the brain and spine foundation
The Brain and Spine Foundation is a UK charity, founded in 1992, that provides free helpline, peer support, and health information services to people affected by over 600 neurological conditions, funded entirely by voluntary donations and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What the brain and spine foundation does
The Brain and Spine Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number 1098373) founded in 1992 by neurosurgeon Mr. Peter Hamlyn to provide health information and support for people affected by neurological conditions. The Foundation serves patients, families, and carers across an addressable scope of more than 600 neurological conditions and does not receive government funding, relying entirely on voluntary donations, community fundraising, and grants. Its core service mix comprises a free helpline, online and in-person peer support groups, a clinical advisory group, and a digital health information library, with reported reach of 532,000 people supported via its website in a recent reporting period.
The Foundation's product surface is organized around three programmes — NeuroLifeNow (a social research platform), NeuroUK (campaigning and advocacy), and Neuro Changemakers (community building) — supported by an ambassador network and academic partnerships including the UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering for the Nerve Injury community. Core technology assets are a Microsoft Azure-hosted website relaunched in 2022, an online peer support platform developed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Typeform-based data collection for research; no proprietary AI/ML models or advanced data products are disclosed.
The business model is non-commercial and donor-funded. Income is generated from individual giving, mass-participation events such as the TCS London Marathon, corporate partnerships, and grants — most notably a £330,000 award from The National Lottery Community Fund in 2022. The Foundation first crossed a £1M annual fundraising milestone in 2017 and has since invested in programme expansion, governance capacity (multiple trustee additions between 2020 and 2023), and digital infrastructure, with the explicit strategic intent of broadening the reach and depth of neurological support services in the UK.
the brain and spine foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- the brain and spine foundation
- Legal name
- Brain & Spine Foundation
- Website
- https://brainandspine.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Brain and Spine Foundation is a UK charity, founded in 1992, that provides free helpline, peer support, and health information services to people affected by over 600 neurological conditions, funded entirely by voluntary donations and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
the brain and spine foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Neurological Health Charity Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
Keywords
Where the brain and spine foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
the brain and spine foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Voluntary Donations: The charity is entirely funded by voluntary donations from supporters; it receives no Government funding. Donations are accepted via JustGiving, cheque, BACS transfer, and other online payment providers including PayPal, Worldpay, and Stripe.
- Fundraising Events: Income generated through event participation including TCS London Marathon, community fundraising events, workplace fundraising, school fundraising, and individual fundraising activities.
- National Lottery Community Fund Grant: Awarded £330,000 grant over 3 years from The National Lottery Community Fund (2022) to develop the NeuroLifeNow social research platform and expand Professional Neuro Services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free services for people affected by neurological conditions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
the brain and spine foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Brain & Spine Foundation is a UK-wide charity that provides free, expert information, helpline support, and peer community services to anyone affected by any of 600+ neurological conditions. Its service portfolio combines a confidential nurse-staffed helpline, online and in-person peer support groups, downloadable booklets and fact sheets, the NeuroLifeNow social research platform, and the Neuro Changemakers community programme. All services are delivered free to beneficiaries and funded entirely by voluntary donations and grants.
Product overview
The Brain & Spine Foundation is a UK-wide charity offering a unified portfolio of support services for people affected by neurological conditions. The core offering is Professional Neuro Services, which combines a free helpline staffed by neuroscience-specialized nurses, peer support groups (online and in-person), and comprehensive health information resources. This core is complemented by three interconnected programmes: NeuroLifeNow (social research platform for first-person insight collection), NeuroUK (campaigning for policy change), and Neuro Changemakers (community-building and self-help). The organization provides downloadable booklets and fact sheets covering over 600 neurological conditions. All services are funded entirely by voluntary donations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Professional Neuro Services: Free, expert help and support for any neurological condition through helpline, peer support groups and health information.
- NeuroLifeNow
- NeuroUK
- Neuro Changemakers
Products and services
- Professional Neuro Services Core umbrella programme delivering free, expert support for any neurological condition through the nurse-staffed helpline, peer support groups and comprehensive health information resources covering 600+ neurological conditions. For people in the UK affected by neurological conditions, their families, carers and health/social care professionals.
- Brain & Spine Helpline Free, confidential helpline (0808 808 1000) staffed by specialist neuroscience nurses, available Mon–Fri 9am–4pm, providing information and support on any brain or spine condition via telephone, email and post.
- Peer Support Groups Free online and in-person peer support groups including Neuro Social, Neuro Creatives, Neuro Carers, Neuro Writing, Neuro Social Midlands and Facebook support groups, providing safe spaces for people affected by neurological conditions to connect and receive mutual support.
- NeuroLifeNow Social Research Platform Social research platform that collects first-person insight into the reality of living with neurological conditions, conducted in collaboration with The Neurological Alliance to influence change and drive improvements in care and support.
- Neuro Changemakers Programme Community-building programme designed to give people in the neurological community a voice and enable them to drive change, including volunteer opportunities, self-help groups, ambassador roles and campaigning activities.
- NeuroUK Campaigning Initiative
Companies that use the brain and spine foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
the brain and spine foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature1 record
the brain and spine foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Neurological AlliancecorePartnership for social research collaboration. The Brain & Spine Foundation conducts social research in collaboration with The Neurological Alliance to influence change based on first-person insight into living with a neuro condition.
- UCL Centre for Nerve EngineeringminorCollaboration established to raise awareness and better support those living with nerve injuries (Nerve Injury Community), an underserved group by national organising bodies and charities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
the brain and spine foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Different Strokes: Smaller UK charity supporting younger stroke survivors with peer support and information. Comparable condition-focused service model and beneficiary profile to BSF's stroke resources.
Direct peers
- Stroke Association: UK charity providing helpline support, information resources and community programmes for stroke survivors — overlapping heavily with BSF's stroke fact sheets and peer support services.
- Epilepsy Society: UK charity providing information, helpline and research for people affected by epilepsy — one of the conditions BSF covers generically, with a comparable service mix.
- The Neurological Alliance: UK umbrella coalition of more than 80 neurological charities. Directly comparable as the only other UK-wide body coordinating across all neurological conditions; BSF is a member and social research collaborator.
- MS Society: Major UK charity for multiple sclerosis offering helpline, peer support, information resources, and research funding. Comparable operating model to BSF, though condition-specific.
- Headway — the brain injury association: UK charity providing helpline, information resources, and community support for people affected by brain injury — directly overlapping with BSF's head injury and brain haemorrhage coverage.
- Brain Research UK: UK charity funding research across neurological conditions and providing information. Comparable mission focus on all-brain conditions rather than single-disease, with overlapping research-funding history.
- Parkinson's UK: UK charity dedicated to a single neurological condition that BSF covers generically. Comparable in service model (helpline, peer support, information resources, research) but disease-specific.
Broad incumbents
- Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK charity providing specialist nurse helpline, peer support, and information for people affected by cancer. Comparable service architecture and clinical-nurse-staffed model, but in a different condition vertical.
- Mind: Larger UK mental health charity with helpline, peer support, and information services. Comparable service architecture and donor model, though operating at significantly greater scale in an adjacent (not identical) space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
the brain and spine foundation social profiles
Digital presencethe brain and spine foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
the brain and spine foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
the brain and spine foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
the brain and spine foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
the brain and spine foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
the brain and spine foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about the brain and spine foundation
What does the brain and spine foundation do?
The Brain & Spine Foundation is a UK-wide charity that provides free, expert information, helpline support, and peer community services to anyone affected by any of 600+ neurological conditions. Its service portfolio combines a confidential nurse-staffed helpline, online and in-person peer support groups, downloadable booklets and fact sheets, the NeuroLifeNow social research platform, and the Neuro Changemakers community programme. All services are delivered free to beneficiaries and funded entirely by voluntary donations and grants.
Is the brain and spine foundation a public or private company?
the brain and spine foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was the brain and spine foundation founded?
the brain and spine foundation was founded in 1992.
Where is the brain and spine foundation based?
the brain and spine foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does the brain and spine foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Voluntary Donations are the primary driver. The others are fundraising Events and national Lottery Community Fund Grant.
Who are the brain and spine foundation's main competitors?
Different Strokes is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Stroke Association, Epilepsy Society, The Neurological Alliance, MS Society, Headway — the brain injury association, Brain Research UK and Parkinson's UK. Broad incumbents are Macmillan Cancer Support and Mind.
Does the brain and spine foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for the brain and spine foundation.
What industry is the brain and spine foundation in?
the brain and spine foundation's product category is Neurological Health Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS), with a secondary code of BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.