Charity Number (England & Wales) 1137409 Charity Number (Scotland) SC054293 Company Number 7340518
## **Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity**
**Report and Financial Statements**
**Year Ending 31 March 2025**
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Index**
|**Index**||
|---|---|
||**Page**|
||**______**|
|Charity Information|3|
|Report of the Trustees|5|
|Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees|15|
|Statement of Financial Activities|20|
|Balance Sheet|21|
|Cash Flow|22|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|23|
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Royal Patron**
Her Majesty The Queen
## **Presidents**
Dame Felicity Dahl Sir Quentin Blake
## **Patrons**
Maddie and Theo Dahl Donald Sturrock Dame Joanna Lumley DBE Dame Julie Walters DBE Tim Minchin Claudia Winkleman MBE
## **Trustees and Directors**
The directors of the charitable company (the charity) are its trustees for the purpose of charity law. The trustees and officers serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:
Grace Andrews Carolyn Bradley (Chair) (appointed 12 March 2025) Rachelle Broadley (Vice-Chair & Chair of HR & Governance Committee) Elizabeth Emilion (appointed 12 March 2025) Kathryn Evans Suzannah Goodchild Ben Grist (Chair of Finance & Investments Committee) Rob Halkyard (Chair of Fundraising & Communications Committee) (resigned 11 March 2025) Claire Hollands Alex Hyde-Parker (Chair until 11 March 2025, resigned 24 June 2025) Jodi Johnson (Chair of Programmes Committee) Michael Marsh Kimberley Mitchell (appointed 12 March 2025) Sanjiv Sharma Dr. Helen Thomson (Chair of Fundraising & Communications Committee from 12 March 2025)
## **Company Secretary**
Mark Turner
## **Registered Office**
17, Chiltern Business Centre 63-65 Woodside Road Amersham Buckinghamshire HP6 6AA
## **Company Number**
7340518
## **Charity Number**
1137409 England and Wales SC054293 Scotland
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Website**
www.roalddahlcharity.org
## **Auditors**
Saffery LLP St John's Court, Easton Street High Wycombe HP11 1JX
## **Bankers**
CAF Bank Limited 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
## **Investment Managers**
Rathbones Investment Managers Limited 8 Finsbury Circus London EC2M 7AZ
## **Solicitors**
Taylor Wessing 5 New Street Square London EC4A 3TW
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Chair’s Report**
I was delighted to be appointed as Chair of the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity in March 2025, and am proud to join a charity that provides such essential support to families.
I would like to pay tribute to Alex Hyde-Parker, who stood down as Chair in March but generously remained on the Board until June 2025 to allow a handover period, which I found invaluable. Alex first joined the Board in 2017, becoming Chair in 2022. His contribution to the Board and the charity as a whole has been significant and he will be missed. We were also sorry to see Rob Halkyard leave the Board in March 2025. We are very grateful for Rob’s valuable contribution since joining the Board in 2018, and are delighted that he is continuing to support us as an adviser to the Fundraising & Communications Committee. A huge thank you also to the rest of our Board, who have given me such a warm welcome.
The charity had another successful year in 2024-25, and now has over 200 Roald Dahl healthcare professionals providing specialist care to children with complex medical conditions across the UK. Our Roald Dahl Nurses support seriously ill children and young people, providing a vital lifeline to them and their families, supporting both clinically and emotionally. Their expertise and commitment have led to a significant reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions, A&E visits, and consultant appointments. We are inspired by their kindness, their dedication and coordination of care for the children and the families, how they advocate on their behalf, and how they educate the wider community about their patient’s conditions. Importantly, we are filling the gaps to provide the care that children with complex medical conditions and their families desperately need.
The economic climate continues to prove challenging for all charities, but our teams have continued to work with agility and flexibility, both in our fundraising activities and in the programmes and services offered to both the families and our nurses.
Our Marvellous Family Support Services have gone from strength to strength, releasing more than £3 million in unlocked benefits for over 800 families since its establishment four years ago. Our Marvellous Emotional Support Service has now been running for two years, providing much needed emotional support to over 100 families. This service offers a welcome space for parents to share advice, learn from each other and feel less isolated. We also continue to grow our professional development and leadership training programme for Roald Dahl Nurses, which are very popular and highly valued.
On behalf of the trustees, I would like to thank all our Roald Dahl Nurses who, along with the consultants and managers who support them, are our greatest ambassadors. We would also like to thank our small, but immensely dedicated _Marvellous_ team for its energy, commitment and hard work throughout the year.
A particular heart-felt thank you goes to our many supporters, without whose generosity we could not continue our important work, and to our dedicated staff at the charity who work tirelessly to achieve our goals. I would also like to express our gratitude to our Royal Patron, HM The Queen, Dame Felicity Dahl our Founder and Co-President, Sir Quentin Blake our Co-President, and our other patrons, whose continued support has such a positive impact on the children, families and nurses they meet and the awareness they secure of our vital work.
Carolyn Bradley, Chair.
30[th] June 2025
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charitable company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006, and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (effective 1 January 2019).
## **Our Purposes and Activities**
## **Our Vision**
Every child living with a complex, lifelong illness deserves a Roald Dahl Nurse to help them lead a more marvellous life.
## **Our Mission**
To provide specialist nurses and support for children living with complex, lifelong conditions.
## **Our Key Strategic Charitable Aim**
To improve the healthcare outcomes and resilience of children and their families living with complex, lifelong, and under-funded conditions.
## **Strategic outcomes to achieve:**
- 1) Improved quality of care
- 2) Improved experience of care
- 3) Improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness in care
- 4) Improved resilience of seriously ill children and their families
## **Introduction**
The Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity is a UK wide charity providing specialist nurses and support for children with complex, lifelong conditions.
Roald Dahl Nurses are dedicated senior nurse specialists established through the charity in partnership with the NHS. Roald Dahl Nurses help families by providing coordinated, dedicated, clinical and holistic care. They are a consistent presence in the child’s life from initial diagnosis through to transition to adult services. They don’t just provide care and advice; they reassure and are a pillar of strength in times of uncertainty.
We believe that every seriously ill child deserves a Roald Dahl Nurse.
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Achievements and Performance In 2024-2025**
## **Charitable Programmes**
## **Roald Dahl Specialist Nurses posts**
At 31 March 2025, there were over 200 Roald Dahl healthcare professionals in posts across the UK specialising in fields such as epilepsy, neurology, haematology, gastroenterology and transition of care.
We have continued to introduce opportunities for specialist children’s nurses in existing positions to become a Roald Dahl Nurse, so that even more seriously ill children and their families are supported by the charity.
## **Training, development and leadership for Roald Dahl Specialist Nurses**
The charity remains committed to support the training and development of its Roald Dahl Nurses, helping to develop and retain their positions as leaders in paediatric care. Our support includes a digital platform for both Roald Dahl Nurses and their line managers to give access to our knowledge library, as well as leadership and personal development benefits through our membership of the Florence Nightingale Foundation Academy, regular workshops and training courses, and individual educational grants. Our Roald Dahl Nurses’ Conference in May 2025 was attended by 170 of our nurses.
## **Nurse-led innovation**
Nurse-Led Innovation is an important part of improving the quality and experience of health care these seriously children receive. We work closely with our Roald Dahl Nurses to encourage creativity in problem solving and to ensure that there is space to bring ideas into reality.
Our ‘Inventing Room’ programme continues to respond to suggestions from our nurses which bring improvements to make life easier for patients and their families. An example of this is our new animation video, which can be found on our website, and which sets out very clearly the difficulties families face when a child is diagnosed with a complex medical condition, and the role a Roald Dahl Nurse plays in supporting them. The video is now being used by our nurses in multidisciplinary training, and receiving excellent feedback. Another example is a Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity folder with multi-pockets in which families can keep and transport the often large volume of paperwork they need covering details of medication, seizures, feeds, medical history and more. Ideas like this can seem modest, but they nevertheless bring improvements to make life easier for patients and their families.
## **Support for our beneficiaries and their families**
Our Marvellous Financial Support Service has now been running for four years and has provided support to around 813 families up to the end of the financial year March 2025. The service has secured £1,851,976 for families, with a further £1,314,251 expected, totalling £3,166,227 in unlocked benefits since the start of the project. This highlights the huge value this service brings in helping families to unlock welfare benefits for which they are eligible.
In the last financial year, we saw an increase of around 33% in the number of families accessing the service, with a total of 285 referrals, compared to 246 the previous year. This is partly due to the increase in the number of Roald Dahl Nurses who are signposting families to us and raising awareness of the service, but it also reflects the continuing impact of the cost of living.
Our Marvellous Emotional Support Service has now been running for two years and has provided emotional support to around 116 families up to the end of March 2025. This amounts to over 200
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
hours of emotional support services provided to our families. In the financial year 2024-25, 54 emotional support phone appointments were carried out, equating to 54 hours. 17 families were referred for therapeutic counselling support, equating to 102 hours. We facilitated 40 hours of peer support workshops, and 65 hours of family groups. These peer-to-peer workshops provide a space for parents to share their children’s stories and worries with others in similar situations, sharing advice and making them feel less isolated
## **Fundraising**
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity is committed to ensuring that our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful. We are a member of the Fundraising Regulator, adhere to their Fundraising Code of Conduct, and do all we can to monitor and ensure that fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds also comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Our Marvellous Fundraising Promise is that:
- We are committed to high standards;
- We are clear, honest and open;
- We are respectful;
- We will be fair and reasonable; and
- We will be accountable and responsible.
We are enormously grateful to all our supporters including individual donors, corporate organisations or trusts and foundations. Every amount raised is critical to allow us to deliver our much-needed care and support for seriously ill children and their families.
## **Marketing and Communications**
Our marketing and communications activity is vital to raise awareness of the charity’s work and to attract and engage supporters. Promotions and campaigns ran throughout the year, including the ‘Do Something Marvellous’ appeal in May, which highlighted family stories and focused on fundraising for new CMC Specialist Nurses. On International Nurses Day on 12 May celebrities and influencers paid tribute to Roald Dahl Nurses, reaching an extensive audience, particularly via social media.
We are extremely grateful to our Patron Her Majesty The Queen for hosting another Christmas visit to Clarence House for some of the children we support. As well as giving the children a day full of very special memories, this event also provides a great deal of publicity which helps to raise awareness of the charity’s work.
## **Our People**
None of the charity’s work could happen without the skills, abilities and dedication of our colleagues. We are committed to investing in and continually improving the capabilities of our team through robust recruitment and induction, with ongoing training and development opportunities. Colleagues meet regularly as a whole team to share updates and ideas and to enhance teamwork, and we have clear policies and procedures in place to help colleagues work effectively. We regularly undertake employee surveys to monitor how colleagues are feeling and what actions may be needed to improve effectiveness.
Thank you too to our volunteers who help share the load and give their time for free.
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Financial summary**
The charity benefits from a restricted endowment established in 2023 that is designed to cover the core costs of the charity. Its current financial model is that fundraised income is used solely to meet the costs of its charitable activities. The deficit arising in the year, equivalent to the charity’s overheads, will be funded by a reduction in the restricted endowment reserve. This model, of reportable deficits, is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Thanks to this endowment, we can ensure that, for the foreseeable future, all income from our fundraising efforts will be invested directly into meeting the urgent need for more support for children living with complex and lifelong illnesses.
## **Our future plans 2025-2028**
Our strategic focus is anchored in a robust suite of charitable programmes designed to catalyse systemic change and improve outcomes for children with complex, lifelong conditions. Moreover, understanding the impact of our work is crucial to achieving our overarching goals.
## **Charitable Programmes**
Our targeted programmes aim to expand our network of specialised Roald Dahl Nurses, enhance their skills sets, foster innovation in children’s healthcare, and offer comprehensive family support. We will do this through:
- An emphasis on children with medical complexity (CMC), reflecting our commitment to addressing gaps in healthcare provision. This focus aims to optimise healthcare outcomes for children who have the most complex and lifelong conditions.
- Expanding our nurses’ network through the adoption of additional Roald Dahl Nurses, thereby amplifying our reach and impact more quickly than by solely establishing new nurses.
- • Promoting and supporting Roald Dahl Nurses to become leaders and experts in their specialisms. We will provide relevant professional development opportunities and educational grants and provide emotional support sessions to the network to increase their resilience and emotional wellbeing. We will provide engagement and networking opportunities for Roald Dahl Nurses and hosted a Roald Dahl Nurses Conference in May 2025.
- Championing specialist nurse-led innovation in children’s healthcare. We will provide leadership for the emerging CMC Nurse network, focusing on providing an infrastructure to optimise their impact. We will respond to relevant and feasible nurse or family-led innovation that will improve quality or experience of care for children with lifelong, complex illnesses.
- Providing additional support to families with children who have lifelong, complex illnesses. Our ‘Marvellous Family Support Service’ is now available to the families of the children under the care of our Roald Dahl Nurses. It includes financial and emotional support, a programme of relevant workshops and training, peer support and friendship opportunities and continue to listen to our children and families to shape and co-produce the support services we offer.
## **Impact Measurement**
We have developed an Impact Measurement framework, designed to rigorously monitor and evaluate the tangible benefits we hope to bring to children and their families, thereby informing our strategies for continuous improvement.
- We will increase our use of the outcome monitoring tool to capture meaningful feedback and outcomes from our families independent of the Roald Dahl Nurses.
- We will continue to ensure regular and comprehensive reporting from nurses in their first two years of contract.
- We will continue to conduct a robust audit of our nurses’ outputs, outcomes and feedback to inform future programmes.
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
- We will commission nurse-led research into the models of care provided by CMC Nurses, along with the impact on the children and their families.
- We will conduct annual consultations to ensure the family’s voice and co-production of ongoing and future services.
- We will develop a tool to capture the voice and participation of children and young people, ensuring the inclusion of those with communication difficulties.
- We will work with relevant stakeholders and subject-matter experts.
- We will ensure evaluation of each programme spend.
-
- We will undertake qualitative evaluation.
## **Operational**
With all the above, we need the raise the vital funds to underpin our work. We continue with a robust Income strategy, including philanthropy and special events programmes; fundraising appeals and further work around schools and longer-term sustainable relationships. Our paramount goal is to augment the financial stability of the charity and to facilitate sustainable growth to fulfil our ambitious objectives.
Our overarching financial ambitions are to maximise the return on the charity’s assets; to maintain sufficient liquidity to meet obligations as they fall due; and to ensure that the charity’s assets are secure.
Through our Communications and Marketing strategies, we aim to critically evaluate our brand, craft compelling content, and broaden our reach to foster stronger connections with our audience. Our guiding principle is to focus on impactful areas and activities that hold the potential to further income generation, thus enabling us to further our mission.
In relation to our colleagues, we have launched a positive culture plan with a focus on improving team effectiveness, workload demand and control and how change is managed and communicated. Much work has already been done to tackle these priorities, and this will be a continued focus, with regular reviews at team meetings and through staff surveys.
Our governance ambitions are to ensure a clear strategy, mission and purpose, to provide good leadership; to demonstrate equality, diversity and inclusivity, to be transparent and accountable, and to manage risk effectively.
## **Reserves Policy and Going Concern**
The Charity has met its key objective to bring the reserves down to level considered sufficient to allow the charity to operate effectively, but without tying up funds unnecessarily. The Trustees consider an unrestricted reserve providing operational cover of between three and six months as necessary. The Charity saw its unrestricted reserves decrease from £473k to £231k with an operational cover of 3 months. The Trustees consider, with the funds received from the Fantastic Peach Foundation to cover core costs, the current reserves towards the lower end of the range to be at a prudent level to support its current level of expenditure and future commitments.
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## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing Document**
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity (RDMCC) is a company limited by guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. It is registered as a charity in England and Wales with the Charity Commission and in Scotland with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
## **Board of Trustees**
The Board of Trustees (Board) is ultimately responsible for the overall control and strategic direction of the charity and for the protection of its assets. Day-to-day responsibility for running the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team.
The trustees are also directors under company law and are our company members. They are appointed by the Board for a term of three years and normally serve a maximum of three terms. The trustees all give their time to the Charity on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration. Out-of-pocket expenses may be reimbursed. Details of directors’ expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 17 to the accounts.
We welcomed three new trustees in March 2025 – our new Chair, Carolyn Bradley, along with Lizzie Emilion and Kimberley Mitchell. Rob Halkyard stood down as a trustee in March 2025 and Alex Hyde-Parker in June 2025.
## **Trustee Induction and Training**
The Charity has a written role description for trustees. Prospective candidates generally submit a CV and a letter of application and are then interviewed. In recruiting new trustees, the Board looks for individuals with skills, experience and connections of value to the Charity and which are not represented amongst the existing trustees. All new trustees undertake an induction programme, along with ongoing opportunities for training and meeting our beneficiaries.
## **How the Board works**
The Board meets at least three times a year, with additional meetings arranged if needed. There are also regular strategy days to help trustees and the executive team focus in more depth on the charity’s long-term strategic direction. The trustees have adopted a hybrid way of working, with Board meetings held in person and committee meetings held virtually. Decisions and actions may also be agreed by email between meetings when appropriate.
## **Board committees**
The Board has delegated specific responsibilities to its committees, each of which has detailed terms of reference and reports to the Board. The remit of the committees is reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to work effectively. Terms of reference were last reviewed and updated in November 2024. Each of the committees meets at least three times a year. Their work is summarised below.
The **Finance and Investment Committee** ensures that the Charity’s financial obligations are met and that RDMCC operates within legal and financial guidelines and legislation. It monitors financial performance and budget; reviews our reserves strategy and policy; advises the Board on the financial implications and risks of the Charity’s strategic and policy objectives; ensures that adequate financial controls and policies are in place; and advises the Board on appointment of auditors. In March 2025 the committee undertook a review of the charity’s audit arrangements and, following a thorough tender exercise, the Board appointed Saffery LLP as the charity’s new auditors. The Finance & Investment committee also recommends investment strategies and
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
policies to the Board and monitors the performance of investment managers and the Charity’s investments.
The **Fundraising and Communications Committee** focuses on fundraising, marketing and communications. It oversees strategies, plans and performance in each of these areas and provides advice and input to specific projects and campaigns. It allows trustees to examine specific issues within these areas in more detail than is possible within a full Board meeting.
The purpose of the **Programmes Committee** is to monitor the Charity’s charitable programmes and expenditure and to provide trustee input into potential future programme initiatives. The committee also holds particular responsibility for overseeing the Charity’s safeguarding policy. Safeguarding is a standing item at every Board meeting.
The **Human Resources and Governance Committee** covers issues relating to the Charity’s employees, including developing and approving strategic HR activities and policies, monitoring HR activities and equity, diversity and inclusion to ensure alignment with best practice, and reviewing staffing levels and salaries in line with budgets and operational requirements. The committee also advises the Board on governance arrangements, including ensuring that the Charity complies with its legal obligations and its governing document and is aligned to the Code of Good Governance. The committee also leads on trustee recruitment, making appointment recommendations to the Board. This includes undertaking skills audits of the Board to identify any additional specific areas of expertise that may be needed.
## **Related Parties and Co-operation with Other Organisations**
None of our trustees receive remuneration or other benefit from their work with the Charity. Any connection between a trustee or senior manager of the charity with a supplier or partner of any kind must be disclosed to the full Board of trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party. In the current year no such related party transactions were reported.
## **Pay Policy for Senior Staff**
Remuneration for the senior leadership team is reviewed annually as with other employees. For this financial year, senior salary increases were based on inflation rises only, in line with all colleagues.
There is also a pay grading policy in place which allows staff to move up an incremental scale.
## **Risk Management**
The Board of RDMCC and the Executive both consider risks facing the charity and what it can do to mitigate them. Risk Registers are reviewed at every Board and committee meeting. Principal risks and response to them are:
- Reputational risk. The success of our charity is dependent upon the good name of the Roald Dahl “brand”. The Board and Executive ensure, therefore, that all new initiatives are properly thought through and that they are in keeping with brand values. The Charity liaises closely with other Roald Dahl organisations, including the Roald Dahl Story Company Limited.
- Financial Risk. Our sources of finance are presented above and in our detailed accounts. Charitable expenditure is often committed for a considerable period, up to two years, and every effort is made to match income to our expenditure. However, as many grant-making Trusts will only commit for one year in advance, this is not always possible, and we have been obliged to commit reserves to ensure that expenditure commitments are met. Apart from committing reserves, the Board is also keen to increase the extent of individual and community giving so that future income is more predictable.
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
- Counterparty risk. The Charity’s principal partners are NHS Trusts. Our current partnering model requires beneficiary trusts to commit funding for new posts for 2-3 years after the end of the Charity’s funding period. Whilst most Trusts are very willing in principle to do this, financial pressures on them mean that they are not always able to provide such a commitment. The Board and Executive is aware of this and are working with NHS Trusts to find funding formulae that satisfy both parties.
## **Public benefit**
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.
## **Trustees' responsibilities statement**
The trustees (who are also directors of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law 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 charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP);
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
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**Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **Statement of disclosure to Auditor**
In so far as the trustees are aware:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware; and
- the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
## **Auditor**
In accordance with the company’s articles, a resolution proposing that Saffery LLP be appointed as auditor of the company will put to the company members for approval.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The trustees’ report was approved by the Board of Trustees and was signed on its behalf by:
Carolyn Bradley Chair
30[th] June .2025
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**INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ROALD DAHL’S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN’S CHARITY**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cashflows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is 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).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the charitable company’s state of affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
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**INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ROALD DAHL’S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN’S CHARITY**
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
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**INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ROALD DAHL’S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN’S CHARITY**
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement set out on page 13, the trustees (who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative to do so.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed as auditors under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with regulations made under that Act.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are detailed below.
## Identifying and assessing risks related to irregularities:
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement and how fraud might occur, including through discussions with the trustees, discussions within our audit team planning meeting, updating our record of internal controls and ensuring these controls operated as intended. We evaluated possible incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements. We identified laws and regulations that are of significance in the context of the charitable company by discussions with trustees and updating our understanding of the sector in which the charitable company operates.
Laws and regulations of direct significance in the context of the charitable company include The Companies Act 2006, and guidance issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
17
**INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ROALD DAHL’S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN’S CHARITY**
Audit response to risks identified:
We considered the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items including a review of financial statement disclosures. We reviewed the charitable company’s records of breaches of laws and regulations, minutes of meetings and correspondence with relevant authorities to identify potential material misstatements arising. We discussed the charitable company’s policies and procedures for compliance with laws and regulations with members of management responsible for compliance.
During the planning meeting with the audit team, the engagement partner drew attention to the key areas which might involve non-compliance with laws and regulations or fraud. We enquired of management whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations or knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud. We addressed the risk of fraud through management override of controls by testing the appropriateness of journal entries and identifying any significant transactions that were unusual or outside the normal course of business. We assessed whether judgements made in making accounting estimates gave rise to a possible indication of management bias. At the completion stage of the audit, the engagement partner’s review included ensuring that the team had approached their work with appropriate professional scepticism and thus the capacity to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations and fraud.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. 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 is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
## **Other matters which we are required to address**
The financial statements for the Charity for the Year ended 31 March 2024 were audited by different auditor, who issued an unqualified opinion on those statements on 15 November 2024.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
18
**INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ROALD DAHL’S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN’S CHARITY**
………………………………………
Andrew Watkinson Senior Statutory Auditor For and on Behalf of Saffery LLP Date: ……………… Statutory Auditors St John’s Court Easton Street High Wycombe HP11 1JX
Saffery LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006
19
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 INCORPORATING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT**
|**Notes**
**Income**
Donations
**3**
Investment income
**4**
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Raising funds
**5**
Charitable activities
**6**
Provisions
**15**
**Total Expenditure**
**Net gains/(losses) on**
**investments**
**10**
**Transfer between funds**
**Net Movement in Funds**
**Fund Balances carried forward**
**at 31st March 2025**
Fund Balances brought forward at 1 April 2024
**Net (outgoing) /income before transfer**
**between funds**|**£**
**544,083**
**6,536**
**550,619**
**-**
**1,085,580**
**1,200**
**1,086,780**
**-**
**( 536,161)**
**293,983**
**( 242,178)**
**473,522**
**231,344**
**Unrestricted**
**(General) Fund**|**£**
**449,377**
**303,113**
**752,490**
**477,347**
**305,517**
**-**
**782,864**
**( 254,976)**
**( 285,350)**
**( 293,983)**
**( 579,333)**
**10,083,454**
**9,504,121**
**Restricted Fund**|**£**
**993,460**
**309,649**
**1,303,109**
**477,347**
**1,391,097**
**1,200**
**1,869,644**
**( 254,976)**
**( 821,511)**
**-**
**( 821,511)**
**10,556,976**
**9,735,465**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**(Note 20)**
**£**
**10,968,131**
**254,511**
**11,222,642**
**465,165**
**1,275,179**
**1,200**
**1,741,544**
**563,937**
**10,045,035**
**-**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**10,045,035**
**511,941**|
|||||**10,556,976**|
All income and expenditure are derived from continuing operations. The comparative information for the year ended 31st March 2024 is shown in Note 20. The notes on pages 23 to 31 form part of these financial statements.
20
## **ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST MARCH 2025**
||||**31st March 2025**|||**31st March 2024**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**£**|**£**||**£**||**£**|
|**Fixed Assets**||||||||
|Fixed assets|11|||5,331
|||6,294|
|Investments|12||9,636,465
||||10,316,439|
|Total Fixed assets|||9,641,796
||||10,322,733|
|**Current Assets**||||||||
|Debtors|13||229,272|||108,131||
|Cash at bank and in hand|||606,255||1,034,435|||
||||835,527||1,142,566|||
|**Liabilities:**|14|(599|599,266)|||(689,544)||
|**Net Current Assets**||||236,262|||453,022|
|**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**|||9,878,058||||10,775,755|
|**Liabilities:**|14||( 142,592)|( 142,592)|||(218,779)|
|**Net Assets**|16||9,735,465||||10,556,976|
|**Income Funds**||||||||
|Restricted|19||9,504,121||||10,083,454|
|Unrestricted|19|||231,344|||473,522|
|**Total Funds**|||9,735,465||||10,556,976|
The Trustees have prepared financial statements in accordance with Section 398 of the Companies Act 2006 and Section 138 of the Charities Act 2011. These financial statements are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act relating to small companies and constitute the annual financial statements required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
Approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on 30th June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
## **Carolyn Bradley**
Company Registration Number: 07340518
The notes on pages 23 to 31 form part of these financial statements.
21
## **ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025**
|Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation
Net loss/(gain) on investments
Investment income
Decrease/(Increase) in debtors
Increase/(Decrease) in creditors
**Net cash from operating income**
**Investing activities**
Purchase of fixed assets
Purchase of investments
Sale of investments
Investment income
Cash flow from investing activities
**Net change in cash and cash equivalents**
**Cash and cash equivalents at start of year**
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**|**£**
**£**
£
£
( 821,511)
10,045,035
3,433
3,866
254,976
( 563,937)
(309,649)
(254,511)
( 51,240)
( 814,582)
( 121,141)
( 67,949)
(166,465)
(45,046)
( 287,606)
( 112,995)
( 1,160,357)
9,117,458
( 2,470)
( 3,645)
-
( 10,000,000)
425,000
250,000
309,649
254,511
732,179
(9,499,134)
( 428,178)
( 381,676)
1,034,435
1,416,111
606,257
1,034,435
**31st March 2025**
**31st March 2024**|**£**
**£**
£
£
( 821,511)
10,045,035
3,433
3,866
254,976
( 563,937)
(309,649)
(254,511)
( 51,240)
( 814,582)
( 121,141)
( 67,949)
(166,465)
(45,046)
( 287,606)
( 112,995)
( 1,160,357)
9,117,458
( 2,470)
( 3,645)
-
( 10,000,000)
425,000
250,000
309,649
254,511
732,179
(9,499,134)
( 428,178)
( 381,676)
1,034,435
1,416,111
606,257
1,034,435
**31st March 2025**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||9,117,458
(9,499,134)|
|||( 381,676)
1,416,111|
|||1,034,435|
The notes on pages 23 to 31 form part of these financial statements.
22
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025**
## _**1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**_
## **Basis of accounting**
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity is a Charity registered in England & Wales. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 4 of these financial statements.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard 102 applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective from 1st January 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest pound.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
## **Going Concern**
The Charity's Financial Statements show a net deficit of £821,511 for the year (2024 net surplus – £10,045,035) and free reserves £226,014 (note 16) (2024 - £452,817) as at the year end. The Directors and Trustees consider it prudent to maintain an adequate level of unrestricted reserves to cover the charity’s contractual commitments and provide sufficient working capital and have set this at a minimum of between three to six months expenditure. As at the year end, financial statements showed reserves of £9,735,465 (2024 - £10,556,976), of which £9,504,121 (note 19) (2024 - £10,083,454) was restricted.
Trustees will continue to monitor and ensure that spending is in line with income in order to maintain reserves at or above the minimum level of between three to six months’ unrestricted expenditure. The review of forecast cashflow for the 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements, considered the relevant assumptions that underpin the forecast, the pipeline of new income and the steps that could be taken to reduce expenditure should this be necessary to enable the charity to continue its activities for the foreseeable future.
Based on the information above, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future and will remain in surplus in future periods. Therefore, the trustees have adopted the going concern basis in preparing these accounts.
## **Basis of consolidation**
As described in Note 12, RDF Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary undertaking, has not been consolidated in these financial statements on the basis of materiality.
## **Income**
Income is recognised in the period in which the charity is legally entitled to the income, the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy and the receipt of which is more likely than not. Investment income and income from fundraising are included on a receivable basis.
## **Grants made**
Grants made to individuals and institutions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities when they have been authorised by the Trustees and communicated to the recipients before the year end.
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis. Costs unattributable to a specific area of activity are allocated to the Statement of Financial Activities on the basis of staff time spent in relation to the respective area of activity. Cost of generating funds comprises fundraising expenditure and donor recruitment costs. Charitable activities expenditure includes grants made in support of the charity's objectives with associated support costs. Governance costs are those costs relating to compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## **Investments**
Quoted investments are included at market value at balance sheet date. Unquoted investments are included at cost.
## **Fixed Assets**
Depreciation is provided on computer equipment on a straight line basis over 3 years in order to write off the original cost of each asset, less any expected residual value, over estimated useful life. Depreciation on additions is charged from the date of purchase. Assets are only capitalised where they cost £100 or more.
## **Realised and unrealised gains/losses on investments**
Realised gains/losses on the disposal of investments are calculated by reference to the market value of those investments at the start of the accounting period or, if purchased during the accounting period, the cost of acquisition. Unrealised gains/losses reflect the increase/decrease in value during the accounting period of investments held throughout that period or in the case of investments purchased during the accounting period and still held at the end of the period, the increase/decrease in value compared to their acquisition cost.
## **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.
23
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025**
## _**1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)**_
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments.
## **Creditors**
Creditors and provisions are recognised when the charitable company has a legal or constructive present obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that the charitable company will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.
Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **Fund Accounting**
General funds are unrestricted funds used for furthering the objects of the charity. The designated capital fund is an expendable endowment. The Charity receives monies that are subject to specific conditions imposed by the donor and these are treated as restricted funds. Such income and related expenditure is separately identified in the Statement of Financial Activities and restricted funds are recorded on the Balance Sheet. See Note 2 for further details.
## **Pensions**
The Charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.
## **Taxation**
The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.
## **Operating leases**
All leases are operating leases, and rentals are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight-line basis over the lease duration. No assets are held under hire purchase agreements.
## **Critical accounting estimates and judgements**
In the application of the charitable company’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The company makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are addressed below.
## (i) Useful economic lives of tangible assets
The annual depreciation charge for tangible assets are sensitive to changes in the estimated useful economic lives and residual values of the assets. The useful economic lives and residual values are re-assessed annually. They are amended when necessary. 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 where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
## (ii) Allocation of shared cost between multiple activities
Support costs relate to those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly relate to charitable activities. Support costs include back-office costs, premises, payroll and governance costs which support the charity’s programmes and activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities. All the general support and governance costs are allocated to activities at different percentages, on the basis of staff time relating to each activity.
## (iii) Gift in kind and donated services
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.
24
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**2. INCOME FUNDS**_
The charity has a number of restricted funds which are restricted by the donor for specific purposes or where funds have been raised for a specific purpose which are communicated to donors. All other funds are unrestricted funds. The Trustees consider that those funds represented by tangible fixed assets for use by the charity are not freely available and, therefore, this value is held in designated funds. The balance of the unrestricted reserve (undesignated funds) of £231,344 (note 19) is in line with the charity's reserve policy. See page 10 of the Report of the Trustees for detail of the charity's reserve policy.
|**_DONATIONS_**
Donations and gifts
Income from fundraising (see below
Corporate Partnerships
Trusts and Foundations
Major donors - individuals
School Events
Challenge & Sporting Events
Individual giving
Legacies
Special Events
General community
Value in kind|**Unrestricted**
**£**
**-**
)
**544,083**
**544,083**
**£**
**178,171**
**36,950**
**17,305**
**7,807**
**105,786**
**86,677**
**-**
**11,904**
**1,726**
**97,756**
**544,083**|**Restricted**
**£**
**-**
**449,377**
**449,377**
**£**
**124,510**
**288,896**
**11,169**
**-**
**-**
**12,514**
**-**
**-**
**12,288**
**-**
**449,377**|**Total**
**£**
**-**
**993,460**
**993,460**
**£**
**302,681**
**325,846**
**28,474**
**7,807**
**105,786**
**99,192**
**-**
**11,904**
**14,014**
**97,756**
**993,460**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**|**Unrestricted**
**£**
**-**
**559,911**
**559,911**
**£**
**159,090**
**113,266**
**50,074**
**6,989**
**67,468**
**55,684**
**4,219**
**56,916**
**11,713**
**34,492**
**559,911**|**Restricted**
**£**
**10,000,000**
**408,220**
**10,408,220**
**£**
**7,600**
**364,540**
**3,000**
**-**
**-**
**22,837**
**-**
**7,730**
**2,513**
**-**
**408,220**|**Total**
**£**
**10,000,000**
**968,131**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**10,968,131**|
|||||||**£**
**166,690**
**477,806**
**53,074**
**6,989**
**67,468**
**78,521**
**4,219**
**64,646**
**14,226**
**34,492**|
|||||||**968,131**|
## _**3. DONATIONS**_
Value in kind - in the year the charity received services: assistance in creation of SNOMED CT code for use within the NHS, legal and professional support, accommodation for those attending our annual Clarence House event and other miscellaneous items. The combined benefit to the charity has been estimated at £97,756 (2024 £34,492). The values placed on this contribution is recognised within income as donations, and corresponding charges included within governance costs (£3,420), cost of raising funds (£6,601), and expenditure of charitable activities (£87,735).
|**_INVESTMENT INCOME_**
**Unrestricted**
**£**
Investment income
**0**
Bank and brokers' interest
**6,535**
**6,536**|**Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**303,113**
**303,113**
**-**
**6,535**
**303,113**
**309,649**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**|**Unrestricted**
**£**
**11,910**
**14,760**
**26,670**|**Restricted**
**£**
**227,841**
**-**
**227,841**|**Total**
**£**
**239,751**
**14,760**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**254,511**|
## _**4. INVESTMENT INCOME**_
Income from the investment was wholly unrestricted and from UK investments.
|**_COST OF RAISING FUNDS_**
**Unrestricted**
**£**
Direct costs
**-**
Donor recruitment
**-**
Staff Costs
**-**
Consultants
**-**
Special events
**-**
Support costs (note 8)
**-**
**-**|**Restricted**
**£**
**53,346**
**2,968**
**329,176**
**18,171**
**14,331**
**59,355**
**477,347**|**Total**
**£**
**53,346**
**2,968**
**329,176**
**18,171**
**14,331**
**59,355**
**477,347**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**|**Unrestricted**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Restricted**
**£**
**52,657**
**896**
**299,610**
**30,574**
**18,933**
**62,495**
**465,165**|**Total**
**£**
**52,657**
**896**
**299,610**
**30,574**
**18,933**
**62,495**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**465,165**|
## _**5. COST OF RAISING FUNDS**_
25
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
|**_6. EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES_**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**£**
**£**
Roald Dahl Nurses (see below)
**452,241**
**17,644**
Training and development
**29,433**
**19,000**
Roald Dahl Nurses' conference
**32,655**
**3,000**
Inventing Room
**17,648**
**2,760**
Family support
**47,168**
**4,266**
Support costs (note 8)
**66,296**
**-**
Staff Costs
**317,841**
**-**
Direct Costs
**120,066**
**-**
Depreciation (see note 11)
**3,433**
**-**
Governance costs (see note 7)
**-**
**258,846**
**1,086,780**
**305,517**
**£**
**£**
**Roald Dahl Nurses**
Commitments at 1st April 2024
**357,523**
**411,559**
Payments made in the period:
**( 209,975)**
**( 411,559)**
New Roald Dahl Nurse appointments
**452,241**
**17,644**
Commitments at 31st March 2025
**599,790**
**17,644**
**_7. GOVERNANCE COSTS_**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**£**
**£**
Payment to auditors - audit
**-**
**14,800**
Consultants
**-**
**7,717**
Legal and professional fees
**-**
**12,480**
Investment management fees
**-**
**54,168**
Staff Costs
**-**
**81,105**
Staff recruitment
**-**
**45,297**
Other expenses
**-**
**3,859**
Support costs (note 8)
**-**
**39,419**
**-**
**258,846**
**_8. SUPPORT COSTS_**
Staff costs
Premises
Office
Staff costs
Premises
Office|**Total**
**£**
**469,885**
**48,433**
**35,655**
**20,408**
**51,434**
**66,296**
**317,841**
**120,066**
**3,433**
**258,846**
**1,392,297**
**£**
**769,082**
**( 621,534)**
**469,885**
**617,433**
**Total**
**£**
**14,800**
**7,717**
**12,480**
**54,168**
**81,105**
**45,297**
**3,859**
**39,419**
**258,846**
**£**
**38,170**
**10,047**
**11,138**
**59,355**
**£**
**36,615**
**13,225**
**12,655**
**62,495**
**Cost of**
**Raising Funds**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**
**Cost of**
**Raising Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**£**
**201,020**
**76,874**
**2,669**
**15,465**
**19,942**
**61,135**
**354,560**
**40,375**
**3,869**
**-**
**775,909**
**£**
**420,797**
**( 59,261)**
**201,020**
**562,556**
**Unrestricted**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**£**
**30,536**
**19,333**
**16,427**
**66,296**
**£**
**29,165**
**21,123**
**18,639**
**68,926**
**Charitable**
**Activities**
**Charitable**
**Activities**|**Restricted**
**£**
**206,526**
**12,885**
**14,525**
**12,086**
**-**
**7,791**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**245,457**
**499,270**
**£**
**411,559**
**( 411,559)**
**206,526**
**206,526**
**Restricted**
**£**
**6,968**
**6,445**
**18,744**
**54,122**
**77,045**
**48,594**
**5,622**
**27,916**
**245,457**
**£**
**7,634**
**10,557**
**21,228**
**39,419**
**£**
**7,291**
**9,735**
**10,890**
**27,916**
**Governance**
**Governance**|**Total**
**£**
**407,546**
**89,759**
**17,194**
**27,551**
**19,942**
**68,926**
**354,560**
**40,375**
**3,869**
**245,457**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**1,275,179**|
|||||**£**
**832,356**
**( 470,820)**
**407,546**|
|||||**769,082**|
|||||**Total**
**£**
**6,968**
**6,445**
**18,744**
**54,122**
**77,045**
**48,594**
**5,622**
**27,916**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|||||**245,457**|
|||||**Total**
**£**
**76,340**
**39,937**
**48,793**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2025**|
|||||**165,070**|
|||||**Total**
**£**
**73,071**
**44,082**
**42,184**
**Year ended**
**31st March**
**2024**|
|||||**159,337**|
Support costs are allocated on the basis of time spent on each activity.
26
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**9. STAFF COSTS**_
|**_STAFF COSTS_**|||
|---|---|---|
|
The average number of employees during the period was 14.5 FTE (2024 15.7 FTE).
Management and administration
Direct charitable activities
Fundraising
£60,000 - £69,999
£70,000 - £79,999
£90,000 - £99,999
£100,000 - £109,999
Salaries
Employers NI
Pension
Total Staff Costs
The number of employees whose emoluments, excluding pension contributions,
fell within the following bands is:
The average number of employees by department was:|**Number**
5
4
6
**Number**
1
1
1
-
**£**
**668,094**
**71,680**
**67,700**
**807,474**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**Number**
8
5
3
**Number**
1
1
-
1
**£**
**668,230**
**66,253**
**65,510**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**799,993**|
No remuneration was paid to the trustees in the year (2024: none). Total expenses of £556 (2024: £1,718) was paid on behalf of two (2024: three) trustees for travel. Key management comprises the Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer, Director of Finance & HR, Director of Programmes, and Director of Development. In the year total remuneration paid to key management (4 employees) amounted to £354,831 (2024: £346,555; 4 employees).
## _**10. NET GAINS ON INVESTMENTS**_
|**_._**
Unrealised (loss)/gains
**_. FIXED ASSETS_**
**COST**
As at 1st April 2024
Additions
Balance at 31st March 2025
**DEPRECIATION**
As at 1st April 2024
Charged in year
Balance at 31st March 2025
**NBV at 31st March 2025**
**NBV at 31st March 2024**|**£**
**( 254,976)**
**( 254,976)**
**Computer**
**equipment**
**£**
**33,629**
**2,470**
**36,099**
**( 27,335)**
**( 3,433)**
**( 30,768)**
**5,331**
**6,294**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**£**
**563,937**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||**563,937**|
|||**Total**
**£**
**33,629**
**2,470**|
|||**36,099**|
|||**( 27,335)**
**( 3,433)**|
|||**( 30,768)**|
|||**5,331**|
|||**6,294**|
## _**11. FIXED ASSETS**_
27
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**12. INVESTMENTS**_
|**_INVESTMENTS_**|||
|---|---|---|
|**_._**
Quoted investments
Unquoted investments at cost|**£**
**9,633,963**
**2,502**
**9,636,465**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**£**
**10,313,937**
**2,502**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**10,316,439**|
## **Quoted Investments**
Quoted investments are managed on a discretionary basis as segregated portfolios by the charity’s investment manager.
The investment assets (including cash held for investment purposes) are held with the overall intention of retaining them for the long-term (namely, as fixed assets) for the continuing benefit of the charity in the form of income and capital appreciation.
Consequently, this note does not show the movement of individual investment transactions executed by the investment manager within their portfolio. Instead, the movement in the value of the portfolio is analysed to show new funds introduced to or funds withdrawn from the portfolio, together with revaluations reflecting changes in market values.
|Market value at 1 April
Additions
Cash withdrawn from portfolio
Net unrealised (loss)/gains
**Market value at 31 March**
**Historical cost at 31 March**
**Represented by:**
**Liquidity**
Cash
United Kingdom
Overseas
**Equities:**
Fixed Income
United Kingdom
USA
Europe
Japan
Asia
Emerging Market
Private Equity
**Diversifiers:**
Infrastructure Funds
Property Funds
Property Closed Ended Fund
Commodities (Non-Cyclical)
Actively Managed Strategies|**£**
**10,313,937**
**-**
**( 425,000)**
**( 254,976)**
**9,633,961**
**9,235,295**
**719,999**
**1,339,861**
**-**
**-**
**1,374,579**
**3,511,162**
**582,009**
**172,690**
**215,065**
**254,086**
**-**
**674,995**
**178,860**
**318,640**
**-**
**292,015**
**9,633,961**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**£**
**-**
**10,000,000**
**( 250,000)**
**563,937**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||**10,313,937**|
|||**9,709,818**|
|||**792,965**
**812,696**
**169,575**
**270,791**
**1,699,231**
**3,224,925**
**825,246**
**198,275**
**147,765**
**273,092**
**45,954**
**872,945**
**178,140**
**265,100**
**222,040**
**315,197**|
|||**10,313,937**|
## **Measurement of fair values:**
The company uses the following hierarchy to estimate the fair value of investments held:
Prices for quoted securities are mid-market closing prices provided by the London Stock Exchange (and other equivalent investment exchanges where relevant).
Unit trusts and collective investments show mid-market prices at the last valuation point prior to the period end.
Prices for unquoted and illiquid securities are obtained from external sources.
28
**ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**12. INVESTMENTS (continued)**_
## **Unquoted Investment**
The unquoted investments represents the whole of the issued share capital of RDF Limited £2 (Reg. no. 02740316) and Marvellous Trading Limited £2,500 (Reg. no. 09597577). Marvellous Trading Limited has been dormant since incorporation, 19th May 2015. The principal activity of RDF Limited is to maintain a musical library of Roald Dahl's works. The subsidiary undertaking's audited financial 'statements have been filed with the Registrar of Companies.
RDF Ltd.'s audited financial statements for the year ending 5 April are summarised below:
|Profit and loss:
Turnover
Cost of sales
Administrative expenses
Dividend paid
Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities and retained (loss)/profit for the year
Balance sheet:
Net current assets
Liabilities due after more than one year
Net assets|**£**
**5,907**
**(92)**
**(1,007)**
**(8,500)**
**(3,692)**
**£**
**850**
**(12)**
**838**
**Year ended**
**5th April 2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**£**
**3,917**
**(137)**
**(3,752)**
**(15,000)**
**Year ended**
**5th April 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||**(14,972)**|
|||**£**
**8,042**
**(3,512)**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**4,530**|
The subsidiary has not been consolidated into the financial statements of the Charity on the grounds of materiality.
## _**13. DEBTORS**_
|**_._**
Trading account with subsidiary
Trading deposits deposit
Prepayments and accrued income
Accrued income
**_. LIABILITIES_**
**Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year**
Grants committed
Accounts payable
Pension
Other taxes and social security costs
Sundry creditors
**Liabilities: amounts falling due after one year**
Grants Committed
Dilapidation provision (see note 15)
**Grants Committed**
Amounts falling within one year
Amounts falling after one year
Total Grants Committed|**£**
**12**
**5,431**
**28,536**
**195,293**
**229,272**
**£**
**480,289**
**50,577**
**5,520**
**16,720**
**46,160**
**599,266**
**£**
**137,145**
**5,447**
**142,592**
**£**
**480,289**
**137,145**
**617,434**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**£**
**10,554**
**4,593**
**27,984**
**65,000**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|
|||**108,131**|
|||**£**
**554,551**
**51,351**
**5,776**
**21,934**
**55,932**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**689,544**|
|||**£**
**214,532**
**4,247**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**218,779**|
|||**£**
**554,551**
**214,532**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**769,083**|
## _**14. LIABILITIES**_
29
## **ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**15. PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES**_
|**_PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES_**|||
|---|---|---|
|As at 1st April
Additions during the year
Utilised
Movement in the year
As at 31st March|**Dilapidation**
**£**
**4,247**
**1,200**
**-**
**1,200**
**5,447**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2025**|**Dilapidation**
**£**
**3,047**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|||**1,200**
**-**|
|||**1,200**|
|||**4,247**|
The dilapidation provision relates to the lease on the Charity's offices.
## _**16. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**_
|Fund balances at 31st March 2025 are represented by:
Investments and fixed assets
Current assets
Liabilities
Total funds
Fund balances at 31st March 2024 were represented by:
Investments and fixed assets
Current assets
Liabilities
Total funds|**£**
**-**
**226,014**
**-**
**226,014**
**£**
**14,412**
**452,817**
**-**
**467,229**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**£**
**9,638,967**
**609,513**
**( 741,858)**
**9,506,622**
**£**
**10,302,027**
**205**
**( 218,779)**
**10,083,453**
**Restricted Funds**
**Restricted Funds**|**£**
**5,331**
**-**
**-**
**5,331**
**£**
**6,294**
**-**
**-**
**6,294**
**Designated**
**Fixed Asset Fund**
**Designated**
**Fixed Asset Fund**|**£**
**9,641,796**
**835,527**
**( 741,858)**
**Total net**
**assets**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**9,735,465**|
|||||**£**
**10,322,733**
**453,022**
**( 218,779)**
**Total net**
**assets**|
|||||**10,556,976**|
## _**17. TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES**_
Trustee Expenses of £556 (2024 £1,718) were reimbursed to trustees.
Three Trustees (2024: 0) made donations of £972 during the year (2024: nil), there were no transactions with related parties.
One patron of the charity is chair of the Fantastic Peach Foundation
## _**18. OPERATING LEASES**_
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**_. OPERATING LEASES_**|**At 31st March 2025**|||**At 31st March 2024**|||
||**Land & Buildings**|**other**||**Land & Buildings**|**Other**||
|Commitment on leases expiring within|**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**||
|<1 year|**12,450**||**1,300**|**24,900**||**822**|
|Within 2 - 5 years|**-**||**4,550**|**14,525**||**480**|
30
## **ROALD DAHL'S MARVELLOUS CHILDREN'S CHARITY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025 (continued)**
## _**19. ANALYSIS OF FUNDS**_
|Unrestricted funds
General funds
Designated Funds:
Fixed asset fund
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds:**
Nurse Programme
Core costs
Digital enhancement
Training & Development
Conference
Appeal and special projects
**Total restricted funds**
**Total funds**|**£**
**467,228**
**6,294**
**473,522**
**-**
**9,567,446**
**4,098**
**-**
**-**
**511,910**
**10,083,454**
**10,556,976**
**At 31st March**
**2024**|**£**
**550,619**
**-**
**550,619**
**321,627**
**313,109**
**60,000**
**19,000**
**3,000**
**35,754**
**752,490**
**1,303,109**
**Income and gains**
**on investments**|**£**
**( 1,086,780)**
**-**
**( 1,086,780)**
**( 17,644)**
**( 991,169)**
**( 1,872)**
**( 19,000)**
**( 3,000)**
**( 5,155)**
**( 1,037,840)**
**( 2,124,620)**
**Expenditure and**
**losses on**
**investments**|**£**
**294,946**
**( 963)**
**293,983**
**( 293,983)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**( 293,983)**
**-**
**Transfers**|**£**
**226,013**
**5,331**
**At 31st March**
**2025**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**231,344**|
||||||**10,000**
**8,889,386**
**62,226**
**-**
**-**
**542,509**|
||||||**9,504,121**|
||||||**9,735,465**|
**Nurse Programme:** This programme is there to establish new Roald Dahl Specialist Nurses posts who support children and young people living with complex lifelong conditions, with the aim to improve their healthcare outcomes and resilience. Of the £321.6k restricted income £115k came from Alexion Pharma (UK) Ltd towards the appointment of Roald Dahl Nurses.
**Core costs:** The charity is fortunate that the Fantastic Peach Foundation grant of £9.5million was given with the sole purpose of covering the core costs of it's fundraising and administrative departments.
**Digital enhancement:** The **Digital Services Consortium** (an alliance of charities) provided funding for the creation of a peer support group for children, young people and their families.
**Training and development:** the fund together with unrestricted funds is there to offer opportunities to our nurses to improve their clinical skills, strengthen their leadership skills, to expand their peer network, and to further service improvements.
**Conference:** a donation kindly provided to finance the Roald Dahl Nurses conference that due to covid-19 was deferred.
**Appeal and special projects:** The charity is fortunate that the Fantastic Peach Foundation grant of £0.5million was given to enable the charity to consider special projects also includes Sickle Cell Board Game and Marvellous Spaces.
|**_. ANALYSIS BY FUNDS FOR 2024_**
**Income**
Donations
Investment income
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Cost of raising funds
Expenditure on charitable activities
Provisions
**Total Expenditure**
**Net gains on investments**
**Reconciliation of Funds:**
Fund Balances brought forward at 1st April 2023
**Fund Balances carried forward at 31st March 2024**
**Net movement in funds**
**Net (outgoing) /income before transfers**
**between funds**
**Transfers between funds**|**£**
**559,911**
**26,670**
**586,581**
**-**
**775,909**
**1,200**
**777,109**
**( 190,528)**
**266,093**
**75,565**
**397,957**
**473,522**
**Unrestricted**
**(General) Fund**|**£**
**10,408,220**
**227,841**
**10,636,061**
**465,165**
**499,270**
**-**
**964,435**
**563,937**
**10,235,563**
**( 266,093)**
**9,969,470**
**113,984**
**10,083,454**
**Restricted Fund**|**£**
**10,968,131**
**254,511**
**Year ended**
**31st March 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**11,222,642**|
||||**465,165**
**1,275,179**
**1,200**|
||||**1,741,544**|
||||**563,937**|
||||**10,045,035**
**-**|
||||**10,045,035**
**511,941**|
||||**10,556,976**|
## _**20. ANALYSIS BY FUNDS FOR 2024**_
## _**21. SHARE CAPITAL**_
The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital divided by shares.
## _**22. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY**_
The charity was under the control of the Board of Trustees throughout the year.
31