Brainwave Charity
Brainwave Charity is a UK children's charity that designs bespoke multidisciplinary therapy programmes — physiotherapy, speech and language, sensory integration, learning development, and hydrotherapy — and teaches parents to deliver them at home, serving families of children under 12 with disabilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersBridgwater, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brainwave Charity does
Geographically, Brainwave serves families across all four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) plus overseas families at non-subsidised rates, while maintaining a localised physical footprint anchored in the South West. The organisation has expanded its service delivery through Outreach Hubs and the Brainwave Online remote channel, supported strategic partnerships (notably Ups and Downs Southwest in 2024 and JMW Solicitors for legal support), and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with a podcast series and renewed corporate fundraising events such as the Belfast Loop Cycle Ride (with Amentum as headline sponsor) and the North West Ball.
Brainwave Charity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brainwave Charity
- Legal name
- The Brainwave Centre Limited
- Website
- https://brainwave.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brainwave Charity is a UK children's charity that designs bespoke multidisciplinary therapy programmes — physiotherapy, speech and language, sensory integration, learning development, and hydrotherapy — and teaches parents to deliver them at home, serving families of children under 12 with disabilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brainwave Charity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Paediatric Disability Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ), Autism Spectrum (ASD) Academic & Social-Communication Support Tutoring (EDANAFAD), Telehealth/Remote ABA & Digital Behavior Coaching (EDAKAHAL)
Keywords
Where Brainwave Charity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bridgwater
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Brainwave Charity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Family Assessment Contributions: Means-tested fees charged to families for initial assessments and reassessments. Families with gross household income below £70,000 pay only a £100 deposit; those above pay £550 for initial assessment and £450 for reassessment. Overseas families pay non-subsidised rates.
- Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations from individual supporters, including one-off and regular giving, payroll giving, and legacy gifts in wills. The charity must raise £2.2 million in 2026 to continue operations.
- Charity Shop Retail: Revenue from 13 charity shops located across Somerset, Devon, and Wiltshire, selling donated goods. Shops also serve as community hubs and volunteering locations.
- Event-Based Fundraising: Income from organised events including the Belfast Loop Cycle Ride, Cheshire Clay Pigeon Shoot, North West Ball, and challenge events run through partners such as Run for Charity, Sky Blue Adventures, Realbuzz, and Action Challenge.
- Weekly Lottery: Brainwave partners with Unity Lottery to run a weekly lottery. Minimum 50% of proceeds go to the charity, with 18.4% on prizes and 31.6% on administration. Players have a 1 in 63 chance of winning, with jackpots up to £25,000.
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Grants received from trusts and foundations, which contribute significantly to annual income. Brainwave maintains relationships with twice-yearly newsletters, impact reports, and centre visits.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including cause-related marketing, Charity of the Year relationships, and corporate sponsors for events. Partners receive website recognition, volunteering opportunities, and event access.
- No Government Funding: Brainwave does not receive any government funding and relies entirely on voluntary donations, fundraising, retail operations, and grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One-time | Initial Assessment — Household income below £70,000 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Initial Assessment — Household income £70,000 or above |
| Subscription | One-time | Reassessment — Household income below £70,000 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Reassessment — Household income £70,000 or above |
| Subscription | One-time | Overseas Family Initial Assessment |
| Subscription | One-time | Overseas Family Reassessment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | On-site Self-Catering Accommodation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Weekly Lottery — Unity Lottery Partnership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Brainwave Charity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brainwave is a UK children's charity that provides specialist multidisciplinary therapy assessments and teaches parents and carers to deliver bespoke therapy programmes at home or school for children (aged 12 and under) with disabilities, developmental delays, genetic conditions, and acquired brain injuries. Programmes are designed by a team of physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, sensory integration practitioners, and learning development specialists, grounded in neuroplasticity principles. Services are delivered at the National Therapy Assessment Centre in Bridgwater, three Outreach Hubs in Southeast England, via home assessments, and through Brainwave Online remote video reassessments, with costs subsidised through voluntary donations.
Product overview
Brainwave Charity provides specialist therapy assessments and teaches parents/carers how to deliver bespoke therapy programmes at home or school for children with disabilities and additional needs. The core product is a unified therapy service comprising five interconnected disciplines—Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Sensory Integration, Learning Development, and Hydrotherapy—all delivered through initial and reassessment assessments. The service is accessed via the National Therapy Assessment Centre in Bridgwater, Somerset, three Outreach Hubs, Home Assessments for complex needs, and Brainwave Online for remote reassessments. Families receive tailored home programmes with video demonstrations, equipment loans, written reports, and ongoing Family Support. The charity operates 13 charity shops across Somerset, Devon, and Wiltshire to fundraise for services. No government funding is received; costs are subsidised through charitable donations, with a Therapy Access Fund available for eligible families.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Physiotherapy
Quantifiable outcome
- Children achieving personal milestones such as walking independently, saying first words, maintaining eye contact, and transitioning between positions — recognised through Brainwave's Certificates of Achievement programme.
Companies that use Brainwave Charity
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Brainwave Charity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Brainwave Charity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ups and Downs SouthwestcoreBrainwave announced a new charity partnership with Ups and Downs Southwest, a charity supporting children and young people with Down Syndrome from birth to 25 years and their families across Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, and Devon. The partnership aims to support more families across the South West through shared commitment to children with disabilities and additional needs. Ups and Downs Southwest has offices in Bristol and Bridgwater and a team including family support workers, school liaison workers, a Post-16 Navigator, and youth workers.
- JMW SolicitorscoreLegal partnership providing specialist legal support to Brainwave families. JMW is ranked among the best clinical negligence teams in the UK by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. They help families whose child's disability may have been caused by problems with medical care, offering no win/no fee agreements or legal aid. Services include medical negligence, serious injury support, deputyship, power of attorney, wills and trusts. Key contacts: Eddie Jones, Melissa Gardner, and Steve Brown.
- Unity LotterycoreBrainwave partners with Unity Lottery (managed by Sterling Management Centre Ltd) to operate a Weekly Lottery. Players pay £1 per week for a unique 6-digit lottery number with odds of 1 in 63 of winning. Minimum 50% of lottery proceeds go to Brainwave, 18.4% to prizes, 31.6% to administration. Jackpot prizes up to £25,000. Unity Lottery has over 20 years of experience running charity lotteries.
- Run for CharityminorFundraising partnership offering Brainwave supporters access to events across the UK including inflatable courses, bungee jumps, runs and treks. Supports Team Brainwave fundraising efforts.
- Sky Blue AdventuresminorFundraising partnership offering challenge events including National 3 Peaks, Ben Nevis, Snowdon Challenge, and more across the UK to support Brainwave fundraising.
- RealbuzzminorPartnership providing access to iconic running events including the SuperHalfs series and Berlin Marathon for Brainwave supporters.
- Action ChallengeminorPartnership offering participation challenges including UK Ultra Challenge series (25km, 50km, 100km), European, African and American challenges, plus bespoke challenge events for groups of 10+. Both individual participation and bespoke group challenges supported.
- AmentumminorHeadline sponsor of the Belfast Loop Cycle Ride 2024, a 250-mile three-day cycling challenge. The event raised over £11,500 with Amentum as the headline sponsor.
- PROViZ SportsminorSponsor providing cycling gilets to Brainwave's Belfast Loop Cycle Ride team to keep cyclists visible during the fundraising challenge.
- CPM/NDCminorEvent sponsor for the Belfast Loop Cycle Ride and the Brainwave Back to the 80s Charity Ball.
- Cavendish NuclearminorEvent sponsor for the Belfast Loop Cycle Ride supporting Brainwave's fundraising.
- Hammond Raggett, MKM, Clogau, BWF PartnershipminorSponsors of the Cheshire Clay Pigeon Shoot event.
- Tree of HopeminorCharity partner signposted on the fees page as a source of further financial support for families who may need additional help accessing Brainwave's services.
- Just4ChildrenminorSignposted as a potential source of grant funding for families needing financial support to access Brainwave therapy.
- Give as You Live / EveryclickminorOnline shopping fundraising partnerships. Everyclick converts web searches into donations for Brainwave; Give as You Live turns spending at over 4,300 retailers into free funds for the charity.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Brainwave Charity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cerebra: UK charity for children with brain conditions and neurological disabilities. Comparable family support, signposting, and specialist information services for parents of children with complex neurodevelopmental needs.
- The Bobath Centre: UK charity providing specialist multidisciplinary therapy (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language) for children and adults with cerebral palsy. Directly comparable to Brainwave's therapy assessment and home programme model, though narrower in condition focus.
- Just4Children: UK charity funding medical treatment, therapies and equipment for children with disabilities and illnesses. Also a Brainwave partner, with comparable fundraising-and-grant model targeting families needing therapy access.
- CPotential: London-based charity offering specialist therapy (physio, occupational, conductive education, music therapy) for children with cerebral palsy and related motor conditions. Comparable multidisciplinary, family-empowerment model with bespoke programmes.
- Ambitious about Autism: UK charity running specialist education services, assessments and family support for autistic children. Overlaps with Brainwave's autism caseload and learning development/sensory integration offerings.
- Tree of Hope: UK children's medical charity providing grant funding for therapies, equipment and surgeries for sick and disabled children. Already a Brainwave referral partner; comparable family-facing funding model.
- Whizz-Kidz: UK charity providing mobility equipment and wheelchair services for disabled children. Comparable disability-focused charity operating national services reliant on donations and corporate partnerships.
- Newlife Foundation: UK charity supporting disabled and terminally ill children through equipment grants, therapy services and family support. Comparable operational mix of family-facing services, charity retail and grant funding.
Broad incumbents
- Together for Short Lives: UK-wide children's palliative care charity providing support, information and family services. Broader incumbent in the children's disability/serious-condition charity space with overlapping family support functions.
- Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including deafblindness and sensory impairments. Overlaps with Brainwave's sensory integration and learning development work, but at greater scale and broader remit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brainwave Charity social profiles
Digital presenceBrainwave Charity compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Brainwave Charity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brainwave Charity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Brainwave Charity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brainwave Charity 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 Brainwave Charity
What does Brainwave Charity do?
Brainwave is a UK children's charity that provides specialist multidisciplinary therapy assessments and teaches parents and carers to deliver bespoke therapy programmes at home or school for children (aged 12 and under) with disabilities, developmental delays, genetic conditions, and acquired brain injuries. Programmes are designed by a team of physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, sensory integration practitioners, and learning development specialists, grounded in neuroplasticity principles. Services are delivered at the National Therapy Assessment Centre in Bridgwater, three Outreach Hubs in Southeast England, via home assessments, and through Brainwave Online remote video reassessments, with costs subsidised through voluntary donations.
Is Brainwave Charity a public or private company?
Brainwave Charity is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Brainwave Charity founded?
Brainwave Charity was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brainwave Charity based?
Brainwave Charity is headquartered in Bridgwater, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Brainwave Charity make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Family Assessment Contributions are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, charity Shop Retail, event-Based Fundraising, weekly Lottery, trust and Foundation Grants, corporate Partnerships and no Government Funding.
Who are Brainwave Charity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cerebra, The Bobath Centre, Just4Children, CPotential, Ambitious about Autism, Tree of Hope, Whizz-Kidz and Newlife Foundation. Broad incumbents are Together for Short Lives and Sense.
Does Brainwave Charity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brainwave Charity.
What industry is Brainwave Charity in?
Brainwave Charity's product category is Paediatric Disability Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAKAJ, Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked), with a secondary code of EDAJALAJ, Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies). Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.