Colostomy Association

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.

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

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

• Ostomy support services
• Stoma patient advocacy
• Patient helpline charity
• Stoma awareness training
• Ostomy support groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnersh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on individual donations, fundraising activities, and events to fund its operations and support services
2. Colostomy UK Lottery: A lottery programme where participants can support the charity while having the chance to win prizes
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including sponsorship of webinars and campaigns, with businesses paying for association with the charity
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MorrisonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Morrisons 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 MountainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStoma advocate who worked with Colostomy UK on the Morrisons partnership to make accessible toilets stoma-friendly across the supermarket chain.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity 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.
• GSKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between GSK and The King's Fund awards the GSK Impact Awards. The King's Fund conducted the rigorous assessment process for selecting winners.
• ConvatecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Managing and Preventing Leakage with a Stoma, providing expert guidance on causes of leakage and prevention strategies.
• CliniMedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Staying Active with a Stoma, exploring exercise, core strength and rebuilding confidence when living with a stoma.
• SecuriCareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored Colostomy UK's webinar on Staying Active with a Stoma alongside CliniMed, exploring exercise and wellness for ostomates.
• Dansac (Novalife)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership featuring the NovaLife TRE Black pouch on Colostomy UK's website, allowing ostomates to embrace personal style while feeling secure and confident.
• Salts HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare company with Confidence-BE product featured on Colostomy UK's digital platforms and Tidings magazine.
• Esteem Body (Convatec)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerConvatec'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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/colostomyassociation2011

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Colostomy Association