

• KIDS: National charity working with disabled children, young people, and their families across England. Most directly comparable peer — both deliver inclusive play, leisure, and short-break services for disabled children through regional centres and community-based provision.
• Ambitious about Autism: National charity for autistic children and young people providing specialist education and youth services. Overlaps with Challengers' autism-inclusive play schemes and 555 Service for out-of-education autistic young people.
• Contact (formerly Contact a Family): UK charity supporting families of disabled children with information, advice, and peer support. Comparable through shared family-respite focus, though Contact is primarily information/advice rather than direct play-service delivery.
• Whizz-Kidz: UK charity providing disabled children with mobility equipment, wheelchair skills, and youth empowerment programmes. Directly comparable as a specialist disability charity focused on children and young people with similar fundraising and service-delivery model.
• Cerebra: UK charity for children with brain conditions and their families, providing direct support, equipment, and research. Comparable as a specialist disabled-children's charity serving similar age groups and family cohorts.

Others

• Disability Rights UK: National disability-led organisation advocating for rights, policy, and information. Adjacent rather than directly comparable — provides policy and information services rather than direct play/youth provision for disabled children.

Emerging players

• Include.org (formerly Include Me TOO): UK disability charity supporting disabled children and young people from minority ethnic communities. Comparable in mission and beneficiary focus but operates at smaller scale with different geographic and demographic emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DisabilityChallengers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-challengers
• Instagraminstagram.com/challengers1979
• Xx.com/D_Challengers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Challengers