## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025**
## **Charity name: British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS (BACME)**
## **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 efectve
practce in treatng ME/CFS and
other primary fatgue conditons
3.2
Disseminatng recent evidence and
practce to clinical practtoners
3.3
Providing educaton and training
for members using up-to-date
evidence and best shared practce
3.4
Advocatng for equity of access and
excellence in the provision of
services
**3.5**
Facilitatng networking amongst
clinicians, researchers and patents
**3.6**
Advocatng for and promotng
relevant research and to publish all
useful results arising from any
research supported|
|Summary of the main
actvites in relaton to those
purposes for the public
beneft, in partcular, the
actvites, projects or services
identfed 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 meetngs, peer supervision and
educatonal webinars, maintaining an up to
date website, an annual conference, regular
newsleters and collaboraton with relevant
organisatons and patent groups.
BACME membership is open to clinical
professionals actvely involved in providing
care topeople livingwith ME/CFS or working|
|||in services which provide healthcare 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 supportng
BACME members to deliver up to date,
clinically efectve treatment in the feld of
ME/CFS which reduces sickness by improving
outcomes, quality of life and experiences for
this patent group.
All trustees have signed the statutory
declaraton regarding guidance issued by the
charity commission on public beneft.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement confrming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission onpublic beneft|Para 1.18|Each trustee atended training on the role of
the trustee. This training is aligned with
guidance issued by the Charity Commission on
public beneft.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||SORP
reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policyongrant making|Para 1.38||
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
|Contributon made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|All members of BACME Board are volunteers.|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP
reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identfying the diference the
charity’s work has made to the
circumstances of its
benefciaries and any wider
benefts to society as a whole.|Para 1.20|**Summary of BACME key achievements and**
**performance relatng to BACME objectves in**
**the relief of sickness for the public beneft.**
**1. Championing clinically efectve**
**practce**
-
BACME delivered regular training
events to members including peer
supervision webinars (4 per year) and
training webinars on topics (6 per year).
-
BACME Board members took part in
agreeing the fnal DHSC delivery plan
for ME/CFS, which was published in
2025. BACME were also involved in
disseminaton and delivery of services
in accordance with the plan.
-
BACME Chair was involved in
heightening awareness of ME/CFS in
natonal media on 3 occasions,
including natonal television and radio.
-
BACME Board members, with other
organisatons, contnued to provide
feedback to NHS on the new e-learning
modules on ME/CFS.
**2. Disseminaton of recent evidence &**
**practce**
-
Peer Supervision & topic based
webinars
-
Newsleters & Communicatons
with BACME members
-
Annual conference (online) in May
2024, focused on the NICE
guidelines for ME/CFS
**3. Provision of educaton & training**
-
Peer review & topic based webinars
and journal clubs
-
Newsleters & communicatons
-
Annual conference (online) in May
2024, focused on the NICE
guidelines for ME/CFS
**4. Advocatng for equity & excellence**
-
All BACME actvites|
|||-
Operatng as a Charitable
Incorporated Organisaton
-
Natonal Services Survey
-
Media presence
**5. Facilitatng networking**
-
Webinars
-
Conference
-
Inital networking with Clinical Post
Covid Society with a view to closer
working
**6. Advocate, promote and disseminate**
**research**
-
Newsleters & Communicatons
-
Conference
The Annual General Report delivered in
February 2025 shares BACME Board and
Executve Team’s key achievements for 2024.
At the AGM in February 2025, Chair Anna
Gregorowski thanked those on Board for their
contnued dedicaton, hard work, and passion
and other members for their contributon to
the successful and challenging journey this past
year.
**BACME Chair’s Report February 2025:**
It is again a great privilege to deliver the
BACME Chair’s report highlightng the key
outcomes of work undertaken by BACME
Board and members over the past year. So
much has been achieved be done to relieve
sufering in people living with ME/CFS. This has
been a very full year with key developments
and much spotlight on ME/CFS partcularly in
the later part of 2024 with the inquest into
the death of Maeve Boothby O ‘Neill and the
report and recommendatons that followed.
Those working in specialist services are acutely
aware of the increase in the complexity of the
needs of those living with ME/CFS and the
many challenges that are present in ensuring
that appropriate care and support is in place
for those who are severely and very severely
afected. There is much work yet to be done.
Board members, all of whom work as clinicians
in the feld of ME/CFS and PPI members have
worked extremely hard to deliver all that
BACME has achieved this past year. Thank you
to all who contributed to workstreams and to
conference thispastyear. It is appreciated that|
|---|---|---|
you have worked together, with many on Board collaborating with ME/CFS charities and national groups, to move towards our shared aim of improving the lives of those living with ME/CFS and the lives of their parents, partners and carers. Those on Board have given much time, expertise and so much of themselves to deliver in key areas. Many members too have joined in projects, attended webinars and thought together how best to take forward key areas of work. Thank you for the part you have played. The PPI group has continued to work collaboratively, creatively and constructively to contribute their expertise at all Board and other meetings. They meet regularly as a group to work on specific areas that need addressing. The PPI group ensures that people living with ME/CFS are kept at the heart of all that BACME undertakes. This workstream is expertly led by Ceri Rutter who is handing over the lead role to Les Parry, with a transition over the next 6 months. Each of the four PPI trustees bring their lived experience, expertise and commitment to each BACME activity, in this way guiding the work of our charity and enhancing the work and effectiveness of BACME clinicians. Charlie Adler has continued to lead the Education and Training workstream expertly and efficiently to deliver an impressive 10 BACME training events over the past year, a great achievement. A key Education and Training event was a fully subscribed virtual conference in May 2024. This event focused on delivering NICE compliant care and support to people living with ME/CFS. The day was very well organised by outgoing deputy chair Christine Oliver and proved a great success with attendees benefitting from all on offer including an opportunity to network. Fiona McKechnie has taken on an Editorial Lead role for BACME and helped us to think more about the role of social media. E now have a BACME Linked In profile and a small working group to think about the ways that we communicate. Fiona has been leading on collating and delivering BACME Bulletins, each of which prove rich in information and include very helpful signposting. Dr David Vickers ensures BACME’s finances are in order and that BACME can meet its aims as a
charity from a financial perspective, his expertise is much appreciated. I am pleased to report that BACME is in a good financial position which allows much needed administrative support to continue. This support ensures we can function seamlessly, carry out our aims and objectives on a daily basis and be responsive to the many communications we receive. Many thanks to Rachel and Craig for your expert support. Work on the Therapies Guide has been diligently and quietly happening, in the background, with Dr Pete Gladwell expertly leading a small group of Board and other members to update the Therapies guide so it is fit for purpose and relevant for use in 2025 and beyond. Additionally, Pete has been working with Sarah Tyson on an outcome measures project, linking BACME with this important piece of work. Pete’s intelligence and knowledge of when and how to bring BACME in is much appreciated. Many thanks to Pete for all he has done and is doing. BACME Board members continued to attend the DHSC working group meetings which recently reached the task and finish stage. This work has proved significant, took much time and is leading to further pieces of work. Alongside this, BACME Board and other members have been helping develop the NHS England e -learning modules and providing feedback along the way and as this work nears completion. Two modules have been launched with one further to be developed and refined before it is ready to be launched. Most recently, Board members met to update BACME’s plan on a page, the 2025 to 2027 version will be shared soon. While we will continue to ensure we meet our four strategic priorities across financial growth and sustainability, marketing and visibility, training and education, and influence and innovation, there will be a focus on meeting the needs of children, young people and adults living with severe and very severe ME/CFS. Many thanks to all Board members who have worked tirelessly, often with significant competing priorities, to deliver all we have collectively achieved this past year. I would now like to thank three Board members as they move on from BACME Board: Many thanks to Christine Oliver, outgoing
deputy chair, who over many years in this role has led key projects, supported significant activities and transformed BACME, moving us to charity status and securing a lottery grant for a new website. Christine worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to achieve BACME’s aims, always providing excellent and thoughtful support for me in the chair role, for this I am hugely grateful. Her vision and drive helped BACME become the charity it is today. Many and heartfelt thanks from all on Board, Christine. Many thanks too to Dr Pete Gladwell, a BACME trustee for the past three years. Pete’s quiet leadership, deep intelligence and consistent and unassuming work led to an update of the Therapies Guide which is almost complete. Pete also contributed significantly to national work on ME/CFS outcomes, again work which is nearing completion. We are most fortunate to have benefitted from having Pete on Board and for the expert work he has carried out, many thanks, Pete. I am also going to thank Ceri Rutter, though she is not stepping down until July. Ceri has provided PPI leadership to BACME from the outset and developed a great PPI team. Ceri brought vision, expertise and a steady drive to the work of the PPI group and to the BACME Board. Ceri has given so much to BACME that it is hard to imagine BACME without you, Ceri.
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|Achievements against
objectves set|Para 1.41||
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
actvites against objectves
set|Para 1.41||
|Investment performance
against objectves|Para 1.41||
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|Review of the charity’s
fnancial positon at the end
of theperiod|Para 1.21|The charity is dependent on membership
income, and this has remained resilient.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
statng why they are held|Para 1.22|BACME holds £8000 in reserve for all
eventualites 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
defcit|Para 1.24|None|
|Explanaton of any
uncertaintes about the
charity contnuing 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 principle source of funding is
through membership fees and conference.
BACME currently has around 200
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 platorms and self-employed
BACME virtual administrators and on this
occasion,a conference organiser.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectves including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|BACME does not have funds to invest in
anything other than delivery of
its objectves.|
|A descripton of the principal
risks facingthe charity|Para 1.46|Loss of membership. Currently the Trustees
do not consider this a signifcant risk.|
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Descripton of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed,royal charter)|Para 1.25|BACME consttuton|
|How is the charity
consttuted?
(e.g unincorporated
associaton,CIO)|Para 1.25|BACME is an associaton|
|Trustee selecton methods
including details of any
consttutonal provisions e.g.
electon to post or name of
any person or body enttled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are appointed by an electon
process conducted at an AGM and in
accordance with the BACME consttuton.
The following conditons are cited at secton
12.2 of the BACME consttuton;
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 patent and
carer representatves, trustees must
have direct personal experience of
the conditon, either as a patent 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 consttuton.
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 inducton
and trainingof trustees|Para 1.51|Each new trustee atends BACME trustee
training|
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisatonal
structure and any wider
network with which the
charityworks|Para 1.51|The Board has a Chair; Deputy Chair; PPI
Lead; Educaton and Training Lead; Editorial
Lead; and Treasurer.|
|Relatonship with any related
partes|Para 1.51|BACME meets with patent charites on a
regular basis; BACME atended monthly
Forward ME(coaliton of ME/CFS charites)|
meetings in this time period.
Other
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charityname|Britsh Associaton of Clinicians in ME/CFS|
|---|---|
|Other name the charityuses|BACME|
|Registered charitynumber|1193035|
|Charity’s principal address|Paediatric and Adolescent Division
6thfoor central
250 Euston Road
London
NW12PG|
|||
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
11
12
13
14
16
17|**Trustee name**|**Ofce (if any)**|**Dates**
**acted if**
**not for**
**whole**
**year**|**Name of person**
**(or body) enttled**
**to appoint trustee**
**(if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Karen Anna
Gregorowski|Chair||BACME AGM|
||Christne Mary Oliver|Deputy Chair|Untl 3
February
2025|BACME AGM|
||Marina Townend|Deputy Chair|From 3
February
2025|BACME AGM|
||David Vickers|Treasurer||BACME AGM|
||Ceridwen Ruter|Patent & Public Involvement
Executve Lead|Untl 3
February
2025|BACME AGM|
||Les Parry|Patent & Public Involvement
Executve lead|From 3
February
2025||
||Charlote Joanna Adler|Training & Educaton
Executve||BACME AGM|
||Fiona McKechnie|Editorial Lead||BACME AGM|
||Marta Prytys|Non-executve Trustee||BACME AGM|
||Peter Gladwell|Non-executve Trustee|Untl 3
February
2025|BACME AGM|
||Selwyn Richards|Non-executve Trustee|Untl 3
February
2025|BACME AGM|
||Louise Humphrey|Non-executve Trustee||BACME AGM|
||Sheila Miller|Non-executve Trustee (PPI)||BACME AGM|
||Charley Wrey|Non-executve Trustee (PPI)||BACME AGM|
||Melissa Sargaison|Non-executve trustee||BACME AGM|
||Nigel Lewis-Carpenter|Non-executve Trustee (PPI)|From 3
February
2025|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**|**Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**|
|---|---|
|Descripton of the assets
held in this capacity|None|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|Not applicable|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and segregaton
of such assets from the
charity’s own assets|Not applicable|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optonal informaton)**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Type of adviser**|**Nam**
**e**
**Addres**
**s**||
||||
||||
||||
||||
|**Name of chief executve or names of senior staf members (Optonal informaton)**|||
## **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.**|**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**|**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**|
|---|---|---|
|**Signed** **on behalf of the charity’s trustees**|||
|**Signature(s)**|||
|**Full name(s)**|Anna Gregorowski||
|**Positon (eg Secretary,**
**Chair, etc)**|Chair||
|**Date**|29/01/2026||
**----- Start of picture text -----**
British Association for Clinicians in ME/CFS (BACME) 1193035
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01/04/2024 31/03/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Balance forward 23,805 - - 23,805 -
- - - - -
Membership and course fees 13,243 - - 13,243 -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 37,048 ] - - 37,048 -
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 37,048 - - 37,048 -
A3 Payments
Administration 3,497 - - 3,497 -
Licences and fees 591 - - 591 -
Conference expenditure 2,417 - - 2,417 -
Website 3,370 - - 3,370 -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 9,875 ] - - 9,875 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments [ 9,875 ] - - 9,875 -
Net of receipts/(payments) - - -
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - - -
Cash funds this year end 27,137 - - -
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
29/01/2026
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
david vickers
none
**Details**
**Details**
27,137
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**27,137**
**-**
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
david vickers|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval
21/01/2026|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
29/01/2026
2