Colostomy Association
Colostomy UK is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1967, that provides free support, information, and advocacy for people living with a stoma — including colostomates, ileostomates, and urostomates — through a 365-day helpline, peer support groups, webinars, and awareness campaigns such as Stoma Friendly Toilets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersWinnersh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Colostomy Association does
Colostomy UK (formerly the Colostomy Association) is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1113471, company number 05623273) founded in 1967 and headquartered in Winnersh, Wokingham. The charity provides support, information, and advocacy for people living with a stoma — including colostomates, ileostomates, and urostomates — alongside their families, carers, and healthcare professionals. It is described in source material as the only UK charity solely focused on supporting people with a colostomy. Services are delivered free of charge through a freephone Stoma Helpline operating 365 days a year from 9am to 10pm, a closed Facebook support group, a network of local support groups across England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Republic of Ireland, a telephone befriending service, and the quarterly Tidings digital magazine. The Active Ostomates programme adds wellness offerings including chair yoga, pilates, mindfulness, swimming, walking football, Team Colostomy UK Rugby League, and virtual art classes.
The core platform combines a content library (factsheets, booklets, webinars) with community touchpoints (helpline, befriending, local groups, Facebook) and advocacy campaigns led by Stoma Friendly Toilets, Stoma Aware Day, and Stoma MythBusters. Notable technical and operational components include the Stoma Friendly Toilets Finder (an online locator for accessible facilities), Stoma Aware Training delivered to businesses and organizations, and a Big Cartel-powered merchandise and lottery shop. The organization is volunteer-augmented, with a paid staff of 11–50 plus trustees and trained volunteer helpline and Facebook-group moderators.
Revenue is generated through individual donations and fundraising, the Colostomy UK weekly lottery, corporate partnerships (including sponsored webinars and product features with Convatec, CliniMed, SecuriCare, Dansac/Novalife, and Salts Healthcare), Easy Fundraising affiliate income, and merchandise sales. Recent strategic activity includes the Morrisons partnership delivering stoma-friendly accessible toilets across 497 stores, the University of Leeds joining the Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign, and recognition as one of ten winners of the GSK Impact Awards 2026 in partnership with The King's Fund. The organization is governed by a board of trustees (including a Finance Trustee, a Secretary/Governance Trustee, and trustees with HR and fundraising expertise) under CEO Libby Herbert.
Colostomy Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Colostomy Association
- Legal name
- Colostomy UK
- Website
- https://colostomyuk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Colostomy UK is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1967, that provides free support, information, and advocacy for people living with a stoma — including colostomates, ileostomates, and urostomates — through a 365-day helpline, peer support groups, webinars, and awareness campaigns such as Stoma Friendly Toilets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Colostomy Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Support Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Operative Personal Care Support (Non-Clinical) (HSABABAK)
Keywords
Where Colostomy Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Winnersh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Colostomy Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on individual donations, fundraising activities, and events to fund its operations and support services
- Colostomy UK Lottery: A lottery programme where participants can support the charity while having the chance to win prizes
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including sponsorship of webinars and campaigns, with businesses paying for association with the charity
- Easy Fundraising and Shop: Income from Easy Fundraising scheme and merchandise sales through their shop
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Colostomy Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Colostomy Association (Colostomy UK) delivers free, lived-experience-led support, information, and advocacy for people who have had stoma surgery and their families. Services include a 365-day helpline, peer support groups, a Phone Befriending service, Stoma Aware Training for businesses, and the Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign and venue accreditation programme. The organisation is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1113471) and funds its activities through donations, grants, sponsorships, and commercial training fees.
Product overview
Colostomy UK is a UK-based charity providing support, information, and advocacy for people living with a stoma. The organization operates a single integrated support platform comprising multiple service modules: a freephone Stoma Helpline staffed by trained volunteers, the quarterly Tidings digital magazine, regular webinars on stoma management topics, a Telephone Befriending Service for peer support, and an Active Ostomates Program offering wellness activities including yoga, meditation, pilates, art classes, swimming, and walking football. The charity also runs awareness campaigns including the Stoma Friendly Toilets initiative and Stoma Aware Day, along with providing a Stoma Friendly Toilets Finder tool, Stoma Aware Training for businesses, and an extensive library of factsheets and information booklets covering all aspects of stoma care.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 365-Day Helpline Free, 365-days-a-year freephone helpline providing confidential, lived-experience-led information, reassurance, and signposting for ostomates and their families across the UK.
- Peer Support Groups Network of in-person local peer support groups where ostomates can meet others living with a stoma, share experiences, and receive mutual support.
- Phone Befriending Service Regular telephone befriending calls from trained volunteers to ostomates who are isolated, housebound, or otherwise unable to attend in-person support groups.
- Stoma Aware Training Paid training programme for employers and customer-facing staff that builds awareness of stoma issues, suitable customer interactions, and accessibility in the workplace.
- Stoma Friendly Toilets (campaign and venue accreditation) National awareness campaign and accreditation scheme that recognises venues providing clean, accessible toilets for people with stomas, supported by an online database of accredited locations.
- Webinars and Educational Content Online webinars, videos, and written resources covering practical stoma management, lived-experience stories, and wellbeing topics for ostomates, families, and healthcare professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Morrisons made all 497 stores in England, Scotland, and Wales stoma-friendly
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Colostomy Association
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Colostomy Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Colostomy Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MorrisonscoreMorrisons collaborated with Colostomy UK to implement stoma-friendly accessible toilets across all 497 stores in England, Scotland, and Wales. The new facilities include hooks for clothing or bags, a shelf for supplies, a bin for discreet disposal, and a mirror to assist with appliance checks. This partnership directly supports Colostomy UK's campaign for appropriate facilities for people with stomas.
- Edward MountainminorStoma advocate who worked with Colostomy UK on the Morrisons partnership to make accessible toilets stoma-friendly across the supermarket chain.
- University of LeedscoreUniversity of Leeds became the latest organization to join Colostomy UK's Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign, making it easier for people living with a stoma to access clean, practical and dignified toilet facilities across its campus.
- GSKcorePartnership between pharmaceutical company GSK and The King's Fund awards the GSK Impact Awards to small charities making outstanding contributions to UK health and wellbeing. Colostomy UK was selected as one of ten winners in 2026.
- The King's FundcorePartnership between GSK and The King's Fund awards the GSK Impact Awards. The King's Fund conducted the rigorous assessment process for selecting winners.
- ConvatecminorSponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Managing and Preventing Leakage with a Stoma, providing expert guidance on causes of leakage and prevention strategies.
- CliniMedminorSponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Staying Active with a Stoma, exploring exercise, core strength and rebuilding confidence when living with a stoma.
- SecuriCareminorCo-sponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Staying Active with a Stoma alongside CliniMed, exploring exercise and wellness for ostomates.
- Dansac (Novalife)minorPartnership featuring the NovaLife TRE Black pouch on Colostomy UK's website, allowing ostomates to embrace personal style while feeling secure and confident.
- Salts HealthcareminorHealthcare company with Confidence-BE product featured on Colostomy UK's digital platforms and Tidings magazine.
- Esteem Body (Convatec)minorConvatec's Esteem Body product campaign featured on Colostomy UK's website, offering ostomates options for confidence and comfort.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Colostomy Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Macmillan Cancer Support: Largest UK cancer-support charity, providing practical and emotional support including to cancer patients who undergo stoma surgery. Comparable as a UK helpline-, peer-support- and information-driven patient charity operating at vastly larger scale than Colostomy UK.
- Crohn's & Colitis UK: Larger UK charity covering inflammatory bowel disease, a common underlying cause of stoma surgery. Comparable as a UK patient-support charity serving the same end population (ostomates) but at significantly greater scale and broader condition scope.
- Bowel Cancer UK: UK charity focused on bowel cancer, another major driver of stoma surgery. Comparable as a peer UK patient-advocacy charity serving the same ostomy population but competing for the same restricted and unrestricted donation pool.
Direct peers
- Bladder & Bowel UK: UK charity providing information and practical support for people with bladder and bowel conditions, including stomas. Comparable as a UK-based patient-support charity with overlapping educational content, helpline resources and healthcare-professional training remit.
- Urostomy Association: UK charity supporting people with a urostomy. Directly comparable as a stoma-type-specific patient charity sharing the same peer-support, helpline and awareness-campaign playbook as Colostomy UK.
- Ileostomy & Internal Pouch Association (IA): UK charity providing peer support and information to people with an ileostomy or internal pouch. Directly comparable to Colostomy UK as a fellow UK stoma-focused patient charity with overlapping helpline, support group and volunteer-led service model.
Emerging players
- Maggie's Centres: UK charity providing in-person emotional and practical support for people affected by cancer. Comparable in funding model and beneficiary-support framework but focused on drop-in centres rather than digital/helpline services.
Others
- Salts Healthcare: UK-based ostomy appliance manufacturer with patient-facing education and support services. Comparable as both a corporate partner and an adjacent patient-support provider serving the same UK ostomy population.
- Coloplast (Patient Programs): Global ostomy appliance manufacturer that runs its own UK patient-support and education programs and is a known Colostomy UK webinar sponsor. Comparable as a stakeholder in the UK ostomy support ecosystem rather than as a direct charity competitor.
- Convatec (me+ Patient Support): Global ostomy and wound care manufacturer with a dedicated me+ patient support programme that overlaps with Colostomy UK's content remit. Comparable as a corporate sponsor and provider of complementary patient education resources for ostomates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights2 records
Customer concentration
Colostomy Association social profiles
Digital presenceColostomy Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Colostomy Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Colostomy Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Colostomy Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Colostomy Association
What does Colostomy Association do?
The Colostomy Association (Colostomy UK) delivers free, lived-experience-led support, information, and advocacy for people who have had stoma surgery and their families. Services include a 365-day helpline, peer support groups, a Phone Befriending service, Stoma Aware Training for businesses, and the Stoma Friendly Toilets campaign and venue accreditation programme. The organisation is a UK registered charity (Charity Number 1113471) and funds its activities through donations, grants, sponsorships, and commercial training fees.
Is Colostomy Association a public or private company?
Colostomy Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Colostomy Association founded?
Colostomy Association was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Colostomy Association based?
Colostomy Association is headquartered in Winnersh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Colostomy Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are colostomy UK Lottery, corporate Partnerships and easy Fundraising and Shop.
Who are Colostomy Association's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Macmillan Cancer Support, Crohn's & Colitis UK and Bowel Cancer UK. Direct peers are Bladder & Bowel UK, Urostomy Association and Ileostomy & Internal Pouch Association (IA). Maggie's Centres is listed as an emerging player. Others are Salts Healthcare, Coloplast (Patient Programs) and Convatec (me+ Patient Support).
Does Colostomy Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Colostomy Association.
What industry is Colostomy Association in?
Colostomy Association's product category is Patient Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABABAK, Post-Operative Personal Care Support (Non-Clinical). Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.