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2023-12-31-accounts

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem

Annual Report & Accounts

For the year ended 31 December 2023 Including the work of St John Ambulance

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Contents

Trustee report

Foreword 3 Our mission and purpose, including statement of public benefit 5 Our impact 6 Facing our challenges 10 Delivering against our objectives 11

Governance and financial review

How we manage our organisation, including Royal patrons, trustees, management and committees 47 Financial review 55 Funds and reserves policies 59 Going concern 60 Trustees’ responsibilities statement 61 Independent auditors' report 62 Financial statements Statement of financial activities 64 Balance sheet 65 Cash flow statement 66 Notes to the accounts 67 Principal places of business & advisors 91

Foreword

St John is a remarkable organisation full of great people, undertaking service vital to the health of the nation. On behalf of our trustees, this foreword offers an opportunity to say thank you to our people for everything that they are achieving, to acknowledge the depth of their impact and to share reflections on the past year.

Through the challenges of 2023, we were also right to trust in the resilience of the people of St John. The lifeblood of the charity, the local volunteers embedded in so many communities, are now engaged in their own redesign to ensure local focus, accountability and empowerment in the years ahead. Their extraordinary goodwill and quiet dedication to service provide the most solid of foundations for a successful future.

investments that outstripped our income over repeated years had depleted our reserves without yet delivering a fully sustainable underlying operating model.

A year ago, we were seeing some of the very real challenges that we, like many in our sector, are facing head Having openly acknowledged the on post-pandemic. These challenges situation, our trustees, executives and the impose especially difficult choices on any whole community of St John embraced organisation determined to do all it can to the need for change at every level. In step forward whenever needed. There is parallel, we have carefully reviewed our huge pride in the impact our people and corporate governance. A comprehensive programmes make in communities at a Board-led restructure to better configure time of expanding needs, but equally the organisation and a wide-ranging we realise that our efforts must be multi-year transformation programme moderated by significant, fast-moving provide a clear path forward. That path pressures on our resources – not least is being led with the relentless energy the impact of inflationary pressures, and goodwill of St John people including increasing costs and relentless pressure volunteers and staff, many of whom are on sources of income. stepping into changed or bigger roles as part of our reshaping.

I want to thank all St John people for their personal contribution to our movement and to all those who continue to support us in our mission. We owe you all a huge debt of gratitude.

We have had to pay ever closer attention to our financial resilience. In the past, St John had chosen to invest significantly to meet the needs of those we serve, as well as increased regulatory demands and stakeholder expectations through modernising our operations. Under our former Chief Executive, Martin Houghton-Brown, that investment enabled the breadth of our service during the pandemic, enhanced clinical assurance and increased youth provision. However,

We have understood the depth of the continuing need for community-based health resilience and the vital importance of charities like St John in enabling it. This is all the clearer following the pandemic. We are proud to hold a trusted and special place in the hearts of communities up and down the country - community resilience now sits at the heart of our purpose and strategy that we set out in the detail of this report. Stuart Shilson, Prior

A message from Ben Freeman, interim Chief Executive

with the ambition to consolidate this in 2025 to achieve a sustainable break-even position.

“When I was last at St John in 2020, the charity was confronted with responding to the pandemic which completely stopped our training activity whilst at the same time fully stretching our clinical capability. At the time, the future felt very unsure and yet in the face of this challenge, St John volunteers and staff put service to others first. Over time we were able to mobilise our volunteers to make a significant difference through the vaccination programme and the incredible resilience of our people was wonderful to be a part of. My role at that time was to focus on the finances which had been severely impacted by the cessation of training activity.

initiatives were already in place, but we were able to put some structure around these ideas to create a comprehensive transformation plan that was signed off by the Board. In the New Year I was then delighted to step up into the role of Chief Executive to take on the mantle of leadership during this difficult period of transition

“Whilst there has been pain and anxiety at both the loss of jobs and the need for wider change, I have been struck by the lack of resistance and indeed openness to the need for new ways of working. Both volunteers and employees have reached out to me with creative ideas on how we can be more effective in winning new income, reducing our costs or being more effective in what we do. Our approach has been to be open and transparent in our communication and despite the difficult times I am pleased by the engagement of the leadership team to harness the energy and enthusiasm of our 1,700 employees and thousands of volunteers and this underpins my confidence in the future.”

“The breadth and scale of the challenge we are tackling are significant. There is no stone unturned and a sustainable platform will not be achieved overnight. We have had to scale back some activity and all our staff have been impacted by a redundancy programme as we restructure our internal operations. This has involved some tough choices. However, a determined focus has given us a clear path to a sustainable operating model for the charity. The current year, 2024 will be a year of change

“This meant I was well placed to support the Board when I returned in September to identify and review strategies to improve St John’s sustainability. Many

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Our mission and purpose

We are so incredibly proud of Emily and her quick actions that day. To be able to be calm enough to remember her skills in that sort of situation is remarkable, but to do all of this when your mum is involved is a completely different matter. There is no doubt that I wouldn’t have made the amazing recovery that I have had Emily not known what to do. It’s really taught us that learning some first aid, even the basics, is so vitally important as you just don’t know when you might need it. Emily is our real life hero and I’ll be forever in her debt.

Debbie Smith, stroke survivor and mum of St John Ambulance Cadet, Emily

I never want any family to go through the same heartbreak we have been through. The loss of my youngest brother really highlights why CPR and defibrillators are so immensely important. It’s crucial that more events and awareness sessions like this happen across ethnic minority communities in the UK – where we know people are more likely to have a cardiac arrest and less likely to know what to do – so more lives can be saved.

Samina Kiyani, first aid training advocate

“In the early hours of Saturday morning, my brother-in-law was stabbed twice during a mental health episode. My sister, who is partially sighted, was so upset and afraid he was going to die – and then in walked the heroes of the hour. Later, at the hospital, my brother-in-law finally opened up to your ambulance team about what he was going through. He has never done this. He is finally

getting the specialist help he needs. We just wanted to say a huge thank you for the two amazing St John people you sent to their home that night. We’ve since been told that neither of them get paid but do it because they want to help others. They are two very special people.”

Testimony from the family of one of our ambulance service patients

We will achieve that by putting community first aid at the heart of every community:

The Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (“The Priory”, also referred to as “the charity”) is a modern working Crown Order of Chivalry. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, St John Ambulance, it operates as a volunteer-powered, charitable organisation dedicated to first aid education and response. We train people in first aid to make their communities more resilient, provide medical support at public events and support the NHS. We also deliver engaging youth programmes throughout England.

And we will build an enduring home for this community first aid movement, continuing to support recognition within the Order of St John for those who:

The Priory’s charitable objects and mission remain as relevant today as they did when it first formed – “to encourage and promote the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger”. Our modern vision statement is that everyone receives the help they need in a health crisis from those around them.

Our Heritage

The story of healthcare through the ages as enabled by the Order of St John is told in the Museum of the Order in Clerkenwell. In 2023, we welcomed thousands of visitors through our doors, providing a range of talks, tours and other learning activities for 4,482 participants to bring to life our impact through history. We also supported local areas to continue to tell their story of community connection through local museums.

St John has been part of communities in England and the Islands for well over 130 years, providing and enabling community first aid; our first aid training has been in existence for even longer. Our volunteer uniform still displays the eight-pointed cross worn by the first Hospitallers as they provided free medical care in their hospital in Jerusalem.

The funded Archives Revealed project, now titled: Care and Community Response: The Founding Years of St John Ambulance (c.1870-1939), is well into phase one and we look forward to sharing this part of our story later in 2024.

Statement of public benefit Our principal activities have a considerable positive impact on the communities we serve, from the patients we treat in their moments of need to the personal and social development that being part of St John offers to volunteers themselves. More broadly, our activities focus on enabling communities to become more health resilient, which includes teaching first aid to young people through our Badgers, Cadets and outreach programmes, as well as to adults in the workplace through our commercial workplace training courses. We also provide support to the NHS, through the Ambulance Auxiliary service and transporting patients.

The trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the charity. The trustees are satisfied that all St John’s charitable activities fall within its objectives and result in considerable benefit to the public. Our impact is summarised in the following pages and set out in detail in the description of our performance against our strategic goals.

Supporting and training young people has been part of our mission for 100 years and in 2023 we celebrated their stories in publishing our Cadet Voices oral history project. You can listen to reflections of Cadets from the 1940s through to the present day at sjacadetvoices.org.uk.

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Responding to save lives Building a resilient home and reduce pressure on the for the nation’s community nation’s health services first aid movement.

Our impact

Educating and equipping for safer, more resilient communities

At St John, we know that community first aid saves lives.

Community first aid also:

In 2023, we delivered that impact in the following ways:

215,708 people trained in the workplace.

Almost

38,000 businesses

supported to be more resilient.

Over

16,000 attendees at community first aid sessions.

15,348 young responders trained with increased confidence to help.

3,961 young people

registered as NHS cadets.

Increased awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning for

21,502 students

72,716 hours

of emergency ambulance cover, treating almost 8,000 patients.

First aid cover at

8,487 events.

Delivered by

5,450 trained clinical volunteers.

1,000 volunteers in one day for the London Marathon

3,453 patients treated in the night-time economy services across 11 towns and cities.

Attendance at

158 cardiac arrests

saving 39 lives.

56,500 hours

of community service by Cadets and Badgers

31,848 volunteers

in 2023 supported by:

265,410 hours of volunteer training.

53,410 garments from our new uniform range.

1,716 employees

in 2023 (1,369.60 of those were FTE).

1,359 students

enrolled with St John at their institutions and with local units.

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With thanks

We would like to thank all of our volunteers, donors, trusts, foundations, corporate supporters, advocates and partners who have supported St John throughout the year.

Through your generosity we raised more than £14.8 million of voluntary income and increased awareness of the importance of first aid. Together we’ve made a great difference to the lives of many, across our communities up and down the country.

We would like to give our sincere thanks to everyone who so generously supported St John in 2023. From Direct Debits to appeals, people raising funds on our behalf and donations dropped into a collection tin - every penny counts, towards our vital work. Heartfelt thanks as well to those who remembered St John with a gift in their Will in 2023. And a particular mention for the generosity of:

Ardeola Charitable Trust

Lubrizol

Argos Barton Central Distribution Centre

Kusuma Trust

Peacock Charitable Trust

BNA Charity

People’s Postcode Lottery

Cadent Gas

Tesco Community Grants

Co-Op Community Funds

The Medlock Charitable Trust

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

The Vernon N Ely Charitable Trust

EBM Charitable Trust

Tyne Tunnels

Elizabeth Mellows

Worth Waynflete Foundation

Frances Connolly

Association for

Garfield Weston Foundation

Industrial Archaeology

City of London Corporation

George Cadbury Trust

Graham Barker

Archives Revealed funded by The National Archives/Pilgrim Trust/Wolfson Foundation

Hertfordshire Mark Masons

Mr Michael S Smart Legacy

John Fenwick

Mr Ronald G Birkitt Legacy

John James Bristol Foundation

Mrs Pamela Freeman Legacy

Kinetik Wellbeing

We’d also like to pay tribute to the support and efforts of partners and volunteers of all ages. In 2023:

We celebrated the admission and promotion of 136 members into the Order of St John, as sanctioned by His Majesty The King as sovereign head of the Order.

Twelve of our dedicated volunteers were recognised by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla as Coronation Champions for their significant contribution to their communities.

They included Steven Drury, of Rowley Regis, West Midlands, who has given in the last five years over 10,000 hours of voluntary service to the community as voluntary Emergency Ambulance Crew. As a senior logistics advisor, he has also played an important role in volunteer operations at high profile national events, such as Her late Majesty The Queen’s funeral, our pandemic response and the Afghanistan refugee crisis at Birmingham Airport. Steve is also involved in St John’s Birmingham Night-Time Economy pop up treatment centre, responding to emergency calls, providing care at the scene, or transporting patients, relieving pressure on the local NHS, police and ambulance services and preventing emergency department admissions.

We marked ten years working in We commemorated 40 years of partnership with NHS Blood and the St John Fellowship, providing Transplant, to provide the Order of support to members to stay St John Award for Organ Donation. connected with the charity after This award honours the incredible they end active voluntary service gift donors and their families in the as well as continuing to support UK make by donating their organs to operational activities and member save and improve the lives of others. welfare, with a special event at the In 2023, we issued 995 awards. National Memorial Arboretum.

The saw the contribution of And we honoured the long service St John people to supporting of 671 volunteers who in 2023 the coronation of His Majesty received long service medals for The King, celebrated with 603 contributing a combined 14,500 individuals eligible to receive the years of service between them. Coronation Medal 2023.

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Facing our challenges

the best of our abilities, investing in our clinical practice and digital platforms with small repeated deficits, had left our reserves depleted. Our organisation had also become overly complex and the experience we provided for people within the organisation, employed and volunteer had become disempowering with reduced local autonomy closest to our direct impact.

Our principal challenge in 2023 was - and remains – safeguarding our financial sustainability in a time of great change. Despite our longer-term intention to balance income and expenditure, with an objective to maximise the impact that we have with our resources, build sustainability and increase free reserves from their current levels, in 2023 we incurred significant net expenditure of £16.6m.

A significant proportion of our first aid training consists of qualification renewals on a three-year cycle. With 2023 being the third anniversary of the first year of COVID-19 lockdowns we anticipated a level of decline in income from our first aid training activity. However, the decline we experienced was greater and lasted longer than expected, in part due to the overall economic slowdown following the pandemic and global instability.

It was also clear post COVID-19 that the need for an organisation like St John, helping to enable local community health resilience, was as high as ever. We recognised the substantial opportunity to realign the charity to better meet its potential and best honour the extraordinary goodwill of our body of passionate and committed volunteers, determined to serve those in need.

We have therefore embraced the challenge to renew our size, shape, experience and focus and, taking into account analysis of our risks and opportunities we:

At the same time, extraordinary inflationary increases in several of our core costs, such as property utility charges and fuel for our vehicles, were at higher levels than had been budgeted for, as well as impacting decision-making on a cost-of-living salary increase. These increases, together with the impact of a wider increased cost base, such as increased staffing, built in anticipation of our budgeted income, also made our contracted ambulance work loss-making and made it difficult to react as quickly as income dropped.

» Commenced a comprehensive programme of central cost reduction including a redundancy programme and voluntary redundancy scheme in our central functions leading to departures in late 2023 and into 2024.

As we saw financial underperformance, trustees commissioned further diagnosis into the root causes. Our primary conclusion was that our current operating model was not financially sustainable (and indeed had not been properly sustainable for many years) and that remedial action was needed. The cost of delivering our services to the quality we expected, including the costs of supporting a large community of volunteers, had become too high and too inflexible, an issue exacerbated as pressures on our income also increased. Over time, our determination to serve communities to

» Implemented tighter controls to reduce expenditure.

» Deferred planned capital expenditure on system, fleet and property improvements.

Beyond the financial challenges, St John faced a variety of other risks, challenges and opportunities throughout 2023 which are summarised throughout the detailed report that follows. In many cases, our response has reinforced our commitment to partner with others to support delivery of our mission, with the success of our Young Responders programme in large part down to the breadth of new partners engaged in each local area. More traditional partnerships, with the NHS including Ambulance Trusts, with members of the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership, the British Heart Foundation and Resuscitation Council UK, continued to be a vital part of our emergency response and community education activity. We’re grateful for the support of all our partners and look forward to our continued collaboration in 2024.

Delivering against our objectives

Strategic objective

Planned 2023 commitments

Community first aid at the heart of every community

Expand our engagement and community education offer, working with partners to build on the ‘Three Ways to Save a Life’ campaign in Manchester

Invest in our youth movement, to grow the reach and quality of our core Badger and Cadet programmes, recruiting a new wave of youth leaders to create 3,500 new youth places over the next two years

Broaden our reach through engaging 15,000 Young Responders and piloting approaches for first aid education in schools

Regrow the scale of our first aid support at public events

Enabling the nation’s Continue as an effective auxiliary to the NHS and health resilience communities through our ambulance auxiliary work Grow our ambulance provision

Broaden our reach through supporting more NHS Cadets

Target growth in our training enterprises, including expanding our mental health first aid training

Training for safer workplaces and communities

Pilot falls education and response initiatives

Roll out a new approach to electronic patient reporting, utilising the new capabilities to understand and continuously improve our standards of care

Delivering high quality care and education

Publish a new Quality and Safety framework to help govern our work in this space

Continue our culture journey, including with a focus on behaviours and boundaries and how we best connect and support each other safely, inclusively and compassionately

Developing as an inclusive organisation providing positive experiences for our people and those we serve

Transform customer and donor experiences through digital investment

Ensuring a sustainable, resilient charity

Targeting growth in our enterprises and fundraising, including expanding our mental health first aid training

Prioritising Spend SMART initiatives to maximise our efficiency as a charity

Progress

A further 16,000 people trained through community sessions, with new resources for different community needs.

Increased youth volunteering activity, significant investment secured and plans developed to recruit the youth leaders needed to stay on track for 3,500 new places.

15,348 young people trained, including through schools.

Slight reduction in number of events covered compared to 2022, although increase in larger, multi-day events. Event growth ambitions now better synchronised with volunteer engagement activity.

Continued service delivery, but with lower levels in winter 2023/4 than 2022/3

Low success rate in winning new contracts as a focus on ensuring high quality led to us losing out on price.

Just under 4,000 more young people registered for NHS Cadets, over 80% with at least one of the target characteristics

9% reduction in delegate numbers, with dip in three-year requalification cycle post-Covid and wider economic pressures, despite modest growth in mental health provision

Engaged the health commissioning community and designed a community training product in preparation for a possible pilot.

Project successfully completed across St John

Framework published and being implemented

Early focus on connection and civility in the workplace but slower progress in second half of the year with shift in focus to transformation programme

Completion of wave 1 of digital programme (SHIFT) delivering foundations for technology needs including fundraising database and marketing capabilities.

Subsequent waves paused in response to financial position and to ensure learning captured for future development.

Reduced income, particularly through enterprises, with transformation plans in place to refresh performance in 2024 and beyond.

Signf cant progress on cost-efficiencies made in the latter stages of 2023, planned to impact positively through 2024.

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Our primary focus in 2024 will be to renew St John in England as the sustainable, inclusive and volunteer-powered home for a diverse community first aid movement at the heart of the nation’s resilience. Meeting the opportunity of a community-focused future in the context of our current financial position means a transformation is required to protect the quality in delivery expected of us by all those we serve. Our plans for the future are structured around two overall ambitions:

What we plan to deliver next

1. To deliver a strong institution with a sustainable

operating model, we know we must in 2024:

Safeguard St John as a Develop a robust, inclusive sustainable, resilient charity by: organisation by:

Provide positive experiences for our people and those we serve, by:

2. To put community first aid at the heart of more communities, serving their needs through education and response, we plan in 2024 to:

Build the community first aid movement and build local health capacity and resilience by:

Continue to build national capacity and resilience by:

Deliver clinical and training excellence to enable safer workplaces and communities by:

How we're organised to deliver

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Our values
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H umanity Treating others with compassion and respect E xcellence Pride in doing an excellent job A ccountability Delivering what we promise R esponsiveness Continuously learning and improving T eamwork Working together effectively

The Priory of England and the Islands is one of eleven international Priories of the International Order of St John, and our work of providing First Aid Training and Services is carried out on our behalf by our wholly owned subsidiary St John Ambulance, England’s leading first aid charity.

The governing bodies of the Priory are the Priory Council of Trustees (‘Priory Council’) and the Priory Chapter. The Priory Council has delegated to the Board of St John Ambulance the responsibility for setting that charity’s strategy and policies. Committees are in place to support the Board to oversee strategic risks across St John’s activities and are constituted as committees of both the Priory Council and St John Ambulance Board.

Authority to conduct the daily operations of the Priory and St John Ambulance is delegated by the Priory Council and the St John Ambulance Board to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is assisted in the implementation of strategy and policies by their team of Executives to whom certain functions are further delegated.

To support the operational delivery of our strategy we organise the charity through networks, to reflect the different aspects of our delivery and supporting functions and to reduce barriers to collaboration between teams, in keeping with our value of teamwork. Our remaining HEART values – humanity, excellence, accountability and responsiveness - are also core to our organisation design, informing the behaviours we expect of all St John people.

In addition to the standing committees of the Board and more regular meetings of the Board, trustees established a new Transformation Committee in 2023 to assist in close oversight of the charity’s transformation programme and to delegate more agile decision-making. This reflects the scale and pace of change identified as being needed to achieve a long-term sustainable operating model.

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1. Community First Aid at the heart of every community

Community first aid saves lives. Today, a toddler will choke. A teenager will fall victim to a knife crime. A commuter will suffer a cardiac arrest. For some families, the outcome will be devastating. Fewer than 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - a figure that is getting worse, not better. Street violence and knife crime continue to rise. . The simple ways to save a life are still needed every day

Post-pandemic, the day-to-day demand on health services is growing. That means delays in answering less life-threatening health incidents. It means health needs getting worse when they could have been resolved.

An elderly faller suffers the consequence of a long lie when the right early care would have helped them safely to their chair. A student suffers harm on a night out when a safe space to relieve their anxiety would have reduced their vulnerability.

Our Goal

It doesn’t need to be this way. This community health emergency has a community answer. Community First Aid - the care you need in a health crisis, however big or small, available from those around you.

Our long-term ambition is to inspire a diverse, nationwide movement of confident first aiders of all ages, trained, equipped and supported by thriving networks of local St John people, through:

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

Regrow the scale of our first aid support at public events.

Slight reduction in events cover compared to 2022, although increase in larger, multi-day events. Event growth ambitions now better synchronised with volunteer engagement activity.

Steady delivery of 16,000 people trained through community sessions, with new resources for different community needs. Ambition for expansion has been rolled forward into new community first aid network model of volunteering.

Expand our engagement and community education offer, working with partners to build on the Three Ways to Save a Life campaign in Manchester.

Increased youth volunteering activity, significant investment secured and plans developed to recruit for youth leader recruitment.

Invest in our youth movement, to grow the reach and quality of our core Badger and Cadet programmes, recruiting a new wave of youth leaders to create 3,500 new youth places over the next two years.

15,348 young people trained, including through schools.

Broaden our reach through engaging 15,000 Young Responders and piloting approaches for first aid education in schools.

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Our progress and what we delivered

Engaging more young people in first aid.

2023 saw us build real momentum in our young people programmes (for 5-25 year olds), as well as improving connection and involvement of St John young people in activity across the charity.

We broadened opportunities for Cadets to take part in our operations, with over 56,500 operational hours being provided by over 1,700 of our young people across event delivery, logistics and night-time economy services. 686 Cadets achieved their operational first aider qualification. And to build this further we introduced pilots of a new “first aid only” offer for 16-17 year olds joining the organisation, alongside the more comprehensive Grand Prior award that continues to be the core offer for all Cadets and which 99 young people achieved in 2023 (alongside 117 Super Badger awards for 5-10 year olds). The “first aid only” trial (in Hampshire and Manchester) was born from exploring the needs of 16-17-year-olds involved in the Vaccination Programme, recognising that many would turn 18 within 18 months. This alternative approach allows us to induct a young person as if they were an adult first aider, allowing them to be ready to hit the ground running when they turned 18.

In 2023, we secured significant investment from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) - £2.4 million - as part of the Uniformed Youth Fund (UYF), a three-year programme targeted at helping organisations reach more young people. Our goal is to create 3,500 new Cadet spaces in our programmes, addressing the waiting lists we have for many of our units by recruiting 350 new Youth Leaders through a national recruitment campaign and developing a new Youth joining website.

Working in partnership with schools, charities and statutory bodies (e.g. police and Violence Reduction Units), we beat our 2023 target for engaging young people in our flagship Young Responders programme. Made possible by funds raised by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the programme aims to equip young people from underserved communities with physical health first aid, street violence first aid and mental health awareness skills. 15,200 young people in London, the West Midlands and the North East participated in the programme and recorded a huge jump in confidence to help someone in need of first aid from 7% to 81% as a result of the programme. St John representatives at the British

Youth Council, led by Rebecca Edwards, successfully presented a motion urging the UK Government to include street first aid education in its public campaigns and priorities, which we intend to continue to push in 2024.

Trinity Academy student Emanuele De Felice, 16, who attended a Young Responder workshop said,

I found the session good, learning about spiking was good as it’s something that happens in real life and knowing what to do is beneficial to you, those around you as well as people you don’t know.

When Debbie Smith collapsed in her bathroom in July 2023, the actions of her daughter and St John Ambulance Cadet, Emily, saved her life:

“Mum and dad had just got back from walking Bones, our German shepherd cross, when mum said she had developed a sudden headache, at the back of her head. I thought nothing more of it. Dad popped out to collect my younger brother Eliott from his martial arts club. It wasn’t long before he’d left, around 7.30pm or so, when I heard mum run upstairs to the toilet where I heard her vomit. I then heard a crash upstairs and I ran up the stairs.”

Emily found her mum in the bathroom unresponsive, so immediately called 999.

“It was really surreal as mum was still trying to vomit while unresponsive. I cleared her airways, attempted to roll mum into the recovery position, which

“We are so incredibly proud of Emily and her quick actions that day. To be able to be calm enough to remember her skills in that sort of situation is remarkable, but to do all of this when your mum is involved is a completely different matter. There is no doubt that I wouldn’t have made the amazing recovery that I have had Emily not known what to do. It’s really taught us that learning some first aid, even the basics, is so vitally important as you just don’t know when you might need it. Emily is our real life hero and I’ll be forever in her debt.”

wasn’t easy, where I then noticed that her jaw was locked and she was incontinent, so I suspected a seizure.”

First responders and paramedics arrived 13 minutes after Emily’s call.

“At one point, in total there were 11 health care professionals in my house and the air ambulance was even dispatched, before it had to be called away to another person. My mum was first taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary with dad, while I stayed home with Eliott.”

A call the next day revealed Debbie had In November, Emily’s life-saving was suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage, recognised by The Princess Royal at St an uncommon type of stroke. After John’s annual Young Achievers awards, surgery at Queen’s Medical Centre in where St John celebrates and rewards Nottingham, Debbie was discharged young people who have saved lives, eight days later and is now fully shown exceptional bravery, or overcome recovered. Debbie said: difficult personal circumstances.

What’s the impact? 15,343 Young Responders trained

Student volunteering continues to be an important part of our youth work, with student volunteers recorded across over 100 institutions, undertaking community training, engagement, fundraising and social action. In 2023, 1,359 students enrolled with St John both at their institutions and with local units, with around a third providing active first aid at events. We introduced an Affiliation and Re-Affiliation Procedure for University First Aid Societies, creating a formal relationship between them and St John for the first time to help further develop our support. To date 31 Societies have affiliated., the majority with Student Volunteering Units attached. Students led a new partnership with Cadent Gas during Freshers Week to raise awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to spot the signs, engaging 21,502 students. We also developed a new Keeping Safe in Halls & Home awareness session for students, which demonstrated positive results on first aid confidence levels in its pilots and will be rolled out in 2024.

Alongside teaching and practicing lifesaving skills, our youth programmes continue to support wider development opportunities for our young people. In 2023, 277 St John young people

began Duke of Edinburgh awards with over 75 achieving their goals and 21 individuals receiving their Gold awards at Buckingham Palace in May. 68 Cadets completed their BTECs with the Cadet Vocational College, whilst a new First Aid badge was completed over 6,500 times on the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) platform, supporting young people to develop digital, employability and enterprise skills for free. That made it the most popular gold-level badge on iDEA. And 2023 also saw the completion of our Health Citizens programme. Funded through Futuremakers by the Standard Chartered Foundation, we launched the Health Citizens Programme in 2021 with the aim of helping young people from communities hit hardest by the pandemic to develop their employability skills. Throughout the programme, our Health Citizens Coaches have supported young people to identify and address a health or social care related issue in their community by delivering a social action project and in 2023, over 100 students were recognised as Community Wellbeing Champions, having completed their social action projects on topics ranging from keeping safe on a night out, to reducing period poverty and knife crime.

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Sharing community first aid skills and equipment with the public

In January we completed the first wave of the Three Ways to Save a Life campaign in Manchester, with 16,120 people trained across 2022 and 2023

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Deliver cardio-pulmonary Treat severe bleeding and Treat someone who is choking
resuscitation (CPR) and use catastrophic haemorrhage e
a defibrillator
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~~“The Greater Manchester Three Ways to Save a Life campaign comes of the back~~ of the initial Manchester Arena inquiry where it was identified that members of the public who knew first aid were able to save lives on the night of the attack at the arena. It was mainly people my age who were at the arena five years ago. You never know when or where you might be when someone may be injured and need immediate help. It has been great to see so many young people encouraged to get involved and be part of the campaign, with over 30% of the staffing of the Save a Life sessions carried out by young people.”

We held first aid awareness sessions throughout the year. In late 2023, we helped launch a campaign with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to teach CPR to every year 6 pupil in Tameside by February 2024. Jake Percival, District Cadet of the Year for Greater Manchester in 2023, is a Champion for the campaign.

In our own responses, St John people recorded attendance at 158 cardiac arrest patients as part of their duties and saved 39 lives - a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in 25% of cases. This is comparable to the latest available data from the Warwick OHCA Registry on overall ROSC rates (25.8% in 2022).

As we looked to expand on this success, across the country in 2023, over 16,000 people attended our community first aid sessions to learn the skills to save a life – 9,003 through first aid awareness sessions and 7,303 attendees at Restart a Heart events, which for its 10th anniversary focused on the simple message of Phone, Push, Press:

We continued our partnership with the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK, NHS England and Ambulance Trusts on delivering and promoting The Circuit (the national defibrillator database) and took over co-chairing the advisory board. Together, we have now ensured almost 80,000 defibrillators are registered and accessible for use in an emergency. We also partnered with the Epilepsy Society in providing the simple Calm, Cushion, Call advice when faced with someone having a seizure.

What’s the impact? Over 16,000 people learnt community first aid

Reaching new audiences with community first aid In recent years, we’ve made progress in ensuring our first aid advice and guidance is available in different languages to meet the need of diverse communities.

In 2023, we worked with deaf and hard of hearing actors to launch CPR and defibrillator videos in British Sign Language (BSL) - A British Sign Language Emergency First Aid Film - Learn CPR (youtube.com) – that also showcased 999BSL, the Ofcom registered emergency video relay service.

Sessions were offered in Bengali and Urdu as well as English, raising awareness of these vital skills within the South Asian community, which can face greater risks of cardiac arrest with sometimes limited access to lifesaving resources. More than half of people (59 percent) living in ethnic minority communities feel they lack the knowledge to perform CPR, which is significantly higher compared to rest of the UK. People from these communities are statistically more likely to suffer a cardiac arrest, yet just 22 percent have received training in the last 10 years, compared with 41 percent of the UK population in same period.

~~We also worked with Samin~~ a Kiyani to support her efforts to train hundreds of people in lifesaving skills at the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre, in honour of her brother who sadly died from a sudden cardiac arrest:

“I never want any family to go through the same heartbreak we have been through. The loss of my youngest brother really highlights why CPR and defibrillators are so immensely important. It’s crucial that more events and awareness sessions like this happen across ethnic minority communities in the UK - where we know people are more likely to have a cardiac arrest and less likely to know what to do - so more lives can be saved.”

“We thought of the project in April, when we both met up as Rangoli Radio presenters at an away day. The team were talking about youth empowerment and our growing number of young people becoming presenters when we looked at each other across the room and the idea of a young people’s radio series sparked. Given that we were both Cadet First Aiders, bringing our roles and skills together meant we could create a platform for inspiring young people. It’s something we are both passionate about. First aid saves lives, and if more people know how to deliver lifesaving first aid, more lives will be saved.”

Meanwhile, online, we teamed up with stars of BBC’s popular Traitors series to discuss mental health as part of a new Instagram Lives feature and cadets Sneha Daga and Shivani Patel made waves with the September launch of their Saving Lives on Air podcast for Rangoli Radio, a Hindu community radio station that has reached 158 countries and attracts 8,000 monthly listeners.

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Our challenges and what we learned

focus efforts and we believe a refreshed volunteering model that gives those leaders more levers to shape experience will help further progress in 2024.

Making progress on

volunteer engagement

In our 2022 Annual Report, we set out the progress we had made on volunteer recruitment but identified that many existing volunteers had not yet re-engaged post-pandemic to their previous levels of activity. Progress has been made during 2023 but it was not as rapid as we hoped and some parts of the country struggled more than others, despite the strong teamwork and desire to return to St John “normality”. This has had a knock-on impact on both event and ambulance auxiliary outputs through the year compared to our initial forecasts.

We ran further trials of the St John Reserve model of volunteering, developed to support a more flexible alternative for event volunteering especially for volunteers who joined us for the vaccination programme. On evaluation, we concluded that continuing to integrate all volunteers together locally would serve the charity better, including through focused volunteering opportunities like the Newcastle stadium project outlined in our regional highlights, than an overall “reserve” so cancelled the initiative.

Our principal intervention was our Engage to Activate programme, one of the sustained benefits of which has been improved access to data about volunteer behaviours locally. Of St John’s thousands of volunteers, 6,710 have participated in our event delivery as qualified first aiders and above. Of those, 3,012 have done at least six duties in the last 12 months (our definition for “active”), while a further 1,111 are classified as “engaged” (having done at least 3 duties in the last 90 days). Critically, there are significant regional variations within these numbers. This insight provides a better platform for enabling local volunteer leaders to

We did also deliver practical improvements to volunteer experience including the roll out of new operational uniform, made from new material to be more breathable in the summer and easier to layer in the cooler months. It is ethically sourced and more sustainable as well as more cost effective and between March and December 2023, we distributed 53,410 garments from the new uniform range to our St John people.

A challenging events market

First aid and medical services at events remains at the core of St John volunteering activity and one of the most significant ways that the public engages with us. The pandemic had a dramatic impact on both the event industry and our activation of community volunteers in all parts of the country. With our event work at less than half the volume of the immediate pre-pandemic years we set out to regrow this core aspect of our work. Challenges with capacity and the need to improve the commerciality of this work meant we did not increased our event output but at fewer, sometimes larger events.

In 2023, we provided first aid cover at 8,487 events, down slightly on the 8,632 in 2022. Some of the events we cover (e.g. major sports tournaments like Wimbledon, or regional carnivals and festivals) stretch over multiple days and the balance of activity in 2023 included more large-scale events, including HM

What’s the impact? Volunteer capacity risk reduced

The King’s Coronation. This meant almost a thousand more event days in 2023 than 2022 (11,238 compared to 10,308). But it also meant more events where we needed to pool volunteer resources from different areas, increasing travel and other costs of delivery. As well as supporting over 2,000 professional football and rugby union fixtures to take place safely week after week, we remain a mainstay of local firework displays, new year’s celebrations and Remembrance Day services.

On review, our ambitions for our event work were not synchronised with the timetable for recovering volunteer engagement, retention and activity post-pandemic through our Engage to Activate programme, leading us to turn down the opportunity to cover 1,700 events. Cover at community events grew modestly, with some areas of the country particularly strong in delivering significant numbers of local events but we recognise the work still to be done to re-engage our volunteer community and match their motivation to serve their community with the opportunities we can create to do so. We intend to pursue a refreshed model of volunteering in 2024 alongside an improved commercial strategy for larger events.

London, with Cycle Responders and ambulance crews giving care and medical treatment to those who needed it. 50 Cadets watched the ceremony at Their Majesties invitation at a special screening in St Margaret’s Westminster. St John volunteers were also on hand for the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle and numerous screenings and local events across the country.

On duty for the Coronation Maintaining our long history of humble service to the Royal family and the public at major Royal events, hundreds of St John people put on an inspiring display of support as the crowds cheered our new King and Queen in May 2023. Highly trained first aiders, including 60 healthcare professionals and 80 cadets, volunteered at 21 pop up treatment centres across

In 2024, we plan to:

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Regional focus

The connections St John units and counties enjoy with their local areas have always been central to our delivery and impact. Following the appointment of 8 Regional Commissioners in 2022, we continued in 2023 to work on increased empowerment for regions to deliver impact in line with the needs of their communities. This principle is key to our community first aid future and will be a significant part of our focus in 2024 and beyond. Around the map below are just a few highlights of the different responses in different regions to the first aid needs around them.

North West – During 2023 we had two new Community Support Units delivered across the region thanks to the volunteer effort to raise the funds for this. In Greater Manchester, as part of the Three Ways to Save a Life campaign, over 16,000 members of the public were trained across 2022 and 2023. Volunteers across the region turned out in strength to support the Grand National weekend at Aintree.

West Midlands – In 2023 volunteers gave over 42,000 hours supporting communities at public events across the West Midlands as well as reducing pressures on A&E departments through various night-time economy projects. We also educated over 3,000 members of the public during Restart a Heart month in October across shopping centres and through our units opening their doors.

South West – We supported the Somerset Illuminated Carnival, which visits the South West for approximately six weeks, representing a significant activity for volunteers locally. It’s an intense time for the region with one fair per week covered by anything from 20-40 volunteers, often covered by one district who work hard to cover the event every week. Great communication and dedication has helped us to succeed with this event. In 2023 it wasn’t the only major event in the South West with the Bristol International Balloon Festival; Ten Tors; Cheltenham Festival; Cornwall Show; Plymouth International Fireworks Competition; and Western Enduro all covered successfully.

North East – In 2023 we innovated with a new Stadia Unit in Newcastle, which has attracted new volunteers from within the Newcastle United fanbase to supplement our volunteer team at Newcastle United Football Club. This has enabled us to maintain and fully cover the service to the club and its tens of thousands of spectators. Wider stadia activity in the North East has included regular events at Hull, Bradford, Leeds, Doncaster and Rotherham, alongside Bramham Horse Trials, Tramlines festival, Hull Fair, the Great North Run and York Races.

East Midlands – Volunteers including Priory Groups have continued to work hard in raising funds for our operational activities and in 2023 the Region was able to receive a new Kia electric vehicle in Northamptonshire and place orders for two Community Support Vehicles to ensure that our volunteers have access to the equipment, transport and welfare facilities they need when spending their time with us.

East of England – During 2023 our young people have been involved in lots of different activities from attending the Coronation to taking part in the Germany Cadet Exchange Trip with Johanniter International as well as spending time out at sea with Tall Ships learning valuable skills. Youth voice was a priority for the East this year which saw the relaunch of the Regional Youth Forum. Our volunteers in Norfolk continue to hold Open Gardens which brought in over £12,000 as well as training primary school children in first aid.

London – the London Marathon remains one of our biggest events and approximately 1,000 volunteers were again needed to support the runners and members of the public on the day. This year almost 50,000 runners signed up to take part. We mounted an incredible response – comprising 42 Treatment Centres, 52 ambulances, more than 600 first aiders, 100 Health Care Professionals, 40 Medical Response Teams, 14 Cycle Response Unit teams and 150 Cadets.

South East – Alongside covering 1,842 events, in August we launched a new form of first aid support for those enjoying the seaside on the Isle of Sheppey, based on similar activities in the night-time economy and a 2021 pilot, when St John reduced pressures on local NHS services in Great Yarmouth and Hunstanton.

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2. Enabling the nation’s health resilience

Community first aid reduces pressure and demand on our health services.

Frontline pressures on nhs services remained high during 2023, not least with year-on-year increases in urgent and emergency department attendances and emergency admissions.

Community first aid responses and increased community and health service resilience, including our work in partnership with others through the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP), can help reduce this demand in the short-term.

The publication of the first NHS long-term workforce plan in June 2023 acknowledged the lack of coordinated planning for the NHS workforce over decades and pointed to a gap of more than 260-360,000 staff by 2036/37. The plan sets out three priority areas for action – to increase education and training to record levels including increasing apprenticeships and alternative routes into professional roles; to retain more staff; and to reform productivity. We welcomed the recognition of our NHS Cadets programme and wider volunteering opportunities in the plan as effective routes into the NHS workforce to support capacity in the medium-term. This was echoed in recommendations from the NHS Volunteer Taskforce.

What’s the impact? 72,716 hours of emergency ambulance cover

Our Goal

Our long-term ambition is to continue to be ready, in partnership with the nation, to respond to local and national emergencies through:

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

To continue as an effective auxiliary to the NHS and communities through our ambulance auxiliary work

Continued service delivery, but with lower levels in winter 2023/4 than 2022/23 to grow our ambulance provision.

Increased income but low success rate in winning new contracts as unwilling to sacrifice quality for price.

To grow our ambulance provision

Just under 4,000 more young people registered for NHS Cadets, over 80% with at least one of the target characteristics

To broaden our reach through supporting more NHS Cadets

Our progress and what we delivered

Volunteers were also on hand at Birmingham and Stansted Airports in April to support those arriving in the evacuations from Sudan with immediate first aid needs.

In 2023, we delivered 72,716 hours of emergency ambulance cover through the auxiliary and additional arrangements with North West Ambulance Service. We treated just under 8,000 patients (7,890 completed electronic patient records), with a diverse case mix that reflects the undifferentiated care needs within an ambulance service, with chest pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, head injury, falls and hip injury some of the more frequent presenting complaints we attended.

Ambulance Auxiliary

Under the terms of our ambulance auxiliary contact with the NHS, which had its first anniversary in 2023, we provide surge capacity in support of England’s 11 ambulance trusts. A base level of service is provided throughout the year as part of maintaining skill levels and in partnership with individual trusts to match their needs, with additional surges of activity in Winter and specific emergencies. Our trained crews, both employed and volunteer are used in different ways by different trusts depending on demand in each area.

We are proud of the positive feedback so often received from patients and families for the compassion and expertise shown by our emergency ambulance crews, as shown in these two examples:

In the early hours of Saturday morning, my brother-in-law was stabbed twice during a mental health episode. My sister, who is partially sighted, was so upset and afraid he was going to die – and then in walked the heroes of the hour. They were so quick and reassuring to everyone, and quickly put a dressing on his chest. And next thing, he was inside the ambulance getting the help he needed.

Later, at the hospital, my brother-in-law finally opened up to your ambulance team about what he was going through. He has never done this. They told the hospital what he had said and he is finally getting the specialist help he needs.

We just wanted to say a huge thank you for the two amazing St John people you sent to their home that night. We’ve since been told that neither of them get paid but do it because they want to help others. They are two very special people.”

Connor and Matthew came to help my brother, Simon, who has very bad mental health problems (schizophrenia) had collapsed in the street after drinking too much. They helped get him to my mum’s house and were amazing with him, me and my elderly mum.

Both are volunteers: I mean, wow. I could not thank them enough. It was so wet and cold, and they saved his life by being there to help, then stayed with us until he passed out asleep and they knew we were safe. Connor and Matthew were truly heroes who went above and beyond – really lovely, amazing people. Thank you so, so much.

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medical support quickly and effectively alleviating pressure on local resources such as the NHS and local ambulance services.

patients,1,571 of whom had clinical needs but just 660 (42%) of those had to be sent to Emergency Departments. St John people were able to convey more than half of those requiring further medical treatment, again reducing the burden on emergency services. For the larger group of non-clinical needs, we provided a safe space which we have evaluated as reducing wider demand on statutory services in busy night-time city centres.

Night-time economy

Our NTE programme offers emergency medical care in busy nightlife areas as well as welfare support and providing a place of safety, to providing high standards of pre-hospital care to people socialising in towns or city centres throughout the evening and early hours of the morning, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. By providing dedicated treatment centres in towns and cities, we’re able to provide

In 2023, we expanded to 11 different areas including opening a second safe space in Birmingham in partnership with the local police and providing a new service in Skegness over a busy bank holiday weekend. We saw 3,453

Responding to a respiratory arrest

When East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) passed over a 999 call to St John Ambulance, reporting that a male had been found by police officers on the street in Leicester, unconscious and not breathing, we were able to deploy two cycle response units, a paramedic and a double crewed emergency ambulance, from our night-time economy operation.

Initially, St John volunteers, working alongside specialist EMAS colleagues, supported the patient by breathing for him, utilising airway management techniques as well as administering doses of the life-saving drug, Naloxone, which reverses the effects of opiate-based drugs. Our emergency ambulance, supported by an EMAS critical care doctor, transported the patient to hospital, releasing other EMAS resources to focus on emergencies elsewhere. The patient made a full recovery.

What’s the impact? 3,453 patients in the night-time economy

NHS Cadets

Since 2020, St John has worked in partnership with NHS England to deliver the NHS Cadets programme, providing opportunities to explore roles in healthcare. It is targeted at 14-18 year olds from communities currently underrepresented within the NHS and St John Ambulance and aims to reach a diverse range of young people with barriers to entering health volunteering and/or healthcare careers. Target groups include young people who are not in education, employment or training, who have a learning disability, come from low-income families, are young carers, have mental health conditions or are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Baba Odumera is a recent graduate of the NHS Cadet programme:

Baba decided that he would like to study medicine at university but the pandemic made it difficult to gain experience in this field. What drew Baba towards the NHS Cadets was the fact that this programme was offered to people from a similar background. Baba used the experience gained with the NHS Cadets to write the statement to apply to university. Baba expressed that St John contributed so much to his application and in autumn 2023 he started to study medicine. He is also now a fully qualified adult first aider and volunteers at his university.

In 2023, a further 3,961 young people registered to be part of NHS Cadets, bringing the total registered in the programme since launch to 7,682, split evenly between the Foundation and Advanced courses. Over 80% of registered participants have at least one of the target characteristics.

There are currently 131 live NHS Cadet programmes (see map below). In 2023, we expanded our partnerships outside just NHS Trusts to include 16 schools, including Waterhead Academy in Oldham.

Neil Wilson, Assistant Principal for Person Development, had this to say:

To become one of the first secondary schools in England to deliver the St John Ambulance; NHS Cadets programme is an excellent opportunity for our students. Whilst undertaking the qualification, our Cadets will also benefit from a range of presentations and practical sessions delivered by health care professionals. The qualification will further equip our students to enable them to pursue health related post-16 education and training courses as well as providing them with the most valuable life skill of all; the required knowledge to potentially save an individual’s life.

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Foundation
Advanced
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Our challenges and what we learned

Changing focus post-pandemic

impact. During the pandemic, hospital volunteering by trained St John volunteers added significant value to a number of NHS trusts. Our volunteers’ ability to help with basic clinical observations within emergency departments eased the burden for stretched NHS staff and improved patient experience. This support has dwindled to a few sites and we have chosen to exit this activity, supporting individual volunteers in their connections with their local trust to continue their activity directly as appropriate.

As we’ve begun to recover post-pandemic, we’ve had to assess the costs of running a breadth of different services, each with different regulatory and operational requirements. Our role in vaccination – such a crown jewel in our service to the nation during Covid-19 – came to a natural end in March 2023.

A wider strategic review has led to difficult decisions about how we can best focus our resources to maximise our

Ambulance sustainability

Our critical care ambulance services, for example the transport of critically ill babies and children in partnership with specialist NHS trusts around the country, continue to deliver with the professionalism and compassion that befits our CQC Good rating. We continued to encourage NHS partners to innovate in how critical care transport services are combined in a region, as demonstrated through our Castle Donnignton site in the East Midlands, officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in October 2023.

What’s the impact? Financial sustainability risk elevated

In 2024, we plan to:

Similarly, our falls services and provision of care for the homeless community around the south coast have added considerable value in recent years for patients and clients respectively. While the need remains, operational and financial challenges and a lack of sustainable funding for those services means we will exit from them during 2024.

However, commercially we experienced challenges in our delivery of these services in 2023. Our continued focus on ensuring high quality has meant a low success rate in securing new contracts where price has been the determining factor, although we did successfully re-tender for the KIDS contract in the West Midlands to continue almost a decade of providing lifesaving care and transport to critically ill children in the region. With public sector health commissioning remaining a very low margin enterprise, we will be reviewing all our costs in 2024 to assess what type of contracts are sustainable in the future.

St John volunteer, Flora Streeter, is not alone in making the transition from volunteer to NHS career: "In March 2023 I switched jobs from working in Digital Marketing to become a 999 emergency call handler for the London Ambulance Service. I made the change because I wanted to do something similar to my volunteering – I want to know I'm helping people in my everyday life."

3. Training for safer workplaces and communities

Community first aid makes communities safer and more resilient to the emergencies that occur every day. Education has been at the heart of our mission for almost 150 years, within both workplaces and the wider community.

As working patterns and community needs evolve, the importance of ensuring safe places to live and work remains paramount. That’s why we continue to adapt our curriculum to teach not just the core first aid standards within the First Aid Manual that we set with St Andrews Ambulance Association and the British Red Cross, but also mental health awareness and first aid, as well as the skills to treat the impact of street violence and falls in the home. Not least with hybrid workforces and more remote working, as well as the underlying pressures within society, we are seeing an increased need for mental health first aid skills at work and remain committed to working with customers to respond to that need alongside their statutory duties for safety in the workplace. Recognising the increased financial pressures on employers from inflation and the wider economy, we’ll continue to work with customers to meet their needs.

For James, the impact was clear:

Luckily, his boss, Phil, was a trained mental health first aider:

When James, a construction manager and father of three, was overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts, he found the courage to ask for help:

“Companies would definitely benefit “It was noticed that James’ from putting people on mental performance was going down. He health first aid courses. Instead of wasn’t in a good place; he and his automatically thinking “they are not family were facing some really big doing their job” they might think, challenges. I and his line manager “wait a minute, are they OK?”. Having encouraged him to share his problems someone to talk about how things so we could help him. In our line of were, who wasn’t going to judge, and work, especially within build teams, wasn’t my wife or parents, was so people are not keen to come forward to beneficial. Now I’m performing really talk about poor mental health. It can be well again. Touch wood, I’m back to deemed as a weakness. You can’t wave firing on all cylinders.” a magic wand but being able to talk makes someone feel better. You’re not qualified to give medical advice but you can listen and follow it up and reassure someone you care. My St John course taught me how to really listen.”

“As much as being a construction site manager is stressful, I used to view work as an escape from my life. I have three sons who suffer from a range of challenging conditions, two of them with autism. But last year I began to really struggle. I started feeling like I couldn’t do it anymore. I felt anxious about doing things I wouldn’t have thought twice about before. I got to the point where I was driving to work and felt like I wanted to turn the wheel of the car and drive into a tree or the barrier on the motorway.”

Our Goal

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

Our ambition is to renew and revitalise our commercial training and supplies enterprise, supporting employers to ensure safer workplaces by delivering bestin-class first aid, health and safety training and developing our role in mental health first aid. We also want to explore how new community first aid training products can improve the response to changing community health needs, including better outcomes for elderly fallers.

9% reduction in delegate numbers, with dip in three-year requalification cycle post-Covid and wider economic pressures, despite modest growth in mental health provision.

Target growth in our training enterprises, including expanding our mental health first aid training.

Pilot falls education and response initiatives.

Engaged the health commissioning community and designed a community training product in preparation for a possible pilot.

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Our progress and what we delivered

Maintaining quality

In 2023, we continued to support thousands of workplaces – just under 38,000 businesses supported - to be safer and more resilient for their people through both our training and successful supplies enterprises. We remain proud of the market-leading quality of our training across a breadth of courses and how that reflects on the skills and experience of our cadre of Workplace Trainers. Appreciation for that quality is reflected in the reviews that customers give and we have now received over 30,000 Trust Pilot reviews with a 5 star rating (4.9-5.0). Here are just a few of the things customers said about our training in 2023:

Amazing course. I learnt so much more on this refresher than my previous one which has made me feel more confident if I ever need to administer first aid. I was booked on this course for work but would highly recommend it to everyone. Kris Young, Dec 2023

Great course, good training! Really enjoyed the training the teacher Steve was good he went through everything and we could ask lots of questions and get stuck into practicals. I’m usually quite a shy person and after a few hours of being there I opened up a lot more and I just felt at ease getting to know everyone and getting involved. Well worth the 3 days training. Nicole Jesson, July 2023

Life changing decision. Learning experience provided by Maurice was unmatched. For me personally, it was so great and impactful that made me go on to actually sign up for volunteering with SJA. I would highly recommend using SJA services.

Krzysztof Krzyzanowski, July 2023

Exploring new opportunities for impact on community needs

We worked closely with NHS bodies and partners in the charity sector to explore the health and health sector demand impacts for those who fall at home, where help can often be long-delayed in arriving. That led us to develop a new community training product and a model for community falls cushions that we are looking pilot in partnership with local NHS trusts in 2024.

I recently participated in a two day mental health first aid course with SJA in Bolton. The course was delivered by a lady called Vee, and was done to an extremely high standard and equally engaging. Thank you for equipping me to deal with a whole host of delicate situations, not only in the workplace, but my personal life also.

Andy Revell, April 2023

What’s the impact? 215,708 workplace training delegates

Our challenges and what we learned

Overall enterprise performance

While we remain the market leader in the full three-day First Aid at Work course, providing the most comprehensive training, particularly in higher risk industries, there is a greater spread of providers for the one day Emergency First Aid at Work course and in 2023 an increase in customer interest in that option.

As highlighted in the overall summary of the year, the financial underperformance of our training enterprise in 2023 was a key factor in our overall results. First aid at work certification operates on a three-year requalification cycle and 2023 marked three years on from the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 when our training business like so many face-to-face activities ceased for a period. While we anticipated therefore that there would be a short-term dip in delegates and income during the period that mirrored the months of lockdown, we did not anticipate the full scale and the slow recovery that followed from that dip. Moreover, we have witnessed some changes in the demand for first aid at work, linked to the country’s overall economic performance as well as changed patterns of post-pandemic work.

Taken all together we saw a reduction in our delegates from 236,921 in 2022 to 215,708 in 2023. We are confident in our ability to rebuild our delegate base in 2024 and beyond, albeit we will also experience the moment three years on from the second Covid lockdown during Spring. This will require us to review and renew our training operations and challenge ourselves to get even closer What’s the impact? to our customers and their needs. Financial sustainability risk elevated

and trained 10,784 delegates. Although our core mental health first aid offer remained popular and enjoyed modest growth, these new products have not yet met the mark in terms of customer interest and demand. However, recognising the importance of this area for both customers and us we are committed to continue to develop this aspect of our business in 2024.

Delivering for mental health

Mental health awareness and first aid training remains a key priority for us both commercially and missionally, given the needs we are seeing in communities and workplaces. In 2023, we developed and piloted various more accessible awareness course offers, including an online course. We provided 1,690 mental health courses

In 2024, we plan to:

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4. Delivering high quality care and education

Our Goal

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

As part of our long-term ambitions, we remain committed to enhancing the practical clinical and training excellence which underpins all our work and for which the St John brand is recognised.

Project successfully completed across St John.

Roll out a new approach to electronic patient reporting, utilising the new capabilities to understand and continuously improve our standards of care.

Publish a new Quality and Safety framework to help govern our work in this space.

Framework published and being implemented.

That includes delivering high quality, evidence-based and people-centred care to all the communities we serve.

Our progress and what we delivered

Delivering electronic patient reporting remains a challenge across the wider health sector and we’re delighted to have been able to roll this out to effectively across our organisation. One major positive impact of making the switch to an ePRF model is our ability to use the new data to make better and more informed decisions. For example, we now have access to a real-time portal that displays all records submitted during a duty, and a PowerBI dashboard for observing strategic trends over time.

What’s the impact? Clinical risk reduced

Delivering Electronic Patient Records

Following extensive development work in 2022, 11 February 2023 at Uttoxeter races marked a significant milestone for St John’s clinical practice with the submission of our first electronic patient report form (ePRF). By December 2023, the new approach had been successfully rolled out across the whole charity and given a positive bill of health by our internal audit team. At each stage of the roll out, the feedback of colleagues allowed us to update the functionality to improve both the experience of users and the benefits, e.g. through amended drop down lists for presenting complaints.

employed different reporting systems and approaches. This is helping more accurately capture examples of both good practice and potential areas for continuous improvement.

Setting our Quality Framework We published our first Quality and Safety framework following extensive consultation with key stakeholders. It is based on the pillars that are needed to embed a quality and safety culture under the goals of:

engaged and accountable for their own safety and others around them. We moved our Events Operations manual online and set up a 6 weekly review by an Updates and Governance Group to sense check content – given the changing nature of event regulation noted below and our planned approach to local delivery, this will help maintain standards in the future.

St John continues to build on its

What’s the impact? Regulatory risk unchanged

In 2023, we launched our Health and Safety transformation plan to ensure a more focussed level of support across the organisations where everyone feels

Our challenges and what we learned

Changing regulations in event medicine » Following the publication of the recommendations of the Manchester Inquiry, we have worked closely with partners and policy-makers on the likely changes to event medicine regulation. We welcomed the recommendations and the role they will play in making experiences safer for the public but also recognised the impact of proposed changes in the Purple » Guide and the likely enactment of “Martyn’s Law” in 2024 for our operations. Principal among the changes in the requirement for a level 3 qualification to participate as first aiders at licensed events.

Emergency Responder.

Community First Aider.

These volunteers (aged 13 and above) will hold skills relevant to delivering first aid and education at community events. The training requirement will be a hybrid course of learning online /up to 2 days face-to-face (3-year revalidation).

In response, we have developed two new roles for volunteers at St John to both meet future regulatory requirements and be as inclusive as possible in our volunteering in terms of choices of role:

In 2024, we plan to:

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  1. Developing as an inclusive organisation, providing positive experiences for our people and those we serve

Our Goal

We recognise the need to travel further to be the safe, inclusive, connected organisation we want to see, whilst ensuring the traditions of the Order of St John remain the faithful beating heart of all that we do.

Our ambition is to provide inclusive and purposeful experiences for all St John people, through simplifying accountability and strengthening core business services, technologies and processes that underpin our work to be a digitally enabled, data savvy, learning organisation.

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

Early focus on connection and civility in the workplace but slower progress in second half of the year with shift in focus to transformation programme.

To continue our cultural journey, including a focus on behaviours and boundaries and how we best connect and support each other safely, inclusively and compassionately.

Completion of wave 1 of digital programme (SHIFT) delivering foundations for technology needs including fundraising database and marketing capabilities. Subsequent waves paused in response to financial position and to ensure learning captured for future development.

To transform customer and donor experiences through digital investment.

Our progress and what we delivered

Ensuring a voice for all within the organisation throughout this period of change remains a priority. Alongside support for our network of Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Advocates, we made good progress on Youth Voice, including through youth participation in community delivery through an operations steering group, support for national, regional and district youth forums and recruitment of more youth voice leaders. Young people are part of significant recruitment exercises, including the search for a new CEO, and their voice continues to be represented at the Board by our young trustee.

Involving our people in shaping our future

We began 2023 looking to the future with a series of regional roadshows and workshops to engage St John people in our future strategy. This was complemented by the latest theme of “connection” in our internal Heartbeat campaign – bringing to life our values through everyday behaviours with a focus on teamwork and breaking down siloes and the challenges of remote working. Engagement culminated in a Leadership Conference in March at Warwick University, bringing together 600 leaders across the charity to celebrate our impact, connect with our vision for the next ten years and challenge ourselves on how we would need to lead to deliver our ambitions whilst building a consistent sense of belonging and inclusion across the charity.

However, as the year progressed and the scale of transformation that would be needed to address our financial position was better understood our engagement priorities shifted. In September, we launched our transformation programme and began to engage with employees on the need to reduce the size of our paid workforce within an overall organisation design approach based on 8 core principles. We committed to and maintained regular communications, including active engagement with our National Employee Forum, but recognised that the autumn was a period of significant uncertainty for many colleagues. To create options for employees, we opened a Voluntary Release (VR) programme and formal collective consultation commenced in November and ran until mid-December. Final outcomes from consultation were to be delivered in early 2024. Through VR, redeployment opportunities and natural attrition, we anticipated minimising the number of compulsory redundancies as part of reducing our overall establishment in this first phase of change by around 160 roles. Our learning from this process is shaping our approach to continuing change in the organisation and is captured below.

The world of St John is like no other, it feels like you are a part of work family, one that many of us invest in far more than others might in their ‘working worlds’. That makes the process of change with the inevitable drawbacks and discomforts especially difficult to digest. The NEF team worked hard to support colleagues and were proud to work together with Network Chiefs to find the best possible outcomes for colleagues whilst also shaping a positive future for St John. All families suffer painful episodes, however pulling together, challenging with kindness, listening and responding to others honestly and with empathy ultimately will lead us to a brighter future for everyone.

Karla Auker, Chair of our National Employee Forum (NEF)

Support for our people

Pay increases sat alongside continued support for our already strong wellbeing offer, for which we were recognised at the Make a Difference Wellbeing Awards, winning the category of ‘The Employer that has made the most difference to workplace mental health and wellbeing in the public sector/not for profit organisations’.

As part of our commitment to being an Armed Forces-friendly employer as part of the Armed Forces Covenant, we achieved the Employer Recognition Scheme’s Silver Award and continue to work towards Gold. The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge to acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be

Digital transformation

Alongside continuing to manage an ageing technology estate and making improvements to how we manage our data to better enable us to use it in our decision-making, we made two significant digital investments in 2023. Our successful roll out of electronic patient records is covered in more detail in our quality section (page 32). We also completed the first stage of our SHIFT programme, delivering a new Microsoft Dynamics 365 backbone for our technology needs which we can now build our future services on. This included delivering a new fundraising system and real-time marketing capabilities and the technology backbone is also underpinning the Customer Service and Shared Service Centre Email Management Systems.

Our wellbeing offer for staff and volunteers is complemented by a new cohort of Wellbeing Champions, recruited in 2023 and by:

Priory Sub-Dean, Revd Dr Andrew Schumann reflected on the role of Chaplaincy following spending time with St John volunteers and the public at the Coronation:

treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they service with their lives.

More broadly, we continued to support the work of our People Networks, including our Armed Forces Network, as safe spaces to share, learn, educate and inform the development of our strategy and policy. All our

In the latter part of the year, we took the learning from the start of the SHIFT programme to recognise the importance of identifying changes required in how business areas operate up front to align further system changes. Having spent time building requirements for the core Training Booking System that powers our most important enterprise, we’re in good stead for 2024 to deliver our next build by replacing that system, as well as looking at how we can make wider improvements by maximising the use of existing systems in our estate in response to constraints on likely investment levels in the short-term.

What’s the impact?

Technology transformation risk unchanged

“One of the reasons why I love Chaplaincy

within an organisation is that while we are part of the family and know St John, we are not part of the reporting structure. That frees us up for others to be able to share with us. So of the many conversations I had there was, yes, some distinctly spiritual stuff, but the vast majority was to do with being a human being and the challenges and joys that brings - jobs, friends, family, health and the like. A Chaplaincy reminds us of our shared humanity. Yes we have jobs and tasks to do within St John and on duty, but we must always remember that we are human beings underneath it all. I sometimes describe a chaplain’s role as that of ‘second aid’ - we are the ones you talk to after you’ve done your first aid - when you start to emotionally process how things have gone, well or otherwise or when other things in life pop up. Mostly it’s just simply that we all need people to talk to… So what does a Chaplain do? We love doing the ceremonial and the spiritual stuff - but we also love dressing in green and getting stuck in. We are part of the St John family.”

networks – Multicultural, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Women, Family and Carers – encourage active allyship as part of celebrating the rich diversity within St John and the communities we serve. In 223, we supported their work through new EDI e-learning and launched dedicated drop in Cultural Conversations to help develop cultural awareness.

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Our challenges and what we learned

Culture journey through change The shift in focus mid-year to financial and transformation goals and the pace at which we needed to respond, meant that some cultural programme priorities were delayed, in particular roll out of a new ethical behaviours framework and further work on civility within the organisation. Both will be picked up in 2024. We have attempted to embed EDI principles within our first phase of transformation but recognise the continued effort required in this area.

and engagement opportunities. We’re grateful for the feedback from colleagues to date on how we can improve the consistency and effectiveness of those interventions and are committed to improve as we progress through change. As part of this we have identified a series of conditions for sustainable change – clarity and consistency of direction, clarity of accountability, depth of inclusion, embedded values, team and leadership development, recognition - and intend to embed these moving forward.

We’re also acutely aware of the risks to wellbeing and retention during a period of transformation and recognise the need to provide adequate support to individuals as well as leaders and managers, as well as providing effective communications

What’s the impact? Culture and retention risk elevated

Maintaining focus on safeguarding

We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and have long focused on the importance of a robust and regulatory compliant safeguarding framework to protect young people and vulnerable adults in our care from serious harm. During 2023 we identified that the reporting records on compliance with our safeguarding training were incomplete, implying compliance amongst youth leaders had dropped below acceptable levels. Following a concerted drive to improve the monitoring and refresh

What’s the impact? Safeguarding risk elevated while we complete our review

In 2024, we plan to:

training, this position was resolved within the calendar year with compliance now reporting to be above our expected 90% (set to recognise the turnover within youth leadership roles). However, it has prompted us to want to review our overall safeguarding governance, policies and processes to assure ourselves that they remain to the quality we expect. This work will be completed in the first half of 2024 and we are committed to implementing any significant recommendations as well as to ongoing continuous improvement in our safeguarding practice.

6. Ensuring a sustainable, resilient charity

Our Goal

This applies to our finances, but also our care for place (environmental impact), ensuring we are focused on people (social), and reflecting on how the charity’s approach to stewardship (governance) is set to achieve these aims.

St John is committed to building strong sustainable foundations to ensure it can make the impact on community health. We understand it is important to make choices today that ensure a long-term sustainable organisation, but also sustainable society.

From a financial perspective, we need to ensure a sustainable operating model with the right balance between income and expenditure, maximising resources focused on delivering our mission, only maintaining the assets and capabilities needed to fulfil it and with a longer term objective to increase free reserves from their current levels.

Planned 2023 commitments

Progress

Reduced income, particularly through enterprises, with transformation plans in place to refresh performance in 2024 and beyond.

Target growth in our training enterprises, including expanding our mental health first aid training.

Significant progress on cost-efficiencies made in the latter stages of 2023, planned to impact positively through 2024.

Prioritising Spend SMART initiatives to maximise our efficiency as a charity.

Overall financial performance

mitigating actions started to be taken from

been budgeted for. These price increases, together with the impact of an increased cost base built in anticipation of our budgeted income, made it difficult to react quickly to reduce costs in line with the drop in income experienced.

While St John Ambulance operates with the intention to balance income and expenditure, with an objective in the longer term to increase free reserves from their current levels, this has not been possible during 2023. A decline in income from our first aid training activity had been expected following changes in the pattern of training course attendance after the Covid lockdown that had led to strong growth in 2022, however this was greater than anticipated. At the same time, inflationary increases in several of our core costs, such as salary costs, property utility charges and fuel for our vehicles were at higher levels than had

early summer onwards. These included a reduction in expenditure, including both day to day spend and the deferral of planned capital expenditure on system, fleet and property improvements. We began a review of our property needs to be able to bring forward a plan for a further reduced estate from 2024 onwards, as part of reducing ongoing running costs. of 2024. An initial restructuring programme to reduce our costs, leading to redundancies in late 2023 and early 2024 has taken place, with a broader Transformation programme for longer term change underway in the first half of 2024.

The overall net expenditure for the year is £16.6m compared to a £3.7m net expenditure in 2022, as we were unable to adjust costs in line with reduced income within the calendar year, despite lower losses on the investment portfolio of £0.4m (2022: losses of £3.4m).

Potential financial underperformance was identified during spring 2023 and

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Fundraising for our Community First Aid mission

For 2024

We have set out a programme of transformation and renewal with the principal goal of achieving breakeven finances for the charity by the end of 2025. This work, overseen by a new Transformation Committee of the board, includes workstreams to:

Income

Total £107.9

----- Start of picture text -----
42% 18% 14% 12% 8%
£45.3 £19.7 £14.8 £13.4 £8.9
5% 1%
£4.9 £0.7
Training the public Ambulance & Voluntary income
transport services
First aid products First aid provision and Investment income and net gain on
youth development disposal of assets, other income
Community Support Programmes,
Covid Support & other charitable activies
----- End of picture text -----

Expenditure

Total £124.1

----- Start of picture text -----
28% 20% 17% 15% 9% 6%
£34.4 £24.8 £21.5 £18.4 £11.4 £7.9
3% 2%
£3.6 £1.9
Training the public Support costs Ambulance & transport services
----- End of picture text -----

First aid provision and First aid products First aid awareness campaigning, youth development fundraising & investment costs Community Support Amounts Payable in Programmes, Covid relation to redundancy Support & other charitable activies

Fundraising & engagement in 2023 Thanks to our supporters, funders and partners we raised a total of £14.8m in voluntary income in 2023 (2022: £17.2m). Despite a difficult economic backdrop, they continued to give, to cycle up and down the country, to run bake sales in their neighbourhoods, to champion first aid in their workplaces, to fund grants towards our youth work and to remember St John in their Will.

Without this dedication, effort and generosity St John Ambulance simply wouldn’t have been able to deliver all of its life saving work.

We received over £10.8m in donations and sponsorship income (2022: £11.3m) from individual and regular givers, community fundraisers, challenge event participants and major donors. Over 3,200 supporters gave to our appeals across the year, including the many collections across the country for the Big Help Out. 21,567 new donors signed up to give a regular gift to support our work, over 183 people took to the streets as part of our sponsored running events and the Tesco token scheme & Coop support also continued to provide us with much needed community income.

114 people left us a gift in their Will totalling an incredible £3.5m in legacy income (£5.1m in 2022) and we received 103 notifications of future gifts across the year. We continue to be enormously grateful to all those people past and present who have included a gift in their will.

Legacies are so important to St John Ambulance and help us in our vision to continue to train and equip people in the community to save lives, long into the future. We are so incredibly grateful to all the people who have generously supported St John Ambulance in this very special way.

Lorraine Roadnight, Legacy Manager.

We saw growth in income in 2023 from charitable trusts, foundations, statutory funders and commercial partnerships with over 70 trust and foundations supporting us through the year, enabling communities to continue to be first aid resilient. We celebrated the first year of DCMS funding (£2.4m in total over multiple years) to grow our Cadet youth programme and reach more young people in harder to reach areas. With thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery who completed their final year of funding towards our Young Responder programme and Garfield Weston Foundation for their support to provide financial assistance to allow more young people to access our youth programmes. Our product collaboration with Kinetik Wellbeing continued to deliver high quality first aid products while benefitting the charity financially.

St John Ambulance remained front and centre of the public’s hearts and minds as the 9th most recommended UK charity brand in the YouGov charity index. 75% of people surveyed had a positive opinion of us, and this increased to 1st and 93% amongst baby boomers. Over 3.5 million people visited our website and our 13,000 media stories had over 151 billion views and an advertising value equivalent of over £28million. We also launched the charity’s first social media strategy and saw fantastic results, reaching over 11 million people and achieving an engagement rate (people interacting with our posts) of 5.45%, considerably higher than the industry average of 1-2%.

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Ethical Fundraising and Standards Our values underpin everything we do at St John – and that includes fundraising. Our approach to acceptance and refusal of donations is rooted in our values of humanity, excellence, accountability, responsiveness, and teamwork and we apply principles of due diligence to our fundraising partnerships and agencies that work on our behalf. Through the Fundraising Committee, there is consideration of potential high-risk donations. St John holds an ethical fundraising policy and trustee directors seek assurances that high-risk donations are evaluated against this and remain in the best interests of St John.

We are members of the Chartered Institute of Fundraisers and the Lotteries Council and also licenced by the Gambling Commission. We are registrants of the Fundraising Regulator, and as such abide by the Code of Fundraising Practice. We follow the Fundraising Regulator's Fundraising Promise and are committed to ensuring our fundraising is open, honest, legal and respectful. As in previous years we had no reported breaches or failings of these standards in 2023. We are also part of the Fundraising Preference Service. In 2023, we received correspondence but in relation to a similar named organisation.

Donor Story

In 2023, a father of two marked the end of an incredible journey when he crossed the finish line of the Reading Half Marathon - where his life was saved four years ago by St John volunteers. Jonathan Oakeley (39) even dressed as an ambulance to complete an eight-month fundraising odyssey for St John– during which he ran four half-marathons to raise more than £3,500. Jonathan’s life-changing incident occurred four years ago when his heart stopped beating near the finish line of the Reading Half Marathon. Thanks to the quick actions of our first aiders, he made a full recovery and since has gone on to become a father – twice. Once he recovered, Jonathan resolved to show his appreciation by supporting St John.

In line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation we publish our privacy notice outlining how we manage people’s data. Where we use direct marketing or process donations, we ensure we are GDPR compliant and valid consent is sought that is specific, clear and easy to withdraw by our fundraising supporters.

We took the opportunity to complete a review to ensure our continuing compliance.

We engage members of the public both face-to-face and over the telephone by discussing ways in which they can support us, appropriately and proportionately. In order to do this we use professional fundraising agencies who work on our behalf to adhere to our fundraising standards and this is enshrined in our contracts with them. Following recent media interest in this aspect of fundraising in the sector in general, we have reviewed our approach to assure ourselves that we are maintaining the standards we expect.

Our policies for protecting people in vulnerable circumstances, safeguarding individuals and our fundraising promise can be found at sja.org.uk/what-we-do/ our-policies.

Fundraising complaints resolution

We are always sorry to receive complaints relating to our fundraising, but we understand that some of our activity may invite expressions of dissatisfaction. In 2023 we received 54 such complaints about our fundraising activity (46 in 2022). This was an increase on the previous year, but proportional to our fundraising activity, and reflective of a change in the way we now categorise complaints to include all concerns and negative feedback. We log all complaints, respond promptly and where appropriate carry out an investigation to fully comply with the Fundraising Code.

Protecting people

We work hard to ensure that we treat the public sensitively and respectfully at all times, through our fundraising activity, taking special care to protect people who may find themselves in vulnerable circumstances. We have an organisational safeguarding policy as well as specific training for key fundraisers to ensure that we can spot the signs of potential vulnerability in anyone they speak to on our behalf, as well as the steps we expect them to take on the rare occasions when they do have concerns.

I really wanted to be able to give back to this charity that has given so much to me. Retracing my steps and running the same race as before was an unforgettable experience – and something I’m utterly grateful to have been able to do. I want to give my sincerest thanks to the volunteers who were there for me that day. My story and recovery is a great example of how valuable first aid skills are. I’d really encourage everyone to do it, if not for your sake, then for that of your loved ones. And if you’ve not done it for a while, then refresh yourself and book a first aid course.

Jonathan Oakeley, Marathon Fundraiser

Community fundraising

St John Priory Groups play a pivotal role in fundraising for the activities of the charity in this country and also the wider foundations of the Order of St John around the world, principally the St John Eye Hospital Group in the Holy Land. As one example, the Norfolk St John Priory Group invited members of the public and St John supporters to participate in the 2023 Open Gardens scheme, charging a small entry fee for adults at each location to support the charity. In recent years, the popularity of the scheme has raised sufficient funds to enable the purchase of an electric vehicle for use by our volunteers. The next project is to raise funds for two defibrillators which can be used for training.

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How we manage our environmental impact

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)

The report below represents our disclosures on energy and carbon under the UK Government’s SECR policy. The SECR disclosures are mandatory under the Companies Act 2006. As the Priory is not a limited company, the disclosures are provided on a voluntary basis in the Priory annual report.

St John continues to monitor and manage our environmental impact. We recognise the importance of climate change to our people, communities and partners. Our Environmental and Sustainability Steering Group monitor the effectiveness of initiatives and continuously seek new opportunities to improve our environmental impact. To ensure all parts of St John’s activities are considered, the group consists of representatives from across the charity reflecting the wide range of St John’s activities – with employees and volunteers across senior leaders, operational management and those on the frontline, all represented.

We monitor the charity’s progress against the Government’s SECR framework. SECR is a mandatory reporting framework that was implemented in April 2019 with an objective to incentivise energy efficiency with the aim of reducing carbon emissions.

The following figures present all measured emissions over which the charity has financial control, as required under The Companies (Directors’ report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018. Electricity, gas and transport consumption has been monitored across the charity and the resultant carbon produced has been calculated and is shown in the tables below.

St John reports on energy consumption, carbon emissions and an intensity metric that quantifies energy consumption in a way that is relevant to the charity.

The tables below represent St John Ambulance’s energy use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the year ended 31 December 2023. The data represents all our operations.

Emissions are classified under three different scopes by the GHG protocol

Emissions are classifed under three
diferent scopes by the GHG protocol
Scope 1 (direct)
Combustion of fuel at SJA properties
Scope 2 (indirect)
Purchased energy
Scope 3 (indirect)
Other sources such as travel
Total		 Emissions are classifed under three
diferent scopes by the GHG protocol
Scope 1 (direct)
Combustion of fuel at SJA properties
Scope 2 (indirect)
Purchased energy
Scope 3 (indirect)
Other sources such as travel
Total		 Emissions are classifed under three
diferent scopes by the GHG protocol
Scope 1 (direct)
Combustion of fuel at SJA properties
Scope 2 (indirect)
Purchased energy
Scope 3 (indirect)
Other sources such as travel
Total		 Emissions are classifed under three
diferent scopes by the GHG protocol
Scope 1 (direct)
Combustion of fuel at SJA properties
Scope 2 (indirect)
Purchased energy
Scope 3 (indirect)
Other sources such as travel
Total		 2023 2023 2022
2,614
tCO2e*
831
tCO2e
1,238
tCO2e
4,683
tCO2e		 2022
2,614
tCO2e*
831
tCO2e
1,238
tCO2e
4,683
tCO2e
2,526
tCO2e*		 2,614
tCO2e*
828
tCO2e		 831
tCO2e
as travel
1,472
tCO2e		 1,238
tCO2e
4,827
tCO2e
2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2023
Energy usage total consumed
Electricity
Natural gas
LPG
Transport – vehicles
Transport – travel
Total
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e		 2022
4,295,223
kWh
831
tCO2e
7,421,333
kWh
1,501
tCO2e
195
kWh
-
tCO2e
9,313,282
kWh
2,137
tCO2e
931,739
kWh
214
tCO2e
21,961,772
kWh
4,683
tCO2e		 2022
4,295,223
kWh
831
tCO2e
7,421,333
kWh
1,501
tCO2e
195
kWh
-
tCO2e
9,313,282
kWh
2,137
tCO2e
931,739
kWh
214
tCO2e
21,961,772
kWh
4,683
tCO2e
4,001,786
kWh
829
tCO2e		 4,295,223
kWh
831
tCO2e
6,617,109
kWh
1,341
tCO2e		 7,421,333
kWh
1,501
tCO2e
160
kWh
-
tCO2e		 195
kWh
-
tCO2e
10,034,406
kWh
-
tCO2e		 9,313,282
kWh
2,137
tCO2e
461,193
kWh
-
tCO2e		 931,739
kWh
214
tCO2e
21,114,654
kWh
2,170
tCO2e
Conversion factor: 2023 2022
Electricity 0.2071
tCO2e		 0.21224
tCO2e
Natural gas 0.2027
tCO2e		 0.20297
tCO2e
Transport Varied depending on method
tCO2e		 0.24975
tCO2e
Intensity ratios 2023 2022
Electricity 2.99
tCO2e		 2.58
tCO2e

Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)

ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for organisations in the UK that meet the qualification criteria. The Environment Agency is the UK scheme administrator. St John qualifies to undertake the assessment by an independent auditor.

Organisations that qualify for ESOS must carry out ESOS assessments every 4 years. These assessments are audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and transport. This is being undertaken in 2024 and St John will use the assessment to identify cost-effective measures to save energy and achieve carbon and cost savings.

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How we manage our risk

Change in the last 12 months Key controls in place

Strategic risk summary Change in the last 12 months Key controls in place 4. Technology Unchanged – digital foundations Cyber security accreditation, Transformation including laid with initial move to Dynamics virtual Chief Information disaster recovery. If there is 365. Security Officer and business technology debt, control gaps continuity plans and testing in and poor resilience planning place. Medium-term roadmap for may lead to a cybercrime or systems changes. business continuity incident impacting service delivery, income and reputation.

of our risk appetite as an organisation while energy is focused on financial performance and organisational change. Careful thought has been given to ensuring close alignment between our overall strategy and risk management and the risk approach within transformation.

St John manages risk as an integral part of how the charity operates. Our organisation design and leadership structure has been conceived to support accountability for risk management sitting at the right level, with straightforward processes for escalation and de-escalation as part of prioritising our resources.

networks, teams and projects more frequently. This includes identifying any emerging risks and during the last 12 months these have included specific people risks related to our transformation programmes and increased vigilance over cyber security. Accountability for risk management itself sits within our People & Purpose network. Oversight of this process is provided by our Audit and Risk Committee, which meets quarterly.

Throughout this report we have set out the challenges that the organisation has faced both internally and externally through 2023, with many continuing to impact both our current operations and future planning. The principal risks we have highlighted are as follows:

All risks on the strategic register (our Board Assurance Framework) are owned by members of the Executive team, accountable to the Chief Executive.

In 2024, we will be refreshing our risk management approach to ensure we maintain sufficient vigilance on our inherent risks as a clinical and youth charity while our primary focus is naturally drawn to managing our overall financial risk. That includes careful consideration

accountable to the Chief Executive. management approach to ensure we future planning. The principal risks we 5. Culture and retention. Increased – to reflect the scale Proactive support and maintain sufficient vigilance on our have highlighted are as follows: If St John People do not feel of transformation the charity is development of internal f Risk assessments and risk registers are inherent risks as a clinical and youth engaged through change, undertaking over 12-18 months orums for employees and in place and regularly reviewed by our charity while our primary focus is naturally including leadership uncertainty, volunteers to enable involvement we may see increased turnover in change. Continued support leadership teams, at overall organisation drawn to managing our overall financial level on a monthly basis, as well as within risk. That includes careful consideration and impact on behaviours, for speaking up initiatives and wellbeing, and performance promotion of our values. We also create opportunities for regular feedback and Strategic risk summary Change in the last 12 months Key controls in place Key mitigations and actions engagement such as monthly and next 12 month trajectory live online calls led by senior leaders, and 1. Financial sustainability. Increased – in response Increased frequency of Board A significant transformation engagement surveys. St John’s cost base has to challenging external and Executive leadership programme including become greater than its income. environment, scale of 2023 oversight organisational redesign and Sustainability is at risk if this loss, level of current reserves disposal of assets (fleet and cannot be addressed before and pace of restructuring Improvements in risk-based property) has been agreed 6. Reputational damage. Increased – to reflect the Robust reputation management reserves are extinguished. fixed costs (see Sustainability forecasting and budgeting have with clear financial targets If stakeholder interest in scale of change and breadth of processes in place to identify section). been made to help mitigate towards a break-even position. St John’s transformation is stakeholder interests to manage and handle risks appropriately. further external shocks. Improvements in risk-based not adequately managed it Routine horizon scanning and forecasting and budgeting have increases the risk of mixed or proactive communications with Performance monitoring through been made to help mitigate negative messages that impact key stakeholders. new Financial KPI Dashboard further external shocks. business relationships and and tighter control through Goal – reduce public support delegated authority refresh. 2. Safeguarding. Increased – reporting of Mandatory safeguarding training Incomplete mandatory training Failure to comply with robust compliance on mandatory with DBS checks for relevant compliance reporting has 7. Fundraising growth. Increased – to reflect the Fundraising strategy and policies, recruitment, onboarding training amongst youth leaders roles and routine assurance prompted an external review Delivery of the fundraising current wider fundraising market investment plan in place, and training requirements was incomplete, identifying an visits for local volunteering and of safeguarding practice and strategy may be at risk if our and initial challenges with with routine monitoring of creates a risk of serious harm improvement need. Reporting youth units. Cause for concern governance. Risk has been held systems are not updated and adapting to performance across different to young people or vulnerable on compliance now above tracking and reporting and MDT elevated pending completion of that resourced, resulting in missed channels. adults in St John’s care. agreed 90% . case management. work and any recommendations opportunities to grow/declining to ensure appropriate operational voluntary income and higher Monitoring of compliance There is Trustee oversight vigilance in the meantime. supporter attrition against Code of Fundraising through the People Committee. Goal – reduce back to target. Practice and Fundraising Committee oversight. 3. Regulatory. Unchanged - briefly raised - briefly raised Routine internal assessment We will continue to work St John’s Good CQC rating may whilst concern was raised but against CQC key lines of enquiry closely with the CQC to enable 8. Clinical. Decreased – successful roll out Clinical Strategy, Governance be at risk if the organisation lowered again as a result of and review of Regulated Activity continuous improvement as the The Clinical Governance of ePRF central to monitoring & Assurance Framework is unable to comply with and revised assurance dashboard with actions plans as organisation goes through wider Framework is not embedded clinical care standards and well-established with routine provide assurances against visit approach. appropriate. Regular dialogue change and complete internal to standardise and continually effectiveness reporting to Executive and the regulator’s new quality with CQC relationship manager “well-led” checks to provide improve the delivery of Clinical Committee. Clinical statements. on any emerging issues and ongoing assurance. quality clinical care, resulting in audit, investigation and reporting mitigations/response. Goal – maintain and monitor. harm to patients and people of any incidents, with learning

  1. Regulatory. Unchanged - briefly raised - briefly raised Routine internal assessment St John’s Good CQC rating may whilst concern was raised but against CQC key lines of enquiry be at risk if the organisation lowered again as a result of and review of Regulated Activity is unable to comply with and revised assurance dashboard with actions plans as provide assurances against visit approach. appropriate. Regular dialogue the regulator’s new quality with CQC relationship manager statements. on any emerging issues and mitigations/response.

Clinical Strategy, Governance & Assurance Framework well-established with routine reporting to Executive and Clinical Committee. Clinical audit, investigation and reporting of any incidents, with learning loop embedded.

Oversight by an Evidence & Improvement Panel helps monitor improvement opportunities and identify learnings.

Key mitigations and actions and next 12 month trajectory

Planned replacement of our Training Booking System, core to our main enterprise activity, will reduce a key aspect of operational risk. We will also build on the benefits of our new Dynamics 365 backbone. Goal – reduce.

A dedicated communications and change workstream is part of our overall transformation programme, with a focus on maintaining good engagement and involvement, including with leaders and managers. Goal – reduce as transformation progresses

We intend to be proactive and transparent in our communications with stakeholders, including regulators and the press, continuing the approach taken with the launch of transformation in September 2023. Goal – manage and reduce

Development of face-to-face fundraising offer and refinement of our strategic case for support. Continued transition planning for use of new systems and increased trustee and executive sponsorship of fundraising as a collective endeavour. Goal – reduce

Risk now at an acceptable level given the nature of our clinical operations means handling an undifferentiated mix of health conditions. It is retained on the strategic register to help ensure our continued vigilance as a clinical organisation. Goal – accept and monitor

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Strategic risk summary Change in the last 12 months Key controls in place Key mitigations and actions and next 12 month trajectory 9. Operational volunteer Decreased but still Routine monitoring of volunteer Roll out of new clinical capacity. elevated – through impact activity levels and recruitment operational roles (Emergency Insufficient volunteers may of Engage to Activate pipeline through dashboards. Responder and Community lead to a reduction/challenges Turnover levels now captured in First Aider) and maintain in delivering contracted, overall organisation dashboard. focus on activation rather than community and event activity, Resourcing prioritised for recruitment, except in targeted resulting in a poor volunteer improving volunteer experience. areas to optimise available experience and increased costs capacity and experience. and/or loss of income Goal – reduce 10. Data maturity and records Unchanged – continued Processes in place for handling Complete people record management. cleansing and digitising of historic records and clear cleanse and digitisation and Historic data management people records, with files related data retention schedule. increase leadership in overall challenges, including use of to regulated activity prioritised Consolidation and digitisation data management through a paper records, may create of historic records. new Head of Data role. New regulatory breaches without Data strategy and plan in effective approaches Oversight under Data Risk development. Review Group and Data Goal – reduce on completion of Governance Group. people record project

How we manage our organisation

Our governance framework helps ensure the charity is compliant with laws, regulations, relevant codes of practice, defines a clear set of policies and procedures and determines where decision making takes place.

The legal structure of the charity is as follows:

The Priory

St John Ambulance

Support St John

Royal Patrons

HM The King Sovereign Head of the Order of St John and Patron of St John Ambulance in England and the Islands HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO GCStJ Grand Prior of the Order HRH The Princess Royal KG GVCO GCStJ Commandant in Chief (Youth), St John Ambulance HRH Duchess of Edinburgh KG GVCO GCStJ Grand President of St John Ambulance in England and the Islands

Organisation structure

The Priory, St John Ambulance and Support St John Limited, are together referred to as ‘St John’ (also referred to as “the group”).

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management through their specific areas of expertise, to help advise the Board so that it may make the most well-informed decisions. Committees make recommendations to the Board which is why there is a balance of subject matter skills and stakeholders represented. The Committees’ responsibilities expand across St John’s activities and are constituted as committees of both Priory Council and St John Ambulance Board.

Within the legal structure, the Trustees have established the following governance structure above the Chief Executive and their Executive team. The governing bodies of the Priory are the Priory Council of trustees (‘Priory Council’) and the Priory Chapter. The Priory Council has delegated to the Board of St John Ambulance the responsibility for setting that charity’s strategy and policies. Committees are in place to support the Board to oversee strategic risk

----- Start of picture text -----
Priory Council Chapter
St John Ambulance Board
Audit and Risk Clinical Commerical Finance
Committee Committee Committee Committee
Nominations
Committee []
Fundraising People Remuneration Transformation
Committee Committee Committee Committee
Executive
----- End of picture text -----*

*The Nominations Committee only reports to Priory Council and makes recommendations to Chapter with respect of its standing recommendations. However, St John Ambulance Board may request for the Nominations Committee’s involvement on specific appointments.

Priory Council

The Priory Council is responsible for the governance and management of the Priory save for the matters that are within the authority of the Priory Chapter. The Priory Council also recommends the appointment of the statutory auditor to the Priory Chapter.

The Priory Council consists of seven trustees made up of four ex officio and three appointed trustees. The four ex officio members are the Prior, the Dean, the Chancellor and the Chief Commissioner who are appointed by the Grand Prior of the Order on the recommendation of the Priory Chapter. The other trustees are appointed by the Priory Chapter following the recommendation of the Nominations Committee.

The functions and powers of the Priory Council are set out in the Priory Rules. Each trustee is appointed for an initial three-year period which, depending upon the nature of their appointment, may be renewed, normally for one further three-year period.

St John Ambulance Board

The St John Ambulance Board of trustee directors is the governing body of St John Ambulance. The Board consists of 11 trustee directors. Four members of Priory Council (the Prior, who chairs the Board, the Dean, the Chancellor and the Chief Commissioner) are automatically trustee directors of St John Ambulance as ex officio members. The Priory Council appoints the remaining St John Ambulance trustee directors on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee. The functions and powers of the Board are set out in the St John Ambulance Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Priory Council and the St John Ambulance

Board are the governing bodies for two separate legal entities and records of meetings are minuted accordingly. With most operational risks managed by St John Ambulance, Priory Council and St John Ambulance Board often hold joint meetings to ensure all of the subject matter expertise are represented across discussions.

Priory Chapter

The Priory Chapter is the second of the two governing bodies of the Priory. The Priory Chapter consists of up to 48 members made up of nine ex officio, four selected and 35 appointed members. The nine ex officio members include the Prior, the Dean, the Chancellor and the Chief Commissioner who are appointed by the Grand Prior of the Order on the recommendation of the Priory Chapter.

The Priory Chapter provides advice and constructive challenge to the Priory Council. It also recommends the appointment of the four ex officio members of the Priory Council to the Grand Prior of the Order. In addition, the Priory Chapter appoints the other members of the Priory Council. The Priory Chapter also appoints the statutory auditor of the Priory, following the recommendation of the Priory Council. The functions and powers of the Priory Chapter are set out in the Priory Rules.

How Trustees Manage

St John Ambulance Board is responsible for all of the charitable company’s charitable objectives, being clear how operations operate within UK law. The Board appoints a Chief Executive, currently an interim appointment who in turn has appointed an Executive team. Authority to conduct the daily operations of the Priory and St John Ambulance is delegated by the Priory Council and the St John Ambulance Board to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is assisted in the implementation of strategy and policies by their team of Executives to whom certain functions are further delegated. A new permanent Chief Executive, to start in September 2024, has been appointed.

Committees are in place to oversee the full range of our activity. Each committee is a joint committee of the Priory Council and the St John Ambulance Board and is chaired by the Priory trustee or St John Ambulance trustee director who has accountability for that area supported by the relevant functional Executive member with ultimate responsibility for delivery. Committees have also introduced independent members, who are neither an employee nor a trustee of St John and are selected on the basis of relevant skillsets and expertise.

Trustee directors established a new

Transformation Committee in December 2022 to assist St John Ambulance Board maintain a close oversight and deep dive into the establishment and monitoring of the transformation programme to achieve a long term sustainable operating model. The Committee is a time-limited Committee of the Board, chaired by the Chancellor, to support monitoring of progress and more proactive trustee support for operational decision-making during a period of significant ongoing change for the charity. The terms of reference set out the delegated authority to the Committee to ensure there is clarity of its responsibilities relative to both the Board and the Executive.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP have been appointed as the statutory independent external auditors. PricewaterhouseCoopers has indicated its willingness to be reappointed as St John’s auditors.

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Board of Trustees (Priory Council) Priory Council is legally responsible for the governance and management of the charity. They are listed below, including a breakdown of their membership of Board Committees.

Trustee

----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Governance Code
The Charity Governance Code for larger
charities is not a legal or regulatory
requirement. It sets out recommended
practice for good governance. In 2018 the
trustee directors voluntarily approved the
adoption of the code for larger charities.
St John meets the principles of
the code in the following ways:
Principle 1
Organisational
Regular strategic reviews and
purpose: periodic governance assessments.
Principle 2
Leadership: Effective Board procedures and
scrutiny of the work and role of the
Executive Committee.
Principle 3 Principle 5
Integrity: Adherence to the Trustee Code of Board effectiveness: Regular planned Board meetings,
Conduct (including requirements in biennial trustee reviews,
relation to any conflicts of interest assessments of required trustee
that might arise). competencies and an open and
transparent recruitment process
via the Nominations Committee.
This is supported by effective
inductions and periodic individual
Principle 4 reviews. The introduction of
Decision-making, Clear delegation of operational periodic group reviews will
risk and control: matters to the Executive enhance this further.
Committee, and by appropriate
delegation to a small number of
committees, in particular, the Audit
and Risk Committee. The trustees Principle 6
ensure that there is effective Equality, Diversity There is an open trustee
monitoring and approval of the and Inclusion: recruitment process, and regular
charity’s top-level risk register, and discussion as to how trustees
regular assurance and audit checks might be recruited from a wider
(by internal audit as well as part of pool of individuals. Further work is
the work performed in our statutory ongoing in relation to EDI across
audit carried out by PwC). the charity as a whole, with an EDI
steering group and a Head of Equity,
----- End of picture text -----

There is an open trustee recruitment process, and regular discussion as to how trustees might be recruited from a wider pool of individuals. Further work is ongoing in relation to EDI across the charity as a whole, with an EDI steering group and a Head of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion appointed in a full-time employee role.

Principle 7 Openness and accountability:

Regular communication with the charity’s stakeholders (especially through Priory Chapter which includes local representation). A Register of Trustee Interests is maintained, and a comprehensive range of policies, procedures and guidelines are provided to aid volunteer and staff engagement.

Senior Principal Priory Officers

Appointed members

SJA Board members

Company Secretary Tommy Hyun MStJ

The trustee directors are supported by independent members on each committee, to ensure there is subject matter expertise and external objective perspective in discussions.

Board / Committee Membership

Stuart ShilsonLVO GCStJ DL, 1, 2, 8, 10, 11
The Prior and Chair
Ann CableMBE GCStJ DL, 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11
Chief Commissioner
Mick MessingerCBE LVO KStJ QPM DL, Chancellor
(Resigned 24 June 2023)
The Reverend Canon DrPaul WilliamsCStJ, Dean		 1, 2, 8, 10
1, 2, 8, 10
(Resigned as Acting Dean 3 April 2024, appointed as
Dean 4 April 2024)
Simon WilliamsCB CVO OStJ Chancellor 1, 2, 8, 10, 11
(Appointed 24 June 2023)
Tanya CofTreasurer 1, 6, 11
DrRosalind SmithCStJ 1, 3
Ashley SweetlandMBE CStJ 1, 7
Margaret Coleman OStJ 2, 7, 9
DrAnnette Doherty OBE 2, 5, 6, 11
(Appointed 10 January 2023)
Julie Gooderham 2, 3, 6
(Appointed 24 June 2023)
Robert Harayda
(Resigned 24 June 2023)		 2, 3, 6
DrPeter Holden
(Appointed 19 January 2024)		 2, 4
Mariam Ibrahim 2, 7
Harpreet Kondel 2, 7
Professor SirKeith PorterCStJ 2, 4
Ingrid Waterfeld 2, 3, 9, 10

With the importance of joint Board meetings in the year, the full membership of both Priory Council and SJA Board are presented.

Key Board/Committee Chair
1 Priory Council Stuart Shilson
2 St John Ambulance Board Stuart Shilson
3 Audit and Risk Committee Robert Harayda (until 24 June 2023); Julie Gooderham (from 24 June 2023)
4 Clinical Committee Sir Keith Porter (until 24 June 2023); Peter Holden (from 19 January 2024)
5 Commercial Committee Annette Doherty
6 Finance Committee Tanya Cof (Treasurer, Priory Council Trustee)
7 Fundraising Committee Harpreet Kondel
8 Nominations Committee Mick Messinger (until 24 June 2023); Simon Williams (from 24 June 2023)
9 People Committee Ingrid Waterfeld
10 Remuneration Committee Ingrid Waterfeld
11 Transformation Commitee* Simon Williams

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Executive

Chief Executive Officer (resigned on 31 January 2024) Interim Chief Executive (appointed on 1 February 2024) Chief Operating Officer (resigned on 7 May 2024)

Martin Houghton-Brown

Ben Freeman

Richard Lee

Chief of Staff (resigned on 24 May 2024)

James Radford

Chief Experience Officer

Vicki Sellick

Chief Resources Officer (resigned on 30 November 2023)

Yvonne Smithers

Chief Information Officer

Joanne Todd

Chief Business Officer

George Woods

Ben Freeman was appointed as a consultant on 25th September 2023 to provide advice on the responsibilities of the Chief Finance and Transformation Officer until his appointment as Interim Chief Executive Officer on 1 February 2024.

The Chief Executive’s salary is the highest gross salary paid (excluding termination payments), and the ratio between this and the median nationwide full-time salary of £28,137 in 2023 was 5.9 to 1 (2022: £24,781, 6.7 to 1).

increased to ensure that this matched the rise in the value of the Real Living Wage.

Executive remuneration

Our Chief Executive’s base annual salary as at 31 December 2023 was unchanged at £165,000 (2022: £165,000). Like many employees, he participates in an HMRC approved salary sacrifice scheme whereby a proportion of salary is sacrificed by the employee and the same proportion is paid into the pension schemes provided by TPT Retirement Solutions. The base annual salary of the Chief Executive at 31 December 2023, after taking the salary sacrifice into account, was £148,500 (2022: £148,500).

The table below shows the salary and benefits paid in 2023 to the members of the Executive Committee. The figures below include any additional payments made, such as termination payments and the sale of holiday entitlement, as well as any other benefits received. The other member of the Executive Committee, Ann Cable, our Chief Commissioner who leads all of our volunteers, is a trustee and receives no remuneration other than expenses.

The ratio of the highest gross salary paid to the lowest full-time salary on our nationwide pay scale of £19,838 is 8.3 to 1 (2022: £17,290; 9.5 to 1). A pay increase of 7.5% for employees earning below 50,270 and of 5% for employees earning over £50,270 was implemented from 1 March 2023 as a response to the increase in the cost of living. In addition, the hourly rate payable to our lowest paid employees

Role Responsibilities Gross Pay Termination Pension salary Gross pay (after Employer Other Total for Total for
Payments sacrifce salary sacrifce) pension benefts 2023 2022
Chief Leads the organisation, which has income 165 (16) 149 33 1 183 185
Executive of over £107m and over 1,700 staf
Chief Leads the Education and Enterprise areas of the 142 (7) 135 14 149 142
Business charity, which includes Young People, Commercial
Ofcer and Volunteer training, Supplies, New Business
Development and Customer Services
Chief Leads the network that is responsible for our £17m 128 (13) 115 23 138 94
Experience fundraising income, external communications, as
Ofcer well as the overall experience of all St John people
including our 20,000+ volunteers and 1,700+ staf
Chief Leads the network that has responsibility 125 (10) 115 20 1 136 33
Information for our data, digital technology and systems,
Ofcer as well as organisational change
Chief All operational activity including ambulance, 138 (5) 133 11 144 143
Operating events and community response. He is responsible
Ofcer for our CQC compliance and rating as well as
Health and Safety and clinical standards and
is also our Deputy CEO
Chief Resources Leads the network that has responsibility for 156 56 (8) 204 25 1 230 137
Ofcer (resigned our fnancial controls, fnancial reporting,
30 November 2023) governance, payroll and procurement
Chief of Staf Leads the teams responsible for our organisational 104 (5) 99 16 115 110
strategy, corporate reputation, business
management and internal communications

Section 172 statement

Section 172 disclosures are mandatory d) the impact of the charity’s under the Companies Act 2006. As the operations on the community Priory is not a limited company, these and the environment. are provided on a voluntary basis in the Priory’s annual report. This recognises e) the desirability of the charity Priory Council’s responsibility to hold the maintaining a reputation for high St John Ambulance Board of trustees to standards of business conduct. account under these requirements.

Purpose of the section 172 statement The Board of Trustees are aware of their duty under section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to act in the way which they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the charity for the benefit of its stakeholders as a whole and to ensure in doing so that the broader implications of decisions are considered. Duties for directors are specified in section 172. Directors must have regard to:

This statement provides information as to how the interests of stakeholders have been considered in the Board’s decision-making, with reference to each duty. Stakeholder interests include the interests of St John people, including our young people, the public and the communities that we serve, our relationship with our donors, as well as those with our customers and our suppliers. As set out in the statement of public benefit on page 5, the trustees have regard to the Charity Commission’s requirements and the positive impact we have on beneficiaries, volunteers and communities when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives, and in planning future activities.

Figures given in £000

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Modern Slavery

How the Trustee Directors meet these duties

Robust governance

As set out above, ensuring there is good governance in place is an important part of acting in the charity’s best interests. St John Ambulance has a highly experienced group of Trustee Directors and chooses to have joint Board meetings with Priory Council to ensure the subject matter expertise is present for all discussions to allow informed decisions.

How each individual duty is considered

The likely consequences of any decision in the long term

In 2023, Trustees were developing a new long term strategy for St John. This led to identifying the need for transformative change to ensure the long term sustainability of the charity. To help with the evaluation of going concern, the Finance Committee held extraordinary meetings to understand the position. Scenario based analysis was used to track St John’s cash flow position which helped inform Trustees to determine what options were available.

Trustees have prioritised a transformation plan which is by its nature focused on the long term. As set out through this report, St John’s commitment to the long term is not only across financial sustainability but on all aspects of sustainability, including the environmental impact of our operations and commitment to our people.

The interests of employees and the need to act fairly between members of the charity

2023 has been a challenging time for St John’s employees as we began a transformation programme, which included a significant headcount reduction. Throughout, the role of the National Employee Forum has never been more important to hold Executives to account, so that the Executive in turn, could provide trustee directors with assurance that the interests of employees were not only considered, but meaningful consultation was taking place.

Oversight is provided by the People Committee. In addition, the Remuneration Committee is an independent body that determines the level of executive pay.

Engagement with stakeholders

In 2023 we continued to engage with our breadth of stakeholders on an ongoing basis, having regular dialogue with regulators like the Care Quality Commission on our performance, any emerging issues or incidents and our response. We engage with stakeholders in the health sector both as commissioners of our services, on a more formal basis, but also to consult on possible new services, such as work on falls, hosting in late 2023 a roundtable for NHS England,

The impact of operations on the community and the environment Our assessment of our energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, together with the steps that we are taking to reduce the environmental impact of our fleet and property portfolio is described above.

The need to foster business relationships

with suppliers, customers and others

The narrative regarding our other primary stakeholders and the manner in which we engage with each is provided below.

» Donors St John Ambulance is a member of the Fundraising Regulator. Details of our approach to fundraising are outlined on pages 39 to 41 and oversight is provided by the Fundraising Committee.

Oversight of our clinical standards and of the risks that St John faces, including safeguarding, is provided by the Clinical Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.

A strong relationship has, and continues to be, built with the NHS. This relationship is managed by senior management with expertise in the provision of patient care and patient transport services. Our continued support for the NHS, including our support for the covid vaccination programme and our appointment as the ambulance auxiliary amongst other activities, has made this relationship closer.

NHS trusts, industry leaders and charity partners. We regularly talk with our key customers about our training and supplies services.

The desirability of maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct

All of the measures mentioned above are designed to help ensure that high standards of business conduct are maintained. These are underpinned by our HEART values, as well as our policies and procedures (notably our anti-bullying, harassment and victimisation policy, conduct and performance policy, equality, diversity and inclusion policy, safeguarding policy and whistleblowing policy), which promote ethical behaviour and corporate responsibility.

Policies are reviewed and updated on a regular basis, with compliance subject to reviews by our internal audit function. Our counter fraud framework recognises the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest.

In addition, there is a commitment to minimum standards as set out by a framework of mandatory training, which include a core set of training for all, as well as role specific training.

St John makes an annual statement on modern slavery in compliance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which sets out the steps the charity has taken to ensure modern slavery, human trafficking or similar human rights violations are not occurring in the course of its operations or across any of its supply chains.

Modern slavery can often be hidden in plain sight, which is why St John takes proactive steps to manage any risks of there being inadvertent modern slavery in our operations and supply chains.

These are the six parts of what we do to address modern slavery:

In summary, St John has organisational policies to uphold our values, where it is clear that any form of modern slavery is not compatible with our values. There are two key policies regarding procurement: procurement policy and contracts policy to ensure suitable due diligence is undertaken on all third-party engagement

so that St John’s high ethical standards are upheld. To support the clear policy lines, there is a speak-up culture for all St John people. This means there is a commitment to empower people to speak up without the fear of repercussion and with the confidence they will be listened to. Evaluating risks, including across the charity’s supply chain partners, monitoring changes is an important part of St John’s proactive actions and including awareness of modern slavery across our mandatory safeguarding training ensures all St John people are aware of the risks.

Our statement is available on St John Ambulance’s website: sja.org.uk/modern-slavery-statement

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Financial review

Annually, the trustees review the key accounting policies to ensure that they continue to be in accordance with the requirements of the Charities SORP (FRS 102) and with best accounting practice. The accounting policies applied by St John are detailed within note 1.

In preparing this report, the trustees have complied with the Charities Act 2011 and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities, which incorporates the requirements of the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (‘FRS 102’) (‘the Charities SORP (‘FRS 102’)’).

No significant changes have been made to the accounting policies compared to those used in the year ended 31 December 2022.

Basis of accounting

The financial statements, prepared under the Charities SORP (FRS 102), are attached to this report.

Overall summary

The values included in the Priory annual report are consolidated group results.

While the Priory operates with the intention to balance income and expenditure, with an objective in the longer term to increase free reserves from their current levels, this has not been possible during 2023. A decline in income from our first aid training activity had been expected following changes in the pattern of training course attendance after the Covid lockdown that had led to strong growth in 2022, however this was greater than anticipated. At the same time, inflationary increases in several of our core costs, such as salary costs, property utility charges and fuel for our vehicles were at higher levels than had been budgeted for. These price increases, together with the impact of an increased cost base built in anticipation of our budgeted income, made it difficult to react quickly to reduce costs in line with the drop in income experienced.

The overall net expenditure for the year is £16.6m compared to a £3.7m net expenditure in 2022, with the result affected by losses on the investment portfolio of £0.4m (2022: loss of £3.4m).

Potential financial underperformance was identified during spring 2023 and mitigating actions started to be taken from early summer onwards. These included a reduction in expenditure, including both day to day spend and the deferral of planned capital expenditure on system, fleet and property improvements. An initial restructuring programme to reduce our cost base, leading to redundancies in late 2023 with more employees also leaving us in early 2024 has also taken place, with a Transformation programme for longer term change underway in the first half of 2024.

Net result The overall net deficit for the year was £16.6m, compared to a £3.7m net deficit in 2022.

The net annual ’operating’ deficit in 2023 was £17.7m (2022: deficit of £4.6m), summarised in the following table.

Funds

As at 31 December 2023, our total funds were £99.5m (2022: £116.1m). Within this amount, our unrestricted funds were £91.2m (2022: £108.0m).

Expenditure

Income

The Statement of Financial Activities Expenditure on charitable activities (‘SOFA’) on page 65 reflects the financial totalled £114.0m, a 3% increase challenges described in the Sustainability compared to 2022 (£110.4m). Costs rose section above (page 37) and a summary due to inflationary price increases as of our income is shown in the table on well as a result of improvements in our page 38. Revenue from first aid training infrastructure to enable enhancements reduced by 13% to £45.3m (2022: £52m) in our service provision. The cost of as demand from people revalidating first living crisis and high level of inflation in aid qualifications dropped. This was in the economy in general also led to pay part due to demand as a response to the increases for our employees of between wider economy and in part due to strong 5% and 7.5% in March 2023. demand in 2022 from people who missed their revalidation during lockdown and The expenditure figures for individual then attended courses in that year. In charitable activities are shown after addition, growth in mental health first aid allocating our central and indirect costs training courses did not expand as much across our charitable activities to reflect as anticipated. the level of use of our central functions

The expenditure figures for individual charitable activities are shown after allocating our central and indirect costs across our charitable activities to reflect the level of use of our central functions by each activity. Such costs have increased during the year.

The level of support for the vaccination programme reduced to minimal levels as our support work ended in early 2023 with a 91% drop in income to £0.3m (2022: £3.5m). Sales of first aid supplies also dropped by 16% to £13.4m (2022: £15.9m).

While Covid support activity and subsequent expenditure reduced significantly following our withdrawal from this activity (a reduction of 92% to £0.3m (2022: £3.9m) in line with the income reduction in this area), expenditure in relation to first aid provision and youth development increased by 16% to £29.1m (2022: £25.0m) with increased activity levels, particularly involving our youth members.

In other areas, activity returned to more

normal levels, with first aid provision and youth development income increasing by 25% to £8.9m (2022: £7.1m), driven in part by our youth work such as NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes. Our Ambulance and transport services income from support to the NHS also rose, by 10% to £19.7m (2022: £17.9m).

Despite the reduction in the number of training course attendees affecting income, expenditure on first aid training activity increased by 5% to £38.9m (2022: £36.9m), reflecting the fixed nature of costs in this area as well as an increase in the level of indirect costs that have been allocated to this activity.

Voluntary income reduced by 14% to £14.8m (2022: £17.2m), reflecting a fall in the value of legacies after a strong 2022.

Our total income consequently reduced by 10% to £107.9m (2022: £120.1m).

The redundancy programme in late 2023 has incurred £1.9m (2022: £nil) of cost which is shown separately in the SOFA. While full-time equivalent employee numbers were only 1.4% higher on average over the year as a whole in 2023 than for 2022, staff numbers rose during the first half of the year before restructuring took place in late 2023.

2023 £m 2022 £m
Operating defcit (17.7) (4.6)
Redundancy costs (1.9) -
Gain/(loss) on investments 1.5 (1.3)
Loss on investment property (1.9) (2.1)
Gains on asset disposals 3.4 4.3
Net defcit (16.6) (3.7)

St John Ambulance’s operational free reserves, which are shown in further detail on page 60, are £2.0m (2022: £17.7m). This is significantly below the target range prescribed by the trustees, however actions are targeted in 2024 which are

expected to increase operational free reserves substantially. These include the sale of some of our property estate, together with further reductions in our cost base under the Transformation programme.

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

57

Charitable activities

First aid provision and youth development

St John Ambulance’s volunteers provide high quality, clinically-assured first aid when it is needed. We provide services free of charge or at a nominal fee to a large number of community events. We also provide first aid provision at larger sporting and cultural events. We also work with a large number of young people, our Badgers and Cadets, to provide first aid skills in an enjoyable and fun environment.

The income generated by first aid provision and youth development activity does not recover the expenditure incurred in ensuring that these services are provided.

Ambulance and transport services

St John Ambulance provides support to the NHS, including work for ambulance trusts and community services trusts to help relieve winter pressures and transport patients.

Community support programmes

Our community support programmes include the provision of services to people who are homeless or vulnerably housed in Sussex, as well as for older people in day care centres.

Training

The provision of first aid training includes first aid at work, health and safety and mental health first aid training.

First aid products

First aid products are procured and distributed by a division of the charity, known as St John Ambulance Supplies, which sells first aid products (such as protective equipment and public access defibrillators to companies and public sector agencies), as well as purchasing equipment and other materials for use by the charity itself. The surplus generated by our Supplies division is used to support our other charitable activities.

Covid support activity

Our Covid support activity, which is in addition to our existing work to support the NHS, ended in early 2023. This work supported the NHS by recruiting and deploying thousands of volunteers to assist with providing vaccinations to the public at sites across England. We also provided volunteers at hospitals and help with the transport and treatment of patients.

Income from grants,

donations and legacies

Total fundraising income declined by £2.4m to £14.8m in 2023, from £17.2m in 2022 and comprised 14% of the total income in 2023, in line with 2022. While donations and gifts fell slightly, by £0.5m to £10.8m (2022: £11.3m), the largest reduction related to income from legacies. Legacy income benefited from an increase in the value of legacies receivable in 2022 but reduced in comparison to a more ‘normal’ level in 2023 of £3.6m (2022: £5.1m).

Of the total income from donations, grants and legacies, £2.0m (2022: £3.8m) was restricted.

During the year we also coordinated contributions of £0.2m (2022: £0.2m) to the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group which provides expert eye care in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem and £0.6m (2022: £0.3m) to the Order of St John.

Cost of generating funds

Fundraising costs

Direct fundraising costs were £6.2m (2022: £5.8m). Overall fundraising costs were £7.8m, (2022: £7.1m) of which £1.6m are indirect allocated costs (2022: £1.3m), as shown in note 7.

Publicity and public relations costs Also included in the cost of generating funds is expenditure on publications to support and enhance our charitable work, as well as publicising what we do. Such costs reduced to £2.0m (2022: £2.5m), of which £0.7m comprised indirect allocated costs (2022: £0.5m).

Cash balances and cash flow

Our long-term objective is to generate additional income from our cash holdings, while maintaining enough funds to meet our operational requirements, by holding funds on longer term deposits which mature on a regular rolling basis. We did not meet this objective in 2023 as our trading position, together with significant capital investment in our systems, led to a reduction in cash balances during the year of £7.1m (2022: £7.5m).

When current asset investments (deposits with over three month maturities as at the year end which reduced to £nil (2022: £4.3m)) are taken into account, the total reduction in cash holdings in 2023 was £11.4m (2022: £10.2m).

Cash balances benefited from a £7.8m liquidation of investment holdings in 2023. This divestment was made to ensure that our operational cash balances were maintained at an appropriate level.

The total cash outflow in respect of purchased fixed asset additions was £9.5m (2022: £10.0m). Of this amount, £1.0m (2022: £3.6m) related to the purchase of ambulances, mobile

Investments

Cash balances over and above those necessary for operational purposes, including capital expenditure, are available for investment in quoted securities, which can easily be liquidated if required. The purpose of investment is to generate a return so that the value, in real terms, of these reserves is at least maintained.

Our investment balances reduced to £10.6m (2022: £15.7m) during the year following the divestment of £7.8m of funds in 2023.

The funds included in the portfolio were reviewed during the year and changes were made to remove our exposure to emerging markets by divesting the BlackRock Emerging Markets Equity Strategic Fund in its entirety.

The investment manager that is engaged to act as custodian of St John Ambulance’s investments is periodically reviewed. The last such review took place in 2019, with the incumbent fund manager, BlackRock, retained.

Quoted securities

The movement in the UK Consumer Prices Index (‘CPI’) is the basic comparator

As disclosed in Note 37 as a post balance sheet event, on 17 January 2024 the flats above the charity’s national headquarters at 27 St John’s Lane, which are included within the investment property disclosed in note 16, were sold to a third party buyer for £3.2m. The valuation at which the flats were held within the balance sheet as at 31 December 2023 was equivalent to the sale price achieved.

treatment centres and other vehicles to

further improve the quality of our fleet. We spent an additional £3.0m (2022: £2.1m) to improve our properties and £0.3m (2022: £0.7m) on equipment to support our operational teams and enhance our ability for first aid provision, as well as a further £5.2m (2022: £3.3m) as part of the programme to update our supporting technology and systems.

An additional £0.1m outflow (2022: £0.5m) is due to the capital element of finance lease payments, which relate to ambulances purchased on finance leases in previous years. No vehicles were purchased in this manner during either 2023 or 2022.

On 9 February 2024 investments valued at £8.5m were withdrawn from the charity’s investment portfolio with BlackRock and these funds were received as cash.

We disposed of 18 properties

(2022: 33 properties) as part of our estates strategy during the year, including properties where we surrendered the lease back to the landlord. We generated £4.8m (2022: £6.3m) of proceeds from the sale of tangible fixed assets in total, including £0.2m (2022: £0.2m) due to the disposal of older vehicles that were no longer suitable for our operations. The resulting gain on disposal was £3.4m (2022: £4.3m).

Investment property

against which long-term investment performance is judged, the objective being for a total return of CPI +4%. When assessing fund manager performance, a benchmark comparison to the MSCI index is also taken into account.

St John has one investment property, which is located adjacent to St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell, the historic home of the Order. This important property also houses the National Headquarters of St John Ambulance.

The relative amounts invested in UK and

For accounting purposes, the property comprises two parts:

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

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Funds and reserves policies

operational, financial and external risks. These plans are aimed at achieving financial stability over the medium and long term. St John Ambulance’s planning process, including financial projections, takes into consideration the underlying economic climate and its potential impact on sources of income and planned expenditure.

The trustees have adopted a policy for St John Ambulance reserves which is in line with the recommendations of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

The trustees review this policy annually. In carrying out their assessment, the trustees have regard to strategic plans and financial budgets, as well as major

£3.7m) expenditure on fixed assets net of disposals there has been a fall in the level of free reserves during the year. The long-term objective to increase the level of free reserves remains unchanged however this is expected to take a number of years to reach target levels.

Free reserves

A level of free reserves is required to ensure that the activities of St John can continue in the event of a major unforeseen reduction of income or increase in expenditure. These reserves provide a contingency which enable St John, if necessary, to make the required structural changes to bring income and expenditure into line. The reserves are supported by cash and quoted securities, which can be accessed readily when required.

Free reserves are expected to recover partially during 2024 following the restructure in late 2023 which has reduced our employee costs, particularly in indirect functions, the sale of the flats at 27 St John’s Lane in January 2024 for £3.2m and further cost saving measures included within the current Transformation programme, as well as further rationalisation of our property portfolio.

St John has two measures for free reserves which differ in the treatment of investment property:

Operational free reserves: Operational free reserves represent reserves which are easily accessible at short notice. These are made up of unrestricted funds after excluding the value of fixed assets, investment property and any other amounts that have been designated for a particular purpose. The value of the investment property is excluded because it is held as a long term asset as part of the headquarters building but the value of securities investments is included in operational free reserves because they can be sold at short notice if required.

In addition to the free reserves held, a revolving credit facility with Santander of £10m was put in place at the end of 2020 to provide additional headroom in operational cash. This facility has been extended and is in place until December 2025.

Level of free reserves

Operational free reserves, excluding investment property, are £2.0m (2022: £17.7m) and represent the level of free reserves available to support the ongoing activities of St John.

Overall free reserves: Charity Commission guidelines indicate that free reserves should include the value of the investment property. An overall free reserves figure, in accordance with these guidelines, is therefore also disclosed.

The overall level of free reserves, following Charity Commission guidelines and including investment property within the free reserves figure, is £11.7m (2022: £29.3m).

Long-term objective

After the covid pandemic impacted the finances of St John, there was a focus work to increase our free reserves and the range for free reserves was increased in 2021. Raising the level of free reserves remains the objective in the longer term, however this is balanced with a need to invest in our infrastructure to ensure that our properties, fleet and systems are at the desired standard.

The trustees have determined that, under normal circumstances, operational free reserves should be in the range £17m to £25m. Our unrestricted core costs in 2023 averaged at £10.0m per month (2022: £9.9m) and therefore this range of free reserves represents between 1.7 and 2.5 months of expenditure on our core unrestricted costs.

The corresponding range for the overall

free reserves figure, including the value of investment property, is £26m to £35m.

Due to the trading performance in 2023, along with the investment made in our infrastructure, with £4.7m (2022:

Our free reserves are currently significantly below the target ranges.

The agreed range of free reserves set out in our reserves policy follows an assessment of the risks that can impact our financial position, such as the cessation or reduction of certain income generating activities such as training and event cover. Funds also need to mitigate the risk of unforeseen additional expenditure and minimise the likelihood of short-term funding gaps arising.

In order to be effective, reserves need to cover salary and other invoiced costs, along with an element of contingency. The reserves policy will continue to be reviewed with a view to ensuring that the charity continues to be financially sustainable, without compromising the level of our operations. The current range is viewed as the minimum level of free reserves that the charity should hold in the long term, ideally with reserves above this level.

Unrestricted funds held by St John as at 31 December 2023 were £91.2m (2022: £108.0m). These are represented by:

Further detail is given in note 27.

The level of free reserves held at the end of 2023 are currently significantly below the target range.

Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as discussed in the report of the trustees on page 62.

As recommended by the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the trustees assess whether there are any uncertainties that may cast doubt on St John Ambulance’s ability to continue as a going concern. The going concern period is for at least 12 months from the date of the approval of the financial statements.

The coronavirus pandemic affected income and cashflow significantly in 2020, with a recovery in 2021. Revenue generating activities such as workplace first aid training in particular grew significantly in 2022 as people who had missed their three-year requalification course in 2020 and 2021 caught up with the revalidation of their qualification. First aid provision at events also returned to levels closer to those seen pre-pandemic. The biggest challenge at that time was resource constraints limiting some areas of work. As a result, expansion of capacity and improvements in service provision were a focus for 2023. While a reduction in training activity was foreseen and budgeted for, it became apparent during the year that the income (from training in particular) was substantially less than projected. As a result, the cost base in 2023 was at too high a level for the income generated and a substantial loss arose.

To rectify this position a Transformation programme was initiated in the second half of 2023, leading to a redundancy programme in late 2023 which has been ongoing into 2024, reducing employee numbers. This is expected to generate significant savings in 2024. In addition to expenditure reductions, pricing reviews for our services have been held with a view to increasing income levels and substantial property disposals are in progress.

As at 31 December 2023, cash balances of £2.7m (2022: £9.8m) and investments held were £10.6m (2022: £15.7m), giving total liquid assets of £13.3m. Subsequent to the year end, there has been a sale of

properties, including the flats above the Group’s national headquarters at 27 St John’s Lane which were sold to a third party buyer for £3.2m in January 2024. In February 2024, investments valued at £8.5m were withdrawn from the Group’s investment portfolio and received as cash.

A credit facility of up to £10m with Santander plc is in place, extended to December 2025. There is a financial covenant in place stating St John Ambulance must have a minimum combined cash and investments balance of £5m to access this facility. At both year end and the time of signing the financial statements, the facility has not been required to be drawn down and this is expected to remain the position over the next twelve months.

The Group has prepared a board approved budget which shows that St John Ambulance is projected to be able to continue to operate until at least the end of May 2025 without making any further divestments from investment holdings or the utilisation of our revolving credit facility. The forecast projects a substantial improvement in the operating deficit expected in 2024 and through to May 2025, despite not including all initiatives of the Transformation plan improvements. Cash is also expected to substantially improve as the estates rationalisation element of the Transformation plan generates significant income from property disposals. The rationalisation plan involves the disposal of a portfolio of properties, rather than an individual property, helping to mitigate the uncertainty in the timing and size of these receipts.

We have prepared multiple scenarios covering the period to at least the end of May 2025 which account for a range of performance results at the operating result level, as well as a range in levels of cash receipt from property sales and the timings with which they would be received. This has produced a range of outcomes which has allowed the trustees to understand the sensitivity of the Group’s cash flow to these factors while demonstrating multiple realistic outcomes.

Additionally, we have prepared severe but plausible downside scenarios which forecast an extended period of poor operational performance (training activity being 10% lower than budgeted) combined with a delay in and a reduction in the value realised from key property sales into 2025. Although the impact of this scenario is severe and reduces headroom significantly, the analysis indicates that through the use of our RCF the Group would still have available facilities to fulfil our financial commitments and continue operating until at least the end of May 2025.

The trustees have considered the forecast, sensitivities, and the Group’s current position. While risk continues to exist in the current financial environment, and the need to crystallise the ongoing savings from our Transformation plan so as to achieve a future operational surplus remains in order to replenish reserves, the overall levels of assets held by the Group remain strong.

Taking all the above into account, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue operating until at least the end of May 2025, allowing a minimum of 12 months from the date these financial statements are signed. Accordingly, the trustees believe that the going concern remains the appropriate basis on which to prepare the financial statements.

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

61

Trustees’ responsibilities statement

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed.

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the group and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the group for that period.

They are also responsible for

safeguarding the assets of the charity and the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the

Independent auditors' report

sheet as at 31 December 2023; the Consolidated Statement of financial activities and the Consolidated cash flow statement for the year then ended; and the notes to the financial statements, which include a description of the significant accounting policies.

Independent auditors’ report to the trustees of The Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under ISAs (UK) are further described in the Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Report on the audit of the financial statements

Opinion

In our opinion, The Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem group's financial statements (“the financial statements”):

Independence

We remained independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, which includes the FRC’s Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

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.

However, because not all future events or conditions can be predicted, this conclusion is not a guarantee as to the group’s and parent charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

We have audited the financial statements, included within the Annual Report & Accounts (the “Annual Report”), which comprise: the Consolidated balance

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

Reporting on other information

The other information comprises all of the information in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our auditors’ report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or any form of assurance thereon.

In connection with our audit of the

financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify an apparent material inconsistency or material misstatement, we are required to perform procedures to conclude whether there is a material misstatement of the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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 based on these responsibilities.

Based on our work undertaken in the course of the audit, the Charities Act 2011 requires us also to report certain opinions and matters as described below.

Trustees Report

Under the Charities Act 2011 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion the information given in the Trustees’ Annual Report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

This report was approved by the Board of trustees on 31 May 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Stuart Shilson LVO GCStJ DL Prior

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

63

Independent auditors' report (continued)

Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit

Responsibilities of the trustees for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the trustees' responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. The trustees are also responsible for such internal control as they 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 parent charity’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 and parent charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We are eligible to act and have been appointed as auditors under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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 auditors’ 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, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

Based on our understanding of the group and parent charity, we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to the Charities Act 2011 and relevant regulations made or having an effect thereunder, including the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We evaluated the incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls) by the trustees and those responsible for, or involved in, the preparation of the financial statements, and determined that the principal risks were related to posting inappropriate journals to manipulate financial results and potential management bias in key accounting judgements and estimates.

Audit procedures performed included:

likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations that are not closely related to events and transactions reflected in financial statements. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the FRC’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/ auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

Use of this report

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the charity’s trustees as a body in accordance with section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and regulations made under section 154 of that Act (Part 4 of The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008) and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

Other required reporting

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors London 31 May 2024

Consolidated Statement
of fnancial activities		 Unrestricted Restricted &
endowement
funds funds 2023 2022
Note £m £m £m £m
Income and endowments from:
Income from grants, donations and legacies 2 12.8 2.0 14.8 17.2
Income from charitable activities:
Delivering frst aid:
First aid provision and youth development 6.4 2.5 8.9 7.1
Ambulance and transport services 19.7 - 19.7 17.9
Covid support 0.3 - 0.3 3.5
Community support programmes 0.3 - 0.3 0.4
Equipping the public:
Training 45.3 - 45.3 52.0
First aid products 13.4 - 13.4 15.9
Other charitable activities:
Other charitable activities 0.1 - 0.1 0.1
Total income from charitable activities 3 85.5 2.5 88.0 96.9
Income from other trading activities 4 0.8 - 0.8 0.7
Investment income 5 0.8 0.1 0.9 0.9
Other income
Net gain on disposal of assets 3.4 - 3.4 4.3
Other income - - 0.1
Total income 103.3 4.6 107.9 120.1
Expenditure on:
Total expenditure on raising funds 7 10.1 - 10.1 10.0
Expenditure on charitable activities:
Delivering frst aid:
First aid provision and youth development 26.2 2.9 29.1 25.0
Ambulance and transport services 24.2 - 24.2 23.1
Covid support 0.3 - 0.3 3.9
Community support programmes 3.0 - 3.0 4.6
Equipping the public:
Training 38.8 0.1 38.9 36.9
First aid products 14.3 - 14.3 14.7
Other charitable activities:
Amounts payable in relation to redundancy 1.9 - 1.9 -
Other charitable activities 1.9 0.4 2.3 2.2
Total expenditure on charitable activities 7 110.6 3.4 114.0 110.4
Total expenditure 7 120.7 3.4 124.1 120.4
(Losses)/gains on investments 9 (0.6) 0.2 (0.4) (3.4)
Net (expenditure)/income (18.0) 1.4 (16.6) (3.7)
Transfers between funds 27 1.2 (1.2) - -
Net movement in funds (16.8) 0.2 (16.6) (3.7)
Fund balances at 1 January 108.0 8.1 116.1 119.8
Fund balances at 31 December 27 91.2 8.3 99.5 116.1

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

All income and expenditure in 2023 arise from continuing activities. All gains and losses in the year are included above and accordingly a statement of total realised gains and losses has not been prepared.

The notes on pages 68 to 92 form part of these accounts. 65

Consolidated balance sheet as of 31 December 2023

Note Note £m 2023 £m £m 2022 £m
Fixed assets
Heritage assets 12 1.9 1.9
Tangible fxed assets 13 69.2 70.5
Intangible fxed assets 14 8.0 3.5
79.1 75.9
Investments
Securities 15 10.6 15.7
Investment property 16 9.7 11.6
20.3 27.3
Total 99.4 103.2
Current Assets
Stocks 17 2.1 3.3
Debtors 18 14.8 21.1
Current asset investments 19 4.3
Cash and short-term deposits 30, 19 2.7 9.8
Total 19.6 38.5
Current Liabilities
Creditors falling due within one year 20 (16.4) (22.4)
Net Current Assets 3.2 16.1
Total assets less current liabilities 102.6 119.3
Creditors falling due after more than one year 21 (0.1)
Provisions 21 (3.1) (3.1)
Net Assets 99.5 116.1
Funds
Unrestricted funds
Revaluation reserve 28 11.4 13.1
Other unrestricted funds 79.8 94.9
Total unrestricted funds 91.2 108.0
Restricted funds 7.1 7.0
Endowment funds 1.2 1.1
Total funds 27 99.5 116.1
The fnancial statements on pages
65 to 92 were approved by the
Board of trustees on 31 May 2024
and signed on their behalf by:
Stuart Shilson LVO GCStJ DL
Prior

Consolidated cash flow statement for the year ended 31 December 2023

Note 2023 £m 2022 £m
Net cash used by operating activities 29 (14.1) (6.3)
Cash fows from investing activities
Dividends, interest and rents from activities 0.8 0.9
Proceeds from sale of investments in securities 7.8 11.2
Sales of current asset investments 4.3 2.7
Purchases of investments in securities (1.1) (11.9)
Proceeds from sale of tangible fxed assets 4.8 6.3
Purchases of tangible fxed assets (4.3) (6.7)
Purchases of intangible fxed assets (5.2) (3.3)
Net cash generated from/(used by) investing activities 7.1 (0.8)
Cash fows from fnancing activities
Capital element of fnance lease payments (0.1) (0.5)
Net cash used by fnancing activities (0.1) (0.5)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the year (7.1) (7.6)
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 9.8 17.4
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December 30 2.7 9.8

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

The notes on pages 68 to 92

The notes on pages 68 to 92 form part of these accounts.

form part of these accounts.

67

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

1. Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies are set out below. These policies have been applied consistently.

In these policies and the accounts, the following abbreviations are used:

‘the Order’ – The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (charity no. 235979).

‘the Priory’ – The Priory of England and the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (charity no. 1077265).

‘St John’ – The Priory, St John Ambulance (charity number 1077265-1) and its subsidiary companies.

‘the Eye Hospital’ – The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group which is another foundation of the Most Venerable Order of St John and is registered and operates as a separate charity (charity no. 1139527).

‘SOFA’ – Statement of Financial Activities.

a. Basis of preparation of accounts

The annual report and accounts are prepared in accordance with the rules of the Priory, in compliance with the Charities Act 2011, the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102 (‘the Charities SORP (FRS 102)’) and with FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The accounts have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair view’ and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure has involved following the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 2019.

The accounts are consolidated on a line-by-line basis and cover the consolidated financial position and transactions of companies controlled by the Priory, which are detailed in note 34. St John meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

These accounts do not include the following entities which are not controlled by the Priory:

Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as discussed in the report of the trustees on page 62.

As recommended by the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the trustees assess whether there are any uncertainties that may cast doubt

on St John Ambulance’s ability to continue as a going concern. The going concern period is for at least 12 months from the date of the approval of the financial statements.

The coronavirus pandemic affected income and cashflow significantly in 2020, with a recovery in 2021. Revenue generating activities such as workplace first aid training in particular grew significantly in 2022 as people who had missed their three-year requalification course in 2020 and 2021 caught up with the revalidation of their qualification. First aid provision at events also returned to levels closer to those seen pre-pandemic. The biggest challenge at that time was resource constraints limiting some areas of work. As a result, expansion of capacity and improvements in service provision were a focus for 2023. While a reduction in training activity was foreseen and budgeted for, it became apparent during the year that the income (from training in particular) was substantially less than projected. As a result, the cost base in 2023 was at too high a level for the income generated and a substantial loss arose.

To rectify this position a Transformation programme was initiated in the second half of 2023, leading to a redundancy programme in late 2023 which has been ongoing into 2024, reducing employee numbers. This is expected to generate significant savings in 2024. In addition to expenditure reductions, pricing reviews for our services have been held with a view to increasing income levels and substantial property disposals are in progress.

As at 31 December 2023, cash balances of £2.7m (2022: £9.8m) and investments held were £10.6m (2022: £15.7m), giving total liquid assets of £13.3m. Subsequent to the year end, there has been a sale of properties, including the flats above the group’s national headquarters at 27 St John’s Lane which were sold to a third party buyer for £3.2m in January 2024. In February 2024, investments valued at £8.5m were withdrawn from the group’s investment portfolio and received as cash.

A credit facility of up to £10m with Santander plc is in place, extended to December 2025. There is a financial covenant in place stating St John Ambulance must have a minimum combined cash and investments balance of £5m to access this facility. At both year end and the time of signing the financial statements, the facility has not been required to be drawn down and this is expected to remain the position over the next twelve months.

The group has prepared a board approved budget which shows that St John Ambulance is projected to be able to continue to operate until at least the end of May 2025 without making any further divestments from investment holdings or the utilisation of our revolving credit facility. The forecast projects a substantial improvement in the operating deficit expected in 2024 and through to May 2025, despite not including all initiatives of the Transformation plan improvements. Cash is also expected to substantially improve as the estates rationalisation element of the Transformation plan generates significant income from property disposals. The rationalisation plan involves the disposal of a portfolio of properties, rather than an individual property, helping to mitigate the uncertainty in the timing and size of these receipts.

We have prepared multiple scenarios covering the period to at least the end of May 2025 which account for a range of performance results at the operating result level, as well as a range in levels of cash receipt from property sales and the

timings with which they would be received. This has produced a range of outcomes which has allowed the trustees to understand the sensitivity of the group’s cash flow to these factors while demonstrating multiple realistic outcomes.

Additionally, we have prepared severe but plausible downside scenarios which forecast an extended period of poor operational performance (training activity being 10% lower than budgeted) combined with a delay in and a reduction in the value realised from key property sales into 2025. Although the impact of this scenario is severe and reduces headroom significantly, the analysis indicates that through the use of our RCF the group would still have available facilities to fulfil our financial commitments and continue operating until at least the end of May 2025.

The trustees have considered the forecast, sensitivities, and the group’s current position. While risk continues to exist in the current financial environment, and the need to crystallise the ongoing savings from our Transformation plan so as to achieve a future operational surplus remains in order to replenish reserves, the overall levels of assets held by the group remain strong.

Taking all the above into account, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue operating until at least the end of May 2025, allowing a minimum of 12 months from the date these financial statements are signed. Accordingly, the trustees believe that the going concern remains the appropriate basis on which to prepare the financial statements.

b. The accounts of the Priory

Assets directly owned by the Priory comprise heritage assets acquired before 31 December 1999 and the membership rights in St John Ambulance, a charitable company limited by guarantee. These assets are not attributed a value in the financial statements.

St John Ambulance, in furtherance of its own objects, incurs on its own account (and records properly in its own books) all expenditure necessarily and properly required for the maintenance and improvement of the Priory’s assets and expenditure necessary in relation to the Priory’s business.

The Priory Council has resolved that any income receivable by the Priory will be passed to St John Ambulance. Consequently the Priory has not presented a separate statement of financial activities and balance sheet because there are no assets, liabilities, income or expenditure to be recorded in the books and records of the Priory.

c. Critical accounting estimates, judgements and assumptions

In the process of applying its accounting policies, the Priory is required to make certain estimates, judgements and assumptions that it believes are reasonable based on the information available.

These estimates, judgements and assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the accounts and the amounts of income and expenditure recognised during the reporting period.

Estimates are separate from judgements and are usually used to determine an amount related to certain assets and liabilities. Judgements are made when applying the accounting policies, where a different judgement may have led to a different

accounting treatment, rather than determining the appropriate measurement basis.

On an ongoing basis, estimates are evaluated using historical experience, consultation with experts and other methods considered reasonable in the particular circumstances. Actual results may differ significantly from the estimates, the effect of which is recognised in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known.

Judgements

Heritage assets

The heritage assets gifted by the Order in 1999 are not held at a valuation as the trustees consider that it is impracticable to attribute any value in the balance sheet to these assets.

Estimates

The following paragraphs detail the significant estimates and assumptions the Priory believes to have the most significant impact on the annual results under the Charities SORP (FRS 102).

Legacy income recognition

An estimate is made for the value of legacies accrued but not yet received following an assessment of the entitlement to, probability of receipt and measurability of the legacy.

Fixed assets

The charge in respect of periodic depreciation and amortisation is derived after determining an estimate of an asset’s expected useful life. Increasing an asset’s expected life would result in a reduced depreciation charge. The useful lives of the Priory’s assets are determined at the time the asset is acquired and reviewed annually for appropriateness. The lives are based on historical experience with similar assets as well as anticipation of future events which may impact their life such as changes in technology. The depreciation and amortisation charge in 2023 was £4.8m (2022: £4.1m).

The de minimis limit for the recognition of minor additions to heritage assets and fixed assets is £10,000.

Valuation of investment property

The valuation of the investment property at 27 St John’s Lane that is recognised on the balance sheet is subject to an estimation of the proportion of the building which is let to third parties, as opposed to that proportion which is utilised for operational purposes. The valuation is performed by an external independent valuer. The valuation as at 31 December 2023 was £9.7m (2022: £11.6m).

A decision as to whether the property is revalued by an independent valuer at the end of a particular financial year is made after an internal assessment of whether there has been a material movement in the valuation of the property during the reporting period. An external valuation is undertaken when it is considered that the property valuation is likely to have changed materially during the year. As a minimum, an external valuation takes place every five years.

The Priory of England & the Islands of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem Annual Report & Accounts 2023

69

c. Critical accounting estimates, judgements and assumptions, continued

Recognition of doubtful debts

A standard debt provision policy exists to recognise the cost of debts that are not considered to be collectable. A standard percentage of the debt value is provided against overdue debts. An additional provision may also be made where information received indicates that a debt is unlikely to be paid by a customer. The debt provision as at 31 December 2023 was £1.9m (2022: £1.9m).

Dilapidations

Dilapidations are the works required at lease end, dependent on the exact lease terms, to return a leasehold property to the state it was at the commencement of the term. A dilapidations provision is recognised when there is a future obligation relating to the maintenance of leasehold properties. The provision is based on the best estimate of the settlement on a review of all the leasehold properties held, with the value of the provision built up over the life of the lease. The dilapidation provision as at 31 December 2023 was £3.1m (2022: £3.1m).

d. Historical cost convention

The accounts have been prepared using the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of Investments.

e. Income

Income is recognised on a receivable basis and is reported gross of related expenditure, where the amount is virtually certain and when there is adequate probability of receipt. The specific bases used are as follows:

» Grants are recognised in the year when the entitlement to the grant is confirmed. Grants for the purchase of equipment and towards the initial setting up of projects are credited in full to the relevant activities in furtherance of the charity’s objects. Grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature provided by government and charitable foundations, are recorded as voluntary income. Grants specifically for goods and services to be provided as part of charitable activities are recorded against the activity to which they relate.

f. Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis when a legal or constructive obligation exists and is reported gross of related income on the following bases:

Support costs represent centrally incurred costs, principally relating to management resource, IT, Finance, Human Resources, buildings management and governance costs, which cannot be attributed to specific activities but provide the organisational infrastructure that enables those activities to take place. The basis of allocation to activities is set out in note 7.

g. Heritage assets

The Priory maintains two historic buildings in Clerkenwell, London. These are the Grand Priory Church, which sits upon a 12th century Norman crypt, and the 16th century St John’s Gate. Within St John’s Gate is situated the Museum of the Order of St John which contains a collection of historic artefacts. Together these form the historic assets that were gifted by the Order to the Priory in 1999 and were subject to a specific term that the Priory may not dispose of these assets. If the Priory no longer considers it appropriate to retain them, they must be returned to the Order. The trustees consider that it is impracticable to attribute any value in the balance sheet to those assets which were gifted by the Order.

Subsequent additions to heritage assets, all of which are funded by St John Ambulance and accounted for in its books, are stated at cost, except in the case of minor additions costing less than £10,000 each, which are expensed in the year in which the cost is incurred.

Expenditure on the historic buildings which results in significant enhancement of the internal configuration and allows for better visual display is capitalised, with depreciation charged over an estimated life of 50 years.

Historic artefacts which are considered to have indefinite lives are not subject to depreciation. The carrying amounts at which heritage assets are held in the balance sheet are reviewed where evidence of possible impairment exists and reduced where an impairment is deemed to have occurred. The cost of maintenance and repair of heritage assets is expensed in the year incurred.

h. Tangible fixed assets, depreciation and impairment Freehold land is stated at cost.

Other tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.

Minor additions to fixed assets, defined as those costing less than £10,000 each, are expensed in the year in which the cost is incurred.

Donated fixed assets are brought into the accounts at their estimated fair value at the time of acquisition.

Gains on the disposal of fixed assets, representing the excess of net proceeds over net book value, are recognised in the SOFA within other income.

Depreciation is provided to write off the cost of assets by equal annual instalments over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Freehold property 50 years Long Leasehold Property 50 years Short leasehold property Life of lease Vehicles and equipment 3 to 10 years

Where the recoverable amount of a fixed asset is found to be below its net book value, the asset is written down to the recoverable amount and the loss on impairment is recognised in the SOFA.

i. Intangible fixed assets

Capitalised software is stated at cost less accumulated amortisation. Amortisation is provided to write off the cost of assets by equal annual instalments over their estimated useful lives. In the case of software, the estimated useful life is assumed to be three years. Where the recoverable amount of an intangible fixed asset is found to be below its net book value, the asset is written down to the recoverable amount and the loss on impairment is recognised in the SOFA.

Minor additions to intangible fixed assets, defined as those costing less than £10,000 each, are expensed in the year in which the cost is incurred.

The accounting policy in relation to intangible fixed assets was amended during 2022. Capitalised software is now disclosed as intangible assets. Previously, capitalised software had been disclosed within tangible fixed assets.

j. Investments

Listed securities are stated at fair value at the balance sheet date.

Investment property is stated at estimated fair value as at the latest valuation date, subject to obtaining advice as to the possibility of any material movements between such valuations.

If there is a material movement, the property is revalued at that time. As a minimum, it is revalued by an independent valuer every five years.

Realised gains and losses on securities, calculated as the difference between the sales proceeds and their fair value at the start of the year, or subsequent cost, are credited or charged to the SOFA in the year of sale.

Unrealised revaluation gains and losses are credited or charged to the SOFA in the year of revaluation.

k. Stocks

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is calculated using the average cost method.

l. Pension costs

St John Ambulance makes contributions to a number of defined contribution pension schemes for its employees. Contributions payable to these schemes are expensed in the year in which they are incurred.

St John Ambulance participates in The Growth Plan, a multiemployer pension plan provided by TPT Retirement Solutions. The Growth Plan consists of four schemes. Series 4 is a defined contribution scheme. Series 1, 2 & 3, which are closed to new entrants, are defined benefit schemes. As it is not possible for the charity to obtain sufficient information to identify the share of underlying Growth Plan assets and liabilities belonging to individual participating employers, the Growth Plan is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme.

Liabilities to make payments to fund any deficit relating to past service where an agreement to make the payments is in place are recognised in accordance with FRS 102. The amount to be recognised is the present value of the payments agreed.

m. Foreign currencies

Income and expenditure are translated at the rate ruling when the transaction occurs. Balance sheet items are translated at the rate ruling at the balance sheet date. Gains on exchange are recorded within other income and losses on exchange are recorded within the activity to which they relate.

n. Leases

Assets held under finance leases and other similar contracts, which provide for rights approximating to ownership, are treated as if purchased outright and the capital elements of these obligations are recorded as liabilities. The charge to the SOFA is represented by depreciation, which is charged in line with the charity’s accounting policy, and interest. The interest is spread over the lease period in order to provide for a constant periodic charge on the balance of capital repayments outstanding.

The aggregate rentals payable for operating leases are expensed on a straight line basis in annual instalments over the term of the lease including any initial rent-free period.

o. Taxation

St John is able to partially recover Value Added Tax on purchases. Irrecoverable Value Added Tax is included in expenditure.

No Corporation Tax is due on profits arising from charitable activities.

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71

Tax credits, tax deducted from income and receipts under deed of covenant or gift aid are recorded on a receivable basis. They are included as part of the income to which they relate.

p. Funds

Endowment funds are capital funds where the capital must be preserved although the income may be spent. The income may be added to restricted or unrestricted funds depending on the terms of the original endowment.

Restricted funds are funds that have restrictions imposed by donors and can only be applied for the particular purposes specified by the donors.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes by the trustees. They include an amount equivalent to the net book value of unrestricted fixed assets used to enable St John to continue to carry out its charitable mission.

Any net cumulative unrealised gains on the revaluation of investments, having been credited to the SOFA, are held within a revaluation reserve.

Other charitable funds are unrestricted funds that are available to St John to carry out any of its charitable objectives.

Transfers are primarily made between funds either when the acquisition of a fixed asset has discharged a restriction or to reflect movements in the amount of funds designated by the trustees for specific purposes.

q. Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value, representing amortised cost, as follows:

Financial instrument

Measurement on initial recognition

Cash Cash held Debtors Settlement amount after any trade discounts Creditors Settlement amount after any trade discounts (assuming normal credit terms apply) Investments – non-puttable unit trusts Transaction price (cost)

Investments – non-puttable unit trusts (i.e. without an option to sell the shares at a later date at an agreed price)

Forward commitments to purchase foreign currency are recognised at fair value at the date of purchase and are revalued as at the balance sheet date, with any movement recognised in the SOFA.

r. Short term deposits

Monies placed on deposit with a maturity date of more than three months are treated as current asset investments. Where the maturity date is three months or less, the deposit is recognised within cash or cash equivalents. In each case, the deposit is convertible to cash at its carrying amount.

2. Income from grants, donations and legacies

Unrestricted £m Unrestricted £m Restricted £m 2023 £m 2022 £m
Donations and gifts 9.7 1.1 10.8 11.3
Legacies 2.7 0.9 3.6 5.1
Grants (see note 6)
Youth Subscriptions		 -
0.4		 -
-		 -
0.4		 0.5
0.3
Total 12.8 2.0 14.8 17.2
3. Income from charitable activities
Grants (see note
Delivering frst aid:
First aid provision
and youth development		 6) £m
2.5		 Other £m
6.4		 2023 £m
8.9		 2022 £m
7.1		 Grant income from
charitable activities
totalling £2.5m (2022:
£1.2m) comprises
restricted activity of
£2.5m (2022: £1.1m) and
unrestricted activity of
£Nil (2022: £0.1m).
Ambulance and transport services
Covid support
Community support programmes
Equipping the public:
Training
First aid products
Other charitable activities
Total		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
2.5		 19.7
0.3
0.3
45.3
13.4
0.1
85.5		 19.7
0.3
0.3
45.3
13.4
0.1
88.0		 17.9
3.5
0.4
52.0
15.9
0.1
96.9		 Other income from
charitable activities is all
non-grant income from
charitable activities,
primarily comprising
of training income,
ambulance and transport
services income and frst
aid products income,
totalling £85.5m (2022:
£96.2m). This income is
entirely unrestricted and
includes no restricted
income (2022: £Nil).

4. Income from other trading activities

2023 Unrestricted £m 2022 Unrestricted £m

4. Income from other trading activities 2023 Unrestricted £m 2022 Un restricted £m
Rents from operational buildings 0.3 0.2
Merchandising
Fundraising events		 0.1
0.4		 0.1
0.4
Total 0.8 0.7
5. Investment income 2023 Unrestricted £m 2022 Unrestricted £m
Dividends and interest
Rents from investment property
Total		 0.7
0.5
0.2
0.4
0.9
0.9
6. Grants receivable
Charitable activites
(see note 3) £m		 6. Grants receivable
Charitable activites
(see note 3) £m		 Income from
donations & legacies
(see note 2) £m		 2023 Total £m 2022 Total £m
DCMS Uniformed Youth Groups Fund 0.7 - 0.7 -
Grant from People’s Postcode Lottery
re Young Responders 0.5 - 0.5 0.3
Grant from NHS England
re NHS Cadets 1.2 - 1.2 0.3
Other grants 0.1 - 0.1 0.6
Total 2.5 - 2.5 1.2

Grant Income totalling £2.5m (2022: £1.2m) comprises restricted activity of £2.5m (2022: £1.1m) and unrestricted activity of £Nil (2022: £0.1m).

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73

7. Total expenditure Direct Other direct Others Support 2023 2022
employee costs costs Depreciation Costs Costs (note 8) Total Total
£m £m £m £m £m £m £m
Expenditure on raising funds
Campaigning & Leadership
Fundraising costs 2.1 0.9 0.2 3.2 1.4 7.8 7.1
Publicity & public relations costs 0.9 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 2.0 2.5
Trading subsidiary costs 0.1 - - 0.1 - 0.2 0.2
Investments Costs - - - 0.1 - 0.1 0.2
Subtotal 3.1 1.1 0.3 3.6 2.0 10.1 10.0
Expenditure on charitable activies
First aid provision and
youth development 3.8 3.6 2.1 8.9 10.7 29.1 25.0
Ambulance and
transport services 9.7 0.6 0.6 10.6 2.7 24.2 23.1
Covid Support 0.3 - - - - 0.3 3.9
Community support
programmes 0.7 - 0.3 - 2.0 3.0 4.6
Training 17.6 2.6 0.9 13.3 4.5 38.9 36.9
First aid products 0.5 9.2 0.5 1.2 2.9 14.3 14.7
Amounts payable
in relation to redundancy - - - 1.9 - 1.9 -
Other charitable activities 0.8 0.2 0.1 1.2 - 2.3 2.2
Subtotal 33.4 16.2 4.5 37.1 22.8 114.0 110.4
Total expenditure 36.5 17.3 4.8 40.7 24.8 124.1 120.4

Support costs represent indirect costs which cannot be attributed to specific activities but provide the organisational structure that enables those activities to take place.

Direct costs are those associated with providing the activity: for example, first aid training includes training materials.

Fundraising costs include support costs and depreciation of £1.6m (2022: £1.3m), which have been allocated as described in the accounting policies (see note 1). Excluding these allocated costs, fundraising costs total £6.2m (2022: £5.8m).

Other costs include indirect costs relating to employees, office accommodation and communications, which have been allocated to cost categories as described below.

Indirect costs are allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with the proportion of each allocation basis used varying depending upon the type of cost to be allocated.

The Covid support activity covers the costs of vaccination and support work performed, including allocated costs.

2023 2022
Total Total
£m £m
Total expenditure includes:
Operating lease rentals:
Property leases 2.7 3.3
Spot rental hires 1.3 1.3
Vehicles & equipment 1.7 1.1

The auditor’s remuneration for the audit of Group’s accounts was £100,000 (2022: £90,000). Non-audit fees in relation to other ad-hoc assurance services totalled £10,000 (2022: £8,000) for agreed-upon procedures over our annual statement to the Cabinet Office in relation to door-to-door fundraising.

8. Analysis of support costs

Support costs within note 7, which include external consultancy and project management costs, are allocated to activities as appropriate:

costs, are allocated to activities as appropriate:
Human Central Information Building 2023 2022
Governance Management resources Finance Technology management Total Total
£m £m £m £m £m £m £m £m
Campaigning & Leadership
Fundraising & publicity 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.1 2.0 1.6
Delivering First Aid:
First aid provision and
youth development 0.5 4.8 1.3 1.4 2.3 0.4 10.7 6.8
Ambulance and
transport services 0.2 1.1 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.1 2.7 2.3
Covid Support - - - - - - - 0.7
Community support
programmes 0.1 0.9 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.1 2.0 1.6
Equipping the public:
Training 0.3 0.9 0.5 1.1 1.5 0.2 4.5 3.7
First aid products 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.6 1.2 0.1 2.9 2.4
Total 1.5 8.9 2.6 4.9 5.9 1.0 24.8 19.1

9. (Losses)/gains on investment assets
9. (Losses)/gains on investment assets 2023 2022
Total Total
£m £m
Unrealised gain on securities (see note 15) 0.8 -
Unrealised loss on investment property (see note 16) (1.9) (2.1)
(1.1) (2.1)
Realised gain/(loss) on securities (see note 15) 0.7 (1.3)
Total (0.4) (3.4)

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10. Employee information

10. Employee information
The monthly average number of persons employed
including part-time employees, calculated on a
headcount basis, analysed by function, was:		 2023
Headcount		 2022
Headcount
Charitable activities 1,666 1,631
Generating funds 46 39
Governance 14 14
Total 1,726 1,684
The monthly average number of persons employed
including part-time employees, calculated on a full-time 2023 2022
equivalent basis, analysed by function, was: Full-time Full-time
equivalent equivalent
number number
Charitable activities 1,436 1,423
Generating funds 44 37
Governance 13 13
Total 1,493 1,473
Total Employee Costs: 2023 2022
£m £m
Salaries, wages and benefts in kind 49.8 44.0
Social security costs 4.8 4.5
Pension and death benefts 4.5 3.9
Total 59.1 52.4

as referred to in note 36. Amounts Payable

The above-noted costs include direct employee costs, which are shown in note 7, as well as indirect employee costs and employee support costs. The amounts shown above are disclosed as the gross employment costs payable.

to employees, included in salaries, wages and benefits in kind, payable in relation to the termination of employment during the year totalled £1.9m (2022: £Nil).

The figure also includes additional employer defined benefit pension contributions payable to TPT Retirement Solutions of £0.2m (2022: £0.2m),

Emoluments of employees:
Employees for whom termination payments are payable 2023 2023 2022 2022
number Average number Average
value in value in
£000 £000
£60,001 - £70,000 4 14 1 28
£70,001 - £80,000 8 15 1 30
£80,001 - £90,000 4 20 - -
£90,001 - £100,000 6 26 - -
£100,001 - £110,000 2 16 - -
£130,001 - £140,000 2 15 - -
£140,001 - £150,000 1 30 - -
£150,001 - £160,000 1 52 - -
£200,001 - £210,000 1 56 - -

the performance of their duties, during the year was £1.1m in relation to 7 people (2022: £1.2m in relation to 8 people). There were no consultants as part of the Executive Committee in 2023. Donations made by key management personnel during 2023 were £1,900 (2022: £3,300).

receive no remuneration except for expenses necessarily incurred during the performance of their duties. The members of the Executive Committee are listed on page 52.

In addition, during the year, employer pension contributions to a defined contribution scheme on behalf of all of these employees amounted to approximately £602,000 (2022: £397,000). Further details of the St John Ambulance pension scheme are set out in note 35.

The total compensation paid in respect of the key management personnel (salaries, wages and benefits in kind, including pension costs, termination payments, employer National Insurance contributions and fees payable), excluding expenses necessarily incurred during

Key management personnel

Key management personnel are defined as the trustees of the Priory and the Executive Committee. The trustees

11. Trustees’ remuneration

The trustees receive no remuneration for their services but are reimbursed for expenses which are necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

The total of expenses (relating principally to travel, subsistence and accommodation) in 2023 for all St John Ambulance board members was £3,100 (2022: £5,100) relating to 6 trustees (2022: 8).

Emoluments of employees:

Employees who did not receive any termination payments

Emoluments of employees:
Employees who did not receive any termination payments
2023 2022
number number
£60,001 - £70,000 16 16
£70,001 - £80,000 5 4
£80,001 - £90,000 5 6
£90,001 - £100,000 6 4
£100,001 - £110,000 2 2
£110,001 - £120,000 3 2
£120,001 - £130,000 1 1
£130,001 - £140,000 2 1
£140,001 - £150,000 1 -
£150,001 - £160,000 - 1
£210,001 - £220,000 - 1

12. Heritage assets
12. Heritage assets Historic
buildings
£m		 Artifacts
£m		 Total
£m
Cost
At 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 2.0 0.4 2.4
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 January 2023 0.5 - 0.5
Charge for year - - -
At 31 December 2023 0.5 - 0.5
Net book value 31 December 2023 1.5 0.4 1.9
Net book value 31 December 2022 1.5 0.4 1.9

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The amount of depreciation charged in of St John Ambulance. The collection 2023 in respect of historic buildings was includes historic objects, archival holdings £40,000 (2022: £40,000). and a library. Admission to the Museum is free. We charge for guided tours St John Ambulance maintains and events and operate a commercial approximately 60,000 heritage artefacts venue hire business. Visitor donations of which c.2000 are on public display are welcome. We run engagement in the Museum and historic buildings of programmes for families, schools, St John the St John estate in Clerkenwell. The audiences including Badgers and Cadets, remaining artefacts are held in on-site and our local community in Clerkenwell. storage. The items held cover the Further details relating to the history of St complete narrative of the Order, from John and collections held by the Museum its 11th century foundations, through to are provided on the Museum’s website extensive social history collections that (www.museumstjohn.org.uk). chart the development and expansion

The acquisition and disposal of artefacts is carried out according to the Museum’s Collection Development Policy, which follows best practice in line with the Museum’s Accredited status. The Museum employees are responsible for the care of collections and heritage assets. Detailed records of collections are maintained, and a rolling process of auditing collections and the updating of records continues.

Summary analysis of heritage asset transactions

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Depreciation – historic buildings only
40		 40 40 40 40

The accounting policy in relation to assets held on the balance sheet. St John heritage assets is described in note 1. Ambulance does not sell artefacts for financial gain, although some minor items Over the past five years, there have been may be disposed of in accordance with no purchases, donations received or the Museum’s Collection Development disposals of heritage assets that have Policy and the guidelines of the Museum’s amended the carrying value of heritage Association Code of Ethics.

13. Tangible fxed assets Long Short
Freehold leasehold leasehold Vehicles &
property property property equipment Total
£m £m £m £m £m
Cost
At 1 January 2023 61.0 16.9 4.0 36.5 118.4
Additions 3.0 - - 1.3 4.3
Disposals (1.8) - (0.1) (3.6) (5.5)
Transfers (2.0) 0.1 1.9 0.6 0.6
At 31 December 2023 60.2 17.0 5.8 34.8 117.8
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 January 2023 14.5 5.7 2.8 24.9 47.9
Charge for the year 1.0 0.3 0.4 3.0 4.7
Disposals (0.4) - (0.1) (3.5) (4.0)
At 31 December 2023 15.1 6.0 3.1 24.4 48.6
Net book value 31 December 2023 45.1 11.0 2.7 10.4 69.2
Net book value 31 December 2022 46.5 11.2 1.2 11.6 70.5
14. Intangible fxed assets Software
and total
£m
Cost
At 1 January 2023 4.4
Additions 5.2
Transfers (0.6)
At 31 December 2023 9.0
Accumulated amortisation
At 1 January 2023 0.9
Charge for the year 0.1
At 31 December 2023 1.0
Net book value 31 December 2023 8.0
Net book value 31 December 2022 3.5
15. Securities 2023 2022
£m £m
Analysis of movements in the securities
Unit trusts 10.6 15.7
Total 10.6 15.7
Analysis of investments at 31 December by location
Investments in the UK 2.2 3.4
Investments outside the UK 8.4 12.3
Total 10.6 15.7
Analysis of movements in the securities
Fair value at 1 January 15.7 16.4
Additions at cost 1.1 11.9
Book value of disposals (7.0) (12.6)
Net unrealised gains (see note 9) 0.8 -
Fair value at 31 December 10.6 15.7

Intangible fixed assets comprise capitalised software projects where expenditure is measurable and the resulting software will be used as a core system once complete. £4.3m of the £5.2m additions in 2023 was in relation to our customer relationship management platform which went live in 2023.

Unit trusts include no cash instruments (2022: £nil)

A realised gain, net of sale costs, of £0.7m (2022: loss of £1.3m) arose from disposals and has been included in the SOFA as part of the total gains on investment assets (see note 9).

All Investments held are Level 1, and therefore the fair value is derived from quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

The net book value of assets that are held under finance leases at 31 December 2023 was £Nil (2022: £0.1m). The depreciation attributable to assets held under finance leases during the year was £0.1m (2022: £0.5m). All assets held under finance leases are classified as vehicles and equipment.

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15. Securities, continued

15. Securities, continued
The value of the following investments represented
more than 5% of the fair value as at 31 December 2023: Number of Fair value
shares £m
BlackRock BGF Developed Markets Sustainable Equity Fund 490,724 3.9
BlackRock Charities UK Equity ESG Fund 965,148 2.2
BlackRock Global Unconstrained Equity Fund 1,311,588 2.2
BlackRock iShares Developed World ESG Screened index Fund 170,532 2.3
The year-end fair value of securities, and historical cost, is shown below: 2023 £m 2022 £m
Fair value 10.6 15.7
Cost (4.2) (10.1)
Revaluation surplus 6.4 5.6

The increase in the revaluation surplus is reflected in the SOFA within unrealised gains and losses (see note 9). The impact on the revaluation reserve is explained in note 28.

16. Investment property 2023 £m 2022 £m
Analysis of movements in investment property
Fair value at 1 January 11.6 13.7
Decrease in fair value (1.9) (2.1)
Fair value at 31 December 9.7 11.6

with the UK National Supplement effective 14 January 2019, together the “Red Book’’ as well as UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP) and FRS 102.

St John Ambulance has one investment property, which is adjacent to the Museum of the Order of St John at St John’s Gate. Space in the building is let to third parties, but it also accommodates the National Headquarters of St John Ambulance. The carrying value of the property is split into two separate elements. That part of the building which is let to third parties is included in the balance sheet at fair value, while that part which is used by St John Ambulance for operational purposes is carried in the balance sheet at cost, less accumulated depreciation, in tangible fixed assets.

The total valuation of the building as at 31 December 2023, including both the operational and investment elements of the property, was £21.8m (2022: £25.5m). Of this amount, £12.1m (2022: £13.9m) is classified as operational and £9.7m (2022: £11.6m) is classified as the valuation of the investment property.

The valuer’s opinion of fair value was primarily derived using recent comparable market transactions on arm’s length terms together with other valuation techniques.

The valuation amount has been apportioned between the investment and non-investment parts of the building using the relative floor areas attributable to each element.

A comparison of the valuation of the investment property and its historical cost is shown below.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the RICS Valuation – Global Standards (incorporating the IVSC International Valuation Standards) effective from 31 January 2022 together

The freehold interest in the property was valued as at 31 December 2023 by Savills (UK) Limited, Chartered Surveyors, a firm of independent valuers.

2023 £m 2022 £m
Fair value 9.7 11.6
Cost at 1 January and at 31 December (3.6) (3.6)
Revaluation surplus 6.1 8.0

The reduction in the revaluation surplus is reflected in the SOFA within unrealised gains and losses (see note 9).

17. Stocks

At 31 December stock held amounted to: 2023 £m 2022 £m
First aid training products and equipment 2.1 3.3
Total 2.1 3.3
Stock expensed during the year within stock. Impairment loss adjustments
cost of sales was £9.8m (2022: £12.2m). are made to hold the remaining stock
at the current net realisable value.
An impairment loss of £Nil (2022: £Nil)
was recognised against stock during the No stock is pledged as security as at
year due to reductions in realisable value, the balance sheet date (2022: £Nil).
together with slow moving and obsolete

18. Debtors

18. Debtors
2023 £m 2022 £m
Trade debtors 8.0 14.6
Legacies receivable 3.1 2.4
Other debtors 0.1 0.1
Prepayments and accrued income 3.6 4.0
Total 14.8 21.1

19. Current asset investments and cash

Cash and short-term deposits includes As at 31 December 2023, no deposits monies held in interest-bearing bank (2022: £4.3m) are treated as current accounts as well as monies held on asset investments and excluded from short-term deposit with an initial maturity cash at bank and in hand. on deposit of less than three months (see note 30).

20. Creditors falling due within one year

20. Creditors falling due within one year
2023 £m 2022 £m
Trade creditors 5.0 7.5
Obligations under fnance leases - 0.1
Pension contributions (see note 36) 0.5 0.6
Taxation and social security 1.7 2.7
Holiday pay 0.5 0.5
Other creditors 0.5 0.2
Accruals & Deferred income (see note 22) 8.2 10.8
Total 16.4 22.4

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24. Financial commitments – leases payable

21. Creditors falling due after more than one year and provisions 2023 £m 2022 £m
Amounts falling due after more than one year
Pension defcit funding plan (see note 36) - 0.1
Total - 0.1
Provisions — dilapidations provision £m
Balance at 1 January 2023 3.1
Additional amount provided for in year 0.5
Provision utilised/released in year (0.5)
Balance at 31 December 2023 3.1

Property leases include an obligation to period that may exceed 50 years as repair damages which incur during the the leases terminate. This is a source life of the lease, such as wear and tear. of significant estimation uncertainty as The cost is charged to profit and loss described in note 1b ‘Critical accounting as the obligation arises. The provision is estimates, judgements and assumptions.’ expected to be utilised over a long-term

22. Deferred income Course Fees £m Other £m Total £m
Balance at 1 January 2023 2.1 2.8 4.9
Amount released to income (2.1) (2.8) (4.9)
Amount deferred in the year 1.5 0.8 2.3
Balance at 31 December 2023 1.5 0.8 2.3

Other deferred income is any income deferred not related to our workplace training income stream, and primarily relates to rental income.

23. Leases receivable

Future minimum lease rentals receivable on land and buildings 2023 £m 2022 £m
Leases which expire within:
Less than one year - 0.2
Total 0.2
Future minimum operating leases payable Land & Vehicles & Total Land & Vehicles & Total
buildings equipment 2023 buildings equipment 2022
£m £m £m £m £m £m
Amounts payable in each of the following periods
Less than one year 1.5 1.7 3.2 0.9 1.1 2.0
Two to fve years 2.8 4.7 7.5 1.0 3.7 4.7
Over fve years 2.5 - 2.5 1.1 - 1.1
Total 6.8 6.4 13.2 3.0 4.8 7.8
Future minimum fnance lease payments
Future minimum payments as at the balance
sheet date in relation to fnance leases,
primarily relating to ambulances, comprise: 2023 2022
£m £m
Amounts payable within less than one year - 0.1
Total - 0.1
25. Capital commitments
2023 2022
£m £m
At 31 December capital commitments contracted for total:
Property 0.4 0.9
Vehicles and equipment 1.0 0.8
Systems and other information technology - 1.1
Total 1.4 2.8

Capital commitments primarily relate to outstanding orders for property refurbishment and vehicles.

26. Analysis of total funds Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds 2023
£m £m £m £m
Type of asset and liability
Heritage assets 1.9 - - 1.9
Tangible fxed assets 69.2 - - 69.2
Intangible fxed assets 8.0 - - 8.0
Securities 8.5 0.9 1.2 10.6
Investment properties 9.7 - - 9.7
Net current assets (3.0) 6.2 - 3.2
Creditors falling due after more than one year & provisions (3.1) - - (3.1)
Total 91.2 7.1 1.2 99.5
Analysis of total funds, prior year comparative Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds 2022
£m £m £m £m
Type of asset and liability
Heritage assets 1.9 - - 1.9
Tangible fxed assets 70.5 - - 70.5
Intangible fxed assets 3.5 - - 3.5
Securities 13.9 0.7 1.1 15.7
Investment properties 11.6 - - 11.6
Net current assets 9.8 6.3 - 16.1
Creditors falling due after more than one year & provisions (3.2) - - (3.2)
Total 108.0 7.0 1.1 116.1

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27. Total funds 1 Jan Investment Transfers & 31 Dec
2023 Income Expenditure gains reallocations 2023
£m £m £m £m £m £m
Restricted funds
Airwing travelling fellowships 0.2 - - 0.1 - 0.3
Local and sundry funds 4.8 1.0 (0.8) - (0.6) 4.4
Medical equipment - 0.1 - - - 0.1
Medical vehicle purchases and maintenance 1.1 0.7 - - (0.6) 1.2
R Luf benevolent fund (income generated from capital fund) 0.3 - - - - 0.3
Training funds 0.2 - (0.2) - - -
Volunteer development and welfare 0.4 0.4 (0.4) - - 0.4
Grant from NHS England re NHS Cadets - 1.2 (1.1) - - 0.1
People’s Postcode Lottery grant re Young Responders - 0.5 (0.4) - - 0.1
DCMS Uniformed Youth Groups Fund - 0.7 (0.5) - - 0.2
Total restricted funds 7.0 4.6 (3.4) 0.1 (1.2) 7.1
Endowment funds
Total endowment funds 1.1 - - 0.1 - 1.2
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Kent Care Home sale proceeds 0.5 - (0.1) - - 0.4
Property improvement 2.0 - (0.9) - (1.1) -
Vaccinator volunteer legacy programme 0.3 - (0.3) - - -
2.8 - (1.3) - (1.1) 0.4
Fixed asset reserve – representing
the book value of unrestricted fxed assets 75.9 - - - 3.2 79.1
Total designated funds 78.7 - (1.3) - 2.1 79.5
Investment property 11.6 - - (1.9) - 9.7
Unrestricted funds (operational free reserves) 17.7 103.3 (119.4) 1.3 (0.9) 2.0
Total unrestricted funds 108.0 103.3 (120.7) (0.6) 1.2 91.2
Total funds 116.1 107.9 (124.1) (0.4) - 99.5
27. Total funds, prior year comparative 1 Jan Investment Transfers & 31 Dec
2022 Income Expenditure gains reallocations 2022
£m £m £m £m £m £m
Restricted funds
Airwing travelling fellowships 0.2 - - - - 0.2
Building purchases and maintenance 0.3 - - - (0.3) -
Local and sundry funds 2.8 2.6 (0.1) - (0.5) 4.8
Medical vehicle purchases and maintenance 0.8 0.7 - - (0.4) 1.1
R Luf benevolent fund (income generated from capital fund) 0.3 - - - - 0.3
Training funds 0.2 0.1 (0.1) - - 0.2
Volunteer development and welfare 0.2 0.5 (0.3) - - 0.4
Grant from NHS England re NHS Cadets 0.6 0.3 (0.9) - - -
People’s Postcode Lottery grant re Young Responders - 0.3 (0.3) - - -
Total restricted funds 5.4 4.5 (1.7) - (1.2) 7.0
Endowment funds
Total endowment funds 1.2 - - (0.1) - 1.1
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Kent Care Home sale proceeds 0.5 - - - - 0.5
Grand Council 2022 0.2 - (0.2) - - -
Property improvement 5.0 - (4.3) - 1.3 2.0
Vaccinator volunteer legacy programme 1.5 - (1.2) - - 0.3
Values in Action 0.2 - (0.2) - - -
Subtotal 7.4 - (5.9) - 1.3 2.8
Fixed asset reserve – representing
the book value of unrestricted fxed assets 72.0 - - - 3.9 75.9
Total designated funds 79.4 - (5.9) - 5.2 78.7
Investment property 13.7 - - (2.1) - 11.6
Unrestricted funds (operational free reserves) 20.1 115.4 (112.6) (1.2) (4.0) 17.7
Total unrestricted funds 113.2 115.4 (118.5) (3.3) 1.2 108.0
Total funds 119.8 119.9 (120.2) (3.4) - 116.1

Investment gains and losses arise in respect of investments which are held as part of the restricted and endowment fund assets.

Transfers and reallocations between funds arise from transfers between unrestricted and restricted funds, including the derestriction of fixed assets which have been purchased utilising restricted fund balances.

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27. Total funds, continued

Designated funds

Restricted funds

Endowment funds

Restricted funds are broken down in the table above. These are funds raised by or given to St John Ambulance for a specific purpose with conditions on how and what it can be used for.

Endowment funds represent:

28. Revaluation reserve

28. Revaluation reserve
2023 2022
£m £m
The revaluation reserve comprises the following elements, which are held within unrestricted funds
Investment property 6.2 8.1
Operational free reserves (excluding investment property) 5.2 5.0
11.4 13.1

The movement in the revaluation reserve of £(1.7)m during the year from £13.1m to £11.4m, shown within unrestricted funds, represents the unrealised reduction in 2023 in the fair value of the investment property of £(1.9)m and the net impact of unrealised movements on unrestricted securities of £0.2m.

29. Reconciliation of net expenditure to net cash used by operating activities

29. Reconciliation of net expenditure to net cash used by operating activities
2023 2022
£m £m
Net expenditure (16.6) (3.7)
Adjustments for:
Net gain on disposal of tangible fxed assets (3.4) (4.3)
Losses on investments 0.4 3.4
Dividends, interest and rents from investments (0.9) (0.9)
Depreciation and amortisation 4.8 4.1
Decrease/(increase) in stocks 1.2 (1.4)
Decrease /(increase) in debtors 6.4 (1.3)
Decrease in creditors (6.0) (2.2)
Net cash used by operating activities (14.1) (6.3)
30. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents 2023 2022
£m £m
Cash and short-term deposits 2.7 9.8
Total cash and cash equivalents 2.7 9.8
31. Changes in net debt As at 1 Jan Cashfow As at 31 Dec Cashfow As at 31 Dec As at 1 Jan Cashfow As at 31 Dec Cashfow As at 31 Dec
2023 movements 2023 2022 movements 2022
£m £m £m £m £m £m
Cash 9.8 (7.1) 2.7 17.4 (7.6) 9.8
Finance lease obligations (0.1) 0.1 - (0.6) 0.5 (0.1)
Total 9.7 (7.0) 2.7 16.8 (7.1) 9.7
32. Financial instruments 2023 2022
£m £m
Carrying amount of fnancial assets
Measured at amortised cost (comprising trade debtors,
cash and cash equivalents and current asset investments) 10.6 28.7
Instruments measured at fair value through SOFA (comprising investments) 10.6 15.7
Total 21.2 44.4
Carrying amount of fnancial liabilities
Measured at amortised cost (comprising trade creditors, lease creditors, holiday pay and accruals) 11.3 14.0
Total 11.3 14.0

2023, to December 2025. No funds The facility is secured by a legal charge were drawn down from the facility in over the freehold property at 63 York 2023 or 2022, nor up to the date of Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 1PS. This approval of these financial statements. property has a net book value of £1.9m (2022: £1.9m) recognised in these financial The margin payable on amounts drawn statements as at 31 December 2023. down is 1.85%. This is payable in addition to the Bank of England Base Rate. The arrangement fee paid on agreement of the facility was 0.5% (£50,000). A commitment fee of 40% of the margin is payable quarterly on the value of the undrawn facility amount.

A revolving credit facility with Santander plc was put in place in December 2020, with a value of £10 million. There is a financial covenant in place stating St John Ambulance must have a minimum combined cash and investments balance of £5m to access this facility. The term of the facility was originally three years, to December 2023, with one-year extension options at the end of 2021 and 2022. A one-year extension was put in place at the end of 2021, extending the period of the facility to December 2024. A further extension was completed in January

33. Associated charities

Through the Priory, St John Ambulance is associated with the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (’the Order’). The Priory is one of a number of autonomous priories that form the Order. Together with the other priories throughout the world, the Priory contributes to the annual running costs of the Order in the proportion of the membership of the Priory relative to the

membership of all the priories. In 2023, on behalf of the Priory, St John Ambulance contributed £0.6m to the Order of St John and other priories (2022: £0.3m).

Through the Priory, St John Ambulance is also associated with the Eye Hospital. In 2023 £0.2m was contributed to the support of the Eye Hospital (2022: £0.2m).

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34. Subsidiary companies

exceeding £10 on a winding up of Support St John Limited.

Support St John Limited, a non-charitable trading subsidiary of St John Ambulance, through which activities are conducted that do not fall under the primary purposes of St John Ambulance. Taxable profits are transferred to St John Ambulance under gift aid.

The Priory controls the two active companies listed below.

A summary of the results of Support St John Limited for the year and the aggregate amount of its assets, liabilities, and funds is shown below.

St John Ambulance, a charitable company, which is the main operating company of the Priory. St John Ambulance is a company limited by guarantee and does not have any share capital. The Priory has undertaken to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 on a winding up of St John Ambulance.

Support St John Limited is a company limited by guarantee and does not have any share capital. St John Ambulance has undertaken to contribute an amount not

St John Ambulance Support St John Limited Support St John Limited
2023 2022 2023 2022
£m £m £m £m
Income
Expenditure		 107.7
(123.9)		 119.9
(120.3)		 0.2
(0.2)		 0.2
(0.1)
(Loss)/proft before investments and Gift Aid (16.2) (0.4) - 0.1
Gift Aid - 0.1 - (0.1)
Losses on investments (0.4) (3.4) - -
Retained Proft (16.6) (3.7) - -
Assets 118.9 148.0 0.1 0.2
Liabilities (19.4) (28.2) (0.1) (0.2)
Funds 99.5 119.8 - -

St John Supplies Ltd

In addition, St John Ambulance has St John Ambulance Events Ltd St John Supplies Ltd registered the following dormant subsidiaries which do not trade, have St John Ambulance First Aid Ltd St John Trading Ltd no transactions arising in the profit and loss account and only trivial amounts in St John Ambulance Supplies Ltd St John Training Ltd the balance sheet: St John Ambulance Trading Ltd St John Transport Ltd St John Ambulance Training Ltd St John Aid Ltd St John Ambulance Transport Ltd St John Ambulance Care St John Events Ltd St John First Aid Ltd

35. Pension scheme

defined contribution schemes, is made available to new employees. Employees, including those who are in the Growth Plan Series 1, 2 and 3, which are closed to new entrants, have the option to switch in the future to any of the three schemes that are currently available to new employees.

The Growth Plan Series 1, 2 and 3 are defined benefit schemes which provide benefits to over 900 non-associated participating employers. It is not possible for the charity to obtain sufficient information to identify the share of underlying Growth Plan assets and liabilities belonging to individual participating employers. Growth Plan assets are co-mingled for investment purposes and benefits are paid from the total Plan assets. Therefore, the Growth Plan is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme.

Pension arrangements

St John Ambulance participates in the Growth Plan, Unitised Ethical Plan (‘UEP’) and Flexible Retirement Plan (‘FRP’), all of which are multi-employer pension plans provided by TPT Retirement Solutions.

Contributions paid into the Growth Plan and liabilities belonging to individual up to and including September 2001 participating employers. Growth Plan were converted to defined amounts of assets are co-mingled for investment pension payable from normal retirement purposes and benefits are paid from date. From October 2001 contributions the total Plan assets. Therefore, the were invested in personal funds which Growth Plan is accounted for as a defined have a capital guarantee, and which are contribution scheme. converted to pension on retirement, either within the Growth Plan or by the purchase Membership of the UEP, the FRP or of an annuity. Growth Plan Series 4, all of which are

The total pension contributions payable to TPT Retirement Solutions in relation to 2023, including employee contributions, were £4.7m (2022: £4.1m). The amount owing to TPT Retirement Solutions at 31 December 2023 was £0.4m (2022: £0.4m).

35. Pension scheme, continued

The rules of the Growth Plan give the trustee the power to require employers to pay additional contributions to ensure that the statutory funding objective under the Pensions Act 2004 is met. The statutory funding objective is that a pension scheme should have sufficient assets to meet its past service liabilities, known as technical provisions.

The scheme actuary has prepared a full actuarial valuation as at 30 September 2020. The fair values of the Growth Plan’s assets as at the updates on 30 September 2022, 30 September 2021 and the valuation date of 30 September 2020 are shown in the following table:

Actuarial valuations

The Growth Plan is funded and is not contracted out of the state scheme. The plan trustee commissions a full actuarial valuation of the Growth Plan every three years, with updates in between. The purpose of the actuarial valuation is to determine the funding position of the Growth Plan by comparing the assets with the past service liabilities as at the valuation date. Asset values are calculated by reference to market levels. Accrued past service liabilities are valued by discounting expected future benefit payments using a discount rate calculated by reference to the expected future investment returns.

A full actuarial valuation of the Growth Plan was performed as at 30 September 2020 by a professionally qualified actuary using the Projected Unit Method. An annual funding update is also provided, with the most recent update prepared as at 30 September 2022.

2022 2021 2020
update update valuation
£m £m £m
Assets 573 765 799
Technical provisions (past service liabilities) (568) (762) (832)
Shortfall of assets compared to the value of liabilities 5 3 (33)
Funding Level 100% 100% 96%

The actuarial valuation as at 30 September 2020 is the latest available. The next full actuarial valuation is in the process of being carried out as at 30 September 2023.

Deficit contributions

calculated at £3.3m per annum (previously

using the discount rate disclosed in the assumptions in note 36. The unwinding of the discount rate is recognised as a finance cost. Further details of the liability are also given in note 36.

£11.2m under the 2017 valuation increasing by 3% per annum on 1 April), from 1 April 2022 to 31 January 2025. Unless a concession has been agreed with the trustee the term to 31 January 2025 applies.

The scheme is subject to the funding legislation outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 which came into force on 30 December 2005. This, together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Technical Actuarial Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council, set out the framework for funding defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK.

Cessation of membership

The Growth Plan is classified as a ‘last man standing’ arrangement. Therefore, the charity is potentially liable for other participating employers’ obligations if those employers are unable to meet their share of the scheme deficit following withdrawal from the scheme. Participating employers are legally required to meet their share of the scheme deficit on an annuity purchase basis on withdrawal from the scheme.

The recovery plan contributions are allocated to each participating employer in line with their estimated share of the Growth Plan Series 1 and Series 2 scheme liabilities.

A full actuarial valuation of the scheme was carried out at 30 September 2014. This valuation showed a funding shortfall of £177m. To eliminate this funding shortfall, the trustee asked participating employers to pay additional contributions to the scheme, calculated at £13.0m, increasing by 3% per annum on 1 April each year, from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2028.

The additional deficit contributions required from St John Ambulance were initially levied at £345,000 per annum from 1 April 2016, increasing at 3% per annum. From 1 April 2021 the amount payable was £411,000 per annum. From 1 April 2022, deficit contribution payments were £127,000 per annum, until 31 January 2025.

payable was £411,000 per annum. From 1 In the event of a complete withdrawal from April 2022, deficit contribution payments the Growth Plan by St John Ambulance or were £127,000 per annum, until 31 if TPT Retirement Solutions were wound January 2025. up, St John Ambulance would have a legal liability to pay a share of the accumulated Where the scheme is in deficit and the deficit in the Growth Plan, as calculated participating employer has agreed to a on an annuity purchase basis. There deficit funding arrangement, the employer is no intention on the part of St John recognises a liability for this obligation. Ambulance to withdraw from the Growth The amount recognised is the net present Plan. value of the deficit reduction contributions made under the agreement that relates to the deficit. The present value is calculated

Subsequently, updated full actuarial valuations of the scheme were carried out at 30 September 2017 and 30 September 2020. The latest 2020 valuation showed a funding shortfall of £33m. To eliminate this funding shortfall, the trustee updated the additional contribution amounts above and asked participating employers to pay additional contributions to the scheme,

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36. Pension contributions liability

(i) Total pension contributions liability 2023 2022
£m £m
Pension contributions payable on salaries 0.4 0.4
Present value of provision relating to pension defcit funding plan contributions 0.1 0.3
0.5 0.7
Amounts falling due within one year (see note 20) 0.5 0.6
Amounts falling due after more than one year (see note 21) - 0.1
0.5 0.7
(ii) Reconciliation of opening and closing provisions
relating to additional pension contributions 2023 2022
£m £m
Provision at 1 January 0.3 0.5
Defcit contribution paid (0.2) (0.2)
Provision at 31 December 0.1 0.3
(iii) Income and expenditure impact 2023 2022
£m £m
Re-measurements – impact of any change in assumptions - -
Total cost recognised in Statement of Financial Activities - -
(iv) Assumptions 31 31 31 31 31
Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
% per % per % per % per % per
annum annum annum annum annum
Discount rate used 5.31 4.96 1.18 0.27 1.13

The discount rates shown above are the equivalent single discount rates which, when used to discount the future recovery plan contributions due, would give the same results as using a full AA corporate bond yield curve to discount the same recovery plan contributions.

(v) Deficit contributions schedule

(v) Defcit contributions schedule
The following schedule details the defcit contributions
agreed between St John Ambulance and the Growth
Plan at each year end period:
Amounts payable in each future year 2023 2022
as at the balance sheet date £'000 £'000
Year 1 127 127
Year 2 10 127
Year 3 - 10

St John Ambulance must recognise a liability the discount rate as a finance cost in the period in measured as the present value of the contributions which it arises). payable that arise from the deficit recovery agreement and the resulting expense in the It is these contributions that have been used to income and expenditure account (the unwinding of derive the balance sheet liability.

37. Post balance sheet events

On 17 January 2024 the flats above the charity’s national headquarters at 27 St John’s Lane, which are included within the investment property disclosed in note 16, were sold to a third party buyer for £3.2m. The valuation at which the flats were held within the balance sheet as at 31 December 2023 was equivalent to the sale price achieved.

On 9 February 2024 investments valued at £8.5m were withdrawn from the charity’s investment portfolio with BlackRock and these funds were received as cash.

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38. Comparative results for the year ended Restricted &
31 December 2022, by type of fund Unrestricted endowement
funds funds 2022
Note £m £m £m
Income and endowments from:
Income from grants, donations and legacies 2 13.4 3.8 17.2
Income from charitable activities:
Delivering frst aid:
First aid provision and youth development 6.4 0.7 7.1
Ambulance and transport services 17.9 - 17.9
Covid support 3.5 - 3.5
Community support programmes 0.4 - 0.4
Equipping the public:
Training 52.0 - 52.0
First aid products 15.9 - 15.9
Other charitable activities:
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - - -
Other charitable activities 0.1 - 0.1
Total income from charitable activities 3 96.2 0.7 96.9
Income from other trading activities 4 0.7 - 0.7
Investment income 5 0.9 - 0.9
Other income
Net gain on disposal of assets 4.3 - 4.3
Other income 0.1 - 0.1
Total other income 4.4 - 4.4
Total income 115.6 4.5 120.1
Expenditure on:
Total expenditure on raising funds 7 10.0 - 10.0
Expenditure on charitable activities:
Delivering frst aid:
First aid provision and youth development 23.5 1.5 25.0
Ambulance and transport services 23.1 - 23.1
Covid support 3.9 - 3.9
Community support programmes 4.5 0.1 4.6
Equipping the public:
Training 36.9 - 36.9
First aid products 14.7 - 14.7
Other charitable activities: - - -
Other charitable activities 2.1 0.1 2.2
Total expenditure on charitable activities 7 108.7 1.7 110.4
Total expenditure 7 118.7 1.7 120.4
Losses on investments 9 (3.3) (0.1) (3.4)
Net (expenditure)/income (6.4) 2.7 (3.7)
Transfers between funds 27 1.2 (1.2) -
Net movement in funds (5.2) 1.5 (3.7)
Fund balances at 1 January 113.2 6.6 119.8
Fund balances at 31 December 27 108.0 8.1 116.1

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The Priory of England and the Islands St John’s Gate St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4DA 020 7324 4000 sja.org.uk

Principal places of business and advisers

The following are the registered addresses for the principal office of St John and the names and registered addresses of principal professional advisors for various services.

Support St John Limited St John’s Gate St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4DA

Bankers

Barclays Bank PLC 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP

Insurance brokers

Sydney Packett & Sons Limited Salts Wharf Ashley Lane Shipley BD17 7DB

Property advisers Savills (UK) Limited 33 Margaret Street London W1G 0JD

St John Ambulance St John’s Gate St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4DA 020 7324 4000 sja.org.uk

Independent external auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 1 Embankment Place London WC2N 6RH

Investment managers BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Ltd 12 Throgmorton Avenue London EC2N 2DL

Solicitors

Stone King Boundary House 91 Charterhouse Street London EC1M 6HR

Pension fund TPT Retirement Solutions Verity House 6 Canal Wharf Leeds LS11 5BQ

The Priory of England and the Islands

St John’s Gate St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4DA

020 7324 4000 stjohnengland.org.uk

St John Ambulance

Registered office St John’s Gate St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4DA

National Headquarters 27 St John’s Lane Clerkenwell London EC1M 4BU

020 7324 4000

© The Priory of England and the Islands of the Order of St John 2023 Registered charity no. 1077265

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