# **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ending December 2024**
**© 2025 Breast Mates**
## **Primary Objective of the Charity as set out in the Constitution**
_**“To provide relief and support for people diagnosed with breast cancer and to further advance public awareness and education on the subject of breast cancer.”**_
## **Annual General Meeting**
The AGM was held on 24 September 2024, at the Robert Foulkes Centre, Whiston.
Twenty-nine people attended the meeting.
## **Breast Mates Trustees**
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Avril Ainsbury Tracey Carmichael
Julie Morgan
Shelagh Hill Eileen McGovern
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- **Legal Structure and Governance**
- ~~a~~
The Charity is governed by its Constitution which is reviewed annually and revised, if necessary, in line with the Charity Commission’s guidance and approval.
The Charity is incorporated through legal status of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which means that if the CIO is wound up, the Trustees of the CIO have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal responsibility for settling its debts and liabilities.
No serious incident or other matter that Trustees need to report to the Charity Commission, has occurred during this reporting period.
The Charity will continue to purchase Public Liability insurance.
At every Annual General Meeting (AGM), one third of the Charity’s Trustees shall retire from office. The vacancies arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the AGM. If the vacancies are not filled, the Trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new charity trustee.
The Charity is administered by a committee of up to nine Trustees, who meet on a bimonthly basis.
## **Principal Aims and Activities**
The Breast Mates Cancer Support Group is a non-medical self-help group, run by local people; most of our trustees and volunteers have had breast cancer and understand the affect a diagnosis can have on individuals and their family members.
The Group provides support to those members who have received a primary cancer diagnosis, and who have undergone or are receiving ongoing treatment. Breast Mates also support those members who have received a secondary cancer diagnosis and who may require additional support.
Both groups are intrinsically linked and have access to resources and support from Oncology Consultants and other health care professionals, based across the Knowsley Health Authority; as well as a range of guest speakers who are invited to attend the Group’s meetings.
The membership for the year ending December 2024 totalled 120.
**Weekly ‘Walk and Talk’, Robert Foulkes Centre**
**Well-being Day held in September 2024**
## **What we do** Cc
## **Breast Mates provides** :
- **-**
- _**Practical and emotional support**_ through one-to-one chats between volunteers and members needing non-medical advice and assistance, or sometimes just a listening ear. All conversations between individuals and volunteers are conducted on a basis of trust and absolute guarantee of confidentiality.
- _**A telephone help line -**_ for those members who require individual help and advice and onward referral when necessary.
- **-**
- **A WhatsApp Chat Group** for sharing information and chat with fellow members.
- _**Physical exercise and dance programmes** -_ delivered through the groups weekly _**Walk & Talk**_ get togethers (held at the Robert Foulkes Centre every Tuesday afternoon) and tutorial _**Dance**_ (held at Whiston Town Hall every Monday evening). Both programmes are extremely well attended.
- **Gardening** - at the Group’s allotment on Molyneux Drive, Prescot, for those greenfingered members of the Group, who can enjoy the calm surroundings of the great outdoors, relax and interact with other gardeners and community groups on the plot. Donna Steele, a member of the Group, is the lead on this project.
- **Well-being events** - when experts join the membership for relaxation therapy sessions; self-awareness; gardening advice; musical activities; and many more.
- **Publicity Events** - which provide the opportunity for members and volunteers to promote breast cancer awareness and to engage with the general public; achieved through screening events across various community venues, including GP surgeries; Job Centres; to name but a few.
- **Social and Cultural Events** - offering members the opportunity to broaden their
interests in cultural outings to the theatre; museums, and music events.
## _**So how do we deliver our aims, services and activities?**_
## **Funding Sources**
The Charity is pro-active in sourcing funding for the benefit of the Group and its members.
For the year-ending 2024, the following details the principal sources of income acquired from the many individuals and organisations who continue to support the Charity; and the expenditure costs of the Group.
The amount received from the Mayor of Knowsley, allowed the Group to spend less time on fundraising activities, and more time supporting the Group’s members.
There was an increase in support from local businesses, compared to the previous year, and personal donations and sponsorships continued to contribute to the Group’s success.
**Eddie Connor – Mayor of Knowsley, presented Breast Mates with a cheque for £8,237.50 - gratefully received by Group members.**
## **2024 – Year in Review**
Back in November 2024, Breast Mates were honoured and excited to announce that the Charity had received the Kings Award for Voluntary Services (KAVS). This award is The MBE for volunteer groups. It is the highest award given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and is bestowed at the behest of His Majesty King Charles III, on his birthday.
The award was given in recognition of the unfailing work of the group of volunteers who, since its registration as a charity in February 2017, have provided and continue to provide, invaluable practical and emotional support to those affected by breast cancer. It also recognises the groups efforts in raising awareness and engaging with other local community, education, health and institutional groups.
_(The Charity received the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Liverpool at an event held on Tuesday, 4 March 2025, at Prescot Town Hall)._
**Noreen Kershaw** |[CS]
## **Events – Working in the Community 2024**
One of the Group’s key objectives is to work alongside other community groups to promote cancer awareness, screening programmes and resources available to those who have received a cancer diagnosis.
**Alicia Shipperlee** Improving Screening Uptake Officer Liverpool Breast Screening
**“Breast Mates plays a vital role in raising awareness about the importance of early detection. We’ve worked together to reach underserved communities, and the Group’s passion, professionalism and dedication, have been invaluable in helping improve breast screening uptake across the Knowsley and Sefton region.”**
Detailed below are just some of the events that Breast Mates have taken part in during 2024, and the ‘variety’ of venues where the events took place.
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Park Farm – Afternoon Tea
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Huyton, Bingo Venue
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Huyton Job Centre
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## **Events – Excursions 2024**
On land or water, Group members enjoyed a calendar of events run by the Group in 2024. Here are just some of the highlights:
Thirty members boarded **The Floating Grace** for a cruise around the Albert Docks in Liverpool. Passengers were given a talk on the history of the docks, while enjoying afternoon tea.
Coach excursions to **Lancaster, and Skipton -** on market day, proved very popular and members were able to enjoy the great outdoors in whichever way they chose – rambling; shopping; eating or drinking.
## **Events – Dining Out and Christmas 2024**
Group members love nothing more than dining out at restaurants within the local area. Two favourites are **Maturo’s** , and **The Grapes.**
**Dining out at Maturo’s**
In August 2024, **The Grapes** was chosen by members and family, as the venue for a meal in memory of one of the Group’s members who sadly passed in March 2024. The event provided the opportunity for members to meet, reminisce and share memories of a dear friend. The occasion was made possible from funding received from her family. The venue very kindly made a donation to the event.
Group members made a return visit to The Grapes for a carvery roast at Christmas.
## **Wreath making at the December Walk and Talk**
**Christmas Tree decoration at Prescot Parish Church**
**Friends and family at the Breast Mates 2024 Christmas Party**
## **Behind the Scenes**
The success of the Breast Mates Cancer Support Group is very much dependent on the unfailing work of the Trustees and volunteers (and their family members), who work tirelessly to deliver the charity’s aims and objectives.
They give their time for free and their reward is seeing the charity grow, which means the Group can deliver more help to those members who need it.
## **Phil Walker**
Clinical Nurse Specialist for patients diagnosed with secondary cancer
**“I have developed a lot of respect and love for this Group and the work they do.”**
The Group can also tap into resources within the community and the expertise offered by specialist nurses and consultants, who work alongside volunteers and members at various events throughout the year.
**Miss Chagla** Consultant Surgeon and Lead Clinician in Breast Services :Bn **“Breast Mates is a small charity who do a huge amount of work.”**
The support of members also plays a large part in the Group’s success and the trustees and volunteers remain grateful for this continued support.
## **Message from the Chair – Julie Morgan** Cc
“2024 proved to be a great success for Breast Mates and to receive the Kings Award for Voluntary Services is testament to the effort of our trustees and volunteers – past and present.
Our work will continue with the support and help of the many individuals; local community groups; fundraisers; educational organisations; medical experts; all of whom offer their time, expertise, financial generosity and goodwill to Breast Mates. Together we can continue to make a difference.
On behalf of everyone involved with Breast Mates ….
## Thank You!
Trustees have declared their approval of the Trustees’ Report.
Signed:
## **Shelagh Hill**
Secretary
## **How to Find Us**
Office Address: 40 Eccleston Street, Prescot, L34 5QJ
**How to Contact Us:**
Phone: 07835 982879 Email: contact@breastmates.org Website: www.breastmates.org
||||**Breast Mates**||||**1171678**|**1171678**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**31/12/2024**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**To**
**For the period**
**from**
**01/01/2024**
~~ee~~
~~ee~~
~~ee~~||||||||||**CC16a**||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||||||||
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted**
**funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**||**Total funds**|||**Last year**||
||**to the nearest £**|**to the nearest £**|**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**|||**to the nearest £**||
|**A1 Receipts**||||||||||||
|C&M Cancer Alliance|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**6,920**||
|PH Holt|**-**||**7,800**||**-**||**7**|**7,800**||**-**||
|Winter Warmer|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**5,681**||
|Co-OpFund|**-**||**310**||**-**||**310**|**310**||**592**||
|Donations & Fundraising|**30,491**||**-**||**-**||**30**|**30,491**||**21,517**||
|Christmas Party|**1,250**||**-**||**-**||**1**|**1,250**||**1,653**||
|Gift Aid|**1,858**||**-**||**-**||**1**|**1,858**||**-**||
|Pink Ribbon|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**200**||
|Sundry|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**100**||
|Fashion Show|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**2,122**||
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|_(Gross income for_
_AR)_**33,600**||**8,110**||**-**||**41,710**|**41,710**||**38,785**||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total receipts_**
**33,600**
**8,110**
**-**
**41,710**
**38,785**
~~—————~~||||||||||||
|**A3 Payments**||||||||||||
|Rent/Insurance|**5,756**||**-**||**-**||**5**|**5,756**||**6,209**||
|Publicity|**603**||**-**||**-**||**603**|**603**||**2,108**||
|Volunteer Expenses|**1,235**||**-**||**-**||**1**|**1,235**||**2,863**||
|Office Hub Costs|**2,696**||**-**||**-**||**2**|**2,696**||**1,121**||
|DBS|**45**||**-**||**-**||**45**|**45**||**-**||
|CateringAGM|**166**||**-**||**-**||**166**|**166**||**353**||
|Breast Mates Special Grant|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**360**||
|Equipment/Phones|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**714**||
|Member's Activities|**9,884**||**5,814**||**-**||**15**|**15,698**||**24,236**||
|Fashion Show|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**52**||
|**_Sub total_ **|**20,385**||**5,814**||**-**||**26,199**|**26,199**||**38,017**||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Total payments_**
**20,385**
**5,814**
**-**
**26,199**
**38,017**
~~——————~~||||||||||||
|**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|**13,215**
**2,296**
**-**
**15,511**
**768**
**-**
**- -**
**-**
**-**
**17,301**
**5,091**
**-**
**22,392**
**-**
**30,516**
**7,387**
**- 37,903**
**768**
~~—_—=S=S=>~~|||||||||||
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Signature
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**30,516**
**7,387**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**30,516**
**7,387**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||||
|||||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
2
LIIAKII Y CUMMISSION
FOR ENGLANO AND WALES
Inaepenaent examlnerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiiier's Report
Report to the trustees
dATES cA4cE£
On accounts for the year
onded
Charlty no
(If any)
111IG7
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity ("th8 Trust") for the year ended
Responslbllities and
basls of report
As the charityls trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(Wie A().
I report in respect of my examinatlon of the Trust's accounts carried out
under seclion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent trhe charitys gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to
examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualÉfied member of [insert name of
8ppIic8ble listed body]]. Delete [ ] rf not applicable.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that
disclosed below ") which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect:
the accountlng records ware not kept in accordanc with section 130
of the Charities Ad; or
the accounts did not accord wth the accounting records; or
the accounts did not compty vlith the applicable requirements
conceming 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 fairf view which Is not a matter
considered as part of an independent examinatlon.
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to vthich attention should be dravm in this report in
order to enable a proper understsnding of the ac(xJunts to be reached.
Please delete the words in the brackets rf they do not apply.
Signed:
Date:
Zols
Name:
Relevant professlonal
qualmcatlon(s) or body
IER
Oct 2018
Address:
g C•PPGQhc2>s
Section B
Disclosure
Qnly complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern
(see CC32, Independent examination of charlty accounts: directions and
guidance for examiners).
Glve here brlef detalls of
any Items that the
examlner wishes to
dlsclose.
AIA.
IER
Oct 2018