2024-12-31-accounts - The British Red Cross Society

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Annual report and accounts 2024

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Foreword Welcome Liz Padmore, Chair Béatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO 3 4

----- Start of picture text -----
Who we are
5
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Our work in 2024
6
----- End of picture text -----

Photo © Claudia Janke/British Red Cross

----- Start of picture text -----
Words from
our supporters
8
----- End of picture text -----

Our work in 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Disasters and Health and
care
emergencies
9 15
----- End of picture text -----

Our strategy for 2030 Finance review Photo © Palestine Red Crescent 40 41

Governance information

Auditor’s report

----- Start of picture text -----
47 Photo © Gary Calton/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Photo © Artur Tixiliski/British Red Cross

----- Start of picture text -----
Displacement
and migration
21
----- End of picture text -----

Charities Act statement

Photo © Finlay Ethrington/British Red Cross

Accounts

Our work across Our work to ensure we the world are here for humanity 27 34

Safeguarding Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross 45

Risks

Get involved 74

Thank you

Photo © Anna Gordon/British Red Cross

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Foreword Liz Padmore, Chair

Photo © Rob Pinney/British Red Cross

We demonstrated our unique value once again in 2024, as together we provided hope to those in crisis in the UK and across the world.

It is clear we are needed now more than ever. The world around us is changing – and quickly. The impacts of climate change are wreaking havoc, continued armed conflicts are causing untold suffering, and record numbers of people are being displaced.

We worked with our sister Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies across the world last year, and our partners in the UK, to get support to people impacted by crises.

Here in the UK, our emergency response, refugee support and health and care services were in high demand once more. Our teams worked tirelessly to get help to those who needed it and made a real difference to people’s lives across the country.

Our UK emergency response teams once again supported communities through devastating winter storms. They helped people in rest centres, made door-to-door checks and ensured people received advice and support. We want to help communities prepare for crisis so they can respond and recover as effectively as possible. Our community education work helped over 3.4 million people last year to learn vital new life skills such as first aid, how to build resilience and how to think and act as humanitarians.

It is a great honour that last year His Majesty King Charles III chose to succeed his mother, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as our Patron. His Majesty has been an active supporter of the Red Cross for many years and served as our President between 2003 and 2024. His son, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, visited our UK headquarters last year to discuss the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. I am very grateful that the Royal Family has chosen to continue their long and proud tradition of supporting our work.

I spent time with our teams in various parts of the UK last year. In Glasgow and Somerset, I met the dedicated teams who drive people to medical appointments. They provide invaluable practical support to families dealing with very difficult circumstances.

We won two awards for our innovative health and care projects. Our work to support people who are homeless following treatment in hospital was recognised by the Royal Society for Public Health. And our project to support people who frequently use ambulance services to access emergency healthcare received an award at the Advancing Healthcare Awards Northern Ireland.

In August, I visited our destitution centre in Hackney with Kate Forbes, the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. We met our teams who provide advice, casework support and practical help to refugees and people seeking asylum. As the largest independent provider of services of this kind in the UK, we supported more than 43,600 refugees and people seeking asylum last year.

Our committed international family tracing team helped over 7,600 people to try to find loved ones, and our family reunion team physically reunited 290 families last year in the UK. I was very proud when a member of this team, Albino Okello, received the Movement’s first ever Family Links medal for his work to trace and reunite families. Incredibly, over the 33 years he has worked with us, he has found and reunited more than 1,450 people.

It is people like Albino who are at the heart of our organisation. Our volunteers and staff provide a lifeline to those in crisis every day. Meeting some of them at our National Volunteer Convention in Manchester, I was struck by their remarkable selflessness and generosity.

I am delighted we have now reinvigorated our volunteering offer by introducing new volunteering opportunities and more flexible positions to support more people to join us. We want to be the humanitarian charity of choice for volunteering in the UK.

In October, I had the privilege of leading the British Red Cross delegation at the Movement’s international statutory meetings in Geneva. We met with our Movement partners and government representatives from around the world to address current humanitarian issues and reaffirm our collective responsibility to uphold international humanitarian law.

The resolutions adopted will help us continue our work to uphold the principles of the Geneva Conventions. 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of these universally ratified treaties. They are as important as ever in protecting those affected by armed conflict and in setting globally accepted humanitarian standards.

There were conflicts in more than 120 countries in 2024, displacing millions of people from their homes. We worked with our Movement partners to get assistance and protection to as many people as possible at every stage of their journey.

I travelled to Romania in May to see our work to support Ukrainian refugees. It was humbling to witness first-hand our lifesaving efforts as a Movement to help those who have been displaced and lost so much.

We have a responsibility to those we help and to those who support us to be as effective and efficient as possible. Last year, we continued our work to reduce our costs. This involved a lot of change for our volunteers and staff, and I am very thankful for the professionalism they showed during this time. We further strengthened our financial resilience by increasing our reserves – the funds we set aside to protect us from unforeseen circumstances or future needs. We are now better positioned to continue our work to help those who need us most.

Over the year, the board also worked with our executive leadership team to refresh our ten-year strategy to introduce more focused goals and set a clear direction for the next five years. Our dedicated teams of volunteers and staff are now turning this exciting strategy into an operational reality.

I would like to thank the board, committee members and our executive leadership team for their support and dedication last year. I would also like to extend my thanks to our outgoing trustees, Deborah El-Sayed and our treasurer, Liz Hazell, who stood down after each serving eight years on the board. We have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from their invaluable expertise and commitment. We welcomed two new trustees last year, Mark Beddy and Carl Cowling. Mark will serve as the chair of our finance and audit committee. I very much look forward to working with them and all our trustees to deliver our ambitious, refreshed strategy.

On behalf of the board, and from me personally, I’d like to thank all our volunteers, our staff and our supporters. You made a real and positive difference to the lives of millions of people throughout the UK and across the world last year. Thank you.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Welcome Béatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO

Photo © Laura Lewis/British Red Cross

2024 was a significant year for the British Red Cross. Our teams of volunteers and staff worked tirelessly to support people both here in the UK and across the world.

2024 was also my first full year as chief executive. It is a role like no other, in an organisation like no other. For over 150 years, we’ve been there for people when a crisis strikes.

I witnessed this first-hand last year, as I visited our dedicated teams in all four UK nations and overseas. I am constantly inspired by what I see.

In Chad, I spent time near the border with Sudan, where two years of conflict have forced millions of people to flee. One of the first things people see when they arrive is the Red Cross Humanitarian Service Point. It provides immediate access to food, water, and information on the support available. We also offer longer-term support in the region, such as cash assistance, helping families as they rebuild their lives. As a Movement, we are investing in these innovative approaches so that people can make decisions about the assistance they need, with dignity and autonomy.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has continued to provide lifesaving support in Gaza and the wider region. I travelled to Israel and the West Bank and spoke with the staff and volunteers who do all they can to support people, despite unimaginable challenges. Since the escalation of this conflict, we have worked closely with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Magen David Adom in Israel, the Lebanese Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide urgent medical care and vital humanitarian aid.

For too long, families have been torn apart and the ICRC has also facilitated the release and transfer of hostages and detainees. The dedication and selflessness of colleagues from across the Movement has been truly remarkable.

In Ukraine, I saw the incredible work we are doing to support people enduring the third year of destruction and chaos in the region and to support the Ukrainian Red Cross Society’s critical humanitarian efforts. Our Movement has reached more than 22 million people in Ukraine and surrounding countries with humanitarian support.

This is the power of our global network, led by volunteers and staff who are at the very heart of the communities they serve. Our local-first approach means National Societies are often the first to respond to emergencies. And with their established presence they are able to continue to support communities even when access is restricted.

Last year, we saw more refugees and people seeking asylum in need of our help than ever before. Our UK refugee support teams worked hard to help people understand their rights and entitlements, and access legal and financial assistance. I was privileged to witness the heart-warming moment when our restoring family links service reunited a two-year-old boy with his family. It demonstrated to me the real, positive difference we make to the lives of others.

As an auxiliary to the UK government, we have a responsibility to use our position to influence decision makers and affect change for whole populations, elevating the voices of people in crisis. Last year, we continued calling for expanded access to family reunion and helped secure a key policy change making it easier for children to reunite with siblings in the UK.

As the UK continued to see an increase in extreme weather events, our dedicated crisis response teams were deployed to emergencies, such as floods, across all four nations on average three times a day, every day last year. We’re the only voluntary organisation to offer a UK wide 24/7 crisis response service 365 days a year.

Our call for governments and other agencies to better understand that some people may have higher vulnerability to disasters was reflected in the first official inquiry report into the Covid-19 pandemic. We want this understanding to be embedded into how the government plans and prepares for all future emergencies.

Our volunteers and staff were also there to help people better manage their health and wellbeing. We supported more than 76,200 people to live independently at home last year. And we worked with people to reduce their likelihood of attending accident and emergency departments repeatedly. This reduced emergency hospital admissions for the people we supported by 57%*.

Our continued focus will be to support people to manage their wellbeing through our long-standing community-based care, while advocating for investment into preventative health and care programmes.

I am incredibly proud of all the work we do to meet the needs of the growing number of people who need our support. It couldn’t be more important for us to ensure the continuation of our incredible organisation.

During the year, our work continued to ensure the organisation is in a sustainable financial position. We were transparent about the choices we had to make, which included restructuring teams and changes to volunteering roles.

This work also saw us update our mobility aids service to a new direct-toconsumer model that will provide vital help direct to front doors. It is a more cost-effective way to operate, and will ensure that anyone, anywhere can get a wheelchair when they need one.

The decisions were often difficult, but these changes will ensure our resources are focused on our core mission – to mobilise the power of humanity so that people can prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis.

We also refreshed our ten-year strategy – Strategy 2030 – at its halfway point, in response to the challenges we are seeing in the UK and around the world. This has sharpened our goals and our focus so we can achieve the greatest impact for those in crisis. The strategy will help us deliver vital humanitarian support and effective advocacy in the UK and overseas, while ensuring that we have the resources, talent, and efficient systems and processes to make a difference where we are most urgently needed.

We have placed greater emphasis on our work to build communities’ preparedness and resilience, to ensure our response is as local as possible, driven by the communities we serve, and to address the humanitarian impacts of climate change.

We are also prioritising our people. I want to make the British Red Cross the best possible place to work and volunteer, where people feel valued and happy. I am proud that we reached our ambition, last year, to pay our staff the Real Living Wage. We are committed to growing our Movement and continuing to develop a culture of equity, trust and active inclusivity.

Our refreshed strategy has given us a renewed purpose together, and everyone who partners or volunteers with us is at the heart of it.

I’d like to thank all our teams for their commitment, their kindness and their compassion. With every new challenge that comes our way, they continue to demonstrate the values and fundamental principles that guide us.

Together, we will ensure that we are here for humanity for as long as we are needed.

*Based on data for all our High Intensive Use services excluding those in London.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Who we are

The British Red Cross is here for humanity. Together, we help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis – bringing hope and life-changing support. Our teams work side by side with communities, listening to their needs and putting them first.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Jonathan Cherry/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

There’s no other movement like ours. We are part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, stretching across the UK and 190 other countries, ready to respond when the worst happens.

For over 100 years, our Royal Charter has formed the basis of how we work in the public interest.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Our vision is for a world where everyone gets the help they need in a crisis.

Our mission is to mobilise the power of humanity so that people can prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis.

Our Movement

The ICRC helps victims of armed conflict and internal crises, and co-ordinates the work of National Societies in these situations.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies around the world, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The IFRC co-ordinates international relief provided by National Societies for victims of natural disasters, and for refugees and displaced persons outside conflict zones.

Every National Society has a responsibility to help vulnerable people within its own borders, and to work in conjunction with the Movement to protect and support those in crisis worldwide.

We are guided by the seven fundamental principles of the Movement: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. These principles commit us to putting people first in everything we do.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our work in 2024

Our work in the UK

Disasters and Health emergencies and care

We work independently and with partners to help people receive the care and support they need in community-based settings.

From local to national – we help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis.

Displacement and migration

We help give dignity, safety and support to people who have been displaced, reconnect them with their loved ones and make sure their voices can be heard.

Our work across the world

Together with our National Society and Movement partners, we support people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from conflicts and disasters.

We work with our partners to help communities become more resilient in the face of climate threats.

We work with our Movement partners to strengthen international humanitarian law and humanitarian diplomacy.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

Our refreshed strategy

Our organisation

Our people

We refreshed our ten-year Strategy 2030 last year, in response to the immense challenges we are seeing both in the UK and across the world.

We are strengthening our movement of volunteers and building an equitable culture where people feel valued.

We are strengthening our relationships with our supporters, maximising our income, streamlining our behind-thescenes processes, and reducing our carbon footprint.

Strategy 2030

Here for humanity

View our refreshed Strategy 2030

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Together, we raised an incredible £287.1 million in 2024

Thank you to everyone who volunteered with us, fundraised, donated to our appeals, gave regularly, used our shops, or left us a gift in their will. Together, we were able to support those most in need in the UK and overseas.

These are the charitable activities we spent money on in 2024:

----- Start of picture text -----
Disasters and
emergencies
£34.0 million
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Disasters and emergencies
Health and care
Displacement and migration
Our work across the world
Our work across
Health and care
the world
£58.6 million
£116.6 million
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Displacement and
migration
£28.8 million
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
View our full financial information
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
7
Total Total
£330.6 million £287.1 million
350
300 Emergency appeals Emergency appeals
£85.9 million £25.7 million
250
200
150
Income Income
£244.7 million £261.4 million
100
50
0
2023 2024
emergencies Disasters and
----- End of picture text -----

Your generosity supported people in crisis last year

2024 saw fewer emergencies make the headlines compared to the previous year, but you were still there for people in crisis.

Throughout 2024, you supported our appeals to:

----- Start of picture text -----
Help those caught up
in the conflict in Yemen
Help people living through the Support the recovery
Photo © ICRC/British Red Cross
ongoing conflict and humanitarian in Afghanistan after
crisis in Gaza and the wider region. the 2023 earthquakes
Photo © Palestine Red Crescent Photo © Meer Abdullah Rasikh/IFRC
Photo © Syrian Arab Red Crescent
Support people caught up in Support people living through Support our
the severe food crisis in Africa UK work
ongoing conflict in Ukraine
Photo © Ukrainian Red Cross Society Photo © Annalisa Ausilio/IFRC Photo © Fabio De Paola/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Support people living through the humanitarian crisis in Syria Photo © Syrian Arab Red Crescent Support our UK work

Get help to people as quickly as possible when crisis hits

Our Disaster Fund enables us to get help to people impacted by emergencies that aren’t making headlines. Last year, the fund meant we could respond to:

Hurricane Beryl in Grenada, Cyclone Remal in St Vincent and the Bangladesh, West Bengal Grenadines, Jamaica and and India the Cayman Islands Flooding in Bangladesh

----- Start of picture text -----
The El Niño floods
in Kenya
----- End of picture text -----

People being displaced in Sudan and Chad

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Your words on why you support us

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Gary Calton/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

“ Red Cross do really important recovery work with some of the world’s most vulnerable and displaced people.”

These are some of the reasons you gave us for donating to our appeals in 2024

“ The Red Cross helped me obtain a wheelchair for my father when I couldn’t get one from anywhere else.”

“ I have had a good few years relying on our NHS and the work that the British Red Cross does is very important in supporting our medical system.”

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Lebanese Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

“ The Red Cross does good work all over the world and is trusted. The Red Cross helped my father, a displaced person, contact his family after the Second World War.”

“ The work of Red Cross / Red Crescent is vitally important across the globe. It represents an honest humanitarian approach to relief and support which appears to be ever more necessary.”

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

“ The British Red Cross do so much good work in the UK and internationally. They don’t take sides and just help people who need help.”

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Claudia Janke/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

“ In the past, the British Red Cross helped me with my immigration matters and also with food parcels. Because of their support I am here and living with my daughter happily. Thank you.”

Thank you.” “ I think it is incredibly important that there is a neutral humanitarian organisation that can respond to natural disasters, and to the needs of people in conflict zones around the world.” PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

Disasters and emergencies Our UK crisis response and community resilience work

British Red Cross emergency response volunteers undertake welfare checks after a gas outage in Leicester.

From local to national – we help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis.

Photo © Anna Gordon/British Red Cross

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

How we performed against our objectives in 2024

We spent £34.0 million

Supporting people and communities

Influencing change

Objectives for 2024

We will strengthen our response to emergencies and support the growing number of people affected by the climate crisis, the rising cost of living and those who have fled from conflict.

We will expand the capability of communities to respond to emergencies through building a UK humanitarian educator movement.

View our full objectives

Objectives for 2024

We will work with the government to advocate for those impacted by climate change, support climate adaptation where possible and help to respond when people are at risk.

View our full objectives

We called on UK governments to increase investment in adaptation for flooding, and target this effectively to people who need it most.

Our call to better understand people’s vulnerabilities to disasters was and embed this into planning reflected in the inquiry report into the Covid-19 pandemic.

We supported more than 10,800 people through flooding, house fires and accidents.

Photo © Jonathan Cherry/British Red Cross

Our humanitarian education reached 3.4 million people in the UK.

Our community education workshops were rated very good or good by 96% of people.*

Photo © Anna Gordon/ British Red Cross

Our calls to better identify those vulnerable to flooding and give more consideration to its impact on mental health were included in the third Scottish National Adaptation Plan.

Photo © Peter Summers/ British Red Cross

*Feedback forms from 4,158 people in 2024.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

Supporting people and communities

Enabling communities to prepare

Community preparedness Our community education work helped over 3.4 million people last year to learn vital new life skills. We taught children, young people and adults first aid, how to build resilience and how to think and act as humanitarians.

Supporting teachers to create a movement of young humanitarians

Matt, a community education volunteer, said: “The high so far for me is seeing that spark in somebody’s eye when you can see that they’ve just secretly told themselves ‘I can do that’. And it is just really, really rewarding.”

Our online teaching resources were downloaded more than 42,000 times last year.

These are designed to support educators to deliver engaging lessons on first aid, resilience and humanitarian values.

We are developing a Humanitarian Education Programme to help educators foster more resilient communities. They will teach about areas such as humanitarian values, international humanitarian law and climate adaptation.

A youth education workshop delivered Photo © Joanna Shaw/ in Birmingham, England. British Red Cross

More than 130,000 people took part in our free in-person and virtual education workshops.

Building empathy and tackling entrenched views We ran seminars throughout the year for youth workers and teachers on how to handle difficult conversations when young people express very entrenched views. Our fundamental principle of neutrality makes us uniquely placed to support educators to impartially and neutrally discuss difficult topics.

Building community connections We ran over 100 Supporting Connections workshops last year. They are designed for people working in the community with adults who might experience loneliness.

First Aid Champions website

Our ever-popular First Aid Champions website was used by 63,300 people last year. The free, easy-to-use resources support people to learn lifesaving skills.

A Supporting Connections workshop for adults.

First aid training

More than 100,000 people attended our in-person Red Cross Training workplace first aid courses last year.

This is one of our social enterprise initiatives that makes a profit from our work.

Photo © Mark Bretton

More than 85,000 people provided feedback in 2024. 96% rated our training as excellent or good and 88% said they would recommend us.

Mark, pictured above, was able to help a man choking, having recently completed our first aid at work requalification course.

Our Red Cross Training courses received a Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5 (excellent) based on more than 5,300 reviews.

We expanded our in-person and online courses last year to support positive mental health in the workplace, help people deal with work-related stress and build team resilience.

Mark said, “I placed my hands around their waist and pulled inwards and upwards above their belly button five times. I was quite proud that I could help and pleased that I had completed a first aid training course.”

*Feedback forms from 4,158 people in 2024.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

Supporting people and communities Enabling communities to respond

We supported communities to respond, on average, three times a day, every day to crises last year. We’re the only voluntary organisation to offer a UK wide 24/7 crisis response service 365 days a year. Our teams supported people impacted by emergencies all over the UK.

We distributed 50 SIM cards
to asylum seekers
We supported homeless people at rest
centres during severe weather
We provided practical and emotional
support at a road traffc collision
We helped a family following a
domestic fre
We supported West Midlands Police
by providing emergency food to someone
in need
We made a welfare call following a
domestic food
We provided emotional and practical
support following a domestic fre
Birmingham
London
Belfast
Grimsby
Wolverhampton
Nottingham
Bristol
Our responses during just one week of 2024
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Our Crisis Hub and National Support Line took over 7,800 calls from the public during 2024.

Lebanon evacuation support We helped support almost 500 British nationals arriving from Lebanon on Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Our Office (FCDO) chartered flights. volunteers were deployed at Birmingham Airport in October to work in partnership with REACT, St John Ambulance, local authorities and police teams. We provided practical and emotional support and SIM cards, and put people in touch with relevant support, such as Lebanese community groups and our own services.

Crisis Hub

We launched our Crisis Hub in September. The service operates an incident-management line to support the deployment of our volunteer teams to emergencies across the UK. It also runs a dedicated public line (formerly our National Support Line) to support those in crisis who are not having their needs met.

Our convening and partnering role We worked alongside our partners in the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership throughout 2024 to ensure people in crisis received localised and personalised support that met their specific needs.

We co-founded the VCS Emergencies Partnership in 2018. It now comprises over 300 organisations from the voluntary and community sector, local and national government, and academia.

----- Start of picture text -----
Thanks to you
----- End of picture text -----

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport partnered with us again last year to support our work with the VCS Emergencies Partnership, helping improve our emergency preparedness and response work. They also helped us explore the impact of the 2024 riots on communities, so we could better understand how to build resilience against future emergencies of this kind.

British Red Cross volunteers clear up after Storm Henk.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Fabio De Paola/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

Supporting people and communities

Enabling communities to respond

UK climate and weather emergencies Climate and weather emergencies in the UK, such as floods, heatwaves and wildfires, are generally becoming more frequent and more devastating. Storms Bert, Henk and Darragh caused significant disruption last year. Our teams worked with communities to help them prepare, respond and recover.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Fabio De Paola/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Storm Henk

Storm Henk hit the UK in January, bringing strong winds and heavy rain across the country. The Met Office warned of travel disruption, power outages, flooding, damage to buildings, injuries and danger to life. British Red Cross emergency response volunteers Helen and Nicole (pictured above) supported people affected by flooding in Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Nicole said: “It was nice to see the impact we had on people.”

British Red Cross emergency response volunteers support people affected by the flooding in Wales.

Accessing remote communities

Remote communities can be hard to access during storms, particularly when major roads are closed. A good local knowledge of the area helps our teams reach communities and respond quickly. Susan and David, pictured, consult detailed maps before heading out to communities affected by storms in Aberdeenshire.

Storm Bert

Storm Bert battered the UK in November, bringing with it heavy rain, snow and strong winds, resulting in widespread flooding. In Wales, Northern Ireland and England we helped people at rest centres and made door to-door checks to ensure those most at risk were supported.

Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross

Storm Darragh

Storm Darragh arrived in December and caused disruption across Northern Ireland, Wales and southwest England. Over seven days, we supported 85 people affected by power outages. We worked with power companies and local authorities to ensure those highly dependent on gas or electricity, for instance people with specific medical or caring needs, were identified and provided with appropriate support.

Thanks to you

2024 marked the 70th anniversary of the partnership between the British Red Cross and Defender, making it one of the longest charity partnerships in the world. Since 1954, the partnership has helped over 2 million people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis in the UK and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Thanks to Defender’s ongoing support, our teams have been equipped with the resources and vehicles they need to help communities facing disasters and emergencies. Photo © British Red Cross

A Defender on loan to the British Red Cross in Northern Ireland.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Disasters and emergencies

Influencing change

Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross

We used our insights to speak up for change to improve the lives of people in crisis.

Calling for a better understanding of people’s vulnerabilities to disasters

The first official inquiry report into the UK’s preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic quoted our evidence. It also supported our call for governments and other agencies to better understand that some people are more vulnerable to disasters due to characteristics such as age, gender, race or disabilities.

We want this understanding to be embedded into how the government prepares for future emergencies.

----- Start of picture text -----
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Module 1:
The resilience
and preparedness
of the United Kingdom
A report by The Rt Hon the Baroness Hallett DBE
Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry
July 2024
HC 18
----- End of picture text -----

Calling for greater consideration of the mental health impacts of flooding

The third Scottish Adaptation Plan was released in September. The plan sets out the actions that the Scottish Government and partners will take to respond to the impacts of climate change. Several of our proposals were reflected in the findings, including improving understanding of who is more vulnerable to flooding, greater consideration of the mental health impact of flooding, and the need for more public education on the risks of severe weather.

Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024 – 2029 Actions today, for a climate resilient future.

Raising awareness of perceptions of flood risk in the UK

We published research in December into the public’s awareness of flooding risk in the UK.

Vulnerability and Resilience: Public awareness and perceptions of food risk in the UK found that a majority of people in the UK believe flooding is getting worse, but less than half think their community is prepared. A worrying 41% of people said they would not know what to do if their home started flooding. The report called on UK governments to increase investment in adaptation to flooding and target this effectively towards the communities and households who need it most.

----- Start of picture text -----
Download
----- End of picture text -----

Advocating for the needs of those most at risk

We emphasised the importance of ensuring communities who are disproportionately impacted by emergencies were supported as a result of the Cabinet Office Resilience Review. We worked with our partners in the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership to highlight gaps in existing resilience frameworks.

Our work in this area also contributed to a new Cabinet Office commitment to develop a tool to determine people’s vulnerability to risk and we updated local guidance that will help governments, local authorities and other agencies identify and support people who are more at risk during an emergency.

Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

Health and care Our work to support UK health and care

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

How we performed against our objectives in 2024

We spent £58.6 million

Supporting people and communities

Influencing change

Objectives for 2024

We will continue to deliver individualised support that enables people to achieve their core goals – from helping people transition after an acute illness to providing in-depth outreach to the most vulnerable people in communities.

View our full objectives

We supported 76,200 people to live independently at home, including 44,600 people who we resettled safely in their home after a stay in hospital.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Artur Tixiliski/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

75% of people we supported though our support at home services in 2024 reported an improved quality of life.*

We supported over 1,300 people through our high intensity use services, helping them improve their wellbeing.

Objectives for 2024

We will aim to increase awareness of and address inequalities in access to health and social care that we see every day.

View our full objectives

We worked closely with NHS England to ensure that new national guidance includes clear steps on how virtual ward programmes should meet holistic care needs. We launched our Seen and Heard report

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

We launched our Delivering with Dignity report with its framework of good practice for improving access to health services for people seeking asylum.

examining frequent attendance at accident and emergency departments. We identified how improvements can be made to help people protect their health and wellbeing before it becomes an emergency.

*Source: 347 people with needs and outcome measures supported by Support at Home services implementing the new Health Outcomes Framework from 01/04/2024 to 31/12/2024.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

Our patient transport service Our patient transport services help people with health conditions or mobility issues access non-emergency appointments and return home following treatment reliably and safely. We help reduce costly delays and ‘did not attend’ appointment rates, saving valuable resources for the NHS. We make sure people feel well supported and remove the anxiety of having to get to and from appointments.

Our A&E support teams Last year, our teams helped ensure that vital clinical resources reached those most in need. They addressed practical needs, such as providing blankets and pillows, and food and drink. They also offered emotional support to patients and their families.

Supporting people and communities

Enabling people to better manage their wellbeing in hospital

Supporting people in hospital and meeting patients’ transport needs.

Our patient transport teams made more than 19,000 journeys last year.

British Red Cross staff and volunteers, Newport, Wales.

Our teams supported people in hospital last year, making their stay more comfortable and relieving pressure on staff. We also supported people to return home after medical treatment and to access non-emergency appointments.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Artur Tixiliski/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Lottie, Deputy Team Leader for the British Red Cross A&E support team, with patient Diane at Glangwili Hospital, Wales. Lottie’s team provide practical and emotional support to patients and relatives as well as NHS staff – helping to free up time for nurses and doctors to focus on people’s clinical needs. A key pillar of the team’s work is assisting hospital discharges. They take people home and make sure their living space is safe and they are supported so they avoid unnecessary readmission to hospital. Lottie said: “I think if you can make that little difference, it can have a huge impact.”

David is recently retired and works as a part-time ambulance driver for the British Red Cross patient transport service in Northern Ireland. The service helps transport patients to and from hospital, nursing homes or their own homes. David says: “I think what keeps me interested in this role is a feeling of usefulness. It’s the feeling that you’re actually doing something which contributes to the community that you live in. That you actually are being useful and helping people. I think that’s a huge part of what the Red Cross is.”

Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

Supporting people and communities

High intensity use programme

Enabling people to better manage their wellbeing at home

Our high intensity use programme supported people who had accessed urgent care services more than expected. We worked with them to improve their long-term health outcomes and relieve pressure on the system.

We worked with people last year to help them find the resources and support in their community to improve their wellbeing.

89% of people supported by our high intensity use services improved their ability to manage their own health.*

Northern Ireland Interact project

----- Start of picture text -----
Worse 8%
Same 3%
Improved 89%
89%
Improved 89%
Same 3%
Worse 8%
----- End of picture text -----

Our project to support people who frequently use ambulance services to access emergency healthcare was recognised last year at the Advancing Healthcare Awards Northern Ireland. It won the Partnership Working in Public Health Award.

We worked in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and NHS charities to address the needs of adults who required emergency care five or more times within a 30-day period.

The project helps to support better health outcomes and significantly reduces people’s reliance on emergency and primary care services. An independent report estimated it led to annual savings of £1.9 million.

----- Start of picture text -----
Supplies at a food bank. Photo © KeithMorris/networknorfolk.co.uk
----- End of picture text -----

Supporting people using food banks

Our pilot project with Trussell (previously known as the Trussell Trust) and the Norfolk foodbank to tackle the underlying causes of food poverty was extended last year to food banks in Hunstanton and Ramsey. We helped people access benefits, provided information on rights and entitlements, and connected them to other relevant sources of support.

We increased the number of people not needing further foodbank support.***

Our hospital discharge work

We ensured people were discharged safely and helped them regain their independence at home after a hospital stay.

Supporting people who are homeless when leaving hospital

Last year, our work to support people who are homeless following treatment in hospital in Lambeth and Southwark was recognised by the Royal Society for Public Health’s Health and Wellbeing Awards. The service won the Healthier Lives Award.

The service improves health and wellbeing outcomes, reduces the number of people being discharged to the street, removes practical and emotional barriers to a timely discharge from hospital, cuts the likelihood of readmissions, and saves the NHS money.

Professor Michelle Cornes, Visiting Professional Fellow at King’s College London, found the service saves the NHS £10,000 for every 20 patients seen.

Our home from hospital work

The project is part of our work to try out new and innovative approaches to help people regain their independence at home after a hospital stay.

Last year saw our pilot Discharge to Assess project in Dundee awarded a full contract following a successful test period. The test saw a significant reduction in the need for care home places among the people we supported.

The service supports independent recovery. It reduces the likelihood of hospital readmission and the reliance on residential care.

Play video

----- Start of picture text -----
Video © British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

75% of people we supported were able to remain at home and avoid an unnecessary admission to a care home.**

Source: 331 people with needs and outcome measures supported by High Intensity Use services from 01/01/2024 and 31/12/2024. Source: 140 people supported by our Discharge to Assess service in Dundee from April 2023 to July 2024. **Based on initial findings from those we supported.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

Video © British Red Cross

Supporting people and communities

Enabling people to better manage their wellbeing at home

Hospital at Home service

Helping people to live independently at home Our teams helped people live at home and maintain their independence by providing care and support, and delivering mobility aids and community equipment.

Jayne said: “If that was my mum or dad, I would want them to go home because people do recover much quicker in their own home. They’re sleeping in their own bed. They’ve got their friends and family around them, their pets. They can eat when they want, watch the TV when they want, they can choose when they sleep.”

Jayne provides a Hospital at Home service for David, in Cumbria (pictured below). Our Hospital at Home service (formally Virtual Wards) enabled patients to receive hospital-level care at home. We supported people while NHS clinicians provided treatment. The service with the NHS in north Cumbria helped to speed up recovery times and freed up hospital beds for patients most in need.

A still from our wheelchair unboxing video.

Our new home-delivery mobility aids service We made over 44,900 wheelchairs and other pieces of mobility equipment available. Last year we reviewed our mobility aids service and moved to a new direct-to-consumer home delivery model. This new service means that many more people across the UK will be able to hire a wheelchair, delivered direct to their door. They will no longer have to travel to one of our locations to hire one. The new service will also be more cost-effective and help our resources to go further.

Thanks to you

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Professor Geeta Nargund supported our work last year with Sir Michael Marmot and UCL to map out health inequalities across the UK. We will be completing and disseminating this work in 2025.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Health and care

Influencing change

Understanding why people frequently attend A&E departments

We published a report that examined why people frequently seek support from A&E. We used data from emergency departments in Dorset spanning five years.

People who attended A&E more than five times a year tended to live in deprived neighbourhoods. The report showed that when people have social, emotional and practical needs that aren’t being met they turn to A&E departments looking for help.

We outlined recommendations for national policy makers in England, which gained extensive media coverage and were very well received by partners. We want to see improved access to high intensity use services and strengthened community services to help people improve their health and wellbeing before getting to this point.

----- Start of picture text -----
1 Seen and heard: Understanding frequent attendance at A&E
Understanding frequent attendance at A&E
An analysis of linked data in Dorset
#FindingASafeHomerequentAttendance
@RedCrossPolicy Download
----- End of picture text -----

Influencing NHS England’s Hospital at Home/Virtual Wards programme

Virtual Wards (also known as Hospital at Home) allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar environments.

We used our operational insight and experience to influence NHS England’s new guidance for their Virtual Ward programme. We worked closely with the NHS England team while they drafted the guidance to help ensure our recommendations were included.

We presented our work on Virtual Wards to a group of people from NHS England, including over 140 people who work on NHS Virtual Wards. This led to numerous requests for more information about our insight into this area and our service offer more generally.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Improving access to healthcare for migrants and people seeking asylum

We launched our Delivering with Dignity report and our framework of good practice to ensure that people seeking asylum receive the healthcare they are entitled to. The report was covered by media including the Guardian, the Health Service Journal and the Nursing Times. Our framework is now being used by both the Home Office and NHS to improve access to healthcare for people seeking asylum.

We also launched a report Refugees and people seeking asylum’s access to GP services in Northern Ireland. It identified a number of barriers that can restrict refugees and people seeking asylum’s access to GP services in Northern Ireland. These include a lack of accessible information, and difficulties booking appointments and overcoming language barriers.

We have already had some promising responses to our recommendations and look forward to working with decision makers to implement them.

----- Start of picture text -----
Download
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Policy Brief: refugees and people
seeking asylum’s access to GP
services in Northern Ireland
August 2024
Share this report using
#AccesstoGPServices
Contents
Executive summary...................................... 2
Introduction ................................................. 5
Research methodology ................................ 6
1. Policy landscape ...................................... 7
2. Findings ................................................. 103. Conclusion and recommendations ........ 16
3. Conclusion and recommendations ........ 16
Acknowledgements ................................... 18
References ................................................ 19
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Delivering
with dignity
A framework for strengthening commissioning and
provision of healthcare services for people seeking asylum
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Contents
Executive summary...................................... 2
Introduction ................................................. 5
Research methodology ................................ 6
1. Policy landscape ...................................... 7
#Deliveringwithdignity 2. Findings ................................................. 103. Conclusion and recommendations ........ 16
@RedCrossPolicy Acknowledgements ................................... 18
References ................................................ 19
----- End of picture text -----

Influencing the future of the NHS in England

We took part in Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England, commissioned by the government. Our insights and recommendations were reflected in his report, which examined patient access to healthcare, the quality of healthcare being provided and the overall performance of the health system.

Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England

The Rt Hon. Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham OM KBE FRS FMedSci HonFREng

----- Start of picture text -----
September 2024
----- End of picture text -----

Discharge independence checks

Last year, NHS Wales amended its discharge guidance to request posters prompting independence checks are displayed in wards. We have long recommended hospitals introduce independence checks prior to discharge or within 72 hours of a patient going home.

The checks will help ensure that patients have a suitable, safe home environment to return to, an appropriate support network and help if needed.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

Displacement and migration

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

How we performed against our objectives in 2024 We spent £28.8 million

Supporting people and communities

Influencing change

Objectives for 2024

We will support people who have been displaced to live in safety and dignity, concentrating on people who are most at risk, unable to access statutory support or safe accommodation, or separated from family and loved ones.

View our full objectives

Our refugee services . helped 43,600 people

Photo © Abdal Ali/ British Red Cross

78% of people supported by our refugee services teams last year said we helped them meet their basic needs, such as food.*

We supported more than 14,000 people experiencing destitution.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Claudia Janke/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

We reunited 290 families and helped 7,600 people look for, find or keep in touch with loved ones.

Objectives for 2024

We will amplify and value the voices of people with lived experience of migration, and act on their words to improve our support to rebuild people’s lives.

View our full objectives

We secured a key policy change, making it easier for children to reunite with siblings in the UK.

We achieved our advocacy ask to reinstate access to the asylum system. This effectively reversed the Illegal Migration Act, and allowed people’s asylum claims to be considered.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Nina Raingold/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

After months of advocacy, alongside our partners, for Ukrainians to be given greater certainty about their immigration status, the government announced that Ukrainians could apply for an 18-month extension to their visas.

Photo © Claudia Janke/ British Red Cross

*Source: 517 people surveyed in 2024 who were supported by refugee services from Apr 2023 - Mar 2024.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

Supporting people and communities

Restoring safety and dignity for people who are displaced

UK refugee support Our teams provided vital support to more than 43,600 people last year, including over 700 unaccompanied children. This was a record for us. We undertook more than 291,000 different actions to help people understand their rights and entitlements, access legal and financial support, and find safe housing, education, healthcare and community.

August riots

We supported people across the UK impacted by the riots, including those who were evacuated and moved to alternative accommodation. Our teams across the country heard from people who felt anxious and worried about their families.

Thanks to you

The Welsh Government, Moondance Foundation, Swire Charitable Trust and Jane Thompson helped us support refugees and displaced people at every stage of their journey last year, both here in the UK and across the world.

Our VOICES network

Last year, our VOICES network successfully advocated for free bus travel for people seeking asylum in Scotland. And four of our VOICES ambassadors received Nation of Sanctuary Awards for their long commitment to the network.

Our VOICES network is a group of more than 100 people across the UK with lived experience of migration and displacement. Last year, they contributed to more than 800 projects to change minds, policy and practice. They worked with us, as well as our partners, local authorities and governments, to ensure the voices and views of people with lived experience were recognised.

See more information about their work here.

----- Start of picture text -----
Through stormy nights, hunger
and fatigue, the birds made
their way to safety.
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Play video
----- End of picture text -----

An animation coproduced by our VOICES network to explore the concept of ‘home’ to mark World Refugee Day.

----- Start of picture text -----
Video © VOICES
----- End of picture text -----

Volunteering to support others Around half of our refugee support volunteers last year had lived experience of displacement or migration. This improves the effectiveness and impact our work has for the people we support. It enables us to build an inclusive culture that fosters a sense of community, contribution and belonging.

Volunteers gather for our Walk for Humanity event in Bristol.

Photo © Anna Gordon/British Red Cross

Footballers at the Muath Trust Centre football pitch in Birmingham.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

Supporting people and communities

Restoring safety and dignity for people who are displaced

Supporting people out of destitution We supported over 14,000 people experiencing destitution and provided £1.3 million in cash assistance to address immediate needs.

We also offered specialist casework to help people access rights, entitlements and essential services, connecting them to longer-term support.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Nipon Ravel/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

The Red Cross emblem displayed on the Hackney destitution centre in London.

Our work to prevent sexual and gender-based violence We provided trauma-informed casework to victims and survivors of gender-based violence last year. We partnered with specialists to support women in Birmingham with no recourse to public funds. In Glasgow, we provided specialised support to 509 women, including perinatal casework for those who were pregnant. And our genderbased violence project in London offered advice to professionals about asylum-seeking women suffering domestic abuse, including co-developing government standards for responding to disclosures.

Thanks to you

Vodafone donated 15,000 SIM cards to enable people in crisis to connect to vital services, their communities and loved ones.

70% of people supported by our refugee services teams last year said we helped them navigate an unsafe situation.*

Our anti-trafficking work Last year, we continued to offer our support and expertise to the Movement on anti-trafficking. We facilitated peer-to-peer learning exchanges among National Societies and provided face-to-face training for the Romanian and Hellenic Red Cross societies.

In the UK, we worked to ensure our involvement in anti-trafficking operations was safe and survivor-centred. And we helped to develop a framework to prioritise cases of the highest and most urgent need.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Daniel Mellor/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
emergencies Disasters and
and care Health
and migration Displacement
the world
Our work across
are here for humanity
Our work to ensure we
----- End of picture text -----

*Source: 345 people surveyed in 2024 who were supported by refugee services from Apr 2023 - Mar 2024

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

Supporting people and communities

73% of the 965 people our travel assistance programme helped get to the UK to be reunited with their relatives were children.

Restoring connection with loved ones for people who are displaced

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Suki Dhanda/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Restoring family links Our international family tracing team helped over 7,600 people try to find loved ones last year. Our family reunion team physically reunited 290 families in the UK. This included 109 children who travelled to the UK without any family members.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Claudia Janke/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Mussa back together with his wife and son Dad Mussa and Mum Om Salih (pictured above) spent an agonising year separated from each other and their newborn son, Salih, after they were each in turn forced to flee Sudan.

Abier reunited with her children

Abier (pictured left with one of her sons at Heathrow airport last year) was forced to flee Sudan without her children in 2020. The British Red Cross refugee support team in Bristol began working with her in 2021. We worked to help her settle in the UK and took steps to make sure her children could join her. The Family Reunion Travel Assistance team, in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration, arranged flights for Abier’s youngest children, Aseel and Monzir, to join her in 2022. Her older sons, Mazin and Khalid, were unable to come to the UK as they were both over the age of 18. In April 2023, the conflict escalated in Sudan, and Mazin and Khalid fled to Saudi Arabia after their home was destroyed. The Reunification Pathways for Integration project helped Abier apply for a visa for her two children. Mazin and Khalid were granted visas to the UK in December 2023. The Bristol refugee support team continue to support the family.

----- Start of picture text -----
Play video
----- End of picture text -----

Video © British Red Cross

Ali back with his wife and son

Ali and his family (featured in the video above) were reunited after seven years, thanks to the Red Cross international family tracing and refugee services in Leicester. They had not seen each other since Ali left Iraq in 2017. Unbeknown to Ali, his wife and son had arrived in Leicester in 2022. They had been living around three miles from him for two years before they were finally reunited.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Together again: Martha and her siblings Martha and her siblings (pictured left) were reunited after 13 years. Martha had fled South Sudan in 2013 and spent three years in a refugee camp in Kenya. The siblings are back together thanks to support from the Red Cross international family tracing and family reunion services.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Displacement and migration

Influencing change

Ukrainian Red Cross Society staff and volunteers provide food and other basic necessities in a subway station in Kyiv.

Reinstating access to the asylum system

We achieved our advocacy ask last year to reinstate access to the asylum system. This change effectively reversed the Illegal Migration Act, and allowed people’s asylum claims to be considered.

Last year, we raised awareness in parliament of the number of claims that had been withdrawn due to a change in government guidance. People whose asylum claims have been withdrawn are at increased risk of destitution and exploitation.

We will continue working with the government to improve asylum decision-making.

Improving the family reunion route

Last year, we continued calling for expanded access to family reunion, a key safe route. Through our role as co-chair of the Home Office engagement group on family reunion, we secured a key policy change, making it easier for children to reunite with siblings in the UK. We will ramp up our parliamentary work in this key focus area in 2025.

We also attended the United Nations Global Family Reunification Network summit in Istanbul last year. It brings together experts, academics and international organisations to share best practice on family reunion policy. We are part of a growing network of organisations driving forward impactful family reunion advocacy domestically and internationally.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Claudia Janke/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Extending the ‘move on period’

Last year saw some success for our long-term

campaign for the extension of the ‘move on period’. This is the timeframe given to people granted asylum to transition from living within the asylum system to independence. At present, this is just 28 days. The Home Office announced last year it would pilot an extension to 56 days, giving people longer to find accommodation, schools, healthcare, and other support. We are working with the Home Office to monitor the pilot and help ensure it reduces destitution among new refugees.

Better support for Ukrainians in the UK

We welcomed the government announcement that Ukrainians could apply to extend their visas by 18 months. This followed months of advocacy alongside our partners to make the case for Ukrainians to be given greater certainty about their immigration status. The scheme had originally granted people three years to remain, meaning the first visas were due to expire in March 2025. We would like Ukrainians to be given longer-term security. Many are still concerned about what the future holds as the conflict continues.

We reviewed the provision of accommodation to displaced Ukrainians in the UK and found that far too many people had experienced precarious housing and homelessness. Our report was covered in the Guardian newspaper and the government responded, stating it would “carefully consider the deeply concerning report and its findings”. Since then, we have welcomed the inclusion of ‘thank you’ payments for those hosting Ukrainians on the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme.

Finding a Safe Home:

What can we learn about solutions to refugee accommodation from the Ukraine response? #FindingASafeHome @RedCrossPolicy July 2024 Download

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our work across the world

Our work internationally to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

A Red Cross staff member at a camp for internally displaced people in Nigeria.

Together with our National Society Movement partners, we help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from conflicts and disasters, and become more resilient in the face of climate threats.

Photo © Taiwo Aina/British Red Cross

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

How we performed against our objectives in 2024 We spent £116.6 million

Objectives for 2024

We will support more effective disaster management, preparedness and recovery.

We will invest in longer-term interventions to develop local capacity for risk reduction, resilience and preparedness programming.

View our full objectives

We worked with our sister National Societies to support 2.5 million people across the world.

We worked with 13 of our Movement partners in places including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Kenya, Nigeria, Eswatini and Sahel to accelerate community-led climate resilience.

Photo © Lebanese Red Cross

We continued to accelerate the use of cash assistance. Together with the Movement, we engaged 73 National Societies to get cash assistance to millions of people across 100 countries .

Our specialist crisis response unit, the Global Surge Team, was deployed 34 times in 14 countries, where the need was greatest. This included Ukraine, Ethiopia and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Photo © Fabeha Monir/British Red Cross

Objectives for 2024

We will improve global humanitarian outcomes by using our expertise to influence the UK government and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement on international humanitarian law, localisation, migration, displacement, and climate change.

View our full objectives We worked with our Movement partners to develop their capacity and expertise in humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law. We played a key role at the Movement’s international statutory meetings in Geneva, where we worked with our Movement partners and the UK government to influence decisions on humanitarian issues of common interest. Photo © Palestine Red Crescent PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Photo © Palestine Red Crescent

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Supporting people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from conflicts and disasters.

Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and the West Bank

Civilians continued to pay the highest price of the conflict last year. Across the region, we saw tragedies unfolding daily. Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies were at the forefront of the humanitarian response.

In Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is catastrophic, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) provided 1.6 million relief items last year, as well as health services and psychosocial support. The death toll in Gaza is over 45,000. PRCS has also distributed relief items to over 220,000 people in the West Bank, where there has been more than 1,000 fatalities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supplied people in Gaza with cooked meals, food parcels, nutritional food bars and clean water. And they’ve got essential items to 1.4 million people who have been internally displaced.

In its vital role as a humanitarian intermediary, the ICRC stands ready to facilitate the transfer of hostages and detainees, so more people can return home safely when agreed by parties to the conflict. We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages so more families can be reunited.

In Israel, Magen David Adom continued to support communities affected by the fighting, answering emergency calls and dispatching ambulances and paramedics. It has responded to over one million emergency calls and collected more than 300,000 units of blood donations since the escalation of the conflict.

Thanks to you

Tesco, Glastonbury Festivals Limited, Baringa Partners LLP, the Swire Trusts, Haymarket Media Group and RSM UK Foundation were among hundreds of supporters who contributed to our Disaster Fund last year. This flexible fund allows us to provide immediate aid, support long-term recovery, and help communities prepare for future disasters where the need is greatest. Last year, this fund supported our work in Lebanon, Nepal, and our response to Hurricane Beryl.

----- Start of picture text -----
Members of the Lebanese
Red Cross respond to
violence in Lebanon.
Photo © Lebanese Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Lebanese ambulance service

The Lebanese Red Cross is the country’s lead emergency responder, and the only national ambulance service.

It provided around-the-clock support to communities across Lebanon last year, and deployed more than 250 ambulances and over 800 emergency medical volunteers.

ICRC field hospital in Rafah

The ICRC and 12 of our National Societies worked together to open a field hospital in Rafah in Gaza last year. The hospital provides medical care for 300 people a day.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Olav A. Saltbones/Norwegian Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Kunlawat Note Chittarat/ICRC
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © ICRC
----- End of picture text -----

Medical staff pictured above in surgery at the field hospital in Gaza

Sanad (pictured above) was the first child to be born at the field hospital in Rafah. His mother Reem says: “I was so worried and scared about my pregnancy. I went to a hospital before coming here and they could not receive me because of lack of medical staff. I am thankful for ICRC help, for the doctors and nurses who helped me deliver my baby.”

ICRC surgeon Jan holds 18-month-old Ziad (pictured right), one of the youngest patients at the ICRC field hospital (above). He was injured in a blast and suffered facial injuries which required surgery. The ICRC war surgery team performed 20 procedures a day last year.

Photo © Thomas Glass/ICRC

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Thomas Glass/ICRC
----- End of picture text -----

PRCS polio vaccination campaign The PRCS launched a polio vaccination campaign in September. The campaign, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNRWA, and the other partners, is expected to vaccinate 640,000 children across Gaza.

Hamid, an ambulance driver with the PRCS, said:

“Never in 20 years have I seen anything like this. I keep going for humanity, I will not stop helping people. There is no other choice.”

Hanadi talks about her role as a PRCS emergency medical technician in Gaza. The British Red Cross formed a ten-year strategic partnership with the PRCS last year. The partnership will support its humanitarian response and help raise awareness of its work in videos such as this.

----- Start of picture text -----
Video ©Palestine Red Crescent Society
/ British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Play video
----- End of picture text -----

Magen David Adom in Israel recruited 3,500 new emergency medical technicians last year (to October) to support their response.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Supporting people to prepare for, respond to, and recover from conflicts and disasters.

Ukraine

The humanitarian situation in Ukraine was increasingly dire last year, on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades.

Since the escalation of the conflict, our Movement has reached more than 22 million people in Ukraine and surrounding countries with humanitarian support.

Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) ‘heating points’

Hanna, pictured below, is a volunteer with the URCS emergency response team. She volunteers at one of the ten ‘heating points’ the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has funded to provide safe and warm places for people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed in the fighting. Hanna said: “The needs increase incredibly rapidly during the winter. Because if a person is left without shelter, during the summer they can spend some time physically outdoors. But in winter, of course, a person [who loses their home], also loses their outer clothing. And [then] the number one need, of course, is warmth, food, and warm clothing.”

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Oleksandr Ratushniak/IFRC
----- End of picture text -----

URCS home-based care

Natalia, pictured below, is a URCS social worker. She visits Valentyna’s home in the Chernihiv oblast to cook, clean and keep her company. Natalia is part of the URCS homebased care service, part-funded by the British Red Cross. The service helps vulnerable people across Ukraine, including those who have been internally displaced after losing their homes.

Photo © Oleksandr Ratushniak/IFRC

Kyiv burns unit

The British Red Cross has provided specialists, medical supplies and equipment to boost the capabilities of a hospital burns unit in Kyiv. The programme aims to ensure patients receive the highest quality treatment and rehabilitation therapy.

Our CEO Béatrice Butsana-Sita visits the burns unit in Kyiv.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Oleksandr Ratushniak/IFRC
----- End of picture text -----

Sudan

Fighting in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces spread further across the country last year.

An estimated 30.4 million – two-thirds of the country’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance. 24.6 million people in Sudan do not have access to enough food and more than one in three children are facing acute malnutrition.

Thanks to you

About 12 million people are internally displaced in Sudan, and 3.2 million have crossed the border, predominantly into Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.

The Montpelier Foundation supported the Movement’s response to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, helping people both inside Sudan and those who have been displaced to neighbouring countries.

Access for humanitarian aid remains a challenge in Sudan, with many organisations limited by access constraints. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s neutral and impartial approach helps us to support communities who are harder to reach.

Last year, we supported the IFRC and the Red Cross of Chad’s work to meet the needs of Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia Crisis to Resilience project

Last year, we continued our three-year relationship in Ethiopia with the FCDO.

The FCDO provides direct funding to the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to implement health and water, sanitation, and hygiene activities.

The FCDO also provides direct funding to the British Red Cross to provide technical support to the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and strengthen its grant compliance.

Photo © Ethiopia Red Cross

Thanks to you

This direct funding enables the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to use its local expertise and experience to design, implement and manage the programme itself.

Last year, the trustees of the Band Aid Charitable Trust supported our work with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to provide life-saving medicines and healthcare to thousands of people across northern Ethiopia.

This innovative model reflects our localisation ambitions and promotes a ‘one Red Cross Movement’ approach to National Society Development.

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Using cash to support people to prepare for, respond to and recover from conflicts and disasters.

Providing cash is an efficient, effective and transparent way of supporting people affected by crisis. Evidence shows that in many circumstances people prefer cash over other forms of support because it is more dignified and gives them independence and choice. It also supports local markets and the local economy. Cash addresses people’s immediate needs and contributes to long-term recovery.

Photo © Salomon Dainyoo

A Red Cross volunteer at an improvised camp in Chad.

The Cash Hub

The British Red Cross is responsible for overseeing the Cash Hub, which aims to accelerate the use of cash assistance in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The Cash Hub drives the Movement’s and the British Red Cross’ efforts to ensure cash assistance is the default – delivering high-quality, timely support that shifts power to those affected by crisis. The Cash Hub platform provides access to tools, data, programme evidence, learning resources, case studies and technical advice.

The Movement’s use of cash assistance last year We continued to accelerate the use of cash assistance last year. The number of National Societies investing in their institutional capacity to deliver timely, effective and accountable cash assistance where needed is growing rapidly. 73 National Societies were actively engaged at the beginning of 2024, compared to four in 2012.

Thanks to you

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia supported the Movement’s cash and voucher assistance work in Kenya last year. It also helped us deliver other community resilience programmes in both Kenya and Nigeria.

Photo © Esther Mbabazi/British Red Cross

Team members from the Kenya Red Cross speak to a woman impacted by the country’s drought.

In 2024, our sister National Societies provided cash assistance to:

Over 450,000 Sudanese

Over 260,000 people in Syria so they could find food, shelter and healthcare following the devastating 2023 earthquake.

The people of Kenya during the prolonged drought crisis.

refugees in Chad, providing critical support for basic needs.

The Kenya Red Cross Society co-chaired the national cash working group, ensuring a unified and effective approach to cash interventions. Its leadership enabled vulnerable communities to receive timely support during a critical period.

The Red Cross of Chad played an instrumental role in the national cash working group during this time, fostering collaboration between humanitarian actors and ensuring efficient and equitable delivery of aid.

Cash assistance was also used to help 122,525 people access heating and essential winter supplies during harsh weather conditions.

Recipients are clear about the impact cash can have:

“Cash gave me the power to decide what my family needed most. It brought us independence.”

“With cash, we were able to prioritise our children’s needs and rebuild parts of our home. It gave us hope in the hardest times.”

“With this support, I could finally rebuild my home and send my children back to school.”

Localisation

The use of cash requires local operational expertise and experience. This means National Societies are often best placed as partners of choice for designing, implementing, and coordinating this type of humanitarian assistance.

The use of cash enables local community groups to listen and respond to people’s different recovery and wellbeing priorities. This strengthens community engagement and accountability. Last year, community engagement mechanisms were integrated into 89% of programmes.

Thanks to you

Jersey Overseas Aid supported our Cash Hub last year, to enable our partner National Societies to become strong and recognised leaders in cash and voucher assistance in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Jersey Overseas Aid is also supporting our healthcare programming in Ukraine and helping us deliver a four-year nature-based solutions programme with partners in Nepal to help enable communities to develop climate-smart livelihoods, without impacting nature and wildlife conservation.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Salomon Dainyoo
----- End of picture text -----

Béatrice Butsana-Sita, our CEO, visits an

improvised camp in Chad.

Thanks to you

In 2024, the late Dr Anita Jennings left us an incredibly generous gift in her will to support our overseas work. Dr Jennings had an inspiring life story and we are very grateful for all of the kindness she showed us by regularly supporting us in her lifetime.

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Nigeria

Thanks to you

Helping communities become more resilient in the face of climate threats.

The Scottish Government supported our work last year to reduce the impact of the cholera outbreak in Zambia and take steps to build resilience to future outbreaks. This work is especially important in the face of climate change, which can increase the risk of diseases.

We worked with our Movement partners to support projects helping communities become more resilient in the face of climate change.

Bangladesh

It Starts With Her

Nature pulse

Between 2021 and 2024, our ‘It Starts With Her’ project funded the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s programme to strengthen resilience, empower women and reduce poverty in 16 slum communities in Barishal, Bangladesh.

We partnered with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society last year to launch Nature Pulse. It is a three-year programme to enhance community security, resilience, and livelihoods in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh, using nature-based solutions.

Our appeal raised £4.4 million for the programme, including £2 million of match funding from the UK government.

Nature Pulse aims to address both environmental and economic challenges. It helps local communities comanage and restore mangroves and estuaries, improve biodiversity and create sustainable, diversified livelihoods such as aquaculture and beekeeping.

The programme gave women access to cash grants, training and tools to help them start small businesses and keep their families and communities safe. Over 2,000 households now have a sustainable income and can better protect their livelihoods from environmental hazards, such as floods and storms.

----- Start of picture text -----
Play video
Video © British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

A woman collects clean drinking water in Barguna, Bangladesh.

Supporting communities impacted by flooding

We helped the Nigerian Red Cross Society support communities across Nigeria in the aftermath of extreme flooding with cash and voucher assistance to help bolster long-term resilience.

Thanks to you

Over 10 years, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised vital funds to help people in crisis – improving lives and futures around the world. From working directly with communities facing natural disasters, to helping people caught up in conflict, to finding long-term solutions for people impacted by the effects of climate change, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have helped support vulnerable people whenever and wherever they need us most.

Photo © Amoma Mofe Terah

Victoria (pictured above) saw her home collapse during flooding in 2022. She got into debt and struggled to provide for her three children. The Nigerian Red Cross Society provided cash assistance to help Victoria clear her debts and invest in her small food business. Victoria spoke to us last year to update us on her situation. She said: “Right now, thanks to the Red Cross, I am debt-free, and I pay cash for all the wares I buy to cook the food I sell.” Victoria and her family now live with her sister and her small business is thriving.

Play video

Video © British Red Cross

Thanks to you

Disaster Relief Alliance members – Aviva plc, Barclays, Defender, Haleon, John Lewis Partnership, Reckitt, the TK Maxx and Homesense Foundation, and the Wimbledon Foundation – have invested in the full cycle of disaster response to ensure communities are supported in building resilience, responding to, and recovering from emergencies worldwide. They contributed to several resilience projects last year, including in Bangladesh and Nigeria. They also supported our UK crisis response teams to be there for people and communities at every stage of a crisis.

Our work across the world

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Working with our Movement partners to strengthen international humanitarian law.

We worked with our Movement partners to develop their capacity and expertise in humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law. We also played a key role at the Movement’s international statutory meetings in Geneva.

Supporting National Society development in states affected by conflict or violence

We led a piece of work last year to examine how six sister National Societies based in states affected by conflict or violence had adapted to provide principled humanitarian services in these difficult contexts. We also explored how partners and funders can ensure the support they provide is effective.

The six National Societies – Afghanistan, Honduras, Mali, Somalia, Ukraine and Yemen – have all transformed their operating approach in recent years. We examined what kind of support was most effective to help them develop their governance, systems, structures and services so they could provide relevant, principled and sustainable support to their local communities. We also identified practices that were hindering their development and suggested changes. The learning has been widely shared to assist other National Societies who find themselves in these circumstances.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Maksym Trebukhov for LB.ua/Ukrainian Red Cross Society
----- End of picture text -----

Ukrainian Red Cross Society staff and volunteers provide food and other basic necessities in a subway station in Kyiv.

Supporting our National Society partners to strengthen their work on humanitarian policy and international humanitarian law

Educating others about international humanitarian law

Last year, we ran our summer school on international humanitarian law for professionals across the armed forces, government, civil society, and the Movement. The 2024 course featured expert speakers from the military, academia and the UK government.

Last year, we worked with our National Society partners in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory to help develop their capacity and expertise in humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law. We fostered strong collaboration and shared learning through peerto-peer exchanges and dialogue, enhancing the Movement’s ability to influence decision-makers on critical humanitarian issues.

The training contributes to the development of an informed and capable community of practitioners dedicated to upholding international humanitarian law.

We organised a Youth Diplomacy Forum in Kyiv with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society to bring together students, ambassadors, MPs and civil society leaders to nurture future diplomats and advance humanitarian diplomacy.

Thanks to you

Photo © Magdalene College, Cambridge

Last year, we launched a new strategic partnership with Pears Foundation to further our work on international humanitarian law and policy. Our partnership will help us strengthen the support we provide to our partners affected by conflict across the Middle East and Africa. Together, we’ll also convene dialogue and training to promote understanding of international humanitarian law and humanitarian values to decision makers and young people.

Participants at the 2024 British Red Cross summer school on international humanitarian law.

The 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions

In October, we co-hosted a conference with the FCDO and the Ministry of Defence to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. A panel of experts shared historical, legal, military, diplomatic and humanitarian perspectives on the Geneva Conventions and their enduring relevance.

We also contributed to the second edition of the UK Voluntary Report on the Domestic Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, which was launched at the event.

Front cover of the UK Voluntary

Report on the Domestic Implementation of International Humanitarian Law.

The Movement’s international statutory meetings

We played a key role at the Movement’s international statutory meetings in Geneva. The General Assembly of the IFRC, the Council of Delegates, and the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent saw us come together with our Movement partners, and government representatives from around the world, to address current humanitarian issues of common interest.

The meetings also enabled us to strengthen our relationships across the Movement. We attended over 40 bilateral and trilateral meetings with partner National Societies, other Movement actors and the UK government.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Alex Holker
----- End of picture text -----

Our chair, Liz Padmore, makes an intervention at the international statutory meetings in Geneva.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

A British Red Cross volunteer delivers food and provisions to people affected by storms in Aberdeenshire.

We are growing our Movement, developing an equitable culture, strengthening our relationships with our supporters, streamlining our behind-the-scenes processes, and reducing our carbon footprint.

Photo © Peter Summers/British Red Cross

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our people

Our work to grow our movement of volunteers and young people

We launched our volunteering strategy last year to enable us to become the humanitarian charity of choice for volunteering in the UK. We also agreed our first youth engagement policy and put in place a new ten-year youth engagement strategy.

Photo © Solent news / British Red Cross

Volunteer Gloria Moss (pictured above), was recognised in the New Year’s Honours. Gloria said: “I am proud of all the things we have done, all of the services we have provided and the Red Cross values of humanity and impartiality.”

Awards and recognition

We are very proud of our volunteers Gloria Moss, Graham Hundley, David Kennedy-Harding and Lynda Jones who all had their work recognised in the National Honours lists last year.

Presidents’ network

County presidents, vice-presidents and patrons have been strong supporters of the British Red Cross for more than 100 years. They have created a legacy of engagement and outreach with local communities across the UK. Following a proposal by members of the presidents’ network seeking to improve their alignment to the organisation’s corporate strategy and operational footprint, the decision was made last year to cease the network. We are grateful for the dedication and commitment of this group of volunteers. We look forward to working with many of them in future in a different capacity.

Young people are resilient and ready to help. In 2024, young people aged 25 years and under made up 21% of our volunteer workforce.

Empowering young people

2024 was a big year for our youth engagement work. We agreed our first youth engagement policy and put in place a new ten-year youth engagement strategy. We completed our Diaspora Youth Engagement programme by bringing together 90 young people with global connections to explore humanitarian action. We also developed a new process to allow under-18s to volunteer at mass events.

Volunteer youth placements

Volunteer recruitment

In 2024, we received and processed more than 15,200 volunteer applications and successfully recruited 46% of applicants. This is an increase from the 2023 conversion rate of 37%.

Volunteers’ Week

We trialled a new approach to Volunteers’ Week in 2024. We worked with volunteers to co-produce a ‘Celebrating Volunteers Toolkit’ for managers, offering tips for year-round volunteer appreciation. And we arranged for British Red Cross Ambassador Ben Fogle to record a thank you message for all our volunteers.

Volunteer pronoun badges

British Red Cross volunteer Kat (pictured right) developed a free pronoun pin badge for volunteers, which is being piloted in some of our shops. They felt it would be a great way to raise awareness and show that the British Red Cross supports the trans community.

Photo © Ben Langdon/Mile91/British Red Cross

“ Our volunteers’ work nationwide is vital to our organisation in delivering the very best support to those in crisis.”

Our CEO, Béatrice Butsana-Sita

125 young people from organisations including Brunel, UCL, Survivor Alliance, the Refugee Council, and the Switch took up work experience placements across the British Red Cross last year. They gave us a total of over 13,000 hours of support. Our partner Taith helped us enable 16 young people to take up placements overseas.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our people

We are empowering and motivating our people to perform well and grow

We continued our work last year to empower and motivate our people to perform well and grow. We want them to feel valued, recognised and rewarded for the difference they make.

Staff survey

Last year saw us beat our benchmark score for staff engagement for the first time. More people than ever before told us they felt engaged in our organisation. April saw our highest ever participation rates in the staff survey, a record that was beaten again in October. We are really pleased that more staff are participating in this survey, giving us feedback and helping us improve our organisation.

Equitable pay

We continued our work last year to make pay fair and sustainable for all our staff, and to align pay within teams and against the market.

Our transformation

Last year, we made changes across our organisation to make sure we can continue to be there for people in crisis in our changing world. This involved some hard decisions to restructure some teams and make some redundancies. We made wellbeing resources available to all our people. And our staff association worked hard to support them through this difficult time. We also ensured our internal communication was clear, timely, appropriate and as transparent as possible.

We are developing an equitable culture

Our work to become an anti-racist, inclusive and diverse organisation continued last year. We want to make everyone feel welcome and able to bring their whole selves to work.

Tackling racism and discrimination

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Gary Calton/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

We trialled our mandatory anti-racism e-learning to improve our racial literacy and support our people to recognise all forms of racism. We have now rolled this out to the whole organisation.

Supporting trans and non-binary people

We developed a trans-inclusion procedure and guidance to outline our commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for transgender and non-binary individuals.

Our diversity networks

We supported the creation of two new diversity networks – the Young Staff Network and the Carers Network. These are a welcome addition to our existing networks, which include the Race and Ethnicity Equality Network, the LGBTQ+ Network, the Disability and Wellness Network, and the Gender Equality Network.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our organisation

Our progress last year We continued to reduce our energy consumption (gas and electricity in our properties, and fuel for our fleet) by 15%. Additionally, by switching to a green energy tariff for electricity, we achieved a 37% reduction in our carbon emissions across scopes one and two, and a 60% reduction compared to our 2019 baseline.

Essential travel

We observed a slight increase in our business travel (air and rail) compared to 2023. However, this remains significantly lower (46%) than pre-pandemic levels (2,470 tCO²e in 2019 and 1,327 tCO²e in 2024). We will continue to remind staff to ensure that all travel must be for essential purposes.

Reducing textile waste

Reducing our carbon footprint

As a humanitarian organisation, it is vital that we mitigate our impact on the planet. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. We are focusing on the areas where we have the most control, allowing us to optimise our operations and enhance our efficiency.

Focusing our efforts

In 2024, we introduced processes and systems that will enable us to confidently measure our progress in reducing our carbon footprint. We have focused our efforts on ‘scope one’ and ‘scope two’ emissions, where we have direct control. We have now established a complete data set of our scope one and two emissions to enable us to measure them accurately and report on our findings transparently. We will expand reporting of ‘scope three’ emissions beyond business travel in the next two years.

Scope one emissions are those we generate directly by, for instance, running our vehicles.
Scope two emissions are those caused by the energy produced on our behalf, eg electricity.
Scope three emissions are all indirect emissions that occur from activities such as employees’ commuting, waste disposal, and the production of purchased goods and services.

Our shops played a crucial role in reducing textile waste across the UK last year. We are committed to using resources more efficiently by prioritising the reuse, repair and repurposing of our new and donated goods. By selling and reusing second-hand clothes, and recycling unsold stock through third parties, we helped reduce landfill waste. These third parties work in line with our goals and values to keep as few materials as possible from ending up in landfill. Additionally, we continue to use FSC-certified paper bags in our shops.

We are committed to embedding environmental sustainability into the way we work. This involves integrating sustainable practices across all our operations to ensure we minimise our environmental impact.

Key initiatives last year include:

Reviewing our use of our properties

We reviewed our property portfolio to ensure efficient use of space. Since 2019, our property footprint has reduced by approximately 25% as we continue with hybrid working and the utilisation of digital technology. Analysing the carbon footprint of each property will help us make informed decisions regarding property decarbonisation in 2025 and beyond.

IT

We improved our processes for repurposing and recycling IT equipment and mobile phones. Last year, the energy saved from this work was equivalent to the annual energy supplied to 115 homes.

Achieving ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Certification

Reducing our electricity usage We installed energy-efficient lighting in all our shops, resulting in a 6% reduction in electricity usage. Additionally, we have transitioned to using 100% renewable electricity.

The Red Cross Training’s ongoing sustainability commitments range from due diligence assessments on all suppliers to waste recycling options provided at internal training venues.

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Report 2024

Measure	Detail	Unit	2019(baseline)	2023	2024	2024 vs(baseline)	2024 vs 2023
Energyconsumption	used to calculate emissions below	kWh	15,284,687	10,424,238	8,837,078	42%	15.2%
Total number of employees	used to normalise data	FTE	3,354	3,548	3,286	2%	7.4%

Naturalgas		kWh	6,186,009	4,250,557	3,048,673	51%	28%
Petrol		L	29,360	85,045	85,226	-190%	-0.2%
Diesel		L	848,119	525,336	416,015	51%	21%
Electricity		kWh	9,017,837	6,111,507	5,737,230	36%	6%

Scope 1	Gas	tCO²e	1,137	778	558	51%	28%
Scope 1	Transport/feet	tCO²e	2,186	1,498	1,223	44%	18%
Scope 2	Electricity*	tCO²e	2,305	1,266	445	81%	65%
Scope 3	Transmission and distribution of all Scope 1 & 2	tCO²e	1,462	1,027	774	47%	25%
Scope 3	Greyfeet	tCO²e	1,761	976	949	46%	3%
Scope 3	Air travel	tCO²e	2,108	1,234	1,241	41%	-1%
Scope 3	Rail travel	tCO²e	362	82	86	76%	-5%
Total carbon emissions	Scope 1 & Scope 2	tCO²e	5,628	3,541	2,226	60%	37%
Totalgross carbon emissionsper FTE	Scope 1 & 2per full-time employee	tCO²e/FTE	1.68	1.00	0.68	60%	32.1%
Totalgross carbon emissions	Scope 1,2 and subset of Scope 3	tCO²e	11,321	6,859	5,275	53%	23%
Total gross carbon emissions per FTE	Scope 1, 2 and subset Scope 3 per full-time employee	tCO²e/FTE	3.38	1.93	1.62	52%	17%

Notes and assumptions FTE refers to ‘total average number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. The actual number of staff (headcount) as at 31 December 2024 was 3,753. tCO²e refers to ‘tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent’. An ‘operational control’ approach has been used to define the Greenhouse Gas emissions boundary and does not reflect the entire carbon footprint of the organisation. Grey fleet means employee and volunteer personal vehicles used for business purposes. *location-based method used to calculate 2019 (hypothetical baseline) and 2023 electricity emissions (based on the average emissions intensity of the UK grid and do not take into account any specific renewable energy certificates), market-based

method used for 2024 Q2 to Q4 only (to reflect the specific electricity purchased, rather than the local grid’s average intensity, and demonstrate our commitment to green energy choices of a renewable energy contract). Where there was missing raw original data in the re-calculation of the baseline year (2019), previously reported figures were used. All emissions factors are taken from Green House Gas Conversion Factors for Company Reporting. Scope 1 and Scope 2 consumption data (gas and electricity) is taken from validated and verified utility supplier invoices. Scope 1 and Scope 3 (transport) data is taken from company fleet data and internal expenses accounting system. This report also includes emissions from transmission and distribution losses of electricity under Scope 3, which are voluntary reportable emissions.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our organisation

We are strengthening our relationships with our supporters and encouraging more people to support those in crisis

Last year, we continued to increase awareness of the need for our work, deepen our relationships with our partners and supporters, advocate for change, raise money for our work and inspire more people to join our Movement.

----- Start of picture text -----
Photo © Gary Calton/British Red Cross
----- End of picture text -----

Walk for Humanity events

We held three Walk for Humanity events last year, with 2,210 walkers of all ages taking part across Manchester, London and Bristol.

The family-friendly events focused on communities coming together to raise funds to support people in crisis.

Multi-year funding

Here for humanity

Working in partnership with

Many of our supporters continued their support last year through multi-year strategic partnerships to help us achieve sustainable and lasting change.

We launched a bold, new creative campaign in August. It focused on the tender moments of support and hope we provide in the hardest times. We built on the success of our 2023

our supporters

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our partners and philanthropic supporters – we raised over £30.6 million last year.

‘Here for humanity’ brand campaign, which amplified our messaging that ‘Together, we are the world’s emergency responders.’

For example, our new collaboration with Jersey Overseas Aid will enable us to invest further in our long-term cash-based assistance work. Our shared goal is to empower people affected by crisis with choice and dignity.

We continued to strengthen vital partnerships with businesses, governments, individuals, trusts and foundations. Many of them also worked with us by volunteering, employee fundraising, and sharing their skills, expertise and networks to further increase the impact of our partnership. Through our shared mission to be here for humanity, we provided transformative support to millions of people in need, both in the UK and across the globe.

We increased the percentage of people who said they would consider donating to us – our key long-term brand measure. In September, 30% reported that they would do so, well above our target of 26.6%.

Flexible funding

Flexible funding from many supporters allowed us to respond to high-profile crises and hidden or long-term emergencies last year. This adaptable funding helps us invest in sustainable solutions for a more resilient future.

Transformational funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery is just one example of this. Part of this funding is helping to tackle the hunger crisis in parts of Kenya by training healthcare workers to screen children for malnutrition and refer them for treatment, ensuring children get timely care to save lives.

Together, we are part of a global Movement, and you, our philanthropic supporters and partners, are at the heart of that. Without you, our work in the UK and around the world would not be possible – thank you.

Play video

Our Here for humanity brand campaign video

Video © British Red Cross

We increased the percentage of people who said they would consider donating to us over the year

Our shops

Thanks to your generosity, and the work of our volunteers and staff, our high street and online shops raised £37.6 million in 2024.

More than 5,400 people volunteered with us to help raise these vital funds by selling clothes, furniture, vintage items, books and more.

Maintaining a media spotlight

We increased the visibility of crises in the UK and around the world last year by securing key media moments. We raised awareness of humanitarian emergencies and connected our supporters to our responses. This included the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the devastation caused by major storms in the UK. We secured 19,130 pieces of media coverage, around 81% of which carried one of our key brand messages. We also engaged followers on social media to demonstrate our impact and to combat mis- and disinformation.

We also launched pre-loved items on our online shop and opened two new shops in Plymouth and Hay-on-Wye.

Photo © Mile 91/Ben Langdon Our shops connected people to our local /British Red Cross services, and provided communities with A pre-loved jacket for sale in our employment and skills opportunities.

A pre-loved jacket for sale in our

shop in Penarth, Wales.

Our work to ensure we are here for humanity

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Our organisation

We are streamlining our behind-thescenes processes

We made significant cost reductions last year, simplified key processes and put in place resilience measures to reduce our risks.

Building our online mobility aids service

We developed, tested and launched a direct-to-consumer website for our mobility aids service last year. This allows people to research, choose and order mobility-aids equipment quickly and easily, and have it delivered direcly to their home.

Reducing our costs and increasing our resilience We migrated the remainder of our primary systems to the cloud to decrease our costs and increase our resilience. We also shut down and consolidated our legacy systems to further reduce our costs, so more of our money can go to the people we support.

Thanks to you

Last year, we worked with Elrha, with financial support from Norway, to develop virtual reality technology and new e-learning training about gender-based violence for our teams in Iraq.

Buying review

Last year, we undertook a full end-to-end review of buying throughout the organisation and identified key improvements. We used the ‘Marketplace’ tool to simplify order processing to one order across multiple suppliers, and to better manage suppliers by ensuring only those listed can be used. This work removes the need for form filling and submission.

Streamlining how change is delivered

Last year, our transformation and change team worked across the organisation to implement key changes. These included the new mobility aids service, our new Crisis Hub and a fundamental redesign of strategic functions such as strategy, planning, performance management, insight, innovation and change. This central team was set up to reduce external and internal costs. It also enabled us to build our expertise in this area and approach change more strategically.

Improving volunteer recruitment processes We improved volunteer recruitment processes to make them more efficient by using technology such as an automated booking system for interviews. This also enhances the volunteer applicant experience.

Improving procurement processes

We saved £1.8 million last year by streamlining and standardising our procurement processes. We recruited to key positions to realise this work, and undertook training to enhance our team’s skills.

A member of our emergency response team in Aberdeenshire

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Looking to the future Our refreshed strategy from 2025 to 2030

Our goals in the UK

Disasters and emergencies

Health and care

Displacement and migration

Supporting people and communities

Enable communities to be prepared and respond 1 together when disaster strikes, prioritising those with the greatest unmet needs

Influencing change

Embed UK resilience as a national priority, ensuring 2 those communities who are most at risk are prepared to respond to and recover from emergencies

Empower people to better manage their wellbeing 3 by delivering community-based care

Ensure UK investment into preventative health and care 4 programmes that prioritise addressing people’s care needs in community settings and promote health equity

Restore safety, dignity and connection with loved 5 ones for people who are displaced, focusing on the most urgent cases of need Expand safe routes and deliver a fair asylum system, 6 with day-one support for all people seeking or granted protection in the UK

Our goals across the world

Equip and empower National Societies to respond 7 immediately in a crisis and support them to distribute cash rapidly to address urgent needs

Accelerate community-led climate resilience through global partnerships

Drive humanitarian policy change and strengthen international humanitarian law in complex crises

Our goals to drive us forward

Our people

Our organisation

Grow and empower a vibrant movement of volunteers and young people to 10 take action and support their communities

Reduce our carbon footprint to net zero

Build a culture where our people feel valued, able to learn and grow, and are 11 fairly rewarded

Develop a culture of equity and trust, where all our people are actively 12 inclusive

14 15

Attract increasing levels of income, test new ideas and inspire support for people in crisis Optimise technology to maximise impact for the people we support

Simplify processes and reduce costs to optimise time and money spent supporting people in crisis

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Finance review

Overview

We faced continued challenges in 2024 in terms of cost inflation and pressure on unrestricted incomes. We took swift action to address these issues and finished the year in a sound financial position.

The British Red Cross generates income from a number of sources. Regular sources include our portfolio of social enterprises, restricted funding from corporate partners, institutions and philanthropists, and unrestricted funding from our supporters, either through regular giving, one-off gifts or in the form of legacies. We also receive income raised specifically in response to emergency appeals. As such, our overall income and expenditure can also reflect the prevalence of emergencies and the public’s desire to support us to respond to them.

After record levels of restricted emergency appeal income, driven by the public’s generous response to the Ukraine crisis in 2022, and the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in 2023, we saw a reduction in our emergency appeal income in 2024. This explains the significant decrease in total income year on year and accounts for the slight reduction in our charitable expenditure. It should be noted that charitable spending is not always a direct reflection of income earned in the year, as teams will make active decisions about the pace and best use of funding in response to an emergency. This is most clearly seen in our response to the Ukraine crisis, where funding from 2022 is being used in a multi-year programme to provide ongoing support.

Overall, our net deficit on unrestricted funds was £9.2 million compared to a deficit of £15.0 million in 2023. This was in line with expectations. The deficit reflects the final spending under our Fit for the Future programme, which saw us invest in a range of process improvements across the organisation. It also reflects the cost of transformation programmes enacted during the year to reduce costs in the face of the challenging financial environment. We expect to report a reduced deficit in 2025. This deficit will be largely due to recent changes to employer National Insurance Contributions. We are developing plans to address this impact for 2026.

Our net deficit position on restricted funds was £8.3 million, compared to a surplus of £20.5 million in 2023. This reflects the lower levels of emergency appeal income in the year and the continued spending on multi-year programmes from emergency appeals in prior years.

Income

Total income for the year was £287.1 million (see figure 1), down £43.5 million from 2023. This was due to a reduction in our restricted emergency appeal income after record levels in 2022 and 2023, following the public’s response to the crisis in Ukraine, and the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. Excluding emergency appeals, our total income grew by £16.7 million to £261.4 million (see figure 2).

The overall growth was mainly due to increased restricted income linked to our international work as a trusted partner of the FCDO. This income funded work across a number of different regions, including Ukraine, Ethiopia and Afghanistan. Our international work also benefitted from additional income from institutional and philanthropic donors.

Unrestricted income totalled £189.9 million, slightly down from £192.6 million in 2023. This was due to persistent challenges to our income from our charitable and trading activities. Pressure on NHS finances and local authority budgets contributed to a reduction in income for health and care services, though this was partly offset by a recovery in income from Red Cross Training.

----- Start of picture text -----
Income
Figure 1.
Donations and legacies 46.4%
Charitable activities 37.9% £287.1m
Other trading activities 13.7%
Investments and others 2.0%
----- End of picture text -----*

----- Start of picture text -----
Income breakdown
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
£330.6m £287.1m
350
Figure 2.
300
Donations and legacies £111.0m
250
Charitable activities
£116.6m
Other trading activities
200
Investments and others £86.6m
Emergency appeals 150
£100.4m
£38.4m
100
£8.7
£38.7m
50 £85.9m
£5.7m
£25.7m
0
2023 2024
----- End of picture text -----

Income from retail operations decreased by £2.1 million to £37.6 million, reflecting both issues in the wider retail market and lower levels of stock donations from corporate partners. Our unrestricted income from donations and legacies saw a slight growth to £95.2 million, driven by some large legacy donations and a strong response to our end-of-year fundraising campaign.

Income linked to emergency appeals totalled £25.7 million in 2024, compared to £85.9 million in 2023. We continued to receive strong support for our ongoing emergency appeals, which included £13.4 million for our Gaza Crisis and Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory appeals, and £3.0 million for Ukraine.

Expenditure

Total expenditure for the year was £310.3 million (2023 £322.7 million) as shown in figure 3. This comprises £238.0 million spent on charitable activities and £72.3 million on the cost of raising funds, of which £39.6 million represents the cost of our retail operation. Expenditure linked to emergency appeals (shown in figure 4) totalled £30.5 million in 2024, compared to £69.5 million in 2023. Our overall expenditure exceeded our income last year, as we continued to spend the money we raised in previous years to support continuing multi-year programmes such as our Ukraine response.

----- Start of picture text -----
Expenditure
Figure 3.
Fundraising and retail excluding
support costs 20.3% £310.3m
Support costs 13.5%
Charitable activities excluding
support costs 66.2%
Expenditure breakdown
£322.7m £310.3m
350
Figure 4.
300
£73.5m
Fundraising and retail £71.6m
250
Charitable activities
Emergency appeals 200
150 £179.7m
£208.2m
100
50
£69.5m
£30.5m
0
2023 2024
----- End of picture text -----

*includes emergency appeals

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Finance review

Unrestricted expenditure on charitable activities was £127.7 million, in line with 2023 (£127.0 million). Despite many pressures on costs, we maintained our commitment to increase staff pay, particularly at the lowest levels. This included honouring our commitment to the Real Living Wage, which increased by 5% in April 2024.

We continued to work hard on cost efficiency programmes in 2024 with careful restructuring and further headcount reductions totalling approximately 270 employees. The most notable restructure in 2024 was in our mobility aids service, which we transformed to a direct-to-consumer model, but we also saw changes across our internal services and fundraising teams. The overall costs of restructuring in 2024 exceeded £2 million, but these actions have laid the foundations for a significantly reduced deficit in 2025 and future years. This will ensure we can continue to support people in crisis.

Overall, 49% (2024 £116.6 million, 2023 £111.7 million) of our charitable expenditure supported our international work, both in terms of our longterm preparedness work as well as our emergency response work. We continued to respond to the Ukraine crisis, with total expenditure exceeding £165 million since the crisis began in 2022. Given the scale of our Ukraine fundraising and the nature of the emergency, we have phased our financial response to balance both short-term and longer-term needs. Other international emergency expenditure supported our work both in partnership with the IFRC and directly with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

In the UK, our charitable expenditure decreased to £121.4 million, compared to £133.8 million in 2023 as a number of significant restricted funded projects, related to our work to support Ukrainian refugees and people coping with the cost-of-living crisis, came to an end. Our unrestricted expenditure on health and care decreased by £3.1 million compared to 2023. This was in line with the reduction in some of our income from our contracted work with the NHS to support people between hospital and home. Spending reductions also reflected the efficiencies we made, which involved finding more cost-effective ways of delivering our services.

The indirect costs we incur to manage restricted funds, such as related staff time and office costs, are funded mainly by our general funds. We therefore make an administration or contribution-to-costs charge (CTC) to all restricted funding streams wherever possible to cover the costs that are not directly charged to a project or programme. The exact amount of CTC depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the expenditure, the use of partnerships to deliver the support, the total size of the appeal, and any specific terms and conditions of the donation itself.

Grant expenditure

Expenditure on charitable activities includes grants payable and costs incurred directly by the British Red Cross in the furtherance of our charitable objectives (including through partner organisations), and associated support

costs. We provide grants to support our work in the UK for disasters and emergencies, health and care, displacement and migration, and our work across the world.

The British Red Cross works in partnership with many organisations, and during the year we provided grants to the value of £82.9 million, compared to £80.1 million in 2023 (refer to note 4, pages 59 to 60 for details). Grant-funded partnerships may involve our staff working in joint operations, supporting and monitoring work, or funding wider Movement and local partners to deliver services, including immediate emergency relief.

Such grants help our partners provide sustainable benefits for communities and so further our own objectives and those of the wider Movement. We carefully consider the experience, reach and governance of potential partners, as well as the value they will add to our work in delivering our charitable objectives. Grants are managed through specific agreements with partners, which set out the conditions of the grant, including disbursement arrangements and reporting requirements to monitor spend. The conditions related to each grant agreement will determine how grant expenditure is accounted for in the financial year.

Reserves policy

Our reserves policy is framed around our free reserves balance. We seek to maintain a balance of free reserves which ensures we have sufficient funds to continue our work during periods of short-term volatility in our revenues or costs, or at times when we need to assess strategic decisions or implement major changes in the face of unforeseen events. Our free reserves are not subject to specific donor restrictions for a particular purpose.

The reserves policy is reviewed annually by the board and defines a minimum target level of free reserves and then an acceptable range above this. In December 2024, the board approved a minimum level of £50 million and an acceptable range of up to £70 million (i.e. a £20 million range). This represented an increase on the previous range (£40 million to £50 million), with the changes being implemented for the following reasons:

- The increase in the minimum level from £40 million to £50 million reflected the impact of recent high inflation on costs and revenues, as well as observed increases in the delay between grant of probate and legacy receipt.

- The increase in the acceptable range (from £10 million to £20 million) to address the risk of greater volatility of income and cost streams within the organisation.

In December 2024, the board approved the transfer of £5.2 million of previously designated funds to our free reserves. Prior to this, during 2024, £8.8 million of designated funds were used by several projects, including our Fit for the Future transformation programme, technology projects and international grants. As a result, there were no specific designated funds at the end of 2024.

Reserve balances

Our five-year history of reserves

Reserves - by fund (£m)

----- Start of picture text -----
300.0
250.0
200.0
150.0
100.0
50.0
0.0
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted funds Designated funds
Unrestricted funds fixed assets Free reserves
DB pension scheme fund
----- End of picture text -----

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Finance review

Unrestricted reserves

Our free available reserves at the year-end were within the target range at £64.5 million, compared with £55.9 million in 2023. Financial projections indicate that general reserves are forecast to remain within the agreed policy range for the next three years.

Our other unrestricted reserves as at 31 December 2024 were as follows:

Fixed asset funds of £41.2 million. This mainly represents the net book value of fixed assets. The major asset category on our balance sheet relates to property and we have been steadily reducing our estate in recent years. This will continue into 2025-26. More details can be found in notes 9 and 10, pages 64 and 65.
Pension funds of £1.5 million. This relates to the surplus position on our defined benefit pension scheme for our UK office scheme. This scheme is now closed to new members and has been subject to a buyout. More details can be found in note 19 (pages 68 to 69).

Restricted reserves

Our restricted reserves are all linked to a specific purpose. The largest balances often relate to money raised in response to a major international emergency. The total can vary based on both the number and scale of appeals in a particular year, and the pace at which our response teams think aid should be released to give people and communities the best chance of a sustainable recovery from a crisis.

Restricted reserves were significantly boosted in 2022 due to the public’s response to the conflict in Ukraine. We remain actively engaged in a multi-year programme to help the Ukrainian Red Cross Society continue to provide support. We continue to review and develop our response as the situation develops. Smaller balances relate to ongoing activity in response to other major emergencies, including the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye, and the crises in Afghanistan and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Note 7 (page 62) provides details of the movement in restricted funds in 2024.

Investments

We prepare annual short- and medium-term cashflow forecasts to help guide us when deciding which funds we need to hold in each of our investment categories. This work ensures that funds are readily available to meet our operational requirements and liabilities as they fall due, but also allows us to maximise the potential returns available within our risk criteria.

Current asset investments and cash at bank and in hand

Our objective is to maximise interest on short-term funds within acceptable

risk parameters by placing funds overnight in money market funds or in short-term deposits. In 2024, investment income of £3.8 million was generated in this way, in line with the income generated in 2023.

Fixed asset investments

Funds not required for operational restricted purposes are available for medium- and long-term investments. An investment working group of the finance and audit committee regularly reviews our investment portfolio and policy.

Our overall investment objective is to generate a positive return, while maintaining the capital value of investments in real terms over the longterm. The British Red Cross does not directly or indirectly invest in companies with a noticeable interest in trading in the manufacture of arms or tobacco products or extractive fossil fuels.

Our investments are divided into long-, medium-, and short-term investment pools. The long- and medium-term investments in our fixed and current asset investment portfolios are held in a number of funds, including equities, bonds and fixed income against an agreed strategic allocation to meet the investment objectives. The aim for long-term funds is to preserve the value of the funds in real terms over the longer term. The aim for medium-term funds is to preserve the value of the funds in nominal terms.

Long-term portfolio

Medium-term portfolio

----- Start of picture text -----
100% 100%
33%
80% 35% 80% 34% 33%
60% 60%
34%
35%
40% 40%
66% 67%
17%
20% 15% 20%
16% 15%
0% 0%
31 Dec 2024 Strategic 31 Dec 2024 Strategic
benchmark benchmark
Fidelity Sustainable Climate Bond Fund Royal London Short Term Fixed Income Enhanced Fund
Aegon Ethical Corporate Bond Fund Royal London Short Term Fixed Income Fund
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Fidelity Sustainable Climate Bond Fund
Aegon Ethical Corporate Bond Fund
Northern Trust World Custom ESG Equity Index Fund
----- End of picture text -----

Brown Advisory Global Leaders Sustainable Fund

The financial markets in 2024 provided positive returns due to the easing of inflation and interest rates globally by central banks as well as global political changes. Our investments returned a net unrealised investment gain in the year of £5.7 million (7.2%), compared to an unrealised gain in 2023 of £5.9 million (7.6%). The medium- and long-term investments successfully delivered returns in line with agreed fund sector benchmarks.

2024 % Return

Benchmark

	2024 % Return	Benchmark
Long-term investments	8.2%	8.0%
Medium-term investments	5.7%	5.6%
Total investments	7.2%	7.2%

The British Red Cross along with its advisors believe the current investments portfolio continues to meet the agreed investment objectives.

Going concern

We use our strategy (Strategy 2030), our risk management framework, and robust financial monitoring to establish plans to enable an effective approach to mitigate any significant detrimental impacts from any risks, such as the impact of high inflation or a reduction in our income growth or increasing demand for our services. The actions we have taken to mitigate risks have enabled us to be within the target reserve range. In addition, investments are held in sufficiently liquid assets to ensure easy access to resources if needed.

Financial forecasts have been prepared for the next three years, which

project that the unrestricted reserves will remain within the approved policy range of £50 million to £70 million. Consequently, the British Red Cross has sufficient reserves, cash and other resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The expectation is that by the end of 2026 our net income and expenditure will be in a surplus position on unrestricted funds. We apply sensitivity analysis and stress testing of scenarios to these forecasts to determine the potential impact of different financial and operational risks. These risks could include changes to employer National Insurance Contributions, developments in global conflicts, geopolitical uncertainty, and cuts to international aid.

Based on this analysis, the board of trustees believes the British Red Cross is well placed to manage its financial and operational risks satisfactorily and have a reasonable expectation that the British Red Cross will have adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future and meet its liabilities as they fall due until at least June 2026. It therefore considers it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Charities Act statement

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Charities Act statement

Fundraising standards

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and are committed to upholding both the Code of Fundraising Practice and the Fundraising Promise across all the fundraising we do.

We have policies and procedures in place to safeguard our supporters, the public and our reputation; ensuring our fundraising is always legal, honest, open and respectful. The high standards we set for our fundraising also reflect our organisational values and fundamental principles.

We take the privacy and data security of our supporters extremely seriously and we provide simple, straightforward ways for them to control what types of marketing and fundraising messages they receive. We will only email, call or send marketing text messages to supporters about our work and ways they can help if we have their explicit consent to do so. And we take steps to ensure our fundraising activities are always aligned with UK Data Protection law.

To help us continue to benchmark our fundraising standards with industry best practice, we also actively engage with a number of industry bodies and forums, such as the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF), Ofcom and The Lotteries Council.

Our fundraising partnerships

It is critically important that we set ourselves ambitious fundraising goals so that people facing crisis now, and in the future, will be able to count on the help of the Red Cross. To help us achieve these goals, we rely not only on our committed staff and volunteers, but also on our trusted and valued partners.

These include the professional face-to-face and telephone fundraising agencies we work with to help us fundraise, as well as the businesses and brands we partner with to fund lifesaving humanitarian work. Not only do these partnerships provide vital funding, but they also offer valued expertise and allow us to extend our reach to new audiences.

All of our partnerships undergo careful due diligence prior to agreeing any form of relationship to ensure they are aligned with our Ethical Policy and any relevant regulatory requirements. All professional fundraisers

and corporate partners working on our behalf are required to adhere to our standards, as well as all relevant regulation and law. We enshrine this commitment in our contractual agreements with them.

Training our fundraisers

We provide a programme of training and support for internal fundraising staff and professional fundraising partners to help them translate our high standards into excellent fundraising practice. All of our internal fundraisers must complete our mandatory Code of Fundraising Practice training, and our professional fundraising partners must attend bespoke British Red Cross training sessions before they join any of our fundraising campaigns.

Monitoring fundraising activities

We have a Quality Assurance Framework that outlines the procedures and requirements in place to ensure our fundraising activities adhere to our high standards. A key pillar of this framework outlines the proportional, risk-based and responsive monitoring in place across our fundraising activity.

Fundraising carried out through professional fundraising agencies is subject to a rigorous programme of audit, monitoring and reporting. This includes regular mystery shopping and shadowing of fundraisers working on our behalf, observing fundraiser training and listening to a representative percentage of fundraising telephone calls. We also attempt to contact every new supporter who has signed up with one of our faceto-face fundraisers to check that the conversation met our high standards.

Treating our supporters and the public fairly

We do not tolerate the use of language or behaviour that intentionally misleads or seeks to pressure people into giving. We also take great care to ensure our fundraising does not cause unreasonable distress or intrusion into someone’s privacy.

We are committed to protecting people who may be in vulnerable circumstances. As part of the measures we take to ensure we treat people fairly and with compassion where this may be the case, we provide

training and guidance to fundraising staff and professional fundraisers to help them recognise and respond to signs that someone may not be able to make an informed decision about supporting us, or that a particular approach may not be suitable for their circumstances.

Our approach to safeguarding people who may be vulnerable has been

developed in consultation with British Red Cross safeguarding staff and is in line with the requirements of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, as well as with the CIoF’s Treating Donors Fairly Guidance, and the Direct Marketing Association’s Guidelines for Dealing with Vulnerable Consumers.

Complaints

We welcome feedback, including complaints, and we value the opportunity to learn from these. The close monitoring of complaints is a key part of how we review our fundraising performance at all levels.

We provide clear routes for people to contact us with concerns, feedback and complaints on our website, and the contact details for our Supporter Care team are included in our mailings and other public-facing materials.

We will formally log a complaint where there has been a potential or actual breach of the fundraising code, a lapse in our high standards, or a concern raised where an investigation has been instigated. We also record expressions of dissatisfaction with our decision to carry out a particular form of fundraising. In 2024, we received 345 complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction. This represents a slight decrease on the previous year and is proportionate to the volume and variety of approaches we made to the public and existing supporters.

We did not have any complaints that were escalated to the Fundraising Regulator for further investigation.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Safeguarding

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Safeguarding

Safeguarding at the British Red Cross

Safeguarding at the British Red Cross is how we prevent and respond to concerns of abuse, exploitation and harm to children, adults and communities who come into contact with us or our partners. This includes our responsibility to safeguard staff and volunteers.

A year of progress

Safeguarding is a complex and evolving area of work. Last year, we made significant strides to continue our development of a strong safeguarding culture and systems. We actively collaborated with sector partners within and outside the Movement to enhance our responses to safeguarding issues.

Global and local initiatives

We continued to work with the IFRC, ICRC and partner National Societies across the world on global, national and local initiatives to promote safeguarding. This included the prevention of, and response to, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Incidents in 2024

In 2024, we supported with, and advised on, over 2,100 safeguarding concerns and queries across our UK and international work, as well as over 1,400 emails and 179 out-of-hours calls. In total, 1,571 of these concerns met our criteria to be reported and recorded on our formal incident management system, Datix.

The majority of these incidents were reported by British Red Cross staff, volunteers and partners during their work within UK communities.

Of the 1,571 cases reported, we ensured that where appropriate we involved external bodies, such as adult or children’s social care. These included 20 that were identified as potentially serious incidents. One of these met our serious incident criteria (as defined by the Charity Commission).

Our work to strengthen our safeguarding

An external review at the end of 2023 validated our ongoing work and helped us to prioritise as we continued to develop our organisational action plan. This drove our activities throughout 2024.

Increased engagement with the board of trustees and the executive leadership team, including regular updates and training, has been a key focus.

Outreach and training

Our outreach efforts continued last year, with regular engagement across the organisation and additional advisers supporting operational teams.

We developed a youth-led version of our safeguarding policy and international safeguarding procedures and guidance. We also updated adult and child safeguarding procedures and guidance documents. We produced guidance to help teams recognise professional boundaries issues and respond appropriately. We also worked with the People team to align procedures and processes.

Our mandatory safeguarding training was revised and relaunched, and staff and volunteers updated their learning. Two specialised international safeguarding training initiatives were also developed: an e-module and a three-day in person course for staff in the international directorate. Knowledge articles were published to allow staff to ‘self-serve’ on less high-risk issues.

We also produced case studies to help teams learn after serious incidents. Safeguarding spotlight sessions helped educate staff and volunteers on various topics throughout the year.

We are continuously developing and expanding our safeguarding representatives’ networks across the organisation. Currently, we have a network of safeguarding representatives in the UK and internationally. We are now focusing on developing a network specifically for our retail operations.

Initiatives and collaborations

Last year, we helped draft and subsequently signed an international safeguarding pledge for the Movement. We also endorsed the Common Approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH). We continued to provide bi-annual data to the Core Humanitarian Standards SEAH Harmonised Reporting Scheme to help understand the scale of safeguarding issues across the sector. We participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme as part of our safer recruitment efforts. We have also coordinated with international colleagues to consider safeguarding risks and mitigations for the Disaster Emergencies Committee’s Middle East Appeal.

Supporting the wider Movement

We continued to support the wider Movement to increase its safeguarding capacity through working groups, research, investigations and case management discussions. We also supported five partnership assessments using the IFRC safeguarding framework. We provided templates and guidance so partner National Societies can document their referral pathways. And we have started to map the various contexts in which we work so our responses to safeguarding concerns can be more efficient, informed and culturally relevant.

Looking ahead

We are in the process of updating our Safeguarding Framework, following our learning in 2024. We have also updated our Action Plan to ensure continuous development and integration of safeguarding throughout the British Red Cross.

We also spent time last year spearheading initiatives to streamline and improve our safer recruitment processes and our due diligence with partners.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Risks

Key risk mitigation activity

Risks

Risk management framework

The British Red Cross is exposed to a range of risks through both the work we do to deliver our mission and the nature of our operational environment, particularly in the context of our work overseas. We have a risk management framework in place to ensure risks are identified, assessed, managed and actively monitored.

This is supported by a risk register in each of our directorates and an overarching corporate risk register, which sets out our top risks and is reviewed regularly by the executive leadership team. Risk management also forms part of our strategic and business planning processes.

The trustees have considered risk by assessing our strategic objectives, particularly in regard to the rise in

the cost of living, cuts to international aid, and international conflicts.

They have also reviewed the risk framework and risk appetite of the organisation to ensure its continued appropriateness, and regularly reviewed the corporate risk register during 2024.

Committees of the board, along with other internal steering groups, provide regular in-year oversight of specific risks. In particular, the board’s risk and assurance committee conduct deep dives to scrutinise the management of key risk areas.

The ‘going concern’ section of the finance review describes how key risks are incorporated in the going concern assessment undertaken by the trustees.

Principal risk

Safeguarding and patient safety

Financial sustainability

Response to emergencies and conflicts

Code of conduct, policy and procedures framework establishing standards and best practice – assessed via Quality Framework inspections.
Pre-engagement checks on staff and volunteers.
- Line management, supervision and monitoring.
- Service/role-specific training for staff and volunteers.
- Communication, training and awareness campaigns.
- Subject-matter experts and whistleblowing hotline.
Reporting procedures, incident management and investigation to promote learning.
- Reserves policy and regular monitoring of reserves position against policy.
- Three-year forecast to assess the annual surplus/deficit and reserves position.
- Investment policy and regular monitoring of cash position and investment approach.
- Diverse income portfolio.
- Governance structure provides strategic and tactical planning and risk oversight.
- Segregated financial control for restricted funds with regular reconciliation and audit.
- Localised financial policies and procedures.
Coordinated international Movement response through our partners.
Validation, audit and assurance from various sources across key activities.

The most significant risks and uncertainties in 2024 were:

Key risk mitigation activity

Principal risk

Cyber security

Resilience and control testing and monitoring.
Third-party cyber risk management.
Training and awareness.
Pro-active security operations and incident management.

Capability and capacity

People programmes (end-to-end talent, career, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity, engagement).
Strategic workforce planning linked to updated recruitment ways of working.
Pay and benefits review.
Volunteer and youth strategy development.

Working with international partners

Health, safety, and security (HSS)

Workstreams to build enhanced capability for emergency preparedness and response.
- Partner due diligence assessments and improvement plans.
- International Quality Methodology and workflow processes for international projects and programmes provides structure and assurance they are safe and inclusive.
In-country risk assessments and monitoring.
Grant Agreement Document template clarifies compliance requirements.
- Health and safety policy annual review and HSS report to the board.
- HSS management procedures – UK and international.
Mandatory health and safety training.
Security monitoring.
Incident reporting system, including a serious incident management process (domestic and overseas).
Annual Planned Preventative Maintenance programme.
Annual plan and budget to drive improvement of fire risk assessment profile.

Governance information

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Governance information

Governance framework

The British Red Cross was founded in 1870 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1908. It is a registered charity in England and Wales, Scotland, Jersey, and the Isle of Man.

A supplemental Royal Charter took effect on 1 January 1998, which was revised by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Council on 17 July 2003.

The governing instruments under which we operate comprise this revised charter, the standing orders and the internal regulations that set out our rules of governance.

Our charitable objectives are to provide assistance to victims of armed conflict and to work for the improvement of health, the prevention of disease, and the prevention and alleviation of human suffering in the UK and throughout the world.

Our board of trustees

The British Red Cross is governed by a board of trustees that has ultimate legal responsibility for our organisation and is responsible for agreeing our overall strategic direction. The board ensures that as an organisation we continue to work towards achieving our vision, using our resources to maximum effect and upholding our fundamental principles and values.

Our trustees are required to act responsibly, reasonably and honestly, and look after the resources that are entrusted to us. They must make sure our assets are only used to support or carry out our purposes as a charity and they must avoid exposing our assets, beneficiaries or reputation to undue risk.

The board can comprise up to seven elected members (chosen from our active volunteer base), and up to six members appointed by the board following an open recruitment process.

Trustees can serve up to two terms of four years each. Our trustees are all unpaid volunteers. Reasonable expenses are reimbursed, consistent with our travel and expenses policy. The board meets at least four times a year.

Trustee attendance at board meetings in 2024 was: 90%

February: 100% April: 85% June: 92% September: 85% November: 77% December: 100%

The board of trustees is committed to ensuring that its members reflect a wide diversity of experience and thought, as well as the communities we serve.

The ongoing development of our trustees is informed by regular trustee appraisals and is delivered through a mixture of service visits, information sessions, and training.

Board committees

While the board collectively retains ultimate responsibility for all decisions taken, it delegates certain responsibilities to its specialist committees. Our committees provide the board with assurance that detailed attention and scrutiny are being afforded to important strategic issues.

Our committees include:

a finance and audit committee that monitors and advises on financial management and internal and external audit matters.
a people committee that supports the board’s oversight of the organisational people (staff and volunteers) strategy and culture development in line with British Red Cross values and fundamental principles.
a risk and assurance committee that ensures that operational and compliance risks are identified, assessed, managed and monitored.

We publish the full list and terms of reference for our committees on our website in the interests of transparency.

Charity Governance Code

The board is committed to achieving sector-leading standards of governance. In 2023, in line with the Charity Governance Code’s recommended practice, we commissioned an external independent evaluation of our governance arrangements. The review found that those arrangements were sound and represented best practice in many areas. As we aspire for excellence through continuous improvement, in 2023-24 we have driven a programme of work to address the key recommendations that emerged from the review. This has included streamlining our committee structure and refreshing our scheme of delegation to support more nimble and empowered decision-making.

Operation and management

The board works closely with the executive leadership team, which is responsible for managing the day-to-day running of the organisation. The executive leadership team meets twice a month and members are invited to attend trustees’ meetings.

The British Red Cross operates in nine British overseas territories. The Bermuda Red Cross, the Cayman Islands Red Cross, the British Virgin Islands Red Cross, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross, and one related trust, the Bermuda Red Cross Charitable Trust are locally incorporated and accounted for as subsidiaries in the British Red Cross group accounts, in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).

The Anguilla Red Cross, the Falklands Islands Red Cross, the Gibraltar Red Cross, the Montserrat Red Cross, and the St Helena Red Cross are accounted for as branches, in line with the SORP.

Also included in the group accounts are the accounts of Britcross Limited, a wholly owned trading subsidiary that donates its trading profits to the British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – the world’s largest humanitarian network, with millions of members and volunteers. The Movement comprises three parts:

the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Governance information

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world, including the British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross is bound by the Movement’s seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. They guarantee the consistency of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its humanitarian work.

Each Society has a responsibility to help vulnerable people within its borders and to work in conjunction with the Movement to protect and support those in crisis worldwide.

The British Red Cross is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation that brings together 15 leading UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas.

Modern slavery in supply chains

As a humanitarian organisation, our aim is always to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the UK and throughout the world, to protect life and health, and to ensure respect and dignity for all people. This is why we remain committed to supporting survivors of human trafficking in the UK and building the Red Cross international response to trafficking. Underpinning this work, we are committed to the prevention of modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains.

Our ambition is to completely eradicate any risks of modern slavery in any part of our supply chain across the organisation. In accordance with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act, we publish an annual slavery and human trafficking statement. The statement sets out our commitment to preventing modern slavery, including steps we will take to address risks of modern slavery in any part of our business or supply chain. It is available here.

Gender pay reporting

We are committed to supporting our female staff to grow their careers in our organisation. Once again, our gender pay gap has decreased, continuing the trend of the last three years. Figures for April 2024 show that it is once again the lowest since pay reporting was introduced in 2017/18. The mean pay gap was 4.65%, a decrease of 1.85% from the previous year and a reduction from 11.5% in 2021. We were proud to report a 0% median

pay gap for April 2023. We can now report a further reduction for April 2024 to -0.65%, with female staff now paid on average 10p higher than male staff. This is a big reduction of the 4.3% gap in 2021.

The reduction in our gender pay gap is due to a number of significant initiatives over the past few years to ensure our career development opportunities are accessible and our recruitment is equitable. We know inclusion goes beyond gender and is about whether people feel a sense of belonging and can be their authentic selves at work. As a result, we have started expanding our reporting to include other characteristics, including ethnicity.

Ethnicity pay reporting

We began reporting on our ethnicity pay gap voluntarily in 2023. Last year, we expanded our measures from our initial research to fully replicate the measures used for other pay gap reporting.

Our ethnicity pay gap continues to decrease overall. In April 2024, our overall mean pay gap was 0.63%, with some staff from minoritised ethnic groups paid more than those who are white because of their seniority. Our overall median pay gap is -10.06%.

We continue to drive initiatives to ensure our recruiting practices and career development are fair, inclusive and anti-racist.

Remuneration policy

The British Red Cross employs almost 4,000 staff in the UK and overseas. The aim of our remuneration policy, which applies to all employees, is to offer remuneration that is fair and appropriate for the roles people perform and the responsibilities they undertake. We employ people whose skills and competences are in demand in a variety of sectors, including the health service, local government and other charities. They require the same levels of professional and occupational qualifications and experience as staff working in these sectors.

The British Red Cross generally expects to pay at a level comparable to that in the not-for-profit and charity sectors. In senior positions this can result in remuneration levels that are below those for similar-sized organisations in the private sector and some areas of the public sector. Information on the grading structure, maximum and minimum remuneration levels for each grade, and all benefits (including pension) are available to all employees.

The levels of salary available, together with other benefits such as annual leave and pensions, are generally reviewed annually. Inputs to the review include: the financial performance of the British Red Cross; information on staff turnover and the pay and benefits in organisations employing comparable workers; organisation budgets and annual plans; and our ambition to be a sustainable and high-performing organisation. Our overall approach to remuneration is based on three key principles: fairness, competitiveness and sustainability.

Annual salary review

In 2024, the British Red Cross implemented an annual pay award which supports our aim to be an employer that is fair, provides competitive salaries to our people and is financially sustainable for our organisation. Since 2022, we have taken a more targeted approach, ensuring market competitiveness and focusing on our lowest-paid employees. This continued in our 2024 pay award, where we made pay increases ranging between 2-4% for all employees. We also aligned our lowest level (1a and 1b) to the most recent external pay benchmark.

We are proud to have reached our ambition of paying the Real Living Wage, rather than just paying the National Living Wage, which we implemented in 2023. The Real Living Wage is calculated based on the salary people need to earn to meet everyday costs.

Pensions scheme

The British Red Cross operates a defined contribution pension scheme, to which all eligible employees are auto-enrolled. Anyone who does not qualify automatically in this way can opt to join the pension scheme at any time. The British Red Cross matches an employee’s contributions to their personal pension fund, to a maximum of 6% of basic salary. The minimum level of employee contribution is 4%.

Staff had previously been entitled to join the British Red Cross Pension Fund (“UK Office scheme”), Scottish Branch British Red Cross Society Retirement Benefits Scheme (“Scottish scheme”) or the TPT Growth Plan. These three schemes are all closed to new entrants. Further details on these closed pension schemes can be found in note 19, pages 67 to 68.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Governance information

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

The following details relate to the executive leadership team as at 31 December 2024:

		Annual pay	Annual pay	Pension
Job title	Key areas of responsibility	2024	2023	entitlement
Chief executive	Leading the organisation, which has an annual income of over	£183,600	£180,000	GPP
	£280m, employs over 4,000 staff and 10,279 volunteers, and
	delivers services and programmes in the UK and globally.
Chief fnance	Responsible for the fnancial leadership of the organisation	£158,100	£155,000	GPP
offcer	and the performance of the social enterprises.
Chief operating	Responsible for the strategy and management of internal	£155,177	£152,134	n/a
offcer	professional and operational/shared services, technology,
	data, property and facilities, and our staff and volunteers.
Executive director	Responsible for developing and delivering cause-aligned	£144,668	£141,831	GPP
of UK operations	products and services to support those at greatest risk in the UK.
Chief supporter	Responsible for supporter marketing and mass	£117,300 ¹	£138,000	GPP
offcer	engagement, high-value fundraising and ensuring effective
	supporter product development, fundraising innovation
	and a rewarding supporter experience.
Executive director of	Responsible for supporter marketing, mass engagement,	£23,460 ¹	£ -	GPP
marketing, fundraising	high-value fundraising, marketing, brand management and
and communications	external messaging and communications.
Executive director of	Responsible for our corporate strategy, cause coordination,	£86,360 ²	£127,000	GPP
communications and	innovation direction and performance management against
external affairs	targets and outcomes. Driven by insight and analytics,
	and communicated through marketing, media, policy research
	and advocacy.
Executive director	Responsible for supporting the delivery of our international	£130,876	£128,309	GPP
of international	programmes and partnerships, humanitarian cash
	assistance, international humanitarian law and policy.

¹ Chief supporter officer role changed on 11 November 2024 to become the executive director of fundraising, marketing and communication following a reorganisation of the executive leadership team.

Public benefit

The board of trustees has given regard to the legislative and regulatory requirements for disclosing how our charitable objectives (as set out in our Royal Charter) have provided benefit to the public. We review our aims, objectives and activities each year, and ensure they remain focused on our charitable objectives. This report outlines how our achievements during 2024 have benefitted the public, either directly or indirectly.

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards).

The law applicable to charities in England, Wales and

Scotland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity 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 judgments 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 the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

the charity’s transactions, 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, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the provisions of the Royal Charter. 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.

On behalf of the trustees, Elizabeth J Padmore chair of the board of trustees.

29 April 2025

² The executive director of communications and external affairs’ employment ended on 31 August 2024.

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate

³ GPP - Group Personal Pension Plan. The British Red Cross matches an employee’s contributions to their personal pension fund, to a maximum of 6% of basic salary. This can be achieved through salary sacrifice and the British Red Cross pays half of the employer National Insurance Contributions saved as a result to the individual’s fund. The chief operating officer has opted out of this pension scheme.

accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Auditor’s report

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Trustees of the British Red Cross Society

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of the British Red Cross Society (‘the charity’) and its subsidiaries (‘the group’) for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the Consolidated statement of financial activities, the consolidated and company balance sheets, the consolidated cashflow statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and the parent charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of the group’s income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and Regulations 6 and 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (amended).

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are

independent of the group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s or the group’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have

performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’ report; or
sufficient and proper accounting records have not been kept by the parent charity or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group and the parent charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Auditor’s report

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011, and section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and report in accordance with the Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations are set out below.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charity and group operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material

amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Charities Act 2011 and The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 together with the Charities SORP (FRS102) 2019. We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charity’s and the group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charity and the group for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context for the UK operations were Charity commission regulations, anti-fraud, bribery and corruption legislation, taxation legislation and employee legislation. We also considered compliance with local legislation for the group’s overseas operating segments.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of grant, contract, DEC and legacy income and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management, internal audit, legal counsel and the Finance and Audit Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission, sample testing of income received in the year and post year end and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards.

For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in

accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and Regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Crowe U.K. LLP Statutory Auditor London

7 May 2025

Crowe U.K. LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Crowe U.K. LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity under regulation 10(2) of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations by virtue of its eligibility under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 Consolidated statement of financial activities For the year ended 31 December 2024

Consolidated statement of fnancial activities For the year ended 31 December 2024
				2024			2023
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	Notes	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
INCOME from:

Donations and legacies	2	95.2	38.1	133.3	93.8	95.0	188.8

Charitable activities

Disasters and emergencies		18.2	0.9	19.1	16.8	4.2	21.0
Displacement and migration		0.4	1.9	2.3	0.5	1.3	1.8
Health and care		32.5	2.5	35.0	35.2	2.5	37.7
Our UK work		51.1	5.3	56.4	52.5	8.0	60.5
Our work across the world		0.3	52.1	52.4	0.6	30.8	31.4
Total income from charitable activities	3	51.4	57.4	108.8	53.1	38.8	91.9

Other trading activities
Retail		37.6	-	37.6	39.7	-	39.7
Other fundraisingactivities		1.6	-	1.6	1.3	0.1	1.4
Rent		0.1	-	0.1	0.1	-	0.1
Total income from other trading activities		39.3	-	39.3	41.1	0.1	41.2

Investments		2.9	1.8	4.7	1.7	2.9	4.6

Other
Miscellaneous income		0.8	0.4	1.2	0.7	1.2	1.9
Net(losses)/gains on disposal of tangible fxed assets		0.3	(0.5)	(0.2)	2.2	-	2.2

Total income		189.9	97.2	287.1	192.6	138.0	330.6

EXPENDITURE on:

Raising funds
Fundraising		31.7	1.0	32.7	36.1	4.5	40.6
Retail		39.5	0.1	39.6	36.6	-	36.6
Total expenditure on raising funds		71.2	1.1	72.3	72.7	4.5	77.2

Charitable activities

Disasters and emergencies		31.3	2.7	34.0	34.7	8.1	42.8
Displacement and migration		20.9	7.9	28.8	20.1	8.3	28.4
Health and care		53.4	5.2	58.6	56.5	6.1	62.6
Our UK work		105.6	15.8	121.4	111.3	22.5	133.8
Our work across the world		22.1	94.5	116.6	15.7	96.0	111.7
Total expenditure on charitable activities		127.7	110.3	238.0	127.0	118.5	245.5


Total expenditure	4	198.9	111.4	310.3	199.7	123.0	322.7

Netgains/(losses)on investments	11	-	5.7	5.7	-	5.9	5.9
Net income /(expenditure)		(9.0)	(8.5)	(17.5)	(7.1)	20.9	13.8

Transfers between funds	7,8	(0.2)	0.2	-	0.4	(0.4)	-

Other recognisedgains /(losses):
Actuarial(losses)/gains on defned beneftpension schemes	19	-	-	-	(8.3)	-	(8.3)

Net movement in funds		(9.2)	(8.3)	(17.5)	(15.0)	20.5	5.5
Total funds at 1 January		116.4	155.0	271.4	131.4	134.5	265.9
Total funds at 31 December	7,8	107.2	146.7	253.9	116.4	155.0	271.4

All the activities relate to continuing operations.

For the parent charity, total income for the year is £283.6m (2023: £327.8m), total expenditure is £306.7m (2023: £320.2m) and net movement in funds is a deficit of £17.4m, 2023 surplus £5.2m.

Consolidated and charity balance sheets At 31 December 2024

		2024	2023	2024	2023
		Group	Group	Charity	Charity
	Notes	£m	£m	£m	£m
NET ASSETS:

Fixed assets
Intangible fxed assets	9	6.3	5.2	6.3	5.2
Tangible fxed assets	10	37.0	42.4	34.9	40.2
Fixed asset investments	11	87.3	81.6	87.3	81.6
Investmentproperties	12	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
		131.4	130.0	129.3	127.8

Current assets
Stocks	13	4.2	3.6	3.8	3.2
Debtors	14	68.4	67.4	71.9	69.9
Investments	11	35.0	30.0	35.0	30.0
Cash at bank and in hand	15	40.2	58.4	36.7	55.8
		147.8	159.4	147.4	158.9

Current liabilities
Creditors: amounts fallingdue within oneyear	16	(25.0)	(17.7)	(24.8)	(17.4)

Net current assets		122.8	141.7	122.6	141.5

Total assets less current liabilities		254.2	271.7	251.9	269.3

Provision for liabilities and charges	17	(1.8)	(1.8)	(1.8)	(1.8)

Net assets beforepension scheme surplus		252.4	269.9	250.1	267.5

Defned beneftpension scheme surplus	19	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5

Net assets		253.9	271.4	251.6	269.0

FUNDS:

Restricted funds	7	146.7	155.0	143.6	151.8

Unrestricted funds held as fxed assets	8	41.2	45.0	41.2	45.0
Defned beneftpension scheme fund	8	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Designated funds	8	-	14.0	-	14.0
Free reserves	8	64.5	55.9	65.3	56.7

Unrestricted funds		107.2	116.4	108.0	117.2
Total funds		253.9	271.4	251.6	269.0

The notes on pages 59 to 71 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the board of trustees on 29 April 2025 and signed on its behalf by

Elizabeth J Padmore

Mark Beddy

Chair, finance and audit committee 29 April 2025

Chair, board of trustees 29 April 2025

An update in our strategy has lead to some minor changes to how our charitable activities are now categorised. The results for 2024 and 2023 reflect the changes in categorisation of our charitable activities. 2023 comparatives have been restated, however total charitable activities figure remain unchanged.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Consolidated cash flow statement For the year ended 31 December 2024

		2024	2023
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS	Notes	£m	£m
Cash fows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities		(16.0)	4.0

Cash fows from investing activities:
Purchase of current asset investments	11	(35.0)	(50.0)
Proceeds from sale of fxed asset investments	11	-	15.8
Proceeds from sale of current asset investments	11	30.0	40.0
Purchase of fxed assetinvestments	11	-	(30.7)
Proceedsfromsale oftangiblefxed assets		2.5	2.3
Purchase of tangiblefxed assets	10	(1.7)	(1.1)
Purchase of intangible assets	9	(2.7)	(2.3)
Investment income		4.7	4.6

Net cash provided by investing activities		(2.2)	(21.4)

Change incash and cash equivalents in the reporting period		(18.2)	(17.4)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period		58.4	75.8

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period		40.2	58.4
		2024	2023
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents		£m	£m
Cashatbankandin hand	15	7.0	14.1
Moneymarket funds	15	18.2	24.3
Bankshort-termdeposits	15	15.0	20.0

Total		40.2	58.4
		2024	2023
		£m	£m
Reconciliation of net income to net cash fow from operating activities

Net (expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statementof fnancial activities)		(17.5)	13.8
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges	10	4.3	4.6
Amortisation charges	9	1.5	1.7
Impairment loss on intangible assets	9	-	2.7
Investment income		(4.7)	(4.6)
Net(gains)/losses on investments		(5.7)	(5.9)
Net losses/(gains)on disposal of tangible fxed assets		0.2	(2.2)
(Increase)/decrease in stocks		(0.6)	1.9
(Increase)/decrease in debtors		(1.0)	(4.1)
Increase/(decrease)in creditors: amounts fallingdue within oneyear		7.5	(3.6)
Increase/(decrease)inprovision for liabilities and charges		-	0.1
Net charges for defned beneftpension scheme		-	(0.4)

Net cashprovided by operating activities		(16.0)	4.0

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies

(a) Scope and basis of the financial statements

The British Red Cross constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of investments at market value, and are in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (‘the SORP’), FRS 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (‘FRS 102’), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The going concern assessment undertaken by the board of trustees involves consideration of financial and cashflow projections, which has concluded that the British Red Cross has sufficient resources to continue in operation for at least a year from the date of signing this Trustees’ Report and Accounts and for the foreseeable future. Financial forecasts for the next three years project that the British Red Cross has sufficient cash and other resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. These forecasts are prepared applying sensitivity analysis and by stress testing for scenarios to determine the potential impact of different financial and operational risks. Robust monitoring and mitigation processes are established to enable a rapid reaction to any material detrimental impacts from those risks. The society’s investments are held in sufficiently liquid assets to ensure easy access to resources if needed. For these reasons, the board of trustees continues to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared to give a true and fair view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the SORP rather than Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (revised 2005) which has been withdrawn.

The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with FRS 102 requires the trustees to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts in the financial statements. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement, or areas where assumptions or estimates were significant to the financial statements are described at (q) below.

The financial statements incorporate the results of all material activities overseas where the British Red Cross has operational responsibility. The results and net assets of British Red Cross operations in five British overseas branches have been included in the financial statements.

The results and balance sheets of the British Red Cross’ subsidiary undertakings, Britcross Limited, the Bermuda Red Cross Charitable Trust, Bermuda Red Cross, Cayman Islands Red Cross, the Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross and the British Virgin Islands Red Cross, have been consolidated on a line-by-line basis. All subsidiary undertakings prepare accounts to 31 December.

A separate statement of financial activities has not been presented for the charity alone, as this is not considered to be materially different from the consolidated statement of financial activities (SOFA).

For the parent charity, total income and expenditure for the year and net movement in funds are shown under the SOFA at page 53.

(b) Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general charitable objectives. A pension reserve is included within unrestricted funds to reflect the pension surplus. Designated funds are a portion of the unrestricted funds that have been set aside for a particular purpose by the trustees.

Restricted funds are donated for either a particular geographical area or purpose, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose. Such donations are principally for international purposes. These include grants and contracts from institutions for the provision of specific activities or services. Restricted funds are held as investments, pooled together with general reserve investments, until expenditure is incurred.

(c) Income

Income is recognised in the period in which entitlement is established, when economic benefit is probable, and the value can be measured reliably. Income received in advance of providing goods and services in future periods is deferred and recognised as a creditor within the balance sheet.

Recognition of legacy income depends on the type of legacy.

Residuary legacy income is recognised from date of probate where a reliable estimate of income can be calculated as at the year-end date. Changes in estimates notified after the year-end date will be reflected in the year-end accounts only where it is clear that the information was available as at the year-end date. Other changes in estimates notified after the year-end date will be disclosed in note 1 (q). We do not recognise residuary legacies where there is evidence of uncertainty of receipt.

Income from will trusts or reversionary trusts is not recognised until the life interest has passed away.

Income from pecuniary legacies is recognised upon notification by the executor that a legacy is payable or upon notification of grant of probate, whichever is sooner.

Donations are recognised when income is receivable. Gift Aid income on donations is accrued when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Gifts donated for resale are included as income when they are sold. Donated assets and services are included at the value to the British Red Cross where this can be reliably quantified. Gifts in kind for onward distribution are included at fair value and are recognised as income and stock when they are received from donors and in expenditure when they are distributed to beneficiaries. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), no amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers, including professional services provided directly by volunteers.

Trading income is recognised on point of sale for both donated and purchased goods. Gift Aid income claimed under the UK Retail Gift Aid scheme is estimated and accrued at the point of sale.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Income from government grants is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds and any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met. This may result in accrued income being recognised as a debtors in our balance sheet.

Income from Disasters and Emergencies Committee (DEC) appeals is recognised in the year that the amount of the allocation of the appeal income is confirmed by the DEC to the British Red Cross.

(d) Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure is recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the British Red Cross to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Direct costs are those specifically related to producing the output of an activity, for example the costs incurred in direct contact with beneficiaries.

Expenditure on charitable activities includes grants payable and costs incurred directly by the British Red Cross in the furtherance of its charitable objectives, along with associated support costs. Grants payable to partner organisations are part of the costs of activities in furtherance of the objects of the charity. This is because much of the charity’s programme activity is carried out through grants to local organisations that support long-term sustainable programmes which are monitored by the charity. Grants are also made to fund immediate emergency relief in times of crisis, catastrophe or natural disaster.

Support costs are those which provide indirect support to frontline output provision – examples are central finance, human resources, governance costs and information and digital technology. Support costs not attributable to a single activity have been allocated on a basis consistent with identified cost drivers for that cost category, such as staff head count, floor space and expenditure.

(e) Tangible and intangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets and depreciation All tangible fixed assets which individually cost more than £1,000 are capitalised and included at cost, including any incidental expenses of acquisition and irrecoverable VAT. However, if components of equipment (e.g. office furnishings or computers) are acquired with individual unit costs below the capitalisation threshold but with collective costs exceeding £1,000 and anticipated asset lives in excess of two years, then these groups of assets are collectively capitalised at the time of purchase. Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis over their useful economic lives as follows:

Freehold buildings 50 years Leasehold buildings

Leasehold buildings the shorter of the term of the lease and 50 years Freehold building improvements ten years Leasehold building improvements the shorter of the term of the lease and ten years Ambulances the shorter of useful life and seven years Other vehicles the shorter of useful life and five years E ui ment and furniture ears q p five y Com uter e ui ment and software ears p q p between two and five y Freehold land nil Assets in course of construction nil

Intangible fixed assets and amortisation

Intangible assets are held on the balance sheet at cost less accumulated amortisation and impairment losses. IT software, websites and licences are capitalised as an intangible asset and amortised on a straight-line basis over the expected useful life of three to five years.

Impairment

Impairment reviews are conducted in respect of tangible and intangible fixed assets when events and changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. If any asset is found to have a carrying value higher than its recoverable amount it is written down accordingly.

(f) Financial instruments

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the British

Red Cross becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. All financial assets and liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including transaction costs). The British Red Cross only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered and after any bad debt provisions. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. Creditors and provisions are recognised where the British Red Cross has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

(g) Pensions

The British Red Cross operates defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes.

Defined benefit pension schemes

Pension assets and liabilities are recorded in line with FRS 102, with scheme valuations undertaken by independent actuaries. FRS 102 measures the value of pension assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date and determines the benefits accrued in the year and the interest on assets and liabilities.

Current service costs, together with the net interest cost for the year, are allocated to relevant expenditure headings within the SOFA.

Scheme assets are measured at fair value at the balance sheet date. Scheme liabilities are measured on an actuarial basis at the balance sheet date using the projected unit method and discounted at a rate equivalent to the current rate of return on a high-quality corporate bond of equivalent term to the scheme liabilities.

The change in value of assets and liabilities arising from asset valuation, changes in benefits, actuarial assumptions, or change in the level of deficit attributable to members is recognised in the consolidated statement of financial activities within actuarial gains/losses on defined benefit pension schemes.

The resulting defined benefit asset or liability is presented separately on the face of the balance sheet. The British Red Cross recognises assets for its defined benefit pension schemes to the extent that they are considered recoverable through reduced contributions in the future, or through refunds from the scheme.

Defined contribution pension schemes

Pension costs in respect of defined contribution schemes are charged to the SOFA for the period in which they are payable. Such costs are allocated to activities and between funds according to an employee’s normal job function.

(h) Investments

Fixed and current asset investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. The SOFA shows net investment gains and losses arising from revaluation of the investment portfolio and disposals during the year.

Funds not immediately required are invested in a combination of longand medium-term low-risk funds and short-term deposits. Fixed asset investments are made for periods in excess of three years. Mediumterm investments are normally classed as fixed asset investments and made for periods of one to three years. Short-term investments are for immediate funding requirements, are usually classed as current assets and include term deposits invested for terms in excess of 90 days and up to one year (see note 11).

(i) Investment properties

Investment properties held for their investment potential are recorded at fair value. Unrealised revaluation gains and losses are credited or charged to the SOFA in the year of revaluation. No provision is made for depreciation of investment properties. A triennial review of the carrying value of investment properties is performed at the balance sheet date. This involves a professional valuation of properties by an independent valuer at arm’s length.

(j) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes interest and non-interest bearing accounts held with banks and similar institutions. Cash equivalents comprise money-market funds deposited for immediate access or funds deposited for a term of up to 90 days. These are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and that are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

(k) Stocks

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Provision is made for obsolete, slow-moving or defective stock where appropriate. As it is not practical to value items donated for resale on receipt, they are not recognised in the financial statements until they are sold.

Emergency stocks held for disaster response are transferred from stock to expenditure when issued from the warehouse. Undistributed gifts in kind are recognised on the balance sheet as stocks at the fair value of those gifts.

(l) Taxation

Irrecoverable value added tax is allocated to the category of expenditure to which it relates.

As a registered charity, the British Red Cross is entitled to certain exemptions from corporation tax on profits from investments and any trading activities carried on in furtherance of the charity’s primary objectives. The subsidiary company makes qualifying donations of all taxable profits to the British Red Cross and thus does not incur corporation tax. Costs are recorded net of recoverable VAT as the British Red Cross is able to reclaim a proportion of VAT paid, because of its trading activities, using the partial exemption method.

(m) Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the British Red Cross has a legal or

constructive financial obligation that can be reliably estimated and for which it is more than probable that the payment will be made. The main categories of obligations the British Red Cross will recognise are:

Dilapidations – arising where property leases oblige the British Red Cross to cover the cost of restoring retail and office properties to their original condition when ending its occupation as those leases terminate.

Organisational restructuring – arising where the British Red Cross incurs costs associated with restructuring or reorganising its UK or international operations. These could include redundancy payments that are payable when employment is terminated before the normal retirement date or end of employment contract. Redundancy costs are recognised at the earlier of when the British Red Cross can no longer withdraw the offer of the benefits or when the group recognises any related restructuring costs.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Accounting policies (continued)

(n) Operating leases

Rentals under operating leases are charged on a straight-line basis over the lease terms, even if the payments are not made on such a basis. Benefits received and receivable as an incentive to sign an operating lease are, similarly, spread on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

(o) Foreign currencies

The British Red Cross uses forward exchange contracts to hedge some of its known foreign exchange exposure. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate of exchange prevailing at the date of the transaction, except where a forward contract is in place, in which case the rate specified in the contract is used.

Monetary assets and liabilities are translated into sterling at the exchange rate ruling on the balance sheet date, except where a forward contract is in place, in which case the relevant asset/liability is translated at the rate contained in the contract.

Foreign exchange gains are recognised as other income and foreign exchange losses are recognised in the consolidated statement of financial activities within the relevant charitable activity expenditure for the period in which they are incurred.

(p) Programme commitments

The British Red Cross regularly pledges support to programmes led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Committee of the Red Cross or other National Societies. Where full payment of the pledges is contingent on the outcome of British Red Cross reviews of the programmes, these programme commitments are contingent liabilities and therefore not recognised on the balance sheet.

(q) Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the Group’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements (other than those involving estimations) that have a significant impact on the amounts recognised and to make

estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on a combination of historical experience, professional expert advice and other factors considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

Critical judgements in applying the Group’s accounting policies

The following are the critical judgements, apart from those involving estimations, which the trustees have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Grant income (see note 3): the critical judgements involved in the recognition of grant income are over whether grants have performance conditions attached to them which have to be met before income can be recognised, as well as judgement over whether or not those conditions have been satisfied.

The British Red Cross receives grants which may be passed on to other Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or parts of the global network or other providers. The British Red Cross considers it is acting as principal in these transactions where it has discretion about the use to which the funds received are put or where the grant funder has recourse to the British Red Cross.

Key sources of estimation uncertainty

The following are considered to be the key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the balance sheet date, which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

Accrued legacy income (see note 14): The legacy income receivable amounts to £38.7m at the year-end (2023: £32.4m). The income is recognised on a receivable basis when the charity is entitled to the legacy, receipt is probable, and the value can be estimated with sufficient accuracy. The critical judgement involved in the recognition of legacy.

Other increases and decreases in legacy income notified after the year-end date and not reflected in the year-end financial statements, in line with the Accounting Policy note 1 (c) were a net increase of £1.7m (2023: £1.2m).

Income is around whether the recognition criteria are met. The key

sources of estimation uncertainty are in relation to the value of the legacy, and the legal fees and other liabilities, which are estimated based on the best information available at the balance sheet date. Due to the uncertainty associated with such items, there is a possibility that, on conclusion of open matters at a future date, the final outcome may differ significantly.

Defined benefit pension schemes (see note 19): The defined benefit pension scheme surplus amounts to £1.5m at the year-end (2023: £1.5m). Estimates of the pension scheme surplus depend on a number of complex estimates and assumptions related to the discount rate, mortality rates, inflation rates, changes in retirement ages and asset returns. The Group engages actuaries to provide expert advice about actuarial assumptions made and the effect on the pension scheme surplus of changes in those assumptions, based on FRS 102 requirements and their knowledge of the pension schemes. It is reasonably possible, based on existing knowledge, that outcomes within the next financial year that are different from assumptions could require a material adjustment to the carrying amount of the affected asset.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

2. Donations and legacies

			2024			2023
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

Regulargiving	29.1	1.1	30.2	29.2	1.4	30.6
Public donations, appeals andfundraising	15.4	29.3	44.7	16.4	68.5	84.9
Donationsto services	0.2	-	0.2	0.5	-	0.5
Giftaid	7.9	1.1	9.0	7.4	5.2	12.6
Legacies	42.6	1.6	44.2	40.3	0.9	41.2
DisastersEmergency Committee appeals	-	5.0	5.0	-	19.0	19.0

Total	95.2	38.1	133.3	93.8	95.0	188.8

Legacy income is recognised in accordance with Accounting Policy note 1 (c). The estimated value of legacies, which have been notified, but not recognised at 31 December 2024 was £7.4m (2023: £9.0m) of which £3.9m (2023: £4.1m) are assets bequeathed to the British Red Cross, but subject to life tenancy.

During 2024, gifts in kind of £1.9m (2023: £0.2m) were received, in respect of donated SIM cards from Vodafone aimed at connecting vulnerable people with family and friends.

Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal income recognised is £5.0m, (2023: £19.0m). DEC appeals for Ukraine, Afghanistan, Türkiye and Pakistan reached maturity during 2024 with smaller allocations given to the British Red Cross. The only DEC appeal to launch during 2024 was for Gaza and the British Red Cross received £2.5m of allocated income.

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

4. Expenditure

	Direct		Support	2024	Direct		Support	2023
	Costs	Grants	Costs	Total	Costs	Grants	Costs	Total
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Raising funds
Fundraising	28.7	-	4.0	32.7	36.1	-	4.5	40.6
Retail	34.2	-	5.4	39.6	31.7	-	4.9	36.6
	62.9	-	9.4	72.3	67.8	-	9.4	77.2
Charitable activities

Our UK work
Disasters and emergencies	26.5	0.1	7.4	34.0	31.7	2.0	9.1	42.8
Displacement and migration	23.6	-	5.2	28.8	23.2	0.1	5.1	28.4
Health and care	47.7	-	10.9	58.6	49.8	-	12.8	62.6
	97.8	0.1	23.5	121.4	104.7	2.1	27.0	133.8
Our work across the world	24.8	82.8	9.0	116.6	24.4	78.0	9.3	111.7

	122.6	82.9	32.5	238.0	129.1	80.1	36.3	245.5

Total	185.5	82.9	41.9	310.3	196.9	80.1	45.7	322.7

The basis of allocation of support costs is described in note 1(d) and further analysis is provided in note 5. It is not appropriate to split support costs between direct costs and grants due to the dual role played by programme support functions.

Our total expenditure includes irrecoverable VAT of £1.9m (2023: £3.1m) and fees to auditors for audit of financial statements of £0.15m (2023: £0.14m).

3. Income from charitable activities

	Contracts		2024	Contracts		2023
	and fees	Grants	Total	and fees	Grants	Total
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Our UK work
Disasters and emergencies	18.3	0.8	19.1	16.9	4.1	21.0
Displacement and migration	1.1	1.2	2.3	1.1	0.7	1.8
Health and care	33.3	1.7	35.0	35.2	2.5	37.7
	52.7	3.7	56.4	53.2	7.3	60.5

Our work across the world	0.3	52.1	52.4	0.8	30.6	31.4

Total	53.0	55.8	108.8	54.0	37.9	91.9

The results for 2024 and 2023 reflect the changes in categorisation of our charitable activities. 2023 comparatives have been restated, however total charitable activities expenditure remains the unchanged. This is also reflected in note 5.

Grants	2024	2023
Grant recipient	(£m)	(£m)

International Federation of Red Cross(IFRC)and Red Crescent Societies	28.4	50.9
International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC)	1.9	3.2
Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies	51.1	23.6
Othergrants	1.5	2.4

Total	82.9	80.1

International grant income includes grants from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) totalling £49.6m, (2023 £28.7m)

i) £8.8m (2023 £9.0m) received as part of the Internatioal Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies Institutional Strategy Agreement with FCDO.

ii) £14.9m (2023 £7.0m) received to support the Ukraine crisis.

iii) £8.1m (2023 £5.3m) to support other emergency response programmes.

iv) £2.0m (2023 £2.0m) as part of the Movement Core Funding with FCDO.

v) £15.8m (2023 £5.4m) to support long-term programmes in regions including East and West Africa

There are no unfulfilled conditions or other contingencies attached to these grants.

The results for 2024 and 2023 reflect the changes in categorisation of our charitable activities. 2023 comparatives have been restated, however total charitable activities income remains the unchanged.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

4 Expenditure (continued) Grants

		2024	2023
		Total	Total
Grant Recipients	Purpose	£m	£m

International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies

IFRC	Movement Core FundingJBC 2021-24	8.9	9.1
IFRC	Zimbabwe Cholera Response	3.8	0.1
IFRC	Movement Contributions ESTA	2.9	2.9
IFRC	Pakistan Monsoon Flood 2022	2.3	1.2
IFRC	FCDO Afghanistan SHAPE Programme 2024-2026	1.5	-
IFRC	Risk-informed EarlyAction Partnership (REAP)	1.3	-
IFRC	Ukraine Crisis 2022	0.9	14.9
IFRC	Israel and Occupied Palestinian TerritoryAppeal 2023	0.8	0.5
IFRC	EnhancingHD in Europe Region	0.5	-
IFRC	Multilateral M&D and NSD Support to MRCS via IFRC	0.5	-
IFRC	HEFgrant to Zambia Cholera Outbreak	0.5	-
IFRC	Morocco Earthquake	0.5	0.5
IFRC	Vietnam Cyclone Yagi Response 2024	0.5	-
IFRC	Multilateral M&D and NSD Support to PRC via IFRC	0.4	-
IFRC	Africa Mpox Outbreak 2024	0.4	-
IFRC	Libya Floods EmergencyAppeal	0.4	0.4
IFRC	Storm Boris 2024	0.3	-
IFRC	Bangladesh Population Movement 2017	0.3	-
IFRC	Movement Contributions W&C Africa and OSBs	0.2	0.2
IFRC	Sudan Confict 2023	0.2	0.2
IFRC	Nigeria Diptheria Outbreak	0.2	-
IFRC	Movement Contributions E&S Africa	0.2	0.1
IFRC	Support to the Movement	0.1	-
IFRC	Movement Contributions - FSL	0.1	0.1
IFRC	Mediterranean Migration and Displacement	0.1	0.1
IFRC	DM and WASH Support to Vulnerable Communities in Yemen	0.1	0.1
IFRC	Asia Regional DRR/CCA Project	0.1	-
IFRC	Hurricane Beryl 2024	0.1	-
IFRC	Kenya and Uganda Jengu HandwashingUnit Study	0.1	-
IFRC	Sahel Hunger Prevention Programme	0.1	0.1
IFRC	Nigeria NS Development	0.1	0.1
IFRC	Afghanistan Crisis 2021: Afghanistan in-countryonly	-	7.7
IFRC	Türkiye - Syria Earthquake Appeal	-	11.6
IFRC	Somalia Hunger Crisis Appeal	-	0.3
IFRC	Movement Contributions Asia	-	0.1
IFRC	Uganda Ebola Outbreak 2022	-	0.1
IFRC	Sri Lanka Complex Emergency2022	-	0.1
IFRC	Philippines Cyclone Rai/Odette 2021	-	0.1
IFRC	East Africa SafeguardingProject	-	0.1
IFRC	RDRT East & Southern Africa	-	0.1
IFRC	Various	-	0.1
		28.4	50.9

		2023	2022
		Total	Total
Grant Recipients	Purpose	£m	£m

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
ICRC	Ukraine Crisis 2022	1.1	-
ICRC	Yemen Red Crescent Cash Preparedness	0.5	0.4
ICRC	Libya Floods EmergencyAppeal	0.4	0.7
ICRC	Somalia National SocietyDevelopment Initiative(NSDI)	0.1	0.1
ICRC	Lebanon Livelihood ‘Flagship’ 2021-2022	(0.2)	0.3
ICRC	Israel and Occupied Palestian TerritoryAppeal 2023	-	1.2
ICRC	Sudan Confict 2023	-	0.4
ICRC	Various	-	0.1
		1.9	3.2

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

4 Expenditure (continued) Grants

Grant Recipients Purpose Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies	2024 Total £m 2023 Total £m 2.8 4.3 - - - - - 0.7 0.4 - 0.6 0.1 - - - 0.4 0.4 1.5 - - - 0.4 1.1 - - - - - - - - - 0.1 - - - - 0.6 - - - 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 7.8 23.6 1.1 0.8 0.5 2.4 80.1 12.9 6.6 5.7 4.3 3.0 2.4 2.1 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - - - 2.8 51.1 1.4 0.1 - 1.5 82.9	2024 Total £m 2023 Total £m 2.8 4.3 - - - - - 0.7 0.4 - 0.6 0.1 - - - 0.4 0.4 1.5 - - - 0.4 1.1 - - - - - - - - - 0.1 - - - - 0.6 - - - 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 7.8 23.6 1.1 0.8 0.5 2.4 80.1 12.9 6.6 5.7 4.3 3.0 2.4 2.1 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 - - - - - - - 2.8 51.1 1.4 0.1 - 1.5 82.9

Ukrainian Red Cross Society FCDO Support to URCS One Plan 2023-2024
Syrian ArabRed Crescent Türkiye-SyriaEarthquakeAppeal
Danish Red Cross Society Ethiopia CrisistoResilience
Danish Red Cross Society FCDO Support to URCS OnePlan 2023-2024
Ukrainian Red Cross Society Bilateralsupport to URCS- 2024
LebaneseRed Cross Israeland OccupiedPalestinian TerritoryAppeal 2023
NetherlandsRed Cross Ethiopia CrisistoResilience
LebaneseRed Cross LRCFramework Agreement 2022-23
KenyaRed Cross Society IntegratedFood Security andLivelihoodsKenya
Ethopian Red Cross Society Ethiopia CrisistoResilience
French Red Cross Sahel Hunger Prevention Programme
LebaneseRed Cross Society Türkiye-SyriaEarthquakeAppeal
French Red Cross AfricaMpoxOutbreak 2024
Bangladesh Red CrescentSociety BangladeshCyclone Season 2024
Red Cross ofChad Sahel Migration Programme
French Red Cross Sahel Migration Programme
Nigerian Red Cross Society NigeriaDisaster Management
PalestineRed CresentSociety Israeland OccupiedPalestinian TerritoryAppeal 2023
SierraLeoneRed Cross Society IntegratedResilienceProgramme
LebaneseRed Cross LRC-ICRC-BRCFlagshipPhase 32023-25
KenyaRed Cross Society KenyaEmergencyFund
Nepal Red Cross Society Nepal Health Inequalities & ClimateAdaptation
Norwegian Red Cross BRC Support to SARC2022-2023
Syrian ArabRed Crescent BRC Support to SARC2022-2023
Baphalali Eswatini(Swaziland)Red Cross Society Eswatini - NationalSocietyDevelopment
KenyaRed Cross Society KenyaPeer-to-Peer NSD
Baphalali Eswatini(Swaziland)Red Cross Society Eswatini -SilelePhase2 - PPL
French Red Cross WCA FbF EAPCapacityBuilding
Swedish Red Cross Bangladesh Population Movement2017
Nepal Red Cross Society Nepal Karnali Earthquake2023
Bangladesh Red CrescentSociety Bangladesh Adaption toRisingFloodRisk
Danish Red Cross Society LRSupport toIDPandRefugee Communitiesin Iraq
KenyaRed Cross Society KenyaNatureBased Solutions
Nepal Red Cross Society EarlyLivelihoodRecovery andResilienceIn Nepal
ZimbabweRed Cross Society Zimbabwe- NationalSocietyDevelopment
Red Cross ofChad SudanConfict 2023
German Red Cross YemenComplex Emergency2014
Italian Red Cross Italian Red Cross– Disaster Preparedness
Bangladesh Red CrescentSociety BangladeshUKAMGrant Management
Baphalali Eswatini(Swaziland)Red Cross Society Eswatini: Disaster ManagementandResilience
Nepal Red Cross Society Nepal Flood andLandslideResponse2024
Romanian Red Cross Bilateral M&DandNSDSupport toRRC
Danish Red Cross Society DRC-supportedYRCSPrimaryHealthCentres
Magen DavidAdom Israeland OccupiedPalestinian TerritoryAppeal 2023
German Red Cross Yemen Emergency Obstetrics Care UnitHajjah
Netherlands Red Cross Society Ethiopia Hunger Crisis 2022
Kenya Red Cross Society Kenya Drought 2021
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Bangladesh V2R in Cox’s Bazar
Danish Red Cross Society Kassala SafeHouses
KenyaRed Cross Society StrenghteningEarlyResponse Capacity
Various Various

Other Grants
Various recipients
Various recipients
NAVCA


Total

	PREVIOUS	NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

5. Support costs by activity

6. Subsidiaries

Britcross Limited

					Our work
	Raising	Disasters and	Displacement	Health and	across the	2024	Main
	funds	emergencies	and migration	care	world	Total	allocation
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	basis

Finance	1.9	0.7	0.5	1.2	3.1	7.4	Expenditure %
Human resources	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.5	0.1	1.1	FTE
Informationand digitaltechnology	3.5	4.0	3.3	6.0	1.5	18.3	No of PCs
Central management	0.1	0.1	-	0.1	0.2	0.5	Expenditure %
Governance	0.6	0.3	0.2	0.5	1.3	2.9	Expenditure %
Property	1.5	0.9	0.1	0.7	-	3.2	FloorSpace/Expenditure %
Othersupport cost	1.7	1.2	0.9	1.9	2.8	8.5	Expenditure %

Total	9.4	7.4	5.2	10.9	9.0	41.9

					Our work
	Raising	Disasters and	Displacement	Health and	across the	2023	Main
	funds	emergencies	and migration	care	world	Total	allocation
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	basis

Finance	1.3	0.6	0.4	0.8	1.9	5.0	Expenditure %
Human resources	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.7	0.1	1.4	FTE
Information and digital technology	3.5	4.6	2.8	7.5	1.7	20.1	No of PC's
Central management	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.4	1.0	Expenditure %
Governance	0.3	0.5	0.3	0.6	1.4	3.1	Expenditure %
Property	1.4	0.9	0.1	0.7	-	3.1	Floor Space/Expenditure %
Other support costs	2.6	2.0	1.2	2.4	3.8	12.0	Expenditure %

Total	9.4	9.1	5.1	12.8	9.3	45.7

Support costs have been allocated on the basis of the accounting policy set out in note 1 (d).

Governance costs relate to the running of the charity, allowing the charity to operate and generate the information required for public accountability. They include the costs of subscriptions related to membership of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement of £2.0m (2023: £1.9m), as well as the costs of trustee meetings and internal and external audits.

An update in our strategy has lead to some minor changes to how our charitable activities are now categorised. The cost allocation model has been updated to reflect this change in 2024 and 2023.

Britcross Limited, the British Red Cross’ wholly owned trading subsidiary incorporated in the UK (company number 00932598), engages in the sale of cards and gifts as well as receiving corporate sponsorship in aid of the British Red Cross.

	2024	2023
The income and expenditure of Britcross Limited included within the consolidated statement of fnancial activities are:	£m	£m

Income	2.5	1.7
Expenditure	(1.3)	(0.9)

Net income donated to British Red Cross	1.2	0.8
	2024	2023
The assets and liabilities of Britcross Limited consolidated within the balance sheet are:	£m	£m

Current assets	2.3	1.6
Current liabilities	(2.3)	(1.6)

Net assets	-	-

Overseas subsidiaries

The British Red Cross has five wholly owned overseas subsidiaries: Bermuda Red Cross Charitable Trust, Bermuda Red Cross, Cayman Islands Red Cross, Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross and British Virgin Islands Red Cross.

The income and expenditure of the overseas subsidiaries included within the consolidated statement of financial activities are:

2024 £m 2023 £m Bermuda Red Cross Charitable Trust	Bermuda Red Cross	2024 £m 2023 £m Cayman Islands Red Cross	Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross	2024 £m 2023 £m British Virgin Islands Red Cross
	2024 £m 2023 £m		2024 £m 2023 £m

Income 0.1 0.1	0.5 0.5	1.1 0.9	0.2 0.2	0.3 0.3
Expenditure (0.1) (0.2)	(0.3) (0.6)	(1.1) (0.7)	(0.2) (0.2)	(0.4) (0.2)

Net income/(expenditure) incorporated in group accounts - (0.1)	0.2 (0.1)	- 0.2	- -	(0.1) 0.1

The assets and liabilities of overseas subsidiaries consolidated within the balance sheet are:

2024 £m 2023 £m Bermuda Red Cross Charitable Trust	Bermuda Red Cross	Cayman Islands Red Cross	Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross	British Virgin Islands Red Cross
	2024 £m 2023 £m	2024 £m 2023 £m	2024 £m 2023 £m	2024 £m 2023 £m

Fixed assets 0.9 1.0	- -	0.6 0.6	- -	0.5 0.6
Currentassets - -	0.3 0.2	1.2 1.2	- -	0.1 0.2
Current liabilities (0.1) -	- -	- -	- -	(0.1) (0.1)

Net assets 0.8 1.0	0.3 0.2	1.8 1.8	- -	0.5 0.7

There are five overseas branches (Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat and St Helena) which are included in the results of the charity as branches.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Restricted funds

	Balance			Net		Balance
	1 January			investment		31 December
	2024	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	2024
Group	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m


Ukraine-UK operations	3.6	-	(1.6)	-	1.1	3.1
PPL Partnership Management	1.0	3.1	(0.1)	-	(2.8)	1.2
Vodafone SIM Card Gift in Kind	0.3	1.9	(1.3)	-	-	0.9
Afghanistan-UK operations	0.5	-	(0.5)	-	0.2	0.2
Covid 19 Hardship Fund	0.1	-	(0.1)	-	-	-
Other UK restricted funds	17.3	10.4	(13.5)	5.7	1.4	21.3

Total UK restricted funds	22.8	15.4	(17.1)	5.7	(0.1)	26.7

Ukraine Crisis	59.6	3.0	(3.6)	-	(2.7)	56.3
Türkiye-Syria Earthquake	22.5	1.8	(7.7)	-	-	16.6
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory	5.5	13.4	(5.7)	-	0.6	13.8
Overseas branches and subsidiaries	4.1	2.5	(2.6)	-	-	4.0
Morocco Earthquake	5.9	0.5	(0.9)	-	(0.7)	4.8
Pakistan Floods	5.3	0.3	(3.2)	-	-	2.4
Libya Floods	2.9	0.5	(0.8)	-	(0.5)	2.1
Afghanistan Crisis	2.4	0.1	(0.2)	-	(0.2)	2.1
Syria and Region Crisis	1.8	0.2	(1.5)	-	(0.1)	0.4
Movement Core Funding JBC 2021-24	0.7	11.0	(9.6)	-	(1.7)	0.4
Other international restricted funds	17.4	44.9	(58.1)	-	10.2	14.4

Total international restricted funds	128.1	78.2	(93.9)	-	4.9	117.3
Disaster Fund	4.1	3.6	(0.4)	-	(4.6)	2.7
Total restricted funds	155.0	97.2	(111.4)	5.7	0.2	146.7

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Restricted funds (continued)

	Balance			Net		Balance
	1 January			investment		31 December
	2024	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	2024
Charity	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m


Ukraine-UK operations	3.6	-	(1.6)	-	1.1	3.1
PPL Partnership Management	1.0	3.1	(0.1)	-	(2.8)	1.2
Vodafone SIM Card Gift in Kind	0.3	1.9	(1.3)	-	-	0.9
Afghanistan-UK operations	0.5	-	(0.5)	-	0.2	0.2
Covid 19 Hardship Fund	0.1	-	(0.1)	-	-	-
Other UK restricted funds	17.3	10.4	(13.5)	5.7	1.4	21.3

Total UK restricted funds	22.8	15.4	(17.1)	5.7	(0.1)	26.7

Ukraine Crisis	59.6	3.0	(3.6)	-	(2.7)	56.3
Türkiye-Syria Earthquake	22.5	1.8	(7.7)	-	-	16.6
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory	5.5	13.4	(5.7)	-	0.6	13.8
Overseas branches	0.9	0.3	(0.3)	-	-	0.9
Morocco Earthquake	5.9	0.5	(0.9)	-	(0.7)	4.8
Pakistan Floods	5.3	0.3	(3.2)	-	-	2.4
Libya Floods	2.9	0.5	(0.8)	-	(0.5)	2.1
Afghanistan Crisis	2.4	0.1	(0.2)	-	(0.2)	2.1
Syria and Region Crisis	1.8	0.2	(1.5)	-	(0.1)	0.4
Movement Core Funding JBC 2021-24	0.7	11.0	(9.6)	-	(1.7)	0.4
Other international restricted funds	17.4	45.0	(58.1)	-	10.1	14.4

Total international restricted funds	124.9	76.1	(91.6)	-	4.8	114.2

Disaster Fund	4.1	3.6	(0.4)	-	(4.6)	2.7

Total restricted funds	151.8	95.1	(109.1)	5.7	0.1	143.6

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Restricted funds

	Balance			Net		Balance
	1 January			investment		31 December
	2023	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	2023
Group	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m


Ukraine-UK operations	1.7	0.1	(3.2)	-	5.0	3.6
PPL Partnership Management	0.8	3.0	(0.2)	-	(2.6)	1.0
Afghanistan-UK operations	0.9	-	(0.6)	-	0.2	0.5
Vodafone SIM Card Gift in Kind	2.1	0.1	(1.9)	-	-	0.3
Covid 19 Hardship Fund	0.2	-	-	-	(0.1)	0.1
Coronavirus BRC Response	0.2	-	-	-	(0.2)	-
UKAM-ISWH 2020-Eligible Match	1.9	-	-	-	(1.9)	-
Other UK restricted funds	12.9	16.4	(18.8)	5.9	0.9	17.3

Total UK restricted funds	20.7	19.6	(24.7)	5.9	1.3	22.8

Ukraine Crisis	79.8	13.0	(24.6)	-	(8.6)	59.6
Türkiye-Syria Earthquake	-	44.1	(21.6)	-	-	22.5
Morocco Earthquake	-	7.2	(1.3)	-	-	5.9
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory	-	10.0	(4.6)	-	0.1	5.5
Pakistan Floods	5.9	1.3	(1.6)	-	(0.3)	5.3
Overseas branches and subsidiaries	3.9	2.2	(2.0)	-	-	4.1
Libya Floods	-	4.7	(1.8)	-	-	2.9
Afghanistan Crisis	5.8	4.4	(7.6)	-	(0.2)	2.4
Syria and Region Crisis	1.7	0.4	(0.1)	-	(0.2)	1.8
Movement Core Funding JBC 2021-24	0.9	11.0	(10.1)	-	(1.1)	0.7
Myanmar/Bangladesh Population Movement	(0.1)	1.0	(0.9)	-	-	-
Other international restricted funds	14.0	16.8	(21.9)	-	8.5	17.4
Total international restricted funds	111.9	116.1	(98.1)	-	(1.8)	128.1

Disaster Fund	1.9	2.3	(0.2)	-	0.1	4.1

Total restricted funds	134.5	138.0	(123.0)	5.9	(0.4)	155.0

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

7. Restricted funds (continued)

	Balance			Net		Balance
	1 January			investment		31 December
	2023	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	2023
Charity	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m


Ukraine-UK operations	1.7	0.1	(3.2)	-	5.0	3.6
PPL Partnership Management	0.8	3.0	(0.2)	-	(2.6)	1.0
Afghanistan-UK operations	0.9	-	(0.6)	-	0.2	0.5
Vodafone SIM Card Gift in Kind	2.1	0.1	(1.9)	-	-	0.3
Covid 19 Hardship Fund	0.2	-	-	-	(0.1)	0.1
UKAM-ISWH 2020-Eligible Match	1.9	-	-	-	(1.9)	-
Coronavirus BRC Response	0.2	-	-	-	(0.2)	-
Other UK restricted funds	12.9	16.4	(18.8)	5.9	0.9	17.3

Total UK restricted funds	20.7	19.6	(24.7)	5.9	1.3	22.8

Ukraine Crisis	79.8	13.0	(24.6)	-	(8.6)	59.6
Türkiye-Syria Earthquake	-	44.1	(21.6)	-	-	22.5
Morocco Earthquake	-	7.2	(1.3)	-	-	5.9
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory	-	10.0	(4.6)	-	0.1	5.5
Pakistan Floods	5.9	1.3	(1.6)	-	(0.3)	5.3
Libya Floods	-	4.7	(1.8)	-	-	2.9
Afghanistan Crisis	5.8	4.4	(7.6)	-	(0.2)	2.4
Syria and Region Crisis	1.7	0.4	(0.1)	-	(0.2)	1.8
Overseas branches	0.8	0.3	(0.2)	-	-	0.9
Movement Core Funding JBC 2021-24	0.9	11.0	(10.1)	-	(1.1)	0.7
Myanmar/Bangladesh Population Movement	(0.1)	1.0	(0.9)	-	-	-
Other international restricted funds	14.0	16.8	(21.9)	-	8.5	17.4

Total international restricted funds	108.8	114.2	(96.3)	-	(1.8)	124.9

Disaster Fund	1.9	2.3	(0.2)	-	0.1	4.1
Total restricted funds	131.4	136.1	(121.2)	5.9	(0.4)	151.8

Expenditure plans have been agreed for all material restricted funds.

UK restricted funds

Other UK restricted funds include:

i) a variety of local, national and European funding sources to deliver projects over the next two to three years ii) legacies with a geographical and/or service restriction

iii) the balance of UK restricted funds held for provision of locally agreed services

International restricted funds

Other international restricted funds include:

i) FCDO Afghanistan SHAPE Programme 2024-2026, 2024 £1.4m (2023:Nil) ii) FCDO Türkiye Livelihoods - 2024 £1.7m (2023: Nil)

Disaster Fund

The Disaster Fund enables us to prepare for and respond to humanitarian disasters abroad and in the UK. We fundraise specifically for the Disaster Fund and, as stated on emergency appeal materials, it can also contain funds donated to emergency appeals where we raise more than can be reasonably and efficiently spent on that specific response.

Transfers

All material transfers relate to reallocations, moving funds from restricted primary projects that hold central funding, to support sub-projects to fund operational delivery of restricted programmes.

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

8. Unrestricted funds

8 Utitd fd
. nresrce uns
						Actuarial
						gains/(losses)
						on defned
	Balance			Net		beneft	Balance
	1 January			investment		pension	31 December
	2024	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	schemes	2024
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

Group
Unrestricted funds held as fxed assets	45.0	-	(4.9)	-	1.1	-	41.2
Defned beneft pension scheme fund	1.5	-	-	-	-	-	1.5
Designated funds	14.0	-	(8.8)	-	(5.2)	-	-
Free reserves	55.9	189.9	(185.2)	-	3.9	-	64.5

Total unrestricted funds	116.4	189.9	(198.9)	-	(0.2)	-	107.2


Charity
Unrestricted funds held as fxed assets	45.0	-	(4.9)	-	1.1	-	41.2
Defned beneft pension scheme fund	1.5	-	-	-	-	-	1.5
Designated funds	14.0	-	(8.8)	-	(5.2)	-	-
Free reserves	56.7	188.6	(183.9)	-	3.9	-	65.3

Total unrestricted funds	117.2	188.6	(197.6)	-	(0.2)	-	108.0

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

9. Intangible assets

	IT software,	Assets in the
Group and charity	websites and	course of
	licences	construction	Total
Cost	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January 2024	8.2	2.7	10.9
Additions	-	2.7	2.7
Transfers from assets in the course of construction	1.5	(1.5)	-
Disposals	(0.2)	-	(0.2)
At 31 December 2024	9.5	3.9	13.4

Accumulated amortisation

At 1 January 2024	(5.7)	-	(5.7)
Charge	(1.5)	-	(1.5)
Disposals	0.1	-	0.1
At 31 December 2024	(7.1)	-	(7.1)
Net book value

At 31 December 2024	2.4	3.9	6.3
At 31 December 2023	2.5	2.7	5.2

						Actuarial
						gains/(losses)
						on defned
	Balance			Net		beneft	Balance
	1 January			investment		pension	31 December
	2023	Income	Expenditure	gains/(losses)	Transfers	schemes	2023
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

Group
Unrestricted funds held as fxed assets	50.6	-	(3.5)	-	(2.1)	-	45.0
Defned beneft pension scheme fund	9.4	-	0.4	-	-	(8.3)	1.5
Designated funds	22.6	-	(8.6)	-	-	-	14.0
Free reserves	48.8	192.6	(188.0)	-	2.5	-	55.9

Total unrestricted funds	131.4	192.6	(199.7)	-	0.4	(8.3)	116.4


Charity
Unrestrictedfundsheld asfxed assets	50.6	-	(3.5)	-	(2.1)	-	45.0
Defned beneft pensionschemefund	9.4	-	0.4	-	-	(8.3)	1.5
Designatedfunds	22.6	-	(8.6)	-	-	-	14.0
Freereserves	49.8	191.7	(187.3)	-	2.5	-	56.7

Total unrestricted funds	132.4	191.7	(199.0)	-	0.4	(8.3)	117.2

During the year, £8.8m of designated funds were utilised by several projects including our Fit for the Future transformation programme, technology projects and international grants. In addition, £5.2m was released back to free reserves. 2023 comparatives have been restated to report utilised designated funds against expenditure rather than fund transfers, the year end balance remains unchanged.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

10. Tangible assets

			Vehicles,	Assets in the
Group	Freehold	Leasehold	equipment	course of
	property	property	and furniture	construction	Total
Cost	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January 2024	34.4	43.0	39.5	0.5	117.4
Additions	-	-	-	1.7	1.7
Transfersfromassetsincourse ofconstruction	0.1	0.5	0.7	(1.3)	-
Disposals	(3.9)	(1.9)	(3.4)	-	(9.2)

At 31 December 2024	30.6	41.6	36.8	0.9	109.9
Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2024	16.2	22.1	36.7	-	75.0
Charge	0.6	2.3	1.4	-	4.3
Disposals	(2.0)	(1.1)	(3.3)	-	(6.4)

At 31 December 2024	14.8	23.3	34.8	-	72.9
Net book value

At 31 December 2024	15.8	18.3	2.0	0.9	37.0

At 31 December 2023	18.2	20.9	2.8	0.5	42.4

			Vehicles,	Assets in the
Charity	Freehold	Leasehold	equipment	course of
	property	property	and furniture	construction	Total
Cost	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January2024	30.0	43.0	39.5	0.5	113.0
Additions	-	-	-	1.7	1.7
Transfers from assets in course of construction	0.1	0.5	0.7	(1.3)	-
Disposals	(3.4)	(1.9)	(3.4)	-	(8.7)

At 31 December 2024	26.7	41.6	36.8	0.9	106.0

Accumulated depreciation

At 1January2024	14.0	22.1	36.7	-	72.8
Charge	1.0	2.3	1.4	-	4.7
Disposals	(2.0)	(1.1)	(3.3)	-	(6.4)

At 31 December 2024	13.0	23.3	34.8	-	71.1

Net book value

At 31 December 2024	13.7	18.3	2.0	0.9	34.9

At 31 December 2023	16.0	20.9	2.8	0.5	40.2

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

11. Investments

	Fixed asset	Current asset
	investments	investments	Total
Group and charity	£m	£m	£m

Market value at 1 January 2024	81.6	30.0	111.6
Additions at cost	-	35.0	35.0
Disposals at market value	-	(30.0)	(30.0)
Net investment gain/(losses) in the year	5.7	-	5.7
Market value at 31 December 2024	87.3	35.0	122.3

Cost at 31 December 2024	76.6	35.0	111.6

		Market value	Market value
	Asset	2024	2023
	class	£m	£m
Fixed asset investments
UK investments
Aegon Ethical Corporate Bond Fund	Authorised fund	18.2	17.6
Royal London Short Term Fixed Income Fund	Authorised fund	21.0	19.9
Fidelity Sustainable Bond	Authorised fund	17.3	16.7
Royal London Short Term Fixed Income Enhanced Fund	Authorised fund	10.6	10.1
Northern Trust ESG Equity Fund	Authorised fund	9.3	7.7
Brown Advisory Global Leaders Fund	Authorised fund	8.8	7.6
PIMCO Global Investment Grade Credit ESG Fund (USD)	Authorised fund	1.4	1.4
Brown Global BVI USD Fund	Authorised fund	0.7	0.6
		87.3	81.6
Current asset investments
UK investments
Bank term deposits	Deposit	35.0	30.0

Total		122.3	111.6

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

12. Investment properties

Group and charity
	2024	2023
	£000	£000

Fair value at 1 January	750	800
(Decrease)/increase in fair value	-	(50)

Fair value at 31 December	750	750

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

15. Cash at bank and in hand

	2024	2023	2024	2023
	Group	Group	Charity	Charity
	£m	£m	£m	£m

Money market funds	18.2	24.3	18.2	24.3
Bank short-term deposits	15.0	20.0	15.0	20.0
Bank current accounts	7.0	14.1	3.5	11.5

Total	40.2	58.4	36.7	55.8

British Red Cross has one investment property, located at 44 Moorfields, London. The 5th and 6th floors are sub-leased to third parties and the remaining building space accommodates the national headquarters of the British Red Cross. The carrying value of the property is split into two separate elements. That part of the building which is let to third parties is included in the balance sheet at fair value, while that part which is used by the British Red Cross for operational purposes is carried in the balance sheet at cost, less accumulated depreciation, in tangible fixed assets under leasehold properties.

The valuation amount has been apportioned between the investment and non-investment parts of the building using the relative floor areas attributable to each element.

An independent valuation of the property was carried out as of 31 December 2023. The valuer’s opinion of fair value was primarily derived using recent comparable market transactions on arm’s length terms together with valuation techniques. The next independent valuation will be carried out as of December 2026. Therefore there was not a triennial movement in 2024, 2023 (£50k).

13. Stocks	2024	2023	2024	2023
	Group	Group	Charity	Charity
	£m	£m	£m	£m

Medical equipment services stocks	2.9	2.0	2.9	2.0
International emergencystocks	0.2	0.7	0.2	0.7
Cards andgifts stocks	0.4	0.4	-	-
Other stocks	0.7	0.5	0.7	0.5

Total	4.2	3.6	3.8	3.2

16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

	2024	2023	2024	2023
	Group	Group	Charity	Charity
	£m	£m	£m	£m

Accruals	14.2	7.0	14.2	7.0
Deferred income	3.9	3.7	3.9	3.7
Trade creditors	2.4	2.6	2.4	2.6
Taxes and social security costs	2.5	2.8	2.5	2.8
Other creditors	2.0	1.6	1.8	1.3

Total	25.0	17.7	24.8	17.4

All deferred income as at 31 December 2023 was recognised during 2024 and all deferred income as at 31 December 2024 was deferred during the year. Deferred income relates to amounts received in advance of entitlement.

In respect of gifts in kind, medical equipment services stocks include £0.9m (2023: other stocks include £0.2m)

14. Debtors	2024	2023	2024	2023
	Group	Group	Charity	Charity
	£m	£m	£m	£m

Legacies receivable	38.7	32.4	38.7	32.4
Accrued income	15.2	16.9	15.1	16.9
Trade debtors	4.2	8.1	4.2	8.1
Prepayments	5.7	5.1	5.7	5.1
Tax recoverable	3.7	3.8	3.7	3.8
Other debtors	0.9	1.1	2.3	2.0
Amounts due from subsidiaryundertaking	-	-	2.2	1.6

Total	68.4	67.4	71.9	69.9

All amounts shown under debtors fall due for payment within one year.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

17. Provisions for liabilities and charges

		Pension scheme
	Leasehold	defcit reduction
	dilapidations	payments	Others	Total
Group and charity	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January 2024	1.3	0.1	0.4	1.8
Payments during the year	(0.4)	(0.1)	-	(0.5)
Increase/(decrease) in provision	0.7	0.2	(0.4)	0.5

At 31 December 2024	1.6	0.2	-	1.8

Amounts are expected to beincurred:
- withinone year	0.2	0.2	-	0.4
-beyond one year	1.4	-	-	1.4

	1.6	0.2	-	1.8

		Pension scheme
	Leasehold	defcit reduction
	dilapidations	payments	Others	Total
Group and charity	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January 2023	1.4	0.2	0.1	1.7
Payments during the year	-	-	-	-
Increase/(decrease) in provision	(0.1)	(0.1)	0.3	0.1

At 31 December 2023	1.3	0.1	0.4	1.8

Amounts are expected to be incurred:
-within one year	1.3	0.1	0.4	1.8
-beyond one year	-	-	-	-

	1.3	0.1	0.4	1.8

Leasehold dilapidations relate to properties where the British Red Cross has a legal responisiblity as tenant for such costs. The timing of payments will be in line with the exit dates from leasehold properties and the dilapidations payments are estimated, based on historical payments.

As further explained in note 19, the £0.2m (2023 £0.1m) pension provision as at 31 December 2024 shown above represents the present value of contributions payable by the British Red Cross that result from the terms of the deficit recovery plan in respect of the TPT Growth Plan.

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

18. Staff costs and trustee expenses

	2024	2023
Total staff costs (including casual staff) for the year were as follows:	£m	£m

Salary costs	114.1	116.5
National insurance costs	10.5	10.5
Pensions costs for defned contribution schemes	5.8	5.6
Pensions costs for defned beneft schemes	-	(0.4)

Total	130.4	132.2

Redundancy costs included in expenditure during the year were £4.2m (2023: £1.1m) with £0.1m owing as at 31 December 2024, 2023: £0.1m.

The number of employees whose total employee benefts (excluding employer pension costs)
amounted to over £60,000 in theyear were as follows:	2024	2023

£60,001 -£70,000	60	71
£70,001 - £80,000	44	61
£80,001 - £90,000	18	20
£90,001 - £100,000	18	14
£100,001 - £110,000	4	10
£110,001 - £120,000	2	-
£120,001 - £130,000	3	1
£130,001 - £140,000	-	1
£140,001 - £150,000	3	1
£150,001 - £160,000	1	2
£160,001 - £170,000	-	1
£170,001 - £180,000	1	-
£180,001-£190,000	1	1

The total amount of employee benefits received by key management personnel for their services during the year is £1.2m (2023: £1.3m).

Employee numbers	2024	2023

Fundraising	193	209
Retail	636	645
UK services	1,460	1,634
First aid services	282	293
International services	217	221
Other	498	546

Total average employed by FTE	3,286	3,548
Total average employed by headcount	4,340	4,717

As at the 31st December 2024 the employee headcount stood at 3,753 (2023: 3,987).

Over 10,200 volunteers (2023: 10,500) played a crucial role in delivering our services in the UK and help raise money to fund our activities. Services such as independent living and emergency support rely on volunteers to deliver the services to beneficiaries. Volunteers also play a large role in operating our retail shops across the UK and assist with our fundraising efforts.

	2024	2023
Trustees’ expenses:	£000	£000

Expenses incurred by trustees and reimbursed by the British Red Cross	3	3
Expensesincurred bytheBritish Red Cross onbehalfof trustees	12	13
Trustees’ indemnityinsurance covercost	32	25

	2024	2023
Number of trustees receivingexpenses	5	6

Trustees’ expenses are for travel and accommodation costs. None of the trustees received any remuneration during the year, 2023: £nil.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

19. Pensions

New British Red Cross staff are entitled to join the British Red Cross Group Personal Pension Plan provided by Legal & General. Staff had previously been entitled to join the British Red Cross Pension Fund (“UK office scheme”), Scottish Branch British Red Cross Society Retirement Benefits Scheme (“Scottish scheme”) or The TPT Growth Plan. These three schemes are all closed to new entrants. The UK office scheme and the Scottish benefit pension schemes are in the process of being bought out.

UK Office and Scottish defined benefit pension schemes

The assets of these pension schemes are held in separate trustee-administered funds. The most recent triennial actuarial valuations of the UK Office scheme and the Scottish scheme were carried out as at 31 December 2022.

	UK Offce	Scottish	2024	2023
	scheme	scheme	Total	Total
The amounts charged to statement of fnancial activities are:	£m	£m	£m	£m

Current service cost	-	-	-	-

Interest cost on scheme liabilities	(0.9)	(0.3)	(1.2)	(1.2)
Expected return onplan assets	1.2	0.4	1.6	1.7
Administration costs	(0.3)	(0.1)	(0.4)	-
Interest on effect of asset ceiling	(0.2)	(0.1)	(0.3)	-

Net fnance credit	(0.2)	(0.1)	(0.3)	0.5

Actuarial(gain)/loss	0.3	0.2	0.5	2.5

Movement in restriction of surplus	(0.3)	(0.2)	(0.5)	5.8

Net actuarial(gain)/loss recognised	-	-	-	8.3

On 31 March 2023, as part of the pension buyout, the UK Fund and Scottish scheme purchased bulk annuity policies with Aviva to cover the benefits payable to members. The surplus assets remaining after these bulk annuities were purchased continue to be invested and will be held until the pension buyout process concludes. The current service cost is nil because the schemes are now closed.

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

19. Pensions (continued)

	UK Offce	UK Offce	Scottish	Scottish
	scheme	scheme	scheme	scheme
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Changes inpresent value of scheme obligation during theyear:	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January	21.3	20.3	7.7	7.3
Service cost	-	-	-	-
Interest cost	0.9	0.9	0.4	0.4
Member contributions	-	-	-	-
Benefts paid	(1.1)	(1.0)	(0.4)	(0.4)
Actuarial (gain) / loss due to changes in assumptions	(2.0)	0.6	-	0.2
Actuarial (gain) / loss due to experience on liabilities	(0.1)	0.5	(0.8)	0.2

At 31 December	19.0	21.3	6.9	7.7
	UK Offce	UK Offce	Scottish	Scottish
	scheme	scheme	scheme	scheme
	2024	2023	2024	2023
Change in the value ofplan assets during theyear:	£m	£m	£m	£m

At 1 January	27.2	27.9	9.1	9.1

Interest on assets	1.2	1.3	0.4	0.4
Employer contributions	-	-	-	-
Member contributions	-	-	-	-
Benefts paid	(1.1)	(1.0)	(0.4)	(0.4)
Administrationcosts	(0.3)	-	(0.1)	-
Actuarial(loss) / gainonplanassets	(2.4)	(1.0)	(0.9)	-

At 31 December	24.6	27.2	8.1	9.1

The latest triennial valuation for the UK Office scheme as at 31 December 2022 showed a surplus of £6.4m.

The latest triennial valuation for the Scottish scheme as at 31 December 2022 showed a surplus of £1.3m.

	UK Offce	Scottish	2024	2023
	scheme	scheme	Total	Total
The amounts recognised in the balance sheet are:	£m	£m	£m	£m

Fair value of scheme assets	24.6	8.1	32.7	36.3
Present value of scheme obligations	(19.0)	(6.9)	(25.9)	(29.0)
Restriction of scheme surplus	(4.1)	(1.2)	(5.3)	(5.8)

Net surplus	1.5	-	1.5	1.5

Under FRS102, a surplus can be recognised if the British Red Cross can expect to benefit from a refund of the surplus. The surplus recognised in the balance sheet as at 31 December 2024 represents the British Red Cross’s estimate of the amount that might be returned, following the purchase of bulk annuity policies during 2023. However, the extent of any surplus and how much of this might be returned to the British Red Cross will not be confirmed until the pension buyout process is complete.

An ‘asset ceiling’ of £1.5m above the liabilities is based on the best estimate of the refund of surplus on an eventual wind-up. As the wind up progresses, the estimate could change for a variety of factors. These include changes in the value of the scheme assets or the present value of the scheme obligations based on market conditions, the pension trustees’ decision on how the surplus is used to improve the pension members’ benefits and other risk factors, like the courts ruling on the Virgin Media case.

The impact of the Virgin Media ruling on the UK Office scheme remains uncertain. However, any potential impact is not expected to be material to the ‘asset ceiling’. The Scottish scheme is a contracted-in pension scheme and is not impacted by the Virgin Media case.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

19. Pensions (continued)

19. Pensions (continued)
	UK Offce	UK Offce	Scottish	Scottish
	scheme	scheme	scheme	scheme
The major categories ofplan assets as apercentage of totalplan assets are:	2024	2023	2024	2023

Insured assets	77%	78%	85%	85%
Gilts	10%	15%	8%	8%
Bonds	4%	5%	3%	3%
Cash	9%	2%	4%	4%
	100%	100%	100%	100%
	UK Offce	UK Offce	Scottish	Scottish
	scheme	scheme	scheme	scheme
	2024	2023	2024	2023
	£m	£m	£m	£m

Actual returnonplanassetsin the year	(1.3)	0.3	(0.5)	0.4
Principal actuarial assumptions at the balance sheet date in respect of both schemes were:			2024	2023

Discount rate			5.4%	4.4%p.a
Consumerprice infation(CPI)			3.0%	2.9%p.a
Salaryincreases			N/A	N/A
UK Offce schemepension increases
Capped at 5.0%			2.9%	2.9%p.a
Capped at 2.5%			2.1%	2.0%p.a
Scottish schemepension increases
Pension increase(CPI capped at 5%pa)			2.9%	2.9%p.a
Pension increase(CPI capped at 2.5%pa)			2.1%	2.0%p.a
Mortality assumptions in respect of both schemes adopted at the year-end imply the following life			2024	2023
expectancy at 65:			Years	Years

Pensioners: male			22.3	22.3
Pensioners: female			24.8	24.8
Non-pensioners: male			23.6	23.6
Non-pensioners: female			26.2	26.2

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

20. Obligations under operating leases

20. Obligations under operating leases
			2024			2023
Total future minimum lease payments under	Property	Other	Total	Property	Other	Total
non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

Withinone year	4.0	0.8	4.8	4.5	0.7	5.2
In two to fveyears	6.5	1.5	8.0	6.5	1.3	7.8
After fveyears	3.7	-	3.7	3.7	-	3.7

Total	14.2	2.3	16.5	14.7	2.0	16.7

Operating lease charges during 2024 were £6.9m for property leases (2023: £6.9m) and £1.1m for other leases (2023: £1.1m).

21. Related parties

There were no transactions with related parties during the year (2023: nil).

Trustees and other related parties, including key management personnel, made donations to the British Red Cross totalling £148,354 during the year (2023: £9,805).

22. Capital commitments

There were £0.4m of capital commitments at 31 December 2024 (2023: £0.6m).

Other pension schemes

The British Red Cross also contributes to the British Red Cross Group Personal Pension Plan for employees. In 2024, the total cost of these contributions was £7.9m (2023: £5.6m) and the balance outstanding at 31 December 2024 was £0.6m (2023: £0.7m).

Staff were able to join the TPT Growth Plan (‘the Growth Plan’) until April 2007. The Growth Plan is a multi-employer defined benefit pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are co-mingled for investment purposes and as a result it is not possible to either break down scheme assets or analyse the ongoing funding deficit by individual employer. Accordingly, due to the nature of the plan, the accounting charge for the year under FRS 102 represents only the employer contributions payable.

There is a contingent liability in the event that the British Red Cross were to withdraw its membership of the Growth Plan. The scheme’s actuaries valued the withdrawal liability at £1.1m as at 30 September 2023.

There is a potential liability for an employer such as the British Red Cross participating in the scheme in the event of employers ceasing to participate in the Growth Plan or the scheme winding up. There is also a potential liability where other participating employers are unable to pay their debts relating to the Growth Plan.

The results of the Growth Plan scheme valuation as at 30 September 2023 show a deficit of £16.1m. A deficit recovery plan aims to eliminate the funding deficit by March 2028. The additional employer contributions required from the British Red Cross as part of this recovery plan are £0.1m per annum. In line with the requirements of the SORP and FRS 102, the present value of contributions payable under the terms of this recovery plan must be recognised as a liability and this is detailed in note 17 to the consolidated financial statements.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

23. Programme commitments

The British Red Cross regularly pledges support to programmes led by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or other National Societies. In addition to the expenditure recognised in the financial statements, the British Red Cross had outstanding pledges to the programmes disclosed below. Full payment of the pledges is contingent on the outcome of British Red Cross reviews of the programmes and therefore the liability has not been recognised at the year end. The commitments will be funded through general funds, restricted appeal income or restricted funding from individual and institutional donors.

		2024	2023
			Restated
End	date	£m	£m

Madagascar preparedness and resilience grant to IFRC	2027	6.5	-
DEC Phase 2 Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Support to IFRC Türkiye	2025	4.2	4.9
FCDO Contribution to Ukrainian Red Cross Society One Plan 2023-2025	2024	2.8	9.1
Bilateral Migration and Displacement and National Society Development Support to RRC	2027	1.9	-
Contribution to NorCross Project: Improved Access for Healthcare and essential needs	2025	1.6	-
Bilateral Support to Ukrainian Red Cross Society-2024	2024	1.2	6.4
Risk Informed Early Action Partnership 2, Jul 2023-Dec 2025	2025	1.1	-
Enhancing Humanitarian Diplomacy in Europe Region	2026	1.1	-
Multilateral Migration and Displacement and National Society Development Support to Palestine Red Cresent via IFRC	2026	1.1	-
Multilateral Migration and Displacement and National Society Development Support to MRCS via IFRC	2026	1.0	-
BRC support to Syrian Arab Red Crescent 2024-25	2025	0.7	-
ECOLAB-Natural Resources Conservation Service	2028	0.7	-
2022-2023 German Red Cross-Yemen Red Crescent Primary Health Centres and Emergency Obstetric Care (Hajjah, Al Dhale)	2024	0.5	0.4
World Food Programme WISER MENA	2025	0.5	-
BRC support to ICRC Ukraine Appeal 2024 earmarked to Health	2024	0.5	-
BRC Support to V2R Cox’s Bazar	2024	0.5	0.5
Lebanese Red Cross-ICRC-BRC Tripartite Phase 3 2024-25	2025	0.4	-
Restoring Family Links Support to Ukrainian Red Cross Society	2026	0.4	0.4
DEC Phase2b funds to IFRC Romania	2025	0.4	0.6
IFRC WISER MENA	2025	0.4	-
Kenya-Nature Based Solutions for the Future	2026	0.3	-
BRC Support to Climate Change Adaptation Project in Narayanganj	2025	0.3	0.4
Lebanon Livelihoods Flagship 21-22	2023	0.3	-
Branch and Volunteer Development	2024	0.3	0.3
ECOLAB-National Trust for Nature Conservation	2028	0.3	-
Transfer of Core Funding from FCDO to the IFRC for 2024	2024	0.2	-
Chad Population Movement from Sudan (Chad RC)	2025	0.2	-
International Red Cross Red Crescent Centre on Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness-Weather and Climate Information Services MENA	2025	0.2	0.2
Kenya and Uganda Handwashing Facilities-IFRC	2025	0.2	-
Danish Red Cross-Yemen Red Crescent Primary Health Centres-2023	2024	0.1	0.1
Nepal Flood and Landslide Response 2024	2025	0.1	-
Enhanced CSO participation and engagement in the localisation of Early Warning Systems (EWS)	2025	0.1	-
Kenya and Uganda Handwashing Facilities-African Population and Health Research Centre	2025	0.1	-
Risk Informed Early Action Partnership 1, Dec2019-Mar2023	2023	0.1	-
BRC Syria delegation in-country costs	2024	0.1	-
BRC support to Syrian Arab Red Crescent 2022-23	2024	0.1	-
Towards More Inclusive Early Warning for the“Last Mile”: GDPC Research Grants program	2025	0.1	-
Winterisation support to Ukrainian Red Cross Society	2024	0.1	-
Bangladesh Comprehensive National Society Development National Society Development Program	2026	0.1	-
Managing narratives in the humanitarian response to the confict in Ukraine	2024	0.1	0.1
Libya Floods Response-Contribution to IFRC	2024	0.1	0.1
Cyclone Remal Disaster Response	2025	0.1	-
Enabling Actions for Community Health (EACH)	2025	0.1	0.3
Climate Nature Based Solutions with Resilient Livelihood in Nepal	2025	0.1	-
IFRC Africa Regional Grant	2024	0.1	0.2
Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre MoU 2023-2025	2024	0.1	0.1
DEC Phase 2 Pakistan Flood 2022	2024	-	2.0
BRC-Lebanese Red Cross Multiyear Framework Agreement	2024	-	1.6
DEC Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Support to Syrian Arab Red Crescent	2024	-	1.7
Support to IFRC Morocco Earthquake Mobilisation Table	2025	-	1.0
FCDO contribution to IFRC Morocco Earthquake Emergency Appeal (MDRMA010)	2024	-	1.0
Ethiopia Crises to Resilience-Grant to Danish Red Cross	2024	-	0.6
Support to Norwegian Red Cross (Health and Wash interventions)	2024	-	0.5
Contribution to IFRC MENA regional positions to support the ongoing emergency responses	2025	-	0.2
Kenya-Integrated Food Security and Livelihoods Bomet	2024	-	0.1
Forecast based Financing in Niger and Mauritania (additional funding)	2024	-	0.1
Mauritania Migration Project 2024	2024	-	0.1

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

23. Programme commitments (continued)

		2024	2023
			Restated
	End date	£m	£m

Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak 2023-FCDO grant	2024	-	0.2
FCDO Grant to Zambia Cholera Appeal	2024	-	0.2
Support to WASH Programme in Camp 18-2022-24	2024	-	0.2
Support to IFRC Karnali Earthquake Emergency Appeal	2024	-	0.1
Support to IFRC Bangladesh Population Movement Operation 2024	2024	-	0.1
Integrated Resilience Programme 2023	2024	-	0.1
Lebanese Red Cross Learning & Development Centre	2024	-	0.1
Migration and Displacement in the Mediterranean: Strengthening the RFL Network and Sustainability of the Response	2024	-	0.1
Lebanese Red Cross Confict Preparedness and Response Plan	2024	-	0.1
Disaster Management Support to Communities in Yemen	2024	-	0.1
Contribution to Yemen Red Crescent National Society Development Project, IFRC	2025	-	0.1
Tech Gender Based Violence: Transforming Sexual and Gender Based Violence Training through Interactive Technology	2025	-	0.1
Bangladesh Barisal Livelihoods and Disaster Risk Reduction UKAid Match	2024	-	0.1
Disaster Management Advisory Group 2023-2024 Contribution	2025	-	0.1
Ethiopia Crises to Resilience-Grant to Netherlands Red Cross	2024	-	0.1
Pilot on Social Protection in Burkina Faso	2024	-	0.1
Strengthening Actions for Fostering Resilience through Individual, Community and Institutional Readiness in Nepal	2024	-	0.1

Total		31.5	35.0

The 2023 commitment have been restated from £35.8m to £35.0m due to commitments in foreign currency not being converted into pounds sterling.

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

24. Analysis of net assets between funds

24. Analysis of net assets between funds
			2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
Group	£m	£m	£m

Tangible assets	34.2	2.8	37.0
Intangbile assets	6.3	-	6.3
Fixed asset investments	0.8	87.3	88.1
Net current assets	66.2	56.6	122.8
Provisions for liabilities and charges	(1.8)	-	(1.8)
Defned beneftpension scheme surplus	1.5	-	1.5

Net assets	107.2	146.7	253.9

			2024
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
Charity	£m	£m	£m

Tangible assets	34.2	0.7	34.9
Intangbile assets	6.3	-	6.3
Fixed asset investments	0.8	87.3	88.1
Net current assets	67.0	55.6	122.6
Provisions for liabilities and charges	(1.8)	-	(1.8)
Defned beneft pensionscheme surplus	1.5	-	1.5

Net assets	108.0	143.6	251.6

Notes to the consolidated financial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

25. Grant acknowledgements

During the year The National Lottery Community Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund provided grants for the following projects:

Heritage Fund provided grants for the following projects:
	Balance 1	Income	Expenditure	Balance 31
	January 2024			December 2024
Purpose ofgrant	£000	£000	£000	£000

National Lottery Community FundGrants
Strategic Dispacement Migration Project	81	-	(79)	2


National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant
Our Stories – Our Time	30	-	(25)	5
ImprovingPublic Access to Humanitarian Heritage Collections	21	-	(12)	9

Balances as at 31 December 2024 are included within our restricted funds.

			2023
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
Group	£m	£m	£m

Tangible assets	39.0	3.4	42.4
Intangbile assets	5.2	-	5.2
Fixed asset investments	0.8	81.6	82.4
Net current assets	71.7	70.0	141.7
Provisions for liabilities and charges	(1.8)	-	(1.8)
Defned beneftpensionscheme surplus	1.5	-	1.5

Net assets	116.4	155.0	271.4

			2023
	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total
Charity	£m	£m	£m

Tangible assets	39.0	1.2	40.2
Intangbile assets	5.2	-	5.2
Fixed asset investments	0.8	81.6	82.4
Net current assets	72.5	69.0	141.5
Provisions for liabilities and charges	(1.8)	-	(1.8)
Defned beneft pension scheme surplus	1.5	-	1.5

Net assets	117.2	151.8	269.0

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Accounts

Patron

Board sub-committees include Donations acceptance committee Emblem committee Finance and audit committee Investment working group Movement working group People committee Risk and assurance committee

His Majesty The King

President

Formerly, His Majesty The King (2003 - 2024)

Deputy president

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO

Executive leadership team

Honorary vice-presidents Sylvia, Countess of Limerick CBE Professor John McClure OBE Mrs Elspeth Thomas CBE DL Sir Nicholas Young

Béatrice Butsana-Sita, chief executive Sylvia, Countess of Limerick CBE Paul Amadi MBE, executive director marketing, Professor John McClure OBE fundraising and communications Mrs Elspeth Thomas CBE DL Richard Blewitt, executive director international Sir Nicholas Young Dorothy Brown, chief operating officer Vice-presidents Sal Copley, executive director communications Mr Anthony Andrews and external affairs (until 31 August 2024) Ms Angela Rippon OBE Lisa Hollins, executive director UK Mrs Maria Shammas MBE Clive MacTavish, chief finance officer Board of trustees External auditor Mrs Elizabeth Padmore, chair Crowe U.K. LLP, Statuory Auditor Ms Louise Halpin, vice-chair 55 Ludgate Hill, Professor Dr Geeta Nargund, vice-chair London, Mrs Liz Hazell FCA, treasurer EC4M 7JW (until 31 December 2024) Mr Mark Beddy, chair of finance and audit Bankers National Westminster Bank plc, committee (from 1 January 2025) City of London Office, PO Box 12258 Mr Yaseer Ahmed 1 Princes Street, Mr Howard Bell London Mr Carl Cowling (from 1 January 2025) EC2R 8BP Mr Dennis Dunn MBE JP DL Mrs Deborah El-Sayed (until 31 December 2024) Legal advisers Sir John Holmes Withers, Mr Alan House Old Bailey, Ms Katie Igras London Mr Lewis Iwu EC4M 7AN Mrs Kirsty Robeson

Investment managers Aegon Asset Management, 3 Lochside Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9SA Royal London Asset Management, 55 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0RL

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Thank you

We would like to thank every individual and organisation who supported our work in 2024. Once again, you showed incredible compassion and kindness.

We would like to give special thanks to:

Rolex UK

Thanks also to:

RSM UK Foundation

Aline Foriel-Destezet

Animula

Aviva plc Band Aid Charitable Trust

Barclays

Baringa Partners LLP City Bridge Foundation - London’s biggest independent charity funder

Defender

Delta Air Lines

Elrha

Glastonbury Festivals Limited GSK

Haleon Haymarket Media Group Islamic Relief UK Jersey Overseas Aid John Lewis Partnership John Swire (1989) Charitable Trust Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin Manolo Blahnik Foundation Mark Knopfler Moondance Foundation MS Amlin – part of the MS&AD Group National Lottery Community Fund Paula Hawkins Pears Foundation Funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded through Postcode International Trust Professor Geeta Nargund Reckitt

Schroders

Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Swire Charitable Trust

Tesco

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Constance Travis Charitable Trust

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia The Department for Culture, Media and Sport The Hugh Symons Charitable Trust The TK Maxx and Homesense Foundation Unilever USAID Vodafone Wellcome Trust Welsh Government Wimbledon Foundation

Amazon UK Ascential

British Airways Christie’s

Currys Plc Department of Health and Social Care EBay UK Ltd.

Guernsey Overseas Aid & Development Commission Jane Thompson Justice Together Initiative Linklaters Lord Glendonbrook on behalf of The Michael Bishop Foundation Mary Ashdown Montpelier Foundation Premier Foods QBE Foundation Revolut

Sami and May Sidawi Scottish Government Squarepoint Foundation Swarovski Foundation Taith

The Forrester Family Trust UNICEF

PREVIOUS NEXT PAGE

Get involved

British Red Cross Annual report and accounts 2024

Get involved

Are you part of our growing Movement? Get connected to people who need your skill, care and support.

Volunteering

However much time you have and whatever your experience, there are UK volunteering opportunities at the British Red Cross. Not only will you enjoy a truly rewarding experience and gain new skills, but you’ll also be there to provide vital support to people in your community when they need it most.

Find out more at redcross.org.uk/volunteer

Youth volunteers

You can volunteer in many of our services from the age of 15. There are opportunities to gain new skills, boost your CV and confidence, achieve certification for your time and learn more about how charities work. No matter how much time you have or whatever your experience, there’s a role to suit everyone, including online roles.

Make a difference to people’s lives on a volunteer placement or if you’re aged between 15 and 18, apply for one of our work experience placements from marketing to HR or finance.

If you are at university, you can get involved in the British Red Cross on Campus scheme to fundraise and raise awareness. For those aged between 18 and 30, and based in Wales, join our international youth volunteering programme and experience a different culture while helping people in crisis.

- - - - redcross.org.uk/get involved/opportunities for young people

Fundraising

Sign up to one of our challenge events, like Walk for Humanity, or take part in a Pour a Cup of Kindness tea party with your school, work, or community group. Every step you take and pound you raise will help someone in need.

Education resources

Our free online resources for teachers and parents have been created to help inspire the next generation of humanitarians. Our activities, based around first aid, climate, kindness, empathy, and topical events, are designed to build resilience, awareness, and critical thinking among 5- to 18-year-olds.

Prepare yourself to act in first aid emergencies. We have many free resources to help build your skills and confidence, including our first aid mobile app, online or face-to-face workshops and our suite of step-bystep training videos on YouTube.

- - resources redcross.org.uk/get involved/teaching

Leave a gift in your will

We receive around 1,000 gifts in wills each year from generous supporters who want to leave a gift that’s never forgotten. For over 150 years, we’ve run towards disaster, going where we’re needed most, when we’re needed most. Gifts in wills ensure that, whatever happens in the future, we’ll be there when disaster strikes. We’ll be the hand reaching through the rubble. The friendly face, offering shelter from the flood. The symbol of hope in people’s darkest hours. These moments of humanity amid chaos are never forgotten.

redcross.org.uk/legacy Phone: 0300 500 0401 Email: legacy@redcross.org.uk

Our shops

We sell pre-loved fashion, furniture, books and more to help fund our life-changing work in the UK and abroad. You can support us by shopping in store, on our online shop, and via our eBay store; donating items to our shops in person or by post; or by volunteering with us.

Find out more at: redcross.org.uk/shop

Collaborate for change

Support from philanthropists, trusts, foundations, and institutional and corporate partners makes a lasting impact on the lives of people in crisis, both in the UK and around the world.

We believe in building meaningful partnerships based on a shared vision, allowing us to extend our reach and make an even greater difference - together.

Our dedicated teams are here to collaborate and develop ideas with you that make the most of your time and investment. If you’re interested in joining us to make a difference to the lives of people in crisis, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today.

Corporate partnerships: corporatepartnerships@redcross.org.uk Institutional partnerships: institutionalfunding@redcross.org.uk Philanthropists (individuals, trusts and foundations): philanthropy@redcross.org.uk

Donate

It’s the generosity of our supporters that enables our work to happen quickly and efficiently. We rely on your support to keep us going. A donation or a regular gift means we can support people facing crisis, in whatever form that takes. It provides essentials like food, medicine and clothing to those in need and means we are ready to help wherever that need is greatest. With your help, we’ll continue to be here for humanity. Whether it’s before, during or after a crisis, we’re here for people in the UK and 190 other countries. Together, we are the world’s emergency responders.

redcross.org.uk/donate

Phone: 0300 456 1155

Email: supportercare@redcross.org.uk

redcross.org.uk/events

Phone: 0300 456 1005

Email: getfundraising@redcross.org.uk

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430).