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← The Brain And Spine Foundation

2024-03-31-accounts

Company no. 04432677 Charity no. 1098528

The Brain and Spine Foundation Report and Unaudited Financial Statements

31 March 2024

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 March 2024 For the year ended 31 March 2024
Company number 04432677
Charity number 1098528
Registered office Canopi Borough
4th Floor
7-14 Great Dover Street
London
SE1 4YR
Trustees Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during
the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Ian Basden-Smith
Kavita Basi
Joseph Bedford (resigned 15 December 2023)
Peter Brickley
Lauren Downie (appointed 28 June 2023)
Paul Fleming (resigned 17 June 2024)
Asli Guner-Paul
Jeroen Huysinga
Mark Luce (Chair)
Elizabeth Manuel (resigned 6 August 2024)
Carolyn Louise Turner
Charity president Peter Hamlyn BSc MB BS MD FRCS FISM
Charity vice president Alistair Watkins
Chief operating officer Alex Sunley
Company secretary Alex Sunley
Bankers CAF Bank NatWest Bank
25 Kings Hill Avenue PO Box 158
Kings Hill 214 High Holborn
West Malling London
Kent WC1V 7BX
ME19 4TA
Independent Moore Kingston Smith
examiners Chartered accountants
6th Floor
9 Appold Street
London
EC2A 2AP

1

Letter from our Chair

Following on from our 30[th] Anniversary year, I am very pleased to report that the Brian & Spine Foundation has redoubled its efforts to deliver much needed support to our community of people affected by a neurological condition across the UK in more effective and impactful ways than ever before. This in a period when the demand for services is at an all-time high and the need is so great.

In the last 12 months we have focussed on the development of our Neuro UK campaign following the launch event at Downing Street last March. This has involved extensive discussions with the Neurological Alliances of the four home nations, together with key single condition charities in the sector. The objective being to explain our strategy and seek support for the establishment of the Institute for Neuro Life Sciences. I am delighted to report that such support was widely forthcoming which gives us confidence in the validity and relevance of our strategy.

Consistent with our strategic aims, we concluded at the end of the year that the Brain & Spine Foundation would transition to an organisation with a single-minded focus on 3 key dimension to change the future:

At the same time, we will continue the critical focus on our Professional Services proposition that deal with the present. The combination of these 4 service propositions constitutes our revised strategy.

To signal this more ambitious strategy and to simplify our proposition, we will be changing the name of our charity to i-Neuro in the coming months.

We are confident that this more ambitious strategy will significantly help to deliver lasting and meaningful change for our community by gathering real-world insights from people affected and allowing us to not only refine our own services but also influence the improvement of treatment, care and support in the wider community.

The transition also involves the embracing of a start-up mindset so that we become more cost effective, whilst becoming more nimble and agile in securing funding support for our strategy. We believe i-Neuro will be a more attractive funding proposition to potential donors.

I am very aware that none of this would be possible without the continued support and generosity of our supporters, the engagement of our community, and the energy, passion and talent of our team of professionals, staff and volunteers. Thank you to each and every one.

Chair of Trustees

2

Annual Trustees’ Report 2023-24

Introduction

deliver our core programmes, motivated by our mission to enable anyone and everyone within our community to live their lives with dignity and purpose.

work.

Across the year, our programmes and the services they deliver have remained available to all who need them – and this is a testament to previous years’ work to ensure the stability of our operating model.

were able to grow the support and information available to our community across 2023-24.

We achieved this through collaborations, partnerships, guest speakers, placements, and by themselves and those around them.

This past year has shown without a doubt that this approach of working alongside our community, bringing people together, and supporting individuals to act, that has and will continue to bring us success in creating lasting change and impact.

Another strategic priority in 2023-24 was deepening our understanding of the challenges facing our community and exploring how we can evolve as an organisation to better address these challenges.

Through the insights and evidence gathered by our NeuroLifeNow programme, we have needs were highlighted every day by the nature of the enquiries we answered through our Helpline and the discussions we heard taking place in our peer support groups.

Simply put, too many people are facing unacceptable waiting times, ongoing delays, and are continuing to feel that they have been left alone to deal with their condition or symptoms.

We strive to amplify the voices of our community and to be a platform through which people can resilience and bravery of each person they represent.

However, this year has also highlighted the need for change at a systems level and we have seen this in the growing momentum and support for our Neuro UK programme, now named i-Neuro.

As this report will go on to explain, we have taken the decision to use i-Neuro as an opportunity to secure the future of the Brain & Spine Foundation and to accelerate our growth as an organisation.

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i-Neuro

As we progressed i-Neuro from its early stages of planning and development, we saw encouraging signs throughout 2023-24 that it had the potential to play a transformative role in the future of both our charity and our community.

i-Neuro sat at the centre of conversations with:

across the wider neurological sector, with unanimity around the need for change and the need for data.

draw upon our organisation’s legacy, and to build our NeuroLifeNow programme in recognition of the role we play as a key contributor to data and evidence within our sector.

growing the impact of our work and the work of our community. This has led to the decision to review our organisational strategy and to centre i-Neuro within it.

Of course, underpinning these ambitions – and very central to our future success – is the trust and connection we have with our community.

We are committed to continuing to nurture this relationship though our Professional Neuro Services and Neuro Changemakers programmes, as it is vital we support and maintain the wellbeing of individuals within our community as we work towards larger-scale changes that can impact the lives of many.

Prioritising Sustainability and Success through i-Neuro

i-Neuro launched in March 2023 originally with the name Neuro UK. It had the objective to change how ‘neuro’ is perceived and address the woeful patterns of care for neurological conditions within the U.K

neurological conditions receive the care and attention they deserve – and through a directed combination of innovative research and bold campaigning, i-Neuro will rightfully establish neurological conditions as a serious public health concern, taking their place alongside the

Over the last year i-Neuro has gained increasing momentum and to ensure we are in the best position to take it forward, we are embarking on a transition at the Brain & Spine Foundation.

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At the heart of this transition are the principles of:

1. Sustainability – safeguarding the organisation by making it resilient and responsive to

2. Success foundations established over more than 30 years of charitable work in the ‘neuro’ sector

We are taking actions to make the organisation leaner, more agile, and thus easier to fund; and challenges facing the ‘neuro’ community.

As a result of this transition, we will be able to:

1. Protect and maintain our ‘core’ activities as delivered through our Professional Neuro Services programme – i.e., our helpline services, our health information and education services, and our peer support services (that The Edward Gostling Foundation has funded so generously in recent years).

2. Become a nimble catalyst for change responsive to opportunities for growth and innovation , but without risk to the charity’s ongoing operations.

3. Scale and evolve our real-time social research platform NeuroLifeNow – because dataat-scale is essential to i-Neuro’s ability to drive meaningful and lasting change.

We have also agreed on moving towards i-Neuro as the overarching brand and alignment for our programmes; we believe this will makes a more attractive funding proposition and create a more exciting, ambitious, and certain future for the organisation.

New Appointments in support of i-Neuro

new skillsets and experience – particularly in the areas of research, AI, and technology.

In June 2024, Alex Sunley joined the Brain & Spine Foundation as COO, along with Ranulph Tees as CTO.

The new management team will also draw upon the depth of strong, professional expertise within the Board of Trustees, President, and Vice-President.

Funding Pipeline and Commitments to activate i-Neuro

Charitable Company. We are actively looking for the Primary funder to complete the programme funding and we have promising leads in the F1/motorsport world.

We are also awaiting a decision from the Peter Sowerby Foundation to provide grants to fund our health information and education programme.

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Once we have this and other funding in place, we will be able to activate three workstreams that are central to achieving our ambitions for i-Neuro:

1. NeuroLifeNow – developing the digital technology to release a state-of-the-art application that can help us scale the programme to 100,000+ participants.

2. Neuro Changemakers – launch a full acquisition/marketing campaign to attract 2,700 Changemakers and establish 45 self-help groups across the UK.

3. Growing the presence of our Professional Neuro Services – recruit 3,150 volunteers to help create and disseminate materials to Primary Care settings, in parallel with a sophisticated in-hospital advertising programme. This will increase the awareness and availability of information on neurological conditions, and where to go for support, through GPs, pharmacists, and clinicians.

The Development Board set up in March 2023 by our founder and President, in conjunction with the Trustees, will ‘turbo-charge’ our fundraising activity in 2024-25. This initiative has already yielded positive results and we expect more in the coming year, particularly from Formula 1.

Envisioning our Future with i-Neuro

Our overarching priority in 2024-25 will be building towards a full launch of i-Neuro.

secured buy-in from stakeholders across the neurological sector. There is unanimity around the need for change and the need for data.

As part of this launch, i-Neuro will become the parent brand for our programmes and this brand refresh will lead a campaigning activation that will boost NeuroLifeNow and Neuro Changemakers, as well as drive more people to our Professional Neuro Services.

It is our intention that i-Neuro will:

1. Increase the visibility of ‘neuro’ to make the case for change easier with politicians, practitioners, and the public.

2. Make recruitment of participants to NeuroLifeNow and Neuro Changemakers more

3. Develop The Institute for Neuro Life Sciences with a focus on health economics, and improvements to service design and delivery. NeuroLifeNow will provide the real-time data that the Institute needs to drive the case for change.

Following successful discussion with a leading UK university with global reputation, we have a Memorandum of Understanding to bring The Institute for Neuro Life Sciences to life and we are

6

Neuro Changemakers

that will be led by volunteers who have received support and training from the Brain & Spine Foundation.

with nerve injuries.

Prior to the group launching, we worked in partnership with the volunteer group leader to review and develop our processes to make sure we were able to meet their needs and address any concerns. We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in the groups, including the volunteer group leaders.

We are delighted at the positive feedback we are already receiving and the words from our community help to show why these groups are needed:

“You provided the opportunity for me to meet with others and listen to their stories… Keep doing what you do”

Nerve injury group member

“For me, it is an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience to lead the Nerve Injury Group. It is a pleasure to provide those living with nerve injury with a space where they can open-up,

Nerve injury group leader

We also continued to support our group of 44 Ambassadors as they engaged within their local communities to raise awareness of neurological conditions, the needs of our community, and the programmes and services we provide.

Ahead of Volunteers’ Week 2024, we surveyed our ambassadors and volunteers – all of whom embody the spirit of what it means to be a changemaker – and the results truly revealed why our Neuro Changemaker programme is such a vital component of our work.

“I feel like I have some self worth again. Life throws curve balls and some days are harder than others but I think it’s important to channel your feelings towards looking move positively to the future. I’ve been able to use my skills again.”

Brain & Spine Foundation volunteer

Our volunteers shared that volunteering provided them with an opportunity to:

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It was very humbling to also learn that 100% of our volunteers said they would recommend involving our community in everything we do.

8

Professional Neuro Services

This year we responded to a total of 2,704 enquiries through our Helpline – a 14% increase on people directly or indirectly.

the service they received, and the same percentage of respondents (or higher) said that they felt listened to and supported and they found the information they received useful.

Building on the success of our pilot project in 2022-23, this year we also established the Enhanced Emotional Support Service (EESS) as part of our core Helpline services provision and continued it throughout 2023-24. In total across the year, we enrolled 38 people and delivered 161 one-to-one sessions.

The focused emotional support provided through the EESS proved vital in helping distressed individuals to achieve positive outcomes and personal goals – and following or during their participation in the EESS, some people received new diagnoses and changes to their care healthcare providers.

Service User Feedback: “To be honest I don't know where I would have gone with trying to get help, support, and information. It hasn't been forthcoming from anybody. Apart from what I can read online you don't know the facility of the source. With your knowledge skill and expertise, I appreciate it”.

This year we distributed a total of 3,939 printed copies of our health information booklets to individuals and health and social care professionals – and we saw over 329,000 people visit our website to access online health information.

Our peer support services continue to see long-term engagement from their members and creative sessions, including sessions on behalf of other charities and organisations.

We are continually proud to champion an accessible approach to creative activities, ensuring that people feel welcome and enabled to participate – and this was perfectly summed up by one participant when they said, “I’ve learnt that I don’t need to be amazing, I can just be me.”

to be inspired and explore creativity at their own pace by launching online galleries for group participants to share their work in and a public-facing gallery for all others to enjoy.

year student studying Arts Counselling. This placement had an emphasis on learning online creative group practice in arts and wellbeing, and in particular with those living with neurological conditions.

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Our placement student started in October 2023 and will complete their placement in July 2024. Transpersonal Arts Counsellor.

Behind all this we have embarked upon a review of our safeguarding policies and have opened up conversations with other charities, such as the Proud Trust, to gather insight from other organisations that will further enable us to support our volunteers and participants. progressed our professional outreach work through:

10

NeuroLifeNow

This year saw our engaged community of participants and stakeholders continue to grow, as we introduced more people and organisations to the NeuroLifeNow programme and its ambitions. By the end of 2023-24:

We have also seen a steady and sustained increase across the year in responses to our biconsistently at least more than twice that for the same survey period in the previous year.

with single-condition charities such as the Migraine Trust and Dystonia UK.

We have also begun working with healthcare service providers to support them in capturing the experience of their patients. We are currently developing a survey that will be served in two languages and used to evaluate patient experience across four neurosurgery units. The results of this survey will inform a neurosurgery improvement programme for NHS North West London.

In 2024-25, we will be working to align NeuroLifeNow with our strategic ambitions around i- Neuro and the future establishment of a research institute under the i-Neuro banner.

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Fundraising and governance

The Brain & Spine Foundation operates entirely from voluntary income and the strategy is to maintain this independence. We aim to generate income from multiple channels, including Individual Giving, Legacies, Trusts and Foundations, Major Donors, Corporate and Community activities so that we have a balanced and sustainable funding model.

In April 2024, we had an excellent performance from our team of 53 London Marathon runners and honorary Captain, Damon Hill – who between them have raised c £140,000.

Fundraising approach

The Brain & Spine Foundation is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and subscribes to their standards for fundraising. We have an engagement philosophy that informs our fundraising approach, looking to build long-term relationships with supporters, volunteers, and service complaints in the last year.

Reserves policy

Reserves Policy. Whilst the goal is to keep unrestricted funds equivalent to approximately 6 we have not been able to achieve this.

The Trustees mitigated risks by regular review of the cash position and managed costs and expenditure carefully in 2022-23. As of 31st March 2024, we held £19,995 free reserves which Gostling Foundation. The Trustees believe that a strong funding pipeline and careful cost management will enable the charity to maintain operations during the coming year.

accumulated as quickly as possible. We will, once again, balance this objective with maintaining ongoing operations in the coming year.

Our ambitious plans on behalf of our community, including the new initiatives proposed under i- generate required funding via the establishment of the Development Board.

12

Structure, governance and management

The Brain & Spine Foundation is a company limited by guarantee and is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission. It is governed by its Articles of Association (and updated on 22 March 2017).

The Board of Trustees is responsible for determining the overall strategic direction of the charity and for developing policies and plans to support the delivery of charitable objects. The Board

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and good governance. Other subcommittees are created by the Chair to support and give oversight of strategic initiatives as required.

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objectives is delegated to the CEO. At present, these decisions are being taken by the new Management Team until such time as a new CEO is in post.

Any decisions outside of the strategic direction agreed by the Board or outside of the agreed budget are referred to Trustees for approval.

The pay and remuneration of the CEO is reviewed by the Board each year and any changes organisation and relativity across the team.

In the 2021-22 we developed a code of conduct for Trustees and updated the Trustee role description. The code sets out the conduct and practices required to ensure the highest standards of integrity and stewardship in this role.

Trustee recruitment and appointment, induction, and training

We aim to represent the community we serve at all levels of the organisation and are actively reviewing our policy and practice related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

made for a 3-year term and Trustees will be eligible for reappointment for one further term of 3 years.

Our Board of Trustees currently number 8 (of 12) and we have been steadily improving the diversity of the Board across all relevant dimensions in order that we can better represent the communities we serve. Details of Trustees are to be found in the appendix.

Risk management

An organisational risk review sets out the major risks and uncertainties facing the organisation. This is monitored periodically by the Board’s Finance and Governance Committee and systems and policies have been established to mitigate exposure to those risks.

13

management, regular safeguarding reviews, and stringent data protection measures.

When planning the activities for the year, the Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in accordance with the duties set out in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011. The benefit is to a specific group of individuals who have a neurological condition, or who have a friend or family member with such a condition, or who are involved in the treatment and care of these people. This report illustrates the activities provided for this group.

Statement of responsibilities of the Trustees

The Trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees 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.

information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

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Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The Trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles

Independent examiners

Moore Kingston Smith were appointed as independent examiners to the charitable company in May 2024.

Approved by the Trustees on and signed on their behalf by 01 November 2024

Mark Luce – Chairman

15

Independent examiner's report

To the trustees of

The Brain and Spine Foundation

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Brain and Spine Foundation (the charitable company) for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 17 to 31.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charitable company's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

Since the charitable company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

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.

Date: 01 November 2024 Adam Fullerton Member of the ICAEW For and on behalf of: Moore Kingston Smith Chartered accountants 6th Floor 9 Appold Street London EC2A 2AP

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The Brain and Spine Foundation

Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Note
Income from:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Other trading activities
5
Investments
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
7
Net expenditure
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
8
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward		 Restricted Unrestricted
£
£
73,773
543,413
114,180
110,901
-
125,272
-
412
187,953
779,998
-
123,282
187,953
738,195
187,953
861,477
-
(81,479)
-
-
-
(81,479)
-
101,474
-
19,995		 2024
Total
£
617,186
225,081
125,272
412
967,951
123,282
926,148
1,049,430
(81,479)
-
(81,479)
101,474
19,995		 2023
Total
£
270,039
328,950
119,353
279
718,621
115,305
684,559
799,864
(81,243)
-
(81,243)
182,717
101,474

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 15 to the accounts.

17

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2024

2024 2023
Note £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 11 - -
Current assets
Debtors 12 67,636 71,722
Cash at bank and in hand 67,445 53,033
135,081 124,755
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year 13 115,086 23,281
Net current assets 19,995 101,474
Net assets 14 19,995 101,474
Funds 15
Restricted funds - -
Unrestricted funds
General funds 19,995 101,474
Total charity funds 19,995 101,474

The directors are satisfied that the charitable company is entitled to exemption from the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act) relating to the audit of the financial statements for the year by virtue of section 477(2), and that no member or members have requested an audit pursuant to section 476 of the Act.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

Approved by the trustees on and signed on their behalf by01 November 2024

Mark Luce - Chairman

18

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Cash used in operating activities:
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Decrease/(increase) in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
Net cash provided/(used) in operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Net cash provided by investing activities
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year		 2024
£
(81,479)
-
(412)
4,086
91,805
14,000
412
412
14,412
53,033
67,445		 2023
£
(81,243)
1,721
(279)
(15,385)
(8,266)
(103,452)
279
279
(103,173)
156,206
53,033

The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

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The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The Brain and Spine Foundation meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.

b) Going concern basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate. The charity ended the year 2023-24 with £19,995 (2022-2023 £101,474) of free reserves. Whilst this represents a significant reduction on the previous year, the charity has a strong funding pipeline and has continued to secure major grants including multi-year arrangements. Additionally rigorous cost controls are in place to ensure that new financial commitments cannot be entered into unless appropriate funds are in place. For these reasons the trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the items of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

Income from fundraising events and other trading income is recognised when the event or conference takes place and is deferred where the income relates to future periods.

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The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

d) Donated services and facilities

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

For Google AdWords, the charity measures the value of the gift at the market value provided by Google. Where the market value is given in foreign currency, this is translated in line with the charity's foreign exchange policy (note 1 (o)).

e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

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

h) Allocation of support and governance costs

Premises costs, office costs, depreciation and consultancy fees have been allocated to raising funds, charitable activities and support costs on an allocation of staff time spent on each activity.

2024 2023
Raising funds 11.3% 11.2%
Charitable activities 83.8% 84.6%
Support costs 4.9% 4.2%

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The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

h) Allocation of support and governance costs (continued)

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on the following basis, which is an estimate of resources spent on each activity:

2024 2023
Raising funds 10.0% 10.0%
Charitable activities 90.0% 90.0%

i) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Computer equipment 4 years straight line basis Database and website 4 years straight line basis

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £1,000.

j) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

k) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

l) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

m) Financial instruments

The charitable company 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 with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

n) Pension costs

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.

o) Foreign currency transactions

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the period average rate. Balances denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the year end.

22

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

p) Accounting estimates and key judgements

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

There are no key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements.

2. Prior period comparative: statement of financial activities

Income from:
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
Net expenditure and net movement in
funds		 Restricted
£
90,419
224,000
-
-
314,419
-
339,419
339,419
(25,000)		 £
179,620
104,950
119,353
279
404,202
115,305
345,140
460,445
(56,243)
General		 2023
Total
£
270,039
328,950
119,353
279
718,621
115,305
684,559
799,864
(81,243)

23

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

3. Income from donations and legacies

3.
Income from donations and legacies
Donations and appeal income
Legacies
Gifts in kind - Google AdWords
Total donations and legacies
Prior period comparative
Donations and appeal income
Legacies
Gifts in kind - Google AdWords
Total donations and legacies
4.
Income from charitable activities
Grants > £5,000:
Lottery Funding
Garfield Weston
Edward Gostling
Eveson Trust
Grants = £5,000:
The February Foundation
The Lawson Trust
The Persula Foundation
29th May1961
Sandra Charitable Trust
Grants < £5,000:
NHS England Trust
Souter CT
The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
The Peter Storrs
William Allen Young
PF Charitable Trust
Joseph and Lena Randal
The Bartle Family Charitable Trust
J H Levy Charitable Trust
Christadelphian Samaritan Fund
Broughton Family
The Ian Askew Charitable Trust
The Armstrong Family Trust
Carol Ann Evershed
Total charitable activities		 Restricted
£
£
-
498,808
-
44,605
73,773
-
73,773
543,413
Restricted
£
£
20,000
158,680
-
20,940
70,419
-
90,419
179,620
£
£
110,000
-
-
33,000
-
25,000
-
10,001
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
5,000
4,180
-
-
3,000
-
3,000
-
2,500
-
2,500
-
2,000
-
1,500
-
1,000
-
500
-
500
-
500
-
500
-
200
-
200
114,180
110,901
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Restricted		 2024
Total
£
498,808
44,605
73,773
617,186
2023
Total
£
178,680
20,940
70,419
270,039
2024
Total
£
110,000
33,000
25,000
10,001
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
4,180
3,000
3,000
2,500
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
500
500
500
200
200
225,081

24

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

4.
Income from charitable activities (continued)
Prior period comparative
Grants > £5,000:
National Lottery Community Fund
Peter Sowerby Trust
Garfield Weston Trust
UCB Pharma
The Edward Gostling Foundation
Boston Scientific grant
Childwick
Grants = £5,000:
The February Foundation
The MacDaibhidh Trust
The
29th May 1961 Trust
Grants < £5,000:
Sandra Charitable Trust
Persula Foundation
Other small grants < £3,000
Total charitable activities
5.
Income from other trading activities
Fundraising events		 Restricted
£
£
109,000
-
75,000
-
-
34,000
20,000
-
25,000
15,000
-
15,000
5,000
-
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
5,000
-
4,000
-
3,000
-
8,950
224,000
104,950
2024
Total
£
125,272
Unrestricted		 2023
Total
£
109,000
75,000
34,000
20,000
25,000
15,000
15,000
-
-
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
8,950
328,950
2023
Total
£
119,353

All income from other trading activities in the current and prior year is unrestricted.

6. Government grants

The charitable company received government grant funding in the year from the National Lottery. The total value of such grants in the year was £110,000 (2023: £109,000). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants in the current or prior period.

25

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

7. Total expenditure

Total expenditure
Direct costs
Staff costs (note 9)
Allocated costs:
Premises costs
Office costs
Consultants
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Allocation of support and
governance costs		 Raising funds
£
28,332
57,311
4,113
11,231
17,144
118,131
5,151
123,282		 Charitable
activities
£
95,968
467,655
22,835
49,199
244,135
879,792
46,356
926,148		 Support and
governance
costs
£
13,027
22,834
1,400
7,286
6,960
51,507
(51,507)
-		 2024 Total
£
137,327
547,800
28,348
67,716
268,239
1,049,430
-
1,049,430

Governance costs in the year were £6,000 (2023: £3,900).

Prior period comparative
Direct costs
Staff costs (note 9)
Allocated costs:
Premises costs
Office costs
Depreciation
Consultants
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Allocation of support and
governance costs		 Raising funds
£
22,991
57,824
3,975
8,128
250
17,614
110,782
4,523
115,305		 Charitable
activities
£
113,077
438,535
22,071
34,029
1,386
34,755
643,853
40,706
684,559		 Support and
governance
costs
£
11,414
21,971
1,353
3,517
85
6,889
45,229
(45,229)
-		 2023 Total
£
147,482
518,330
27,399
45,674
1,721
59,258
799,864
-
799,864

26

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

8. Net movement in funds This is stated after charging:

Depreciation
Trustees' remuneration
Trustees' reimbursed expenses
Trustees' indemnity insurance
Independent examiners' remuneration (including VAT):		 2024
£
Nil
Nil
400
110
2,100		 2023
£
1,721
Nil
647
110
3,900

Trustee reimbursed expenses relate to travel and subsistence costs for 1 trustee (2023: 3).

9.
Staff costs and numbers
Staff costs were as follows:
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs
Employees earning more than £60,000 during the year
£60,000 - £70,000
£70,000 - £80,000
£80,000 - £90,000		 2024
£
479,695
45,293
22,812
547,800
2024
No.
1
1
-		 2023
£
452,109
44,256
21,965
518,330
2023
Restated
No.
1
1
-

The key management personnel of the charitable company comprise the trustees, chief executive and senior management team. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £356,995 (2023: £348,215).

Staff numbers were as follows: 2024
2023
Average head count No.
No.
12
12
Full time equivalent 10
10

10. Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

27

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

11. Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1 April 2023 and at 31 March 2024
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023
12. Debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
13. Creditors: amounts due within 1 year
Trade creditors
Accruals
Other taxation and social security		 Computer
equipment
£
37,601
37,601
-
37,601
-
-		 Database
and
website
£
52,800
52,800
-
52,800
-
-
2024
£
16,195
51,441
67,636
2024
£
67,700
15,841
31,545
115,086		 Total
£
90,401
90,401
-
90,401
-
-
2023
£
27,052
44,670
71,722
2023
£
1,932
8,669
12,680
23,281

28

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

14. Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds
Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets at 31 March 2024
Prior period comparative
Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets at 31 March 2023		 £
-
-
-
£
-
-
-
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds		 £
-
19,995
19,995
£
-
101,474
101,474
Unrestricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds		 Total
2024
£
-
19,995
19,995
Total
2023
£
-
101,474
101,474

29

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

15. Movements in funds

Restricted funds
Google AdWords
National Lottery
NHS England Trust
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds		 At 1 April
2023
£
-
-
-
-
101,474
101,474
101,474		 Income
£
73,773
110,000
4,180
187,953
779,998
779,998
967,951		 £
(73,773)
(110,000)
(4,180)
(187,953)
(861,477)
(861,477)
(1,049,430)
Expenditure		 Transfers
between
funds
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19,995
-
19,995
-
19,995
At 31
March 2024		 Transfers
between
funds
£
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19,995
-
19,995
-
19,995
At 31
March 2024
-
19,995
19,995
19,995

Purposes of restricted funds

Google AdWords - Represents the value of advertising donated by Google to support access to information.

National Lottery - Three year grant of £330,000 allocated equally between Professional Neuro Services and NeuroLifeNow .

NHS England Trust - Used to deliver the service evaluation of 5 Neurosurgery units across North London.

30

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

15. Movements in funds (continued)

Prior period comparative
Restricted funds
Google AdWords
National Lottery
The February Foundation
Boston Scientific
UCB Pharma
Peter Sowerby Foundation
Neuro Life UK
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds		 At 1 April
2022
£
-
-
-
-
-
25,000
-
25,000
157,717
157,717
182,717		 Income
£
70,419
109,000
5,000
15,000
20,000
75,000
20,000
314,419
404,202
404,202
718,621		 £
(70,419)
(109,000)
(5,000)
(15,000)
(20,000)
(100,000)
(20,000)
(339,419)
(460,445)
(460,445)
(799,864)
Expenditure		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Transfers
between
funds		 At 31
March
2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
101,474
101,474
101,474

16. Related party transactions

During the year trustees donated £nil to The Brain and Spine Foundation (2023: £20,000).

Marc Smith, previous Chief Executive of the charity, was also a trustee of the Neurological Alliance. During the year ended 31 March 2024, the charity paid £10,000 (2023: £5,000) to the Neurological Alliance for support with the Neuro Life Now project. At year end, there was a balance owing of £7,360 (2023: £nil) to the Neurological Alliance.

31

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Trustee biographies

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Our Founder and President, Peter Hamlyn MB BS BSC MD FRCS FISM

In a medical career that has spanned 40 years, Peter has led change at the elite level of both neurosurgery and sports medicine. He has headed neurosurgical teams in some of London’s elite teaching hospitals such as St Bartholomew’s Hospital and The Royal London Hospital, academic units in leading universities such as Queen Mary University London and University College London. He has worked at the elite level in multiple sports medicine, including motor sports, equine sport, combat and collision sports as well as the performing arts – everything from the NFL to the Royal Ballet. He has chaired Ministerial Working Groups and was pivotal to the creation of Sport and Exercise Medicine as a recognised specialty.

He has worked as medical advisor to the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (first Safe Neurosurgery working group), General Medical Council, Trigeminal Neuralgia Association of Great Britain, British Olympic Association, British Boxing Board of Control, The Jockey Club of Great Britain, UK Sport, Royal Ballet, GB rowing team, England Rugby, plus numerous premier league football and rugby clubs.

Peter was a member of the 2012 Olympic Bid Advisory Panel and has worked as a correspondent for the sports section of The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In 1996, he was awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Sport Medicine for work in the field of head injury in sport. He is founder and president of the Brain and Spine Foundation, has been the Chair of the Football Association’s Expert Medical Panel since 2016 and has been a Trustee of the Grand Prix Trust since 2005. Most recently, Peter has been appointed Medical Director and Trustee of Podium Analytics.

Vice President, Alistair Watkins

Alistair has spent the last 25 years working in the world of international sport at the highest level. He started his career working as the FIA’s Formula One Press Officer 1995 – 1999, an era a great change in sport with safety becoming a primary objective. A change of direction into the commercial side of the sports world followed a year of study and an MBA from the Management School of Imperial College in London. Two year of working for leading consultancy Oliver & Ohlbaum on Premier League media rights valuations led to Alistair joining Kirch Media, who acquired Formula One, and subsequent work on the sports long term business plan.

Alistair re-joined the sport of Formula One in 2002 as Marketing Director of Lucky Strike BAR Honda’s Formula One team, which saw Alistair leading the team’s global marketing operations for five years. He was then head hunted to be Marketing Director of Swiss America’s Cup sailing team, Alinghi. Created by Swiss biotech billionaire, Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi was the first European team to win the America’s Cup and defend it successfully in Valencia in 2007.

Alistair founded Influence Associates in 2008 with two other directors, which saw the marketing and PR agency offer corporate clients PR, investor relations, marketing and sponsorship services. Since then he has created Influence Sports & Media for sports clients.

Alistair stepped down as Trustee of Brain & Spine Foundation after six years and was elected as Vice President in 2022. He will be working on projects with our Founder and President, Peter Hamlyn.

32

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Trustee biographies

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Chair of Trustees, Mark Luce

Mark joined the Board of Trustees in July 2017, stepping up to his current role as Chair in July 2018. Mark spent the last 20 years working for global beer giant SABMiller and now runs his own marketing consultancy. Continuing his passion for change, his ambition is to transform the care provided to those living with neurological conditions and in doing so, to make a meaningful difference to many more people. He is a wine maker, avid traveler, and motorsport fan.

Trustee, Ian Basden-Smith

Ian is a chartered accountant who worked in the banking industry following a period with KPMG. He worked for Samuel Montagu, Morgan Grenfell and Deutsche Bank across finance and operational activities in the UK, Europe and the Far East. Ian joined the Board of Trustees in 2012 and is both excited by the current plans for the charity and committed to achieving our organisational aims. Ian is a keen golfer and fisherman and enjoys the outdoors and travelling as well as spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Trustee, Kavita Basi

Kavita has over 25 years of experience in the fashion industry. In 2015 she suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage and was told she had a 50% chance of survival and could be left with lifechanging disabilities.

After four brain operations and extensive rehabilitation, Kavita made it her mission to make a positive difference in the fashion industry, be a role model to the next generation and help others that have suffered a similar illness. She has been a Brain & Spine Foundation Ambassador since 2015, is an author of two books about surviving brain haemorrhage and has shared her story through her podcast and social media. Her two ethical brands promote vegan and gender-neutral fashion. She donates 5% of profits from her brand Ration.L to the Brain & Spine Foundation.

Trustee, Peter Brickley

Peter leads the Business Process & Technology organisation at Coca Cola European Partners. Peter has over 25 years’ experience leading technology for global businesses including Heineken, Centrica & BAT. Before Coca Cola Peter was the Global CIO and Managing Director of Global Business Services at SABMiller. Peter has 16 years experience as a non-executive director in financial services, currently as Chairman of the Chorley Building Society. He is also a Parish Councillor.

Peter joined the Board of Trustees in April 2020, given his enthusiasm for the cause.

33

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Trustee biographies

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Trustee, Lauren Downie

After suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage in 2004, Lauren was discharged from hospital and given a leaflet from the Brain and Spine Foundation. A few months after, she realised her recovery was taking longer than expected and as she had no follow up appointments booked with the hospital, Lauren called the Brain & Spine Foundation’s Helpline.

The advice she received was extremely helpful, explaining what Lauren might expect in terms of recovery time. She went to meet the team and was invited to support the Brain and Spine at the London marathon. She was asked to run a 5k to raise funds, and that was her introduction to running. After a follow up procedure in 2006, Lauren was persuaded to run the marathon to raise funds for the foundation again. This is when she met all the team and was inspired by the charity.

Along the way, Lauren has contributed to a book written by Alison Wertheimer, called “A Dented Image, Journeys of Recovery from Subarachnoid Haemorrhage’’, and attended conferences run by the charity. She was appointed an ambassador several years ago as she raised awareness of the charity by getting running friends to join her on fundraising runs.

More recently Lauren has been working as a peer support volunteer for the Neuro Social group where survivors of neurological illnesses meet once weekly online. Support for people with neurological conditions is lacking throughout the UK and Lauren feels very grateful to the Brain and Spine Foundation for the support the charity has given her in the past. She is so happy to help in any small way towards improving services for others.

Trustee, Asli Guner-Paul

Asli is currently working as Associate General Counsel at Lightsource BP, a global solar company, heading up the Legal Projects team globally. She holds a Bachelor of Law (with first class honours equivalent) from Galatasaray University and an LLM degree (with merit) in corporate and commercial law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks Turkish, French and German. Asli joined the Board of Trustees in May 2020 after a close family member was diagnosed with a neurological illness. She is passionate about contributing to the invaluable work of the Brain & Spine Foundation. Asli enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, pilates and collecting vintage crockery.

34

The Brain and Spine Foundation

Trustee biographies

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Trustee, Jeroen Huysinga

Jeroen has spent 35 years working as a portfolio manager covering equity markets globally. He was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Asset Management for 20 years.

In 2020, Jeroen chose to retire from his work in the City and embark on a Master’s degree in Charity Accounting and Financial Management at the Cass business school. His ambition is to combine commercial experience and rigorous learning to make a difference and to build a second career in the charities sector. Jeroen joined the Board of Trustees in April 2020 and is passionate about the potential to create positive change.

Trustee, Carolyn Turner

In 2008 Carolyn was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumour. She lived with it for 5 years before having complex spinal surgery in 2013. In 2014, she reached out to the Brain and Spine Foundation for support and began fundraising in 2015. This is when she became an Ambassador for the charity.

Carolyn comes from a nursing background, having worked as a staff nurse at the Leicester Royal Infirmary NHST for 15 years, initially in the Central Operating department. She then transferred to Ophthalmology, gaining experience in theatres, on the wards and clinics before joining the hospital agency and working in the recovery suite of the Women’s Hospital.

Following her surgery, she worked as support staff at a pre-school and now dedicates her time to the Brain & Spine Foundation. She is the Volunteer Facilitator for the charity’s peer support groups: Neuro Social, Neuro Social Midlands and Neuro Creative Writing.

Carolyn co-chairs the Brain & Spine Foundation’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion working group. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2023.

35