wHoo Cares

What wHoo Cares does

Hoo Peninsula Cares CIC, trading as wHoo Cares, is a Community Interest Company (non-profit social enterprise) registered on the Hoo Peninsula in Rochester, Kent, UK. Founded in 2016 and now operating with approximately 10 staff and nearly 100 volunteers, it serves over 500 community partners on the peninsula with volunteer transport, befriending, community activities, and a shopping-bus service targeted at elderly and isolated residents.

The organization is structured as a registered charity/social enterprise rather than a technology or product company, and there is no disclosed software platform, proprietary technology stack, or AI capability. Service delivery is human-led, organized around volunteer mobilization, council referrals, and community partnerships. Recent additions include the History Boards Project (heritage engagement) and a referral relationship with sister organization Peninsula Care Ltd.

Revenue is generated primarily through donations and grants, with the National Lottery and Fidelity UK Foundation named as institutional funders and Medway Council historically providing core grant support. Annual donation income is approximately £22,371 in the current year versus £20,103 the prior year. The organization is actively diversifying its income base in 2025-2026 through the "Bridge the Gap" crowdfunding campaign, the launch of a paid evening trip service ("wHoo Cares After Dark"), and the formalization of a paid handyman service, all of which are responses to the withdrawal of core Medway Council funding.

Name

wHoo Cares

Legal name

Hoo Peninsula Cares CIC

Website

https://whoocares.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

wHoo Cares is a Community Interest Company on the Hoo Peninsula, Kent, delivering volunteer transport, befriending, community activities, and shopping-bus services to over 500 elderly and isolated residents, funded by donations, grants, and newly introduced paid services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoo, Rochester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary funding from donations and grants including National Lottery Community Fund, Medway Council, Kent Community Foundation, Fidelity UK Foundation, and corporate donors. Individual donors contribute annually. Core funding from Medway Council was withdrawn due to wider financial pressures.
2. Shop Sales: Handmade crafts sold through wHoo Cares shop including teddy bears (£20), memory teddy bears (£30), squirrels (£15), hedgehogs (£8), tissue holders (£3). Proceeds support projects on Hoo Peninsula.
3. Paid Services: wHoo Cares After Dark paid trip service that picks up customers from their door. Also nominal fees for handyman services. Christmas Day dinner provided free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

wHoo Cares is a community interest company that provides volunteer-powered support services for isolated and vulnerable people on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent. Core offerings include transport to medical appointments, an accessible shopping bus, telephone and in-person befriending, weekly community activities, and assistance with housing and benefits. Supplementary paid services include the wHoo Cares After Dark evening trip service and a handyman/gardening service. The organization also sells handmade crafts through its online shop to raise funds.

Product overview

wHoo Cares is a community interest company providing a portfolio of support services for isolated people on the Hoo Peninsula. The core offering centres on volunteer-powered transport (shopping bus and medical appointment transport), befriending (telephone and in-person), and community activities (themed activity days, Walk & Talk groups). Supplementary paid services include the wHoo Cares After Dark evening trip service and a handyman/gardening service. The organisation also operates a shop selling handmade crafts including knitted animals and custom memory teddy bears, with all proceeds funding its charitable activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• wHoo Cares After Dark: A paid-for trip service that picks customers up from their door, offering evening outings to various venues.
• Bridge The Gap

Products and services

• Shopping Bus Service An accessible shopping bus service that takes isolated people on the Hoo Peninsula to do their shopping, providing transportation for those who cannot easily access shops independently.
• Volunteer Transport Service Volunteer drivers transport clients (partners) to important hospital and medical appointments across the Peninsula, to Medway, and further afield.
• Befriending Services Telephone befriending and in-person befriending services that connect isolated residents with volunteers for regular social contact and support.
• Community Activities Weekly community activities including themed Activity Days, Walk & Talk groups, and social events that help partners stay active, build friendships, and remain connected to their communities.
• wHoo Cares After Dark A paid-for trip service that picks customers up from their door for evening outings to various venues and events such as Hall Place & Gardens, The Woodville in Gravesend, and greyhound racing.
• Handyman Service A handyman and gardening service offering help with a wide range of jobs around the home. This is the only service for which wHoo Cares currently charges.
• Housing and Benefits Support

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Peninsula Care Ltd.supportingOthersSister organisation providing care services. Referrals made to Peninsula Care Ltd. for personal care needs when required.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Voluntary Service: Volunteer-powered UK charity supporting older people with hospital transport, companionship, and community activities. Closely comparable business and volunteer model to wHoo Cares, with overlapping service lines (transport, befriending, community engagement), though operating at national scale.
• Re-engage: UK charity combating loneliness and social isolation in older people through group activities, befriending, and tea-party programmes. Directly comparable to wHoo Cares' befriending and community activity services targeting isolated elderly residents.
• The Cinnamon Trust: Specialist UK charity supporting elderly and terminally ill pet owners with practical help including dog walking, pet transport, and befriending. Comparable niche focus on practical volunteer-led support for isolated older adults, albeit with a pet-care specialism.
• Peninsula Care Ltd. Sister organisation to wHoo Cares providing personal care services; receives referrals from wHoo Cares when clients require hands-on care. Closely tied to the subject company operationally, with overlapping Hoo Peninsula catchment.
• The Silver Line Helpline: Free 24/7 helpline for older people in the UK offering befriending, information, and referral. Overlaps with wHoo Cares' telephone befriending service and isolated-elderly focus, though delivered as a national phone-based service.
• Independent Age: National UK charity offering advice, befriending, and practical support to older people facing later-life challenges. Comparable in mission (combating isolation, supporting independent living) and service type (befriending, benefits/housing guidance) to wHoo Cares.

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: The UK's largest charity dedicated to older people, providing information, advice, befriending, transport and community services. Directly comparable to wHoo Cares in target demographic and service mix, but operates nationally with a much broader portfolio rather than specialising in a single rural peninsula.
• Carers Trust: Major UK charity supporting unpaid carers through information, respite, and community programmes. Comparable in supporting older and vulnerable populations via community-based services, with overlapping housing and benefits navigation components.

Others

• Locality: UK membership body supporting community-led organisations, social enterprises, and community interest companies. Comparable structurally as a CIC operating in the community services space, though Locality operates as an umbrella support body rather than direct service provider.

Regional players

• Medway Voluntary Action: Council for Voluntary Service covering the Medway area (which includes the Hoo Peninsula). Operates as an infrastructure body for local charities and could be considered a regional peer in the local voluntary-sector ecosystem that wHoo Cares operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whoo-cares

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 wHoo Cares