What Thames Hospice does

Thames Hospice (legal name Thames Hospicecare, charity no. 1108298) is a UK-registered charitable hospice founded in 1987 and headquartered in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illnesses across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. Core clinical services include Hospice at Home, round-the-clock inpatient care, a 24/7 telephone advice line, wellbeing and therapy services, counselling and bereavement support, complementary therapy, physiotherapy, and lymphoedema services. All care is delivered free of charge to patients and families, with referrals accepted from GPs, NHS trusts, and other healthcare professionals. The organisation also runs an Education & Development programme offering clinical placements and palliative care training to healthcare professionals.

The hospice is funded primarily through charitable donations, fundraising events, retail operations, a weekly lottery, raffles, gifts in wills, corporate partnerships, and partial NHS statutory funding. It operates a diversified retail portfolio including high street charity shops, Homestores (preloved furniture and homeware), Homestudios (upcycling workshops), a Vintage & Retro boutique in Windsor, a Bag a Bargain discount store, and online storefronts on eBay, Vinted, and Depop. A free furniture collection service feeds donated goods into the retail pipeline. The Thames Hospice Lottery, managed by Sterling Management Centre Limited under a Gambling Commission licence, generated £1,035,331 in ticket sales in FY 2025/26, with 69% flowing directly to the hospice. The organisation needs to raise approximately £39,000-44,000 per day to sustain operations.

Headcount stands at approximately 261 employees as of 31 March 2024, spanning clinical, retail, fundraising, and support functions. Leadership is headed by Chief Executive Debbie Raven, with a Board of Trustees providing governance. The hospice is registered with the Care Quality Commission, the Fundraising Regulator, and holds the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. It is currently operating with a planned deficit of around £500,000 against the backdrop of sector-wide financial pressure on UK hospices.

Name

Thames Hospice

Legal name

Thames Hospicecare

Website

https://thameshospice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thames Hospice is a UK charity providing free palliative and end-of-life care to adults in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire, funded by donations, retail, lottery, and partial NHS support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (621610), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Inpatient Hospice (General Inpatient Care) (HLADAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Routine In-Home Hospice Care (HSABAFAA), Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC), Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• End-of-life care
• Hospice charity services
• Bereavement counselling
• Community palliative nursing

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidenhead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donations from supporters in the community, including one-time and recurring donations. Services are provided free of charge to patients.
2. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising events and campaigns including Trunks across the Thames, Ultra Challenge, and community events.
3. Retail Operations: High street charity shops, specialist shops (Homestores, Vintage & Retro, Bag a Bargain), and online sales through eBay, Vinted, and Depop. Furniture collection service generates revenue from sold items.
4. Lottery and Raffle: Weekly lottery and raffle programmes. In financial year 2025/26, lottery received £1,035,331 in ticket sales. 69% went directly to the Hospice to fund care and services. External Lottery Manager: Sterling Management Centre Limited.
5. Gifts in Wills: Legacies left to the hospice in supporters' wills.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses for fundraising support.
7. Statutory Funding: Partial funding from NHS and government sources. Thames Hospice operates with a planned deficit of around £500,000, highlighting heavy reliance on charitable donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thames Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults with life-limiting illnesses in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. Core offerings include Hospice at Home community nursing, round-the-clock inpatient care, wellbeing and therapy services, a 24-hour telephone advice line, counselling and bereavement support, complementary therapy, physiotherapy, and lymphoedema services. The hospice also operates retail shops, online sales, and a weekly lottery to fund its charitable care services.

Product overview

Thames Hospice is a charitable hospice providing expert palliative and end-of-life care services to adults in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. The organization operates on a hub-and-spoke model combining direct clinical care with retail operations and fundraising activities to sustain services free of charge. Core clinical services include Hospice at Home, Inpatient Care, Wellbeing & Therapy Services, a 24-hour Telephone Advice Line, Counselling & Bereavement Support, Complementary Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Lymphoedema Services. Retail operations span high street charity shops, Homestores for furniture and homeware, Homestudios for furniture upcycling, a Vintage & Retro boutique, Bag a Bargain discount store, plus online presences on eBay, Vinted, Depop, and their own Online Shop. Fundraising products include the Thames Hospice Lottery, raffles, and the Living with Dying Podcast. Education & Development programs train healthcare professionals in palliative care. A virtual tour of the hospice is available online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homestudios: Furniture upcycling workshops offering painting, waxing, finishing and stenciling services using Frenchic paint
• Homestores
• Vintage & Retro
• Bag a Bargain
• Café by the Lake
• The Royal Harmonics
• Thames Hospice Lottery

Products and services

• Hospice at Home Specialist palliative care provided in patients' homes, including rapid discharge from hospital and daily visits from clinical staff, for adults with life-limiting illnesses.
• Inpatient Care Round-the-clock expert nursing and medical care for patients staying at the hospice facility in Maidenhead, providing pain management, symptom control, and end-of-life care.
• Wellbeing & Therapy Services Therapeutic support services to enhance quality of life for patients and families receiving hospice care.
• 24-hour Telephone Advice Line Round-the-clock telephone support for patients, families, and carers needing urgent palliative care advice, available 365 days a year.
• Counselling & Bereavement Support Professional emotional support and counselling for patients' families and those experiencing grief and bereavement, including support for children and young people.
• Complementary Therapy Non-pharmacological therapies such as massage and aromatherapy provided to support patient wellbeing.
• Physiotherapy Rehabilitation and physical therapy services to help hospice patients maintain mobility and independence.
• Lymphoedema Services Specialist treatment for lymphoedema, a condition causing swelling in body tissues, provided to patients as part of hospice care.
• Education & Development Professional education and training courses in palliative and end-of-life care for healthcare professionals, including clinical placements.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform selling fashion, accessories, homeware and other donated or new items to generate funds for the hospice.
• Homestores High street charity shops selling quality preloved furniture, homeware and soft furnishings, including Maidenhead and Reading locations.
• Homestudios Upcycling workshops that transform donated furniture using painting, waxing, finishing and stenciling techniques, also stocking Frenchic paint.
• Vintage & Retro Boutique Award-winning specialist shop in Windsor featuring one-of-a-kind vintage clothing, furniture and collectibles, listed in Time Out magazine's top places to visit in Windsor.
• Bag a Bargain Discount charity store offering items from £1, located in Blackwater, Camberley.
• Furniture Collection Free door-to-door collection service for donated furniture and homeware from properties in the Thames Valley area.
• Thames Hospice Lottery Weekly lottery with prizes including a £1,000 jackpot, operated under Gambling Commission licence and managed by Sterling Management Centre Limited.
• Thames Hospice Raffle Regular raffle with prizes including a £3,000 first prize, operated to raise funds for hospice care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services to all patients regardless of ability to pay
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Living with Dying PodcastminorOthersMedia partnership for educational content about end-of-life topics and hospice experiences. Helps raise awareness and provide support to the community.
• Asian Star RadiominorOthersMedia partnership for community engagement and awareness building with Asian communities in the Thames Valley area.
• Music in Hospices CICminorOthersPartnership with organization focused on music therapy and support in hospice settings. Provides complementary therapeutic services.
• Sterling Management Centre LimitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExternal Lottery Manager for Thames Hospice Lottery. Handles lottery operations, prize draws, player registrations, and compliance with Gambling Commission regulations. Account number 25869 regulated by Gambling Commission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mountbatten Hospice: An Isle of Wight-based hospice providing inpatient palliative care, Hospice at Home, and bereavement services funded through community donations and retail. Comparable regional hospice charity structure and clinical service mix.
• ellenor hospice: A Kent-based hospice providing inpatient care, Hospice at Home, counselling, and community fundraising including charity shops. Operates a comparable regional hospice model serving a defined English catchment.
• Trinity Hospice: A London-based hospice offering inpatient palliative care, community nursing, bereavement support, and charity retail operations. Comparable service model with similar NHS referral pathway and community fundraising approach.
• Woking & Sam Beare Hospices: A Surrey hospice delivering inpatient and community palliative care funded through donations, retail, and legacies. Directly comparable in size, services, and catchment (adjacent South East England region).
• Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care: A UK hospice charity operating in Surrey (immediately adjacent to Thames Hospice's East Berkshire/South Buckinghamshire catchment). Provides comparable inpatient, Hospice at Home, and bereavement services funded through community fundraising and retail — the closest geographic and operational peer.
• Princess Alice Hospice: A Surrey-based hospice charity delivering inpatient palliative care, community nursing, bereavement support, and a network of charity shops. Directly comparable in service mix, fundraising model (retail + lottery + donations), and patient demographic.
• Hospice in the Weald: A Kent/Sussex hospice offering inpatient care, community palliative nursing, and family support, with charity shops and fundraising events. Comparable in scale, service mix, and regional UK hospice charity model.

Broad incumbents

• Sue Ryder: A national UK charity operating multiple hospices, neurological care centres, and a large retail chain. Provides the same hospice and palliative care services but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach, plus broader fundraising infrastructure.
• Marie Curie: The UK's largest charitable provider of palliative and end-of-life care, with hospices and a national community nursing service. Directly comparable clinical model but at national scale, with much larger statutory NHS contract income alongside fundraising.

Others

• Hospice UK: The national umbrella charity for UK hospices. Not a direct care peer, but a key sector infrastructure body whose research, advocacy, and standards framework shape the operating environment for Thames Hospice and similar organisations.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThamesHospicecare
• Facebookfacebook.com/thameshospice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thameshospicecare
• Instagraminstagram.com/thameshospice

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 Thames Hospice