The Sara Lee Trust

Name

The Sara Lee Trust

Legal name

The Sara Lee Trust

Website

https://saraleetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAGAH)

Keywords

• Cancer support services
• Palliative care therapy
• Complementary therapy services
• Charity retail operations
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

St Leonards on Sea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and regular donations from individuals supporting the charity's mission to provide free therapy services.
2. Charity Retail Shops: Revenue from 5 charity shops selling donated goods, plus eBay online shop and house clearance services.
3. Rother Community Lottery: Weekly lottery with 50% of ticket sales going to the Trust and 10% to other local causes. Prizes up to £25,000.
4. Fundraising Events: Income from organized events including golf days, marathons, treks, Beatles Day, race days, and community events.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Regular donations from businesses including monthly giving programs and in-kind support.
6. Legacies and Bequests: Gifts left in wills to support the charity in perpetuity.
7. Grants and Funding: National Lottery Community Fund funding, NHS/CCG funding, Sussex Community Foundation support, and other grant funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Sara Lee Trust provides free wellbeing support to people affected by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in Hastings and Rother. Core offerings include Talking Therapies (counselling, CBT, EMDR, coaching), Touch Therapies (massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki, lymphoedema massage, dry needling, Indian head massage), and Group Activities (yoga, dance, art, craft, support groups). Services are delivered through three physical locations, home visits, and online/telephone channels, all at no cost to patients, families, and carers.

Product overview

The Sara Lee Trust is a cancer and life-threatening illness support charity offering a unified portfolio of therapeutic services. The core offering comprises Talking Therapies (counselling, CBT, EMDR, coaching), Touch Therapies (massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, dry needling, lymphoedema massage, Indian head massage), and Group Activities (yoga, dance, art, craft, support groups, wellbeing courses). Services are delivered at three physical locations: The Sara Lee Therapy Centre in Sidley, St Michael's Hospice in St Leonards on Sea, and Hub on Rye Hill. The trust also operates five charity shops across Hastings and Bexhill to raise funds, and organizes signature fundraising events including the Laps of Love swimming challenge, Sahara Trek, and Hastings Half Marathon. All therapy services are provided free of charge to patients, their families, and carers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Talking Therapies Talking therapies including counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), and coaching to support emotional and mental wellbeing of patients, families, and carers affected by cancer and life-threatening illnesses. Provided free of charge.
• Touch Therapies Complementary therapies including aromatherapy massage, dry needling, lymphoedema massage, massage therapy, reflexology, reiki, and Indian head massage. Free service for eligible patients and carers in Hastings and Rother.
• Group Activities Therapeutic group activities including yoga, strength training, dance, art groups, craft groups, support groups, and wellbeing courses. Designed to reduce isolation and foster peer support for people affected by cancer and life-threatening illnesses.
• Charity Shops Five charity shops across Hastings and Bexhill selling donated goods to raise funds for the trust's services. Includes an eBay online shop for national reach. House clearance service also offered.
• Rother Community Lottery Weekly community lottery where 50% of ticket sales support the Trust and 10% goes to other local causes. Tickets cost £1 per week with prizes of up to £25,000. Supporters must be 16 years or over.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 800+ local people annually
• +2 more outcomes

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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Rother Voluntary Action (RVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for I-Know-How project, developing coaching models and services to help local employers and organizations support employees affected by cancer.
• Freedom LeisureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Laps of Love swimming challenge event.
• Dance HastingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity dance organization partnership for Just Dance group activities supporting health, wellbeing, and community connection.
• Look Good Feel BettercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver free confidence-boosting skincare, make-up and grooming workshops for people undergoing cancer treatment.
• St Michael's HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership providing counselling and therapy rooms within the hospice and supporting patients on the wards. The Trust is the dedicated provider of end-of-life counselling and complementary therapy services.
• Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust provides therapy services at the Hub on Rye Hill adjacent to the hospital.
• Hastings and Rother Cancer Support NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of local services supporting and improving lives of people living with and affected by cancer. The Trust is a participating organization.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as useful resource and partner in cancer support network providing physical, emotional and financial support information.
• Pump House DesignsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal architects providing no-fee architectural expertise for Therapy Centre design and new Hall Space plans.
• Hastings Beatles Day CommitteemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Beatles Day event raises significant funds for the Trust. 2026 event raised £10,145, 2023 raised £17,700.
• Cooden Beach Golf ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue for annual Charity Golf Day raising £10,000-11,000 each year with 17-21 teams participating.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: National umbrella body for UK hospices and palliative-care charities. Represents and supports member hospices in policy, funding, and advocacy; comparable as the broader category operator in end-of-life care that the Sara Lee Trust serves within.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: UK's largest cancer support charity providing information, financial, emotional, and practical support to people affected by cancer. Direct peer in mission (cancer support) and operates at national scale with regional service delivery; The Sara Lee Trust is even listed as a resource partner on its network.
• Marie Curie: Major UK charity providing care and support for people with terminal illnesses, including hospice-based and at-home nursing. Overlapping palliative/end-of-life support mission and broad incumbent in the space where Sara Lee Trust operates as a community-based specialist.

Direct peers

• Maggie's: UK charity operating centres providing free emotional, practical, and social support to people with cancer and their families. Closest direct peer to Sara Lee Trust given overlapping service mix (counselling, complementary therapies, group activities), free-to-user model, and physical-centre delivery model.
• St Michael's Hospice: Local hospice in Hastings that has been a long-standing partner of The Sara Lee Trust since 1996, hosting the Trust's therapy and counselling rooms and supporting patients on its wards. Closest direct service-delivery peer in the same geography and mission.
• Look Good Feel Better: UK charity delivering free confidence-boosting skincare and grooming workshops for people undergoing cancer treatment. Direct programme-delivery partner of The Sara Lee Trust and a peer in providing complementary wellbeing services to cancer patients.

Regional players

• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer and their families. Adjacent peer in cancer-support mission with different beneficiary focus; comparable as a specialist cancer-support charity operating in the same UK charity ecosystem.
• Pilgrims Hospices: Kent-based hospice charity providing end-of-life care across east Kent. Comparable regional hospice charity model combining in-hospice and community services, similar to Sara Lee Trust's geographic-bound community palliative support.

Emerging players

• Helpforce: UK charity developing and scaling volunteer-based health and care support. Peer in volunteer-enabled service delivery model relevant to Sara Lee Trust's volunteer-dependent operating approach.

Others

• Sussex Community Foundation: Local grant-making charity supporting community organisations across Sussex. Listed as a generous financial supporter of The Sara Lee Trust; comparable as a peer in the Sussex community-funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SaraLeeTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/saraleetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sara-lee-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 The Sara Lee Trust