Helen Rollason Cancer Charity

What Helen Rollason Cancer Charity does

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity is a registered charity (No: 1052861) and company (No: 3144906) founded in 1999 in Essex, United Kingdom, as the legacy of BBC broadcaster Helen Rollason. The charity provides free, personalised cancer support services — including complementary therapies (reflexology, massage, manual lymphatic drainage), one-to-one counselling, and structured support groups — to adults diagnosed with cancer within the last three years and their carers, where the patient is being treated by an Essex hospital. Service delivery is anchored at two physical support centres (Mid Essex at Hatfield Peverel and West Essex at Harlow) and is accessed through a formal NHS hospital referral pathway, with the charity holding an NHS Standard Contract and operating under PSIRF compliance.

The charity operates a diversified fundraising model spanning individual donations, corporate partnerships (Charity of the Year, Helen Business Hero, Corporate Sponsorship), a portfolio of annual ticketed events (Ride for Helen cycling challenge, Walk for Helen, Father Christmas Experience, Marvellous Vintage, Timeless at the Castle, Christmas Tree Collection in partnership with JustHelping), and a retail operation consisting of five physical charity shops across Essex plus an eBay online store. Operations are supported by a volunteer programme contributing over 26,500 hours annually and an 11-50 employee base. Governance is provided by a board of trustees with backgrounds in healthcare, NHS finance, HR, cancer nursing, IT, and the automotive sector; Kate Alden serves as CEO and the charity is currently commemorating Helen Rollason's 70th birthday throughout 2026 with a series of legacy events.

The underlying technology footprint is minimal and consumer-facing only: a WordPress website, social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), MailChimp for email newsletters, and an Amazon Wishlist. No proprietary platform, mobile application, or AI/ML capability is disclosed. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization's economic model is fundamentally donation- and grant-dependent rather than transactional, with all client-facing services provided free of charge.

Name

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity

Legal name

Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity trading as Helen Rollason Cancer Charity

Website

https://helenrollason.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity is a UK-registered charity providing free complementary therapies, counselling, and support groups to adults diagnosed with cancer within three years and their carers in Essex. It operates through two NHS-referred support centres, five charity shops, and a diversified event-led fundraising programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAK

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGACAC

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYHLAFAEAO

Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Home Health & Hospice Providers

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Complementary therapy programmes
• Cancer counselling services
• Charity fundraising events
• Charity retail operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelmsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate donations, and general fundraising activities including event participation sponsorship and regular giving.
2. Charity Shops: Multiple charity shops across Essex (Burnham-on-Crouch, Sawbridgeworth, South Woodham Ferrers, Wickford, and Witham) selling donated goods. Also operates eBay online shop.
3. Events: Revenue from ticketed events including cycling challenges, walking events, Father Christmas Experience, vintage events, and other community fundraising activities.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship, Charity of the Year partnerships, Helen Business Hero corporate membership, and workplace giving programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity provides free, personalised cancer support services to adults diagnosed with cancer within the last three years and their carers, delivered through physical support centres in Essex. Core service offerings include complementary therapies (reflexology, massage, manual lymphatic drainage), one-to-one counselling, and structured 4-6 week support group programmes, all funded through donations, charity shop retail, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity is a charitable organization offering a unified portfolio of cancer support services, primarily serving adults diagnosed with cancer within the last 3 years and their carers in Essex. The core service offering includes Support Centres providing complementary therapies (reflexology, massage, lymphatic drainage), counselling services, and Support Groups. The charity operates an integrated fundraising ecosystem comprising physical and online retail (Charity Shops and eBay store), signature events (Ride for Helen, Walk for Helen, Christmas Tree Collection, Father Christmas Experience, Marvellous Vintage, Timeless at the Castle), and corporate partnership programmes. A volunteer programme supports operations across all departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Centres Physical support centres in Essex (Mid Essex Support Centre in Hatfield Peverel and West Essex Support Centre in Harlow) providing free, personalised support services to adults with a cancer diagnosis within the last three years and their carers.
• Complementary Therapies Free therapeutic treatments including reflexology, massage, and manual lymphatic drainage provided to cancer patients to reduce anxiety, muscle tension and improve overall wellbeing.
• Support Groups Group sessions, including a structured 4-6 week Support Group programme, providing emotional and social support for cancer patients and their families.
• Counselling Services One-to-one counselling sessions providing a safe space for emotional support for people living with cancer, funded by the charity and provided free of charge.
• Charity Shops Physical charity shops located across Essex in Burnham-on-Crouch, Sawbridgeworth, South Woodham Ferrers, Wickford and Witham, plus an online eBay store, selling donated goods to raise funds for the charity.
• Ride for Helen Essex Annual cycling event held at Crix Estate, Hatfield Peverel offering routes from 6 to 100 miles to raise funds for the charity, with adult and child ticketing options.
• Walk for Helen Annual walking event with 2, 5, or 10-mile routes held in September to raise funds for the charity.
• Christmas Tree Collection Annual collection service where the charity collects real Christmas trees from doorsteps across Essex in January in partnership with JustHelping, with sustainable recycling.
• Father Christmas Experience Festive family event held at Layer Marney Tower featuring meet-and-greet with Santa, live entertainment, crafts, storytelling, and donkey visits.
• Marvellous Vintage Vintage-themed fundraising event held at Layer Marney Tower featuring classic cars, music, and entertainment.
• Volunteering Programme Volunteer opportunities across the charity's retail shops, fundraising events, and support services, including office administration, marketing, welcome/reception, and event support roles.
• Corporate Partnerships Business partnership opportunities including Charity of the Year, Helen Business Hero corporate membership, and Corporate Sponsorship programmes for companies seeking CSR engagement.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JustHelpingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Christmas Tree Collection programme. JustHelping coordinates door-to-door Christmas tree collection across Essex, with sustainable recycling, and fundraising partnership with Helen Rollason Cancer Charity. Covers extensive postcode areas including CM, CO, CB, EN, IG, SS, and E postcodes.
• Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS commissioning relationship for patient safety incident response. Mid and South Essex ICB is the local commissioner for NHS Standard Contracts. HRCC operates under mandatory PSIRF requirements and works with the local commissioner on serious incident reporting and investigation.
• SNEE Local CommissionerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuffield and North East Essex (SNEE) local commissioner relationship for PSIRF updates and incident response coordination.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Trekstock: UK charity providing support and wellbeing services for young adults living with and beyond cancer. Overlaps with Helen Rollason's supportive-care mission but targets a defined younger demographic.
• Young Lives vs Cancer: UK charity (formerly CLIC Sargent) supporting children and young people with cancer, plus their families, through social work and financial support. Overlaps in the emotional and family-support mission but focuses on a younger age cohort.

Regional players

• The Christie Charity: Charitable arm of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, funding cancer research, treatment and patient support services. Comparable cancer-focused fundraising and support model, but tied to a specific hospital in the North West.
• Cancer Focus Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland cancer charity offering counselling, support groups and complementary therapies to cancer patients and their families. Similar service mix to Helen Rollason, but serving a different UK region.
• Tenovus Cancer Care: Wales-based cancer charity providing support, information, counselling and mobile support units to cancer patients and families. Comparable regional community-delivered cancer support model, but operating in a different UK nation.

Direct peers

• Penny Brohn UK: UK charity offering complementary therapies, nutrition advice, counselling and group support to people living with cancer. Closely comparable to Helen Rollason's mix of complementary therapies, counselling and support groups for cancer patients.
• Maggie's Centres: UK charity operating free drop-in centres providing emotional, psychological and practical support to people with cancer, plus family and friends — directly comparable service model of community-based, free cancer support delivered through physical centres.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: The largest UK cancer charity, providing information, support services, financial guidance and healthcare professional roles. Operates broadly across cancer support rather than in a single regional niche, and is the awarding body of the Macmillan Quality Environment badge that Helen Rollason holds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNmD0Uru5t3J-UevEHn5pXQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HelenRollasonCC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helen-rollason-cancer-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/helen_rollason_cancer_charity
• Xx.com/HelenRollasonCC

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Helen Rollason Cancer Charity