Self Injury Support

What Self Injury Support does

Self Injury Support, now operating under the trading name 'Sift', is a UK-registered charity (No. 1092299) founded in 1985 and headquartered in Bristol. Itself-identifies as 'the UK's leading self-harm support charity' following 40 years of operation. The organization delivers free, confidential, trauma-informed support services — including a helpline, text and email listening services, referral-gated 1:1 peer support with lived-experience supporters, and facilitated group support — to people who self-harm, alongside informational resources for friends and family, educators, and health and care workers. Co-produced training programs for educators, healthcare workers, community groups and corporate audiences represent a monetized B2B product line layered onto the free-to-user support offerings. Complementary retail products (e.g., The Rainbow Journal, Self-harm Awareness Support Packs) are sold through the Sift Shop.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit funding stack. Direct support is provided at no charge to users; the charity does not sell access to its listening or peer services. Revenue is generated instead through individual donations processed via JustGiving, corporate partnerships, legacy gifts/bequests, training fees, and a small product retail line. The organization is independently governed as a membership-based charity with no parent company, no venture backing, and no disclosed institutional investors. Operating scale is modest: 8 disclosed employees, single-country (UK) geographic scope, and no disclosed financials. Operational compliance is anchored in Helplines Partnership membership and Fundraising Regulator registration.

In February 2026, the organization executed a full rebrand from 'Self Injury Support' to 'Sift', launching a new website, logo, and brand identity registered as the Sift mark. The rebrand was framed as a response to service-user feedback that support needs to be easier to find, easier to access, and feel less exposing. The technology footprint is intentionally minimal — a standard CMS-based website, JustGiving checkout integration for donations, and organic social presence across Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram — with no API, mobile app, or AI components disclosed. The competitive position rests on accumulated lived-experience content, an embedded volunteer and peer-supporter talent base, and clinical referral pathways rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Self Injury Support

Legal name

Self Injury Support

Website

https://selfinjurysupport.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Self Injury Support, now trading as Sift, is a UK registered charity (No. 1092299) founded in 1985 that provides free, confidential helpline, text, email and peer support for people who self-harm, plus training for educators and healthcare workers, funded by donations, corporate partnerships, training fees and legacy gifts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Self-harm support
• Peer support services
• Crisis helpline services
• Mental health charity
• Trauma-informed training

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Charitable donations from individual supporters, including one-time and recurring monthly giving options. The organization solicits donations through JustGiving platform with tiered donation amounts supporting specific programs.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations who support the charity's work, likely through corporate donations or sponsorship arrangements.
3. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts left in supporters' wills to sustain the charity's long-term operations.
4. Training Services: Co-produced training programs for educators, healthcare workers, and community groups generating revenue to support core operations.

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Self Injury Support (operating as Sift) is a UK registered charity that provides confidential, trauma-informed self-harm support services. Core offerings include Listening Support via helpline, text and email; 1:1 Peer Support with lived-experience supporters accessed via health professional referral; Group Support sessions; and co-produced training programs for educators, healthcare workers and community groups. Complementary physical products include The Rainbow Journal and Self-harm Awareness Support Packs. All support services are provided free of charge and funded through donations, grants, corporate partnerships, legacy gifts and training revenue.

Product overview

Self Injury Support (operating as Sift) is a UK-based charity offering a suite of interconnected support services for people affected by self-harm. The organization provides Listening Support Services (helpline, text, and email), 1:1 Peer Support (via health professional referral), and Group Support programs. Complementary offerings include co-produced Training for educators and healthcare workers, and physical products such as The Rainbow Journal and Self-harm Awareness Support Packs. The organization recently rebranded from Self Injury Support to Sift in February 2026 as part of a website and service accessibility improvement initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Listening Support Services Confidential listening support service for people of all ages, genders and backgrounds affected by self-harm, delivered via telephone helpline, text message and email by trained listeners. Free at point of use and available to individuals across the UK.
• 1:1 Peer Support
• Group Support
• Training
• The Rainbow Journal
• Self-harm Awareness Support Pack

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of listening service users reported feeling less anxious
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: The UK's largest mental health charity, providing information, support and campaigning across the full mental health spectrum. Overlaps with Sift on mental health information, helpline signposting and corporate partnerships, but Mind is a broad incumbent rather than a self-harm specialist.
• Childline (NSPCC): Free, confidential helpline and online support for children and young people, including those who self-harm. Overlaps heavily with Sift's text and listening services for under-18s and operates at much greater scale.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, providing resources, a parent helpline and training for professionals. Overlaps with Sift on youth self-harm, professional training and family-facing guidance, though with a broader mental health remit.
• Mental Health Foundation: UK mental health charity focused on prevention, research and public awareness. Overlaps with Sift on awareness campaigns, training and self-harm information resources.
• Rethink Mental Illness: UK charity providing advice, information and services for people severely affected by mental illness, including self-harm. Comparable services, training and policy work but with a broader severe-mental-illness remit.

Direct peers

• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): UK charity running a helpline and webchat for people in distress, with a specific focus on male suicide prevention. Directly comparable donation-funded helpline model and self-harm/suicide-adjacent mission.
• Samaritans: UK-wide emotional support charity running a 24/7 helpline for people in distress, including those who self-harm. Directly comparable operating model (free, confidential listening support, donation-funded) serving an overlapping user base in emotional crisis.
• Beat Eating Disorders: UK charity supporting people affected by eating disorders, many of whom also self-harm. Operates helplines and trains healthcare professionals, making it a comparable specialist-support charity with a training-revenue model.
• PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide: UK charity focused on preventing suicide and self-harm among young people, operating a helpline (HOPELINEUK) and delivering training to professionals. Closely comparable niche focus on self-harm/suicide, training revenue model and UK helpline delivery.

Emerging players

• Anxiety UK: UK charity providing support, information and therapy services for people with anxiety, often co-occurring with self-harm. Comparable peer-support and helpline offering serving an overlapping emotional-distress user base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/siftsupportuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/siftsupportuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/self-injury-support-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/siftsupportuk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Self Injury Support