Little Hearts Matter

What Little Hearts Matter does

Little Hearts Matter (LHM) is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Birmingham, that operates as the only national organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to supporting people affected by single ventricle heart (SVH) conditions. It serves four primary user groups: parents receiving an antenatal diagnosis, children and young people aged 7–17 living with half a working heart, adults living with Fontan circulation, and bereaved families — with secondary audiences of grandparents and medical professionals. Its service portfolio spans a telephone and online support line, antenatal and bereavement counselling, peer-support communities on social platforms, youth engagement programmes (LHM Kidz, Youth Zone, Brave Heart Awards), an information hub of medically verified booklets, condition animations and workshop content, lifestyle guidance on benefits (DLA, PIP), education, exercise and travel, an annual medical symposium for clinicians, and a research-advocacy function. LHM generates revenue through individual donations, corporate partnerships, foundation grants (notably the National Lottery Community Fund, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the DVS Foundation), challenge-event fundraising (London Marathon, Great North Run), and merchandise sales via its online shop; membership and core support services are provided free of charge. The organisation employs approximately 21 staff, is led by Head of Services Suzie Hutchinson (MBE, 2023) and Head of Youth Services Lexie Katsaitis, and has no proprietary technology product, mobile app, or AI offering — its digital footprint is limited to a content-led website, social channels, Raisely donation processing, and online retail.

Name

Little Hearts Matter

Legal name

Little Hearts Matter

Website

https://lhm.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Hearts Matter is the only national UK charity dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by single ventricle heart conditions, providing peer support, medically verified information, youth and adult services, and medical-professional engagement across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Congenital Heart Disease Patient Support Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology (HLAKABAD)

Keywords

• Congenital heart disease support
• Patient support charity
• Bereavement support services
• Medical information resources
• Family peer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on donations from individuals, corporate supporters, and fundraising activities. Donations are accepted through online platforms and the organization runs various fundraising events and challenges.
2. Corporate Support: The charity receives support from corporate entities, with dedicated pages for corporate partnerships and workplace giving programs.
3. Lottery and Foundation Funding: Funding received from The National Lottery Community Fund and charitable foundations such as the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and DVS Foundation.
4. Shop Sales: The charity operates a shop (shop.lhm.org.uk) selling merchandise and resources.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Little Hearts Matter provides direct support services and medically verified information resources to individuals and families affected by single ventricle heart conditions across the UK. Core offerings include a telephone helpline, antenatal diagnosis support, bereavement support, youth services for ages 7-17, dedicated SVH adult services, an online information hub, lifestyle guidance, and an annual medical symposium. Membership is free and services are funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and charitable grants.

Product overview

Little Hearts Matter operates as a UK-based charitable organization (not a technology product company) offering a comprehensive suite of support services for individuals and families affected by single ventricle heart conditions. The organization's offerings include: support services (telephone helpline, antenatal support, bereavement support, youth support ages 7-17, and SVH adult services), an information hub with medically verified resources covering diagnosis, conditions, treatments, animations, and publications, lifestyle information resources, dedicated youth programs (LHM Kidz and Youth Zone), adult services for those living with Fontan circulation, educational workshops (DLA, PIP, energy management), an annual medical symposium for healthcare professionals, story sharing platforms connecting families, and a membership community program. The organization also operates an online shop and conducts research initiatives. While the organization leverages digital platforms (Zoom for virtual workshops, Raisely for donations, Eventbrite for events) for operational purposes, these are tools used to deliver services rather than product integrations in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Services A comprehensive range of free support services including a telephone helpline, antenatal support, social media-based support, bereavement support, young people's support (ages 7-17), and SVH adult support for adults living with half a working heart.
• Information Hub Medically verified information resources covering understanding diagnosis, conditions and treatments, condition animations, helpful booklets and publications, open day videos, workshops, and listings of UK congenital cardiac hospitals.
• Lifestyle Information Resources covering benefits guidance (DLA, PIP), education support, hospital preparation, sports and exercise advice, travel and trips information, and feeding guidance for families managing single ventricle heart conditions.
• LHM Kidz Dedicated section for children providing age-appropriate information and support for young people affected by single ventricle heart conditions.
• Youth Zone Program empowering young people aged 7-17 with half a working heart through dedicated support, lifestyle information, sibling resources, and Brave Heart Awards recognition.
• SVH Adults Services Growing services for adults living with half a working heart, including support groups, transplant assessment information, ACHD hospital listings, insurance and benefits guidance, PLE resources, Fontan Associated Liver Disease (FALD) information, and adult travel resources.
• Online Educational Workshops Virtual and in-person workshops including DLA workshops, PIP workshops, and energy workshops providing guidance on disability benefits and lifestyle management for members.
• Medical Symposium Annual medical conference bringing together UK congenital cardiac teams to explore innovative treatments and care for Fontan pathway patients, covering topics including quality of life, transition, mental wellbeing, exercise, education, workplace challenges, sexual health, Fontan clinics, transplantation, and palliative care.
• Story Sharing Platform Collection of personal stories from families, children, youth members, SVH adults, and bereavement stories providing peer support and community connection.
• Member Community Free membership program offering access to support services, resources, workshops, events, and the LHM community including the adult group on Messenger for peer support.
• LHM Shop Online shop offering branded merchandise with proceeds supporting the charity's services.
• Research Program Charity research initiatives supporting studies and clinical trials related to single ventricle heart conditions and Fontan circulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £20,000 raised by individual bereaved families in memory of loved ones
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Edgbaston Conference CentresupportingOthersVenue partner for the Single Ventricle Heart Medical Symposium held in September 2024 as part of the charity's 30th anniversary celebrations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Max Appeal: UK charity supporting families affected by 22q11.2 deletion (DiGeorge syndrome), which frequently includes congenital heart defects. Comparable as a small UK rare-condition charity providing family support, peer connection, and information resources — a model analogue to LHM.
• The Somerville Foundation: UK charity supporting adults born with congenital heart conditions, including those with Fontan/single ventricle physiology. Closely comparable to LHM's SVH Adults services portfolio, including transplant, benefits, and lifestyle support for the same adult demographic.
• Children's Heart Federation: The national UK umbrella charity for children with congenital heart disease, funding member groups and providing family support. Directly comparable as a UK-based charity offering peer support and information to families affected by congenital heart conditions, though broader than LHM's single-ventricle focus.
• Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY): UK charity supporting young people with cardiac conditions and bereaved families, including research and screening. Comparable as a UK cardiac charity providing family support, bereavement services, and similar community-led engagement to LHM.
• Tiny Tickers: UK charity focused on improving the early detection and care of congenital heart conditions in babies, including antenatal diagnosis support. Comparable because it operates at the same antenatal-to-baby life stage as LHM, though focused on detection rather than post-diagnosis support.

Broad incumbents

• British Heart Foundation: The largest UK heart charity, funding research and supporting patients across all cardiac conditions. Serves as a broad incumbent funder and competitor for the UK cardiac donor pool, including single ventricle patients as a sub-segment.
• Heart Research UK: UK charity funding cardiac research and community-based heart health programmes. Comparable as a broader UK heart charity that competes for similar corporate and individual donor pools as LHM.

Regional players

• Children's Heart Surgery Fund: UK charity (Yorkshire-based) supporting the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and families treated there. Comparable as a UK congenital heart family-support charity, though with a more regional focus than LHM's national remit.
• Evelina London Children's Hospital Charity: Charity arm of a major London paediatric cardiac centre treating congenital heart patients. Comparable point of contact for the same patient demographic, though its support is tied to one hospital rather than the national UK footprint LHM covers.

Emerging players

• Down's Heart Group: UK charity supporting people with Down's syndrome and congenital heart conditions. Comparable as a small UK rare-condition charity offering family support, information, and peer connection — overlapping meaningfully with LHM's family demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LHM_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/littleheartsmatter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-hearts-matter
• Instagraminstagram.com/littleheartsmatter/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Little Hearts Matter