OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2024-06-30-accounts

Facial Palsy UK Annual Report and Unaudited Financial Statements For the Period Ended 30 June 2024

Charity numbers 1148115 and SC045086 Company number 08107184

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 1

Contents

We believe that every person affected by facial palsy should be able to routinely access care and treatment to improve their quality of life. When the charity launched in 2012, there was little to no support available. This report shows what we have been doing this year to improve the situation for everyone affected by this life-changing condition.

Introduction

----- Start of picture text -----
03 04
What we do Chair’s introduction
Strategic Report
05 31
Vision, Mission, Aims & Objectives Volunteering [23 ] Structure and Governance
06 24 34
Frontline support How we are funded How did we do?
13 26 35
Supporting families Where our income comes from Future plans
16 27 36
Websites How do we raise our funds? Statement of responsibilities of
the trustees
17 28 37
Information Financial review Independent Examiner’s Report
18 29
Awareness Risks and uncertainties
22 30
Research and Education Employees
----- End of picture text -----

Financial statements 38 40 41 Statement of financial activities Balance sheet Notes to the financial statements

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 2

What we do

Facial Palsy UK (FPUK) is a national charity supporting people affected by facial palsy due to any cause. We offer expert help, guidance and support to those living with the condition, their friends and families, and the professionals that care for them. Here are some of the highlights of our year.

Direct Support

669

direct support enquiries during the year. Direct support is via email, telephone or face-to-face (69.4% increase on previous year).

98%

of those who gave feedback felt more supported in managing the impact of living with facial palsy.

432

attendees of a combination of Virtual and Face-to-Face Support Groups with repeated attendance by many.

100%

of those who completed postmeeting surveys after our virtual support groups said they would recommend them as a form of support for others.

89%

of those who attended face-toface groups said coming to the group makes them feel less isolated.

Volunteers

108

active volunteers helping with support, information, research, feedback, content creation, story writing, video making and more!

Information

Family Support

461,000

493

users of our patient website during the year. Our busiest year ever.

members of Parents & Carers Facebook group at 30 Jun 2024.

168

people attended our first Family Day for both adults and children with facial palsy.

38

copies of our children’s book ‘When Teddy lost his Smile’ sold in the year.

Facial palsy and the ear and Hearing issues webpages created.

This is available to order globally via websites such as Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and more.

Health Professionals’ website launched.

Delivered our first webinar aimed at Health Professionals.

172

copies donated to libraries across the UK.

Development began on our Facial Palsy App .

329

survey respondents highlighted the issues around getting appropriate and timely healthcare advice.

Awareness

Successful Facial Palsy Awareness Week with the theme ‘Recognising Facial Palsy’. Our aim was to raise awareness of the need for the condition to be better recognised and treated appropriately.

7 media mentions on tv, and in national and local press.

100% funded from charitable donations this year (see page 24 for more details)

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 3

Introduction from our Chair

This report covers another exceptionally busy year. In 2023 we reported that thanks to the combination of a legacy and a twoyear grant from Global’s Make Some Noise we would be able to expand our team with an additional staff member. We now have four staff, all part-time and working from home. We are so grateful to them all. For our small UK-wide charity seeking to support everyone in the UK affected by facial palsy who contacts us, having this additional colleague has made a significant difference, as the statistics in this report show. It has meant that we have been able to support more people and

their families, and also encouraged us to trial different support mechanisms such as 1-2-1 bookable sessions, whilst continuing with the virtual support groups we started during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside the in-person meetings which some people prefer.

Unlike many larger charities, FPUK does not have a team of staff focusing on fundraising, and trustees considered carefully how best to spend the very welcome legacy. Talking about legacies is always difficult, but if you feel that you might be able to help FPUK in this way sometime in the distant future we would love to hear from you. Donations, however small, really make a large difference to our charity. Our overheads are small, as we have no offices or other property to worry about, and you can be sure that your money will be well spent.

All our staff consistently go above and beyond in the dedication and skills which they bring to their work. Most of our activities would not be possible, however, without the support of our amazing volunteers, of whom we now have over 100. Many volunteers, including most of our trustee board, have lived experience of facial palsy, either themselves or through supporting close family members or friends. All are deeply committed to the aims of FPUK.

Despite our small size, we are a UK-wide charity. This report covers activities in all parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland and Wales, where specialist resources for Facial Palsy are particularly lacking and our volunteers have been campaigning to change this. Some parts of Scotland and England also suffer from a lack of specialist services such as specialist facial therapy. During the year I have welcomed the opportunity of attending a Zoom session with some of our support group leaders from across the UK. Their tireless and often demanding work is rarely seen apart from by those whom they aim to support. I hope all staff and volunteers reading this report will allow yourselves to recognise that you are heroes.

FPUK aims to be a community, and to focus on the people it tries to support. We are grateful to everyone who responds to our requests for feedback, both in the annual survey and in the postsupport group meeting surveys. If you ever wonder whether bothering to fill in surveys makes a difference, I can assure you that at FPUK you really do. We ensure everything is read and carefully considered. I hope you enjoy reading this report and will feel inspired by what FPUK has achieved.

Philippa Tudor CBE (Chair)

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 4

In 2023, we refreshed our strategic plan for the next three years and, as part of this process, updated our vision and mission statements to better reflect the difference we aim to make.

Our vision

A society where facial palsy is widely recognised and every person in the UK affected can access the information, treatment and support they need.

Our mission

Facial Palsy UK provides an essential service to those affected by facial palsy through the provision of information and support, promotion of best practice, and engagement in high quality research.

Our aims

Facial Palsy UK pledges:

Our three strategic objectives are:

  1. Inform – To improve further the information available to patients and health professionals about facial palsy and to raise more awareness whilst empowering those affected.

  2. Support – To improve further our support services for people living with facial palsy and to influence and challenge healthcare providers to do the same.

  3. Research – To gather evidence to inform and enable improvements in pathways of care for ‘right service, first time’ and encourage more research in the diagnosis and long-term management of facial palsy.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 5

Frontline Support

During this financial year we operated with four part-time employees. Virtual support groups were mostly led by employees, but face-to-face support groups were wholly led by volunteers (including some trustees). Our Medical Advisory Board, who are also volunteers, assist in ensuring people receive correct information and the best support.

Our support services were funded by Global’s Make Some Noise from September 2023 over a twoyear period. This funding has made a huge difference to the work we have achieved, and we have benefited from a new member of the team, Laura, who is our Support Liaison Officer. We reviewed and changed our data collection strategy within this year, so some outcomes cover Sep 2023 -Jun 2024 only as new questions were introduced to better understand the impact of our work.

Support groups and networks

Our target

To reach as many people as possible who are seeking support in a group environment and to ensure that support meets their needs.

Achievements

The total number of groups (face-to-face and virtual) held this was year was 50 (2022/23: 42) which was an increase of 19% compared to last year. There was a total of 432 attendees across our faceto-face and virtual support groups.

We trialled different options such as 1:1 Zoom support, a guided relaxation session, and inviting a clinical psychologist to one of the groups.

Of our 2,294 Facial Palsy UK community members, 86.2% opt-in to receive updates about support groups, demonstrating the great need for this type of support.

Face-to-face support groups

“It was my first group meeting after recent diagnosis and I was a little apprehensive about attending. I'm so pleased I went as everyone was so friendly and happy to share experiences. I learnt so much and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the group session to others.”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 6

“It was good to meet experts face to face and facial palsy representatives. Made me feel there was hope and more that can be accessed in terms of support and services.”

“This group has been invaluable. My experience was limited to no knowledge amongst healthcare professionals of treatment options for chronic Bell's palsy and no route to treatment seemed to be available. Through this group I was able to get referred to a specialist unit in Oxford that, despite living in Oxfordshire no one at my local hospital or gp knew anything about.”

Cheshire & Mersey Group – 7[th] Anniversary, remembering group co-founder Sheila Fairclough.

Virtual support groups

“Great to hear from other people with similar symptoms and experiences. Also great to get a medical perspective.”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 7

“Support group makes me feel so much better. I don't anymore feel that I am the only person who have this, I feel happy more stronger meeting everyone. They help me boost my confidence and I now have someone who can relate to me and I can share things openly. I would thank everyone who is leading this and putting constant effort. Thank you so much for starting this support group”

“It was my first zoom and I felt so welcome and listened to. Those running the session were mindful of all, listening and advising with great respect. It was also lovely to see a group of people with the same thing, felt inclusive and uplifting, thank you so much.”

1:1 Zoom Support Calls

“I attended a 1:1 session. Without access to FPUK support I wouldn't know what was available to support me or where to begin to try and access support. It is an invaluable resource as the appropriate support available to people with FP is only available in a very few areas in others at best it's disjointed, sporadic and you have to know what you need and where in order to ask for a referral and you need to be able and prepared to travel.”

“I found the one to one session far more helpful than the group online sessions, though I'm sure they are more time consuming for the team, but I really felt listened to. Many thanks”

Guided relaxation evening via Zoom

“Tonight's guided meditation was so relaxing. I'd had a really rubbish, emotional day and it was just what I needed. I feel so much calmer now. Am hoping it helps me to sleep better tonight! Thank you”

“It was refreshing to experience a relaxation session that was holistic in nature encompassing all parts of the body and the session was accommodating to all abilities.”

Virtual support group with guest clinical psychologist

“I really enjoyed her approach and felt she provided a good foundation for further investigation on our part...I've already bought one of the recommended books.”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 8

Other support networks

Our Facebook groups continue to provide virtual support to their members. All of the existing groups have grown this year, and our new groups are also expanding to support members in sharing local information about facial palsy services.

Facebook Group Members

----- Start of picture text -----
500
400
300
200
100
0
2023 2024
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 1. Facebook Group members for the periods 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023 and 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

We now have five WhatsApp groups – location specific – where members chat often offering immediate support to each other regarding facial palsy and services available. These groups are very welcoming to new members and ensure members can chat between face-to-face meetings. We’ve introduced two new groups this year, both of which are growing steadily and offer valuable support to their members. These groups are run by our support group leaders (volunteers) and moderated by Facial Palsy UK staff.

----- Start of picture text -----
WhatsApp Group Members
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Newcastle Scotland South West Cheshire & East Grinstead
Mersey
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 2. WhatsApp Group members for the period 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 9

Telephone and email support

Our target

To improve the support we offer year on year and to empower those affected by facial palsy.

Our achievements

There were 669 (2022/23: 395) direct support enquiries via email or telephone this year, an increase of 69.4% compared to last year. These 669 support enquiries came from 500 people, with some people returning for follow-up advice. From September we started logging how people first contacted us. Of the 669 enquiries, there were 453 contacts via email (65%), 73 on the telephone (10.9%) and 35 through social media (5.2%), the others were not logged.

The key areas of support offered by phone or email are:

Many people we speak to have been diagnosed, provided some initial treatment but have had no further clinical input. Months or years later they are still having significant physical and psychological problems. Many have not met anyone else with facial palsy.

The average support enquiry takes 17 minutes to deal with. Clients are often distressed and anxious about their altered appearance and the many functional problems that accompany it. It is also extremely difficult when help via the NHS is not routinely available to them due to the poor pathways of care in many areas. This can leave people feeling like they do not matter and that facial palsy is not recognised as a genuine health condition.

After contacting us, over half (55.2%) of our enquirers were provided with more knowledge of their healthcare options.

We began sending follow-up surveys six weeks after communication with enquirers, along with an email to check how recovery was going, or if they needed any more support with their referrals etc. We had 108 responses to the survey. From these surveys, we found that:

There were many positive outcomes from our support enquiries, but a few stand out statements are:

“You have been an important part of my recovery journey and I can't thank you enough for the understanding and emotional support I have received. Truly excellent. Thank you”

“After being let down by the NHS, FPUK was a shot in the dark. It turned out to be the clearest and most helpful advice I had received, and was the turning point in my recovery.”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 10

“We were getting nowhere when I contacted facial palsy Uk on behalf of my husband. I emailed in expecting to receive a response weeks down the line. Within hours I received an informative and thorough email from the team and immediately felt supported and less alone in finding our way to the right care path. Thank you.”

The key areas of concern raised by enquirers were:

We frequently write letters to GPs on patients’ behalf, explaining why they need specialist input and signposting to specialist NHS services. With our new system of following up routinely after 6 weeks, we are encouraging earlier referrals to specialists where appropriate and reminding people that we are here for them. Many thank us for following up, saying it’s comforting to know someone cares.

We always analyse the support enquiries we receive and assess whether new content would benefit those we support. We added new webpages on the following topics:

As there are over 60 different causes of facial palsy, our support team must have a broad knowledge of associated conditions. We supported people with 25 different confirmed diagnoses/causes in 2023/24. If we suspect someone has an atypical form of facial palsy (not following the normal pattern of development and recovery) then we check if they have had particular tests or scans.

We advocated for several individuals struggling to access the right specialists and medical investigations. Sometimes cases are complex and we ask members of our Medical Advisory Board to review the patient history and put together a statement for the patient’s GP. This often details any tests they recommend and an explanation of why the patient needs more specialist referral. We also signpost the GP to appropriate specialists as we find that many GPs don’t understand that facial palsy is a specialist area of clinical interest. The problem with patients not being sent to clinicians who see a broad range of facial palsies is that this is when cancers and tumours may get missed, as non-specialists don’t always discern between atypical and typical symptoms.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 11

The conditions we’ve supported this year[1]

----- Start of picture text -----
Rare causes Stroke Lyme disease
Moebius syndrome 1.1% 0.6% 0.6% Guillain-Barré syndrome
0.6%
0.9%
Trauma related cause
5.0%
Facial palsy since birth
5.9%
Tumour related cause
7.4%
Bell's palsy
50.6%
Cause not
specified
11.6%
Ramsay Hunt
syndrome
15.7%
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 3. Causes of facial palsy supported this year.

Figure 3 demonstrates the variety of different causes of facial palsy we received enquiries about. Of these: 81.9% of enquiries were from adults with facial palsy, 8.6% were from parents/carers of children and adult children with facial palsy, 9.3% from other family members and 3.4% of enquiries came from health professionals seeking advice about the management of facial palsy. As well as people living with facial palsy and their friends and families, we also received enquiries from teachers seeking to understand facial palsy more.

Feedback about a support call from a previous year and the outcome:

“In April 2025 I will be running the Brighton marathon and would like to raise money for the Facial Palsy charity. Back In 2021 I was searching the internet trying to find help for my son, who had Bell’s palsy, being in the middle of COVID we were getting nowhere with our GP and the neurologist at our hospital told my 15yr old son “you’ll get over it, it takes time, nothing I can do, I’m going to discharge you” even though we were telling him it wasn’t getting better but in fact it was getting worse. I found your charity, a quick call to your help line and a lot of tears later we were put in contact with a surgeon in Chelmsford. Since then, on the NHS, Ms Tzafetta has looked after Ben with amazing results. It was quickly confirmed that Ben’s palsy was in fact permanent and he went on to have double facial nerve transfers from his legs implanted across his face, he had a further two operations since then one to have platinum weights put in his eye lids. He still sees Ms Tzafetta regularly but without you and your charity I honestly don’t know if I would still have my son. Ben also said you did so much for him just being there on the end of a phone when we were struggling to get answers from the GP and neurologists at our local hospital. Listening and suggestions for help were perfect. I may not raise much at all but I want to say the biggest thank you I possibly can to you all!!” Sarah Gifford

1 Based on support enquiries between 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 12

Supporting families

Our target

To reduce isolation for children and young people with facial palsy and normalise the condition. To bring parents and carers together for mutual support.

Our achievements

Children’s book

Our children’s book aims to:

“Thank you so much, I'm so excited to have these for any children who join our school that have facial palsy. They will also help as a member of staff to share this with any new class to help them understand why I look a little 'different'. Such a wonderful idea, thank you.” School Librarian

Parents and Carers Group

Our Parents and Carers Facebook Group is open to people worldwide who have a child with facial palsy. This is a platform where parents and carers can discuss common worries such as a child’s first MRI scan, surgery worries, eye care and how to deal with challenging questions from strangers. Our Parents and Carers Group is a safe place to discuss issues and share experiences. Our Support Liaison Officer monitors the group to see where new content may be needed for the website and is proactive in sharing content within the group that may benefit parents and carers.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 13

Mandy Brailsford Family Day

The Mandy Brailsford Family Day took place on 26 August 2023.

Many people with facial palsy have never had the opportunity to meet another person with this condition. Our research has shown that this can lead to feelings of isolation and can have a serious effect on people's self-confidence. We have run family days in the past for children with facial palsy so that they can meet others like them and it has made such a difference to them to know that they are not the only one.

Since February 2021 we have been generously supported by Sayvol Environmental & Building Services Ltd with a monthly direct debit to fund our family days. We have also been supported by other donors who want to fund this specific type of activity. The funding from our Big Give Christmas campaign (Dec 2022), generously supported by the Hospital Saturday Fund, allowed us to extend this opportunity to adults with facial palsy. We organised a family day at Alton Towers where both adults and children with facial palsy could enjoy a fantastic day out and socialise in a fun, relaxed setting with other people who share their experiences and know how hard it is to live with the challenges of this condition.

Objectives/Targets:

Impact:

Sample Comments from Survey:

“Lovely to spend time with people that look like me. Got to meet Mr Townley [member of the Facial Palsy UK medical advisory board] and hope to be referred to him for treatment.”

“It was lovely to not feel alone and for my daughter to see others with a smile like hers.”

“Thoroughly enjoyed it and feel like family days help people with facial palsy feel more at ease and relaxed about their condition knowing you are not alone.”

“I had a wonderful day with my family and it is always so nice to be around other people that can understand how you feel and remind you that you are not on your own.”

“I have mild facial palsy and my son also has it. I think as an adult, I knew I didn't have to worry about people noticing my eye when laughing etc as I'm usually quite self conscious. Being around individuals with facial palsy took my self consciousness away.”

“The adults were an amazing inspiration and role model to the children.”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 14

Thank you so much to the Hospital Saturday Fund for supporting this project. It meant a great deal to those who attended; increasing their self-esteem, helping them to feel less isolated and creating a positive atmosphere around the condition.

Post-event survey:

Overall, we had a wonderful day and it seems to have been very well received.

Everything ran very smoothly this year (a benefit of returning to the same venue) and Alton Towers provided an excellent service with good communication throughout, very helpful staff and a good range of quality food and drinks.

However, from feedback received we think that a smaller, more interactive event may be a good choice for next year where families can spend more time together.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 15

Websites

Our target

To improve the information available to patients and health professionals about facial palsy.

Our achievements

Patient website (www.facialpalsy.org.uk)

There were 461,000 users of our patient website during the year, this is an increase of 33.4% compared to last year.

----- Start of picture text -----
Our top performing webpages (excluding homepage) Page views
Eating and drinking advice 35,979
Bell’s palsy 31,005
What is facial palsy? 26,482
How to tape eye closed (adults) 24,511
----- End of picture text -----

Guided by the issues raised by our community, we continue to add new content.

Our new page ‘Facial palsy and the ear’ is a comprehensive guide to all the ways facial palsy can affect the ear, e.g. pain, hearing and stapedial synkinesis. It includes videos demonstrating how to release and stretch painful muscles around the ear.

Another new page ‘Hearing issues’ discusses the different kinds of hearing issues people living with facial palsy experience with tips how to access further support.

New pages of this type are checked and approved by our volunteer Medical Advisory Board ensuring that patients always access high quality information checked by experts.

“I was referred to Facial Palsy by chance after encountering a LinkedIn post celebrating the charity. The videos and techniques I learnt about in the early days of my facial palsy were instrumental to my recovery I believe. Had I waited simply for my NHS referral, I feel both my physical and emotional health would have been far worse, and I only hope that healthcare professionals can recommend Facial Palsy UK more quickly upon diagnosis, rather than follow up care.” Stephanie S

Health Professionals website (learn.facialpalsy.org.uk)

There were 408 users of our health professionals’ website during the four months since it was officially launched and 161 members subscribed to the website during this same period. The website is free for anyone with an NHS email address to access and includes detailed information about facial palsy relevant to health professionals. We are also compiling a database of research articles relevant to this area of medicine. The Specialist Centres area of the website details multidisciplinary teams around the UK and is publicly viewable so GPs can easily access without having to register.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 16

Information

Our target

To improve the information we provide for clients and health professionals.

Our achievements

Webinar: Recognising Facial Palsy – an Overview for Clinicians

This webinar was intended as an overview for clinicians wanting to learn more about facial palsy. There were four sections:

We advertised on Eventbrite and had 130 registrations (this was the maximum we allowed). This was realised to around 80 attendees and videos were recorded for attendees to access post-event.

Attendees included speech and language therapists, psychologists, GPs and physiotherapists. The majority of attendees were physiotherapists.

The most popular segments were specialist facial therapy and psychological considerations and ranked 10/10 by 80% of those who completed the post-webinar feedback form. The GP perspective and surgical segments were also well-received with 60% ranking them 10/10 for usefulness.

“Excellent MDT session with interesting and engaging and informative presentations. Thank you so much, could have listened for hours!”

“This was an excellent webinar. It felt a little rushed and adding 5 mins per presentation may have helped. Thank you for recording it, this will help with my assimilation and consolidation of information.”

Future topics requested were eye care consensus, synkinesis treatment and patient case studies.

Facial Palsy App:

Our facial palsy app ‘ImproveFP’ was created and is in the final testing stages at the time of writing this report.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 17

Awareness

Facial palsy – not a cosmetic problem

Over 100,000 people are thought to have facial palsy in the UK. Facial palsy is an umbrella term which covers more than 60 different causes. Members of the general public mostly associate facial droop with stroke due to high profile awareness campaigns by stroke charities, yet just 0.6% of our support enquiries this year came from people who had facial palsy due to stroke. Once stroke is ruled out as a cause, there is little after-care or empathy for those with other causes of facial palsy.

Previous Freedom of Information requests to local health authorities demonstrate that a vast majority consider facial palsy a cosmetic problem, not one that affects basic human function such as the ability to smile or close the eye for sleep[2] . More awareness is urgently needed.

Raising media awareness is resource-intensive and uncertain, while correcting misinformation is time-consuming. Hiring a Communications Manager could improve efficiency and expand reach.

Our targets

Our achievements

This year we have:

“The psychological effects have been astronomical. Depression for knowing how different I look and for things not working as they should. Very paranoid that people would look. And generally deflated with a lack of self-esteem. However, I try to stay positive and grateful.” Scott’s story

2 Kilshaw, A.D., Holmes, W.J.M., Matteucci, P. (2016) Funding in facial palsy. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery . Vol 69(11):1526-1527.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 18

Facial Palsy Awareness Week 1–7 March 2024

Our theme for 2024 was ‘Recognising Facial Palsy’. In our pre-campaign survey, nearly 90% of respondents called for ‘greater recognition of facial palsy as a serious and potentially long-term health condition’.

This need tied in with our charity’s vision of a society where facial palsy is widely recognised and every person in the UK affected can access the information, treatment and support they need. We want the condition to be recognised by health professionals and the general public and for those with the condition to be treated with the understanding and compassion they deserve. With this in mind, we set the following campaign objectives:

Highlights of the activities during the campaign included:

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 19

We saw increased traffic to the website during the week - 35% increase week on week and 30.3% year on year.

Feedback from the campaign:

“Hello! I just wanted to say thank you for the posts you have been sharing for facial palsy awareness week. I have had a facial palsy since I was 17 (now 33) it has an impact on me every single day and it can feel very lonely sometimes. I have been able to relate to every post and have taken comfort in knowing that actually I am not alone and others are going through similar experiences. I have never met or spoken to anyone else living with a long term facial palsy so this is a great platform to see and hear from others. Thank You!”

“It is so good to see Facial Palsy being highlighted so much this week, it has to be the most recognition I have ever seen I do hope this will have a positive impact. ”

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 20

Social media

We have continued to grow our social media presence over the past year allowing us to reach and interact with a wider audience and provide them with vital information and support. As well as allowing us to share important news and information, social media allows us to run surveys and ask questions which give us insight into the things that are most important to the people we support. We also used it to support fundraising initiatives like our Christmas Campaign, to publicise events like the Family Day, and to raise awareness.

also used it to support fundraising initiatives like
the Family Day, and to raise awareness.		 our Christmas Campaign, to publicise events like
Page Reach
(1 July2023 – 30 June 2024)		 New Net Follows
(1 July2023 – 30 June 2024)
Facebook – 72.5K(up20.2%) Facebook – 352
Instagram – 22.8K(up16.2%) Instagram – 133

We saw a big uplift in social media engagement during Awareness week. Our Facebook reach increased by 606.3% week on week while our Instagram reach increased by 347.7% week on week. This also led to increased profile visits across both platforms. We also gained 62 new Facebook followers (5.5K) and 168 new Instagram followers (2,473). Over the course of the week we gained 11.8K impressions on X (formerly Twitter).

The best performing posts were Claire’s Case Study with a 5.8K reach on FB and Gemma’s case study on Instagram (2K reach). Our top performing tweet was a video message from Facial Therapist, Sarah Kilcoyne.

We gained 1 new follower on TikTok during the week bringing us up to a total of 124. Most videos received around 250 watches with the exception being Alison’s which had 786 views and 4 likes. This is something we will need to work on for next year if we decide to continue using the platform.

Our LinkedIn posts resulted in 224 reactions and 24 reposts. The best performing post was our image of Tower 42 lit up with our logo which had 570 impressions.

London School of Economics

We partnered with students from the London School of Economics enlisting them to do research that could be used to support future awareness campaigns. We asked the students to conduct research and create a campaign to be used on Transport for London (TFL) to raise awareness of facial palsy, directing people to our website so they can learn more about the help available. The research was divided into two main components, research relating to what past charities have done that was found to be effective and research relating to what is effective for the viewer.

Their final recommendations included:

This research will be used to ensure we utilise funds spent on this kind of advertising to ensure the best ROI and therefore impact for our community. We are very grateful to the students and their academic advisors for their substantial amount of research and clear report.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 21

Research & Education

Very few research projects are investigating the causes and treatments of facial palsy. A key reason for setting up Facial Palsy UK was to raise funds for medical research into the condition.

Our target

Our achievements

We shared many different relevant third-party research participation opportunities throughout the year from organisations such as the Centre for Appearance Research.

On 1 March 2024 we published Facial Palsy UK’s survey results about pathways of care for people with facial palsy and the psychological and social impact of the condition. Findings included:

The full survey results can be found here: Facial Palsy Awareness Week 2024: Recognising Facial Palsy

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 22

Volunteering

Our volunteers are a hugely important part of Facial Palsy UK. With only four part-time staff members, we could not provide the information, support and research that we do without the help of all the wonderful people who freely give up their time.

As of 30[th] June 2024, we have 108 active volunteers supporting the charity in various ways.

Medical Advisory Board

45 of those volunteers are members of our Medical Advisory Board who assist with various tasks including checking the accuracy of information on our website and assisting with answers to complex support enquiries. One of the trustees acts as secretary to this Board.

Support

Our support groups are all led by volunteers who do an incredible job of bringing support to people in their local areas and online through Zoom calls, WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

Befriending

Our volunteers also speak to others on a one-to-one basis by phone, online or in person where people are feeling isolated.

Events, Admin, Marketing and Awareness

Our volunteers do a fantastic job of supporting our events, campaigns and helping with our admin. We had lots of engagement from our volunteers for our various campaigns throughout the year, particularly our Awareness Week where they submitted case studies, images and videos, as well as sharing the campaign far and wide.

We welcomed 11 volunteers to our Family Day at Alton Towers who helped out with various aspects of the day from setting up the room, to welcoming guests and even a bit of DJing. They did a fantastic job of keeping the event running smoothly and we couldn’t have done it without them.

Research

Our volunteers have helped to provide valuable feedback in the various surveys and research that Facial Palsy UK and other external organisations have carried out this year. Their input helps to ensure that we remain focused on the activities most important to our beneficiaries and helps to shape important research and projects around Facial Palsy.

Governance

We’d like to say a huge thank you to our Trustee Board who oversee the strategic direction, efficiency and legal responsibilities of the charity.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 23

How we are funded

Our target

Our achievements

This year:

Thank you for the many generous donations we received during the year from individuals, companies and trusts. We are also grateful to those who offer regular support playing our lottery or making regular donations via payroll giving, standing order or direct debit.

The following gift has made a significant difference to future work we are now able to fund:

We were also kindly supported by:

Facial Palsy UK has also received many other gifts of time and advice from individuals and organisations throughout the year. We wish to thank every single person and organisation who has supported Facial Palsy UK. We are sorry we cannot mention you all. Every gift is used carefully to improve the lives of people affected by facial palsy.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 24

Thank you to our amazing fundraisers!

We couldn’t do what we do without the dedication of our wonderful fundraisers. Last year our community fundraising dropped significantly but this year event fundraising income bounced back with the total raised £35,217, an increase of 73.2% compared to the previous year. We are very grateful to those who support us and it’s important to remember that event fundraising is not just about raising funds, it helps to raise awareness too.

In addition, funds were raised via our lottery, Give as you Live, DontSendMeACard.com, social media platforms, and in memory of loved ones, to name but a few. Thank you to everyone who supports us in so many different ways, we appreciate everything you do.

People supported us by taking part in the Great Manchester Run, Brighton Marathon, Newry Half Marathon, London Summer Walk Ultra Challenge and more. James completed a fancy-dress bike ride and Amelia a Millport cycle ride. Members and friends of our Devon, Dorset and Somerset Support Group completed the Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge. Molly, Alex and Amy worked together on a set of challenges which included sky diving, running 100km in 10 days and cycling for 12 hours on a spin bike. Staff from ‘Aesthetically You’ completed a Snowdon summit trek and employees from Sayvol undertook the GRIM South Mud Run in extremely cold conditions. Hayley organised a fantastic fundraising evening event and part of her network the Team Sardines completed the Two Ball Banger Rally. Linzi Jo and family tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise funds and awareness. Tekkerslovakia Charity Football Club hosted a football match in aid of Facial Palsy UK.

People also fundraised during Facial Palsy Awareness Week and shared their stories to raise awareness of the need for funds. We thank you all for your energy and passion for raising funds and awareness. You are amazing!

“I found out about Facial Palsy UK on my own and that is something I’d love to try and change and that’s why I do this. I love to try and raise awareness so that other people don’t need to feel in the dark and scared like I did with nobody to talk to. Meeting the families and the kids affected is also another thing that spurs me on. It makes me happy trying to raise awareness and raise funds for the charity as I feel helping in any way I can is so important.” Cheryl Wilson, fundraiser and volunteer.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 25

Where our income comes from

This year you helped us to raise £126,376. Figure 4 below shows where our income was generated:

----- Start of picture text -----
Legacies, £22,575
Grants, £30,500
Charitable activities,
£135
Trading, £2,994
Investments,
£7,471
Donations,
£62,701
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 4. Income breakdown for year ending 30 June 2024.

Where we spend our income

Total resources expended this year were £174,442. Figure 5 below shows how we spent our income:

----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising costs, Governance costs,
£1,695
Costs of running £4,194
the charity,
£14,006
Charitable Activities,
£154,547
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 5. Expenditure breakdown for year ending 30 June 2024.

Charitable activities include: providing support and information, raising awareness and research projects. Costs of running the charity include: insurance, IT, telephone and internet costs and a proportion of salaries spent on operational requirements. Spend on fundraising costs was £4,194.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 26

How do we raise our funds?

Since Facial Palsy UK launched in 2012, we have never employed high pressure fundraising tactics. We do not use fundraising agencies and we do not sell or exchange lists of data with any other charities or companies for marketing or fundraising purposes.

We are members of the Fundraising Regulator and our Fundraising Promise is clearly detailed on our website. We also have a Complaints procedure should anyone be unhappy with us or any person acting on our behalf. We have not received any complaints about our fundraising practices in our 12year history.

We promise to adhere to industry guidelines and regulations. We have invested time in ensuring we meet the requirements of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We promise to ensure that all staff and volunteers are kept updated about data security and correct use and retention of data.

We promise to be open and honest about how the funds you raise are spent.

For every £1 we spent this year:

----- Start of picture text -----
How we spend a £1 donation
Cost of fundraising
2.4%
Cost of running the
charity
9.0%
Charitable activities
88.6%
----- End of picture text -----

Figure 6. How we spent a £1 donation for year ending 30 June 2024.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 27

Financial review

This year (2023/24) our total annual income decreased by 54.4% to £126,376 (previously £276,901). The total unrestricted income was £91,135, a decrease of 65% (previously £260,599). Last year (2022/23) we received a large legacy and unusually high one-off donation totalling £210,818.

In 2022/23 when excluding the legacy and the large donation mentioned above, the unrestricted income was £49,781. This year (2023/24) we received a legacy of £22,575. Our total unrestricted income of £91,135 minus the legacy was £68,560, a 37.5% increase compared to the previous year.

Competition for grants has increased considerably with many trusts who had historically supported us unable to provide further funding.

Unrestricted expenditure increased by 51.4% to £120,270 (previously £79,429). We employed four members of staff during this period compared to three the previous year. We also spent a one-off amount of £40,888 on the development of an App, using funds from the previous year’s legacy.

Total expenditure increased by 68% to £174,442 (previously £103,863). £54,172 was spent from restricted funds on projects (detailed in note 15 to the accounts).

Reserves

As we do not usually receive any regular government funding, our level of income depends on the generosity of donors, the enthusiasm of fundraisers and how the wider economy is performing. We must consider what would happen to our services should this income significantly reduce. Our unrestricted funds balance at the end of June 2024 was £250,051 of which we consider £66,942 to be free reserves (covering six months of budgeted expenditure plus contingency for redundancy payments and winding up costs of the charity).

Designated funds

Careful discussions took place regarding how to best use the funds from the 2022/23 legacy.

Balance of funds

The balance of funds is therefore £73,771. We will be monitoring our financial situation carefully bearing in mind the current economic climate and assessing how we can make best use of these funds, e.g. investigate sourcing match funding for new or existing projects.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 28

Risks and uncertainties

Our Risk Register is reviewed at every Trustee meeting either by discussion or correspondence. Risks are assessed top down and bottom up. An overview of key risks and our mitigation management are detailed in the table below:

----- Start of picture text -----
RISK MANAGEMENT
Financial: The charity is reliant on  Regular financial planning & review.
fluctuating voluntary income to provide  Sustain unrestricted reserves ensuring we can
our services. We have limited resources continue to operate and meet statutory
to dedicate to fundraising so careful obligations.
planning is needed. We also need to  Fundraising strategy completed 2023/24 but staff
consider the ‘cost of living crisis’. time needs allocating to follow through.
Operational: With such a small team, if  All staff to receive support and training.
one were to leave it would have a major  Succession planning and training for staff to
impact, it’s important our team feel provide cover as required.
valued and have opportunities for  Keep under review volunteer requirements and
advancement. We also must ensure all necessary policies and training, etc. Ensure
volunteers feel valued and supported and volunteers feel valued and supported with
are fully informed about policies and communications.
procedures. Data security should be  All policies and procedures relating to financial
continually reviewed in our ever-changing controls, safeguarding, data protection and
world to ensure it covers technological security reviewed annually.
advancements that could make old  All communications centralised into database.
policies and procedures obsolete. 
Document systems, plans and projects.
Safeguarding should always be a high 
Focus on existing requirements and
priority. Projects should be completed on
commitments and only take on additional
time.
projects when time allows.
External: Incidents or events may  Preventative mechanisms, policies & procedures
negatively affect the charity’s reputation are in place.
or operations, e.g. non-compliance, fraud,  Ensure good quality reporting of charity activities
security. Public perception of our work and how funds are spent.
could be incorrect or misleading.  Ensure we are still providing services that are in
Demographic considerations, e.g. line with service user needs by seeking feedback
services may not be in line with service at every opportunity and improving impact
user needs. Funder perception, loss of reporting.
reputation amongst key funders.  Ensure the charity does not take on too much.
Governance: Poor knowledge of  Trustee training, policies and procedures regularly
regulatory requirements and legal communicated throughout whole organisation.
responsibilities. Conflicts of interest could  Procedure for managing conflicts of interest.
impact on reputation. Trustees could be  Be more transparent in decision making, become
lost due to poor communications. more structured and improve communications.

Ensure safeguarding responsibilities understood.
----- End of picture text -----

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 29

Employees

Our four part-time employees are permanently home-based. They mainly communicate with the Trustee Board via email, telephone or virtual meetings. There are occasional face-to-face meetings. Information is mainly disseminated to volunteers by email or telephone as most volunteers are not based locally.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive charity. We have equal opportunities monitoring in place and value each individual’s contribution. We set up a staff pension scheme in July 2017 in line with government requirements.

Employee pay is agreed by trustees as part of the annual budget setting process. No individual performance bonuses are paid.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 30

Structure and Governance

Facial Palsy UK is a company limited by guarantee (incorporated on 15 June 2012, registered number 08107184) and a registered charity in England & Wales (charity number 1148115) and Scotland (charity number SC045086).

The charity purpose is set out in its Articles of Association (updated 25 April 2022 to remove the stipulation for a minimum number of face-to-face meetings per year).

The need for a charity specifically for facial palsy was recognised following the development of the Facial Palsy Clinic at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. In 2009, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Charles Nduka who set up the clinic, conducted a survey and in conjunction with patient feedback noted that:

The objects for which the charity is established for the public benefit are:

There has been no change to charity objects during the year.

Karen Johnson (Co-CEO) is also Company Secretary, appointed on 19 January 2022.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is legally responsible for directing the affairs of the charity. Trustees are the directors of the company and serve for renewable terms of three years. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, one third (or the nearest one third) of the trustees must retire at each AGM each year, those longest in office retiring first. Eligible retiring trustees may be reappointed. The Board comprised eleven trustees as at 30 June 2024. Trustees have a wide range of skills and experience including clinical and professional expertise.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 31

The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year were:

Philippa Tudor CBE (Chair) (Retired, Re-elected 30 January 2025) Charles Nduka (Co-CEO, unpaid.) Fiona Hawthorne (Retired, Re-elected 6 February 2024) Jan Jutsum (Retired, Re-elected 6 February 2024) Sheila Crowley (Retired, Re-elected 6 February 2024) Monica Letts (Treasurer) (Retired 30 January 2025) Ben Haynes (Retired, Re-elected 30 January 2025) Catherine Parr (Retired, Re-elected 30 January 2025) Anna Pinsky Rachel Fox David Coles (Elected 6 February 2024)

The board meets at least four times per year to regularly review and direct Facial Palsy UK’s strategy, budget and performance. All trustees give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in note 9 to the accounts. None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the Trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.

Potential conflicts of interest are disclosed at the start of every meeting and are listed here for complete transparency:

Transparency has been maintained at Trustee meetings and with all parties. All financial movements through the bank are signed off at board level.

Appointments and training

The Board of Trustees appoint all new trustees who are recruited through a process of advertisement, application and interviews based on selection criteria. We aim to ensure a broad range of relevant skills and experience to benefit the charity. All new trustees are sent all relevant documents which set out the operational framework for the charity including the Memorandum and Articles and details of the current financial position as set out in the published accounts. They are also given copies of Strategic and Business plans. They normally have introductory discussions with the Chair and co-CEOs and other members of the Trustee Board. They also meet staff and volunteers as relevant. They are signposted to relevant information on the Charity Commission website about ‘the Essential Trustee’. They are given the opportunity to attend inexpensive training courses offered through NCVO and other providers. All trustees are asked to provide a list of their skills and update it regularly.

Personnel (paid)

Co-CEO (part-time) Karen Johnson Charity Coordinator (part-time) Helen Naylor Support Worker (part-time) Vanessa Venables Support Liaison Officer (part-time) Laura Warren

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 32

Policies and Procedures

We have comprehensive policies and procedures in place (e.g. data protection & security, confidentiality, health & safety, equal opportunities, diversity, anti-fraud, conflict of interest, ethical fundraising, volunteers, bullying and harassment, risk assessment and management, child protection, photography, whistleblowing, safeguarding adults at risk, recruitment, privacy, complaints, financial controls, pay policy and more). We regularly review and update our Privacy Policy and have put systems in place in line with GDPR requirements. All policies and procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the charity, comply with relevant legislation and new ones added where appropriate.

Public benefit

The trustees have given due consideration to the Charity Commission’s published guidance on the Public Benefit requirement under the Charities Act 2011 when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities.

Medical Advisory Board

The Medical Advisory Board is made up of practitioners from a range of medical professions of relevance to facial palsy, three having personal experience of the condition. There are also two patient representatives with personal experience of facial palsy. Members help with Facial Palsy UK website content ensuring it is checked for medical accuracy. They also provide guidance to our support team and are media volunteers.

Patrons

Our patrons receive feedback about our work but do not have decision-making powers. They are:

Nick and Susie Cave John Sudworth Sir Paul McCartney, MBE

Co-operation with other organisations

We are members of the Appearance Collective, a group of charities working together to support those with appearance related conditions. Meetings are funded by the VTCT Foundation.

Independent Examiners

A resolution proposing Azets Accountants be re-appointed as Independent Examiners of the charity will be put to the Annual General Meeting.

Reference and administrative details

Charity number: 1148115 (England & Wales), SC045086 (Scotland) Company number: 08107184 Registered office: Facial Palsy UK, Eventus, Sunderland Road, Market Deeping, Peterborough, PE6 8FD. Accountants: Azets, Westpoint, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FZ. Bankers: HSBC, 125 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2AN.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 33

How did we do?

----- Start of picture text -----
KEY In our annual report for the previous year (ending 30 June 2023) we
Completed highlighted our plans for the next year. This was in line with our 3-year
In progress
Not started Strategic plan for 2023-2026:
TARGET PROGRESS
Finalise the project plan for the inaugural Patient A date has been set for 8 November 2025, the venue is
Facial Palsy Conference and apply for funding. confirmed as the Alder Hey Research Institute. We are
Estimated delivery in 2025. still trying to attract additional funding to reduce costs
to attendees.
Deliver our first ‘Family Day for All’ funded by the This was held in August 2023 and was a successful
Big Give campaign. event.
Continue to develop our face-to-face, virtual and This has been made possible by the grant from
online support groups. Global’s Make Some Noise and successes are detailed
earlier in this report.
Begin to look how best to distribute information There has been some early discussion about this. We
about facial palsy to primary and secondary care intend to discuss with other charities working with
centres including QR codes. people with visible differences to see if we can
combine efforts.
Deliver a successful Facial Palsy Awareness Our theme for 2024 was ‘Recognising Facial Palsy’
Week and continue to raise awareness about which tied in with our charity’s vision. One of our
facial palsy year-round. campaign objectives was to educate general clinicians
about facial palsy. This was achieved by hosting our
first webinar for health professionals. We also
launched our Health Professionals website. We saw a
35% increase in traffic to our website during the week
compared to the previous year. Much of our year-
round work raising awareness this year focused on
educating health professionals, writing to hospitals
where patients had been given incorrect treatment.
Complete our Children’s Book into Libraries Another 172 books were distributed during the year to
project. libraries across the UK. Another push is needed on this
next year to complete the project.
Create a new Volunteering Strategy for 2024 This is still in the planning stages but we have engaged
ensuring we offer more opportunities to get new volunteers for micro volunteering opportunities.
involved in initiatives like micro volunteering as We aim to complete the Volunteering Strategy in 2025.
well as larger tasks and projects.
Complete our Fundraising Strategy and conduct The Fundraising Strategy was completed apart from
a cost-benefit analysis of our fundraising the cost-benefit analysis section which needs some
activities. final tweaks.
Complete our educational facial palsy book for This needed some further improvement but is now in
health professionals. the final stages and will be completed in the first half
of 2025 subject to volunteer time.
Complete and launch the dedicated Health Completed and launched as per deadline.
Professionals’ website during Facial Palsy
Awareness Week 2024. To include information
about specialist multidisciplinary teams.
Develop our Facial Palsy App Work is ongoing with expected launch 2025.
Continue to conduct regular (at least biennial) Survey completed 2024.
surveys about facial palsy and to analyse and
promulgate the responses to decision makers.
SUPPORT & INFORMATION
VOLUNTEERS
AWARENESS, COMMUNICATIONS &
OPERATIONS
FUNDRAISING &
HEALTH & RESEARCH
----- End of picture text -----

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 34

Future plans

Crucially we must tie all plans into our strategy, monitor and evaluate our work, and report on work openly and transparently. Due to our limited resources, we must also stay focused on specific plans and not try to take on too much for one year to ensure continued success.

Operations

Our three-year strategy for 2023-26 is a fluid document to be reviewed again in 2025. Here are the activities (in line with our strategic plan) that we intend to focus on in 2024/25:

Information

Awareness

Support

Volunteers

Health & Research

Fundraising

Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of our fundraising activities and implement our fundraising strategy.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 35

Statement of responsibilities of the Trustees

The charity trustees (who are also the directors of Facial Palsy UK for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each 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, for the financial year. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the 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.

Statement as to disclosure to our independent examiners

In so far as the trustees are aware at the time of approving our trustees’ annual report:

Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:

Philippa Tudor (Chair) Dated: 30 January 2025

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 36

Independent Examiner’s Report

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Facial Palsy UK (the charity) for the year ended 30 June 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (the 2005 Act), the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act). You are satisfied that the financial statements of the charity are not required by charity or company law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 44 (1) (c) of the 2005 Act and section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed the requirements of Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity is required by company law to prepare its accounts on an accruals basis and is registered as a charity in Scotland your examiner must be a member of a body listed in Regulation 11(2) of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the ICAEW which is one of the listed bodies.

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

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.

Tracey Richardson BSc (Hons) FCA

Westpoint Lynch Wood Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE2 6FZ

Dated: 5 February 2025

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 37

Statement of financial activities including income and expenditure account for the year ended 30 June 2024

Current financial year

Current financial year
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2024
2024
3
Notes
£
£
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
3
82,556
33,220
Charitable activities
-
135
Other trading activities
4
2,994
-
Investments
5
5,585
1,886
Total income
91,135
35,241
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
6
4,194
-
Charitable activities
7
116,076
54,172
Total resources expended
120,270
54,172
Net incoming resources before transfers
(29,135)
(18,931)
Gross transfers between funds
505
(505)
Net (expenditure)/income for the year/
Net movement in funds
(28,630)
(19,436)
Fund balances at 1 July 2023
278,681
101,797
Fund balances at 30 June 2024
250,051
82,361		 Total
2024
£
115,776
135
2,994
7,471
126,376
4,194
170,248
174,442
(48,066)
-
(48,066)
380,478
332,412		 Total
2023
£
273,585
-
112
3,204
276,901
2,710
101,153
103,863
173,038
-
173,038
207,440
380,478

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

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 38

Statement of financial activities including income and expenditure account for the year ended 30 June 2023

Prior financial year

Prior financial year
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2023
2023
Notes
£
£
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
3
258,184
15,401
Other trading activities
4
112
-
Investments
5
2,303
901
Total income
260,599
16,302
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
6
2,710
-
Charitable activities
7
76,719
24,434
Total resources expended
76,429
24,434
Net income for the year/
Net movement in funds
181,170
(8,132)
Fund balances at 1 July 2022
97,511
109,929
Fund balances at 30 June 2023
278,681
101,797		 Total
2023
£
273,585
112
3,204
276,901
2,710
101,153
103,863
173,038
207,440
380,478

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 39

Balance sheet as at 30 June 2024

Notes
Current assets
Debtors
13
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within
one year
14
Net current assets
Income funds
Restricted funds
15
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
16
General unrestricted funds		 2024
£
4,735
330,825
335,560
(3,148)
109,338
140,713		 £
332,412
82,361
250,051
332,412		 2023
£
5,582
380,533
386,115
(5,637)
173,292
105,389		 £
380,478
101,797
278,681
380,478

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 30 June 2024.

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the charity keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 30 January 2025.

Philippa Tudor Trustee

Company Registration No. 08107184

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 40

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

Facial Palsy UK is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Eventus, Sunderland Road, Market Deeping, Peterborough, PE6 8FD.

1.1 Accounting convention

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.

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

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the Trustees for specific purposes. The purposes and uses of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

1.4 Income

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 41

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

Income from government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred. Income received in advance for the provision of specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

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

1.5 Expenditure

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

  - costs of raising funds comprise of trading costs and the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose.

  - Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of delivering services, exhibitions and other educational activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 42

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.8 Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

1.9 Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

In the application of the charity’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 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.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 43

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2024
2024
£
£
Donations and gifts
58,481
4,220
Legacies receivable
22,575
-
Grants
1,500
29,000
82,556
33,220		 Total Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2024
2023
2023
£
£
£
62,701
97,366
15,401
22,575
160,818
-
30,500
-
-
115,776
258,184
15,401		 Total
2023
£
112,767
160,818
-
273,585
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2024 2023
£ £
Fundraising events 2,654 -
Trading income 40 112
Other trading activities 2,994 112

Interest receivable

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds
2024 2024 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
5,585 1,886 7,471 3,204

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 44

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

2024 2023
£ £
Fundraising and publicity
Other fundraising costs 3,275 1,496
Staff costs 919 1,214
Fundraising and publicity 4,194 2,710
7 Charitable activities
2024 2023
£ £
Staff costs 75,975 59,716
Advertising and marketing 2,380 4,758
Professional expenses 1,713 932
Online donation charges 1,128 1,866
Postage, freight and courier 164 163
Printing and stationery 24 901
Travel 1,637 1,360
Website improvements 10,980 6,176
Sundry 1,436 894
Event costs 17,326 11,434
Office supplies 896 -
App development 40,888 -
154,547 88,200
Share of support costs (see note 9) 14,006 11,288
Share of governance costs (see note 9) 1,695 1,665
170,248 101,153
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds 116,076 76,719
Restricted funds 54,172 24,434
170,248 101,153

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 45

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

8 Support costs

8
Support costs
Support
costs
Governance
costs
£
£
Staff costs
6,914
-
Office rent
1,779
-
Insurance
730
-
IT support
2,296
-
Telephone & internet
429
-
Bank charges
235
-
Travel
1,517
-
Accountancy
-
1,695
Sundries 106 -
14,006
1,695
Analysed between
Charitable activities
14,006
1,695		 2024
£
6,914
1,779
730
2,296
429
235
1,517
1,695
106
15,701
15,701		 2023
£
6,178
1,764
718
1,851
208
65
504
1,665
-
12,953
12,953

Governance costs includes payments to the independent examiner of £1,695 (2022 - £1,665) for fees.

9 Trustees

The Trustees received no remuneration from the charity in the year (2023 - £nil).

During the year expenses of £597 (2023 - £470) were paid to 2 Trustees (2023 – 3). No Trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2023 - £nil).

10 Employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

2024 2023
Number Number
4 3
Employment costs 2024 2023
£ £
Wages and salaries 80,866 64,696
Social security costs 1,287 1,038
Other pension costs 1,655 1,374
83,808 67,108

There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 46

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

11 Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

12 Financial instruments

12
Financial instruments
Carrying amount of financial assets
Other debtors
Bank and cash
Measured at cost
Carrying amount of financial liabilities
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income
Other creditors
Other taxation and social security
Measured at cost
13
Debtors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
14
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other taxation and social security
Trade creditors
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 2024
£
1,028
330,825
331,853
1,344
1,662
142
-
3,148
2024
£
1,028
3,707
4,735
2024
£
-
1,344
142
1,662
3,148		 2023
£
2,778
380,533
383,311
1,952
1,742
1,943
-
5,637
2023
£
2,778
2,804
5,582
2023
£
-
1,952
1,943
1,742
5,637

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 47

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

15 Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:

Tamworth Family Day
Family Day
Children's Book Appeal
Research Appeal
HP Website
Patient Guides
Northern Ireland Appeal
Northen Ireland Funds
Welsh Virtual Support Group - Lottery
Children's Book into Libraries
Supporting more people with facial palsy - GMSN
Charity Coordinator
Psychological Assessment & Support Project
Big Give - Not the only one Christmas		 Balance at
1 July 2022
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
Balance at 1
July 2023
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
£
£
£
£
£
£
500
5
-
505
-
-
6,179
4,440
(5,378)
5,241
4,421
(8,180)
1,416
12
(249)
1,179
24
-
146
63
-
209
4
-
11,781
102
(964)
10,919
134
(7,159)
559
4
(150)
413
8
-
-
-
-
-
20
-
30
-
(30)
-
-
-
885
-
(885)
-
-
-
5,693
45
(2,620)
3,118
51
(1,496)
-
-
-
-
29,211
(21,554)
14,053
-
(14,053)
-
-
-
68,687
631
-
69,318
1,368
(4,888)
-
11,000
(105)
10,895
-
(10,895)
109,929
16,302 (24,434)
101,797
35,241
(54,172)		 Transfers
£
(505)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(505)		 Balance at
30 June
£
-
1,482
1,203
213
3,894
421
20
-
-
1,673
7,657
-
65,798
-
82,361

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 48

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

Tamworth Family Day - Funds given specifically for a family day at the Tamworth Snowdome. The funds have been unrestricted during the year after confirmation was received from the donor that the funds can be used for another purpose.

Family Day - To provide family days for children with facial palsy, reducing isolation and increasing confidence and self-esteem.

Children's Book Appeal - To fund a children's book to support children affected by facial palsy.

Research Appeal - To fund future research.

Health Professionals’ website – To create a platform for health professionals for the purpose of sharing knowledge, education and collaboration opportunity.

Patient Guides – To create eight patient guides in download format covering various causes of facial palsy.

Northern Ireland Appeal – To be spent on support in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Funds - To be spent on health professional education in Northern Ireland.

Welsh Virtual Support Groups – Funds given by the National Lottery Community Fund Wales to provide virtual support groups.

Children's Book into Libraries - Funds specifically given for distributing our children's book into libraries in the UK.

Global’s Make Some Noise (GMSN) – Funds to improve our support services including a new part-time role

Charity Coordinator Post- Funds given by the VTCT Foundation for a part-time Charity Coordinator post over two years including ad hoc expenses needed for the role, e.g. laptop, computer software.

Psychological Assessment and Support project – funds given by the VTCT Foundation to evaluate the degree of psychological distress in patients with facial palsy.

Big Give – Not the only one Christmas 2022 – A match funding campaign supported by donation from the Hospital Saturday Fund, donations to be used to open up our Family Day in August 2023 to adults as well as children with facial palsy.

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 49

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

16 Designated funds

Charity Coordinator
Psychological Assessment & Support		 Balance at
1 July 2022
Resources
expended
Transfers Balance at 1
July 2023
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
£
£
£
£
£
£
24,736
(13,117)
121,673
133,292
434
(28,584)
-
-
40,000
40,000
196
(36,000)
24,736
(13,117)
161,673
173,292
630
(64,584)		 Transfers
£
-
-
-		 Balance at
30 June
£
105,142
4,196
109,338

Charity Coordinator relates to an amount that has been transferred from unrestricted funds to fund a part-time staff member in this role to 2027.

Psychological Assessment and Support project – funds designated to develop an app to evaluate the degree of psychological distress in patients with facial palsy.

17 Analysis of net assets between funds

Unrestricted
funds
2024
Designated
funds
2024
Restricted
funds
2024
£
£
£
140,713
109,338
82,361
140,713
109,338
82,361		 Total
2024
Unrestricted
funds
2023
Designated
funds
2023
£
£
£
332,412
105,389
173,292
332,412
105,389
173,292		 Restricted
funds
2023
£
101,797
101,7979		 Total
2023
£
380,478
380,478

Fund balances at 30 June 2023 are represented by: Family Day

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 50

Notes to the financial statements (continued) for the year ended 30 June 2024

18 Related party transactions

Remuneration of key management personnel

The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows.

2024 2023
£ £
Aggregate compensation 37,686 36,557

Transactions with related parties

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.

There were no other disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 – none).

Facial Palsy UK (A Company Limited by Guarantee) Charity registered in England & Wales (1148115) and Scotland (SC045086). Company number 08107184

Page 51