**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **ANNUAL RETURN**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2025**
**Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity Number 1198195**
**(Formerly Registered Charity Number 1170040)**
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Contents of the Annual Return**
## **For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## Contents
Objectives and Activities ................................................................................................ 3 Achievements and Performance .................................................................................... 4 Financial Review ............................................................................................................. 6 Structure, Governance and Management ..................................................................... 8 Trustee information and Declarations ........................................................................... 9 Statement of Trustees Responsibilities ....................................................................... 10 Independent Examiners Report ................................................................................... 11 Statement of Financial Activities ................................................................................. 12
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## **NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Charity Information For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
**Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Charity Number 1198195**
**(Formerly Registered Charity Number 1170040)**
## **Objectives and Activities**
|||
|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes
of the charity as set out in
its governing document|Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) objective is to
promote the effectiveness of Blood Bike charities nationally and of
the charitable emergency logistics sector for the benefit of the
public by associating and representing Blood Bike charities in a
common effort to promote their charitable purposes. To represent
the collective objectives of its member groups in relation to national
organisations and associated issues.|
|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.|NABB seeks to provide a coherent strategy and to set operating
standards for member Blood Bike charities. Through NABB, the
member groups collectively agree minimum standards for
membership to help achieve a safe, efficient, and effective
operation alongside a high public profile. NABB reimburses member
groups for some of their outlay to achieve these standards and the
primary use of NABB’s income is to fund these reimbursements.
NABB also seeks national level publicity, and significantly also liaises
with national government and other professional bodies to raise
awareness of the Blood Bike charity industry and to ensure that they
understand our operational needs when defining and implementing
policies.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|The Trustees confirm that they are aware of, and act with regard to,
the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.|
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Additional information**
|Policy on grant making|The charity does not make grants per se, but may act as a conduit
for funds intended for local groups where the donating organisation
is restricted to dealing with national organisations.|
|---|---|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|The charity does not undertake any social investments or
programme related investment.|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|All Blood Bike groups consist entirely of volunteers. This is also true
of NABB itself where the committee, are all unpaid volunteers.|
## **Achievements and Performance**
|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.|NABB’s overall objectives are:
● aid the formation of new Blood Bike groups
● agree a minimum operating standard for all members
● raise awareness/sponsorship for the benefit of all NABB
members.
● act as a collective voice on behalf of its members with
regard to national organisations and issues
The service provided by the member groups, primarily using
motorcycles, provides a ‘medical essentials’ courier service to NHS
hospitals, other NHS health institutions and the majority of the Air
Ambulance charities across the country.
A consequence of the Covid pandemic has resulted in several of the
member groups continuing their expanded operating window from
what was previously provided on an ‘out of hours’ basis to 24x7x7 in
some areas. The service is still provided free of charge.|
|---|---|
|||
|Achievements against
objectives set|These objectives are largely strategic in nature and approved in 2020
and carried forward subsequently
**1. Promoting the activities of Blood Bike Groups to the NHS and**
**the public:**
a. The social media campaign continues through the use of both a
revised Facebook presence and Twitter;
b. The National Blood Bike Awareness Day took place as in the
previous five years in August with national and local regional
focussed publicity.|
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
||**2. Supporting the Blood Bike Groups in providing a professional,**
**rapid response, medical transport service to the NHS:**
Meetings continued with senior managers from NHSBT and local
contact details were again shared with member groups to enable
improved liaison away from the centre.
**3. Pursuing parity with other front line emergency services in terms**
**of legislative support and national recognition:**
NABB continues to engage with national regulatory organisations to
raise awareness of blood bikes and opportunities for parity.
**4. Promoting the adherence by Blood Bike Groups to standards set**
**by health and transport regulatory bodies and relevant legislation:**
During the year the Standards were kept under continual review and
were amended in order to meet the needs of member groups.|
|---|---|
|Performance of
fundraising activities
against objectives set|During 2024-25 the objective to maintain the surplus achieved in the
prior year was achieved.|
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## **NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Financial Review**
|Review of the
charity’s financial
position at the end of
the period|The accounts of the charity show a surplus for the year to 31 March 2025
of £31,775 (2024 – surplus £28060) and the reserves at the accounting
date are £86,609 (2024 - £54834).
PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF FUNDING
Principal sources of funding are derived from corporate donations and
the general public through both annual planned giving schemes together
with sponsorship activities, donations, grants and legacies.
STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE
In so far as the trustees are aware:
a) there is no relevant information of which the charity’s independent
examiners are unaware, and
b) they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as trustees
in order to make themselves aware of any relevant information
and to establish that the charity’s independent examiners are aware
of that information.|
|---|---|
|Statement explaining
the policy for holding
reserves stating why
they are held|At 31 March 2025 the combined reserves totalled £86,609 (2024 -
£54,834).
The value held is considered sufficient:
●
To support Public Liability insurance coverage for our groups as they
come due at the start of the financial year,
●
to cover the potential costs of gaining “type approval” for the
modifications needed to be carried out to the various motorcycles
used by local groups to make them fit for purpose and meet their
requirements,
●
to provide seed money for attending exhibitions to promote Blood
Bikes.
●
For rebates to groups on NABB approved hi viz jackets|
|Amount of reserves
held|£86,609|
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Financial Review (Cont.)**
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds
(including any
fundraising)|The sources of funds raised are detailed in the accounts submitted. These
are principally donations from individuals and groups.|
|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including
any social investment
policy adopted|The funds of NABB are not sufficient to warrant an investment policy and
no social investment policy has been adopted.
Funds are banked and surplus day to day cash are deposited with Lloyds
Bank plc.|
|A description of the
principal risks facing
the charity|The principal risk is financial. As the number of Blood Bike groups has
grown (due to the NABB’s success in rolling out the concept to new areas)
the need for ongoing support has grown.
Fundraising is periodic and can vary over time. If the level of fundraising
is not maintained or increased then the support that can be given to
member groups (which account for the vast majority of expenditure) will
need to be reduced.|
|Other: Fundraising
Strategy|The fundraising strategy remains the same as in previous years, focussing
on ’Corporate’ or national opportunities. For example, NABB has been
chosen by several groups and individuals as their chosen charity. In
addition, the AA continue to offer full roadside recovery for around 430
NABB member groups’ vehicles, free of charge. This is the fourteenth
year in succession that NABB members have benefitted from this
generous sponsorship.|
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Type of governing
document|Constitution|
|---|---|
|How is the charity
constituted?|The charity is an incorporated CIO (1198195).|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions|Trustees are elected at the AGM by the representatives of the
member groups.
No person or body is entitled to appoint a Trustee or individual to
the committee.|
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|The charity has “Role Descriptions” for the Trustee positions on the
committee. Developing comprehensive but ‘to-the-point’
policies/procedures for the induction of Trustees is planned.|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|The charity’s Trustees/committee are elected by the member Blood
Bike groups. A number of other individual volunteers work to
support the committee in its activities.
The member groups now cover almost all of the UK, although not all
hospital Trusts/Boards are yet serviced within these areas.
A small number of Blood Bike groups are not members of NABB,
largely because they have been unable/unwilling to meet the
membership standards agreed.|
|Relationship with any
related parties|There are no related parties.
A number of businesses provide discounts on products to NABB
member groups and/or their individual members but they have no
influence on decision making.|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity
uses|NABB|
|Registered charity number|1198195|
|Charity’s principal address|33 Brockley Close
Little Stoke
Bristol
BS34 6HA|
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
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8|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for**
**whole year**|**Name of person (or body)**
**entitled to appoint trustee**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Tyron Robert Stevenson|Chair|Full year (to Nov 2024)|Election: By NABB
Member Groups|
||Alex Chalmers|Chair|From 23rdFeb 2025|As Above|
||Melanie Rowbottom|Secretary|Full Year|As Above|
|||T/Chair|From Dec 24 to Jan 25|Trustees|
||Peter Hession|Treasurer|Full year
(to 31stDec 2024)|Election: By NABB
Member Groups|
||Johnathan Wootton|Treasurer|From 1stJan 2025|As Above|
||Tyron Raymond Stevenson||Full Year|As Above|
||Nathan Warren||Full year to 23rdFeb
2025|As Above|
||Aiden Thomas|Publicity|Full year|As Above|
## **Declarations:-**
> **Signature(s)** _M J Rowbottom_ **Full name(s)** Alex Chalmers Johnathan Wootton Melanie Rowbottom **Positions(s)** Chair Treasurer Secretary **Date(s)** 28[th] January 2026 28[th] January 2026 28[th] January 2026
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Statement of Trustees Responsibilities**
## **Statement of Trustees Responsibilities For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare the financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently,
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP,
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,
- State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements,
- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Signed on behalf of the trustees
**Alex Chalmers Chair** 28[th] January 2025
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**NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of NABB Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes**
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31[st] March 2025, which are set out on page 12.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
As the trustees of NABB, 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 NABB’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.
## **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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
David O’Keeffe, FCA 16 St Andrews Close Crowthorne RG45 6UP
25 November 2025
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NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES
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Statement of Financial Artivities
NATIONWIDE ASSOCIATION OF BLOOD BIKES
CIO REGISTERED CHARITY 1198195
Accounts for the
ear ended 202&03.31
2025
2024
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS
RECEIPTS
Voluntary receipts
43.287
37,862
Investment drvidendsfinterest
732
413
Other receipts
1,986
TOTAL RECEIPTS
44.677
40,261
PAYMEKrs
Costs ol charitsble aclivitss
8.748
5,415
Supwjrt (x)sts
5,252
Govemance costs
972
Other costs
59)
562
TOTAL PAYMENTS
12.902
12,201
NET RECEIPTS {PAYMENTSI
31.775
28,060
Totsl frjnds lasl period
26,774
TOTAL FUNDS
86.609
54,834
ASSEfs AND UABILMES
Cash at bank
86.609
54,834
Totsl Fund•
54,834
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