2024-03-31-accounts

Orthocycle Foundation

Report of the trustees for the year ending 31[st] March, 2024

The Trustees of The Orthocycle Foundation Charity present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2024 and confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, the trust deed and the Charities SORP (FRS 102).

Our Aims

• To recycle medical appliances from the UK to less developed countries

• To build capacity in less developed countries by service provision and training

Our Objectives

• To provide a conduit for the recycling of medical appliances in less developed countries with the necessary infrastructure in the UK and abroad

• To raise funds for the running of the operational arm of the charity

• To aid capacity building in less developed countries by service provision, teaching,

• training and exchange programmes

• To fund educational activity compatible with the aims of Orthocycle

Activity

• Surgical equipment for recycling has continued to be collected throughout the year.

• Shipments were sent by courier to Tanzania, which included orthotic boots, knee braces and other orthotics. The cost of transport was borne by the surpluses from Orthocycle courses. These were transported by sea rather than by air, and this was more economical for the volumes sent. However, it required logistical support in Tanzania for the receipt, transport and storage of equipment. These items are stored in Zanzibar, where we have a storage facility, which is clean and dry, although distribution to the mainland would be a problema

• Cadaveric Surgical Courses

In February 2024, Orthocycle helped to organised a series of cadaveric surgical courses at Salford University and the Manchester Surgical Skills and Simulation Centre within the medical school in Manchester. There were five courses that ran. These were

Lower limb trauma surgery

Pelvic Surgery

Foot and Ankle Surgery

Upper Limb Surgery

Hand Surgery

These courses were organised in conjunction with a Manchester Trauma Charity, who also conducted a course on high acuity low incidence procedures.

The courses generated very positive feedback.

• Forefoot Course

Orthocycle organised a forefoot surgery course with Orthosolutions at Manchester Metropolitan University in May 2023. This course had mainly local faculty but with some from outside the northwest region. This course was well attended. The delegates were junior doctors and nurses. Most of these were from the northwest region but we had delegates from all over the UK attending.The feedback from the course was very positive and this is a course that we would like to continue running in the future. The course content was completely revamped following feedback from previous courses.

• Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

We visited Mnazi Mimoja Hospital twice in this financial year. Although we had previously taken a multidisciplinary team to the hospital, it was not possible to repeat this, as the costs of air travel to Tanzania had increased to such an extent that it was not possible for Orthocycle to pay for these costs, and it was also prohibitively expensive for the allied health professionals who were hoping to go. This resulted in only two health workers travelling on these missions - Amer Shoaib and Tilumanywa Mkama.

The surgical missions involved operative surgery and teaching of medical and nursing staff. We were also able to deliver further surgical equipment and orthotic equipment that had been donated in the UK by the general public.

We had transported equipment previously, and did not have the same problems with the revenue authority.

• Turkey and Syria

The outgoings for working in Turkey were unsustainable in previous years, and this activity was not financially possible in this financial year. It is not anticipated that Orthocycle can independently fund these missions, and we will need to work with partners in order to allow these to continue. We were able to sustain missions with partner organisations including Action for Humanity. This involved a mission to Turkey and Syria to provide medical support for victims of the 2023 earthquake affecting the region. We were able to supply medical equipment and orthotics which were used for earthquake survivors as well as victims of the civil war in Syria. Our colleagues in Syria operated with us and there were expressions of gratitude from our surgical colleagues and from patients who received treatment.

We were supported by a Libyan orthopaedic company to complete a mission in Libya in November 2023. This involved clinical work in Tripoli at the University Hospital and at the Trauma Hospital and also at the Misrata Hospital. This mission involved training on foot surgery and Charcot surgery. We also performed surgery to manage difficult Charcot cases that they had earmarked for our visit. This was well received and we remain in contact as they would like us to run a larger Charcot surgery course in the future.

We were able to partner with our colleagues at the David Nott Foundation in a mission to Libya in February 2024. We were involved in delivering the training course on this course,

and we also provided training and medical equipment and orthotics to Libyan surgeons in Tripoli at the Trauma Hospital.

• Orthocycle purchased many items of surgical equipment for future use. Most of this was consumables. This included wires for the application of Ilizarov frames, and skin graft knives. We also purchased orthopaedic screws from Pakistan, which are far cheaper than UK purchased equipment.

• The Orthocycle external fixation course was successfully run in conjunction with Stryker, who are the regular sponsor for this event. This generated positive feedback, but there were some items in the feedback that suggested that the course needs alteration. The course lectures are all up to date, but the time available does not allow all the practicals to be performed and for the case discussions. The case discussions are an important part of the course as they give guidance on decision making. It will be necessary to remove some components of the course and the upper limb external fixation is the likely target, so that case discussion is left enough time.

• The Orthocycle website has been updated. There are active Twitter postings and Linked In postings. The twitter page has been active in promoting the courses conducted in the UK as well as missions performed in other countries.

Future Plans

The three aims of Orthocycle have all been achieved this year and the aim for the next year is to continue with these. This means that we would like to continue recycling to Tanzania especially, as well as providing treatments abroad and providing training within the UK and abroad.

The recycling of orthotic boots and braces remains a success, and this is due to the generosity of the British public who have sought out our charity to recycle their boots, knee braces and other medical equipment.

We were in attendance at the East African Health summit held annually at RCGP in London. At this meeting, we met colleagues from Zanzibar, and discussed future plans with them. We also met with colleagues from the Tanzanian mainland, including surgeons from Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute. They are specifically interested in training for circular frame surgery.

Education for doctors and nurses is one of our main objectives, and there are several further courses on the horizon, including a forefoot course, an external fixation course and a series of cadaver courses along the lines of the courses run in this financial year.

Our Finances.

The initial balance was £4274,89. The final balance was £553.35. The account remained in credit for the whole financial year. The gross income was lower than previous years, but this is because we were not financially involved in the cadaveric couirses. The overall balance has been in credit, but the charity does not have a safety net or reserve in case the level of donations dips. Expenditure would have to be funded through running more courses.

The principal sources of income were individual donations from the general public within the UK.

The hospitals in Tanzania have no associated costs apart from travel and accommodation for Orthocycle surgical teams. From a financial perspective, this is cost effective for the delivery of Orthocycle’s objectives. We have invested in renting a storage facility which is $150 per month. This is a relatively low outgoing for the facility offered.

Reserves and Financial Health

The Trustees reviewed the finances, budgets and spend against budget.

The Trustees consider that the charity financial status is satisfactory. There remains stable cash flow from the general public, from courses and from the Trustees. Costs mirrored income. However, a financial reserve would be desirable.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity trustees are responsible for the overall management and control of the Orthocycle Foundation Charity.

All trustees give of their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year. No person connected with a Trustee received any benefit.

Accounts of the Orthocycle Foundation 2022-2023

Initial Balance £4274.89 Payments In £17732.71 Payments Out £21454.25 Remaining Balance £553.35