What WADE does

WADE (Wokingham and District Association for the Elderly) is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1178937) operating since 1969, with the Day Centre at 40 Reading Road, Wokingham open since 1974. Its core service is subsidised day care for residents aged 60 and over across Wokingham and surrounding parishes (Arborfield, Barkham, Finchampstead, Hurst, Winnersh, Wokingham Without), delivering meals, social activities, personal care, chiropody and hairdressing, with two wheelchair-accessible minibuses providing door-to-door transport. The Carers Breaks Service is a Council-partnered half-day respite program currently in trial.

Revenue is generated through a combination of subsidised service fees (day charge from £52, half-day £28, meals £10, bus travel £11 single / £20 return), a second-hand charity shop on Rose Street (operating for over 30 years), room hire of the Grade II listed premises, donations and Gift Aid, the Wade 150 Club monthly lottery, and proceeds from community fundraising events such as fairs, fashion shows and a London Marathon entry. The Wokingham Borough Council underwrites the Carers Breaks Service trial, and corporate supporters include Tesco, Waitrose, Smart Marketing, Squires Garden Centre and Therapies on Thames.

The organisation is governed by a board of Trustees, currently under Acting Chair Sandy Sweet following Philip Mirfin's departure in March 2026, with Lucy Zeal (High Steward of Wokingham) as Patron. Staffing of approximately 39 includes a Centre Manager, Care Manager, Chef, Senior Carer, three Carers, Accounts Assistant, Kitchen Assistant, Shop Assistant and two Driver/Maintenance roles, supported by a wider network of volunteers and the Friends of Wade fundraising committee.

Name

WADE

Legal name

Wokingham and District Association for the Elderly (Wade)

Website

https://wadecentre.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WADE is a UK-registered charity in Wokingham, Berkshire, providing subsidised day care, meals, transport, and personal services for residents aged 60+ across Wokingham and surrounding parishes, supplemented by a charity shop, room hire, a carers respite program, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elderly Day Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult Day Respite Programs (Daytime Relief) (HLADAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Respite Adult Day Programs (Short-Term/Drop-In) (HSABANAD), Caregiver Support & Respite Coordination (Assessment/Scheduling/Voucher Navigation) (HLADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Elderly day care
• Respite care services
• Community social care
• Senior companionship programs
• Non-profit elderly services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wokingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Care Membership Fees: Charges for day care services including day charge (from £52), half-day sessions (£28), meals (£10), and bus travel. Subsidized rates offered as a charity.
2. Charity Shop Sales: Second-hand charity shop on Rose Street selling clothes, gifts, and other items. Has been a feature in Wokingham for 30 years.
3. Room Hire: The Grade II listed premises are available for hire during evenings and weekends, including a dining hall (80 people) and conference room (20 people).
4. Donations and Fundraising: Direct donations, Gift Aid contributions, and funds raised through events (fairs, fashion shows, Ladies Night), Wade 150 Club lottery, and JustGiving platform.
5. Carers Breaks Service: Free half-day sessions during trial period in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council. Future pricing planned at £30 per half-day session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WADE operates a day care centre at 40 Reading Road, Wokingham, providing elderly residents aged 60+ with daily meals, social activities, personal care, and door-to-door minibus transport. The charity also runs a free Carers Breaks Service for respite care in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council, operates a second-hand charity shop on Rose Street that has been a Wokingham fixture for over 30 years, and offers room hire of its Grade II listed premises for private evening and weekend events.

Product overview

WADE (Wokingham and District Association for the Elderly) is a registered charity offering a portfolio of services for older residents aged 60+ in Wokingham and surrounding areas. The core offering is the Day Centre at 40 Reading Road, providing daily care, meals, activities, and transport. Supporting services include the Carers Breaks Service for respite care, a Charity Shop on Rose Street for fundraising, and Room Hire of the Grade II listed premises. The Wade 150 Club is a monthly fundraising lottery. The Day Centre and Carers Breaks Service form the primary care provision, while the Shop, Room Hire, and 150 Club provide supplementary income to subsidise operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WADE Day Centre A day care centre for elderly residents aged 60 and over in Wokingham and surrounding areas, offering meals, social activities, transport, and personal care. Open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm (excluding bank and public holidays). Day charge from £52, half-day session £28, two-course meal £10, with door-to-door minibus transport (£11 single / £20 return).
• Carers Breaks Service Free half-day respite sessions for unpaid carers supporting older loved ones across Wokingham Borough, delivered in partnership with Wokingham Borough Council. Accepts referrals from GPs, social workers, and healthcare professionals, as well as direct self-referrals from carers. Lunch available at own cost (£10).
• Wade Charity Shop Second-hand charity shop at 16 Rose Street, Wokingham, selling clothes, gifts and other donated items. A Wokingham fixture for over 30 years. Also accepts donations of disability aids. Open Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm, Saturday 9:30am-4:00pm, closed Sundays. Functions as a significant income stream for the charity.
• Room Hire Hire of the Grade II listed premises including a dining hall (capacity 80 people) and a conference room (capacity 20 people), with catering facilities, available during evenings and weekends for private events.
• Wade 150 Club Monthly fundraising lottery with three cash prizes awarded on the first Friday of each month, supporting the WADE Day Centre. Sign-up by standing order via the Centre.

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wokingham Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Wokingham Borough Council to provide free half-day respite sessions through the Carers Breaks Service. Currently in trial period. WADE provides the venue and care services while the Council funds the program.
• Therapies on ThamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site physiotherapy services provided through collaboration with Therapies on Thames. One-to-one sessions and group exercise classes available at the Day Centre on Friday mornings.
• Tesco WokinghamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTesco has supported WADE through donations for gift bags during lockdown and provided raffle prizes for fundraising events like the Summer Fair.
• Waitrose & Partners WokinghamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated items for gift bags delivered to members during COVID-19 lockdown.
• Wokingham in NeedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal charity supporter. Funded Browells Farm Visit event for Wade members along with Kennet Court and Alexander Grange.
• Smart MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as supporter of WADE, likely providing marketing support services.
• Friends of Wade (FOW)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerActive fundraising committee that has successfully raised thousands of pounds for WADE over the years. Organizes Summer and Christmas Fairs, Skittles evenings, and other events.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted a charity afternoon event at WADE, demonstrating community and corporate social responsibility engagement.
• Squires Garden CentreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided raffle prizes for the Wade Summer Fair.
• The Wheelwright ArmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided raffle prizes for the Wade Summer Fair.
• Yateley Men's ShedminorOthersProvided face shields/visors for staff during COVID-19 lockdown preparation for reopening.
• St Crispin's SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSixth form students and families donated 55 filled Christmas gift bags for Wade members.
• The Holt SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYear 9 student Sasha collected gifts locally for Wade members and delivered them with a handmade card and biscuits.
• Funtastic Kids Club WokinghamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated a Christmas display for the Member's lounge during the holiday season.
• Woodley Ukulele Band - No Strings AttachedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided entertainment at Wade Summer Fair events.
• Carole Potts / 'A Letter From...' ProjectminorOthersOrganized community kindness project delivering 50 handwritten letters to lonely and isolated members during the pandemic.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Dementia UK: UK charity offering specialist dementia nursing (Admiral Nurses) and family carer support. Overlaps with WADE's work serving members with early-stage dementia and their carer families.
• Independent Age: UK charity offering advice, befriending, and support services for older people and their families. Comparable in mission and beneficiary focus, though primarily advice-based rather than centre-based day care.

Direct peers

• Royal Voluntary Service: UK charity delivering community-based support for older people including lunch clubs, social activities, transport, and hospital discharge support. Highly comparable to WADE's volunteer-driven, community-led day care and social engagement model.
• Carers Trust: Major UK charity for unpaid carers, operating a network of local carer centres that deliver respite breaks, advice, and training. Directly comparable to the Carers Breaks Service element of WADE's offering.

Broad incumbents

• Alzheimer's Society: Leading UK dementia charity providing information, services and local day activity programmes for people affected by dementia. Comparable to the dementia support element of WADE's Day Centre offering, though operating at national scale.
• Methodist Homes (MHA): One of the UK's largest charitable care providers, operating retirement living, residential, nursing, and dementia care communities alongside community-based services. Comparable as a values-driven charity providing day and respite services to elderly alongside residential options.
• Age UK: National UK charity for older people providing advice, day services, befriending and local activities through a network of local brand partners. Directly comparable as the dominant umbrella for community-based elderly services like WADE's Day Centre, though far larger in scale.

Regional players

• Jewish Care: UK charity providing community centres, day care, and respite services for older Jewish people. Comparable as a community-rooted charity delivering subsidised day care and respite through a centre-based model with strong volunteer involvement.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wade-wokingham-district-association-for-the-elderly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 WADE