## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1 April 2023 To 31 March 2024** **Charity name: BACME (British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS) Charity registration number: 1193035** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The relief of sickness for public
beneft by:
3.1 Championing clinically
efective practice in
treating ME/CFS and other
primary fatigue conditions
3.2 Disseminating recent
evidence and practice to
clinical practitioners
3.3 Providing education and
training for members
using up-to-date evidence
and best shared practice
3.4 Advocating for equity of
access and excellence in
the provision of services
**3.5**
Facilitating networking
amongst clinicians,
researchers and patients
**3.6**
Advocating for and
promoting relevant
research and to publish all
useful results arising from
any research supported| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|BACME carried out its purposes for the
public beneft and the relief of
sickness through Board meetings,
peer supervision and educational
webinars, maintaining an up to date
website, an annual conference,
regular newsletters and collaboration
with relevantorganisations and| |||patient groups.
BACME membership is open to clinical
professionals actively involved in
providing or supporting ME/CFS
services which provide health care to
members of the public living with
ME/CFS.
BACME training events are primarily
tailored for members. Conference is
open to non-members who are
professionals working in the feld of
ME/CFS. BACME provides a clear
public beneft, the relief of sickness by
supporting BACME members to deliver
up to date, clinically efective
treatment in the feld of ME/CFS which
reduces sickness by improving
outcomes, quality of life and
experiences for this patient group.
All trustees have signed the statutory
declaration regarding guidance issued
by the charity commission on public
beneft.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|Each trustee attended training on the role of
the trustee. This training is aligned with
guidance issued by the Charity Commission
on public benefit.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment All BACME trustees are volunteers. Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**Summary of BACME key**
**achievements and performance**
**relating to BACME objectives in**
**the relief of sickness for the**
**public beneft.**
**1. Championing clinically**
**efective practice**
-
BACME delivered regular
training events to members
including peer supervision
webinars (4 to 6 per year) and
training webinars on topics (4
to 6 per year).
-
BACME Board members took
part in three Department of
Health and Social Care (DHSC)
ME/CFS working groups
(research; attitudes and
education; and living with
ME/CFS) in this way
contributing to the DHSC
delivery plan for ME/CFS.
-
BACME Board members, with
other organisations, worked
with NHS England and other
organisations to provide
feedback on 3 e-learning
modules on ME/CFS.
**2. Dissemination of recent**
**evidence & practice**
-
Peer Supervision & topic
based webinars
-
Newsletters &
Communications with
BACME members
**3. Provision of education &**
**training**| |||-
Peer review & topic based
webinars
-
Newsletters &
communications
**4. Advocating for equity &**
**excellence**
-
All BACME activities
-
Operating at a Charitable
Incorporated Organisation
-
National Services Survey
**5. Facilitating networking**
-
Webinars
**6. Advocate, promote and**
**disseminate research**
-
Newsletters &
Communications
TheAnnual General Report delivered in
February 2024 shares BACME Board and
Executive Team’s key achievements for 2023.
At the AGM in February 2024 Chair Anna
Gregorowski thanked those on Board for their
continued dedication, hard work, and passion
and other members for their contribution to the
successful and challenging journey this past
year.
**Some achievements were highlighted:**

Participationin national projects, most
notably the Department of Health and Social
Care working groups which each include
BACME representation, contributing to the
bigger picture for those living with ME/CFS
across the UK.

The second BACME National Services
Survey, led by Dr Vikki McKeever.

Developing BACME’s plan on a page
strategy for 2023-2025, with the aim of
ensuring BACME remains sustainable,
viable and relevant.
**National Services Survey, led by Dr Vikki**
**McKeever:**

provided an updated snapshot into the
provision of specialist ME/CFS care across
the UK.

identified examples of good practice and
highlighted areas where improvements are
needed.

data will be used to:
`o`
contribute to political efforts focusing on
improving the delivery of care to people
living with ME/CFS;
`o`
advocate for resources; and
`o`
identify opportunities for further
development of services and the
provision of education and training.

Key recommendations include ensuring:
`o`
patient and carer experiences are used
to inform development and service| |---|---|---| ||improvements;| |---|---| ||`o`
a specialist ME/CFS pathway and service| ||specification is developed and| ||standardised;| ||`o`
the number and quality of specialist| ||services, including in-patient facilities, are| ||increased;| ||`o`
ME/CFS education and specialist training| ||is improved;| ||`o`
clinicians are supported to conduct| ||clinical research;| ||`o`
meaningful clinical outcome measures| ||are developed in collaboration with| ||people with lived experience;| ||`o`
services consistently deliver high quality| ||care that is of benefit to patients;| ||`o`
care and support plans are in place; and| ||`o`
there is continued promotion of an| ||awareness of ME/CFS, with BACME| ||collaboratively working with ME/CFS| ||patient charities to improve the provision| ||of care to people living with ME/CFS| ||across the UK.| |Anna thanked Vikki for expertly leading this|| |work and to Board members who took part in|| |this project and members and services who|| |filled out the survey and assisted in additional|| |ways.|| |**PPI Team, led by Ceri Rutter:**|| ||continued to meet monthly in 2023| ||contributed to the revised Severely Affected| ||Guide| ||reviewed key documents| ||contributed to BACME communication| ||through developing and refining responses| ||to FAQs, and providing regular and high-| ||quality pieces for BACME Bulletins| ||continued to seek new patient| ||representatives, as part of working towards| ||smooth succession planning (hope to secure| ||a young adult patient representative later| ||this year)| ||continued to contribute to key conference| ||planning| ||shared examples of work, interviewed| ||current members about their work and are| ||developing an Oral History Project, to| ||capture current and past work undertaken| ||by practitioners in the ME/CFS field through| ||recorded interviews (this forms part of an| ||initiative to strengthen BACME's| ||transparency).| |Anna thanked Rhonda Knight and Kirsty|| |Northcott for their enormous and valuable|| |contributions to the PPI Group over many|| |years. She welcomed a new PPI|| |representative, Sheila Miller, and indicated that|| |Deputy Chair Board, Christine supported this|| |workstream in 2023 and will continue to be part|| |of this workstream.|| **Education and Training, led by Charlie Adler** |**(previously Kirsty Northcott):**| |---| |
met quarterly in 2023| |
delivered six successful events in 2023:| |three peer supervision webinars; one| |conversation about care and support plans;| |a children and young person focused| |workshop; and a journal club.| |Anna explained this workstream saw a change| |in leadership in 2023, from Kirsty Northcott to| |Charlie Adler. She thanked Kirsty for her hard| |work in leading and transforming this| |workstream over many years and leaving a| |legacy of successful events and training models| |for use in the future.| |She thanked Charlie Adler for stepping| |seamlessly into the Education and Training| |Lead role, taking this on proactively and| |bringing her positive perspective to the role.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The charity is dependent on membership
income, and this has remained resilient.
This year has seen a small reduction in
balance, which is expected as there was no
conference held, which is the other main
source of income.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|BACME holds £8000 in reserve for all
eventualities and aims for the bank
Balance to remain above £14000 which is
the reserve plus forecast annual
expenditure.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|As above| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|Not applicable| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|None| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|None| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
BACME's principal source of funding is
through membership fees . BACME
currently has c200 professional members
which generates an annual income in the
region of £6000
BACME hold no materiel assets.
BACME funds are used to pay for running
costs of website, video
conference platforms and self-employed
BACME virtual administrators.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|BACME does not have funds to invest in
anything other than delivery of
its objectives.| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|Loss of membership. Currently the
Trustees do not consider this a significant
risk.| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|BACME constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|BACME is a CIO- Association| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are appointed by an election
process conducted at an AGM and in
accordance with the BACME
constitution.
The following conditions are cited at
section 12.2 of the BACME
constitution;

Charity trustees must be a
member of a professional body
relevant to their professional
role and deliver or support
clinical care to people with
ME/CFS. In the case of patient
and carer representatives,
trustees must have direct
personal experience of the
condition, either as a patient or
carer and be afliated with an
ME/CFS service delivering care
in line with BACME objects.

Charity trustees agree to
uphold and support the BACME
constitution.

Charity Trustees must hold
current BACME membership
and have been a BACME
member for a minimum of 6
months prior to becoming a
trustee| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|
Para 1.51|
Each new trustee attends BACME trustee
training| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the|Para 1.51|The Board has a Chair; Deputy Chair; PPI
Lead; Education and Training Lead;
Editorial Lead; and Treasurer. During this
time period there were 4 PPI trustees
including the PPI Lead and| |charity works||| |---|---|---| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|BACME meets with 2 patient charities -
Action for M.E. and the ME Association on
a quarterly basis; BACME attended
monthly Forward ME (coalition of ME/CFS
charities) meetings in this time period.| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|BACME| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |Registered charity number|1193035| |Charity’s principal address|Paediatric and Adolescent Division
6thfloor central
250 Euston Road
London
NW12PG| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
**7**
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not**
**for whole year**|**Name of person**
**(or body)**
**entitled to**
**appoint trustee**
**(ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Karen Anna
Gregorowski|Chair||BACME AGM| ||Christine Mary
Oliver|Deputy Chair||BACME AGM| ||David Vickers|Treasurer||BACME AGM| ||Ceridwen Rutter|Patient & Public
Involvement executive||BACME AGM| ||Charlotte Joanna
Adler|Training & Education
executive||BACME AGM| ||Fiona McKechnie|Editorial Lead||BACME AGM| ||Les Parry|Non-executive Trustee
(PPI)||BACME AGM| ||Marta Prytys|Non-executive Trustee||BACME AGM| ||Peter Gladwell|Non-executive Trustee||BACME AGM| ||Marina Townend|Non-executive Trustee||BACME AGM| ||Selwyn Richards|Non-executive Trustee||BACME AGM| ||Louise Humphrey|Non-executive Trustee||BACME AGM| ||Sheila Miller|Non-executive Trustee
(PPI)||BACME AGM| ||Charley Wrey|Non-executive Trustee
(PPI)||BACME AGM| ||Melissa Sargaison|Non-executive trustee|Elected at AGM
January2024|BACME AGM| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved ## **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets None held in this capacity Name and objects of the Not applicable charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for Not applicable safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** Karen Anna Gregorowski **Full name(s)** Karen Anna Gregorowski **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc)** **Date** 28/01/2025 ||**Charity Name**
|**Charity Name**
|**Charity Name**
|**No (if any)**|**CC16a**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**For the period**
**from**|4/1/2023
4/1/2023|**To**|Period end date
3/31/2024|| ||||||| |**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||| |**A1 Receipts**
Balance forward
**26,314**
**-**
Membershipfees
**5,570**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**31,884**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 31,884**
**A3 Payments**
Administration
**6,065**
Licence and fees
**447**
Miscellaneous
**30**
Meetingcosts
**1,537**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ 8,079**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 8,079**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ 23,805**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**-**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 23,805**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**26,314**
**-**
**5,570**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**31,884**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**31,884**
**6,065**
**447**
**30**
**1,537**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**8,079**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**8,079**
**23,805**
**-**
**-**
**23,805**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| ||||**-**|**26,314**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**5,570**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**31,884**|**-**| ||||||| ||||**-**|**-**|| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||||| ||||**-**|**31,884**|**-**| ||||||| ||||**-**|**6,065**|**-**| ||||**-**|**447**|**-**| ||||**-**|**30**|**-**| ||||**-**|**1,537**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||**-**|**8,079**|**-**| ||||||| ||||**-**|**-**|| ||||**-**|**-**|| ||||**-**|**-**|**-**| ||||||| ||||**-**|**8,079**|**-**| ||||||| |||**-**|**-**|**23,805**|**-**| |||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**| |||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**| |||**-**|**-**|**23,805**|**-**| |**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**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature
David Vickers
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,810**
Agreement Error
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
David Vickers
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| ||David Vickers|David Vickers|1/26/2025| |||||