FIBROID FORUM UK
CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION NO. 1177878
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
31 DECEMBER 2020
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Fibroid Forum UK
Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31 December 2020
The Trustees of the Fibroid Forum UK present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020.
The board of trustees are satisfied with the performance of the charity during the year and the position at 31 December 2020 and consider that the charity is in a good position to continue its activities during the coming year.
Charity's Registered Address
253 Lordship Lane London SE22 8JF
The charity is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 1177878
A summary of the objects of the charity as set out in its governing document:
The relief of sickness and the preservation of health of women who are suffering or are at risk of suffering from uterine fibroids, in particular but not exclusively by:
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(1) raising awareness of fibroids and how it impacts on the lives of sufferers;
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(2) educating and empowering women suffering from fibroids to enable them to make informed choices about the best treatment options for them and how to access them; and:
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(3) aiding the research of the causes of fibroids to help alleviate and eliminate the condition and to publish the useful results.
An explanation of the charity's main activities and objectives for the year
Since taking over the running of the Guys & St Thomas' Fibroids Support Group in September 2017 the charity has continued to organise and run the quarterly support group meetings at St Thomas' Hospital, however in 2020 as a result of the lockdown restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic only one meeting took place at the usual venue before moving to the online platform of Zoom which allowed access to attendees from further afield. Attendees were required to pre-register to attend and also to remain on camera during meetings.
The support group meetings continued to raise awareness of fibroids and how the condition impacts on the lives of sufferers; educating and empowering women suffering from fibroids to enable them to make informed choices about the best treatment options and how to access them.
The meetings also provide a forum for practitioners in the field to share information and expertise on the treatment options available to sufferers. During the course of the year meetings had contributions from practitioners including Dr Sohier Elneil, Honorary Associate
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Professor at UCL who also participated in a Q&A session with attendees. Bridgette York the Founder of the Fibroid Network Support Group also contributed to a support group meeting as a guest speaker, sharing her journey with the condition and about some of the research into the treatment options available to women with fibroids.
The support group meetings have also provided the opportunity for sufferers to share their experience of the condition and of the various treatment options that they had undergone. Women attending the meetings often expressed relief and gratitude at finding the support offered by the meetings, with some continuing to regularly attend meetings even after receiving treatment. One attendee stated in feedback, "Thank you for having me at your event. It was very informative and comforting to know there are many other women going through fibroids. It was good to hear Brigette's personal success story as well as learn from her expertise, gave me hope".
The charity continues to have a social media presence both on Facebook and Twitter, with the charity's private Facebook group a forum where sufferers of the condition can share their experience, ask questions, and gain support from other sufferers. Articles regarding the condition and other gynaecological conditions are also shared in the Facebook group.
Facebook, Twitter, and Eventbrite have also been the means by which support group meetings have been publicised.
When possible the trustees attended online events discussing fibroids including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health's conference event hosted by Jackie Doyle-Price MP on Menstrual Health and Endometriosis.
During the course of the year the charity successfully applied to HMRC for recognition for Gift Aid on donations made to the charity.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity trustees are responsible for the overall management and control of the charity. All decisions are made by the trustees.
The trustees met on seven occasions during the year to discuss governance of the charity, plan support group meetings and ways of promoting awareness of fibroids and the treatment options available.
Management and recruitment of new trustees
When necessary the present trustees continue to seek advice from experienced trustees from other charities and individuals with relevant experience with a view to identifying any training needed to augment their current skills base. The trustees also continue to identify any gaps in their skills base for the future recruitment of new trustees that have the necessary specialisms to strengthen the board and governance of the charity.
The trustees have also considered succession planning and the appointment of new trustees having regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity, and the expansion of the charity's support meetings to other parts of the UK.
Public benefit
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The charity's trustees continue to have regards to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance. The trustees are aware of the guidance and have taken it into account when decision making to which the guidance is relevant in the running of the charity. On any occasion where the trustees decide to depart from the guidance, they have good reasons for doing so and this is recorded.
The trustees believe that the charity has continued to provide public benefit through the support group meetings for fibroid sufferers, many of whom have fed back with their appreciation for a supportive forum in which to share their experience with other sufferers as well as gaining information from practitioners in the field, which has enabled them to make better choices about the treatment options available to them. Several of the attendees regularly attend the support group meetings.
Public benefit has also been provided through the charity's Facebook group which was established in 2017 and is administered by two of the trustees. At the end of the reporting period the Facebook group had 534 members.
Financial Review & Annual Return Questions
The financial statements are set out in the accounts for the period ending 31 December 2020. The accounts have been presented as a Receipts and Payments Accounts.
In 2020 some funding was raised from the public and is reported in the accounts. Grant making is not the main way that the charity carries out its purposes.
During the financial period for this return, the charity received no income or grant funding from contracts from central government or a local authority.
During the financial period for this annual return, the charity received no income from outside of the UK.
During the financial period for this annual return, the charity did not operate outside England and Wales and no money was spent or transferred outside England and Wales.
The charity has no trading subsidiaries.
During the financial period for this annual return, none of the trustees received remuneration or benefits other than expenses incurred.
None of the trustees were paid:
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(a) for being a trustee;
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(b) for providing professional advice or services to the charity; or
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(c) for any other benefit from the charity (for example accommodation, car, holiday).
The charity has no employees or paid members of staff and during the period covered by this annual return, none of the trustees resigned to take up employment with the charity.
The charity had no UK volunteers during the financial period. All activities were undertaken by the trustees.
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The charity has no overseas expenditure and therefore no monitoring controls in place to monitor such expenditure.
None of the charity's trustees are in roles within the charity requiring a standard, enhanced, or enhanced with barred lists DBS check, however at least one of the trustees has enhanced DBS clearance and/or is signed up to the DBS online update service.
Members of the Board of Trustees at the date the report and the accounts were approved
Audrey Skervin (Chair) Yvonne Maye (Treasurer) Elfreda Skervin Helen Odozi Dawn Martin
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Fibroid Forum UK 1177878
Receipts and payments accountspts and payments accountsts and payments accountspayments accountsayments accountsyments accountsments accounts
Receipts and payments accountspts and payments accountsts and payments accountspayments accountsayments accountsyments accountsments accounts CC16a For the period 01.01.2020 31.12.2020 To from
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 220 - - - - - - - 220 - - - 220 - - - - - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 220 - - - - - - - 220 - - - 220 - - - - - - - - - - |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donation | 220 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
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| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
220 | - | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
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| - | |||||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
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| - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - |
| **Sub total ** | - - - - - |
- - - - - |
- - - - - |
- - - - - |
- - - - - |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 Asset and investment | ||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | ||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Total payments | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 220 | - | - | 220 | - | |||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Cash funds this year end | 220 | - | - | 220 | - | |||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds 24/09/2021 funds
CCXX R1 accounts (SS) Categories
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Categories
Details
| 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 CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
Signature Details Details Donation Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details 2 |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 220 - - - - - 220 - 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 Dawn Martin |
to nearest £ |
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| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Dawn Martin | 13.09.2021 | ||
| 2 | 24/09/2021 |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees