Link Age Southwark

What Link Age Southwark does

Link Age Southwark is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1105923, company limited by guarantee) founded in 1993 through the merger of Dulwich Helpline and Southwark Churches Care and rebranded under its current name in 2015. It operates exclusively within the London Borough of Southwark, with its registered office at URC, Tell Grove, East Dulwich, London SE22 8RH. The organisation exists to reduce and prevent loneliness among Southwark residents aged 60 and over and those living with a diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia, delivering services free of charge to eligible beneficiaries.

The service portfolio comprises six core programmes: one-to-one Befriending (weekly volunteer visits), Group Activities (social, exercise, and skills-based groups run by tutors and volunteers across 20 borough locations), Dementia Services (specialised befriending and activity groups), Digital Support via the 'Digital Buddies' programme (up to six weekly home visits to build digital skills), Information & Support (form filling, referrals, appointments delivered under the Ageing Well Southwark banner), and practical support including volunteer driver transport. Service delivery is human-mediated and volunteer-powered; there is no proprietary technology platform, with basic digital tools (Zoom, email, web CMS) used only for distribution.

The revenue model is a non-commercial charity model sustained by individual donations, corporate partnerships, legacy/in-memory giving, grant funding from institutional funders, and community fundraising events (e.g., Open Gardens, concerts). A single recent appeal raised £64,711.09; the volunteer base of 300+ individuals contributes 17,998 hours annually, valued at £236,673.70. In 2023/24 the charity supported 862 older people and people with dementia, created 185 befriending matches, and achieved a 90% service-user satisfaction rate on events. Governance is via a Board of Trustees with day-to-day operations run by a small paid staff team.

Name

Link Age Southwark

Legal name

Link Age Southwark

Website

https://linkagesouthwark.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Link Age Southwark is a UK-registered charity reducing loneliness among Southwark residents aged 60+ and people with dementia through free befriending, group activities, dementia services, digital support, and practical assistance, delivered by a small staff team and 300+ active volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Elderly Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Companionship & Social Engagement Visits (HSABAAAA), Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK)

Keywords

• Befriending services
• Elderly support
• Dementia services
• Volunteer charity
• Older people care

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charity receives donations from individuals, corporate partners, and through fundraising events. Services are provided free to beneficiaries.
2. Grant Funding: Receives funding from various funders and partners who support the charity's mission to reduce loneliness among older people.
3. Event Revenue: Raises funds through events such as Open Gardens, concerts, and other community fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Link Age Southwark is a registered UK charity that provides free befriending, group activities, dementia support, and digital inclusion services to older residents (aged 60+) and people living with dementia in the London Borough of Southwark. The organization recruits, trains, and coordinates more than 300 active volunteers to deliver services that reduce social isolation and loneliness, supporting both older people in the community and unpaid carers.

Product overview

Link Age Southwark is a local charity offering a portfolio of services to reduce and prevent loneliness amongst older people (60+) and those living with dementia in Southwark. The core service offering includes: Befriending (one-to-one weekly visits from volunteer befrienders), Group Activities (social, exercise and activity groups including singing, yoga, bridge, and computer groups), Dementia Services (specialized befriending and groups for people with mild-moderate dementia), Digital Support/Digital Buddies (home visits to build digital skills), Information & Support (form filling, referrals, appointments), and practical support services including volunteer driver transport. The organization also recruits and manages volunteers for various roles including Neighbourhood Champions, Community Fundraisers, and Group Support volunteers. Services are free to Southwark residents aged over 60 or with a diagnosis of dementia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Befriending Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 862 older people and people with dementia supported in 2023/24
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dulwich HelplinecoreOthers · 1 January 2012One of the two original charities that merged to form Link Age Southwark. Dulwich Helpline was founded in 1993 and provided support to older people including transport, visits, shopping, cooking, and gardening.
• Southwark Churches CarecoreOthers · 1 January 2012One of the two original charities that merged to form Link Age Southwark in 2012. Started in 1993 as a volunteer visiting scheme responding to the Government's Care in the Community initiative.
• Community SouthwarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides the Supporting Volunteering in Southwark certification, recognizing organizations committed to good practice in volunteer management.
• Living Wage FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredits Link Age Southwark as a Living Wage Employer, demonstrating commitment to fair pay for staff.
• Southwark Dementia Action AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking together to make Southwark a dementia-friendly community through shared commitment and aligned programs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GoodGym Southwark: Community-of-volunteers organization combining physical activity with visits and practical support for isolated older people - closely aligned mission (loneliness reduction) and volunteer-led delivery model.

Direct peers

• Independent Age: UK charity supporting older people with advice, befriending, and information services - highly comparable in targeting isolated older adults and providing free, volunteer-augmented support.
• Contact the Elderly: UK charity dedicated to reducing loneliness in older people through volunteer-led group befriending - a near-identical service model to Link Age Southwark's befriending and group activities.
• Re-engage: UK charity (formerly Contact the Elderly) running volunteer-driven social programs and group befriending for older people at risk of loneliness - directly comparable mission and volunteer-based delivery model.
• Age UK Southwark: Local Age UK branch operating in the same Southwark borough, providing similar advice, befriending, and social-support services to older residents. Directly comparable in target population, service mix, and borough geography.
• Dementia UK: UK charity specializing in dementia support through Admiral Nurses and family-facing services - directly comparable to Link Age Southwark's dementia-specific befriending and support groups, though delivered via a more clinical model.

Broad incumbents

• Alzheimer's Society: Large UK dementia charity offering information, support, and local services including befriending - overlapping significantly with Link Age Southwark's dementia service line and borough-level delivery.
• Royal Voluntary Service: Large UK charity delivering volunteer-powered services to older people in hospital and community settings - a much larger, broader incumbent operating in the same volunteer-led older-adult support space.
• Age UK: National UK charity umbrella with local branches, providing advice, befriending, and social programs for older adults. Significantly larger and broader than Link Age Southwark but directly overlapping in mission and service portfolio.

Others

• Carers UK: National charity supporting unpaid carers - directly relevant to Link Age Southwark's secondary 'Carers of Older People' segment receiving respite benefits from the befriending service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/laswark
• Facebookfacebook.com/linkagesouthwark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/link-age-southwark
• Instagraminstagram.com/linkagesouthwark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Link Age Southwark