OUR SPECIAL FRIENDS

What OUR SPECIAL FRIENDS does

Our Special Friends (OSF) is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1156778) and private limited company (Company No. 08769892) founded in 2014 by Belinda Johnston and headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The organisation helps vulnerable individuals maintain bonds with their companion animals during illness, bereavement, isolation, or other life crises. Core services comprise Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA) visits, in which volunteers and their trained animals visit clients in homes or care settings; Dog Walking Support for owners unable to exercise their pets; Fostering to Reunite, a short-term fostering service to prevent surrender during hospitalisation; Advance Care Planning for pets; Adoption/Rehoming Support; and Bereavement Support. The client base consists of elderly and isolated individuals, people with health challenges, and pet owners in crisis, reached via referrals from NHS staff, neighbourhood nurses, social workers, vets, and direct self-referral through the website. All services are delivered free of charge.

Delivery runs on a community-led volunteer model: members of the public are recruited, trained, and matched with beneficiaries using their own animals. A small paid office team — Founder/CEO Belinda Johnston, Animal Companionship Practitioners, Coordinators, and an Office Coordinator — manages safeguarding, training, scheduling, and quality assurance. The technology backbone is a CRM database of clients and volunteers, augmented by customised documentation templates (Dog/Cat CVs, Advance Care Plans) that operationalise pet-care planning. OSF holds Fundraising Regulator registration and is affiliated with SCAS, ADCH, and CAS, and has an active research partnership with the University of East Anglia.

Revenue is generated exclusively through donations, grants, and fundraising events; there is no fee-based pricing model. Material disclosed funding includes a £62,200 grant from Global's Make Some Noise in 2024 and an earlier West Suffolk Council grant underwriting the first-year salary of the new Animal Companionship Practitioner role. Volunteers' time is recorded as in-kind contribution. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees (Rebekah Sullivan and Rebecca Stephens are referenced as Trustees), with the charity's stated objective of expanding services beyond Suffolk as further funding is secured.

Name

OUR SPECIAL FRIENDS

Legal name

Our Special Friends Ltd.

Website

https://ourspecialfriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Our Special Friends is a Suffolk-based UK charity founded in 2014 that provides free animal companionship services — including visits, dog walking, fostering, and bereavement support — to elderly, isolated, and health-challenged individuals via a trained volunteer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal companionship and welfare support services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs & Senior In-Home Pet Sitting (HSANAEAH), Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Animal companionship services
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Pet bereavement support
• Pet fostering services
• Charity volunteer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury St Edmunds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters, both one-time and recurring contributions to support emergency veterinary care, volunteer expenses, and running costs
2. Grants and Funding: Major grants from organizations including Global's Make Some Noise (£62,200 over two years for ACP role), West Suffolk Council (first year salary funding for Animal Companionship Practitioner), and other funders supporting operations and expansion
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising activities including events, Santa Paws appeals at Pets at Home, community events, and corporate partnerships
4. Volunteer Time Donations: Volunteers donate their time, expertise (veterinary care, admin, training), and animal companionship services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Our Special Friends is a registered charity that delivers free animal companionship support services to vulnerable people in Suffolk, UK, primarily elderly and isolated individuals and those facing illness or bereavement. Its portfolio includes Animal-Assisted Activity visits by volunteers with their own trained animals, dog walking for owners unable to exercise their pets, fostering-to-reunite services that keep pets with owners during hospitalisation, advance care planning for pets, adoption and rehoming support, and bereavement support. Services are funded through donations, grants, and fundraising, and delivered by a trained volunteer network managed by a small paid team and Board of Trustees.

Product overview

Our Special Friends is a community-focused charity providing animal companionship support services primarily in Suffolk, UK. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected services centred on animal-assisted interventions: Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA) visits with volunteer-owned animals, Dog Walking Support for clients unable to exercise their own pets, Fostering to Reunite for temporary pet care during client hospitalisation, Advance Care Planning documentation services, Adoption and Rehoming Support, and Bereavement Support. These services are supported by volunteer training programs, The Monthly Paws newsletter, the Volunteer Handbook, and structured referral pathways. The organisation does not offer a technology product but delivers human services through a trained volunteer network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report improved mental wellbeing and reduced isolation through regular animal companionship visits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Futures for You (Employer)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Employer partner that provides paid volunteer days for employees, enabling staff to volunteer with OSF during work hours without affecting pay, holidays, or sick leave.
• ADCH (Association of Dogs and Cats Homes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with ADCH, the industry body for animal welfare organizations, demonstrating commitment to standards and best practices in animal care.
• Fundraising RegulatorminorOthersRegistered with the official UK fundraising regulator, demonstrating adherence to ethical fundraising codes and commitment to transparent operations.
• The British Racing SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously hosted OSF offices at their Newmarket facility, providing office space and a positive working environment with access to stables and horses.
• Wellbeing SuffolkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for volunteer training on 'Wellbeing in Later Life' topics, providing expert guidance for OSF's volunteer education program.
• ADCH Online Wellbeing SessionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSF volunteers welcome to attend ADCH's online wellbeing sessions as part of volunteer support offerings.
• University of East Anglia (UEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership producing studies on Animal Companionship and Our Special Friends, providing evidence base for program effectiveness and organizational impact.
• PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference to PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report as resource, indicating alignment with animal welfare best practices.
• Suffolk User ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSF volunteers invited to provide feedback on experiences with emergency mental health support services through Suffolk User Forum initiative.
• Pets at HomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Sudbury Pets at Home store partnership for Santa Paws appeals and awareness raising events, helping attract new volunteers and raise funds.
• The Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered first aid training to OSF volunteers, enhancing their skills for supporting clients and animals.
• The Dog Behaviour ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal expert delivering dog behaviour training sessions to OSF volunteers on topics like enrichment, pain recognition, and walk alternatives.
• Suffolk SightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered training on sight impairment and aids for independent living, helping OSF support clients with visual disabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Cross: UK pet charity providing veterinary services, rehoming, and pet bereavement support. Overlaps with OSF's bereavement support and rehoming services as part of a much wider welfare portfolio.
• PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals): Major UK veterinary charity providing free and low-cost vet care, plus community education on pet wellbeing. Already cited as a reference partner by OSF; overlaps on emergency veterinary care and animal welfare advocacy.
• The Mayhew: London-based animal welfare charity with rehoming, community veterinary, and animal therapy programmes including pet bereavement support. Overlaps with OSF on bereavement and community animal welfare, though London-focused.
• Dogs Trust: Largest UK dog welfare charity, with rehoming, fostering, and community education programmes. Operates at significantly greater scale than OSF and overlaps on fostering-to-reunite and rehoming support.
• RSPCA: UK's largest animal welfare charity, operating rehoming centres, fostering networks, and animal rescue services. Compares with OSF on fostering and rehoming support but at vastly greater national scale.

Emerging players

• Canine Partners: UK charity that trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities. Adjacent to OSF's disability support work but focuses on trained task-performing assistance dogs rather than companion animal visits.

Others

• Age UK: UK charity for older people, providing information, advice, befriending, and wellbeing services including addressing loneliness. OSF's elderly client segment is a direct overlap on loneliness and isolation, though Age UK does not deliver animal-focussed services.

Direct peers

• Pets As Therapy: UK charity that arranges therapeutic visits from volunteers and their temperament-assessed pets to settings including hospitals, hospices, care homes, and schools. Closest direct peer to OSF's Animal-Assisted Activity model, operating at national scale.
• Therapy Dogs Nationwide: Volunteer-based UK charity providing therapeutic visits from temperament-assessed dogs to hospitals, hospices, care homes, schools, and prisons. Overlaps with OSF's volunteer animal-assisted visits and assessment process.
• The Cinnamon Trust: UK charity dedicated to helping elderly and terminally ill owners and their pets, providing dog walking, fostering, and emergency pet care. Directly comparable to OSF's dog walking, fostering, and pet owner support services for vulnerable populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-special-friends-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 OUR SPECIAL FRIENDS