INTERNATIONAL SELF-CARE FOUNDATION
WWW.ISFGLOBAL.ORG ADMIN@ISFGLOBAL.ORG
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited (A company limited by guarantee)
Trustees Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
Charity number 1158114 Company number 8840766
International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Contents
Year Ended 31 January 2026
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| Page | |
|---|---|
| Company Information | 2 |
| Trustees' Annual Report (including Directors' Report) | 3 - 19 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 20 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 21 |
| Balance Sheet | 22 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 23 - 25 |
International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Company Information
Year Ended 31 January 2026
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| Charity Number | : | 1158114 |
|---|---|---|
| Company Registration Number | : | 8840766 |
| Operational Address of the Charity | : | 424 Kilmarnock Way |
| Nepean, ON | ||
| Canada | ||
| K2J 0M5 | ||
| Registered Address of the Charity | : | 2ndFloor Regis House |
| 45 King William Street | ||
| London | ||
| EC4R 9AN | ||
| Directors (Trustees) | : | Mr David Skinner |
| Dr Austen El-Osta | ||
| Bankers | : | Royal Bank of Canada |
| P.O. Box 6011 Station A | ||
| Montreal QC | ||
| H3C 3B8 | ||
| Independent Examiner | : | Christopher Nisbet FCA |
| Azets | ||
| Suites B & D | ||
| Burnham Yard | ||
| Beaconsfield | ||
| Buckinghamshire | ||
| HP9 2JH | ||
| Accountants | : | Azets |
| Suites B & D | ||
| Burnham Yard | ||
| Beaconsfield | ||
| Buckinghamshire | ||
| HP9 2JH |
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Trustees’ Annual Report (Including Directors’ Report)
Year Ended 31 January 2026
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The Directors presents the report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2026. The directors have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
Structure, Governance & Management
Governing Document
The International Self-Care Foundation (ISF) is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales on 10 January 2014. In the event of the company being wound up, members are each required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.
The company is governed under the Articles of Association of International Self-Care Foundation Limited. These Articles cover the following elements: Interpretation; Liability of members; Objects; Powers; Application of income and property; Benefits and payments to charity directors and connected persons; Scope and powers permitting directors’ or connected persons’ benefits, Payment for supply of goods only - controls; Declaration of directors’ interests; Conflicts of interests and conflicts of loyalties; Members; Classes of Membership; Termination of membership; General meetings; Notice of general meetings; Proceedings at general meetings; Content of proxy notices; Delivery of proxy notices; Written resolutions; Votes of members; Directors; Powers of directors; Retirement of directors; Appointment of directors; Disqualification and removal of directors; Remuneration of directors; Proceedings of directors; delegation; Validity of directors’ decisions; Seal; Minutes; Accounts; Annual Report and Return and Register of Charities; Means of communication to be used; Indemnity; Rules; Disputes; Dissolution; Interpretation.
Trustees
Mr David Skinner Dr Austen El-Osta
Management of the charity
The day-to-day management of the ISF is the responsibility of Mr. David Skinner, President of the Charity.
A sister organisation also called the International Self-Care Foundation is registered in Hong Kong as a charity. The focus of ISF Hong Kong is China. The two organisations are fully independent of each other and have no financial links.
Public Interest
The overall aim of the International Self-Care Foundation (ISF) is the preservation of health and wellness through encouraging people (individuals and populations) to ‘self-care’ – that is, to adopt and maintain more healthy lifestyles.
Healthier lifestyles are urgently needed because ‘lifestyle’ diseases – also called noncommunicable or chronic diseases, particularly heart attack and stroke, cancer, chronic
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respiratory disease and diabetes – have reached epidemic proportions in most countries around the world. But lifestyle diseases are preventable – up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type2 diabetes, and over a third of cancers could be prevented by eliminating common risk factors, particularly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.
The beneficial purpose of ISF is to help prevent, delay or alter the course of preventable ‘lifestyle’ diseases by encouraging self-care – that is, the adoption of healthier lifestyles. ‘Self-care’ describes the activities involved in adopting healthy lifestyles and thereby preserving health and preventing or delaying lifestyle diseases. The WHO 1998 definition of self-care is:
‘Self-Care is what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure etc), environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.’
However, one challenge of lifestyle disease prevention is that responsibility ultimately rests with individuals, and there are many practical issues and challenges. Furthermore, being substantially outside the remit of current health and social systems, self-care has in the past lacked a champion.
The International Self-Care Foundation has therefore been formed to champion self-care around the world. In practical terms, this involves helping to develop evidence-based self-care concepts and practices and helping to promote the role of self-care in health .
The public benefit of the International Self-Care Foundation’s work is significant; healthy individuals can expect to remain healthier; healthcare professionals can concentrate on more serious cases, and public healthcare budget pressures will be relieved.
In presenting this report the Trustees confirm that they have had regard to the commission’s public benefit guidance in exercising their powers and duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Objectives
The stated objects of the ISF are the relief of sickness by the promotion, preservation and protection of health and wellbeing. This is based on the concept of self-care praxis, which can be defined as the maintenance of healthy lifestyles and encompasses the concepts of hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure etc.), environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.
The charity aims:
- To promote better health through the benefits of self-care and healthy lifestyles with a particular focus on keeping people healthy
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To advance the education of the public in preserving and protecting health by the provision of educational support and information on self-care and healthy lifestyles to individuals based on the best available evidence (particularly from the World Health Organisation) and current best practice.
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To help in the development of optimal health practices and systems, ancillary to those provided by doctors, focusing on the development of disease prevention services and activities.
Self-care describes in a practical, person-centred way what we should all be doing to maintain our health, wellness and wellbeing. Through self-care people can be healthier and remain so into old age, managing minor ailments themselves. They can also better manage, delay or even prevent the appearance of lifestyle diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and many cancers.
Self-care also presents enormous opportunities for all other stakeholders in health and wellbeing, including healthcare professionals, health services, industry and governments. However, self-care as a concept and in practice needs worldwide development and support in order to realise its full potential. There is a fundamental need to raise the visibility of and articulate the case for self-care. There is also a fundamental need to support the development of self-care as an academic subject, to provide solid foundations and evidence-based recommendations to drive country programme implementation and policy development.
Broadly speaking, self-care is a practical, person-centred way to maintain our health, wellness and wellbeing. Through self-care, people can be healthier and remain so into old age. The Seven Pillars of Self-Care set out the fundamental activities that each of us can adopt to reduce the risk of so called ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancers as well as taking actions to effectively deal with common, everyday self-manageable conditions.
Self-care also presents enormous opportunities for all other stakeholders in health, including healthcare professionals, health services, industry and governments. However, self-care as a concept and in practice needs worldwide development and support to realise its full potential. There is a fundamental need to raise the visibility of and articulate the case for self-care in various settings. There is also a fundamental need to support the development of self-care as an academic subject to illustrate the evidence base for self-care interventions and to provide a solid foundation for country programme implementation and policy prescriptions to promote healthy living and vitality in ageing.
The International Self-Care Foundation’s (ISF) core strategy is to help develop evidence-based self-care concepts and practices, and to promote the role of self-care in health, working with other organisations as appropriate. ISF has a unique status in the self-care landscape by virtue of its specific focus on the individual self-carer, the promotion of self-care activities and R&D whilst maintaining a charitable status.
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International Self-Care Foundation Report
In 2023, ISF embarked on a multi-year program to raise further awareness of the seven pillars of self-care. The kick-off of “Self-Care for all by 2030” began with the publication of a paper that focussed on the first pillar: Health Literacy. The plan was to focus on successive pillars each year so that ISF may build greater awareness of the value of self-care, culminating in a series of 7 reports by 2030.
In 2024, the emphasis was shifted to the second pillar of mental well-being. This publication was authored by David Skinner (ISF), Dr. El-Osta (ISF and SCARU) and Dr. Demarzo (UNIFESP). This second instalment of the Self-Care 2030 Insights Report was preceded by the publication of a feature about mental health and self-care. In addition, mental health and self-care was featured in an article by Mr. Skinner in Open Access Government’s journal (read the article here).
In 2025, ISF shifted focus to Pillar 3: Physical Activity. As in previous years, this was a joint effort between David Skinner (ISF), Dr. El-Osta (ISF and SCARU) and Prof. Nikos Ntoumanis (Danish Centre for Motivation and Behavioural Science). This was accompanied by another companion publication in Research Features that brought a precise summary of the opportunities for selfcare and the reduction of non-communicable diseases through physical activity. The next study in the series earmarked for 2026 will explore the Healthy Eating Pillar, until all the pillars are explored in a sequence by 2030.
In 2025 ISF commissioned the Seven Pillars of Self-Care Study - an annual research program designed to support the seven pillars. The inaugural study was supported by SCARU in conjunction with ISF, and the results were available in pre-publication in time for the UK National Self-Care Week. During this annual event, the Self-care Forum joined ISF in its focus on physical activity and ISF President, David Skinner, served on the panel judging self-care projects for the annual ISF-sponsored award.
In addition to publishing the new Self-Care 2030 report, ISF was involved in advocacy efforts in partnership with the Global Self-Care Federation and others under the banner of The United for Self-Care Coalition. Substantive policy work was done to emphasize the value of self-care in reducing the impact of non-communicable diseases. This work was fed into the United Nations high-level meeting in September where UN member states developed a political declaration. ISF was privileged to be included in the development of the Canadian position for the UN declaration.
This year, ISF hosted two meetings in London. The London Self-Care Summit 2025 chaired by David Skinner (ISF) included representatives from the Self-Care Forum UK, Brazil’s Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), the Personalised Care Institute, the Federal University of São Paulo, the University of Technology Sydney, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Imperial College WHO Collaborating Centre on Public Health Education & Training, and Imperial SCARU. The Summit opened with a UK-Brazil bilateral roundtable on 7-8 July 2025. This two-day roundtable convened senior representatives from academia, clinical leadership and public health to explore
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how self-care can be positioned as a core responsibility of the medical profession, resulting in the UK-Brazil Declaration on Medical Leadership for Self-Care. Discussions highlighted the need to embed self-care literacy into medical education and professional development, and to redefine physicians not as gatekeepers, but as enablers of patient autonomy.
The Summit concluded with an International Planning Meeting devoted to further developing the International Academy for Self-Care Research (IASCR) and planning for future International Self-Care Summits (by ISF). The first such gathering will take place in September 2026 in Bangkok where it is anticipated that IASCR will officially launch. The 2026 Summit in Bangkok will focus on healthy ageing and self-care where ISF and local Thai partners will hold discussions on the value of self-care.
After Bangkok in 2026, the subsequent series of International Self-Care Summits will be held in Brazil (2028) and in China (2030) and will focus on ‘self-care monitoring and evaluation. and on the Digital Self-Care agenda’ respectively.
ISF continues its collaboration with the World Health Organization. As a member of the Imperial WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education & Training, SCARU is uniquely positioned to further a positive self-care environment. As WHO has produced resources for self-care, it also has increased its policy presence through promotion of self-care for universal access to health and support for NCD prevention. They note that “3.6 billion people – half of the world – lack access to essential health services. WHO recommends self-care interventions for every country and economic setting, as a critical path to reach universal health coverage, promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.”
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The growing interest in self-care internationally
Over the past year, ISF increased its social media following and engagement on all platforms and updated the website and content.
Broadly speaking, self-care is a practical, person-centred way to maintain our health, wellness and wellbeing. Through self-care, people can be healthier and remain so into old age. The Seven Pillars of Self-Care set out the fundamental ways each of us can reduce the risk of so called ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancers, as well as taking actions to effectively deal with common, everyday selfmanageable conditions.
Self-care also presents enormous opportunities for all other stakeholders in health, including healthcare professionals, health services, industry and governments. However, self-care as a concept and in practice needs worldwide development and support in order to realise its full potential. There is a fundamental need to raise the visibility of and articulate the case for selfcare in various settings. There is also a fundamental need to support the development of selfcare as an academic subject to illustrate the evidence base for effective self-care interventions and to provide a solid foundation for country programme implementation and policy prescriptions to promote healthy living and vitality in ageing.
ISF’s strategic focus continues to support the development of evidence-based self-care concepts and practices, and to promote the role of self-care in driving up empowerment, health and wellbeing, at home, in the community, in workplaces and in different setting in people from all walks of life
ISF has a unique status in the self-care landscape by virtue of its specific focus on the individual self-carer. This is a position ISF will seek to maintain as it is currently regarded as the only entity to represent and advocate for the self-carer. ISF is also recognised Internationally as a founder member of the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) and in this way helps set the global agenda for self-care R&D whilst maintaining a charitable status.
This report is designed to provide a summary of ISF’s main activities over the last year. This is primarily an internal newsletter but may be circulated externally.
International Self-Care Day 2024
International Self-Care Day (ISD) 24/7 is recognised by the WHO and celebrated on 24 July each year. This commemorative day was created by ISF with the sole purpose of raising the profile of self-care around the world. ISD 24/7 provides a media-friendly forum and a focus for individuals and groups to (independently) promote self-care in their organisation or community.
All stakeholders in health and wellbeing are invited to use International Self-Care Day in independent, responsible ways to progress the cause of their self-care agenda for health, wellness and wellbeing. ISF is delighted to record that International Self-Care Day continues to expand around the world involving thousands of people in many different countries. As in previous years, numerous government organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, charities,
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health centres, associations, enterprises and many other types of organization used this device to responsibly promote their self-care agendas during ISD 2024.
ISF continues to focus on the New Decade of Self-Care and is developing a roadmap towards selfcare for all by 2030. On ISD 2024 there were many organizations who focused their efforts on better understanding of how self-care literacy can help improve outcomes and effective use of healthcare resources.
This year there were a larger number of organizations engaged in promoting selfcare on ISD. To further provide practical tools for individuals looking to better understand what they can do for their own health, ISF continued to promote its self-care app based on the seven pillars of selfcare. The expansion of ISD to a full month through the promotion of Self-care Month by WHO showed increased messaging leading up to ISD 2024. ISF received a large number of requests and contacts seeking to use the seven pillars in their messaging during this period. The social media promotion of ISD and mental health included new media such as YouTube for getting the message out. An example of this outreach can be found here.
ISF President, David Skinner was also interviewed by Wellness World USA about the seven pillars and the 2025 emphasis on physical activity.
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ISF Expands its Network
Partnerships are very important to the ability of ISF to drive messaging and actions on responsible selfcare. The long-standing relationship with SCARU continued to result in several opportunities. For example, Dr El-Osta and David Skinner participated in a number of meetings focussed on the importance of self-care and the evidence base that supports the calls for stronger national policy and greater person-centred care.
Through its social media program, ISF continued to grow its follower base. Also, the number of impressions for the seven pillars of self-care rose considerably. The peak impressions coincided with the week leading to, and including, ISD as well as Self-care Week in the UK.
ISF also continued its involvement with the Selfcare Trailblazer Group and participates in their communications and advocacy programmes. This platform provides good opportunities for ISF to interact with a wide variety of organizations in this network.
The United Kingdom celebrates National Self-Care Week (SCW) in November each year and both the Selfcare Forum and the UK Consumer Healthcare Products Association (PAGB) supported ISD. Furthermore, ISF sponsored the selfcare innovation awards and served as a part of the team judging entries. There were several great projects created to support selfcare and the Selfcare Forum worked closely with ISF in creating digital materials for SCW including a further promotion of the ISF app.
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ISF IN CHINA
International Self-Care Day (ISD) 2025 in China adopted the theme of 'Self-Care for a Better Future', actively building a scientific and standardized ecosystem for health knowledge dissemination. This aims to integrate self-care concepts and behaviours into the daily lives of the public, injecting new momentum into the Healthy China initiative.
Highlights
Liu Pei, President of the China Nonprescription Medicines Association and former Director of the Policy and Regulation Department of the National Medical Products Administration stated in his speech: “As a global health observance, International Self-Care Day has garnered enthusiastic responses from nearly 40 countries and regions”. WHO research shows that personal behaviour and lifestyle factors account for 60% of health outcomes. Therefore, empowering everyone to become the primary steward of their own health is profoundly significant.
Li Wenyan, Chief Supervisor of the China Behavioral Law Association and former Vice President of the People's Public Security University of China remarked: 'International Self-Care Day was initiated in 2011 by the World Self-Medication Industry Association, designating July 24 as a global health observance. It advocates that people improve their lifestyles, prevent diseases, and maintain their health through self-care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. This health concept, centered on individual agency, aligns closely with China's Healthy China strategy and echoes the principle that 'everyone is the first person responsible for their own health.'
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In daily life, many common diseases and health issues can be effectively prevented and managed through scientific self-care. For this event, medical experts were specially invited to share professional, practical, and easy-to-understand health knowledge.
During the 'Self-Medication and Self-Care for Common Diseases' forum, experts shared insights on prevention and health management for conditions such as osteoarthritis and respiratory infections.
Liu Wei, Deputy Chief Physician of the Cardiology Department at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine presented on 'Safeguarding the Lifeline: Prevention, Treatment, and Self-Care of Sudden Cardiac Death,' covering the current state of the disease, the seven pillars of self-care, and the three-tiered protection principles.
Yu Huiyong, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine explained the physiological characteristics and functions of the lungs from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, along with TCM methods for lung self-care and protection.
Osteoarthritis is a controllable chronic degenerative disease, affecting over 500 million people worldwide, with prevalence increasing exponentially with age. Jia Yusong, Chief Physician of Orthopedics at Yuquan Hospital affiliated with Tsinghua University shared insights on "Joint Health and Self-Care," introducing the core recommendations from international and Chinese guidelines, as well as the four-step self-care method.
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Gu Lijun, Chief Physician of the First Joint Department at Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences discussed the high-incidence age of osteoarthritis, its triggers, the optimal time for medical consultation, and key points for prevention and care.
Shao Danyue, Ph.D. in Clinical Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine analysed factors contributing to insomnia, introduced TCM's syndrome differentiation and treatment for insomnia, and explained how to improve sleep through self-care practices.
In the ‘Family (Children) Common Health Issues Managemen t’ forum, participating experts shared key health knowledge on children's nutrition, height management, and skin care, aiming to help every child enjoy a happy childhood.
Liang Yuan, Chief Physician of Dermatology at Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University stated, Children's skin health is a critical battleground for 'preventive treatment.' Scientific self-care can reduce medication needs by 70%. Parents should adopt a dual-track strategy of 'scientific care + timely medical attention' to serve as effective 'skin barrier gatekeepers' for their children.
Yin Shi'an, Researcher at the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention shared the main nutritional challenges faced by Chinese children and related recommendations: prevention outweighs treatment, early intervention yields greater benefits, and daily low-dose supplementation better aligns with physiological needs.
Dou Pan, Chief Physician of Clinical Nutrition at Peking University First Hospital presented on ‘Children's Height Management and Self-Care’, explaining the essential foundational factors for children's height growth and how parents can effectively manage their children's height.
Zhang Wenhe, Executive Director of the Skin Safety Care Project at the China Charity Federation engaged with the audience on ‘Antifungal Skin Management and Self-Care’, addressing common skin conditions, prevention and treatment strategies, and the optimal timing for seeking medical care.
Since its establishment in 2011, the ‘International Self-Care Day’ (ISD) has gained participation and promotion from nearly forty countries worldwide, including China, the United States, and Canada. China currently serves as a role model and plays a leading role in the global self-care initiative. The development of self-care has not only garnered international recognition and support but also attracted endorsement and collaboration from domestic health-related enterprises. In 2025, the organizers selected ten companies with strong social responsibility and deep commitment to the self-care cause to form the ISD public welfare system. These companies include Jinyao Darentang (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health management), Heliang (adolescent health management), Baiyang Pharmaceutical (children's height management), GuiLong Pharmaceutical (respiratory health management), Reckitt (joint health management), Dayin Pharmaceutical (children's nutrition management), Liansheng Pharmaceutical (pain management), Zedeman Pharmaceutical (skin health management),
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Wuhan Noan Pharmaceutical (antifungal skin management), and Changshou Pharmaceutical (sleep health management).
These companies introduced their respective 2025 ISD public welfare projects. Representatives jointly read the ‘Self-Care Responsibility Declaration’, pledging to ‘shoulder social responsibility, fulfil corporate commitments, promote self-care, disseminate scientific concepts, popularize health knowledge, strengthen national fitness, and contribute to a Healthy China’. Honorary certificates were also awarded to the 2025 ISD public welfare partners at the event.
It is reported that the 2025 ISD public welfare partners will fully leverage their respective resources to conduct various public welfare promotions and science popularization activities. The 14-year-long ISD campaign has raised awareness of the value and contribution of self-care interventions, thereby advancing the goals of universal health coverage and sustainable development for a Healthy China.
THE SEVEN PILLARS OF SELF-CARE FRAMEWORK
The Seven Pillars of Self-Care are described in better detail on the ISF web site.
Each pillar describes in middle-range terms a set of activities that every individual should undertake; collectively the 7 pillars describe the entirety of self-care from the perspective of the self-carer.
Over the last few years, the 7 Pillars of Self-Care Framework has proved to be comprehensive, robust, practical and easily accessible tool that could by organisations and people from all walks of life. But the 7 pillars framework is more than just a visual diagram; it can be used as a framework to list specific activities for self-carers, selfcare support tasks for healthcare professionals, barriers, policies and much else.
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THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
The WHO continues it work in the self-care space, namely by advocating for self-care as a key enabler if UHC. Whilst the focus was initially to explore the indispensable role of self-care in promoting health & wellbeing in the context of sexual and reproductive health & rights, there is a clarion call for the global self-care movement to now advance new guidelines for self-care for NCDs. The United for Self-Care Coalition which ISF is part of has now shifted its focus to tackle NCDs, starting with Oral Health as the first case study in 2025
Mr. Skinner & Dr. El-Osta continue to support WHO in their publication pipeline. The consortium is now also developing 3 papers earmarked for publication in the Lancet on International SelfCare Day.
ISF ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS
ISF is a unique organisation in the self-care space and as a charity we can work independently and supportively with other parties such as government departments, academia, charities, healthcare professional bodies, and others. Examples of ISF partnering with academia during 2025 include:
Imperial College London Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU)
The Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) was launched in 2017 & remains as the only university academic unit in the world dedicated specifically to the study of self-care. SCARU is a tripartite collaboration between Imperial College London School of Primary Care & Public Health, ISF and the UK Self-Care Forum. SCARU’s is already recognised as the academic home of self-care internationally.
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SCARU was part of a European consortium of partners that collectively sought €4m funding envelope form the EU Horizon Public Health Workstream for Primary Prevention and SelfManagement of NCDs. ISF supported the application by providing a letter of support which was included in the pack. The outcome of the competitive proposal is expected in April 2025.
The Seven Pillars of Self-Care Study
ISF discussed plans to commission the Seven Pillars of Self-Care Study which will offer a novel and comprehensive approach to investigating self-care practices among community-dwelling adults, focusing on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to the seven pillars defined by ISF. This study will fill critical gaps in existing research by examining how individuals engage with self-care in everyday life, particularly in non-clinical settings. While previous studies have explored self-care in isolated contexts (e.g., specific health behaviours or conditions), this study is unique in its holistic approach, evaluating all seven pillars concurrently to understand their interrelationships.
By assessing self-care across diverse demographic groups, the study will provide insights into how socio-economic, cultural and educational factors influence self-care practices. This will allow for the development of tailored interventions that address the unique barriers and facilitators experienced by different population segments. The findings will be particularly valuable for policymakers, healthcare providers and public health professionals seeking to design evidence-based, community-level interventions that promote healthier lifestyles.
In addition, the study's emphasis on self-care literacy and behaviours will contribute to the growing field of health literacy, advancing our understanding of how individuals interpret and apply health information in real-world settings. By generating robust, actionable data, this study will inform future research and practice in self-care, health promotion and preventive healthcare, ultimately supporting efforts to reduce healthcare costs and improve population health outcomes globally.
A pre-print of the 7PSC Study focusing on Pillar 3 (Physical Activity) can be accessed using this link. Next year, the focus will focus on Pillar 4 (Healthy Eating) with publication earmarked by ISD 2026.
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR SELF-CARE RESEARCH
ISF continues to support the efforts of the International Centre for Self-Care Research (ICSCR); a virtual centre focused on research into the health maintenance, monitoring, and management activities done by individuals and their families to deal with chronic illness. The number of people with chronic illness is burgeoning worldwide due to the aging population and unhealthy lifestyles. Self-care becomes increasingly important and complex as chronic illness develops. The vision of the Centre is a world where self-care is prioritized by individuals, families, and communities and is the first line of approach in every health care encounter. The mission of the Centre is to lead the self-care research endeavour, improving conceptual clarity and promoting interdisciplinary work informed by a shared vision. Toward this goal, the ICSCR is currently conducting an interdisciplinary, international study of the relationship between symptoms and
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self-care management behaviours in adults with chronic illness. A secondary aim is to explore how everyday factors drive decision-making about symptoms and self-care behaviours.
ISF & the SelfCare Journal
ISF’s strategic relationship with the peer-reviewed online academic journal SelfCare (http://selfcarejournal.com) continues. At the moment, too few of the many self-care initiatives around the world are scientifically designed, evaluated and published. Developing self-care programme design and assessments, coupled with the potential to publish case studies in SelfCare Journal, represents a major opportunity for the future.
Self-Care for All by 2030
During this new decade of selfcare ISF will continue to work in collaboration with a wide mix of international stakeholders to support the Foundation’s commitment to the promotion of selfcare and to building the evidence base for its value to individuals, communities and society.
The Foundation will continue to support those who are active in promoting selfcare’s role in health and those who are involved in research to build the evidence for selfcare’s value to healthcare and individuals.
Mr David Skinner President, International Self-Care Foundation 27 March 2026
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FINANCIAL REVIEW
Results for the period
A summary of results for the year is given on page 18 of this report.
Total income in the year was £50,452 (2025: £52,093) and total expenditure for the year was £52,334 (2025: £68,487) giving a deficit in the year of £1,882 (2025: £16,394).
Expenditure on charitable activity for the period was £50,275 (2025: £56,643) being 96.0% (2025: 82.7%) of expenditure. Governance costs were £2,059 (2025: £11,844), being 4.0% (2025: 17.3%) of expenditure. The expenditure ratios are skewed in the current year due to some additional legal and professional fees in the prior year.
Unrestricted reserves of £101,892 (2025: £103,774) are carried over to the following financial year with a decrease in reserves due to the higher expenditure in the current year.
The Trustees gave their time freely to ISF and received no remuneration. No connected persons received any benefit or remuneration from ISF.
Expectations for the coming year
At the present burn rate ISF has sufficient funding for current activity levels, programmes and commitments in the coming year. There are no funding shortfalls or material commitments of concern for the coming year. Having illustrated the contribution that ISF can make to health and self-care, the objective in the coming year is to secure future funding and expand activities in line with the potential opportunities.
Fundraising remains an issue and a challenge. Expansion of the commercial donor base and grants from foundations, entrepreneurs or philanthropists remains the preferred approach for the future.
Other financial matters based on this which will need to be addressed include developing ISF’s risk management and reserves policy.
Risk management and reserves policy
The Trustees considers that the major risk at this stage of development of the ISF relates to the financial sustainability of the ISF. Other risks are considered minor and manageable.
The Trustees agreed to defer discussion of financial sustainability until progress has been made in fundraising discussions with potential funders. Therefore the current level of reserves is considered appropriate by the trustees.
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Trustees’ Annual Report (Including Directors’ Report)
Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
The trustees (who are also directors of International Self-Care Foundation Limited for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
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Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
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State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
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Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Audit
Under the terms of the Charities Act 2011, the Company does not require an audit, but it does require that the accounts are independently examined, and the corresponding report is included within the accounts.
Declaration
Approved by the Board on 27 March 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
……………………………………………. Mr David Skinner President
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of International Self-Care Foundation Limited
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31[st] January 2026 which are set out on pages 21 to 25.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
……………………………………………
Christopher Nisbet FCA
Azets Suites B & D Burnham Yard Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire HP9 2JH 27 March 2026
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Statement of Financial Activities (including an Income and Expenditure account)
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
| Incoming resources Donations Bank Interest Foreign exchange gain Total Incoming Resources Resources Expended Charitable activities Governance costs Total Resources Expended Net movement in the year Reconciliation of Funds Total Funds brought forward Total Funds carried forward |
Notes 5 6 7 |
Total Funds 2026 £ 48,122 2,330 - 50,452 (50,275) (2,059) (52,334) (1,882) 103,774 101,892 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 48,389 3,704 - |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52,093 | |||||
| (56,643) (11,844) |
|||||
| (68,487) | |||||
| (16,394) 120,168 |
|||||
| 103,774 |
The notes on pages 23 to 25 form part of these accounts
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Balance Sheet (Company No: 08840766)
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
| CURRENT ASSETS Cash in hand and at Bank LESS: CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors NET CURRENT ASSETS NET ASSETS FINANCED BY: Unrestricted funds |
Notes 8 |
Total Funds 2026 £ 103,872 (1,980) 101,892 101,892 101,892 101,892 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 105,664 (1,890) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103,774 | |||||
| 103,744 | |||||
| 103,774 | |||||
| 103,774 |
For the year ending 31 January 2026 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors responsibilities:
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The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476;
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The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies.
These financial statements were approved by the Board on 27 March 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
................................
Mr David Skinner
President
The notes on pages 23 to 25 form part of these accounts
22
International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Notes to the Accounts (Company No: 08840766)
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
International Self-Care Foundation Limited is a company limited by guaranteed in England and Wales. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 2 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity's operations and principal activities are given in the Trustees' Annual Report (including Directors' Report).
2. STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
3. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements have been prepared under the historic cost convention. The financial statements are presented in sterling (£) which is also the functional currency of the company. The company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
A summary of the significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these accounts are set out below
(a) Incoming Resources
All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when recognised in the period in which the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
As provided in the SORP (FRS 102) no amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time.
(b) Expenditure recognition
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
(c) Value Added Tax
The charity is not registered for Value Added Tax. In these Financial Statements, where applicable, expenditure is shown inclusive of VAT.
(d) Cash Flow Statement
Under Financial Reporting Standard SORP (FRS 102), the charity is not required to produce a Cash Flow Statement as it is a small charity.
(e) Funds
All the funds in the charity are unrestricted and are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
23
International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Notes to the Accounts
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
___________
(f) Going Concern
The accounts are prepared on a going concern basis. The use of the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate because there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt about the ability of the Charity to continue as a going concern.
4. TAXATION
The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.
| 5. VOLUNTARY INCOME Donations 6. ANALYSIS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Social media & website Travel Prize money & ISD support Charitable activity contractors Foreign exchange loss Subscriptions 7. GOVERNANCE COSTS Independent Examiner's fees Bank charges Legal & Professional fees 8. CREDITORS Accruals |
2026 48,122 48,122 1,101 22,815 1,522 20,129 3,049 1,659 50,275 1,970 89 - 2,059 1,980 1,980 |
2025 48,389 |
|---|---|---|
| 48,389 | ||
| 2,581 33,370 1,534 7,963 6,952 4,243 |
||
| 56,643 | ||
| 1,852 124 9,868 |
||
| 11,844 | ||
| 1,890 | ||
| 1,890 |
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International Self-Care Foundation Limited
Notes to the Accounts (Company No: 08840766)
On the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 January 2026
_______________
9. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
There are no employees in the current or prior years.
10. TRUSTEE AND KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES
No remuneration was paid to the trustees during the current or prior years.
The total key management personnel remuneration is £nil (2025: £nil). Expenses totalling £27,744 (2025: £38,145) were reimbursed to 1 (2025: 1) trustee during the year.
There are no other related party transactions during the current or prior years.
25