What Nelson's Journey does

Nelson's Journey is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Registered Charity 1170605), founded in 1997 and headquartered at Smiles House in Little Plumstead, Norwich. It provides bereavement support services for children and young people in Norfolk who have experienced the death of a significant person, operating a free Support Line (01603 431788), an Early Support phone service, therapeutic weekends, age-segmented Smiles & Tears Gift Boxes, free downloadable resources, and a School Friend partnership scheme with Norfolk schools. Service delivery is human-led by Child Bereavement Support Workers with no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or disclosed AI components.

The charity is funded through diversified community channels rather than fees for service. Revenue streams include individual donations (with Gift Aid adding 25%), community and corporate fundraising, a merchandise e-commerce shop (T-shirts, running vests, aprons, Christmas cards), a weekly lottery at £1 per ticket, legacy giving, and third-party partnerships including Norfolk County Council Reuse Shops (2025/26 charity partner), Easyfundraising, JustGiving, and Amazon Wishlist. The annual events calendar — Tour de Broads, Firewalk, Half Marathon, Skydive, Walking Challenge, Christmas Quiz, and Bake a Difference — drives both fundraising and volunteer engagement.

Operationally, Nelson's Journey is a single-region, geographically bounded organisation serving Norfolk within the East of England. It has 11-50 employees, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent entity. Governance is via a trustee board with Simon Wright serving as Chief Executive; oversight sits with the UK Charity Commission. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and no AI/ML, API, or app-based infrastructure is present in the disclosed footprint.

Name

Nelson's Journey

Legal name

Nelson's Journey

Website

https://nelsonsjourney.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nelson's Journey is a Norfolk, UK-based charity (founded 1997) providing bereavement support to children and young people via a Support Line, therapeutic weekends, gift boxes, school partnerships, and free resources, funded by donations, events, lottery, and community partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH)

Keywords

• Child bereavement support
• Bereavement counseling services
• Charitable support programs
• Community fundraising events
• Nonprofit bereavement care

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, community group fundraising, and corporate support form the primary revenue stream. Gift Aid scheme allows donors to add 25% to donations at no extra cost.
2. Lottery: Weekly lottery at £1 per ticket with £25,000 prize, 50p from every ticket supports the charity's work.
3. Product Sales: Online shop selling merchandise including T-shirts, running vests, aprons, and Smiles & Tears Gift Boxes. Christmas cards sold in partnership with The Porch Fairies.
4. Legacy Giving: Gifts in wills including residuary gifts, pecuniary gifts, and specific items. Charitable bequests reduce inheritance tax liability.
5. Partnership Proceeds: Norfolk County Council Reuse Shops partnership for 2025/26 distributes proceeds from sales at recycling centres to the charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Nelson's Journey is a Norfolk-based Charitable Incorporated Organisation providing bereavement support services to children and young people who have experienced the death of a significant person. Its core service offering includes a Support Line staffed by Child Bereavement Support Workers, an Early Support phone service, therapeutic weekends, and free resources and activities for families and schools. The organisation also runs an online shop selling branded merchandise and the Smiles & Tears Gift Box, and operates fundraising events to sustain its charitable work.

Product overview

Nelson's Journey is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation providing child bereavement support services in Norfolk. The organisation operates as a multi-service charity with three main pillars: direct support services (Support Line, Early Support phone service, therapeutic weekends), educational resources (Resources and Activities, School Friend scheme), and fundraising operations (events program, merchandise shop, legacy giving, lottery, and third-party fundraising partnerships). The online shop offers branded merchandise including T-shirts, running vests, aprons, Christmas cards, and the Smiles & Tears Gift Box created by the Youth Panel. Fundraising activities include events like Tour de Broads, Firewalk, Half Marathon, and partnerships with Easyfundraising, Amazon Wishlist, and Norfolk County Council's Reuse Shops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Line Service A telephone support service enabling families and professionals to speak directly with a Child Bereavement Support Worker for guidance on supporting bereaved children and young people in Norfolk.
• Early Support Phone Service Phone service for families to help support the bereavement needs of children and young people in the early weeks following a death.
• Therapeutic Weekend Weekend program for bereaved children providing opportunity to meet others with similar experiences, remember the person that has died, express feelings, and learn coping strategies.
• Smiles & Tears Gift Box A therapeutic gift box created by the Nelson's Journey Youth Panel containing bereavement mindfulness colouring, activities, a soft toy, journal, and treats, available in age-appropriate versions for 12-17yrs, 8-12yrs, and under 7's, priced at £28.00.
• School Friend of Nelson's Journey Scheme A school partnership scheme raising awareness of childhood bereavement in local classrooms, requiring schools to meet criteria including providing a safe space and delivering bereavement activities.
• Lottery Program Weekly lottery program at £1 per week with potential to win £25,000, with 50p from every ticket supporting the charity's work.
• Norfolk Reuse Shops Partnership Charity partner of Norfolk County Council's Reuse Shops for 2025/26, where proceeds from sales at recycling centre shops across Norfolk support the charity's work.
• Events and Activities Program Annual fundraising events including Bake a Difference, Tour de Broads cycling event, 15 Mile Coastal Walking Challenge, Firewalk, Autumn Blickling Half Marathon, Christmas Quiz, and Skydive.
• Legacy Giving Program Charity legacy and bequest program allowing supporters to leave gifts in wills (residuary gifts, pecuniary gifts, and specific items) to support bereaved children and young people in Norfolk.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of bereaved children helped since 1997
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bateman GroundworksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of the 15 Mile Coastal Walking Challenge event, helping raise funds and awareness for the charity.
• Norfolk County Council Reuse ShopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Nelson's Journey is the 2025/26 charity partner of Norfolk County Council's Reuse Shops. Staff at Reuse Shops nominate and vote for a local charity to benefit from proceeds. Previous beneficiaries include Norfolk Wildlife Trust and East Anglian Air Ambulance. The scheme has raised over £120,000 for local charities.
• WestcotecminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of the Christmas Quiz 2026 event, supporting the charity's fundraising efforts.
• The Porch Fairies (Fiona Bishop)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration with The Porch Fairies to create exclusive Nelson's Journey Christmas cards. The 'Memory Tree' design was created exclusively for the charity by Fi Bishop of The Porch Fairies. Proceeds from card sales fund therapeutic weekends for bereaved children.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Child Bereavement UK: National UK charity providing bereavement support for children and families, including helpline, professional training, and family-facing resources. Highly comparable service portfolio to Nelson's Journey at a larger national scale.
• Winston's Wish: UK charity supporting bereaved children and young people. Closest direct peer — both offer helpline, therapeutic support, and resources for child bereavement; Winston's Wish operates nationally whereas Nelson's Journey is Norfolk-only, but service model is near-identical.
• Hope Again (part of Cruse): Cruse's dedicated service for bereaved children and young people, offering helpline, online chat, and resources. Direct competitor for the same beneficiary population and donor pools as Nelson's Journey.
• Grief Encounter: UK charity providing bereavement support for children and their families through in-person and online services, including residential weekends and peer-support programs — directly paralleling Nelson's Journey therapeutic weekend model.

Broad incumbents

• Marie Curie: Major UK end-of-life charity providing hospice care, support line, and bereavement services including for families. Overlaps in bereavement support and hospice-linked family aftercare but operates at national scale across all ages.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: UK's largest bereavement charity serving all ages with helpline, local services, and training. Overlaps significantly with Nelson's Journey but operates at a broader (all-ages) national scale.

Others

• Norfolk Community Foundation: Local grant-making foundation distributing funds to Norfolk charities including Nelson's Journey. Functions as a funding ecosystem participant rather than a service peer — directly relevant to the charity's funding pipeline.

Emerging players

• Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity): UK charity supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby, including subsequent children/families. Comparable beneficiary overlap (bereaved families) but narrower trigger condition.
• The Lullaby Trust: UK charity supporting bereaved families after the death of a baby or child. Comparable in supporting bereaved parents/children but specialised in infant loss — overlapping beneficiary pool and referral pathways.
• Together for Short Lives: UK children's palliative care charity supporting seriously ill children and bereaved families. Adjacent to Nelson's Journey's bereavement remit but focused on the palliative/end-of-life pathway preceding bereavement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nelsonsjourney
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0tldKidvMmQOe-iw1VMPJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nelsonsjourney.norfolk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nelsonsjourney

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 Nelson's Journey