## **ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **ALFIESWISH.ORG.UK**
## **CONTENTS**
**2 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDERS**
_We set up Alfie's Wish in memory of our beloved son, Alfie, who bravely battled brain cancer for several years, but sadly died when he was 5 ½ years old._
_We know firsthand the immense emotional and financial burden that comes with caring for a child with cancer. Witnessing our child’s struggle and enduring the daily rollercoaster of emotions was an experience no parent should ever have to endure._
_Over the years our ability to create precious memories with Alfie was only made possible through the generous support of our family, friends, and other charitable organisations._
_For us, this charity is deeply personal and meaningful. We understand from personal experience the importance of providing children with cancer and their families the opportunity to make lasting memories together. The ability to look forward to special days out, put a smile on a child's face, and create cherished moments is something we treasure from our time with Alfie._
_Our family's motto during those challenging years was "Don't count the days, make the days count," and it's a guiding principle for our charity. We are driven by the desire to give other families the same opportunities we had to create beautiful memories with their children._
_We are incredibly proud of the progress Alfie's Wish has made since its inception. It warms our hearts to see the positive impact we've had on numerous families dealing with childhood cancer._
_Making a difference in the lives of these children and their families is at the core of our mission, and it fuels our determination to continue our work, ensuring that every day counts for those who need it most._
## _**James & Charlotte Butler (Alfie’s Parents)**_
## **3 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **VISION AND MISSION**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
We are driven by our mission to make memories for families living with childhood cancer.
Our vision is to bring happiness and light to dark places.
We aim to help families from England and Wales with children between the ages of 0-16
years who have been diagnosed with cancer. By working with oncology hospitals, we receive
referrals from the Young Lives vs Cancer social workers for the families they support.
Working with families, we arrange days out within the UK to a destination of their choice -
enabling the creation of special memories.
**----- End of picture text -----**
**4 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **HIGHLIGHTS AND SUCCESSES**
This report covers the period April 2022 to March 2023. During the year we received 129 referrals from 11 hospitals from across the country. We enabled 131 special experiences for families living with cancer ranging from theatre trips to zoo visits and days out to major UK parks and attractions.
**5 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **PRIORITIES**
Alfie’s Wish was formed with the simple goal of making memories. Helping families through their darkest hours by enabling them to create moments of happiness.
## _“Don’t count the days, make the days count”._
**6 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **PRIORITY 1 MAKING MEMORIES**
## **It’s why we’re here**
**Helping families living with cancer create magical memories through experiences at a range of attractions and events.**
Alfie’s Wish exists to support as many families as possible.
So far, we’ve been able to fund and support the ever-growing number of referrals received. Since our beginnings in 2020, we’ve now provided support to over 140 families from across the country. Whilst most referrals originate from London and the South East, Alfie’s Wish has a growing footprint which takes in referrals from Exeter to Liverpool.
Our families have visited top attractions such as Chessington, Legoland, Alton Towers, zoos and safari parks across the country. Paulton’s Park in Hampshire, Sealife Centres and the London theatre scene have become established favourite destinations.
## **What it means to our families…**
_“We finally managed to get to Peppa Pig World and had a wonderful afternoon. As Liya was put on pumps we had to spend the morning at home with nurses sorting drugs for both pumps. Liya was tired but_
_really enjoyed Peppa Pig World._
_She danced with the music they played for the rides. She wasn’t sure to get on the rides at the beginning, so we followed her lead and waited until she was comfortable_
_enough to get on them. With your generous voucher she was able get all the toys she wanted from the toy shop. We can’t thank you enough for the beautiful day and lovely memories that we were able to make with Liya with your kind and generous help.”_
_“Hi Alfie’s Wish, we just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making such an incredible trip to Chessington to make memories._
_We honestly cannot thank you enough, we had such a special time. You are incredible and without your amazing charity we would not have been able to go. Thank you.”_
_“Thank you so much for our lovely day out, it was so magical. It was so lovely to see Esmae and her sisters so happy and Ice skating was a big hit!_
_Esmae was overjoyed as she loves everything about Christmas, we had the best day ever all thanks to you.”_
## **7 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **PRIORITY 2 PROFILE RAISING**
## **A strong profile is essential for our continuing success**
**Raising our profile is important because it helps raise awareness of childhood cancer and the work we do to help families living with it. A strong profile helps to:**
**Funders -** grow relationships with existing funders and to develop new ones.
**General public -** raise the awareness of childhood cancer and the work we are doing to help.
**Beneficiaries -** helps spread the positive messages received from families we’ve supported and connect us with future beneficiaries.
**Supporters -** inspire current supporters and attract new ones.
## **Profile raising actions**
**Building a strong online presence –** essential in today’s digital age. We recognise that most would-be donors and supporters are likely to go online to search for information about a particular cause or charity. Our website _**alfieswish.org.uk**_ is at the heart of our online presence.
**Using the power of social media –** to interact with potential donors and to demonstrate loyalty and importance to those who have given in the past. To spread the joy and positivity that comes from our activities. Social media is at the forefront of our engagement thinking.
**Networking –** in the digital age, person-to-person networking still has a vitally important place in organisational development. We are working hard to cultivate valuable networks.
**Making the most of sponsored events –** Alfie’s Wish have successfully organised events big and small. The fundraising focus has been mainly on individuals with a modest amount of corporate sponsorship involvement. We aim to grow corporate relationships going forwards.
## **8 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **PRIORITY 3 A SECURE FUTURE**
## **We want to be able to operate successfully today - and tomorrow**
**Cancer isn’t going away anytime soon. We want to put Alfie’s Wish on a sound footing so we can create memories and help families today, tomorrow, and well into the future.**
## **People**
Our volunteers and helpers are at the heart of everything we do. We understand that to grow and develop, we need to cultivate a growing network of volunteers and supporters to help us achieve our aims.
## **Leadership**
Strong leadership is essential in providing a vision and direction of travel. The board of trustees meets quarterly with the Operational Manager to ensure that charity activity is progressing as planned, that new challenges are addressed and that all regulatory obligations are met.
## **Finances**
Money is the lifeblood of any organisation. Managing this resource is key to the long-term success of Alfie’s Wish. We regularly review our financial position to ensure our pipeline of referral activity and fundraising activities are in alignment.
A robust reserves policy means we always have enough to cover the most challenging of circumstances.
## **9 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **FUTURE PLANS**
## **Opportunities**
**Alfie’s Wish was formed in 2020. Despite launching during the COVID pandemic we have succeeded in putting down strong roots.**
The charity has grown significantly over the last two years.
with more families living with cancer. **Helping to make more memories.**
## **Challenges**
**Fundraising can be hard in the best of times but the current ‘cost of living crisis’ presents a challenge to those seeking to raise funds from philanthropic sources.**
For example, the number of referrals received grew from 21 in 2021/22 to 129 in 2022/23. Referring hospitals also grew from 7 in 2021/22 to 11 in 2022/23. Income over this same period grew by 12%.
Whilst great progress has been made, more remains to be done.
Fundraising efforts have thus far focused on non-corporate bodies, and this presents an area of opportunity.
Alfie’s Wish was born with local impact and appeal but as the charity has grown, so has its reach. Social media and networking opportunities will be used to help us grow our supporter base.
As fundraising increases, so will our ability to work with more hospitals and engage
Raising funds essentially requires two key ingredients.
Firstly, it needs the input of individuals, families and organisations who can give their time and effort to help keep the charity running and to organise and take part in fundraising activities.
Secondly, it needs the generosity of charity supporters – those who donate to the cause.
Alfie’s Wish is working hard to develop and grow its army of helpers, raise the charity’s profile, network with potential sponsors, and organise events and activities which will help it meet these challenges.
Continuing to grow our footprint in a sustainable manner remains a priority.
## **10 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **OUR TRUSTEES AND KEY**
## **PERSONNEL**
Our key personnel comprise Trustees, management, and our crucial army of volunteers.
## **TRUSTEES**
During the year the following Trustees served on the Board. All Trustees have due regard for the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
In the final quarter of 2022, the Board of Trustees oversaw the recruitment and appointment of an Operational Manager. This post started in December 2022 to meet the growing demands of running the charity.
## **11 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **INCOME FINANCIAL SUMMARY**
**12 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **EXPENDITURE FINANCIAL SUMMARY**
**13 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## **CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
* GOSH - Great Ormond Street Hospital
** UCLH – University College London Hospital
## **14 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
## ALFIESWISH.ORG.UK
Charity registration number: 1191020
Alfie’s Wish is a charitable incorporated organisation Principle address: 6 Minchin Road, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0BL
**15 ALFIE’S WISH ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23**
||**Alfies Wish**|||**1191020**|**1191020**|**CC16a**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||||
||**For the period**
**from**|01/04/2022|**To**||31/03/2023||
||||||||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||||
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Restricted funds**
**to the nearest £**|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Endowment**
**funds**||**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|Donations|**27,133**
**59,100**
**-**
**8**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**86,241**
|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||**27,133**|**67,351**|
|Fundraisingevents|||**-**||**59,100**|**9,618**|
|Commission on sales|||**-**||**-**|**242**|
|Interest on deposit accounts|||**-**||**8**|**-**|
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_|||**-**||**86,241**|**77,211**|
||||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|**-**
**-**
**-**||||||
|||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||**-**||
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
|**_Sub total_**|||**-**||**-**|**-**|
|**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||**86,241**||
||**86,241**|**-**|**-**|||**77,211**|
||||||||
|Bank interest and charges|**-**
**56,254**
**15,460**
**257**
**247**
**328**
**2,002**
**341**
**231**
**7,542**
**82,662**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||**-**|**218**|
|Charitable activities|||**-**||**56,254**|**-**|
|Cost of fundraisingevents|||**-**||**15,460**|**23,478**|
|Insurance|||**-**||**257**|**-**|
|Marketing|||**-**||**247**|**-**|
|Pension contributions|||**-**||**328**|**-**|
|Printing. postage, stationery and computer
supplies|||**-**||**2,002**|**910**|
|Professional fees|||**-**||**341**|**-**|
|Telephone, internet|||**-**||**231**|**-**|
|Wages, salaries and national insurance|||**-**||**7,542**|**-**|
|**_Sub total_**|||**-**||**82,662**|**24,606**|
||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**-**
**-**
**-**||||||
|||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||**-**||
||||**-**||**-**||
|**_Sub total_**|||**-**||**-**|**-**|
|**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||
||**82,662**|**-**|**-**||**82,662**|**24,606**|
||||||||
||**3,579**
**-**
**95,114**
**98,693**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||**3,579**|**52,605**|
||||**-**||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**||**95,114**|**42,509**|
||||**-**||**98,693**|**95,114**|
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**|**Details**
Current accounts
Personal accounts surplus balances
Personal accounts deficit balances
(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**|**to nearest £**
**98,700**
**-**
**- 7**
**98,693**
OK
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|**Restricted funds**
**to nearest £**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
||||OK
**Restricted funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Amount due (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**|OK|
|||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
||||||
||||||
||||||
||||||
||**Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees**
**Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)**
**Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc**
**Date**||James Sturgess
Treasurer||
||||||
|||James Butler|||
|||Chair|||
||||||
|||8/12/2023|||
||||||
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
ALFIES WSH
On accounts for the year
ended
311312023
Charity no
(if any)
1191020
Set out on pages
iona shee
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
chanty (°the Trust"} for the year ended 3110312023.
Responslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in acwrdance with the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 ("the Acr).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under se(lion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Chartty Commission
under section 145{5){b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
come to my attention {
") in connection wrth
the examination which gprfes me cause to believe that in, any material
respect."
accounting records We not kept in accordance with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not a¢cord with the accounting records
Independent
examiner's stat•m•nt
I have no concems 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 a¢¢ourrts to be reached.
' Please delete the words in the braGkets rfthey do not apply.
Slgn
Date:
171112024
Name:
ELEY COUSENS
Relevant professional
quallficatlonls) or body
(If any):
FCCA Dip PFS
Address:
2a Poles Copse, Poles Lane, Otterboume, S0212DZ
IER
October 2018