REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1041297
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
FOR
DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
Gibbons Mannington & Phipps LLP Chartered Accountants Landgate Chambers Rye East Sussex TN31 7LJ
DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
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Page
Reference and Administrative Details 1
Letter from the chair 2
Report of the Trustees 3 to 6
Independent Examiner's Report 7
Statement of Financial Activities 8
Balance Sheet 9
Notes to the Financial Statements 10 to 15
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
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TRUSTEES Ms S Dean Chair
Mr G Marx Trustee
Mr T Amies-Cull Trustee (resigned 27/4/2025)
Ms R Wall Trustee
Ms R Gundesen Trustee (resigned 27/4/2025)
Ms C Le Guyader Trustee
Ms C Gilling Smith Trustee
Ms R Walsh Trustee (appointed 27/4/2025)
Ms V Ryder Trustee (appointed 27/4/2025)
PRINCIPAL ADDRESS Unit 305, Clerkenwell Workshops
27-31 Clerkenwell Close
Farringdon
London
EC1R 0AT
REGISTERED CHARITY 1041297
NUMBER
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Gibbons Mannington & Phipps LLP
Chartered Accountants
Landgate Chambers
Rye
East Sussex
TN31 7LJ
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
The Donor Conception Network has continued to build on the success of its 30th anniversary in 2023, further growing both our member numbers and income.
We have expanded our offer, for example, preparing to launch a new support service for parents of young people (aged 10-20) called "Continuing the Conversation" and starting the "Big Question" webinars. We have further developed our relationships with our clinic supporters and expanded the scheme. We received a large donation from one clinic which boosted our fundraising appeal.
We have seen the Network go from strength to strength thanks to expanding our services online and continued investment into our presence and engagement on social media. We are also seeing increased website and social media engagement because of previous years' investments in these areas. Our members see the benefits in terms of improving access to the support and information we offer.
We have continued to offer many of our services online in tandem alongside in-person events as we know there is huge value in both. We ran conferences in London and Edinburgh, both well-attended, a testament to the value of bringing our community together. Our online offer continues to be very successful, attracting a lot of participants to our workshops from beyond the UK, which is fantastic.
We are very grateful to our volunteer team of nearly 100 dedicated individuals who do such great work supporting members, acting as our frontline. We ran a volunteer day for them in March, to thank and support them. We continue to welcome more new members, as well as increasing retention of existing members.
My thanks go to the staff, volunteers, trustees and supporters for your ongoing commitment to the Network. We are well placed to ensure the Network continues to thrive and meet the support and information needs of the wider donor conception community. As I step down from the chair position and next year as trustee, I am proud to have helped this fantastic charity through some difficult times. We have not only weathered those storms but have thrived in the years since. I look forward to handing over to a new permanent chair.
Sue Dean
November 2025
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions 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) (effective 1 January 2019).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objects of the charity
The charity is an unincorporated association which was established by a constitution dated 24 September 1994 and amended 3 March 2000 and 20th October 2015 with the following objectives: to advance education in human fertility, fertilisation and embryology, assisted conception, genetics and the impact of non-genetic relationships by the provision to parents of children conceived by sperm, embryo or egg donation, to the children themselves and to those contemplating or undergoing treatment, of information, advice, counselling and support.
Donor Conception Network's Vision and Mission
The Donor Conception Network's vision is a society where a climate of openness and understanding about donor conception enables people considering it to make informed decisions and helps build families who are confident, accepted and have a secure identity.
The Donor Conception Network's mission is to deliver high quality, non-judgemental and inclusive support and information to would-be and current parents and their children to enable them to navigate the often complex and individual journey of donor conception.
We are a pioneering parent-led and child-centred organisation and a trusted authority on the social and emotional aspects of building or expanding a family using donor conception. We are at the forefront of the donor conception movement, bringing over 30 years of experience and the voices of our members to inform professionals, practitioners and policy makers in the UK and worldwide.
How our activities deliver public benefit
The Network is a professionally-run support organisation for families using donor conception. It performs a vital role in providing information and support to prospective parents and donor conception families.
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Our activities
Membership
The new fees introduced at the end of 2022 helped increase our overall membership income, which helped cover rising costs and enabled us to invest in developing and extending our services. Membership numbers continued to grow over the year.
Website
The new website was an essential upgrade and has provided us with a much-improved space to share our information, offering smoother access to our events and services and signposting. We've been able to develop a members' only section to provide content for members and an easier way for them to access resources like recordings of our webinars and back copies of our magazine. The new website has made sign up for new members significantly easier and is designed to be fully compatible for viewing on mobile phones and tablets.
DCN Helpline
Our phone and email helplines continued to provide invaluable support to members, the general public and professionals working in the field wishing to discuss specific donor conception-related issues.
Local groups/meetups and online chats - for members
During 2024/25 our volunteers ran 55 in person local meetups around the UK, some events for adults only and others catering for families with children. We also ran over 100 of our popular, facilitated Zoom Chats for members covering a wide range of topics and family situations. These activities, plus welcoming new members, were made possible by our team of around 92 volunteers.
Volunteers
We ran three 'Connect and Reflect' online volunteer support sessions during the year and offered 2 training events.
In March 2025, we were pleased to hold a Volunteers' Day (for the first time since 2020). We arranged a free creche and covered travel expenses to ensure the day was accessible to all. It was well attended and feedback told us this is a valued opportunity for volunteers to connect with each other as well as to get training in their roles and support from the DCN team.
Communications
We produced two editions of our magazine, DCN Perspectives. The Friday bulletin went to all members twice a month. We had an active presence on social media and spoke at various events, engaging with professionals working in the field to educate them on the long-term implications for families using donor conception.
We revamped the non-member newsletter and started a monthly blog on the website, the content of which is circulated to the non-member mailing list specifically.
Workshops
We ran a programme of online and in-person Telling and Talking workshops, open to both members and non-members, for parents of children up to 7yrs. We also ran a workshop for professionals working in the field, 'Making It Real', in May 2025. For now, we are putting the Destination Parenthood workshops on hold and are offering our Getting Started event and certain member services as a partial substitute.
Through the year we have been developing a new half day workshop called "Continuing the Conversation" for parents of children aged 10-20. The first one is scheduled for November 2025.
DCN Conferences
We held an out-of-London conference in Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2024 and in April 2025 we ran our annual London conference. The London conference included a creche, childcare for children up to 12 and children's activities for those aged 8 to 12. In June, we held our fifth virtual conference, using recordings of the highlights from the London conference. Being online, it meant people from all over the world were able to access this valuable event.
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Getting Started
We held two Getting Started events - one in November and one in March. Both were full and feedback confirmed their value and importance for attendees. These in-person events are aimed specifically at prospective parents, providing a space for people to meet and share as well as hear from DC parents and DC people. They complement our London conference, which is aimed at those with children.
April Trust Film project
This project was completed in July 2025 and the films are ready to be shared. We are reviewing how best to use them to provide most value.
The Big Question
In November 2024 we ran our first webinar, in a new series titled 'The Big Question'. We asked Dr Sophie Zadeh to help explore the question 'How are DC people really doing?', using her research to support the conversation. In February 2025 we ran our second webinar, with US fertility counsellor and author, Jana Rupnow, helping us with the question 'How can I feel like a real parent?' (in the context of having used donor conception). Both were well attended and we plan to continue the webinar programme, with the next one scheduled for September 2025.
King's College Intern
We were delighted to welcome an intern for two months over the summer from King's College London to work on our research database. This was funded by King's Civic Leadership Academy.
Advocacy and awareness
In November 2024 we participated in National Fertility Awareness Week.
In March 2025 we attended the Future Fertility Show in Dublin, Ireland, having a stand there as well as a speaking slot.
In April 2024 we participated in International Donor Conception Awareness Day (IDCAD) which coincided with our national conference in London.
In May we ran a stand at the FamilyMakers show in Brighton and exhibited at the Fertility Show in London. Both events were great opportunities to speak to people considering donor conception and signpost them to further support and information as well as build our relationships with stakeholders.
Through the summer we helped to promote and raise awareness of the De Montfort University EDNA project films featuring interviews with egg donors. These are now also available on our website to encourage more people to view them.
Through the year we participated in the regular HFEA/POSG meetings (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority/ Patient Organisation Stakeholder Group) and had regular separate meetings with the HFEA. We circulated six research project proposals. Our Head of Research, Yael Ilan, continued in her role on the advisory board for the DigitalDC project.
We spoke with several journalists during the period, including The New Scientist, BBC, ITV, BBC Online and The Sunday Times, raising awareness of the particular issues for donor conception families and helping with specific questions.
How we are funded
The DC Network has five main sources of income: membership subscriptions and donations; membership activities (e.g. conferences); publication sales; workshop income; and income from our Clinic and Lawyer Supporter Schemes.
Membership subscriptions, gift aid and donations account for a large proportion of our income and this income supports the services that we offer to members. These include: planning our annual conferences; biannual magazine to members; supporting our local groups and meetups throughout the UK; our regular bulletins to members; and our email and telephone support services.
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Publication sales: Our publications continue to sell well around the world, reflecting the broader reach that our small charity achieves.
Workshop income: To keep prices as low as possible, our workshops are designed to be self-funding, rather than profit making, with the income received matching the cost of developing, organising and delivering these specialised, highly sensitive and professionally run events.
Donations: in addition to on-going regular donations we were also delighted to receive some additional larger donations to support our work.
Our corporate supporter donations generate part of our income and we are very grateful to all our clinic and lawyer supporters.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
At the balance sheet date the total funds of the Charity were £78,738 (2024: £66,673).
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 21 January 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
Ms S Dean - Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Donor Conception Network
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Donor Conception Network (the Trust) for the year ended 31 July 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr David Ashby FCCA ACA
Gibbons Mannington & Phipps LLP Chartered Accountants Landgate Chambers Rye East Sussex TN31 7LJ
23 January 2026
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
| Unrestricted fund Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 88,914 Charitable activities Charitable Activities 193,844 Other trading activities 3 37,505 Investment income 4 554 Total 320,817 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities Operations 304,435 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 16,382 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 62,356 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 78,738 |
Restricted funds £ - - - - - 4,317 (4,317) 4,317 - |
2025 Total funds £ 88,914 193,844 37,505 554 320,817 308,752 12,065 66,673 78,738 |
2024 Total funds £ 76,551 172,386 42,347 524 291,808 282,557 9,251 57,422 66,673 |
|---|---|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
BALANCE SHEET 31 JULY 2025
| 2025 Unrestricted Restricted Total fund funds funds Notes £ £ £ FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 9 493 - 493 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 10 11,455 - 11,455 Cash at bank 77,035 - 77,035 88,490 - 88,490 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 11 (10,245) - (10,245) NET CURRENT ASSETS 78,245 - 78,245 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 78,738 - 78,738 NET ASSETS 78,738 - 78,738 FUNDS 12 Unrestricted funds 78,738 Restricted funds - TOTAL FUNDS 78,738 |
2024 Total funds £ 520 12,611 64,514 77,125 (10,972) 66,153 66,673 66,673 62,356 4,317 66,673 |
|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 21 January 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:
Ms S Dean - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
1. STATUTORY INFORMATION
Donor Conception Network is an unincorporated charity, registered in England & Wales. The charity's registered number and registered office address can be found in the Report of the Trustees.
2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
BASIS OF PREPARING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
INCOME
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Any amounts received in advance for events taking place after the accounting period are recognised as deferred income when received.
EXPENDITURE
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Computer equipment - 33% on cost
TAXATION
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
FUND ACCOUNTING
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
PENSION COSTS AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFITS
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charity's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
| Publication sales Sponsorships 4. INVESTMENT INCOME Interest income |
2025 £ 37,505 - 37,505 2025 £ 554 |
2024 £ 37,347 5,000 42,347 2024 £ 524 |
|---|---|---|
5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
TRUSTEES' EXPENSES
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
6. STAFF COSTS
| Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs |
2025 £ 146,136 7,729 3,220 157,085 |
2024 £ 142,583 6,862 3,085 152,530 |
|---|---|---|
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
| No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. 7. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Unrestricted fund £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 76,551 Charitable activities Charitable Activities 172,386 Other trading activities 42,347 Investment income 524 Total 291,808 |
2025 6 Restricted funds £ - - - - - |
2024 6 Total funds £ 76,551 172,386 42,347 524 291,808 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
EXPENDITURE ON
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
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7. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued
Unrestricted Restricted Total
fund funds funds
£ £ £
Charitable activities
Operations 280,714 1,843 282,557
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 11,094 (1,843) 9,251
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 51,262 6,160 57,422
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 62,356 4,317 66,673
8. INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS' REMUNERATION
2025 2024
£ £
Fees payable to the charity's independent examiners for the
preparation and examination of the financial statements 1,040 990
Fees payable to the charity's accountants for bookkeeping and payroll
support 1,680 2,232
2,720 3,222
9. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Computer
equipment
£
COST
At 1 August 2024 780
Additions 350
At 31 July 2025 1,130
DEPRECIATION
At 1 August 2024 260
Charge for year 377
At 31 July 2025 637
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 July 2025 493
At 31 July 2024 520
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
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10. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2025 2024
£ £
Trade debtors 1,400 2,750
Other debtors 8,770 8,770
Prepayments 1,285 1,091
11,455 12,611
11. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2025 2024
£ £
Taxation and social security 2,663 2,526
Other creditors 7,582 8,446
10,245 10,972
12. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Net
movement At
At 1/8/24 in funds 31/7/25
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 62,356 16,382 78,738
Restricted funds
-
April Trust Film Project 4,317 (4,317)
TOTAL FUNDS 66,673 12,065 78,738
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming Resources Movement
resources expended in funds
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 320,817 (304,435) 16,382
Restricted funds
-
April Trust Film Project (4,317) (4,317)
TOTAL FUNDS 320,817 (308,752) 12,065
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
12. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
Comparatives for movement in funds
| At 1/8/23 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 51,262 Restricted funds April Trust Film Project 4,317 Digital fund 1,843 |
Net movement in funds £ 11,094 - (1,843) |
At 31/7/24 £ 62,356 4,317 - |
|---|---|---|
| 6,160 | (1,843) | 4,317 |
| TOTAL FUNDS 57,422 |
9,251 | 66,673 |
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Digital fund TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 291,808 - 291,808 |
Resources expended £ (280,714) (1,843) (282,557) |
Movement in funds £ 11,094 (1,843) 9,251 |
|---|---|---|---|
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
| At 1/8/23 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 51,262 Restricted funds April Trust Film Project 4,317 Digital fund 1,843 |
Net movement At in funds 31/7/25 £ £ 27,476 78,738 (4,317) - (1,843) - |
|---|---|
| 6,160 | (6,160) - |
| TOTAL FUNDS 57,422 |
21,316 78,738 |
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DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
12. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds April Trust Film Project Digital fund TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 612,625 - - - 612,625 |
Resources expended £ (585,149) (4,317) (1,843) (6,160) (591,309) |
Movement in funds £ 27,476 (4,317) (1,843) (6,160) 21,316 |
|---|---|---|---|
Description of Restricted Funds
April Trust Film Project - Grant to update the films we use to support our workshop content.
Digital Fund - Website and digitalisation project to upgrade our website and online content delivery.
13. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
During the accounting period the charity received donations from Trustees totalling £1,500.
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