Little Islands

What Little Islands does

Little Islands is a privately-held UK company (4-5 employees) founded around 2018 in Colne, Lancashire, that designs, hand-manufactures and installs bespoke multi-sensory environments and products for people living with dementia. The company serves UK care homes, nursing homes, and NHS dementia wards through a direct, sales-led go-to-market offering free demonstrations via Zoom and on-site visits. Its portfolio is organised under five branded lines: Living Wall (interactive tactile sensory wall installations), Living Wheels (the award-winning Jolly Trolley mobile interactive entertainment system, featuring touchscreen, WiFi, YouTube, Bluetooth, karaoke, reminiscence programmes and up to 4 hours of battery life), Living Home (dementia-friendly interior design and sensory rooms), Living Garden (sensory garden design), and Living Training (CQC-aligned staff training led by Activities Manager Tony Grundy). In April 2025 the company broadened its product surface with three launches: S.M.A.R.T Rooms (pre-packaged themed reminiscence environments across Railway, Seaside, Nursery and Potting Shed themes), Sensory ART (interactive tactile art installations with hidden buttons), and The Jolly Journey (a First Class Railway Carriage Pod with 4K train-window footage and period memorabilia).

The underlying technology stack combines consumer-grade hardware (touchscreens, projectors, Apple TV, Xbox Kinect, RGB LED lighting, aroma devices, Bluetooth audio) with curated reminiscence content and bespoke physical fabrication. There are no proprietary AI/ML components; differentiation rests on domain specialisation, hand-made build quality, and an end-to-end service model that includes design, manufacture, installation, and staff training. Little Islands monetises through quote-based one-time product sales (Jolly Trolleys, Living Walls, Sensory Rooms, S.M.A.R.T Rooms) and professional services revenue (Living Training, Living Home interior design, Living Garden design). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are described as multi-year. Customers include L&M Healthcare (multi-site), Oakminster Healthcare, Hicare Ltd, Willowbrook Care Home, St Johns House, and Pennine NHS Trust. The company operates exclusively in the UK, holds no disclosed external funding, and is founder-owned with a leadership team of Richard Benson (Managing Director), April Roberts (Creative Director), Tony Grundy (Product Manager) and Kerri Sedgwick (Business Office Manager).

Name

Little Islands

Legal name

Little Islands

Website

https://littleislands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Little Islands is a UK-based, founder-owned company that designs, hand-manufactures and installs bespoke multi-sensory environments, mobile entertainment trolleys, and themed reminiscence rooms for people living with dementia in care homes and NHS wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dementia Care Equipment and Sensory Environments

NAICS

Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Dementia Companion & Engagement Care (HSABAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dementia/Alzheimer’s In-Home Care (Non-Medical) (HLADAGAG)

Keywords

• Dementia care products
• Sensory environments
• Interactive installations
• Care home equipment
• Reminiscence therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Colne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of bespoke interactive environments and products including Living Walls, Jolly Trolleys, sensory rooms, and S.M.A.R.T. Rooms. Products are designed, manufactured by hand, installed, and include staff training.
2. Living Training Services: Training services provided by Activities Manager Tony Grundy to help care homes put together person-centred activity programmes and meet CQC guidelines
3. Interior Design Services: Professional interior design services for dementia-friendly environments including room refurbishments, themed areas, and sensory rooms
4. Garden Design Services: Design and implementation of dementia-friendly gardens including full garden overhauls working with landscape gardeners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Little Islands designs, hand-manufactures, installs and supports bespoke interactive environments for people living with dementia. Its core offerings include the Living Wall (interactive tactile sensory wall installations), the award-winning Jolly Trolley (a mobile interactive entertainment trolley with touchscreen, WiFi, YouTube and Bluetooth), Living Home (dementia-friendly interior design and sensory rooms), Living Garden (dementia-friendly garden design), Living Training (staff training on person-centred activities), S.M.A.R.T Rooms (pre-packaged themed reminiscence spaces), Sensory ART (interactive tactile art), and The Jolly Journey (railway carriage pod). Products combine multi-sensory stimulation (sight, sound, touch, smell) with nostalgic music and images to stimulate communication.

Product overview

Little Islands offers a portfolio of bespoke products and services for dementia care, centered on creating unique interactive environments. The core product family includes Living Wall (sensory wall installations), Living Wheels (featuring the award-winning Jolly Trolley mobile entertainment system), Living Home (interior design and sensory rooms), Living Garden (dementia-friendly outdoor spaces), and Living Training (staff training services). The Jolly Trolley is the flagship mobile product featuring WiFi, YouTube, Bluetooth, and a 27-inch touchscreen. New for 2025 are S.M.A.R.T Rooms (themed reminiscence packages) and Sensory ART (tactile sensory installations). All products are designed, manufactured by hand, and installed by the company, with the aim of stimulating senses and creating pathways of communication for people living with dementia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Living Wall: Interactive, tactile, sensory wall installation that promotes the use of senses - sight, hearing, touch and smell. Winner of Art Installation of the Year at Design in Mental Health Awards 2018.
• Living Home
• Living Wheels
• Living Garden
• Living Training

Products and services

• Living Wall Interactive, tactile sensory wall installation that promotes use of the senses including sight, hearing, touch and smell. Provides gentle and fun ways to encourage increased levels of activity and communication by stimulating the senses in a focused manner, designed for people living with dementia in care homes.
• Jolly Trolley Self-contained, mobile interactive entertainment trolley that uses the latest technology incorporating sensory lights and vision. Brings music, song, reminiscence and fun to everyone in a care home environment with features including WiFi, YouTube, Bluetooth, 27-inch touchscreen, karaoke, quizzes, and up to 4 hours battery life. Winner of Innovation of the Year at the Design in Mental Health Awards 2019.
• Living Home

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning products recognised at Design in Mental Health Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Music for Dementia 2020coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2019Little Islands serves as ambassadors for the Music for Dementia 2020 campaign, supporting their mission to improve lives of people with dementia through music-based interventions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Alzheimer's Society: UK dementia charity and advocacy organisation that shapes care standards, training, and procurement in the dementia care sector. Little Islands operates in an ecosystem strongly influenced by this organisation and similar bodies (e.g., Music for Dementia 2020), though it is not a competitor.

Direct peers

• Rompa: UK-based supplier of Snoezelen and multi-sensory environment equipment for special needs, dementia, and care-home settings. Most direct comparator to Little Islands' Living Wall and sensory room offerings.
• Sensory Guru: UK supplier of sensory technology products including interactive projectors and equipment for healthcare and SEN settings. Competes with Little Islands in dementia sensory stimulation technology.
• OM Interactive: UK provider of interactive sensory projection systems and mobile activity solutions for care homes and dementia wards. Comparable to Little Islands' Jolly Trolley mobile engagement offering.
• FlagHouse: North American supplier of sensory, adaptive, and special-needs equipment including Snoezelen products for healthcare and care facilities. Comparable product portfolio for dementia sensory environments.
• Experia: International provider of sensory environments and equipment for special educational needs and dementia care, including Snoezelen rooms. Closely comparable product portfolio to Little Islands' sensory installation offerings.
• Relish: UK dementia products company offering reminiscence, activity, and wellbeing products for people with dementia and their carers. Comparable in dementia-specific consumer/B2B engagement focus.
• Active Minds: UK-based company designing activity products specifically for people living with dementia, including reminiscence and engagement tools. Direct peer in dementia-focused engagement product market.
• SpaceKraft: UK specialist in sensory room design and installation for healthcare and education, including dementia and care-home environments. Direct competitor in the sensory environment installation market.
• TFH Special Needs: US-based supplier of special needs and sensory equipment including multi-sensory room products for care and healthcare settings. Comparable to Little Islands in sensory installation offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-islands

Compliance1 record

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 Little Islands