North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 


# **ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS** FOR YEAR THE YEAR ENDED 31 ST MARCH 2024 

Charity Number: 1147282 


Charity Number: 1147282 

1 



North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

## **CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

|Chairman‘s report|**3**|
|---|---|
|Key facts|**4**|
|Trustees’ report|**5-7**|
|Independent Examiners report|**8**|
|Statement of Financial Activities|**9**|
|Balance sheet|**10**|
|Notes to the financial statements|**11-13**|




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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 Charity Number 1147282 

## **CHAIRMAN’S REPORT** 

The financial year ending 31st March 2024 saw the Charity continue to maintain momentum in fund raising while very efficiently deploying those funds in support our NHS Trust partners. 

While our overall donation amount fell year on year, this was anniversarying a very significant one off donation in the prior year from a deceased estate. Our underlying organic donations remain very healthy, and we are indebted to the activities of our volunteer fundraisers and to our generous donors. 


We continue to be proud of our expense management, with no donation income whatsoever spent on advertising or fund raiser incentivisation. Our Trustees and Chair received zero remuneration, and did not claim any expenses in the year. 

Our controllers who receive calls from our NHS partners continued to go above and beyond and provided 100% coverage for our shifts, enabling our riders and drivers to clock up over 208,000 miles in the year. We agreed to pilot the introduction of our four wheeled vehicle, an ex NHS Skoda Scout, which has ably supported the runs by our BMW and Honda motorcycle fleet. 

Our engagement with partners reached new levels in the year with productive relationships with local suppliers at Bowker BMW Motorrad and North West Honda. We were also highly supported by innumerable small and medium businesses across the region. 

Finally our Committee and Trustees worked effectively together to run the Charity in accordance with its constitution, and did so with wisdom and oversight. We are proud to have them on our board. 

We look forward to an even more successful year ending in 2025. 

**Colin Greene** Chair 

3 



North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

## Key Facts 2023-2024 

Figures from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 

## Deliveries completed 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
15,139<br>Total for the year<br>[Total deliveries completed since 2012]<br>138,776<br>344<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
344<br>members<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




## 13 bikes 208,898 miles covered 1 car 

## Charity Number 1147282 

## **Map of NW Trusts** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Southport &<br>Ormskirk Hospital<br>NHS trust<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


4 



North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

## Charity Number 1147282 

## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024** 

## **Board of Trustees** 

The trustees present their annual report and unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024. 

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)). 

The trustees who served during the year were as follows: 

Colin Greene (Chair) Haydn Williams Oliver John Steele 

Katherine Anne O’Connor MBE Adam Dennett 

## **Constitution** 

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity. The constitution was first adopted 25/01/2012 and last amended on 24[th] July 2022. 

The management of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected under the terms of the trust deed. 

## **Organisational structure** 

The Board consisted of five trustees at the year end and is responsible for key policy decisions and the effective governance of the organisation overall. The Committee takes care of the day to day running and legal requirements of the charity and the Members meet for a general meeting twice every year to discuss the direction and progression of the charity, especially projects and how they are benefitting the community. All projects and events are organised and taken into the community by volunteers who report back to the trustees on a regular basis. All members are subject to the overall jurisdiction of the Committee and the Committee’s interpretation of these rules. 

## **Recruitment and appointment of new board members** 

There were no changes in trustees since 31st March 2023. 

Trustees are appointed to reflect the skills required to support the Board and its range of activities. A minimum of three Trustees will form the Executive Committee and be elected by the Committee to the Board either through volunteers or people they have met whilst working in the community. Such recruitment is based on their individual skills and empathy for the subject. The Board provides appointees with a full orientation on the services provided, the decision-making processes of the charity and the roles and responsibilities of a trustee, including their legal obligations under applicable laws. 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

Charity Number 1147282 

## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024** 

## **Risk management** 

The trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that systems have been established to ensure that regular reports are produced and that necessary steps can be taken to address any issues arising. 

## **Review of the work of the charity 2023-2024** 

The charity commenced operations in May 2012 and now approaches its twelfth year of operation in 2024. As at 31 March 2024, the charity had completed 138,776 successful call outs since its inception, and is on course to break the 150,000 barrier in the 2024 full calendar year . Our riders, drivers and controllers handled 14520 call outs in the year to March 2024. 

## **Principal activities and objectives** 

To provide a free, but out of hours transport service to local NHS hospitals by carrying urgent and emergency blood, platelets, samples, donor breast milk, patient notes, theatre equipment, etc. In fact, anything that can be safely carried by motorcycle between hospitals that is urgently required. This service is provided primarily, but not exclusively, in the North West region of England. 

All our 344 volunteers are dedicated to helping the hospitals in and beyond our catchment area of 3,000 square miles, covering Lancashire and the South Lakes. We believe we are the largest and most active Blood Bike group in the United Kingdom. 

In the year ended 31 March 2024 we saved the NHS approximately £877,596. 

## **Financial Review** 

## **Public benefit** 

In setting out the charity’s objectives and planning of activities the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance and section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011. The trustees are confident that the charity offers services of real and practical use to the local population and therefore complies with the responsibility placed on all charities under the Charities Act 2011 to demonstrate a public benefit. 

The accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 are appended herewith. There were net incoming resources for the year of £11,024 (2023: incoming resources £62,434). Of this amount, £11,024 was unrestricted and none was restricted. 

## **Reserves** 

It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves of the charity, at levels which equate to an excess of its projected needs for the forthcoming year, thereby providing sufficient funds to cover management, administration and support costs and enable the ongoing development of projects. The trustees believe the net asset position is sufficient to satisfy such requirements although these levels of free reserves are reviewed on a regular basis. 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

Charity Number 1147282 

## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024** 

## **Reference and administrative details** 

**Registered charity number** : 1147282 

**Registered address** : North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Unit 5, Momentum Place, Momentum Business Park, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6EF 

**Independent examiner** : Mel Henry FCCA 

Ainsworths Limited, Charter House, Stansfield Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 9XY 

**Bankers** : HSBC Bank PLC. 

49A Fishergate, Preston, Lancashire PR1 8BH 

## **Statement of trustees’ responsibilities** 

Under charity law, the trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements for each financial year which show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the excess of income over expenditure for that period. 

In preparing these financial statements, generally accepted accounting practice entails that the trustees: 

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- state whether the recommendations of the Statement of Recommended Practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; 

- state whether the financial statements comply with the trust deed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and 

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue its activities. 

The trustees are required to act in accordance with the trust deed of the charity, within the framework of trust law.  They are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, sufficient to disclose at any time, with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the charity at that time, and to enable them to ensure that, where any statements of accounts are prepared by them under the Charities Act 2011 and the applicable Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, those statements of accounts comply with the requirements of regulations under those provisions.  The trustees also have a general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. 

## **Charity requirements** 

This report has been prepared in accordance with requirements set down by the Charities SORP (FRS 102). 

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 14[th] January 2024 and signed on its behalf by: 


..................................... 

Colin Greene (Chair) 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

Charity Number 1147282 

## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER REPORT TO THE MEMBERS** 

I report on the accounts of the North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes for the year ended 31st March 2024, which are set out on pages 9 to 13. 

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** 

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. 

Having satisfied that the Charity is not subject to an audit under section 144(2) of the 2011 Act and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to: - 

- Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; 

- To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and 

## **Independent examiner’s statement** 

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 

   1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements: 

      - a. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and 

      - b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or 

   2. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

- To state whether particular matters have come to my attention. 

## **M Henry FCCA** 

## **Basis of independent examiner’s statement** 

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioner. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and the seeking of explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. 

Ainsworths Limited, Chartered Accountants, Charter House, Stansfield Street, NELSON. BB9 9XY 


**Signed:** 

**Date:   14[th] January 2025** 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 

## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** 

## **For the year ended 31st March 2024** 

|**Notes**|**2024**||**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||£||£|
|**Incoming resources**||||
|<br>Charitable activities<br>**2**|**133,995**||192,241|
|||||
|**Total incoming resources**|**133,995**||192,241|
|||||
|**Resources expended**||||
|Charitable activities<br>**3**|**122,971**||129,807|
|||||
|**Total resources expended**|**122,971**||129,807|
|||||
|Net incoming resources|**11,024**||62,434|
|<br>Total funds brought forward|**368,519**||306,085|
|||||
|**Total funds carried forward**<br>**10**|**379,543**||368,519|



## Charity Number 1147282 


All the movements in funds are in unrestricted funds. 

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. 

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities. 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 Charity Number 1147282 

## **BALANCE SHEET** 

## **As at 31st March 2024** 

|**Notes**|**2024**|**2024**|**2024**||**2023**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**£**||**£**||**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed assets**|||||||
|Tangible assets<br>**6**|||**87,994**|||124,992|
||||||||
|**Current assets**|||||||
|Stock|**2,000**||<br>||2,000||
|Debtors<br>**7**|**15,006**||||16,831||
|Cash at bank and in hand|**279,716**||<br>||229,228||
||**296,722**||||248,059||
|**Creditors**|||||||
|Amounts falling due within one year<br>**8**|**5,173**||||4,532||
||||||||
|**Net current assets**|||**291,549**|||243,527|
||||||||
|**Net assets**|||**379,543**|||368,519|
||||||||
|**Funds**|||||||
|Restricted|||**-**|||<br>-|
|Unrestricted|||**379,543**|||368,519|
||||||||
|**Total funds carried forward**<br>**10**|||**379,543**|||368,519|




The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 14[th] January 2024 and were signed on its behalf by: 

Colin Greene (Chair) - ........................................... 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 Charity Number 1147282 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **For the year ended 31st March 2024Charity Number 1147282** 

## **1. Accounting policies** 

## **Statutory information** 

North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes is registered with the Charity Commission in England. The registered charity number and address can be found in the Report of the Trustees on page 1. 

## **Basis of preparation** 

The financial statement of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102) ‘ Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)’, Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reproting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. 

## **Income** 

All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. 

Income from donations, legacies, fundraising and similar incoming resources are included in the year in which they are receivable. 

Any income received for specific purpose is accounted for as restricted funds when receivable. 

## **Cash flow** 

The charity is exempt from the requirement to prepare a cash flow statement as it qualifies as a small entity. 

## **Expenditure** 

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis (inclusive of attributable value added tax which cannot be recovered) and has been classified under the principal categories related to the cost. Costs allocated to activities in the furtherance of the charity’s objects are those directly associated with achieving the charity’s goals. Support costs are those incurred in connection with the management of the company’s assets, organisational administration and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements. 

## **Tangible Fixed Assets** 

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rate in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life. 

Motor vehicles - 30% on a reducing balance basis - Plant and equipment 25% on a reducing balance basis. 

## **Fund accounting** 

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the general activities of the charity. Surplus funds can be allocated to restricted projects if the trustees believe they are required. Restricted funds are funds subject to specific restriction imposed by the donors for the purpose of any appeal in which the funds are raised and can only be used for particular purpose within the objects of the charity. 

## **Taxation** 

The organisation is a charity and is therefore exempt from Income Tax and Corporation Tax under the provisions of Section 505(1) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. 

## **Irrecoverable VAT** 

Irrecoverable VAT is accounted for in the expenditure category under which the costs are incurred. 

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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 Charity Number 1147282 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED** 


## **For the year ended 31st March 2024** 

|2.<br>**Incoming resources from charitable**<br>**activities**<br>Donations<br>Merchandise sales<br>Membership fees<br>Bank interest received<br>3.<br>**Resources expended**<br>Unit expenses<br>Post and stationery<br>Motor expenses<br>Insurance<br>Telephone<br>Fundraising expenses<br>Personal protective equipment (PPE)<br>Depreciation<br>(Profit)/loss on sale of assets<br>Bank charges<br>Legal and professional<br>Miscellaneous<br>Support costs (note 4)<br>4.<br>**Support costs**<br>Accountancy|**2024**|**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**£**||**£**|
||**126,759**||188,191|
||**2,025**||2,261|
||**1,630**||1,112|
||**3,581**||677|
||**133,995**||192,241|
|||||
||**2024**||**2023**|
||**£**||**£**|
||**9,319**||12,169|
||**2,245**||1,642|
||**41,657**||49,438|
||**13,364**||14,769|
||**1,045**||870|
||**9,828**||1,796|
||**5,925**||1,996|
||**39,139**||42,299|
||**(6,425)**||(160)|
||<br>**289**||<br>244|
||**240**||-|
||**5,650**||4,094|
||**695**<br>**122,971**||650|
||||129,807|
|||||
||**2024**||**2023**|
||**£**||**£**|
||**695**<br>**695**||650|
||||650|



## 5. **Trustee remuneration** 

There were no trustees’ remuneration, expenses or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2024, nor the year ended 31 March 2023. 

|**Tangible fixed assets**|**Motor**<br>**Vehicles**|**Motor**<br>**Vehicles**|**Plant and**<br>**machinery**|**Plant and**<br>**machinery**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|**Cost**||||||
|As at 1 April 2023|251,510||30,097||281,607|
|Additions|20,300||<br>-||<br>20,300|
|Disposals|(93,707)||-||(93,707)|
|As at 31 March 2024|178,103||30,097||208,200|
|||||||
|**Depreciation**||||||
|<br>As at 1 April 2023|133,278||23,337||156,615|
|Charge for the year|36,805||<br>2,334||<br>39,139|
|<br>Eliminated on disposal|(75,548)||-||(75,548)|
|As at 31 March 2024|94,535||25,671||120,206|
|||||||
|**Net book value**||||||
|As at 31 March 2024|83,568||4,426||87,994|



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North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes Annual Report 2024 Charity Number 1147282 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED** 


## **For the year ended 31st March 2024** 

|7.|**Debtors**|**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|
||Other debtors|**678**<br>**10,956**<br>**3,372**|-<br>12,425<br>4,406|
||Prepayments|||
||VAT|||
|||**15,006**|16,831|



|10.|**Movement in funds**|**Restricted**||**Unrestricted**||**Total**<br>**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**funds**||**funds**|||
||||||||
|||**£**||**£**||**£**|
||As at 1 April 2023|-||<br>368,519||<br>368,519|
||<br>Incoming resources|-||133,995||133,995|
||Resources expended|-||(122,971)||<br>(122,971)|
||As at 31 March 2024|-||379,543||379,543|
||||||||
||As at 1 April 2022|-||306,085||306,085|
||Incoming resources|-||<br>192,241||<br>192,241|
||Resources expended|-||(129,807)||(129,807)|
||As at 31 March 2023|-||368,519||368,519|



|8.<br>9.|**Creditors: amounts falling due within**<br>**one year**|**Creditors: amounts falling due within**<br>**one year**|**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||||**£**|**£**|
||Trade creditors||**-**|101|
||Accruals||**5,173**|4,431|
||||**5,173**|4,532|
||**Summary of funds**|**Restricted**<br>**funds**|**Unrestricted**|**Total**|
||||**funds**|**funds**|
||||||
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|
||Fixed assets|-|<br>87,994|<br>89,912|
||Current assets|-|296,722|294,998|
||Current liabilities|-|(5,173)|<br>(5,173)|
||As at 31 March 2024|-|379,543|379,543|
||||||
||Fixed assets|-|124,992|124,992|
||Current assets|-|<br>248,059|<br>248,059|
||Current liabilities|-|(4,532)|(4,532)|
||As at 31 March 2023|-|368,519|368,519|



Unrestricted funds represent the value of monetary and other assets available for the use by the trustees in accordance with the charitable objectives. 

## 11. **Related party disclosure** 

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024, nor for the year ended 31 March 2023. 

13