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2024-03-31-accounts

Alike Annual Report and Accounts Financial Year 23/24

Table of Contents
Alike’s Mission and History 2
Chair’s Statement 3
Founder’s Statement 4
Objectives and Activities 5
Plan for Next 12 Months 6
Financial Review 7
Independent Examiner’s Report 8
Receipts and Payments Accounts 9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 10
Notes to the Accounts 12
Governance and Administrative Details 13
Approval 14

1

Mission Statement

Alike is a charity created for people impacted by cancer, by people with cancer. We believe loneliness is unjust, life-threatening, and needs to be eradicated. So, we create spaces for anyone impacted by cancer to be their authentic selves and connect with others who get it. And our community is what makes us Alike. Our vision is to create a world where no one is lonely or isolated because of cancer.

History of Alike

Alike is a charity created to end the loneliness and isolation caused by cancer. Our purpose is to empower our community to make meaningful connections through seamless digital experiences that help people find a sense of belonging.

We have built our organisation through the values of lived experience. We are for the community, by the community, and patient and public engagement is at the core of all of our decision-making. 60% of Alike’s team, including the Board of Trustees, have direct, lived experience of a cancer diagnosis. This means that our work intrinsically reflects the needs of the UK cancer community. We operate with a digital-first approach, blending the agility and innovation of tech startups with the trusted, mission-driven ethos of the non-profit sector. In 2021, we launched a mobile-based peer support platform specifically for cancer patients and survivors.

Our goal is to build and sustain an engaged digital community that provides vital peer support during and beyond a cancer diagnosis. By using our platform to measure the impact of the Alike app on loneliness and isolation within the cancer community, we aim to demonstrate that we are effectively reducing these feelings and facilitating genuine connections.

2

A Message from Alike’s Chair…

”Over the past year, our organisation has built on the momentum of 2022/23, continuing our mission to combat loneliness and isolation for individuals affected by cancer. This year, we welcomed a new board member with expertise in business development, people management, and organisational culture.

To mark the beginning of our 2024/25 financial year, we planned to strengthen our governance further by recruiting additional Trustees with key skills in finance, technology, and policy—enhancing our ability to act in the best interests of Alike and the community we serve. In partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, we are also preparing to expand our staff team from two to four members. This expansion will allow us to bring on specialists in technology and app development, further optimising our platform to better meet the needs of our users.

Reflecting on the past 12 months, I and the Alike board recognise how far we have come and what we have achieved together. This progress is a testament to the vision and dedication of our founder, Brad, and the incredible efforts of our team. With these foundations in place, Alike is poised for an ambitious year ahead, including significant updates to our app, website, and branding. These developments will position us to grow our platform, expand our community, and enhance the services we provide to those who need them most.”

Dr. James Parker Chair of Trustees

3

A Message from Alike’s Founder…

“Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar where an inspiring entrepreneur shared their journey of building and scaling their company to success. Their insights were invaluable, but one statement stood out to me as especially impactful and relevant: “The economy is challenging; don’t fight it. This is a year for maintenance, not for growth.”

Reflecting on this, I feel an immense sense of pride in the resilience of the Alike team and the strength of our vision. Together, we’ve navigated a tough economic landscape, faced business pressures, and adapted to shifts in global events and evolving donor and community behaviours. It served as a powerful reminder that the journey of a social entrepreneur, a team, a brand, a charity, a business, or a product toward achieving scale and impact is rarely linear. Every success story is interwoven with challenges and failures that must be acknowledged and overcome.

Looking ahead, we have invested significant time working behind the scenes to strengthen our team, cultivate meaningful relationships, and establish a reliable network of support. As we move forward, my goal is to relaunch our app and amplify awareness of our charitable activities through a refreshed website, enhanced social media presence and targeted marketing efforts in collaboration with our invaluable partners. Alike’s mission has endured because it addresses a genuine and pressing need that, sadly, remains unmet. This drives our commitment to continuing the vital work of supporting and empowering our community.”

Brad Gudger Founder

4

Objectives and Activities

Within 2023/24, Alike’s activities to further our purpose were:

  1. Sustain the organisation and prepare for expansion

  2. Raising awareness of Alike’s brand and mission

  3. Fundraising to hire the team we needed to continue to build and scale our app

During our reporting period, our primary objective was to secure the funding necessary to further expand our team and build the capacity required to advance our mission. To achieve this, we actively engaged with a diverse network of potential partners, including charities, corporate organisations, and philanthropists.

These efforts involved cultivating meaningful relationships, sharing our vision and goals, and demonstrating the impact of our work. Through these interactions, we not only sought financial support but also aimed to create lasting partnerships that could amplify our reach and influence. This year marked a significant evolution for Alike, as we matured into a more structured and professional organisation, equipped with considered processes and policies that enhanced our operational credibility.

It was also the first full financial year with a dedicated full-time team of two. Our Operations Manager played a pivotal role in this transformation, driving improvements in employment practices, governance frameworks, and compliance standards. Alike shifted from a reactive approach of implementing “need-to-do” policies to proactively establishing a comprehensive suite of processes and policies. These developments reflect our increased capacity and a more deliberate, professional approach to both our charitable activities and day-to-day operations.

Achievements and Performance

Alike’s most significant achievement this year was the continued operation of our charitable organisation, a testament to our resilience and commitment. Charities have faced a particularly challenging environment for fundraising, driven by rising inflation, economic stagnation, and political uncertainty. Despite these hurdles, Alike successfully sustained its operations, which included fundraising efforts and the ongoing maintenance of our iOS and Android applications.

We continued to deliver our mission to end the loneliness and isolation caused by cancer through our peer support app, with around 1,300 registered users. Yet, within this financial year we also recognised the need for significant development of the platform, including technical infrastructure, design, analytical capability and functionality. In order to achieve this vision to further push forward our mission, we focused a significant amount of our efforts towards fundraising towards this development and the sustainability of our technological output.

5

A highlight of the year was receiving our largest donation to date, a milestone that reaffirmed the trust and confidence of our partners, stakeholders, and prospective donors in our mission and impact. This support not only validated our work but also strengthened our foundation for future growth. This was complemented by another success, which was the signing of a partnership agreement between Alike, and the UK’s largest cancer support charity. This funded agreement means that we are in a position to hire in-house talent to manage and further develop the Alike app. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Alike, as it paves the way for our team to grow and for us to reimagine, redesign, and relaunch the Alike app with renewed purpose and ambition.

Plan for Next 12 Months

In the coming year, our primary goal is to build a stronger foundation for Alike by expanding our team and refining our product. We plan to hire dedicated in-house talent to rebuild, manage, and scale our platform more effectively and sustainably. This will include not only developers and product managers but also experts in user experience (UX) design and data analytics to ensure our platform remains user-centred and impactful. We will be strengthening our governance by recruiting new skills to our Board of Trustees, focusing particularly on technology, policy, and finance. This will help ensure Alike is equipped to navigate the evolving needs of our community and maintain its growth trajectory.

With a reimagined platform in the works, we’ll work closely with the cancer community to conduct extensive user testing, gathering invaluable feedback to refine our offering. Beyond the platform itself, we’ll host community activation events to foster engagement and trust. These events will give us direct insight into the needs of our users and amplify their voices in shaping the future of Alike. We’ll also leverage our existing partnerships with Macmillan Cancer Support, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Young Lives vs Cancer to engage directly with their networks. Through these collaborations, we’ll implement both digital marketing initiatives and on-the-ground campaigns to connect with people living with cancer. Our enhanced public profile will serve as a springboard for more targeted outreach efforts, including Podcast appearances by our Founder to share the Alike story and mission, Strategic PR campaigns aimed at building awareness among key demographics and driving user acquisition and Collaborations with influencers and advocates within the cancer and healthcare community to increase credibility and visibility.

6

Financial Review

End of Year Cash Position

For the year ended 31 March 2024 Alike had total receipts of £212,381 and made payments of £127,266, with the net receipts of £85,114. This gives total funds of £122,770 at year end to be carried forward, with £86,302 restricted funding to be spent in 2024 / 25 financial year towards salaries, app and website development costs and £36,468 in unrestricted cash funds. The available cash is significantly above our reserves policy, yet this puts us in a beneficial position to forecast this unrestricted funding towards core costs within our next financial year.

Following discussions and reflection on Charity Commission guidance regarding charitable reserves, we deemed around 4 months routine unrestricted expenditure to be the correct reserves amount for Alike. Our consistent monthly overheads, aside from restricted funding covering salaries and associated costs, total around £1,400. We wanted to be safe and sensible, whilst also freeing up as much of our charitable funds as possible for app development and associated charitable activities. Cash reserves as at 31 March 2024 were £6,000, which is in-line with the reserves desired under the policy. This has reduced from our previous year as we have become more accurate with our ongoing monthly overheads now our operational output is more stable and predictable. This amount is subject to review either annually or as Alike’s income and commitments grow. The last review of our Reserves Policy was October 2023.

Currently, Alike’s source of income is through donations from major net worth individuals, and foundation grants or grants from other charitable organisations. Our primary goal in our next financial year is to expand our fundraising efforts and continue diversifying our income streams, particularly with multi-year funding commitments.

7

Independent Examiner’s Report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of ALIKE for the year ended 31st March 2024, which are set out on pages 9-11..

Responsibilities and basis of the report

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.

Independent Examiner's Statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and 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.

Signed:

Nicole Gray

NG Community Accounting Services Jubilee House Lincoln Road Doddington Lincoln LN6 4RS

25th November 2024

8

Receipts and Payments Accounts

Unrestricted
Restricted &
Total 23/24
Funds
Endowment
Funds
-
-
-
-
115,000
115,000
-
20,000
20,000
-
-
-
25,000
-
25,000
-
9,500
9,500
-
4,947
4,947
-
-
-
9,183
-
9,183
28,750
-
28,750
62,933
149,447
212,381		 Total 22/23
Receipts
Boltini Trust
Major Donors
Queens Commonwealth Trust
Z Zurich Foundation
Postcode Lottery
National Lottery
Blackbaud
Roche
Other
Gift Aid
Total Receipts
Payments
Service Development
Marketing and Communications
Raising Funds
Salaries and Wages
Freelance and Contractor Costs
Legal and Professional
Independent Examination
Software Costs
Ofce Costs
Travel, Accommodation &
Subsistence (including client meetings)
Trustee Expenses
Subscriptions
Staf Training and HR
Sundry
Total Payments
Asset and Investment Purchases
Total Payments
Net Cash Infow / Outfow
Balance brought forward
Balance carried forward
10,000
50,000
20,000
-
-
-
-
5,000
6,041
12,500
103,541
3,892
-
3,892
813
-
813
174
-
174
-
89,218
89,218
9,392
-
9,392
2,862
-
2,862
1,136
-
1,136
5,742
-
5,742
7,634
-
7,634
3,492
3,492
-
1,319
-
1,319
1,255
-
1,255
304
-
304
32
-
32
38,048
89,218
127,266
-
-		 26,820
6,819
85
18,242
16,100
-
1,065
5,784
5,439
4,552
-
484
246
-
85,636
-
38,048
89,218
127,266
24,885
60,229
85,114
11,583
26,073
37,656
36,468
86,302
122,770		 85,636
17,905
19,751
37,656

9

Statement of assets and liabilities for the year ended 31st March 2024

Restricted &
Endowment
Funds
Total 23/24
Unrestricted
Funds
£
£
£
36,468
86,302
122,770
36,468
86,302
122,770
Net
Transfer
At 01.04.23
Movement in
Funds
Between
Funds
£
£
£
Cash Funds
Bank Account
Movement in Funds
At 31.03.24
£
Unrestricted Funds
Business Reserve
11,583
24,885
-
11,583
24,885
-		 36,468
36,468
Restricted Funds
Wilson + Olegario Philanthropy
Awards for All
Blackbaud
QCT
26,073
25,782
-
-
9,500
-
-
4,947
-
-
20,000
-
26,073
60,229
-
37,656
85,114
-
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Gains and
Losses
£
£
£		 51,855
9,500
4,947
20,000
86,302
Total Monetary Funds 122,770
Movement
in Funds
£
Unrestricted Funds
Business Reserve
62,933
-
38,048
-
62,933
-
38,048
-		 24,885
24,885
Restricted Funds
Wilson + Olegario Philanthropy
Awards for All
Blackbaud
QCT
115,000
-
89,218
-
9,500
-
-
4,947
-
-
20,000
-
-		 25,782
9,500
4,947
20,000
149,447
-
89,218
-
212,380
-
127,266
-		 60,229
Total Funds 85,114

10

Signed by one of the
trustees on behalf of
the trustees:		 Signature Print name Date of Approval
Dr. James Parker, Chair 29.01.2025

11

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024

1. Accounting Policies

The Trustees have decided to adopt the Receipts & Payments method in preparing the Financial Statements. Therefore ‘’Expenditure’’ does not include the accrual for the Independent Examiner’s fee for the year. The Trustees consider that this is appropriate for an organisation the size of ALIKE and ensures that the financial statements are easily understood by the members and other users.

All figures refer to the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024.

2. Trustees Remuneration and Expenses

No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration or other benefit from the charity during the year. A total of £1319 was paid to Trustees to cover reimbursement of expenses incurred during the year and was paid in line with the charity expenses policy.

3. Independent Examiner’s Renumeration

Examination of Financial Statements 2024
£		 2023
£
385 1136

4. Taxation

The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.

5. Guarantees

No guarantees were given by the CIO where potential liability under the guarantee is outstanding at the date of the statement.

6. Outstanding Debts

There were no debts outstanding at the date of the statement which are owed by the CIO and secured by an express charge on any assets of the CIO.

12

Governance

Alike’s trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Commission in exercising their powers or duties. Alike is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its Trustees.

In April 2023, recognising that Alike’s trustees had completed their full term, our Chair and Founder initiated a strategic effort to recruit new trustees with diverse skills and professional expertise to strengthen our leadership team. During this financial year, we developed and implemented a robust trustee recruitment process, marking a significant step forward in our organisational growth. While our founding trustees were originally recruited from the personal network of our Founder, this new approach emphasised broadening our reach to attract candidates who could bring fresh perspectives and specialised expertise to support Alike’s mission. Alike’s trustees are onboarded and trained by our senior leadership team, and undertake a development plan overseen by the Chair of Trustees, concluding in an annual appraisal.

Administrative Details

Board of Trustees

Names of trustees on the date the report was approved:

Names of trustees in the financial year in question:

13

Approval

The Alike Trustees declare that they have approved Alike’s 2023 / 2024 Annual Report and Accounts presented above.

Signed on behalf of the Alike Board of Trustees:

Name: Dr. James Parker

Date: 29.01.2025

14