Charity registration number: 1091638
## British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Contents**
|**Contents**||
|---|---|
|Reference and Administrative Details|1|
|Annual Report of the Officers|2 to 4|
|Statement of Officers' Responsibilities|5|
|Independent Examiner's Report|6|
|Statement of Financial Activities|7|
|Balance Sheet|8|
|Notes to the Financial Statements
9 to 13||
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Reference and Administrative Details**
## **Chairman**
Mr Mark Bush MA VetMB CertSAS DSAS(Orth) MRCVS, Chairman
Mr Andy Moores BVSc DSAS(Orth) DipECVS FRCVS, Vice Chairman
Mr Ian Brumwell BVSc CertSAO MRCVS, Junior Vice Chairman
## **Officers**
Mr Jan Janovec MVdr DipECVS MRCVS, Education Chair
Mr James Guthrie BVM&S CertAVP(GSAS) CCRT DipECVS DipACVSMR DipECVSMR FRSB FRSA MRCVS, Education Chair
Mr Gareth Harries BVMSCertSAS MRCVS, Treasurer
Mr Rob Quinn BVMS(Hons) CertAVP Dip. ECVS MRCVS, Scientific Secretary
Mrs Heather Eastham BVMS PGCertSAS MRCVS, Member at Large
## **Secretary**
Mr Alex Belch BVMS CertSAS MRCVS RCVS, Secretary
## **Principal Office**
43 Cambridge Road Wimpole Royston Hertfordshire SG8 5QD
## **Independent Examiner**
Mr C P Lydon FCA FCCA Independent Examiner Farrar Smith Chartered Accountants Unit 11 Fusion Court Garforth Leeds LS25 2GH
## **Charity Registration Number**
1091638
Page 1
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Annual Report of the Officers**
The officers present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024.
## **Objectives and activities**
## _**Objects and aims**_
The purposes of the Association are the promotion of education and research into the study of animals with orthopaedic disorders or who are otherwise in need of care and protection in particular promoting the study and research in the science of veterinary orthopaedics and disseminating the results of such research and other information to persons concerned with the welfare of animals with orthopaedic disorders. The officers confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit when reviewing the associations aims and objectives, in planning future activities, and setting the grant making policy for the year. The focus of the activities being the educational conferences in Manchester and Warwick. Both the conferences were well attended and promoted the further education of veterinary surgeons.
## _**Public benefit**_
The Association furthers its charitable purposes for the public benefit through its grant-making policy which aims at:
• funding research and teaching related to the treatment and nursing of animals with orthopaedic disorders and related conditions. The research is both pure research and, under the heading of innovation, applied research with the objective of correcting or improving the lives of animals and their carers;
• providing grants to projects that seek to provide innovations in care as a form of applied research.
By focussing on these areas, we achieve our strategic priorities of maintaining a viable grant programme and continue to fund research.
The Association carries out this programme through partnerships with institutions, in particular, the Association has concentrated on developing partnerships with the University of Liverpool and Cardiff University. The officers confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
## **Research Grants**
The BVOA supports clinical research with the provision of grants to members to fund or provide assistance with projects that will advance the subject of veterinary orthopaedics.
A sum of up to £10,000 is available to fund clinical veterinary orthopaedic research. These projects must be completed within 2 years of acceptance. The principal investigator must be a member of the BVOA and then acknowledge the BVOA's support in any subsequent publications or presentations.
The research is both pure research and, under the heading of innovation, applied research with the objective of correcting or improving the lives of animals and their carers.
The research group is expected to provide a report of their results to a BVOA meeting during the Clinical Abstracts sessions of the BVOA meetings.
All applications will be subject, in the first instance, to blinded triplicate peer review under the direction of the Scientific Secretary of the BVOA. Recommendations will then be made to the BVOA Executive Committee who will reach a decision and inform applicants.
The research grants will advance the knowledge in the field of veterinary orthopaedics and this knowledge should then improve the treatment of our patients and benefit both them and their owners.
Page 2
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Annual Report of the Officers (continued)**
## **Structure, governance and management**
## _**Arrangements for setting key management personnel remuneration**_
The Officers comprise the key management personnel of the charity and are in charge of directing and controlling the charity and running and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis. All officers give their time freely and no officer remuneration was paid in the year. Details of officer expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 6 to the accounts.
Officers are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the Chairman and in accordance with the Association's policy withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises.
## _**Organisational structure**_
The Executive will meet in person 3-4 times annually in addition to more frequent online meetings, and regular communication via email.
Members of the BVOA Executive are invited to apply for election to the committee to become Trustees, each of whom takes their position for a set term.
The Committee are supported by an administrator to oversee the day-to-day management of the Association and to coordinate and organise the meetings for our members.
## _**BVOA Activities**_
The organisation arranges two meetings per annum providing members with the latest developments and reviews of evidence presented by experts drawn from the UK, EU and the USA.
The Spring meeting is a single day meeting associated with the timing of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association annual congress. This meeting also provides the platform for a number of clinical abstracts that may be judged by the assembly audience for an award aimed to encourage young members of the profession to pursue research. The autumn meeting provides a further 2 days of presentations and lectures.
Alongside this meeting, the BVOA provide low-cost introductory courses for less experienced surgeons to introduce them to techniques involved in the repair of fractured bones. Additional activities include the provision of a website discussion board to allow members to seek advice, and debate arising issues which may attract contributions from all levels of surgeon. Access to an international journal, Veterinary Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology is coordinated for members.
The BVOA also supports two online portals to allow monitoring of two surgical procedures, hip replacement, and cruciate surgery with the aim of driving improvement and to assist surgeons with information on the recovery, progress and outcome of their cases. The Canine Cruciate Registry was launched in Summer 2021 and very well received by surgeons and pet owners.
The activities of the BVOA support the educational needs of the veterinary orthopaedic surgeons across the UK and in so doing, their abilities may then benefit their patients and in turn the pet owning public.
Page 3
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Annual Report of the Officers (continued)**
## **Financial Reserve Policy**
The funds held and managed by the BVOA include a reserve held to cover twelve months of average operating costs.
The calculation of average monthly operating costs includes all recurring, predictable expenses such as administrator’s remuneration and benefits, occupancy, office, travel, program, and on-going professional services. Depreciation, in-kind, and other non-cash expenses are not included in the calculation. The calculation of average monthly expenses also excludes some expenses.
The amount of the Operating Reserve Fund target minimum will be calculated each year after approval of the annual budget, reported to the Committee, and included in the regular financial report.
## **Major risks and management of those risks**
## _**Risk management**_
The Officers actively review the major risks which the charity faces on a regular basis and believe that the controls in place and financial resources are adequate.
The annual report was approved by the officers of the charity on 1 June 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Mr Gareth Harries BVMS CertSAS MRCVS Trustee
Page 4
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Statement of Officers' Responsibilities**
The officers are responsible for preparing the officers' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.
The law applicable to charities requires the officers to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the officers are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The officers 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 Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provisions of the constitution. The officers are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The officers are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Approved by the officers of the charity on 1 June 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Mr Gareth Harries BVMS CertSAS MRCVS Trustee
Page 5
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
I report to the officers on my examination of the accounts of British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association for the year ended 31 December 2024.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity officers of British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr C P Lydon FCA FCCA Independent Examiner Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Farrar Smith Chartered Accountants Unit 11 Fusion Court Garforth Leeds LS25 2GH
Date: 1 June 2025
Page 6
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Statement of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31 December 2024**
|**INCOME**
Membership subscriptions
Sponsorship
Charitable activities
Bank interest
**TOTAL INCOME**
**EXPENDITURE**
Charitable activities
Grant funding of activities
Governance costs
**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**
**NET INCOME**
Balance brought forward at 1 January 2024
Balance carried forward at 31 December 2024|**Note**
2
3
4
5|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
34,272
-
147,767
2,213
184,252
119,310
17,032
40,834
177,176
7,076
267,773
274,849||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
53,079
-
-
53,079
53,079
-
-
53,079
-
-
-||**Total**
**2024**
**£**
34,272
53,079
147,767
2,213
237,331
172,389
17,032
40,834
230,255
7,076
267,773
274,849||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
43,641
47,407
140,166
1,817|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||
|||||||||233,031
169,746
6,124
42,656|
|||||||||218,526
14,505
253,268|
|||||||||267,773|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Page 7
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024**
|**Current Assets**
Debtors and prepayments
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: Amounts falling due**
**within one year**
**Net assets**
Unrestricted funds
**Total funds**|**Note**
7
8
9||**2024**
**£**
23,114
273,737
296,851
22,002
274,849
274,849
274,849||**2023**
**£**
40,901
248,967|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||289,868
22,095|
||||||267,773|
||||||267,773|
||||||267,773|
These financial statements on page 6 to 13 were approved by the officers, and authorised for issue on 1 June 2025.
Signed on behalf of the officers by:
Mr Gareth Harries BVMS CertSAS MRCVS Trustee
Page 8
**British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024**
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Statement of compliance**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
## **Basis of preparation**
British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
## **Going concern**
The officers consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
## **Income and endowments**
Voluntary income including donations, gifts, legacies and grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature is recognised when the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Sponsorship is recognised when communicated in writing with notification of both the amount and the settlement date.
## **Investment income**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accrual's basis. All expenses, including support costs and governance costs, are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings in the statement of financial activities.
## **Charitable activities**
The expenditure of charitable activities includes grants made, governance costs and support costs as shown in notes 3, 4 and 5.
## **Grant expenditure**
Grants payable are payments made to third parties in the furtherance of the charitable objects of the charity. In the case of an unconditional grant offer this is accrued once the recipient has been notified of the grant award. The notification gives the recipient a reasonable expectation that they will receive the one year or multi-year grant. Grants awards that are subject to the recipient fulfilling performance conditions are only accrued when the recipient has been notified of the grant and any remaining unfulfilled conditions attaching to that grant are outside of the control of the charity.
Page 9
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **Grant provisions**
Provisions for grants are made when the intention to make a grant has been communicated to the recipient but there is uncertainty as to the timing of the grant or the amount of grant payable.
A provision for a multi-year grant is recognised at its present value where settlement is due over more than one year from the date of the award, there are no unfulfilled performance conditions under the control of the charity that would permit the charity to avoid making the future payment(s), settlement is probable, and the effect of discounting is material. The discount rate used is the rate offered on government bonds (Gilts) for a commensurate or similar time period offered in the year in which the grant award is made.
## **Governance costs**
Governance costs comprise all costs involving the public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice. These costs include costs related to independent examination and legal fees together with an apportionment of overhead and support costs relating to trustee Board and sub-Committee meetings.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents comprise, cash on hand, call deposits and other short term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
## **Fund structure**
Unrestricted funds comprise those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. Unrestricted income is generated by subscriptions and fees in attending the educational conferences, as conference costs are substantially greater than the sponsorship income received by the charity any surplus generated from the conference is classed as unrestricted funds for the charity's use, provided the surplus does not amount to equal or greater than the sponsorship income generated.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the sponsor. The charity holds educational conferences twice yearly in spring and autumn, the sponsorship income is restricted to the costs of these conferences.
Page 10
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 December 2024 (Continued)**
## **Note 2. Income, charitable activities**
|CPD meeting income
**Total**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
147,767
147,767||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-||**Total**
**2024**
**£**
147,767
147,767||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
140,166|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
||||||||140,166|
## **Note 3. Expenditure, charitable activities**
|Course venue expenses, spring
Course venue expenses, autumn
Course speaker expenses, spring
Course speaker expenses, autumn|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
21,211
98,099
-
-
119,310||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
45,089
2,010
5,980
53,079||**Total**
**2024**
**£**
21,211
143,188
2,010
5,980
172,389||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
18,367
145,663
1,702
4,014|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
||||||||169,746|
## **Note 4. Expenditure, grant funding of activities**
|Bristol Veterinary School
Cardiff University
University of Liverpool
The Royal Veterinary College
Rachel Jermyn, Hip Registry|**Grants To**
**Institutions**
**£**
-
4,919
6,191
5,000
-
16,110||**Grants To**
**Individuals**
**£**
-
-
-
-
922
922||**Total**
**2024**
**£**
-
4,919
6,191
5,000
922
17,032||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
4,000
-
-
-
2,124|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||6,124|
Page 11
**British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 December 2024 (Continued)**
## **Note 5. Expenditure, governance costs**
|Printing, postage and stationery
Prizes
Journal publication costs
Administration fees
Officer expenses
Independent examiners fee
Bank charges|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
3,069
500
15,058
12,040
4,334
2,100
3,733
40,834||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-||**Total**
**2024**
**£**
3,069
500
15,058
12,040
4,334
2,100
3,733
40,834||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
3,434
-
15,584
11,480
4,203
2,040
5,915|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
||||||||42,656|
## **Note 6. Officers remuneration and expenses**
Expenses paid to the officers in the year totalled £4,334 (2023 £4,203). These expenses were made up of reimbersements for officers attendance at meetings, as well as seminar, conference costs and related travel expenses.
No officers, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year.
## **Note 7. Debtors and prepayments**
|Accounts receivable
Prepayments||**2024**
**£**
9,653
13,461
23,114||**2023**
**£**
1,857
39,044|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||40,901|
## **Note 8. Creditors : Amounts falling due within one year**
|Prepaid subscriptions
Accruals||**2024**
**£**
18,640
3,362
22,002||**2023**
**£**
19,615
2,480|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||22,095|
Page 12
## **British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 December 2024 (Continued)**
**Note 9. Movements in funds**
|Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
Total funds|**At 1 January**
**2024**
**£**
267,773
-
267,773||**Income**
**Expenditure**
**£**
**£**
184,252
177,176)
(
53,079
53,079)
(
237,331
230,255)
(|**At**|**31 December**|**31 December**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**2024**
**£**
274,849
-|
|||||||274,849|
Page 13