2023-03-31-accounts - Norfolk Blood Bikes

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Norfolk Blood Bikes

Registered Charity 1148669

Trustees Annual Report

- 2022 23

This report covers the period from 1[st] April 2022 until March 31[st] 2023

Objectives and activities

On 22[nd] August 2012 Norfolk Blood Bikes, formally SERV Norfolk, became registered as a charity with full control of its financial affairs and reporting directly to the Charity Commission. It has, throughout its existence continued to be a member of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes. All activities carried out by the charity are made by our volunteers, who receive no payment, regardless of the role they do, other than a contribution towards their motoring expenses when using their own cars/bikes directly for the charity’s purpose.

In March 2022 during the weeks preceding this reporting period, the Charity was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups. This prestigious award recognised the efforts of the Charity’s volunteers and the service provided to the NHS in Norfolk in response to the challenges during the Covid19 pandemic of 2020/21. The charity and it’s membership are incredibly proud to be able to promote this ongoing recognition.

The objectives of Norfolk Blood Bikes are:

To transport blood, samples and any other items needed by doctors, hospitals and laboratories for the medical or surgical treatment of patients, during the night, weekend and bank holidays, free of charge to the National Health Service. (NHS)
To co-operate with the emergency services as and when required and additionally to co-operate and enter into service level agreements (SLA) with other government authorities, persons, companies or associations.

Norfolk Blood Bikes has met these objectives year after year, however during this reporting period we have seen a decrease in the number of tasks. This is due to the significant reduction in the movement of Covid-19 samples across the county since September 2022.

Structure, Governance and Management

The structure and governance of Norfolk Blood Bikes has been established with in the constitution first adopted on 1[st] Jul 2012. The trustees and officers of the charity are elected from within the established membership at AGM. Both officers and Trustees will have served a minimum of one year as volunteers of NBB prior to any nomination to a role being considered.

Management of the charity is assisted by the elected committee covering the day to day responsibilities for fundraising, fleet, rota, training, membership and hospital liaison.

During the year one trustee resignation was received without replacement as it was felt that the charity had more than adequate support from remaining trustees for the duration of the reporting period.

Incumbent Trustees (at commencement of period 2022/23)	Ofce (if any)	Dates acted (if not whole year)
William Farrow	Chair	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022
Lazlo Igali	Treasurer	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022
Colin Farrington	Independent Trustee	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022
Chris Longhurst	Independent Trustee	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022
Vanessa Lilley	Independent Trustee	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022
Geofrey Whistler	Independent Trustee	21/11/2021 - 01/06/2022
Trevor Beckford	Independent Trustee	21/11/2021 - 06/11/2022

Trustees (voted inat AGM Nov 2022)
James Duncan	Chair	06/11/2022 – 06/07/2023
Trevor Beckford	Treasurer	06/11/2022 – 06/08/2023
Ralph Hardwick	Independent Trustee	06/11/2022 – 06/08/2023
Roger Goshawk	Independent Trustee	06/11/2022 – 16/06/2023
Richard Ward	Independent Trustee	06/11/2022 – 02/06/2023
Nigel Pollard	Independent Trustee	06/11/2022 – 05/05/2023

Anthony Tungate	Independent Trustee	06/11/2022 – 03/07/2023

Current Trustees (voted inat AGM August 2023)
PaulSouthwell	Dept -Chair	06/08/2023–ongoing
ElizabethGrainger	Treasurer	06/08/2023–ongoing
Alexander Gourlay	Chair / Fundraising Manager	06/08/2023 – ongoing
Jasmin England	Secretary	06/08/2023–ongoing
Philip Sherrif	TrainingManager	06/08/2023–ongoing
Graham Horton	Independent Trustee	06/08/2023–ongoing

Serving Norfolk

Norfolk County is a large geographical area with the major hospitals situated up to 68 miles apart from each other and the regional blood supply depot up to 90 miles away from the hospital. The tasks can be classified as ‘urgent’ and some types of samples are time sensitive and need to be delivered within two hours. Because of this volunteers are split into four major groups, one group is located in the vicinity of each of the three major hospitals, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn and James Paget university hospital in Gorleston. There are a further 6 smaller hospitals operated by the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, who are also assisted by us, through the transport of samples. There is a fourth group situated in and around Thetford who do not directly service the major hospitals but act to travel to the regional supply hospital and then rendezvous with the other three hospital groups. This arrangement enables us to reduce the travel time when transporting blood products to the major hospitals from the supply hospital in Cambridge. In this way the travel time from Cambridge to the James Paget hospital can be reduced by one hour and twenty minutes, which if the hospital has marked it as urgent, may prove vital.

We own and run a dedicated liveried fleet of 11 motorbikes and 5 cars. The fleet is distributed to the four areas of the county to allow volunteers access to them on duty. The age and ability of the fleet are constantly assessed by our dedicated fleet team to ensure their continuing capability to function as well as to facilitate advanced planning to service, repair and renew the fleet as necessary.

In addition to the dedicated charity fleet, some volunteers also use their own vehicles where it is logistically necessary to do so.

Volunteers may claim an agreed contribution towards their motoring expenses when using their own vehicle directly for the charity’s purposes.

All costs associated with the fleet are covered by collections, donations, organisations and the general public. It should be noted that for the period covered in this report our volunteers travelled 155,201 miles, completing the tasks required.

The charity functions solely to transport products for the benefit of the NHS, consequently it does not work for, nor receive reimbursement from any private company. We do continue to have an excellent working arrangement with two charities operating in the county, namely the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) and Hearts Milk Foundation (HMF). The working relationship with Hearts Milk Foundation has enabled it become operational in the county of Norfolk and a reliable supplier of human breast milk to our hospital’s Neonatal Units. The operations centre for the foundation is in Harpenden, therefore the initial assistance given has established the provision of the service for a wider area than just the county of Norfolk. We now make routine runs to collect milk from various donors in Norfolk and transport it to a storage facility in Hellesdon hospital in Norwich. We then take it to Harpenden for it to processed and return with the processed milk to the storage facility, where it can be distributed to the various NICU units in the three major hospitals. In contrast to the normal service provided by the Charity for blood products and samples, we mostly provide the milk service during daytime hours.

Every evening we continue to run a service for the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) which involves the regular change of restocking of two small boxes of blood supplies, we do this service 365 days of the year.

It costs between £51 to £173 per task by taxi or specialist courier (Avg. £112) without adjusting for inflation and assuming that the stated average is realistic Norfolk Blood Bikes has saved our service users approximately £250,000 this year, all of which can be put back into patient care.

This benefit to the NHS and others is not limited to a simple financial calculations. In contrast to taxi firms or couriers, we are governed by SLA’s with agreed response times and record keeping to ensure that we perform to an accepted level, with an effective audit trail and accountability for the service we provide.

We have continued to meet all the SLA’s and any other targets set by the users and the feedback we have received is positive. We continue to be a trusted part of the health system and live up to our motto ‘we’ll go no matter what’.

All tasks were completed by volunteer riders/drivers managed by an experienced shift controller who is responsible for the allocation of appropriate resources to complete the task required and to monitor the safety of the volunteer on the road. No payment was made for the services performed or salary to any volunteer, trustee, or committee member.

We are never informed of the identity of any patient, their condition nor whether we have made any positive contribution to their recovery. However occasionally during public fundraising activities we have been greeted by former patients who have thanked us for the service we provide, being convinced that had we not delivered the products they needed, they may not be here today. These rare meetings make our work incredibly real.

Financial Statement

The year continued to present many challenges in terms of the charity’s finances. The pandemic has changed the way the public views and carried money, we have seen such a big move towards contactless card payments. In order to have the ability to take collections from the public and presentations, we invested in better wireless contactless devices to enable us to take card payments from the public. This has helped us to diversify the methods of cash collection and along with online donations, has contributed to an increase in funds donated to the charity. Approximately £20,600 more than the preceding year was raised and is slightly higher to the year before that. We see this as a very positive sign given the cost of living crisis emerging and adding pressure to donors during this time.

The impact of increased costs was also felt across our fleet adding significantly to our running costs. Having a new car on the fleet, this has helped bring down some of the repair costs versus last year, leaving the charity with a surplus balance of £185,232.97 . This represents an increase of just over £28,850 from the previous reporting period.

It costs approximately £5,000 per month to run the charity with current levels of demand. The balance of £185,237.97 has therefore been divided into a reserve

fund of £35,000 representing 7 months operation costs. A further reserve of £56,768.50 has been established for fleet replacements, leaving an operational cash balance of £93,469.47 . These reserves mean that if future circumstances should restrict the ability of the charity to generate income from the public, Norfolk Blood Bikes could continue to function through a crisis and establish a reformulated operating plan.

We are therefore satisfied that the current financial results will enable us to continue to provide the service outlined in this report and have sufficient headroom to respond to future demand and potentially increase select provision to our current users should it be requested.

In a view of the provision detailed above and the state of finance it is perceived that there is no or negligible risk to prevent the charity from continuing its current function for the foreseeable future.

The objectives of the charity have been fulfilled and it is proposed to continue and develop the provision in a sustainable manner.

April 2023 forward.

In response to several early Trustee/Committee resignations and retirements during the summer, the thinly stretched leadership team called an early AGM in order to appoint a new team. The remaining Trustees stood down and a new leadership team and Trustees were elected through membership nominations and voting (where more than one candidate stood for role).

During the Autumn of 2023 the newly elected team, with the membership’s approval, have developed a new vision and strategy for the future of Norfolk Blood Bikes. With this strategy in place and driving a more cohesive approach to decision making, it is anticipated that a consistent and resilient leadership team can be maintained.

During the same period, the charity’s social media policy and process to manage long term absence has been established. Fundraising and income remain positive, as does the ongoing delivery of our core objectives.

Operating Statistics

perating Statistics
Task Breakdown	2022-23	2021-22	Vs Previous Year
Total Tasks	2,210	3,067	Down857 Tasks
Rendezvous(Tasks involving additional Rider/Driverjourney)	530	436	Up 94 Tasks
Average Volunteer Tasks per day (combined total + rendezvous volunteers)	7.5	9.6	Down 2.1 Tasks per day
Total mileage	155,201	166,174	Down 10,973
Average Mileage per Task	70.2 Miles	54.2 Miles	Up 16 Miles per Task

SamplesTasks	950	738	Up212
Donated Breast Milk Tasks	147	163	Down 16
Red blood cellsTasks	149	171	Down 22
Whole blood Tasks	31	43	Down 12

Platelets Tasks	466	450	Up16
PlasmaTasks	18	23	Down5
Air Ambulance Tasks	365	255	First fullyear
Covid Related Tasks	58	1,159	covid collections end Sept.
Re-agents Tasks	2		Not previously recorded separately
Medication Tasks	1		Not previously recorded separately
Paperwork Tasks	1		Not previously recorded separately
Testing Kits Tasks	1		Not previously recorded separately
Other tasks uncategorised	21	65
Total Tasks	2,2210	3,067

Extra 2022-23 stats:

xtra 2022-23 stats:
Totalsampleitems collected	1,273
DBM litres collected	1,067
East AngliaAir AmbulanceBoxes	1,034
Total boxes task/runs(not EAAA)	1,477

Chairman Signed:

Alexander Gourlay

Treasurer signed: Elizabeth Grainger

3mth	s to 3	NORFOLK	202 60,528.54 - - - -	202 80,453.09 5,667.88 570.00 8,242.97 -	201 80,400.33 3,553.44 375.00 9,588.21 -	9/20 93,916.98 128,653.04
		ncome and Ex for year en 202 81,147.33 - - - 938.61
12,8	36.19 - - - -
1,0 3,0 2 9 3 1,0 4,9 5 3,9 4,0 (2,6	80.61 - 43.01 65.25 51.88 06.25 10.00 - - 55.00 - 2.99 42.07 - - 40.00 - 15.00 - Jun	1,166.52 - 25,374.53 706.27 3,831.22 6,091.39 2,856.64 - - - - 979.25 9,762.47 50.12 - 1,440.00 1,296.00 15,656.00 - 2 4,064.18 - (2,517.08	601.21 - 24,159.97 418.28 4,381.39 4,840.95 1,144.10 - - - - 1,402.69 9,837.40 - - 1,094.00 1,296.00 15,655.64 - et ch 2 3,043.64 1,020.54 (2,001.08	1,504.93 26.91 25,377.21 627.70 2,054.84 4,809.05 1,102.59 - - - - 626.91 7,039.41 12.50 205.00 390.00 - 69,159.16 2,924.49 2 3,043.64 - (1,485.30	1,384.78 222.18 35,451.84 134.67 3,354.97 7,685.59 630.92 81.46 99.00 2,033.29 60.00 955.85 6,716.09 120.00 2,253.06 215.85 1,461.80 65,791.69 - 2 3,043.64 - (1,095.71
						(34,736.06) 277,586.55
						*242,850.49*
						020 ) 1,947.93 ) 130,609.40 110,519.16 226.00
	64.18 - 47.08
275,9 (4,7 (233,4	23.34 91.67 43.85	275,078.27 845.07 (229,658.85	275,078.27 - (214,518.85	261,218.82 13,859.45 (199,378.99	261,218.82 - (130,609.42
191,5 (	56.23 0.03 23.99	185,261.93 0.03 (23.99	150,065.33 0.03 6,316.72	144,892.08 0.03 -	110,519.13 0.03 -

						*242,850.49*
						35,000.00 31,673.78 43,845.38
						*110,519.16*

The Willows, Ipswich Road Long Stratton, NR15 2TG Tel. 01508 333040 office@abcabacus.co.uk www.abcabacus.co.uk

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of “Norfolk Blood Bikes”

I report on the accounts of the above charity number 1148669 for the year ended 31 March 2023

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act 1993 and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under
section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. 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.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, I have identified the following matters of concern, namely that due to significant changes in Trustees involved in the management of the charity without a full and proper handover, that a higher degree of risk existed in all operational and financial areas, although the records were kept in reasonable order and agree to the bank.

I confirm that no other matters has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of
accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Peter Bussey FFA FIPA 24[th] January 2024

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