Bipolar UK

What Bipolar UK does

Bipolar UK is the only national UK charity dedicated exclusively to supporting people affected by bipolar disorder. Founded in 1983 as the Manic Depression Fellowship following newspaper advertisements placed by Sheila Woodland and Philomena Germing, the organisation was rebranded to MDF – The Bipolar Organisation in the 2000s and to its current name in 2011. It is a registered charity in England & Wales (number 293340) and Scotland (SC-1955570), headquartered at 32 Cubitt Street, London. The organisation serves a UK population of more than one million people living with bipolar and over five million friends and family members significantly affected by the condition. Its mission is structured around three pillars: Support, Research, and Campaign.

The charity delivers free peer support services — in-person and online support groups across the UK, a telephone peer support line, and a 24/7 moderated online community (eCommunity) — alongside self-management courses, a 20-minute eLearning course, and the Mood Tracker mobile application (iOS and Android), which stores mood data locally with optional end-to-end-encrypted cloud backup via iCloud Drive or Google Drive. Workplace-facing offerings include Workplace Training and the Bipolar-Friendly Workplace Scheme, with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care publicly signed up in 2026. Research is delivered through the Bipolar Commission (launched 2021), a Wales-focused Commission extension, and a Clinical Advisory Panel; outputs include 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters', 'Hidden in Plain Sight', and 'Bipolar Minds Matter'. Technology integrations are commodity-grade: Stripe and Go Cardless/Smart Debit for donations, JustGiving and MuchLoved for fundraising, and Google Analytics/Firebase Crashlytics for usage telemetry.

Bipolar UK is funded entirely by donations and grants rather than service fees. Revenue streams comprise monthly recurring donations at £5/£10/£20 tiers, one-off donations at £10/£30/£50 tiers, corporate partnerships (workplace training fees and CSR contributions), challenge-event fundraising with Discover Adventure and Charity Challenge, legacy gifts facilitated via Farewill, and in-memory tribute donations. Reported appeal receipts include £49,225 (Christmas Appeal 2025), over £24,000 (Christmas Appeal 2024), over £20,000 (Christmas Appeal 2023), over £18,000 (BBC Lifeline Appeal, July 2025), and £6,467 (30 for 30 Challenge). Leadership is under long-serving CEO Simon Kitchen (appointed April 2018, announced stepping down in 2025) with Deputy CEO Rosie Phillips, a Director of Fundraising, a Director of Research, and approximately 27 named paid staff across marketing, digital services, support groups, and regional volunteer coordination in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Name

Bipolar UK

Legal name

Bipolar UK Ltd

Website

https://bipolaruk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bipolar UK is the only national UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by bipolar disorder, offering free peer support services (in-person groups, helpline, 24/7 online community), the Mood Tracker mobile app, workplace training, and research via the Bipolar Commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Charity Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Mental health support
• Peer support services
• Bipolar advocacy
• Charity fundraising
• Workplace mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Monthly donation options at £5, £10, £20 levels. One-off donations at £10, £30, £50 levels. Text-to-donate service available.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from supporters participating in challenge events including marathons, treks, walks, cycle rides organized in partnership with Discover Adventure and Charity Challenge.
3. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts left in supporters' wills to support future generations of people affected by bipolar.
4. In-Memory Donations: Donations made in memory of loved ones, including tribute pages through MuchLoved and JustGiving platforms.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses for workplace training, Bipolar-Friendly Workplace Scheme certification, and CSR/EDI objectives. Revenue includes training fees and partnership contributions.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bipolar UK is a registered charity that provides free peer-led support, information, and advocacy services for people affected by bipolar disorder in the UK. Its core offerings include a 24/7 online community, peer support line, in-person and online support groups, self-management courses, a Mood Tracker mobile app, workplace training, and the Bipolar-Friendly Workplace Scheme. The charity also conducts research through the Bipolar Commission and campaigns to reduce diagnosis delay and stigma.

Product overview

Bipolar UK offers a comprehensive suite of peer support services centered around its community platform. The core offerings include the Mood Tracker App (a free mobile application for mood monitoring with local and cloud backup options), the 24/7 Online Community (eCommunity), Peer Support Line, Peer Support Groups (both in-person and online), Self-Management Courses, and Workplace Training programs. Additional products include the Bipolar-Friendly Workplace Scheme, the 20-Minute eLearning Course, the Bipolar Test screening tool, and video/podcast content resources. The organization also conducts research through the Bipolar Commission initiative. The ecosystem is designed to provide continuous support across the bipolar journey—from screening and diagnosis through ongoing management and workplace accommodation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mood Tracker App A free mobile application that allows users to track their mood on a scale from 0-10 to help people with bipolar monitor symptoms and manage their condition. Data is stored locally on the user's device with optional encrypted cloud backup. Available to individuals affected by bipolar.
• Online Community (eCommunity) A 24/7 peer support online community platform run by and for people affected by bipolar, providing a safe space for connection, sharing stories, and getting helpful tips for living well with bipolar.
• Peer Support Line A one-to-one telephone-based peer support service providing practical and emotional support to individuals with bipolar when they need it most.
• Peer Support Groups In-person and online support group meetings facilitated by trained volunteers, providing a safe place for people affected by bipolar to feel understood. Users can find their nearest group via the Peer Support Group Finder.
• Self-Management Courses Educational courses designed to help individuals with bipolar develop self-management skills and strategies for living well with the condition.
• Workplace Training Flexible training options for employers, HR professionals, diversity officers, managers, and employees on bipolar awareness and supporting colleagues with bipolar in the workplace.
• Bipolar-Friendly Workplace Scheme A certification and support scheme that helps employers create bipolar-friendly workplaces and access resources for supporting affected employees. NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have signed up to the scheme.
• 20-Minute eLearning Course A free 20-minute online educational course to help users understand what bipolar disorder is and what it is not, available via the Bipolar UK eLearning platform.
• Bipolar Commission A research initiative launched in 2021 that brings together commissioners representing professionals and people with lived experience to reduce suicide risk and transform healthcare for people with bipolar. Has published multiple reports including 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters', 'Hidden in Plain Sight', and 'Bipolar Minds Matter'.

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised over £49,000 in Christmas 2025 appeal to support community
• +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

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Discover AdventureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for challenge events including Snowdon by Night, Yorkshire Three Peaks, London to Paris Cycle, and international treks to raise funds for Bipolar UK.
• Charity ChallengeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for challenge events including Jurassic Coast Weekend, Thames Footpath Challenge, and various treks and cycle rides.
• FarewillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree will-writing service partnership allowing supporters to write or update their will in as little as 30 minutes. Farewill has won multiple awards including National Will Writing Firm of the Year and has raised over £1 billion for charity.
• MuchLovedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTribute page platform partner for creating online spaces to celebrate loved ones' lives, share memories, and collect donations in memory.
• JustGivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline fundraising platform partner for accepting donations and creating tribute pages.
• Giant Giving / Big GivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChristmas appeals partnership where Big Give doubled donations made during campaign week. Christmas Appeal 2025 raised £49,225 with match funding.
• NHS England and Department of Health and Social CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment bodies that signed up to Bipolar UK's Bipolar Friendly Workplace Scheme on World Bipolar Day 2026, demonstrating commitment to supporting employees with bipolar.
• PayPlanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDebt advice partnership providing more joined-up support for people living with bipolar who may struggle with finances. Partnership provides referrals and financial support services.
• Rotary GB&IminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for three years with Rotary Great Britain and Ireland for fundraising and awareness activities.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bipolaruk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bipolar_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/bipolaruk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bipolaruk
• Instagraminstagram.com/bipolar_uk

Compliance1 record

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 Bipolar UK