Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

What Rainbow Trust Children's Charity does

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity is a UK-registered charity (founded 1986; company limited by guarantee; Registered Charity No. 1070532) headquartered in Leatherhead, Surrey, that provides practical and emotional support to families caring for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness in England. The charity pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker who delivers services in homes, hospitals, schools, and communities through a network of 9+ regional Care Teams (including London & South East, Southampton, Bristol/South West, Essex, Merseyside & Cheshire, and East Lancashire). Service lines include transport to medical appointments, hospital accompaniment, sibling support, school support, neonatal support, family days out, and bereavement support that continues for as long as needed after a child's death.

The underlying "technology" is human-led: a trained, clinically experienced Family Support Worker workforce (led by a Director of Care who is a qualified nurse) delivering in-person and increasingly hybrid support, supplemented by publications (annual Impact Report, bi-yearly magazine, research reports such as 'See Us, Hear Us, Notice Us') and digital participation via a 12-charity Digital Services Consortium. There is no proprietary technology platform; beneficiary access is via self-referral on rainbowtrust.org.uk or referral from NHS staff, social workers, and hospices. Partners include Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, Together for Short Lives, The Kentown Wizard Foundation, and corporate sponsors (RBC, Taylor Wimpey, Chevron Traffic Management).

Rainbow Trust's business model is donation-funded: it receives no central government funding and operates from a zero balance at the start of each year. In FY2024-25, total funds raised were £5.3M, drawn from individual donations (£1.31M), trusts and foundations (£1.16M), corporate partnerships (£0.97M), volunteer and sports events (£0.86M), gifts in wills (£0.49M), special events (£0.33M), investment income (£0.19M), and statutory bodies (£0.02M). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. 79p of every £1 is spent directly on supporting families; 1,532 families were supported in 2024-25 (a 20% YoY increase), with 265 volunteers donating 4,871 hours and 28,400+ hours of support delivered.

Name

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

Legal name

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

Website

https://rainbowtrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1986 and based in Leatherhead, Surrey, that provides free practical and emotional support to families caring for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness across England through regional Care Teams of expert Family Support Workers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Palliative Care and Family Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

Keywords

• Children's palliative care
• Family support services
• Bereavement support
• Social care charity
• Community-based care

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individual supporters, including one-time and regular giving. In 2024-25, individual donations generated £1,312,600.
2. Trusts and Foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations. In 2024-25, this stream generated £1,160,500. Includes support from The Kentown Wizard Foundation for the Kentown Children's Palliative Care Programme.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship and partnerships with companies including RBC Capital Markets, Taylor Wimpey, Chevron Traffic Management, and others. In 2024-25, corporate partnerships generated £965,100.
4. Volunteer and Sports Events: Income from community fundraising events, sports challenges, and volunteer-organized activities. In 2024-25, volunteer, local and sports events generated £857,200.
5. Special Events: Organized charity events including gala dinners and corporate events. In 2024-25, special events generated £332,500.
6. Gifts in Wills: Legacy donations from supporters who have left gifts to Rainbow Trust in their wills. In 2024-25, gifts in wills generated £492,700.
7. Statutory Funding: Limited government and statutory body funding. In 2024-25, statutory bodies contributed £22,400. The charity receives no central government funding and begins each year with a zero balance.
8. Investment Income: Income from charity investments. In 2024-25, investments generated £185,600.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Rainbow Trust pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker who delivers free, in-person practical and emotional support to families caring for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness in England. Services include transport to medical appointments, hospital bedside support, sibling support, school support, neonatal support, and bereavement support, delivered through a network of regional Care Teams. The charity is funded entirely through donations, grants, corporate partnerships, events, and legacies, and provides support for as long as needed, including after a child dies.

Product overview

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity is a charitable organization (not a technology company) that provides a comprehensive suite of family support services centered around its core Family Support Worker program. The charity pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker who delivers practical and emotional support to families caring for a seriously ill child. Services include transport support, hospital accompaniment, sibling support, bereavement support, neonatal support, and school support. The organization also publishes an annual Impact Report and bi-yearly magazine, and conducts policy research to advocate for families. The services are delivered through regional Care Teams across England and are provided free of charge to families for as long as needed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Support Services Expert Family Support Workers provide practical and emotional support to families with seriously ill children, including transport to medical appointments, hospital support, sibling support, and bereavement care. Service is free to families in England.
• Transport Support Transportation services helping families get to vital medical appointments, alleviating the stress of navigating traffic and parking. 3,061 hours of transport support delivered in 2024-25.
• Hospital Support Family Support Workers keep company with seriously ill children during hospital visits and appointments, providing respite for exhausted parents.
• Sibling Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,532 families supported in 2024-25, a 20% increase year-over-year
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Chevron Traffic ManagementminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Corporate sponsor of the Rainbow Adventure Trail event, helping minimize event costs so more money goes directly to supporting families.
• Taylor WimpeyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Corporate sponsor of the Rainbow Adventure Trail event, including employee volunteering support for building checkpoints.
• Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Corporate sponsor of the Rainbow Adventure Trail event. RBC employees also participate in charity events including the London Marathon.
• Reeds SchoolminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024School whose students volunteered to help build checkpoints for the Rainbow Adventure Trail event.
• Police FederationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Volunteer support for building checkpoints for the Rainbow Adventure Trail event.
• Mercer Marsh BenefitsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Corporate volunteer group that helped build checkpoints for the Rainbow Adventure Trail event.
• Chessington Garden CentreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Donated items and support for the Rainbow Adventure Trail event.
• Men's ShedsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2024Volunteer group that helped build checkpoints for the Rainbow Adventure Trail event.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to ensure families staying in hospital accommodation can access Rainbow Trust's support services. This collaboration helps reach families during hospital stays when they need emotional and practical support most.
• Digital Services ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 12-charity consortium including Ambitious about Autism, The Children's Trust, Contact, Dingley's Promise, Family Fund, Kids, National Deaf Children's Society, Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, Sense, WellChild, Whizz Kidz, and Rainbow Trust. Working together to improve digital access to thousands of disabled children and their families, including developing hybrid support options.
• Together for Short LivescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainbow Trust works with Together for Short Lives as part of the Kentown Children's Palliative Care Programme. Together for Short Lives Family Service co-coordinators collaborate with Rainbow Trust Family Support Workers and Specialist Children's Palliative Care Nurses.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Demelza Hospice Care for Children: Demelza provides hospice and family support across Kent, South East London, and East Sussex. Highly comparable to Rainbow Trust in children's palliative care mission, family support worker model, regional care delivery in England, and donation-funded revenue mix.
• Helen & Douglas House: Helen & Douglas House operates hospice and family support services for terminally ill children in Oxfordshire and surrounding regions. Direct comparable to Rainbow Trust on mission (seriously ill children + whole-family support), service delivery, voluntary-income model, and UK regional hospice ecosystem.
• Noah's Ark Children's Hospice: Noah's Ark supports seriously ill children and families across North and Central London and Hertfordshire. Direct comparable on target population, family support delivery, UK hospice ecosystem, and voluntary-funded operating model.
• Acorns Children's Hospice: Acorns is one of the UK's largest children's hospice charities, providing palliative and family support services across the Midlands and South West. Directly comparable to Rainbow Trust in mission (wraparound family support), service model (palliative care + emotional/ practical support), and revenue model (voluntary income, legacies, retail).
• East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH): EACH delivers hospice and family support across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Direct comparable to Rainbow Trust on mission, multi-site regional care delivery, family support worker model, and reliance on voluntary donations and legacies.
• Children's Hospice South West: CHSW operates three hospices serving the South West of England. Comparable to Rainbow Trust on children's palliative care mission, whole-family support philosophy, and voluntary-income model, though with a hospice-facility-led model rather than purely home-based delivery.
• Shooting Star Children's Hospices: Shooting Star Children's Hospices delivers hospice-at-home and end-of-life care to babies, children, and young people across Surrey and London. Closely comparable to Rainbow Trust in target population, family-centric service model, regional UK delivery model, and reliance on voluntary donations and legacies.

Emerging players

• Together for Short Lives: Together for Short Lives is the UK's leading charity for children's palliative care and a formal Rainbow Trust partner under the Kentown programme. Comparable as the sector membership body that co-coordinates care pathways; serves as a strategic peer rather than a direct service competitor.
• WellChild: WellChild supports seriously ill children and their families across the UK, including a national network of WellChild Nurses. Comparable to Rainbow Trust as a co-member of the Digital Services Consortium and as an adjacent provider of practical/emotional family support for seriously ill children.
• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): Young Lives vs Cancer supports children and young people with cancer and their families across the UK. Comparable on family support mission for seriously ill children, voluntary-funded model, and policy advocacy; overlaps in target population but specialises in cancer rather than all life-threatening conditions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rainbowtrustcc
• Facebookfacebook.com/rainbowtrustchildrenscharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Rainbow Trust Children's Charity