What LionHeart RICS does

LionHeart RICS, legally "The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Benevolent Fund Limited," is a UK-registered independent charitable organisation founded in 1899 by Robert Vigers, then President of RICS, originally to support widows and orphans of chartered surveyors in the absence of a welfare state. Over 126 years the charity has evolved into a comprehensive welfare provider serving current and former RICS members and their families across the UK and internationally. Core services include a confidential telephone helpline (0800 009 2960), BACP-qualified counselling, financial grants (regular monthly, one-off, and emergency), a legal advice helpline, career coaching, an APC assessment support programme, youth counselling for dependents aged 12-18 delivered with Open Door, retirement planning workshops, and a CPD-approved webinar library covering mental health, career development, and Post-APC skills. International RICS members are served through a global EAP partnership with LifeWorks spanning 100+ countries and multiple languages.

Service delivery does not rely on a proprietary technology platform; instead it is built on direct human access via the helpline and website, supported by a network of BACP-qualified counsellors and CBT therapists, APC ambassadors, mental health ambassadors drawn from practising surveyors, and an MOU-based corporate partner programme that has grown to 50+ surveying and property firms. Distribution is multi-channel: peer-led ambassador outreach, CPD webinars, blog and news content, podcasts, the corporate partner channel, RICS subscription renewal giving, and fundraising events such as 5K May, the HQ Hop, the Surveyors' Football League, and legacy/bequest appeals. The charity is governed by an independent Board of Trustees, with the RICS President traditionally serving as patron; CEO Phil Sparke was appointed in March 2024 following Davina Goodchild's departure, and a new Board Chair was announced in June 2024 alongside an active board diversification campaign.

All support services are provided free of charge at point of use. LionHeart does not generate fee income; instead it relies on voluntary donations from individuals, corporate partner firms, and fundraising events, supplemented by an embedded giving option on the RICS annual subscription renewal and by legacy bequests. The charity operates from registered offices at Somerset House, 37 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5DP, with most staff working remotely and serving beneficiaries globally.

Name

LionHeart RICS

Legal name

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Benevolent Fund Limited

Website

https://lionheart.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LionHeart RICS is a UK-registered charity founded in 1899 that provides free, confidential support—including counselling, financial grants, legal advice, and mental health resources—to RICS surveying professionals and their families globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Professional Welfare Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Charitable support services
• Professional wellbeing programs
• Mental health counselling
• Financial hardship grants
• Career development coaching

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and fundraising: LionHeart relies primarily on voluntary donations from individuals, corporate partners, and fundraising events. Donations can be made directly via the website, through JustGiving, text-to-donate, corporate fundraising challenges, and legacy bequests.
2. RICS subscription partnership: LionHeart receives support through the RICS membership renewal process, where members can add a donation to their annual subscription.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

LionHeart RICS is a registered UK charity that provides free, confidential welfare support services to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) professionals and their families. Its core offering is a confidential helpline integrated with BACP-qualified counselling, means-tested and emergency financial grants, a free legal advice helpline, career coaching, and CPD-approved wellbeing webinars. The charity also runs specialised programmes for APC candidates, youth counselling for dependents aged 12-18 (via Open Door), global counselling (via LifeWorks), retirement workshops, and a peer-led Mental Health Ambassadors network.

Product overview

LionHeart operates as a charitable organization offering a comprehensive suite of confidential support services for RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) professionals and their families. The core offering centers on the Support Services platform, which integrates a helpline (0800 009 2960), professional counselling (BACP-qualified), legal advice helpline, and LionHeart Grants (regular monthly grants, one-off grants, and emergency grants for natural disasters). Supporting modules include APC Support Services with webinars and ambassador programs for candidates pursuing chartered status, the Youth Counselling Service for dependents aged 12-18 (delivered via Open Door partnership), Global Support Services with worldwide counselling access (through LifeWorks partnership), Coaching Services, Head Start to Retirement Workshops (with Laterlife Learning), CPD-approved Webinars covering mental health, career development and Post-APC subjects, the Back to Work Scheme, and the Mental Health Ambassadors Program. The organization focuses on supporting surveyors from early career through retirement, addressing mental health, financial hardship, career challenges, and family wellbeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LionHeart Support Services An integrated suite of confidential support services for RICS professionals and their families, including counselling, legal advice, financial grants, career coaching, and APC support delivered free of charge by qualified professionals.
• LionHeart Helpline Confidential telephone helpline (UK 0800 009 2960, international +44 (0)121 289 3300) providing immediate access to trained support officers and counsellors for RICS professionals and their families facing personal or professional challenges. Callback requests available via the website.
• LionHeart Counselling Service Free professional counselling delivered by BACP-qualified counsellors for RICS professionals and their families experiencing mental health challenges, stress, or emotional difficulties. Minimal waiting times and global access via the LifeWorks partnership.
• LionHeart Grants Financial assistance programmes including regular monthly grants for those in financial hardship, one-off grants for unexpected expenses, and emergency grants for natural disasters or immediate crises. Over £420,000 approved in 2024/25, supporting more than 200 people.
• Youth Counselling Service Free youth counselling service for dependents of RICS professionals aged 12-18, delivered through a partnership with the Open Door Counselling charity using a person-centred therapeutic model.
• APC Support Services Specialised support for RICS APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) candidates including webinars, ambassador peer support, and wellbeing workshops to help candidates prepare for and pass their professional assessments, including those who have been referred.
• Legal Helpline Free legal advice helpline providing RICS professionals with access to legal guidance on matters including employment law, redundancy, and professional issues, including support for those facing investigation by RICS.
• LionHeart Webinars (CPD-approved) Extensive library of CPD-approved online webinars covering mental health awareness, stress management, career development, Post-APC subjects (branding, presentation skills, business skills), and personal wellbeing topics. Free to RICS professionals and their families globally.
• Coaching Services Professional coaching services to help RICS professionals navigate career challenges, transitions, redundancy recovery, and professional development opportunities.
• Head Start to Retirement Workshops Retirement planning workshops developed in partnership with Laterlife Learning, covering financial preparation and lifestyle elements to help surveyors transition successfully into retirement.
• Global Support Services Support services for RICS professionals worldwide, providing streamlined access to vetted, accredited counsellors in over 100 countries through the LifeWorks EAP partnership, including counselling in the client's preferred language.
• Back to Work Scheme Employment support programme helping RICS professionals who are unemployed or facing redundancy to return to work through coaching, guidance, and practical assistance.
• Mental Health Ambassadors Program Network of volunteer RICS professionals with lived experience of mental health challenges who raise awareness, share stories, and provide peer support to reduce stigma across the surveying community.

Quantifiable outcome

• On average, LionHeart helped 153 different people per day during 2024/25
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Martin ArnoldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 August 2023Award-winning chartered surveyors and construction consultants Martin Arnold became LionHeart's 50th corporate partner in August 2023, signing an MOU. LionHeart provides corporate partners with support for internal mental health and welfare policies, tailored workshops and webinars for staff including wellbeing, mental health, and diversity and inclusion topics, and access to APC training and inductions.
• BlueBox PartnersminorOthers · 9 December 2021BlueBox Partners, a specialist residential surveying training business founded by chartered surveyors (Larry Russen, Alan Appleby, Phil Parnham, and Chris Rispin), made a generous donation to LionHeart following its acquisition by Sava. BlueBox had trained many thousands of property professionals and helped develop the Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation.
• RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2021LionHeart operates as an independent charity but works closely with RICS. RICS president Clement Lau (2021-22) acted as patron of LionHeart and pledged to raise awareness of its services globally. LionHeart's services are available to all past and present RICS members and their families. RICS facilitates distribution of Impact Reports to members with subscription packs.
• LifeWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2021LionHeart partnered with global EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) provider LifeWorks to streamline counselling referrals for RICS professionals based outside the UK and Ireland. The partnership provides access to vetted, accredited counsellors in over 100 countries, including counselling in the client's preferred language. This was described as an innovative partnership — the first benevolent fund LifeWorks was working with in this way.
• Open DoorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLionHeart entered into a partnership with youth counselling charity Open Door to launch a free counselling service for children and teenagers (aged 12-18) who are dependents of RICS professionals. This was launched in September 2021 amid recognised strain on young people's mental health following the pandemic and spiralling NHS waiting lists. Open Door's trained counsellors provide the service using a person-centred therapeutic model.
• Surveying firms (corporate partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLionHeart has signed MOUs with 50 surveying and property industry firms as corporate partners. These firms support their staff's wellbeing by providing access to LionHeart workshops, webinars, and mental health resources, and help raise awareness of LionHeart's services among their RICS professional employees. The partnerships began approximately 5-6 years ago as part of a broader push to reach RICS professionals earlier in their careers.
• SavaminorOthersSava, a qualification and software provider, acquired BlueBox Partners and continued to use its panel of expert valuers and surveyors on its diploma programmes. A donation was made to LionHeart upon completion of the sale.
• SDL SurveyingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSDL Surveying is a corporate partner of LionHeart that encouraged staff to participate in the 5K May fundraising challenge and matched funds raised by employees. SDL recognised LionHeart's services including financial support, free professional counselling, and legal advice as invaluable to RICS professionals.
• Band of BuildersminorOthersLionHeart contributed a grant to Band of Builders, a national construction charity that helps members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury through practical projects. LionHeart's grant covered the cost of accessible appliances for a specially adapted kitchen for Rob Lamb, a quantity surveyor paralysed in an accident, as part of a mass charity effort to get him home.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Engineers' Benevolent Fund (now Engineers Without Borders / equivalent): UK charity historically providing financial and wellbeing support to engineers and their families. Direct structural peer as another long-established professional benevolent fund with comparable grant and welfare services.
• LawCare: UK charity providing emotional support, mental health resources, and financial grants exclusively to solicitors, lawyers, and their families. Direct functional parallel to LionHeart's RICS-focused support model — same profession-specific benevolent fund structure, same helpline + counselling + grants architecture.
• The Architects Benevolent Society: UK charity providing financial, health, and welfare support to architects, students, and their families. Closely comparable profession-locked benevolent fund model with overlapping service categories.
• Help Musicians: UK charity providing financial, mental health, and career support to musicians. Comparable as a long-established, profession-specific benevolent fund offering grants, counselling, and crisis support free to beneficiaries.
• CABA (Chartered Accountants' Benevolent Association): UK charity supporting ICAEW members, students, and their families with mental health, wellbeing, financial grants, career support, and counselling. Closest structural peer to LionHeart — same profession-locked charitable model, same core services, same donation and corporate-fundraising revenue mix.
• The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund: UK charity providing financial support, wellbeing services, and advice to doctors, medical students, and their families. Direct comparable in mission and beneficiary structure to LionHeart's support for the surveying profession.
• Pharmacist Support: Independent UK charity providing financial, wellbeing, and mental health support to pharmacists, students, and their dependents. Direct parallel as a profession-specific benevolent fund offering counselling, grants, and advice.

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans: UK-wide crisis support charity operating a 24/7 helpline. Comparable as a helpline-first mental health and crisis intervention provider, though serving the general public rather than a specific profession.

Others

• LifeWorks (now TELUS Health): Global EAP provider partnered with LionHeart to deliver international counselling. Comparable as an enabling partner delivering the underlying counselling infrastructure for LionHeart's global service, and a potential competitor for any surveying firms seeking a direct EAP relationship.

Emerging players

• Band of Builders: UK construction industry charity supporting tradespeople facing illness or injury through practical projects and grants. Tangential peer to LionHeart: LionHeart has previously contributed grants to Band of Builders projects, reflecting overlapping support for construction-industry-adjacent professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lionheartrics
• Facebookfacebook.com/lionheartrics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lionheart-rics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/lionheartrics

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 LionHeart RICS