Headway South West London

What Headway South West London does

Headway South West London is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1150619, Company No. 8328984), founded in 2010, that provides free support services to adults with acquired brain injury and their families and carers across six South West London boroughs: Richmond, Wandsworth, Kingston, Merton, Sutton, and Croydon. The organization is affiliated with the national Headway UK network and operates with a lean team of 5 employees supplemented by volunteers. Its core services comprise monthly in-person peer-support groups held in Balham, Wimbledon, Richmond, and Croydon; virtual Zoom meetings for remote or mobility-limited participants; allotment visits; social events; benefits advice; and educational workshops. Group facilitation is delivered by credentialed clinicians — neuro-occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists — distinguishing the offering from generic community groups.

The business model is that of a small grant- and donation-funded charity rather than a revenue-generating enterprise. Income is derived from individual donations, community fundraising events, online giving platforms, payroll giving schemes, and bequests, with no fee-for-service component for beneficiaries. Recent programmatic additions include pottery courses delivered in partnership with Workshop 305 (2023) and a structured educational workshop series, 'Learning About and Living with Brain Injury' (2024), alongside a benefits/financial-advice partnership with Chase de Vere trading as Nestor (2023). Operational technology is limited to standard communication tools — Zoom, email, Mailchimp newsletters, and SMS reminders — with no proprietary platform or digital product layer. Governance transitioned in December 2023 when Paul Ashurst succeeded Alex Lowe as Chair.

Name

Headway South West London

Legal name

Headway South West London

Website

https://headwayswlondon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Headway South West London is a UK-registered charity, founded in 2010, providing free peer-support groups, clinical-led workshops, and benefits advice to adults with acquired brain injury and their carers across six South West London boroughs, affiliated with Headway UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brain Injury Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Neurologic Rehabilitation (Stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s, MS) (HSADAIAC)

Keywords

• Brain injury support
• Charity support groups
• Community health services
• Acquired brain injury
• Carer support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wimbledon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Headway South West London relies on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and fundraising activities. The organization accepts online donations via PayPal, cheques, and payroll giving through CAF. Additionally, they benefit from shopping donations through Easyfundraising (up to 15% commission from online purchases).
2. Fundraising Events: The organization organizes fundraising events including charity bike rides (e.g., London-to-Windsor), pub quizzes, tombola stalls at village fairs, and the annual Wimbledon Village Fair. Past events have raised significant amounts (£2,238.15 from 10 Bridges Walk 2010, £575 from Wimbledon Village Fair 2010).
3. Free Services (No Revenue): All services provided by Headway South West London are free to service users. The organization does not charge for group meetings, virtual groups, allotment visits, social events, benefits advice, or workshops. Services are funded entirely through donations and fundraising.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Headway South West London is an independent registered charity that delivers free support services to adults with acquired brain injury and their families and carers across six South West London boroughs. Its core offerings include four monthly face-to-face support groups (Balham, Wimbledon, Richmond, Croydon), monthly virtual meetings via Zoom, allotment visits, social events, free benefits and financial advice, and educational workshops led by clinical neuropsychologists.

Product overview

Headway South West London is a charitable organization providing support services to brain injury survivors and their families in South West London. The organization offers face-to-face support groups (Balham, Wimbledon, Richmond, and Croydon), virtual group meetings via Zoom, allotment visits, social events, free benefits advice, and educational workshops. These are service offerings, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monthly Face-to-Face Support Groups
• Virtual Group Meetings via Zoom
• Allotment Visits
• Social Events
• Free Benefits Advice
• Educational Workshops on Brain Injury
• Pottery Workshop Programme

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Chase de VerecoreOthers · 1 February 2023Chase de Vere, a leading independent financial adviser with 50 years of experience, provides free financial advice and benefits guidance to Headway South West London service users. They also produced cost of living advice materials to help service users navigate financial pressures. Chase de Vere offers services including pensions, estate planning, care funding, and wealth management.
• Wimbledon GuildcoreOthersWimbledon Guild provides in-kind support by allowing Headway South West London to use their venue, Drake House (44 St George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED), for monthly Wimbledon group meetings at no cost. This partnership enables the organization to hold regular community support sessions in a dedicated, accessible space.
• Nestor (part of Chase de Vere)coreOthersNestor, now part of Chase de Vere Independent Financial Advisers Ltd, provides completely free financial advice to Headway South West London service users to ensure they are receiving all benefits they are entitled to. This partnership enables the organization's benefits advice service.
• Workshop 305supportingOthersWorkshop 305 in Wimbledon received funding to run 4-week pottery courses for those with a history of brain injury throughout 2023. The charity coordinates participant referrals to these free therapeutic pottery classes, which run on Tuesday afternoons/evenings.
• Headway UKflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadway South West London is an independent charity affiliated to Headway UK, the brain injury association with over 100 groups across the UK. The affiliation provides access to national resources including the Headway Emergency Fund (grants up to £500), the Headway Library (e-booklets and factsheets), professional resources, and cross-referrals through the national helpline (0808 800 2244).
• Local Carers CentressupportingOthersPartnership with local Carers Centres across South West London including Croydon Carers' Centre, Kingston Carers' Network, Richmond Carers' Centre, Sutton Carers' Centre, and Wandsworth Carers' Centre. These centres provide practical support, information, benefits advice, emotional support, and signposting to other services for carers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Different Strokes: UK charity providing peer support and exercise-based rehabilitation specifically for younger stroke survivors. Comparable volunteer-led charity model, similar beneficiary cohort, and overlapping service focus on community-based group support — competes for the same donor base and service users.
• Headway UK: The national brain injury association to which Headway South West London is affiliated. Operates the Helpline, Emergency Fund, and library of resources, and coordinates the 100+ local Headway groups across the UK — directly comparable mission, beneficiary population, and service model at national scale.
• Headway East London: Another affiliated Headway regional branch serving brain injury survivors and families in East London. Closest direct comparable in mission, governance structure (volunteer-led charity), and service mix (support groups, day services, therapies) — differs only in geographic coverage.
• UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF): UK-wide membership organization for professionals and organizations working in acquired brain injury. Comparable mission of improving life after brain injury; functions as a network and advocacy body rather than direct service provider but serves overlapping stakeholder audiences.

Regional players

• Carers Trust: UK-wide charity supporting unpaid carers, with a network of local Carers Centre partners — several of which partner directly with Headway South West London. Comparable focus on carer support and complementary service line, but operates as a dedicated carer organization rather than a brain injury-specific provider.

Broad incumbents

• Stroke Association: UK-wide charity supporting stroke survivors, a major sub-population of acquired brain injury. Comparable beneficiary population (post-stroke survivors and their families) and service model (helpline, peer support groups, online community, campaigns) but operates nationally with paid staff and statutory funding.
• Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT): National provider of residential and community brain injury rehabilitation services, part of the Disabilities Trust. Comparable beneficiary population and clinical expertise (neuro-rehab professionals) but operates paid clinical services at scale rather than free volunteer-led community groups.

Emerging players

• SameYou: Emerging UK brain injury recovery charity founded by Emilia Clarke, focused on younger brain injury survivors and digital rehabilitation resources. Comparable beneficiary cohort and advocacy mission; differs in digital-first delivery model and celebrity-driven fundraising reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headway-south-west-london

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Headway South West London