OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity

What OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity does

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity is a UK-registered non-profit (Charity Number 1159063) founded in 2014 in York by Marie and Ian Hughes in memory of their son Oscar, who died from a brain tumour at age nine. The charity exists to support any child in the UK facing a brain tumour and their family across the full journey, from symptoms and diagnosis through treatment, survival and bereavement. Its service portfolio comprises five core lines: Support and Care (practical and emotional assistance for families), Booster Boxes (physical gift boxes sent to children), LifeLine (a peer-support service connecting affected families), Brain Tumour Awareness (education on signs and symptoms to reduce diagnosis time), and Research Funding (grants directed at kinder and more effective treatments). The charity also produces a structured Information Resource library covering types of paediatric brain tumours, treatments and living with the condition. Underlying delivery is human-led rather than technology-led: services are coordinated by a six-person team based at a registered office in York (C/O Blake House, 18 Blake Street), with no proprietary software, AI/ML systems or platform-as-a-service components disclosed. Distribution is via the charity's website (oscarscharity.org), direct community engagement, Booster Box delivery, and a calendar of in-person fundraising events including the Yorkshire Marathon Relay, Inflatable 5k, Dartmoor Family Challenge and 10th Walking Challenge.

The business model is donation-only: revenue streams comprise individual donations, fundraising-event registrations, corporate Charity of the Year partnerships, school fundraising programmes, and grants from trusts and foundations. No products or services are sold and no pricing applies. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with multi-channel digital outreach across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube supplementing grassroots engagement by the Charity Manager and Community Fundraising Assistant. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Marie Hughes and includes clinical and policy expertise (a neurosurgeon Associate Professor and a former NICE Scientific Director). It is family-founded, independently operated with no parent company, no external investors, no subsidiaries and no disclosed funding rounds. The customer base is structurally diversified across individual donors, corporate partners (e.g., Vantage Motor Group, Penlife Associates), schools, and trusts and foundations, with beneficiary families served free of charge as a non-paying primary segment.

Name

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity

Legal name

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity

Website

https://oscarspbtc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity is a UK-registered non-profit founded in 2014 in York that supports children with brain tumours and their families through practical care, Booster Boxes, peer support, awareness campaigns, and research funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paediatric Cancer Charity Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAA

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYHLAJALAG

Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Funding, Grants & Program Administration

Keywords

• Paediatric cancer support
• Brain tumour charity
• Family support services
• Childhood cancer research
• Medical research funding

Headquarters

HQ city

York

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. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Website-based donation system with multiple payment options.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from participant registrations and pledges for events such as marathons, challenges, and community runs.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate organizations sponsoring the charity, being named Charity of the Year, or conducting employee fundraising campaigns. Examples include Vantage Motor Group becoming Charity of the Year.
4. Trusts and Foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations supporting the charity's research and support programs.
5. School Fundraising: Schools conducting fundraising activities in support of the charity, engaging students and staff.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity is a UK-registered non-profit (Charity No. 1159063) that supports children facing brain tumours and their families through direct emotional and practical support, Booster Boxes (gift boxes sent to children), the LifeLine peer-support service, awareness campaigns on signs and symptoms, and grant funding for paediatric brain tumour research. The charity exists to serve any child in the UK dealing with brain tumours and is funded entirely through donations, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and grants from charitable trusts.

Product overview

OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity offers a coordinated suite of support services for children with brain tumours and their families. The core offerings include: Support and Care providing emotional and practical assistance; Booster Boxes delivering physical comfort items to children; LifeLine peer support connecting families with others in similar situations; Brain Tumour Awareness programs educating on signs and symptoms; Research Funding supporting better treatments and improved outcomes; and Information Resources providing educational content about paediatric brain tumours. These services work together to support families from symptoms through diagnosis, treatment, survival, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support and Care Emotional and practical support services for children facing brain tumours and their families, including helping parents understand the journey ahead and connecting families with others in similar situations.
• Booster Boxes Physical gift boxes sent to children to provide comfort and support during their brain tumour journey.
• LifeLine Peer support service connecting families with others who share similar experiences with paediatric brain tumours.
• Brain Tumour Awareness Education and awareness programs focused on the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in children to drive earlier diagnosis.
• Research Funding Funding for research projects aimed at finding better and kinder treatments, reducing diagnosis time, increasing survival rates, and improving quality of life during and after treatment.
• Information Resources Website-based educational resources covering types of paediatric brain tumours, treatments, signs and symptoms, and guidance on living with brain tumours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving children nationwide - any child anywhere in the country
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Vantage Motor Group (Steve Butler)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSteve Butler and Vantage Motor Group selected OSCAR's as their Charity of the Year. Multiple fundraising events were organized by the team, with Phil's idea leading to successful employee engagement. Significant funds raised through various company initiatives.
• Penlife AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPenlife Associates supported OSCAR's as their chosen charity for a year, raising an incredible amount. The charity's dedication was highlighted in their communications.
• Blake House (18 Blake Street, York)minorOthersRegistered office address location provided by Blake House professional services building in York.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Large UK cancer charity providing practical, emotional, and financial support across all cancer types including paediatric cases. A broad incumbent that competes for the same donor pound and corporate Charity-of-the-Year partnerships.
• Tommy's (children's health charity): UK charity funding research and support across children's health conditions. Comparable as a UK paediatric health-focused grantmaker and family-support organization, but with a broader maternal/baby health remit.
• Cancer Research UK (Children's Cancers): Largest UK cancer research funder, including dedicated children's cancer research programmes. Sets the national agenda on cancer research funding and competes for high-value trust and major-donor support.

Direct peers

• Brain Tumour Research: UK charity focused on funding brain-tumour research and campaigning for increased national research spend. Closely aligned mission to OSCAR's research pillar and competes for the same grant and corporate-partnership funding.
• Children with Cancer UK: UK charity funding research into childhood cancers (including brain tumours) and providing family support. Closely aligned with OSCAR's on the research-funding and family-support pillars and a primary competitor for trust and individual donations.
• Solving Kids' Cancer: UK charity funding research and providing family support for children with rare childhood cancers, including brain tumours. Comparable on paediatric cancer family support and research-grant model.
• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity providing clinical, emotional, and financial support to children and young people with cancer (including brain tumours) and their families. Most directly comparable peer given the overlap in paediatric cancer family-support services.
• The Brain Tumour Charity: UK's largest dedicated brain tumour charity, funding research and providing support and information. Directly competes for the same donor pool and research-grant positioning, though covers all ages rather than only paediatric.

Regional players

• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: US-based non-profit funding paediatric brain-tumour research and providing family support. Comparable mission and beneficiary base but operates primarily in the United States.

Others

• Alice Charity: Smaller UK community-based children's charity combining family support, community fundraising, and partnership programs. Comparable in scale and operating model to OSCAR's small-team, community-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClUcYFt_MInty8o8KBpo7fg
• Facebookfacebook.com/OscarsCharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oscar-s-paediatric-brain-tumour-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/oscarscharity
• TikToktiktok.com/@oscars.charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity