National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

What National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society does

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1134859 in England and Wales; SC039721 in Scotland), founded in 2001 and structured as a private company limited by guarantee. NRAS is the only UK charity dedicated exclusively to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), serving patients, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and employers. Its service portfolio comprises a free telephone helpline (0800 298 7650, Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm), the SMILE-RA e-learning platform for self-management, the Right Start programme for newly diagnosed patients (with formal NHS clinician referral pathways), peer-to-peer telephone support, an online community hosted on HealthUnlocked, free downloadable publications, the RA Symptom Checker, healthcare professional membership and resources, and the dedicated JIA-at-NRAS sub-brand. The Right Start programme was evaluated by the University of Manchester with results presented at BSR 2026 showing statistically significant improvements in patient education, self-management confidence, sleep, and social participation.

NRAS operates a diversified, donation-led revenue model with no statutory government or NHS funding. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring monthly at tiered levels £5-£48), paid memberships, a charity lottery operated under Gambling Act 2005 compliance, shop merchandise sales, gifts in wills (legacy giving), and corporate partnerships. Fundraising efficiency is disclosed at 82p of every £1 spent directly on charitable activities. Distribution combines digital channels (website nras.org.uk, jia.org.uk, MailChimp email, social platforms Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn/YouTube) with healthcare professional referrals, in-person support groups across the UK, and Royal Mail publication delivery. Technology integrations include Stripe and RSM for payments, MailChimp for email, Google Analytics/Adsense, Microsoft Copilot for anonymised survey analysis, and Hemingway Editor for content readability. NRAS holds registrations with the Information Commissioner's Office (UK GDPR), the Fundraising Regulator, and operates a website designed to WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines.

Name

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

Legal name

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

Website

https://nras.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NRAS is the only UK charity dedicated exclusively to rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, providing free helpline, e-learning, peer support, healthcare professional referrals, and publications to patients, families, and clinicians across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidenhead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations from individuals, including one-time and recurring monthly donations. Fundraising activities include events, challenges, and community fundraising efforts. For every £1 donated, 82p is spent on delivering charitable services.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Paid memberships tailored for people affected by RA, providing access to community, resources, and support. Memberships include digital offerings and may have overseas limitations.
3. Lottery and Raffle: NRAS operates lottery programmes with subscription-based participation, providing entertainment value to supporters while generating charitable income. Subject to Gambling Act 2005 compliance.
4. Shop Sales: Sale of merchandise including publications, promotional items, and Christmas merchandise through the online shop.
5. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving programme where supporters leave gifts to NRAS in their wills, providing long-term sustainable funding.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate organisations including pharmaceutical companies and healthcare partners, subject to funding disclosures and regulatory compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is a UK registered charity that provides information, support, and resources for people affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Its core services include a telephone helpline, peer support programme, e-learning platform (SMILE-RA), publications, and the Right Start programme for newly diagnosed patients, all delivered free of charge to individuals and families living with these conditions.

Product overview

NRAS (National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society) is a UK-based patient charity offering a comprehensive suite of services for people affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The core offerings include a free interactive e-learning platform called SMILE-RA for self-management education, a Helpline Service staffed Monday-Friday, Peer to Peer Support (telephone and virtual), the Right Start Programme for newly diagnosed patients, an Online Community hosted on HealthUnlocked, and free downloadable/printable Publications and Booklets (including New2RA, Medicines in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Living Better with RA, and the What is RA Fold Out Card). NRAS also operates a dedicated JIA-at-NRAS sub-brand with resources for children and young people, a Healthcare Professional Membership for clinical staff, a Research Programme partnering with universities, a Charity Lottery, a Shop, regular webinars, a blog, a newsletter, and fundraising events including the #Takeon25 anniversary challenge. The RA Symptom Checker is also available as a self-assessment tool. NRAS also developed CQRA (Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis) as a historical partnership sub-brand producing PREMs tools for RA care quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NRAS Helpline

Quantifiable outcome

• 82p of every £1 donated is spent on charitable activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• University of ManchestermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conducted Right Start Service Evaluation for NRAS, documenting outcomes of the programme. Findings presented at BSR 2026 showing meaningful improvements in patient education, self-management confidence, and reduced illness impact.
• York Trials Unit, University of YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conducts the PERISCOPE trial (randomised controlled trial on continuing vs stopping biologics for inflammatory joint disease before orthopaedic surgery) with 296 participants from NHS hospitals across the UK.
• Octopus LegacyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership offering free will writing services to NRAS supporters. No obligation to include NRAS in will, but opportunity to receive legacy donations.
• NHS Hospitals (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NHS hospital partners recruiting participants for PERISCOPE trial across the UK. Also referral pathway for Right Start programme connecting RA patients to NRAS services.
• Roche Products LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Joint Working Partnership in the Commissioning for Quality in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CQRA) initiative, operating approximately 2010-2013. Partnership included NHS, academia (University of Keele), and Roche to improve RA service quality through developing commissioning metrics and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs).
• University of KeelemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Academic partner in CQRA joint working partnership focused on improving quality of RA care and developing validated Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) for RA services.
• Royal MailminorOthersDelivery partner for shipping publications and merchandise within the UK on standard free delivery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Versus Arthritis: UK's largest arthritis charity, formed from the merger of Arthritis Research UK and Arthritis Care. Offers overlapping services (helpline, publications, research funding) but covers all musculoskeletal conditions, not just RA and JIA. Directly competes for UK donor mindshare.
• National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS): UK voluntary health organization focused on axial spondyloarthritis, a related autoimmune arthritis. Uses a similar model of helpline, support groups, publications, and NHS advocacy, making it a strong operational peer.
• Lupus UK: UK voluntary health organization supporting people with lupus, another autoimmune condition. Mirrors NRAS's model of helpline, regional support groups, publications, and research partnerships, serving a comparable beneficiary population in size and structure.

Others

• Parkinson's UK: Major UK voluntary health organization with a similar operating model of helpline, local groups, research funding, and policy advocacy. Different disease focus but comparable scale and operational structure.
• MS Society: Large UK voluntary health organization for multiple sclerosis with a similar comprehensive service model. Different condition but analogous charity structure and beneficiary engagement approach.
• British Society for Rheumatology (BSR): UK professional society for rheumatology clinicians. Not a patient charity but collaborates with NRAS on Right Start referrals and hosted the BSR 2026 presentation of NRAS's service evaluation.

Broad incumbents

• Arthritis Foundation: US-based national arthritis charity with a broad mission covering all forms of arthritis. Larger scale than NRAS but offers overlapping patient support, publications, research funding, and advocacy functions.

Emerging players

• Children's Chronic Arthritis Association: UK charity specifically focused on juvenile idiopathic arthritis, directly overlapping with NRAS's JIA-at-NRAS sub-brand. Smaller scope but specialized paediatric focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NRAS_UK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NRASociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalrheumatoidarthritissociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nras
• Instagraminstagram.com/nras_uk

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society