Teams4u

What Teams4u does

Teams4u (legally 'Teams4U', UK charity no. 1114131, company no. 05801570) is a Wrexham-headquartered, UK-registered nonprofit founded in 1990 by Dave Cooke. It delivers education, health and humanitarian aid programmes for vulnerable children and communities across Uganda, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus. Core offerings include the annual Shoebox Appeal (over 60,000 gift boxes distributed in 2025), the Develop with Dignity menstrual-health and girls' education programme (delivering washable sanitary pads plus education to schoolgirls in Kumi District, Uganda), two vocational colleges in Sierra Leone (Kenema and Segbwema) offering tailoring, catering and hairdressing training, WASH infrastructure projects (handwashing stations, water tanks, wells), Ukraine summer camps for war-affected children, an Easter Egg Appeal for Ukraine, and a palm kernel oil social enterprise in Sierra Leone whose profits fund the vocational colleges.

The organisation runs on a donation-based revenue model combining individual giving (one-off donations, £25/month student sponsorships, £100 business starter kits, legacy giving in wills), merchandise sales (flat-pack shoeboxes priced £25–£99 per bundle of 25–150), passive income via Utility Warehouse and Give as You Live partnerships, and revenue from the Sierra Leone palm oil enterprise. Distribution is hybrid: a UK centralised warehouse at Unit 8 Llay Industrial Estate, Wrexham, plus a network of 30+ named volunteer regional coordinators across Wales and England handle inbound shoebox collection, while outbound delivery relies on trusted local partners (Red Cross in Bosnia and Georgia, I Am Mariupol in Ukraine, Raul Gherle in Romania, and long-tenured country directors Ben Omoding in Uganda and Helga Kawa in Sierra Leone). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, supported by a website donation portal, Instagram, email newsletter, BBC-earned media coverage, and an ambassador partnership with CBeebies presenter Gemma Hunt. The small core team is led by founder Dave Cooke, Chairman of Trustees Paul Jeanes, Shoebox Project Manager Simon Cooke, Project Manager Lois Gerber, and Sierra Leone Project Director Helga Kawa.

Name

Teams4u

Legal name

Teams4U

Website

https://teams4u.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Teams4u is a UK-registered charity founded in 1990 that delivers education, health and humanitarian aid programmes, including an annual Shoebox Appeal, girls' education and menstrual health work, vocational training colleges in Sierra Leone, WASH infrastructure in Uganda, and Ukraine war-relief projects, funded by donations, sponsorships and a palm oil social enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Charitable Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid charity
• Education and health projects
• WASH sanitation programmes
• Vocational training colleges
• Shoebox gift appeals

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrexham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorship: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations. Monthly sponsorship programmes for students (£25/month), business starter kits (£100), and general fundraising appeals. Donations fund specific projects or general operations.
2. Shoebox and Merchandise Sales: Sale of flat pack shoeboxes for the appeal (50p per shoebox plus postage). Orders placed through website for leaflets, posters, and flat pack materials.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue: Palm oil project in Sierra Leone generates revenue that funds vocational colleges. Sustainable agricultural enterprise reusing waste palm kernels.
4. Legacy Giving: Charity receives gifts left in wills, described as legacy giving programme for long-term sustainable support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Teams4u is a UK-registered charity that delivers education, health, WASH, and humanitarian aid projects to vulnerable children and communities in Eastern Europe and Africa. Its primary programmes include the annual Shoebox Appeal (delivering over 60,000 gift boxes to children in Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia, Belarus, Moldova and Georgia), the Develop with Dignity initiative tackling period poverty, vocational training colleges in Sierra Leone, water and sanitation installations in Uganda, and summer camps for war-affected children in Ukraine.

Product overview

Teams4u is a UK-based global charity operating a portfolio of humanitarian aid programmes focused on Education, Health, and Humanitarian Aid. The organisation's core offerings include the annual Shoebox Appeal (distributing over 60,000 gift boxes annually), the Develop with Dignity programme addressing menstrual health and girls' education, vocational training colleges in Sierra Leone offering tailoring, catering and hairdressing courses, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) projects, Ukraine summer camps for war-affected children, and Easter egg appeals. Supporting initiatives include a palm oil social enterprise funding vocational training, business starter kits for graduates, and maternity ward construction in Uganda. The organisation partners with local individuals and organisations to deliver programmes across Uganda, Sierra Leone, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shoebox Appeal Annual Christmas gift shoebox appeal delivering essential items, toys and treats to vulnerable children across Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia, Georgia, Belarus, and Moldova. Over 60,000 gift boxes delivered annually.
• Develop with Dignity Programme Comprehensive programme addressing barriers to girls' education through distribution of washable sanitary pads, menstrual health education, and sexual/reproductive health training. Active in Uganda and Sierra Leone.
• Vocational Training Colleges Two vocational colleges in Sierra Leone (Kenema and Segbwema) providing practical hands-on training to vulnerable young people in trades including tailoring, catering, and hairdressing.
• WASH Sanitation Projects Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects installing running water in hospitals and health centres, water tanks and handwashing facilities in schools, and clean water wells in villages across Uganda and Sierra Leone.
• Ukraine Summer Camps Children's sports and recreation camps held in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, providing safe environments for children affected by war to experience joy, friendship and normal childhood activities.
• Easter Egg Appeal Annual appeal collecting and delivering chocolate Easter eggs to children in Ukraine, with eggs distributed to families in need including those from the Mariupol region.
• Palm Kernel Oil Social Enterprise Sustainable social enterprise in Sierra Leone sourcing palm kernels and transforming them into oil, with profits funding vocational colleges. Creates local jobs and supports agricultural waste reuse.
• Maternity Ward Project Funding construction and equipment of new maternity ward at Kumi Hospital in Uganda, providing safe birthing facilities for mothers in the district.
• Business Starter Kits Startup packs of essential equipment and materials provided to vocational college graduates in Sierra Leone, including sewing machines for tailoring students and catering equipment for catering graduates.
• Home Boxes Essential household items and practical support boxes delivered to families in need in communities such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Flat Pack Shoeboxes DIY flat-pack shoeboxes available for purchase (25 for £25, 50 for £38.50, 75 for £52.50, 100 for £72.50, 150 for £99.00 including UK delivery) for supporters to pack their own shoebox gifts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% jump in school attendance for schoolgirls receiving sanitary supplies
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• Speak & WinsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2023Speak & Win specializes in helping individuals grow in confidence and overcome fear of public speaking. Partnership is part of the Develop with Dignity Programme in Sierra Leone. Founder Si Valentine coaches Helga Kawa (Teams4U Sierra Leone director) who shares skills with teachers at vocational colleges.
• I Am MariupolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeams4U partners with 'I Am Mariupol', an organization providing exclusive support to people displaced from the destroyed city of Mariupol. Their centres offer vital practical, psychological and community support for families. Teams4U delivers shoeboxes through their distribution network in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Kremenchuk. The partnership enables deep delivery into conflict-affected areas.
• Red Cross (Bosnia and Herzegovina)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Red Cross for shoebox distribution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Red Cross handles on-ground logistics and distribution to schools, nurseries, disability centres, and families in need in communities including Breza and Ilijaš.
• Red Cross (Georgia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Red Cross in Georgia for distribution of shoeboxes to Ukrainian refugees. Red Cross handles local distribution while Teams4U provides the shoebox gifts.
• Utility Warehouse (UW)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTeams4U is proud to be a UW (Utility Warehouse) partner. Customers who switch to UW and support Teams4U at the same time - every bill paid generates donations to the charity.
• Give as You LivesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership allows supporters to raise free donations for Teams4U every time they shop online at thousands of retailers. A percentage of purchases goes directly to supporting Teams4U projects at no extra cost to the shopper.
• Raul Gherle (Romania Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Romania responsible for overseeing the Finis/Suncuis community homework club project. Works with village leader Bogdan and teacher Lidia to implement education programmes.
• WorldShareminorOthersMentioned as a charity with direct contacts inside Turkey for earthquake relief. Teams4U directed supporters to WorldShare for Turkey/Syria earthquake donations rather than providing direct support.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samaritan's Purse UK: Samaritan's Purse runs the Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal, the most direct analogue to Teams4u's Shoebox Appeal — both are UK-anchored Christian charities delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to vulnerable children in Eastern Europe and beyond.

Emerging players

• British Red Cross: Teams4u's distribution partner in Bosnia and Georgia; the broader Red Cross movement operates comparable humanitarian aid, refugee support, and emergency relief programmes globally.
• Street Child: UK-based charity focused on education in crisis-affected and low-income countries including Sierra Leone — closely comparable to Teams4u's vocational college model for vulnerable young women.
• KidsOut: UK children's charity already partnered with Teams4u on Ukraine relief; both focus on disadvantaged children and operate UK donor-driven models serving Eastern European beneficiaries.
• Send a Cow: UK charity delivering community development and livelihoods training in Uganda and Sierra Leone using agricultural enterprise models — overlapping with Teams4u's Sierra Leone palm oil social enterprise and vocational programmes.

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: Specialist WASH-focused international NGO working in similar low-HDI geographies on clean water, sanitation and hygiene — overlaps with Teams4u's handwashing stations, school WASH and well installation projects.
• Plan International UK: Major international NGO focused on girls' education, child protection, and gender equality — directly comparable to Teams4u's Develop with Dignity programme targeting schoolgirls in Uganda and Sierra Leone.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development organization active in similar geographies (Uganda, Sierra Leone, Eastern Europe), addressing education, WASH, and economic empowerment for vulnerable populations.
• International Medical Corps: Large humanitarian organization delivering emergency relief, health services and WASH programmes in conflict and post-conflict settings — overlaps with Teams4u's Ukraine response, WASH, and maternal health work but at much greater scale.
• World Vision UK: Major international NGO with sponsorship-driven funding model, child-focused community development, and presence in similar geographies — competes for the same UK individual donor base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teams4u
• Instagraminstagram.com/teams4ucharity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Teams4u