CATHOLIC CHILDRENS' SOCIETY

What CATHOLIC CHILDRENS' SOCIETY does

Catholic Children's Society (CCS) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number: 210920), founded in 1859 and headquartered at 73 St Charles Square, London, that delivers a portfolio of early-intervention services to disadvantaged children and families across London, Hertfordshire and the South East. Its core operating units comprise: Connect-Ed (school-based counselling and creative art therapy delivered on-site in over 80 primary, secondary and special schools, with a reported 90%+ improvement rate in emotional wellbeing); St Francis Nursery & Family Centre (early-years education for 9 months to 5 years in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, an area with the highest child poverty rate in England); St Mark's Stay & Play (drop-in support in North Kensington, a top-10% deprived ward); a Crisis Fund providing 24-hour emergency financial assistance; and Pathways, a Post Adoption & Aftercare service for adopted adults and birth families holding records dating back to 1859.

Service delivery is human-led by qualified counsellors, therapists and early-years professionals; CCS does not operate a proprietary software platform or technology product. Its only technology-adjacent content is a YouTube-hosted series of children's meditation videos co-produced with the World Community for Christian Meditation during the COVID period. Distribution occurs through embedded on-site delivery in partner schools, two physical early-years centres, parish-based fundraising networks (Parish Advocates), and digital donation channels including its website, JustGiving, Enthuse and Run for Charity.

CCS operates a donations-and-grants revenue model with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Income streams comprise individual one-off and monthly donations, legacies and bequests (supported by an Octopus Legacy will-writing partnership), seasonal fundraising appeals (Lent, Summer, Christmas, Crisis Fund), parish collections including the Crib Offering and Christmas Gift Appeal, participant fundraising through challenge events, and institutional grants (notably from the Big Lottery Fund and the Kensington Chelsea Foundation). CCS is accredited as a Living Wage employer, registered with the Fundraising Regulator, affiliated with Caritas/CSAN, and holds consecutive Ofsted 'Outstanding' ratings for its Post Adoption & Aftercare Service (2018 and 2024).

Name

CATHOLIC CHILDRENS' SOCIETY

Legal name

Catholic Children's Society

Website

https://cathchild.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catholic Children's Society is a 165-year-old UK registered charity delivering school-based mental health counselling, early-years nursery education, crisis financial aid, and post-adoption services to disadvantaged children and families across London, Hertfordshire and the South East, funded entirely by donations, legacies and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's social services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Faith-Based Nursery & Playgroups (EDACACAK), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

Keywords

• Children's charity services
• School counselling services
• Family crisis support
• Early years education
• Post adoption support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters. Promoted via website, email newsletters, and direct fundraising appeals (Christmas Appeal, Summer Appeal, Lent Appeal, Crisis Fund). Donors can give via website donate page, bank transfer, or cheque.
2. Legacies and Bequests: CCS encourages supporters to leave a gift in their Will. Partnership with Octopus Legacy offers free will-writing service to supporters, enabling legacy giving that provides long-term sustainable funding.
3. Events-based Fundraising: Income generated through participant fundraising for challenge events including London Marathon, running events, and cycling challenges. Supporters create fundraising pages via JustGiving and Enthuse platforms.
4. Parish Collections and Appeals: Crib Offering (Christmas Nativity collections from parishes), Christmas Gift Appeal, and general parish fundraising. Parish Advocates help coordinate collections and sell charity Christmas cards.
5. Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from institutional donors including Big Lottery Fund and Kensington Chelsea Foundation, displayed as logos on the website footer, indicating grant-based income.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Catholic Children's Society provides free early intervention services to disadvantaged children and families across London, Hertfordshire and the South East. Core offerings include on-site school-based counselling and creative art therapy (Connect-Ed) in over 80 schools, early years nursery provision in high child-poverty areas, emergency financial Crisis Fund support, and a Pathways Post Adoption & Aftercare service. Services are delivered by qualified counsellors, therapists and nursery staff at no cost to beneficiaries, funded entirely through donations, legacies, grants and parish fundraising.

Product overview

Catholic Children's Society offers a portfolio of complementary early intervention services for disadvantaged children and families. The core offerings include Connect-Ed Mental Health Services (school-based counselling and therapy in 70+ schools), Early Years Provision (St Francis Nursery & Family Centre and St Mark's Stay & Play), a Crisis Fund for emergency financial support, and Pathways Post Adoption & Aftercare service. Additional offerings include school resources, fundraising appeals (Lent, Christmas, Summer), and Parish Advocate volunteer recruitment. The organization works across London, Hertfordshire, and the South East with individuals of all faiths and none.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connect-Ed: Mental health counselling and therapy services delivered in schools, supporting children's emotional wellbeing.
• St Francis Nursery & Family Centre
• St Mark's Stay & Play

Products and services

• Connect-Ed Mental Health Services School-based counselling and creative art therapy delivered on-site in primary, secondary and special schools, supporting children's mental health and emotional wellbeing. Services are provided free of charge to pupils referred by schools.
• Mental Health Training for School Staff Training sessions delivered to hundreds of school staff each year across primary and secondary schools to build internal capacity to identify and support children and young people facing mental health difficulties, including trauma-informed practice, attachment and SEND support.
• St Francis Nursery & Family Centre High-quality early education and care for children aged 9 months to 5 years, plus holistic family support services including a toy library, parent workshops and day trips. Priority access for the most disadvantaged families, including mothers fleeing domestic violence.
• St Mark's Stay & Play Drop-in stay-and-play service in North Kensington for families with children aged 0-5, providing opportunities to meet other families, access fun educational activities, and receive support, including referrals to other services.
• Crisis Fund Immediate financial support for families facing a crisis in their lives (such as domestic violence, bereavement, redundancy, fire or critical diagnosis), providing emergency assistance for essential needs including beds, bedding, funeral costs, rent deposits, locks and debt repayment.
• Pathways: Post Adoption & Aftercare Service Specialised service for adopted adults, adoptive parents and birth families seeking help, advice, access to historical care records, birth-relative tracing, reunion support and counselling in relation to adoption and time spent in CCS children's homes.
• Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme Training programme enabling school staff to deliver structured bereavement support groups for children who have experienced loss, with 12-week support cycles evidenced in beneficiary case studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of children and young people accessing Connect-Ed services showed a marked improvement in emotional wellbeing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hillingdon Community TrustminorOthersDisplayed as a logo on the CCS website footer, indicating a working partnership or collaboration with this community trust in the Hillingdon area.
• Caritas (CSAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with Caritas, the social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales (CSAN - Caritas Social Action Network). Represents Catholic charitable social action network.
• Fundraising RegulatorminorOthersCCS is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, demonstrating commitment to the Code of Fundraising Practice and fundraising standards.
• Living Wage FoundationminorOthersCCS is an accredited Living Wage employer, demonstrating commitment to paying all staff at least the real Living Wage rather than the government minimum.
• ACTO (Association of Child Trauma Therapists)minorOthersCCS is displayed as meeting ACTO competencies and standards, indicating qualified therapists trained to recognised trauma therapy levels.
• World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated during the Coronavirus crisis to develop a series of meditation videos for children and young people to participate in at school or at home. Videos available on YouTube. WCCM teaches meditation in the spirit of serving unity and caring for all members of the human family.
• Octopus LegacycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCCS partnered with Octopus Legacy to offer supporters free will-writing services. Supporters can write or update their will online, over phone/video, or in-person using code CCSFREE. This partnership facilitates legacy giving to CCS.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Spurgeons Children's Charity: Faith-rooted UK children's charity providing family support, mental health services, and crisis support. Comparable as a Christian-affiliated children's charity with multi-service delivery and similar funding model relying on donations and grants.
• Home-Start UK: UK family support charity helping families with young children through home visiting and peer support. Directly comparable to CCS's St Francis Nursery and St Mark's Stay & Play early years and family engagement services, particularly for disadvantaged families.
• Family Action: UK charity delivering practical, emotional and financial support to families and children, including early years services, mental health, and family crisis support. Comparable in family-focused holistic service model, with similar emphasis on disadvantaged communities.
• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling and emotional support directly in schools. The most directly comparable peer to CCS's Connect-Ed service, with similar embedded-in-schools delivery model and focus on children's emotional wellbeing.
• The Children's Society: UK charity focused on disadvantaged children, young people, and families, with services in mental health, exploitation support, and youth work. Closely comparable in mission, beneficiary profile, and multi-service delivery model to CCS, with overlapping service lines and geographic footprint in parts of England.
• Coram: UK children's charity group founded in 1739, with services spanning early years, adoption support, and child development. Comparable as a long-established multi-service children's charity with adoption, early years, and family support services overlapping with CCS's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Barnardo's: The UK's largest children's charity, operating across fostering, adoption, mental health, and family support. Directly comparable as a multi-service children's charity, though vastly larger in scale and national in reach compared to CCS's regional focus.
• NSPCC: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a large UK charity focused on child protection and wellbeing. Comparable as a broad children's charity with overlapping mental health and family support services, though operating at significantly greater national scale.
• Action for Children: National UK charity supporting disadvantaged children through fostering, adoption, mental health, and early years services. Directly comparable in service portfolio breadth (mental health, early years, post-adoption) to CCS, though operating at much greater scale nationally.

Others

• Caritas Westminster (Diocese of Westminster): Catholic social action agency covering the same geography as CCS. Comparable as an affiliated network partner through CSAN, addressing poverty and social exclusion in London and Hertfordshire, with overlapping beneficiary populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CathChildW
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Cathchild1?feature=watch
• Facebookfacebook.com/CathChildW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-children-s-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CATHOLIC CHILDRENS' SOCIETY