## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From** 01 April 2022 **Period start date To** 31 March 2023 **Period end date**
**Charity name:** ThymicUK
**Charity registration number:** 1193092
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP
reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|ThymicUK provides a support network for patients
with thymic cancers in the United Kingdom and
advocates on their behalf.
The purposes of ThymicUK are to support people
affected by thymic cancers, and to improve the
quality of life and access to available treatments
for patients with thymic cancers in the UK. We
endeavour to do this by:
a) identifying patients with thymic cancers and
offering support throughout their journey.
b) providing information resources for patients,
carers, and medical professionals such as listing
available treatments, clinical trials, and the
location of thymic cancer specialists in the UK.
c) raising awareness of thymic cancers among
the general public, and medical professionals.
d) promoting research into the causes, detection,
diagnosis, treatment, and management of thymic
cancers.
e) liaising with relevant organisations such as the
British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG), the
International Thymic Malignancy Interest |Group
(ITMIG), and the pharmaceutical industry for the
advancement of knowledge and treatment of
thymic cancers.
f) liaising with and influencing key health decision
makers such as NICE and the NHS in the UK.
g) facilitating fundraising to promote the above
objectives.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those|Para 1.17
and 1.19|_This section lists only those activities with direct_
_costs attached. For all other main activities please_|
|purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|||_see Para 1.20 below._
**Information & awareness materials:**We
produced information and awareness materials
about thymic cancers, for patients and for
healthcare professionals, to increase the
awareness and understanding of thymic cancers,
and help signpost to relevant organisations. The
Materials included leaflets, posters, banners, and
collection boxes, in addition to the previously
produced awareness ribbons and badges. Printed
materials were distributed at events and posted
free of charge to patients and fundraisers. The
leaflets and posters are also available for
download on our website.£402.26 printing costs;
£76.75 costs for posting materials out.
**Research Project:**As a first research project led
by ThymicUK, we conducted a patient survey into
the experience ofpatients with thymic epithelial
tumours.In December 2022 and January 2023,
all those registered on the ThymicUK mailing list
and closed Facebook group were invited to
participate in an electronic and anonymous
survey. Directed at patients, the survey comprised
of ten questions designed to explore patient
experience and support needs. The 72 responses
revealed important findings, and the research was
accepted for a poster presentation at the 21st
annual conference of the British Thoracic
Oncology Group (BTOG) in April 2024 in Belfast,
where it was awarded a runner up poster price.
Direct costs: £49 for a subscription
(surveymonkey) to enable anonymous data
collection and processing.
**Charity stand at BTOG2023**:We paid £180 for a
ThymicUK charity stand at the 21
st
conference of
the British Thoracic Oncology Group
[BTOG2023].
**Website, Mailing list:**We continued to run and
further develop our website (www.thymicuk.org).
All work with regards to content development, and
the user interface was provided free of charge by
trustees volunteering their time and expertise.
We paid for the domain registration/renewal,
shared website hosting, and email list platform
(mailchimp). These costs were reimbursed to the
trustee who had initially covered in the following
reporting period and will be listed there.
**Cancer52 reduced membership.**As a small
member of the rare cancer umbrella charity
Cancer52, we paid a reduced membership fee of
£50 for 2023.
During the reporting period, several fundraisers
were held for ThymicUK; donations were received|
|---|---|---|---|
|||by direct bank transfer or via a donation button on
our website. We also received a small amount or
funds through AmazonSmile and through the sale
of awareness badges and ribbons.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|We confirm that all trustees have had regard to
the guidance issued by the Charity Commission
on public benefit.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||
SORP
reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38||
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38||
|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|_In addition to the activities with direct fund_
_implications listed under Para 1.17, main_
_achievements of ThymicUK between 1st April 2022_
_and 31st March 2023 included the below._
**Launch of 1st International Thymic Malignancy**
**Awareness Month:**In collaboration with the
International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group
[ITMIG], ThymicUK launched the 1stedition of an
annual international awareness month for thymic
malignancies (May 2022). We co-organised and
promoted a range of events for patients and/or
healthcare professionals. The awareness month also
saw an uptake in fundraisers and in the distribution
of information leaflets and other materials to
increase the awareness and understanding of thymic
cancers.
**Support Group, Mailing List and website:**We
continued to run the website, the ThymicUK mailing|
|||list and the closed ThymicUK patient support group
on Meta (formerly Facebook). The group provides a
safe space, in which patients and carers can
exchange experiences and often very practical tips,
supporting each other.
Both forums have seen sustained growth (the
support groups reached 300 members in March
2023), indicating that more doctors and nurses are
aware of and signpost patients to ThymicUK as a
source of information and support.
**Events for Patients:**
**-**
In October 2022, we held a Patient Webinar
and Q&A with a Thymic Oncologist.
**-**
We continued to hold virtual patient meetings
and a virtual Christmas Social.
**As patient advocates**, we have been effective in
liaising with relevant professional bodies, including
the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group
(ITMIG), the British Thoracic Oncology Group
(BTOG), and as a member of the rare cancer
umbrella charity Cancer 52.
-
We continued our work in the BTOG Special
Interest Group (SIG) for Thymic
Malignancies, with chair Karen Ruddock
being a member representing ThymicUK.
-
Together with ITMIG and BTOG, we ran a
successful 1stedition of the Thymic
Malignancy Awareness Month in May 2022.
-
We continued to work closely with both
professional bodies to co-organise the 2nd
edition of the Thymic Malignancy Awareness
Month to be held in May 2023.
-
We attended the ITMIG virtual conference
and Cancer 52 events to represent the voice
of those affected by thymic cancers.
**Featured in Showcase Video from rare cancer**
**umbrella charity Cancer52:**ThymicUK,
represented by chair Karen Ruddock, has been
featured in a showcase video from Cancer52, the
common voice for rare and less common cancers.
The video highlights how charities have responded
to changes in the world since the COVID-19
pandemic, have adapted and innovated to support
their patient communities.
**Research Project:**As a first research project led by
ThymicUK, we conducted a patient survey into the
experience ofpatients with thymic epithelial tumours.
In December 2022 and January 2023, all those
registered on the ThymicUK mailing list and closed
Facebook group were invited to participate in an
electronic and anonymous survey. Directed at
patients, the survey comprised of ten questions
designed to explore patient experience and support
needs. The 72 responses revealed important
findings, and the research was accepted for a poster|
|---|---|---|
presentation at the 21[st] annual conference of the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) in April 2024 in Belfast, where it was awarded a runner up poster price. (With April 2023 falling just outside of this reporting period, the various roles of ThymicUK at BTOG2023 (research presentation; charity stand; patient advocates) will be captured in the next report.)
## **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**
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|31stMarch 2023: £15,712.84
(Starting position on 1stApril 2022: £3,156.
Incoming funds over the reporting period: 13314.87;
Outgoing funds over the reporting period: £758.03)|
|---|---|---|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The ThymicUK policy to holding reserves is that we
currently only use funds as needed to produce
information and awareness materials (such as
leaflets, posters badges and ribbons), for postage,
and other essential costs (e.g., our website domain,
hosting, and mailing list). No personal expenses are
used as all trustees volunteer their time.
With the aim to initiate research into the causes,
detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of
thymic cancers, we hold as reserves all those funds
not immediately needed for the above.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£15,712.84|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|N/A|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|N/A|
## **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||
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|CIO|
|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|All four trustees have been co-founders of the
charity. The appointment of any new trustee would
be agreed by all current trustees.|
## **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||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|ThymicUK|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|1193092|
|Charity’s principal address|69 Worcester Road
London
E17 5QR|
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or**
**body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee (if**
**any)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Karen Ruddock (chair)||Whole year||
|Heidrun Bien||Whole year||
|Oliver Neely||Whole year||
|Marrika Colvin||Whole year||
|||||
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– 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**||
|---|---|---|
||||
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## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|Description of the assets
held in this capacity|N/A|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|N/A|
Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own asset
## **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)** Dr Heidrun Bien Karen Ruddock **Full name(s)** Dr Heidrun Bien Karen Ruddock
**Position (eg Secretary,** Trustee - Secretary & Treasurer Chair & Trustee **Chair, etc)**
**Date** 31.01.2024