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2022-03-31-accounts

Charity Registration No. 1002973 Company Registration No. 2609219 (England and Wales)

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee and having no Share Capital) Trustees’ Report and Accounts For the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Reference and Administrative Information

Company Number 2609219 (England and Wales)
Charity Number 1002973 (England and Wales)
SC040878 (Scotland)
Legal Status The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee and as
such is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Board of Trustees Jason Parker (Chair)
Charlotte Witteridge (Vice-Chair)
Calvin Sellers (Treasurer)
Verity Baldry (resigned 8 December 2021)
Alexander Burrows
John Calder
Caroline Farrar
Neil James
Amy Overend
Fauzia Paize
Tania Seale
Mala Shah-Coulon
Chief Executive Caroline Lee-Davey
Company Secretary Kay D’Cruz
Registered Office 4thFloor, Maya House
134-138 Borough High St
London
SE1 1LB
Auditor Sayer Vincent LLP
Invicta House
108-114 Golden Lane
London
EC1Y 0TL
Bankers Lloyds Bank PLC
3 St George’s Road
London
SW19 4DR
Solicitors Mishcon de Reya LLP
Africa House
70 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6AH

Contents

Page
Trustees’ Report 1
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 21
Independent Auditor’s Report 22
Group Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities 26
Balance Sheet 27
Statement of Cash Flows 28
Notes to the Accounts 29

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Introduction from the Chair and Chief Executive

It has been another extraordinary year, during which we have concluded our current three-year strategy while we all tentatively emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, with everything that we had learned during that challenging period informing the development of our work this year as well as for the future.

The pandemic continued to cast a long shadow over neonatal care, in particular as ongoing restrictions to neonatal unit access for both parents and wider family continued to affect the care experiences of babies and their families, and it therefore remained a significant focus for us during the course of this year to drive for the return of unrestricted parent access, as well as a return to full delivery of family-centred neonatal care. We have also built on the light shone by the pandemic on health inequalities with our own insights on the inequalities in neonatal care – in particular through our research with young parents and the equity focus of our NHS England-funded project on RSV – which have both shaped our work this year and heavily informed the development of our new three-year strategy, which has at its heart a core theme of tackling health inequalities.

More positively, the further shift to digital necessitated by the pandemic has helped drive new digital innovations this year in both our service delivery and fundraising, enabling us to reach new and different audiences through mechanisms as diverse as Instagram Q&As and Facebook Challenge fundraising. These exciting developments have also given us rich new insights about how to make best use of digital technology to make the biggest difference for the babies we are here to serve, which will continue to drive our work in the years to come.

As neonatal services opened back up, we have been pleased to make strong progress this year with our flagship quality improvement programme the Bliss Baby Charter, in the first year of its newly-redeveloped model, delivering a number of unit accreditations by the end of the year. The Baby Charter continues to drive excellence in family-centred care across the UK, and we are looking forward to supporting more rapid progress in the years to come.

We are so grateful for the continued support of so many individuals and organisations this year, who have helped us to deliver a really encouraging and stable financial performance in what has remained an extremely challenging external environment. In particular, we would like to pay special tribute to Bliss’ staff, volunteers and supporters, who have gone above and beyond all year in their commitment to making the biggest difference for babies admitted to neonatal care – their dedication to ensuring that every baby born premature or sick has the best chance of survival and quality of life is truly humbling, and continues to make us so proud to lead Bliss’ valuable work.

Caroline Lee-Davey Jason Parker Chief Executive Chair of Trustees

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The Directors of the Charity (who are the Trustees of the Charity for charity law purposes) present their report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022.

The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011 and the requirements of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) .

Structure, governance and management

Governing document

Bliss - the National Charity for the Newborn is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 9th May 1991 and governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association, last updated on 26th January 2011. It is also registered as a charity with the Charity Commission, date of registration 20[th] May 1991.

Members of the charity are limited to the serving members of the volunteer Board of Trustees at any given time, who are limited to a guarantee of £1 each in the event of the charity being wound up.

Bliss has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Bliss Sales Limited, the principal activity of which is trading operations that enhance the aims and objectives of Bliss, with available profits gift aided back to Bliss; and Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited, which is a company limited by guarantee in Scotland and a registered charity in Scotland, the principal activity of which is to carry out Bliss’ aims and activities in Scotland.

Appointment of Trustees

As set out in the Articles of Association, the Chair of the Board of Trustees is elected by the members of the Board. When Trustee vacancies arise on the Board these are openly advertised, and the appointment of new Trustees is made following an application process including interview by members of the Nominations Committee, and approval by the whole Board. When considering appointments, the Nominations Committee consider the diversity of the current board of Trustees in terms of skills and experience, geographic representation, age and ethnic background; and we continually aim to increase the board’s diversity.

Trustee induction, training and evaluation

New Trustees have a comprehensive induction coordinated by senior staff and fellow Trustees; this includes, for example, time spent with staff to find out about the work of the Charity, a visit to a neonatal unit, and buddying with an experienced Trustee. All Trustees are offered ongoing training as required, as well as regular opportunities to engage with the Charity’s staff team, beneficiaries, stakeholders and supporters.

Each Trustee has an annual review conducted by the Chair. The Vice-Chair undertakes a regular review of the Chair, incorporating input from all Trustees and the Senior Management Team (SMT). Once every three years, there is an externally facilitated board evaluation, most recently held in 2019-20. This year, our annual Trustee away day spent time reflecting on how the Trustees’ can best work in line with Bliss’ values and values-based behaviours, and on developing our new three year strategy (2022-25).

Organisation

The volunteer Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance and direction of the charity. The Senior Management Team meets regularly and reports to the Board through the Chief Executive.

During the year the Board comprised 12 Trustees overall, including a Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer. Trustees are all members of the Board and at least one sub-committee. The Board met six times during the year; our two primary sub-committees are the Finance, Risk & Fundraising Committee, which met six times during the year; and the Impact & Delivery Committee, which met three times. The Board also held a series of longer ‘deep dive’ sessions to inform detailed strategy development.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

During the year we reverted to meeting in person, however due to continued Covid-19 restrictions, all of these meetings were held in hybrid style, with some Trustees attending by videoconference. The Chief Executive and SMT attend meetings of the Board and its sub-committees. Bliss Scotland and Bliss Sales Ltd have separate Boards; the Directors of Bliss Sales are also Trustees of Bliss, and the Trustees of Bliss Scotland during the year comprised two Trustees who are also Trustees of Bliss, and two independent Trustees. Trustee attendance at Board meetings was 92 per cent this year (2021: 90 per cent).

All Trustees are on fixed terms of office of four years and typically serve up to two terms. The following served as Trustees during the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022:

Verity Baldry (resigned 8 December 2021) Alexander Burrows John Calder Caroline Farrar Neil James Amy Overend Fauzia Paize Jason Parker (Chair) Tania Seale Calvin Sellers (Treasurer) Mala Shah-Coulon Charlotte Witteridge (Vice Chair)

Related parties and co-operation with other organisations

None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. As members, they each have a potential individual liability of £1. There are no Trustees’ interests to be disclosed.

See notes 9 and 20 to the accounts for further information.

Charity Governance Code

Bliss continues to apply the Charity Governance Code. A full external governance review was undertaken in 2019-20, which included a review against each element of the Code’s principles and was followed by a programme of actions to address identified areas for development. During 2021-22 the Board developed and approved a further internal controls and governance checklist to ensure effective oversight of key internal controls.

Risk management

The Trustees review the major risks facing the Charity on a regular basis, monitoring reserves and reviewing key financial systems to ensure sufficient resources are available to meet our obligations in the event of adverse conditions. The Trustees have also examined other operational and business risks faced by the Charity and confirm that they have established systems to manage significant risks.

Key risks to the Charity include:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The systems of control and activities to minimise risk include:

The Trustees ensure that the management of risk is ongoing and embedded in management and operational procedures.

Public benefit

Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 contains a legal requirement that all charities’ aims are for public benefit. The Charity Commission in its “Charities and Public Benefit” guidance states that there are two key principles to be met in order to show that an organisation’s aims are for public benefit:

  1. There must be an identifiable benefit

  2. Benefit must be to the public or a section of the public.

Regular evaluation of Bliss’ work demonstrates the clear and positive benefit that we have on tens of thousands of babies, their families and the healthcare professionals who care for them. This is particularly through:

We aim to regularly evaluate the impact and effectiveness of our work through a process of measurement and evaluation led by SMT and managers, which is reviewed by Trustees periodically at meetings of the Impact and Delivery Committee and of the full Board.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

About Bliss

Bliss was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned parents who discovered that no hospital had all the equipment nor the trained staff it needed to safely care for premature and sick babies. Determined to do something, these volunteers formed a charity to give vulnerable babies the care they deserve. Over 40 years later, Bliss has grown into the UK’s leading charity for babies born premature or sick.

Our vision:

That every baby born premature or sick in the UK has the best chance of survival and quality of life.

Our mission:

Bliss champions the right for every baby born premature or sick to receive the best care. We achieve this by empowering families, influencing policy and practice, and enabling life-changing research.

Our values:

Trusted

We are entrusted to give voice to all babies born premature or sick. We believe that trust is earned and our actions must always be based on what is best for babies.

Supportive

We believe that developing supportive relationships is at the heart of what we do, and only by supporting others are we able to achieve our goals.

Ambitious

We always go the extra mile to deliver excellence and seek improvement in all we do.

Our strategy

This has been the third and final year of our 2019-2022 strategy. Our strategic objectives are explicitly framed in relation to outcomes for babies, and we have continued to strike a balance between the work that we are doing to improve outcomes for the babies born premature or sick and being cared for today; and the work to improve outcomes for babies in the future. We believe this is the right approach both to deliver tangible benefits and improvements to babies in neonatal care now, and to the quality of neonatal care over the longer-term.

Our three-year objectives and priority activities for this strategy period have been:

1. For more babies born premature or sick to survive:

2. For babies born premature or sick to have well-supported parents playing an active role in their decisionmaking and care:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

3. For babies born premature or sick to be cared for in neonatal environments that best support their development:

4. For babies born premature or sick to benefit from neonatal research that can lead to practical improvements in their care:

5. For babies born premature or sick to receive high-quality care within a neonatal health system which is appropriately funded, structured and staffed:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Review of 2021/22 activities

1. For more babies born premature or sick to survive Over the life of this three-year strategy, the neonatal mortality rate for babies born at 24 weeks or over has gradually declined; noting that there is a time delay for data reporting, the latest UK neonatal mortality rate for 2019, as reported by MBRRACE UK, was 1.62 per 1,000 live births across the UK, down from 1.67 per 1,000 in 2017 and from 1.84 in 2013. However, this gradual overall decline masks considerable variation within the neonatal mortality rate both between the four nations of the UK and between different demographic groups within the population; as well as the higher rates of mortality among babies born below 24 weeks. There is therefore considerable work still to do to bring the rate down further overall, as well as equitably across all groups and all UK nations.

We were disappointed this year that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) changed how it is measuring its target to halve neonatal deaths in England by 2025 as part of its National Ambition, to report only against neonatal mortality of babies born at or over 24 weeks going forward. We are concerned that this could reduce opportunities to improve care and outcomes for babies born at 22 or 23 weeks, and have raised our concerns through a submission to the Health and Social Care Committee Expert Panel consultation, directly in a meeting with DHSC officials, and with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We have been assured that neonatal mortality data will still be captured for babies born below 24 weeks, and will continue to monitor these rates closely in the coming years.

This year we have continued to be the voice of babies needing neonatal care at the national level, inputting into and influencing policy to drive improvements in care and reduce the infant mortality rate. This has included continuing to play an active role on the Neonatal Implementation Board, which is responsible for overseeing a five-year programme of neonatal transformation in England; and influencing the recommendations of the GIRFT [Getting It Right First Time – NHS England quality improvement programme] report. We also continue to be represented on the NHS England Neonatal Critical Care Clinical Reference Group, the Best Start Implementation Board in Scotland, and on the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Executive Committee, among others.

2. For babies born premature or sick to have well-supported parents playing an active role in their decision-making and care

Bliss’ work to support parents of babies born premature or sick focuses on informing, enabling and empowering them to play an active role in their babies’ care and decision-making during their time on the neonatal unit. Evidence is very clear that parental involvement is essential both to support improved outcomes for babies born premature or sick, and also for attachment and bonding as a family.

This year, while parent access to neonatal units significantly improved compared to the previous year of tight restrictions following the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing parent access restrictions continued to affect parents’ ability to be with their baby, particularly earlier in the year. There were also continued restrictions for both siblings and wider family and friends throughout the year, which significantly affected the experience of families with babies in neonatal care.

Bliss therefore continued to lead policy and campaigning work to highlight the impact of access restrictions on babies and families, and to work with policymakers to remove restrictions as quickly as possible. Most significantly, early in the year we published the report Locked Out: The impact of COVID-19 on neonatal care , which reported results of a survey of over 500 parents of neonatal babies born between March 2020 and February 2021, as well as findings from a survey of 70 NHS Trusts in England. This showed that many parents of neonatal babies still faced significant challenges in spending time with their premature or sick baby in their critical first days and weeks of life, which affected bonding and attachment as well as parental mental health.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Publication of the Locked Out report resulted directly in strong media coverage, including on the BBC, and engagement across social media, and received positive feedback and engagement from neonatal health professionals, including this comment from a lead nurse at a neonatal network: “Thank you for your ongoing dedication to support and champion infants and their families. Bliss’ support and excellent reports have been invaluable to delivering care throughout the pandemic”. We were also able to use the report to leverage sustained parliamentary engagement, resulting in parliamentary questions being asked on this topic in both England and Wales.

The outcomes of our campaigning around parent access, comprising the Locked Out report and other activity, included:

Alongside our policy and campaigning work to restore full unrestricted parent access – as well as sibling and wider family access – to neonatal units, throughout this year we have provided a range of information and support services to help parents to play an active role in their babies’ care and decision-making. These services encompassed both Covid-specific information and support, as well as a broader range of information and support for families. Highlights of this work included:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

During this year we were also successful in securing a £150,000 grant from NHS England for a 6-month project designed to develop and disseminate information about the seasonal virus RSV, which is a particular risk for babies born premature, in anticipation of an extended RSV season after the Covid-19 pandemic. This was an accelerated project which in a short space of time involved:

This project was a significant undertaking which was developed and delivered at pace, and one through which we both exceeded our targets by a considerable margin, and were able to forge constructive partnerships with other organisations which accelerated our insights into the needs of parents from a broader range of backgrounds. Our most notable achievements for this project were:

All of these achievements have significantly helped build Bliss’ capacity to support and inform families of sick and premature babies, and to reach, engage and involve diverse families so we are better able to tackle health inequalities, and this gives us a strong foundation on which to build future work in the coming years of our new strategy which has tackling health inequalities at its heart.

More broadly, our impact monitoring this year – based on 187 responses to a survey used across our online information, email and remote support services – showed consistently high scores against our primary outcome measures: of parents surveyed, as a result of Bliss’ support:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

In order to measure the impact specifically of our online information, in December 2021 we introduced a popup evaluation survey on our information webpages, which has given us the opportunity to ask questions specifically related to the online information that we provide. We had a total of 146 responses from December 2021 when the tool was installed up to the end of March 2022, of whom 87.6 per cent said they found all the information that they were looking for, and two-thirds (66.6 per cent) looked at more than one page, indicating the relevance of the information for our users.

3. For babies born premature or sick to be cared for in neonatal environments that best support their development

In order to deliver the best outcomes for babies, it is important that neonatal units follow best practice in both parental involvement and developmental care. The Bliss Baby Charter was designed to standardise high quality family-centred care across the UK. It is a practical framework for neonatal units to self-assess the quality of family-centred care they deliver against a set of seven core principles.

This year we introduced a paid-for charging model for units progressing past the initial self-assessment stage of the Baby Charter; this has introduced a modest fee structure to pay for some of Bliss’ costs in administering audit review and accreditation, giving the programme long-term sustainability. This now reflects a Bronze / Silver / Gold accreditation model which more clearly recognises progress made towards full accreditation, giving enhanced motivation and incentives for units to progress. In our first year of this new model we were pleased to have 75 units (out of a total of 191 across the UK) sign up to the paid-for model; with 93% of UK neonatal units in total registered for and working on the Baby Charter.

Following the 20/21 year when neonatal units had found it extremely difficult to dedicate time to the Baby Charter due to the significant pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, activity started to return to expected levels this year, particularly later in the year, and we received 45 audits (compared to our target of 40) across 21/22. During the latter half of the year we were also able to return to in-person unit visits to undertake assessments, and were pleased to deliver three assessments and one re-assessment, resulting in three Gold Baby Charter accreditations and one Platinum.

Across the year 26 units progressed to the next stage of the Baby Charter, with the most improvements demonstrated across the following areas:

In practice, some examples of the improvements made by units through working on the Bliss Baby Charter – and therefore making a tangible difference to babies and families – were:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

This year we also rolled out a new digital audit tool through which units can more easily self-assess and upload evidence, significantly reducing the administrative burden both for units and for Bliss. This has received very positive feedback from health professionals both anecdotally and in our 6-month evaluation of the tool in practice.

Feedback included the following comments:

“Thank you Bliss, the team really enjoyed working with the new audit tool and found it much more intuitive than the previous tool”

“The model is clear and concise – easy to use and benefits staff and ultimately parents”

In addition to our work on the Baby Charter, this year we have also continued to support health professionals in a number of different ways, including:

4. For babies born premature or sick to benefit from neonatal research that can lead to practical improvements in their care

This year, the Oxford University research project funded by Bliss – looking at the measurement and management of pain in premature babies – continued, despite some ongoing challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This vital study continued to make progress in the important but under-researched area of neonatal pain, including starting recruitment to a randomised controlled trial looking at the impact of parental touch on the management of pain in babies. We were particularly pleased to secure additional funding for the project from the Medical Research Council, as part of a government scheme to support early-career researchers whose work had been affected by Covid-19. We look forward to continuing to work with the research team in 22/23 as the project concludes, to ensure its findings can be translated into practice.

In addition, Bliss continues to support a number of other research projects with parental involvement, ensuring that parents’ views and experiences are at the heart of neonatal research to ensure they best reflect and meet the needs of current and future generations of babies. These include the Optiprem study, looking at the most appropriate place of birth for babies born between 27 and 31 weeks; the FEED1 trial, which is seeking to establish the optimum timeframe to full feeds for babies born at 30-33 weeks; the NeSCi study to develop a smoking cessation intervention for parents of babies on the neonatal unit; and the CHERuB study to look at childhood outcomes after perinatal brain injury. In addition we have supported over a dozen research projects with one-off support to promote their activities through our social media channels.

Bliss has also conducted its own primary research this year with young parents who have experienced neonatal care, as part of our focus on deepening our understanding of the breadth of different neonatal experiences, to inform both our own services and our policy work. The resulting report, “Neonatal care through a young parent lens” , was based on a survey of over 200 parents aged under 25, and 12 in-depth interviews, and was overseen throughout by a steering group of young parents. This research highlighted the specific challenges and barriers facing young parents of a baby admitted to neonatal care – including the risk of facing age-related discrimination affecting their ability to be involved in their baby’s care, and the lack of

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

guidance for educational institutions to offer the right support to new parents – which have informed both Bliss’ own work and our work with policymakers.

5. For babies born premature or sick to receive high-quality care within a neonatal health system which is appropriately funded, structured and staffed

In addition to an ongoing primary focus during this year on restoring full parent access, as well as sibling/family access, in the context of Covid-19 neonatal unit restrictions, we have continued to progress a number of other campaigning objectives to ensure that babies are cared for in well-equipped neonatal services, and that families receive the support they need to be partners in delivering their baby’s care.

Policy activity undertaken and areas progressed this year included:

Neonatal Leave and Pay:

We also responded to a series of consultations and inquiries covering a broad range of topics including:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Terms of Reference for the Inquiry to include the impact on antenatal and postnatal care, on children and young people, and on mental health.

Throughout the year we have continued to make best use of our digital channels to raise awareness of and engagement in Bliss’ work, which resulted in an overall increase of 13% in website page views in 21/22 compared to the previous year, and an increase of 24% in the number of website users.

In recognition of the significance of our website as our primary platform for reaching both service users and supporters we have also completed an audit of our entire website and the back-end content management system (CMS) ahead of planned new website developments for 2022/3, and have conducted accessibility and search engine optimisation (SEO) audits on the front end of the website to ensure the website performance is up-to-date in these areas. Our analysis has shown that the number of website users using mobile devices has continued to increase over the year (79% vs 73% in 20/21), so we have worked closely with our website agency to look at performance issues and address these so the website performs at high speed on mobile.

Our monthly e-comms newsletter Your Bliss subscriber numbers increased from 32,537 to 55,889 during 20/21, mostly as a result of recruitment of new supporters through a marketing campaign on Facebook. The average open rate of the newsletter also increased from 13.58% to 25.66%, and click-through rates to information on our website have increased, indicating that our content is performing well with our new audience as well as existing subscribers.

We had strong engagement with a wide range of activity over World Prematurity Day (17 November) this year, which included:

Our media coverage for the year focused on the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and parents being separated from their babies, the need for free rapid Covid testing for parents of babies in neonatal care, and the need for emergency Neonatal Leave and Pay. We also saw a spike in coverage for World Prematurity Day across a range of national media, as well as coverage of our new corporate partnership with the cleaning product company Fabulosa.

We were also able to deliver a significant range of fundraising activities this year, building on our innovations in virtual fundraising during the Covid-19 pandemic while also making a slow return to in-person events and fundraising activities. We were particularly pleased to pilot Facebook Challenge fundraising this year, which has proved a popular way for supporters to take on active challenges to generate funds for Bliss throughout the year; as well as return to some of our most popular in-person events including the October 2021 London Marathon.

In terms of longer-term support, we updated the information on our website about how supporters can leave a gift to Bliss in their will after making provision for loved ones. Supporters have indicated that this is an important way for them to support the charity in the future, and proof of this was in a large legacy for £28k that we received during this year.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Plans for the future

During this year we undertook an extensive consultation process to inform the development of our new 20222025 strategy. Using these insights, as well as those gathered through the Covid-19 pandemic, in our new strategy we have explicitly taken a bolder stance in identifying and addressing poor experiences and unequal outcomes amongst the population of babies born premature or sick, and their families.

We have therefore set out three underpinning themes across our new strategy:

Our five strategic objectives for the 2022-25 period are:

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Thanks and acknowledgements

We would like to extend our thanks to the following organisations who have supported our work this year:

Abbvie Ltd Keltruck Ltd The Elsie Lawrence Trust
Angelcare Ltd Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and
Wales		 The Gilbert & Eileen Edgar Foundation
Aurum Research Ltd Mallory Grant Ltd The Hospital Saturday Fund Charitable
Trust
Barratt Developments PLC
Charitable Foundation		 Medical Research Council The Lambs Hill Trust
Benevity Mothercare Foundation The Lovely Keepsake Company Limited
Bennison Brown Ltd My 1st Years The Mathew Family Trust
Buxted Construction Fabulosa The Meikle Foundation
Cardano Network Space The Ronald Miller Foundation
Chiesi Ltd Orbis Investments The Norman C. Ashton Foundation
Cobbetts Pampers The Pilkington Charities Fund
Dandia Charitable Trust Sainsbury’s The Rainford Trust
BCLP Sanofi UK The Souter Charitable Trust
Ergo Scottish Government The Walker Trust
Countryside Partnerships Sir Douglas Glover Charitable Trust Thomas J Horne Memorial Trust
Childbase Partnerships Specsavers Optical Group TK Maxx and Homesense Foundation
Barnack The A R Taylor Charitable Trust Tysers Insurance Brokers
East London Textiles The Annett Charitable Trust VCSE Health and Wellbeing
Programme / NHS England
Fitch Ratings Ltd The Annie Tranmer Charitable Trust Vera Outhwaite Charitable Trust
Forrester Research Limited The Appletree Trust Vitabiotics
Frank Litchfield General
Charitable Trust		 The Boltini Trust Waterwipes
Matthias Hieber - GSG The Christopher Laing Foundation Vitol Foundation
Hudson Charitable Trust The Clara E Burgess Charity Western Power Distribution
Invesco Cares Foundation The Constance Paterson Charitable
Trust		 Zentso
James E. Barnes Solicitor The Edgar E LawleyFoundation

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

As ever, we are enormously grateful to all of Bliss’ incredible supporters who have supported Bliss over the last year, without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to achieve what we do for babies born premature or sick. We are particularly pleased to have brought on board a new cohort of Bliss fundraisers this year through the development of our Facebook Challenge virtual fundraising programme, as well as to have sustained the support of many of our longstanding individual supporters, families, community groups, companies and trusts, whose ongoing commitment to our work is truly humbling – thank you.

Through our fundraising, we aim to improve the financial resilience and sustainability of Bliss so that we can help as many of the 90,000 babies who need neonatal care each year as possible. Our supporters are vital to us reaching our goal of helping every single one. Our fundraising approach to achieving this is to ensure:

We also pay tribute to our superstar team of Bliss volunteers, whose contribution across many different areas of our work has made such a difference over the last year; whether that was through supporting families, sharing their stories in the media, campaigning, or raising awareness of Bliss. Among these we would like to thank our dedicated Board of volunteer Trustees, as well as our amazing staff team, who have again pulled out all the stops to ensure we are making the biggest difference possible for babies.

Finally, we would like to offer our sincere thanks to the following organisations that have supported our work over the past year, as well as the many hundreds of families, doctors, nurses and other individuals who continue to make such a difference to our work:

Black Mums Upfront British Association of Perinatal Medicine Department of Health and Social Care EFCNI The FINE Faculty Institute of Health Visiting LGBT Mummies National Neonatal Audit Programme National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit Neonatal Data Analysis Unit Neonatal Nurses Association Netmums NHS England NIDCAP Training Centre Pregnancy and Baby Charities Network Public Health England Royal College of Midwives Royal College of Nursing Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Sands Twins Trust The Lullaby Trust TinyLife

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Financial Review

During 20/21 we were fortunate to receive a significant donation, at a time when our community and events fundraising was significantly disrupted by the restrictions arising from Covid-19. This donation enabled us to maintain our staff base during a period of significantly reduced fundraising activity, and plan and enact a longterm programme of investment in service delivery and projects to improve infrastructure.

At the end of the 21/22 financial period, we are delighted that our finances remain on a really solid basis, with unrestricted funds carried forward of £1,098k. Our strong reserves position provides a high level of assurance that the charity can mitigate the risks that we face, and – through the provision of regular, detailed financial information – recognise any changes in the internal or external environment that may arise. We also have a strong cash position, with cash and investments totalling £1,104k, and we no longer maintain an overdraft facility with our bank.

Excluding the impact of the significant donation in 20/21, total income during the year has increased by £700k, largely driven by growth in our unrestricted sporting and community activities (from £352k to £1072k), as we have successfully developed our digital fundraising challenges. Unrestricted income also benefitted from another year of growth in trading income from Bliss Sales (from £165k to £190k), due to excellent relationship building with our corporate partners, although our unrestricted corporate income decreased (from £262k to £122k), largely as the prior year included a number of one-off Covid-related donations from our corporate supporters.

We have also been delighted with the support we have received from charitable foundations and trusts, with restricted income increasing from £272k to £337k. We have had continued support from the Scottish Government, who have supported our work to drive quality improvement on neonatal units through our Baby Charter audit and accreditation scheme, with a grant of £47k (20/21: £33k,) as well as a grant of £19k (20/21: £19k) to fund our volunteer, information and support work in Scotland. NHS England also awarded us a significant grant of £150k to provide information and support in respect of RSV over the winter. The Medical Research Council issued a grant fund during the financial year, to enable charities to continue to support research institutions with their research programmes, and we were delighted to be awarded £50k to allow an additional year of funding for our Oxford Pain research project when our existing award comes to an end in September 2022.

Expenditure had been planned to increase again in 21/22, as the Board of Trustees and Senior Management Team looked to cautiously and effectively make best use of the significant donation received in the prior year. We were able to grow our headcount, and average FTE during the year increased from 29 to 34. We invested in new fundraising tools and ways of working, particularly in supporter acquisition, insight and journeys, as we look to ensure sustainable income streams into the future. This, along with the significant donation in the prior year, meant that our fundraising ratio declined from 27p in every £1 raised to 50p in every £1 raised, although we plan for that ratio to improve over the next strategy period.

Bliss’ charitable spend also declined this year, from 60p to 52p in every £1 spent on charitable activities, again due to our investment in infrastructure improvements such as in our digital ways of working. Overall charitable activity spend did increase, from £1,097k to £1,291k, but we need to balance the requirement to manage our overhead costs with the need to invest in our capacity to provide professional, high quality and safe services and activities, and to ensure the charity remains sustainable in the long-term. We intend to invest in further infrastructure improvements in the next financial year, but we intend that our charitable spend ratio will improve as we develop our service offering over the full strategy period, focusing on reaching more diverse beneficiaries and seeking to address health inequalities.

Overall expenditure increased from £1,826k to £2,478k, and we made a small deficit of £63k (20/21: surplus of £857k). We had intended the deficit would be larger, as we spent down our high brought forward reserves, but our strong income position meant that wasn’t necessary, something we are very proud of given a backdrop of an extremely challenging and volatile external environment throughout 21/22.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Our plans for 22/23, developed in tandem with our new 22-25 strategy, mean that we will incur a larger deficit next year, as we seek to use our funds in the very best way possible, to provide vital services to improve outcomes for babies born premature or sick.

Bliss Scotland (Charity)

Bliss Scotland offers a wide range of support and information to Scottish families and neonatal units. This year the cost of Bliss Scotland’s charitable activities was £75k (20/21: £74k), with total expenditure amounting to £86k (20/21: £95k). This was financed through grant income of £67k (20/21: £52k), £13k from trading activities (20/21: £14k), and £21k from donations (20/21: £25k). No donation (2020: £0k) was made this year from Bliss to Bliss Scotland. As its parent company, Bliss continues to provide administrative, logistical and fundraising support to Bliss Scotland, and a charge for this is made to Bliss Scotland.

Bliss Sales

Bliss Sales Limited is the trading arm of Bliss, selling goods, brand licensing and sponsorship opportunities to individuals and corporate entities. Bliss Sales Limited produced turnover of £190k (20/21: £165k) and a profit on ordinary activities before corporate gift aid of £153k (20/21: £132k). £153k (20/21: £132k) has been gifted to Bliss (Charity) through the corporate Gift Aid scheme.

Reporting

In order to be able to compare our income and expenditure year on year, and in order to show most clearly how our income and expenditure is generated and spent across the organisation, we use the following four key areas of work throughout our Annual Accounts.

Reserves policy and going concern

Reserves are needed to ensure that there remains enough liquidity to pay our staff and suppliers during times when cash flow fluctuates, to cover the value of our illiquid assets, to mitigate the financial risks we face such as unforeseen interruptions to our operations, to cover possible shortfalls in budgeted income, and to ensure that we can meet our planned spending commitments during the years ahead.

Bliss’ Reserves Policy assesses the level of risk inherent within Bliss operations, and sets out a calculation for determining the target level of reserves needed to mitigate that risk. This policy enables Bliss to determine whether currently held reserves are significantly above or below that target level. Where reserves vary from the target, plans will be made to bring reserves back in line with the target.

At the balance sheet date, total unrestricted funds are £1,098k (20/21: £1,208k). Free reserves are £560k above the calculated target of £480k (2020: £707k above target of £389k). This level of above-target reserves has arisen mainly from the significant donation received during 2020/21. Trustees and SMT have been through a rigorous process to develop a plan to further spend down some of this donation over the next financial year – both on supporting core work and also on investing in capacity-building and direct service delivery – but this will still result in reserves being slightly above target. The Trustees are comfortable with this, and agreed to hold this above target level of reserves as additional mitigation against the risks inherent in the external environment. A full review of the reserves required in line with the reserves policy will be carried out during the 23/24 budget process, and appropriate levels of additional activity will be planned for the 23/24 financial year, to bring the actual level of reserves in line with the agreed level at that point.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The Trustees have closely reviewed the going concern position prior to signing this report and are of the view that Bliss remains a going concern for the next 12 months, from the date this report was signed; and that there are no material uncertainties related to this.

Investment powers and policy

Bliss’ Investment Policy supports in the assessment of appropriate institutions for holding cash, taking into consideration risk, liquidity and our ethical policy.

Most cash balances were held in easily accessible current accounts, or short term (less than 95 day notice) accounts, and £300k invested in a COIF fund. This is shown within current asset investments.

Fundraising regulations

Bliss is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and all fundraising activities are aligned with the Code of Fundraising Practice to ensure that they are legal, open, honest and respectful. Our values state that in all of our work we aim to be trusted, supportive and ambitious, and these values are enshrined in all fundraising activities and campaigns that the charity undertakes. To reinforce this commitment, Bliss has a number of policies and procedures that underpin its fundraising activities:

On occasion Bliss works with professional fundraisers or commercial participators to raise funds. When doing so, Bliss undertakes a thorough vetting and compliance process to ensure that all relationships and activities align with the relevant laws and regulations, and with the Bliss policies described above. Contracts and data sharing agreements are signed by all parties in line with current data protection legislation, and strict account management and monitoring processes are in place for all such relationships.

Any individual undertaking to fundraise on behalf of Bliss is given clear guidance on how to fundraise within the law to adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practice, and fundraising activities carried out on behalf of Bliss by third parties are regularly reviewed through dedicated account management, regular communications with supporters and monitoring of social media activity.

Bliss takes all complaints about its fundraising activities very seriously. A clear process for submitting complaints is displayed on our website, and all complaints are centrally stored and reviewed regularly throughout the year by the senior management team. A summary of all complaints received is also discussed and reviewed annually at the Board. In the 2021-22 financial year, Bliss received 22 complaints in relation to its fundraising activities, all of which were responded to and resolved to the satisfaction of the complainants.

Many donors and supporters of Bliss have a strong personal connection to neonatal care that may have come from a difficult personal experience, and as such all employees and third-party fundraisers are trained in how to deal with potentially vulnerable supporters. The Bliss Safeguarding Policy outlines the steps needed to report any safeguarding concerns should they arise.

Pay policy for senior staff

The directors consider the Board of Directors, who are the charity’s Trustees, and the senior management team, to comprise the key management personnel of the charity. They are charged with directing, controlling, running and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis.

The Trustees are not remunerated. The pay of the SMT is benchmarked against pay of similar positions in charities of a similar size, and is reviewed annually. The pay policy for senior staff is in line with the pay policy

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

applied to Bliss’ staff, and for the Chief Executive is administered by the Nominations Committee of the Board (comprising the Chair, Vice-Chair and one other Trustee), in consultation with the Treasurer.

Related parties

Details of related party transactions are in note 20.

Disclosure of information to auditors

Each Trustee has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditors are aware of such information.

Auditors

In accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, Sayer Vincent LLP were appointed as auditors of the company in 2017 and have continued to be appointed for the year ended 31 March 2022.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees.

Jason Parker Chair of Trustees

19 October 2022

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees, who are also the directors of Bliss for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company and group for that year.

In preparing these accounts, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Members of the charitable company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2022 was 11 (2021: 12). The Trustees are members of the charitable company but this entitles them only to voting rights. The Trustees have no beneficial interest in the charitable company.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (the ‘parent charitable company’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, the group and parent charitable company balance sheets, the consolidated statement of cash flows and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the group financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ annual report other than the group financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the group financial statements does not cover the other information, and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the group financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the group financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent charitable company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ annual report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees’ responsibilities set out in the trustees’ annual report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the parent charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group’s and the parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the group or the parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and section 151 of the Charites Act 2011 and report in accordance with those Acts.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities,

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are set out below.

Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and noncompliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Bliss – The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Judith Miller (Senior statutory auditor)

21 October 2022

for and on behalf of Sayer Vincent LLP, Statutory Auditor Invicta House, 108-114 Golden Lane, LONDON, EC1Y 0TL

Sayer Vincent LLP is eligible to act as auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Group Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, including Income and Expenditure Account For the year ended 31 March 2022

Notes
Income
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Supporting research
Other trading activities
4
Investment income
Total income
Expenditure
Costs of raising funds
6
Charitable activities
7
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure) before transfers
Net gains / (losses) on investments
15
Transfers between funds
Net income / (expenditure) for the year and net
movement in funds
Fund balances brought forward
Fund balances carried forward
18		 Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2022
£
Total
2021
£
752,981
-
752,981
1,900,452
-
238,972
238,972
166,865
10,040
46,754
56,794
94,338
16,810
51,681
68,491
10,951
1,262,386
-
1,262,386
517,302
9,845
-
9,845
519
2,052,062
337,407
2,389,469
2,690,427
1,187,385
-
1,187,385
728,450
388,998
241,945
630,943
508,833
270,669
46,754
317,423
349,981
256,091
-
256,091
200,044
84,761
1,681
86,442
38,623
2,187,904
290,380
2,478,284
1,825,931
(135,842)
47,027
(88,815)
864,496
25,390
-
25,390
(7,115)
-
-
-
-
(110,452)
47,027
(63,425)
857,381
1,208,021
2,973
1,210,994
353,613
1,097,569
50,000
1,147,569
1,210,994

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

As at 31 March 2022

Company no. 02609219

Balance Sheets

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible assets
11
Investments
12
Current Assets
Debtors
14
Current asset investment
15
Short term deposits
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors; amounts falling due within one year
16
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Funds
Restricted funds
18
Unrestricted funds
General Funds
Total funds		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
57,161
112,354
57,161
112,354
-
-
1
1
Group
Charity
57,161
112,354
57,162
112,355
281,672
163,045
270,047
151,644
318,275
292,885
318,275
292,885
300,012
300,000
300,012
300,000
485,972
585,281
482,173
585,065
1,385,931
1,341,211
1,370,507
1,329,594
(295,523)
(242,571)
(296,196)
(231,349)
1,090,408
1,098,640
1,074,311
1,098,245
1,147,569
1,210,994
1,131,473
1,210,600
50,000
2,973
50,000
2,973
1,097,569
1,208,021
1,081,473
1,207,627
1,147,569
1,210,994
1,131,473
1,210,600

The trustees have prepared group accounts in accordance with section 398 of the Companies Act 2006 and section 138 of the Charities Act 2011.

The accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on:

Trustee

19 October 2022

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended 31 March 2022

Notes
Cash generated from / (used in) operating activities
21
Cash flows from investment activities
Dividends and interest income
Purchase of current asset investment
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Cash provided by / (used in) investing activities
Cash used in financing activities
Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
during the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Cash and cash equivalents consist of:
Cash at bank and in hand
Short term deposits		 2022
£
(99,101)
9,845
-
(10,041)
(196)
-
(99,297)
885,281
785,984
485,972
300,012
785,984		 2021
£
916,305
519
(300,000)
(17,778)
(317,259)
-
599,046
286,235
885,281
585,281
300,000
885,281

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts

For the year ended 31 March 2022

1 Accounting Policies The important information, principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation and uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows: 1.1 Statutory information Bliss - the National Charity for the Newborn is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office address is Maya House, 134-138 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LB. 1.2 Basis of preparation The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006/Charities Act 2011. The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £1. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note. In applying the financial reporting framework, the trustees have made a number of subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The nature of the estimation means the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. Any significant estimates and judgements affecting these financial statements are detailed within the relevant accounting policy below. 1.3 Public benefit entity The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. 1.4 Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis After reviewing the group's forecasts and projections, and following the significant donation in the year, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The group therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its consolidated financial statements. 1.5 Group financial statements The financial statements consolidate the results of the Charity, its wholly owned subsidiary Bliss Sales Limited and with Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited on a lineby-line basis. Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited has been consolidated given that it has trustees in common with the main charity and is subject to common governance processes. A separate Statement of Financial Activities and Income and Expenditure Account for the charity has not been presented because the charity has taken advantage of the exemption afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. 1.6 Income Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, when any performance conditions attached to the items of income have been met and where it is probable that income will be received and quantified with reasonable accuracy. Grants receivable in respect of expenditure charged to the Statement of Financial Activities during the year have been included in the Statement of Financial Activities. Income from government and other grants, whether 'capital' or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds. Where conditions to receiving the grant need to be met, income is recognised where it is probable that it will be received and measured with reasonable accuracy. For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executors that a distribution will be made, or when distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executors' intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity or the charity is aware of the granting of probate and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

1.7 Donated services Donated professional services are recognised when the service is given and is valued as either the economic benefit of the service to the charity or the cost to the donor. 1.8 Investments Fixed asset investments represent the investment held in the subsidiary company Bliss Sales Limited by the Charity. As these shares are unlisted, the trustees consider the appropriate market value of the investment to be the equivalent to the original cost. Current asset investments are stated at market value. Unrealised gains and losses on the revaluation at the balance sheet date are included in the Statement of Financial Activities. 1.9 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities. Short term deposits are held in an interest bearing 1 year fixed interest bond with Metro Bank PLC. Cash at bank is held in a business account at Lloyds Bank PLC, and in a 1 month notice account also with Lloyds.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

1.11 Provisions Provisions are recognised when the charity has a legal or constructive present obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that the charity will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation. The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the reporting end date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation.

Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the amount expected to be required to settle the obligation is recognised at present value. When a provision in measured at present value the unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost in net income/(expenditure) in the period it arises.

1.12 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets costing more than £500 are capitalised and included at cost. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows: Fixtures and fittings over 3 years Office and computer equipment over 3-5 years Leasehold property length of lease

1.13 Fund accounting Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds, which are reserved for a specific purpose and available for use at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

The purpose and use of restricted funds are imposed by donors or by specific terms of charity appeals.

1.14 Expenditure Expenditure is recognised once there is legal or constructive obligations to make payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified as either the costs of raising funds, charitable expenditure or other expenditure that does not fall into the first two categories.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

1.15 Support and governance costs Support costs are costs that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake its activities. Governance costs are costs directly attributable to the running of the Board. Both these costs have been allocated between the cost of raising funds and charitable activities on the basis of the staff time spent on each activity.

1.16 Operating leases

Rentals under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as incurred.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

1.17 Tax status

The company is a registered charity and is not subject to corporation tax.

1.18 Value Added Tax

The charity is registered under a partial exemption scheme for VAT and as with many other charities, is unable to recover most of the VAT charged on its expenditure.

1.19 Pension scheme

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable under the scheme by the charitable company to the fund. The charitable company has no liability under the scheme other than for the payment of those contributions. No contributions were owing at the balance sheet date.

1.20 Grant giving policy

The charity occasionally provides grants for projects that have the potential to improve outcomes for premature and sick babies. Grants are recognised in accordance with the applicable accounting standard.

1.21 Volunteers

The assistance received from volunteers has not been financially recognised.

2
Donations and legacies
Unrestricted
Trust funding
Corporate funding
Donated professional services
Individual giving
Furlough grants
Payroll giving
Legacies		 2022
£
39,102
121,687
6,244
376,087
-
180,100
29,761
752,981		 2021
£
35,590
262,056
15,180
1,348,711
42,026
195,889
1,000
1,900,452

Donated professional services of £6,244 (2021: £15,180) relates to pro-bono legal work carried out on behalf of Bliss by Mishcon de Reya LLP which are recognised when the service is given and are valued as either the economic benefit of the service to the charity or the cost to the donor.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

3

Income from charitable activities
Restricted
Supporting parents and carers
Government grants
Other grants
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Government grants
Other grants
Supporting research
Other grants
Unrestricted
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Accreditation Fees and reimbursements
Supporting research
Researching Innovation
Total		 2022
£
168,552
70,420
238,972
46,754
-
46,754
51,681
51,681
10,040
10,040
16,810
16,810
364,257		 2021
£
104,530
62,335
166,865
33,110
56,112
89,222
-
-
5,116
5,116
10,951
10,951
272,154

Restricted income from charitable activities represents grants received from government and trusts to further Bliss' charitable objectives, plus restricted grants or donations from corporate partners . Unrestricted income from charitable activities represents accreditation fees for participation in our Bliss Baby Charter scheme, and any fees charged for health professional training events, as well as fees charged in trading relationships for the provision of research support.

4
Income from other trading activities
Unrestricted
Money raised through sporting and community activities
Income from trading activities - Room Rental
Income from trading activities - Bliss Sales Limited
5
Net income / (expenditure) for the year
Net income / (expenditure) for the year is stated after charging:
Operating lease - land and buildings
Auditors' remuneration - audit
Depreciation of fixed assets
6
Costs of raising funds
Unrestricted
Seeking donations, grants and legacies
Staging sporting and community activities
Costs of trading activities - Bliss Sales limited
Support costs - staff (note 8)
Support costs - other (note 8)		 2022
£
1,071,829
825
189,732
1,262,386
2022
£
107,712
13,375
65,234
2022
£
343,446
480,244
35,547
92,230
235,918
1,187,385		 2021
£
351,536
1,050
164,716
517,302
2021
£
107,712
12,750
64,856
2021
£
284,754
174,348
30,270
68,683
170,394
728,449

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

7
Charitable activities
Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities by fund
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Total
Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities by fund prior year
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Total
Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities
Supporting parents and carers
Staff costs
Direct costs
Support costs
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Staff costs
Direct costs
Support costs
Campaigning for change
Staff costs
Direct
Support costs
Supporting research
Staff costs
Direct costs
Research Grant
Support costs
Total		 Unrestricted
2022
£
Restricted
2022
£
Total
2022
£
388,998
241,945
630,943
270,669
46,754
317,423
256,091
-
256,091
84,761
1,681
86,442		 Unrestricted
2022
£
Restricted
2022
£
Total
2022
£
388,998
241,945
630,943
270,669
46,754
317,423
256,091
-
256,091
84,761
1,681
86,442
1,000,519
290,380
1,290,899
Unrestricted
2021
£
Restricted
2021
£
Total
2021
£
314,941
193,892
508,833
260,759
89,222
349,981
200,044
-
200,044
38,623
-
38,623
814,367
283,114
1,097,481
Total
2022
£
294,888
205,450
130,605
630,943
209,482
14,441
93,500
317,423
166,782
10,412
78,898
256,092
11,414
18,649
50,000
6,378
86,441
1,290,899		 Total
2021
£
302,870
93,567
112,396
508,833
206,141
67,831
76,008
349,980
134,740
9,575
55,729
200,044
8,348
595
25,000
4,679
38,622
1,097,479

During 19/20 Bliss began payments on a research grant to Oxford University on the measurement of pain in premature infants. The grant had originally been awarded for a three-year period, with a start date of 1 October 2019, and a grant value of £146k over the full term of the grant. After an initial payment of £25k in 19/20, due to the need to rebalance Bliss' financial position the terms were amended to award £25k only in 20/21. Following a successful grant report, a further £50k was then awarded in 21/22. No commitment was confirmed for future years, so no additional liability has been recognised at the balance sheet date, however on the submission of a progress report from the grantee, Bliss will assess performance and award a further £25k in the 22/23 financial year in respect of this initial grant award. Following receipt of an award of £50k from MRC to Bliss during the 21/22 financial year, Bliss has also agreed that following assessment of performance at the end of the initial grant period in February 2023, a new grant award will be made for a further £50k in the 23/24 financial year, if it is satisfied the necessary outcomes have been achieved. This final £50k (if awarded) will utilise the restricted reserves accumulated in 21/22.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

8 Support costs

Staff costs
Depreciation
Telephone and IT costs
Audit and other professional fees
Trustee Expenses
Office rent, rates and service charge
Other office costs
Other support costs		 Costs of
raising funds
£
Charitable
Activities
£
Total
2022
£
Total
2021
£
92,230
92,842
185,072
152,305
28,703
36,531
65,234
64,856
52,171
66,674
118,845
95,882
7,356
9,362
16,718
17,970
336
428
764
-
71,924
91,540
163,464
171,269
11,652
14,828
26,480
23,201
63,776
90,018
153,794
46,030
328,148
402,223
730,371
571,513

Support costs are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall direction and administration of each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the central function, is apportioned on the basis of estimated staff time attributable to each activity.

9 Trustees

No trustees or any persons connected with them received any remuneration during the year (2021: £nil).

5 trustees received reimbursements of travelling expenses totalling £764 (2021: 0 trustees received £0).

10 Employees and employment costs

Number of employees

The average number of employees during the year was 39 (2021: 30).

The average number of full-time equivalent employees during the year was:

Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Communications
Fundraising
Administration and CEO
Scotland
Employment costs
Staff costs consist of:
Wages and salaries
Redundancy and termination
Social Security Costs
Pension contributions		 2022
4.8
3.3
2.0
0.3
6.3
9.9
5.2
2.3
34.1
2022
£
1,061,666
-
98,578
58,823
1,219,067		 2021
4.7
2.7
1.6
0.2
5.2
8.7
4.1
2.3
29.4
2021
£
911,118
10,779
88,902
52,733
1,063,532

The highest paid employee was the Chief Executive, who earned £77,582 in pay (2021: £72,319). No other employee earned in excess of £60,000.

The Charity's trustees are not paid nor received any other benefits from employment with the Charity or its subsidiaries during the year (2021: £nil).

The key management personnel of the Group and Charity comprises of the Trustees, the Chief Executive, Director of Services, Director of Finance and Operations and Director of Fundraising. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel amounted to £248,657 in pay and pension contributions (2021: £192,871) and £27,699 was paid in employer's national insurance contributions (2021: £20,995).

Redundancy and termination payments are recognised in full upon the termination of employment. 0 employees received payments of this kind during the year (2021: 2).

A staff untaken leave accrual has not been included as being immaterial.

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

11
Tangible fixed assets
Group and Charity
Cost
At 1 April 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2022
Depreciation
At 1 April 2021
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 March 2022
Net Book Value at 31 March 2022
Net Book Value at 31 March 2021
12
Fixed Asset Investments
Charity
Cost at 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022
Historical cost
As at 31 March 2022		 Leasehold
property
£
Office
Equipment
£
Computer
Equipment
£
Total
£
160,195
25,054
193,127
378,376
-
-
10,041
10,041
-
-
(54,849)
(54,849)
160,195
25,054
148,319
333,568
104,426
21,923
139,672
266,021
36,128
2,095
27,011
65,234
-
-
(54,848)
(54,848)
140,554
24,018
111,835
276,407
19,641
1,036
36,484
57,161
55,769
3,131
53,455
112,355
Investment in
subsidiary
1
1

Holdings of more than 20%

The charitable company controls more than 20% of the following entities;

Company subsidiary undertakings Country of registration or
incorporation Class Shares held Control
Bliss Sales Limited England and Wales Ordinary £1 1 100%
Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited Scotland N/A N/A 100%

The principal activity of Bliss Sales Limited is trading operations that enhance the aims and objectives of Bliss. All activities have been consolidated on a line by line basis in the statement of financial activities. Available profits are gift aided to the charitable company.

Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited is a company limited by guarantee in Scotland and a registered charity in Scotland. Its principal activity is to carry out Bliss' aims and objectives in Scotland. Control is exercised through the Chair and Treasurer of Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited also being Trustees of Bliss. All activities have been consolidated on a line by line basis in the statement of financial activities.

The results of Bliss Sales Limited (a company registered in England and Wales, company number 03602721) for the year ended 31 March 2022 were as follows:

follows:
Turnover
Cost of Sales
Gross profit
Administration expenses
Operating profit
Gift aid payable to Bliss and Bliss Scotland
Corporation tax
Profit / (loss) for the year
The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and funds was:
Assets
Liabilities
Funds		 2022
£
189,732
-
189,732
(36,365)
153,367
(153,367)
-
-
58,193
(58,192)
1		 2021
£
164,716
-
164,716
(32,953)
131,763
(131,763)
-
-
11,721
(11,720)
1

At the balance sheet date £44,302 was owed by Bliss Sales Ltd to Bliss (2021: £237 was owed by Bliss to Bliss Sales Ltd).

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) As at 31 March 2022

The results of Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited (a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland, company number SC365557 and a registered charity in Scotland, registration number SC040878) for the year ended 31 March 2022 were as follows:

Notes
Income
Donations
2
Charitable activities:
Supporting parents and carers
3
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Other trading activities
4
Total income
Expenditure
Costs of raising funds
5
Charitable activities:
6
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Campaigning for change
Supporting research
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure) before transfers
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Fund balances brought forward
Fund balances carried forward
14		 Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2022
£
Total
2021
£
21,243
-
21,243
25,476
-
21,018
21,018
18,530
-
46,754
46,754
33,110
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13,132
-
13,132
13,882
34,375
67,772
102,147
90,998
11,460
-
11,460
20,719
702
21,018
21,720
26,935
42
46,754
46,796
38,889
6,049
-
6,049
8,327
419
-
419
262
18,672
67,772
86,444
95,132
15,703
-
15,703
(4,134)
-
-
-
-
15,703
-
15,703
(4,134)
395
-
395
4,529
16,098
-
16,098
395

A net management charge of £17,464 (2021: £33,346) was made by Bliss to Bliss Scotland (Charity) Ltd

No donation (2021: £0) was made by Bliss to Bliss Scotland (Charity) Ltd

At the balance sheet date, £15,163 (2021: £47,236) was owed by Bliss to Bliss Scotland (Charity) Ltd.

During the year, the parent charity received gross income of £2,313k (2021: £2,630k), and made a net loss of £79k (2021: profit of £862k).

14
Debtors
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Amounts owed by group undertakings
Prepayments and accrued income
15
Current Asset Investments
Fair value as at 1 April
Additions
Disposals
Net unrealised gains (losses) to 31 March
Fair value as at 31 March
Historic cost as at 31 March
Current asset investments related to funds invested by the Charity in
Management Limited		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
58,783
14,384
8,856
2,983
74,297
67,493
74,297
67,493
-
-
44,302
-
148,592
81,168
142,592
81,168
Group
Charity		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
58,783
14,384
8,856
2,983
74,297
67,493
74,297
67,493
-
-
44,302
-
148,592
81,168
142,592
81,168
Group
Charity
281,672
163,045
270,047
151,644
2022
£
292,885
-
25,390
318,275
300,000
a common investment fund which		 2021
£
-
300,000
-
(7,115)
292,885
300,000
was independently managed by C

Current asset investments related to funds invested by the Charity in a common investment fund which was independently managed by CCLA Investment Management Limited

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

16
Creditors
Trade creditors
Tax and Social Security Costs
VAT
Other creditors
Amounts owed to group undertakings
Accruals
Deferred Income		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
69,882
76,528
69,882
76,528
28,766
21,241
28,766
21,241
16,086
7,601
6,315
-
6,749
2,528
6,749
2,528
-
-
14,769
47,458
45,615
77,294
44,415
76,094
128,425
57,379
125,300
7,500
Group
Charity
295,523
242,571
296,196
231,349

Deferred Income

Deferred income relates to funds received during the year, related to future periods

Balance at the beginning of the year
Amount released in the year
Increase in provision in the year
Balance at the end of the year		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
57,379
32,274
7,500
22,724
(57,379)
(32,274)
(7,500)
(22,724)
128,425
57,379
125,300
7,500
Group
Charity
128,425
57,379
125,300
7,500

As at 31 March 2022, the Charity had commitments under non-cancellable operating leases. The total future minimum lease payments were as follows:

Operating leases payable
Less than one year
Between one and five years
18
Analysis of charitable funds
Current year
Analysis of movements in unrestricted funds
General fund
Total Group and Charity
Analysis of movements in restricted funds
Supporting parents and carers
NHS England
Other Grants
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Supporting research
MRC
Other Grants
Total Charity
Supporting families and their babies in Scotland
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Total Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited
Total Group and Charity		 2022
£
2021
£
2022
£
2021
£
102,832
107,712
29,189
26,856
-
62,832
52,422
43,460
102,832
170,544
81,611
70,316
Balance
1 April 2021
£
Income
£
Expenditure
£
Transfers
£
Funds
31 March 2022
£
1,208,021
2,077,452
(2,187,904)
-
1,097,569
Land and Buildings
Plant & Machinery and IT		 2022
£
2021
£
29,189
26,856
52,422
43,460
Plant & Machinery and IT
81,611
70,316
1,208,021
2,077,452
(2,187,904)
-
1,097,569
Balance
1 April 2021
£
Income
£
Expenditure
£
Transfers
£
Funds
31 March 2022
£
-
149,534
(149,534)
-
-
2,973
70,420
(73,393)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
50,000
-
-
50,000
-
1,681
(1,681)
-
-
2,973
271,635
(224,608)
-
50,000
-
19,018
(19,018)
-
-
-
46,754
(46,754)
-
-
-
65,772
(65,772)
-
-
2,973
337,407
(290,380)
-
50,000

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

18 Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Supporting parents and carers

NHS England: this grant was awarded to provide information and support for parents of babies in neonatal care during the RSV Season 21/22

MRC : this grant was awarded to support charities to continue or extend their research activity. We will use this income to continue our Oxford Pain Research grant, should results be favourable, or alternatively fund another appropriate research activity if not.

Supporting families and their babies in Scotland

These funds were received mainly from the Scottish Government, to support in the delivery of our work across Scotland.

Analysis of charitable funds (prior year)
Analysis of movements in unrestricted funds
Designated fixed asset fund
General fund
Total Group and Charity		 Balance
1 April 2020
£
Income
£
Expenditure
£
Transfers
£
Funds
31 March 2021
£
-
-
-
-
-
323,613
2,427,225
(1,542,817)
-
1,208,021
323,613
2,427,225
(1,542,817)
-
1,208,021

The designated fixed asset fund was used for fixed asset purchases. During the year Trustees decided not to designate funds in this way.

Analysis of movements in restricted funds (prior year)
Supporting parents and carers
LIBOR Fund
Department of Health
National Lottery
Other Grants
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Fidelity International
Total Charity
Supporting families and their babies in Scotland
Supporting parents and carers
Engaging with neonatal health professionals
Total Bliss Scotland (Charity) Limited
Total Group and Charity		 Balance
1 April 2020
£
Income
£
Expenditure
£
Transfers
£
Funds
31 March 2021
£
30,000
-
(30,000)
-
-
-
86,000
(86,000)
-
-
-
39,841
(39,841)
-
-
-
22,494
(19,521)
-
2,973
-
-
56,112
(56,112)
-
-
30,000
204,447
(231,474)
-
2,973
-
18,530
(18,530)
-
-
-
33,110
(33,110)
-
-
-
51,640
(51,640)
-
-
30,000
256,087
(283,114)
-
2,973

Bliss - The National Charity for the Newborn (A Company Limited by Guarantee)

Notes to the Accounts (Continued) For the year ended 31 March 2022

19 Analysis of net assets between funds

alysis of net assets between funds
Current year
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors, amounts falling due within one year
Prior year
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors, amounts falling due within one year		 Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2022
£
57,161
-
57,161
1,335,931
50,000
1,385,931
(295,523)
-
(295,523)
1,097,569
50,000
1,147,569
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2021
£
112,354
-
112,354
1,338,238
2,973
1,341,211
(242,571)
-
(242,571)
1,208,021
2,973
1,210,994

20 Related parties

The aggregate donations from related parties, which includes amounts donated by trustees, and amounts donated to trustee fundraising events and tribute funds, amounted to £23,440 (2021: £3,245).

21 Reconciliation of the net movement in funds to the net cash flow from operating activities

Net movement in funds
Depreciation charge
Dividend and interest income shown in investing activities
Net (gains) / losses on investments
Decrease / (increase) in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
Net cash generated from / (used in) operating activities		 2022
£
(63,425)
65,234
(9,845)
(25,390)
(118,627)
52,952
(99,101)		 2021
£
857,381
64,856
(519)
7,115
(13,554)
1,026
916,305