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← Dove House Hospice Limited

2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements

March 2025

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Contents

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4 5 Who we are and
our care in numbers
6 Luke’s Story
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7 11 Clinical Services
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16		 Dan’s Story
People & Development		 y
17 Service User Quotes
18 19 Volunteering
21 20
24		 Claire’s Story
Income Generation
25 Special Moments
26 27 Finance Review :
28 29 Finance Report
30 34 Structure, Goverance & Management
35 Environmental Sustainability Qin,
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36 » 38 Independent Auditors’ Report ; ,
39 67 Financial Statements p.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025 ~~hee~~

Thank you so much, your kindness through the hardest time in my life will not be forgotten. 99 Dove House Patient

Welcome

As we reflect on the past year, the achievements, the challenges, but above all the difference Dove House makes to so many people, we are filled with gratitude for the unwavering commitment of our staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners. We have been providing essential health care services for over 40 years with our work centred on compassion, dignity, and support—values that guide us in providing the highest quality care for those facing life-limiting conditions.

Chris Sadler Chief Executive

This year has been one of profound impact, as we have expanded our services, strengthened our community and outreach services, and continued to offer comfort to patients and their families during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The numbers in this report represent our community, a person, a story of care, kindness and connection, but also the passion and dedication of so many, to raise the vital funds needed to sustain the services at Dove House.

As we delve into our achievements, one area that deserves recognition is the progress and transformative role of digital innovation. The integration of digital tools and data driven insights has enabled us to streamline operations across the organisation. From digital health records to advanced analytics our commitment to responsible data management allows us to continuously improve and adapt in an ever evolving landscape. The data in this report reflects some of this work, as we present critical information in a format which supports a clearer understanding of our work.

We invite you to explore the pages ahead, where we share the challenges we’ve faced, the milestones we’ve reached, and the hope that continues to shape our vision and purpose. As we look forward, we remain dedicated to ensuring every individual receives the respect, love, and support they deserve.

Philip Daniels Chairman

Together, we make a difference.

Chris Sadler and Philip Daniels Chief Executive Chairman

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025 =——, ~~ee~~

Who we are

Dove House Hospice is based in Hull and serves the whole of the East Riding of Yorkshire region. For over 40 years we have provided specialist, personalised care for those dealing with a life limiting diagnosis

and those approaching the very end of their lives, either in our Inpatient Unit or across Outpatient Clinics and groups. We also support the patient and their family

with their emotional wellbeing, offer bereavement support, including a specialist service for children, as well as providing community groups to help tackle issues such as loneliness and social isolation.

We were developed by the community, for the community and will continue to adapt our services to meet their needs.

Our Care In Numbers Inpatient of Inpatients average 469 Admissions 62% were from Hull 83% occupancy Admissions 23 18% 48% 219 Living Well increase in Patients with Admissions 60 Group referrals non-cancer for End of 190 sessions since 23/24 diagnosis Life Care 219 of deaths achieved 201 98% Preferred Place Of Care Home Respite visits by External Referral Sources End of Life Care MND 200 Patient or Pain & Symptom Management nurse

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60
190
219
Respite
End of Life Care
Pain & Symptom Management
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200
Patient or
family/friend 136
Hospital Palliative 256
Care Team 219
Community Palliative 434
Care Team 419
24/25 23/24 0 100 200 300 400 500
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9 Average days stay on Inpatient Unit 31% increase Non-cancer in online diagnosis referrals

4

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Dove House Hospice cares for anyone over the age of 18 who is living with a progressive life limiting illness across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Providing holistic care, the hospice ensures that the patient and their family are the centre of all areas of care.

Services provided by Dove House:

Inpatient Unit for pain and symptom management, respite and end of life care.

Family Support for loved ones and carers, as well as looking after the patient’s emotional needs.

Bereavement Care for families using our services and for the wider community, including Children's Bereavement Groups and the Welcome Wednesdays Bereavement Café.

Community Groups such as Friday Friends and Welcome Wednesdays reach out to the community and open the doors of Dove House to those who need social support.

Therapies including Complementary Outpatient Clinics with doctors, therapy, Occupational therapy and specialist nurses and therapists. @ Physiotherapy. GQ 38% 132 People supported by Friday Friends 83 292 So of Inpatients Complementary Physiotherapy were from the People attended Therapy assessments East Riding 85 Welcome Wednesdays Assessments provided 2834 Contactsto adults Service Growth 40% and children from the Family Support Team 30% Admissions 190 for Pain and 20% Symptom Management Referrals to 10% 268 the Children's Bereavement Groups 0% Total Contacts Contacts Referrals to People Days waiting referralsfor care throughonline Complementary made by BereavementChildren's Welcomeattended 3 time for admission referral Therapy team Groups Wednesdays SS ~~ils.~~ 248 People referred to the Family Support Team 5 Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Luke’s Story

My friend Emilee

My best friend Emilee was just 22 years old when she was diagnosed with skin cancer in November 2023. Initially her symptoms were thought to just be acid reflux but after she started to throw up, we encouraged her to have it investigated further. They found it had spread and she had growths in her stomach, and one had burst. She tried treatment but they didn’t work and the plan changed from extending her life to making her as comfortable as possible; we were all devastated. But Emilee was determined to be strong, she just accepted the news.

After spending a long time in hospital, she was actually really happy to come to Dove House. The care that she received at the hospice was unreal. The team checked on her, and us, constantly, always reassuring us and asking if there was anything we needed. They welcomed us all with open arms and never made us feel out of place. At the beginning when Emilee could move about and sit up, she could get out in the garden which was really lovely for us all.

Emilee was at Dove House for about a month, the nurses really got to know her personality and had such a laugh with her. She was such a character and became good friends with them all. The bond Emilee and the nurses had was so special.

The hospice let Emilee’s partner Molly stay too, she practically lived there. I know that Emilee was worried about Molly so the fact that the hospice looked after her too meant so much to Emilee and helped her relax that

little bit more. But it also meant that Molly could leave for little breaks, knowing that her partner was in the best possible place and being cared for in every way.

Dove House created the closest version of home that Emilee and Molly could get at the hospice going above and beyond for both of them, it was amazing! They were also able to bring their dog to see Emilee. It was another level of care; I have never seen anything like it.

My best friend spent her final days being cared for by the wonderful nurses and doctors at Dove House. It was a very emotional time, but everyone even the receptionists made us feel happy which is weird to say at such a difficult time but that’s how they made us feel. The hospice really respected Emilee and Molly’s wishes and allowed them to spend Emilee’s final moments together surrounded by a small number of those most close to her.

When Emilee died the nurses were unreal, they went at our pace, allowed us as much time and space as we needed and couldn’t have done more. These are moments that matter and stick with you afterwards and we are very thankful to the hospice for this. Even though you know it’s coming it is a heartbreaking situation to be in, but Dove House made it so much easier. They held space for all of our emotions.

so much to Emilee and helped her relax that 6 Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025 ~~2 ee~~

Strategic Report

Clinical Services

This year’s trustee report provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and developments within Clinical Services. We continue to retain our focus on bs delivering high quality, safe effective compassionate care to people in our community with a life limiting illness, and strive to improve people’s quality of life whilst supporting their loved ones.

Based in Hull and surrounded by tranquil gardens, the hospice offers Inpatient Unit care for respite, pain, symptom management, and end-of-life support. A multidisciplinary team delivers holistic care, including 24-hour consultant led care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and complementary treatments, enabling patients to maintain comfort and independence for as long as possible. In addition, the hospice offers extensive bereavement support for families, including a dedicated Child Bereavement Service for children and young people aged 6 to 17.

The needs of patients and families across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire are growing rapidly, and Dove House Hospice continues to respond with compassion and determination. Over the last year alone, the hospice has acted decisively to meet this demand by expanding capacity, adapting services, and recruiting specialist staff.

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2023/24 2024/25 Growth
Bed
4530 5363 18%
Occupancy
Available
5333 6488 22%
Bed Days
Bed Occupancy
85% 83% 2%
Capacity
Admissions 434 469 8%
i!
7
Y 6
ess Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025
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Clinical Quality Assurance

Our Clinical Quality and Improvement group has gone from strength to strength this year, we have completed 29 clinical audits all have been presented to the group with key learning action noted.

We have embedded a culture of learning and through structured reflection, open communication and involvement of patients, families and staff we have identified meaningful lessons that enhance patient safety at the end of life.

Examples of learning from incidents and actions we have taken:

We introduced a huddle at the beginning of the year which supports communication amongst the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), providing clear, concise plans for the on-call teams and ensuring any key safety messages are shared.

Over the past 2 years we have been working with the Improvement Academy who have supported staff on the Inpatient Unit (IPU) with a focus on teamwork and safety. This work was repeated in October 2024, after the team adopted MDT safety huddles the results of which demonstrated:

IPOS

Outcome Measurement provides information that support us in assessing and monitoring changes in the wellbeing of our patients.

This year, we have continued to improve our use of the outcome measures to identify and address individual patient’s symptoms control needs as well as monitor symptoms changes and treatment over time. We now have 100% recording of the first and second outcome measurements for every patient admitted to the Inpatient Unit.

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‘or 8 fol er
Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025
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----- Start of picture text -----
Family Support
Child Bereavement Referrals by Year
and Bereavement Services
300
Family 13%
22/23 23/24 24/25
Support Team
250 23%
Referrals 347 339 248
93%
200
Contacts 3216 3649 2834
150
Child
22/23 23/24 24/25
Bereavement
100
Referrals 193 238 268
50
Groups 9 12 17
Family Support Team 22/23 23/24 24/25
= il
The team have continued to provide compassionate,
person-centred care to individuals and their families,
offering a comforting presence and practical guidance. Schools Supported
Throughout the year we have delivered a broad range
30
of services, including individual counselling services,
groups and support sessions. We have facilitated a
number of special remembrance events: 25
• Personalised Ceremonies- Created a beautiful and 9
dignified wedding ceremony tailored to meet the 20
wishes of the couple, supported by all members of
multi-disciplinary team and other hospice staff 15
4
•
Supporting a patient to go home for a family BBQ
with one of doctors 10
• Canal boat trips for bereaved children. 17
12
5
As a result to workforce challenges, we were required
to reduce our services for a period of 3 months last
year however we were able to signpost carers to 0
2023/24 2024/25
other supportive services within the hospice such
as our Welcome Wednesday Bereavement Cafe
No. of school groups
and Carers Wellbeing Clinic, along with offering
complementary therapy whilst individuals wait No. schools supported
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As a result to workforce challenges, we were required to reduce our services for a period of 3 months last year however we were able to signpost carers to other supportive services within the hospice such as our Welcome Wednesday Bereavement Cafe and Carers Wellbeing Clinic, along with offering complementary therapy whilst individuals wait for face-to-face services.

Child Bereavement Service

The Child Bereavement Service at Dove House Hospice provides specialist care to bereaved children and young people across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Through one-to-one therapy, group sessions, and peer support, the service helps children develop coping strategies, build resilience, and process grief. Demand has surged, with referrals increasing year on year reflecting both the growing awareness of our work and the escalating need for specialist support. The service has gained the reputation of a trusted, expert- led provider.

This year we are proud to expand our work into primary schools, an important step in reaching younger children at earlier stages of their grief.

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Child Bereavement
Referral Types
Palliative
Sudden
Traumatic
Suicide
Other
Expected
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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Therapy and Wellbeing services

The therapies team have actively embraced, promoted, and championed a culture of patient safety, consistently seeking strategies to minimise the risk of patient harm. A key initiative has been the implementation of the Falls Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT), designed to accurately identify patients at elevated risk of falls. In addition, the team has pursued innovative and creative approaches to fall prevention, including the introduction of new equipment and resources tailored to enhance patient safety and wellbeing. The service continues to see an increase in the number of referrals.

Our Complementary Therapists have expanded their reach, offering relaxation and mindfulness opportunities not only within our Inpatient services but also in Outpatient Clinics, ensuring that both patients and carers have time to relax and recharge.

The Carers Wellbeing Service continues to grow, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback for its evolving support offerings. Additionally, the Living Well Group has become a cornerstone of our service, helping individuals navigate life’s challenges through interactive and meaningful activities that promote wellbeing and resilience.

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Patients Contacts
126
Complementary
226
Therapy
296
133
Physiotherapy 218
313
24
Symptom
93
Control Clinic
103
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
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Key Achievements against 24/25 objectives

Objective 1: Delivering Safe, High-Quality Care

Objective 2: Optimising the Hospice Environment

Objective 3: Increasing Capacity and Reach

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Clinical Goals 2025/26:

1. Deliver excellent care and support that is responsive to the needs of patients and their families in their preferred place.

2. Improve Access & Reach

3. Excellence in Care & Training

4. Engagement & Partnership

5. Digital Innovation

CQC

We had our last unannounced inspection by the CQC in 2023 and maintained our Good overall rating, the report published and provided the following results.

Is the service safe – Good Is the service caring – Outstanding Is the service responsive -Good Is the service effective -Good Is the service well led –Good

We continue to strive for excellence to ensure our services evolve and excel.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Dan’s Story

My Motor Neurone Disease journey

66 My name is Dan, I am 52 years old. My Motor Neurone Disease journey started around 2015, with a relatively early diagnosis in September 2016. At this point, I had no real concept of how MND would affect my life, whether slowly or quickly, nor to the full extent of its consequences on me and my family.

I was introduced to Dove House at the start of my diagnosis. I attended a small, monthly support group, offering the ability to meet with others affected by MND. At the time, I remember thinking that I was very distant from other sufferers, not able to accept that this would be my journey. It is unfortunate to say, but members who attended this group came and went, however the care from the support and nursing staff remained constant. Since the early days, and the realisation that my MND journey is very personal, and, in my case, was relatively slow, myself and my family did the best we could to get on with life. For several years, this was largely manageable on our own, though we had regular and helpful contact with our MND nurse.

Fast forward to 2024, and we are now in a very different place. MND has taken all of my movement and my ability to breathe without support, and as a consequence, I spend all my time either in bed or in a chair. The amount of care needed for this level of disability, and the prolonged length of time we have been fighting, had left us all feeling exhausted and in need of help. It was at this point that we talked to Dove House about our needs. They were immediately receptive and understanding, suggesting several possibilities for how they could help.

It had been a long time since the early days of the support group, and this time Dove House offered us the opportunity for some respite care, allowing

12

myself a couple of nights where I was well cared for, and, equally importantly, my family got some well needed rest. My anxieties and concerns about going into respite care were fully understood, and I felt very reassured by the answers to my questions as to how it would work for me.

During this short stay, I took the opportunity to enjoy complementary massage therapy and was able to have a bath, rather than a shower, for the first time in years. For somebody who lives seated or in bed, the opportunity to float without pressure, to feel warm, safe and relaxed, was invaluable. And I took the opportunity to have a bath on both days! As a consequence, the benefits being overwhelmingly obvious, this has lead to me regularly visiting Dove House to recharge my batteries, soothe a battered and aching body, and spend some time truly relaxing. This is a time, just for a brief moment, when you can forget that your body doesn’t move anymore. Lying still and accessing these therapies makes you feel, in a small way, just like everyone else. MND is not just a physical condition, it takes a huge toll on your mental health. The ability to access these therapies and achieve a state of mindfulness is absolutely essential.

Dove House is a hospice; for some that term means only one thing – end of life care. But it is far more than this – it is a place where people can go to get real, person-centred care. For family members to feel, for a short while, their loved ones are getting the specialist treatment they deserve, so that they can have some worry-free rest. It is also a place that loved ones can access support for their own health and wellbeing. It is truly a happy and welcoming environment, with dedicated and experienced staff, who work hard to ensure time spent there is rewarding and valuable, and I look forward to returning.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

People and Development

Achieving success through our people.

Within our hospice strategy 2023-2028, the 4 goals in People and Development have been refined to align more closely with activity and upcoming work. They also provide more concise and balanced objectives.

In 2024/25 there were 49 new staff, 23 new bank workers and 285 new volunteers who joined team Dove House!

Become an employer of choice with high quality candidates in the right roles.

We will successfully recruit to our vacancies with high quality candidates. We will ensure we have the right people in the right roles, at the right time to meet future challenges.

Fair pay and staff benefits

We aim to balance fair pay with long-term sustainability of the hospice while ensuring we have the right staff in the right roles with the right support. From April 1 2024 pay awards were given in line with the Nation Living wage uplift and the cost of living increases. We strive to remain competitive and continue enhancing employee benefits and our values-led culture. In June 2024, we adjusted Nursery staff pay following a market review. In November, we introduced a car leasing benefit via salary sacrifice through NHS Fleet Solutions.

New roles

A total of 49 individuals were recruited, including several new roles. These included a Data Insights & CRM Co-ordinator and a Data Analyst to enhance data analytics, collection and automation. The Clinical Education Lead role was redefined to focus on strategic planning and compliance. In February, two Nursery Apprentices were appointed through Eden Training, leading to a Level 3 Early Years qualification by 2026. Apprentices received an enhanced rate of £6.60/hour, with course fees funded by the Government. In addition to the introduction of new roles, we constantly review existing structures and roles to identify if there are areas in which we can operate more efficiently. As a result, 2 roles were made redundant.

Gender Pay Gap

Our 2024 snapshot date was 5th April 2024. Our results were that on average, women’s hourly rate is 5% lower than men’s. Historically this has been: 2% (2023/24), 5.2% (2022/23) and 5.8% (2021/22). The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports for April 2024 that among all employees, the gender pay gap was 13.1%.

~~eee~~ Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Have high levels of staff engagement and retention.

Health and wellbeing

Health Needs Assessment: We partnered with NHS We will achieve high levels of staff engagement by Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care supporting, listening, inspiring and motivating Partnership through an initiative called Working Voices, staff. in which we launched a Health Needs Assessment in We will promote open communication to enable August to identify staff wellbeing needs. With 61% continuous improvement. participation, results showed interest in support for health checks, mental health, menopause, and healthy We will focus on ‘Health and Wellbeing’ to support lifestyle initiatives. our staff’s physical and mental health, which in turn benefits the hospice with high retention, high Most popular initiatives staff would like: productivity and low absenteeism. Menopause awareness Staff Survey sessions 42.3% In April, 66% of staff completed our annual survey, Mental health up from 55% last year. Results showed 97% are champions inthe work 35.9% proud to work here, 93% enjoy their job, and 84% would recommend the hospice as a workplace. Emotional 55.1% While overall feedback was positive, only 46% felt well-being wellbeing was actively encouraged, prompting further action. Further results on values and Physical 42.3% wellbeing are covered in later sections. activity Staff Survey Stats: Healthy 42.9% eating staff said they were proud Weight 46.2% management 97% to work for the hospice. General 76.3% health checks said said 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 93% 94% they they enjoyed their job understood what Physical Health: Humber Teaching NHS Foundation is expected of Trust offered free ‘Workforce NHS Health Checks’. 54 said them in their role. employees accessed the health checks and feedback was positive. Flu jabs were also offered to staff and 84% they volunteers onsite with 55 staff accessing these. We would recommend working also offered to contribute if people obtained their flu vaccine via a local pharmacy. at the hospice to a friend. a ~~tl~~ Mental Health: Following a review of our staff counselling provisions we partnered with Focus Induction Counselling Ltd. Staff were also guided on NHS self-referrals and 24/7 EAP access. Over 150 days of We run monthly Dove House Induction days to compassionate leave supported 35 employees. welcome new staff, support onboarding, share our history, and outline future plans—welcoming 49 Absence Management and Health Support: We aim for new starters and 23 bank workers this year.

Absence Management and Health Support: We aim for 96%+ attendance to maintain service delivery. The lost time rate for 2024/25 was 4.61% (95.39% attendance rate) which is an increase from 2023/24 (96.1% attendance rate)

Staff turnover

Staff turnover for the year was 18.2% (54 employees). This is an improvement from the previous year of 23% (67 employees)

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Absence management
6%
4%
2% 3.9% 4.61%
0
2023/24 2024/25
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14 . Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

We referred 22 staff to occupational health and supported 11 of 15 long-term absentees back to work, 4 left employment.

Financial Health: We worked with our pension advisor, Secondsight, to launch the ‘Aspire to Retire’ email package for staff over 50 and those turning 50 in the next 12 months, offering tailored retirement planning information. In our 2024 survey, 40% felt informed about using their pension. A December review also confirmed that our pension provider remains suitable, in addition they also reduced annual charges.

Christmas vouchers: In November/December, all employees were given a £100 Asda voucher.

Give staff the knowledge and tools they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability to achieve our goals

We will develop a leadership programme to guide practice in the areas of recruitment, absence management, performance and change management to give our leaders the best tools to lead and support their teams to drive performance. We will ensure essential education (clinical and non-clinical) training and appraisals are embedded, monitored and completed as standard to a minimum of 90% completion rates. We will take opportunities for additional training.

Embedding the hospice‘s values throughout the organisation and making all staff accountable to them

We will create a positive work environment by modelling our values and their associated behaviours in all our work and will immediately address any behaviour that does not live up to the standards we set for one another.

Staff Survey 2024: We were very pleased with the survey results around Values with 98% feeling they understand behaviours reflecting our values; 81% know them by heart and feel colleagues live the values.

Values workshop: A values and behaviour workshop was created and will be used in 2025/26 to then build a behaviour framework

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

People & Development Goals 2025/26

1. Have high levels of staff engagement and retention

3. Become an employer of choice with high quality candidates in the right roles

2. Give staff the knowledge and tools they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability to achieve our goals

4. Embedding the hospice‘s values throughout the organisation and making all staff accountable to them

16 Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025 ~~ee~~

My life has been chaos, now I am feeling calm for the first time in a long time.

Thank you so much for looking after our beautiful mam when we no longer could, we feel like we got a bit of extra time with her thanks to your care.

From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed, not frightened or worried, we knew our dad was in the best place for the right care he needed.

66 She absolutely loved all of you and how you treated her still keeping her spirits high and laughing with her every day. 7

I know it is your job to help people who are grieving but you saved me I think.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Volunteering

We know that without volunteers Dove House could not continue to provide the vital care it does in the community. With volunteers in every part of hospice life it is crucial we do all we can to provide the best volunteering experience for those who give their time for free. This year we have reviewed how we support our current volunteers and what we are doing to recruit new people to support the organisation in this way.

In 2024/25 we:

The results from the surveys were overwhelmingly positive , but they also highlighted some areas that we can improve including reviewing the application process, making changes to volunteer inductions and developing ways to keep volunteers up to date. The surveys also highlighted the three main reasons that the majority of volunteers continue to donate their time is to support the cause, because of the positive impact volunteering has on their health and wellbeing and for social interaction.

Volunteering Plans 2025/26:

In 2025/26 we plan to develop volunteer recruitment with a marketing campaign to start early in the year, updates to the application process and improvements to the volunteer pages on the main hospice website.

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Volunteer Story: Matthew

I'm Matthew and I volunteer at the North Point Dove House shop. I'm 17 and currently doing my A levels at college. I was recommended by a friend to volunteer.

I saw it as a great way to gain some work experience while studying. I've been there now six months and gained great experience in retail including till work pricing and lots of customer service skills.

I love volunteering for Dove House and the staff and the customers are all friendly and I really enjoy coming in. My favourite memory of volunteering was at Halloween. I dressed as a fox to greet customers at the door, a lady asked to have a photo with me. After the photo, she explained that it was her late father's costume and she had donated it to the shop. She said he was a real character and he would have loved this.

I would really recommend volunteering for Dove House. It's for a great cause and helps people from our community, which is so rewarding.

Volunteer Story: Liz

My name is Liz and I volunteer my time at Dove House, playing the harp on the Inpatient Unit.

I have been a musician for many years and was keen to know if my experience as a classical guitarist would transfer to the harp – I wanted a new musical challenge. Though I’ve been playing the harp for quite a short time, I wanted to share some of the music I’ve been learning, which led me to volunteer at Dove House.

I find being a musician leads to lots of conversations and I hope that playing at the hospice brings value not just to patients but their families too. I play at the centre of the Inpatient Unit. I find that playing in the open space allows the sound to carry to enable most people on the unit to hear the music.

I recently played in a gentleman's room and we shared an interesting and very touching conversation about his interests in music over the years. I will also never forget the gratitude of one woman who shared with me how much of a difference music made to her time at the hospice. It was a powerful moment. It’s easy to forget that volunteering is a two-way process and I feel that I also gain a great deal from my time at the hospice.

People can be at their most vulnerable during their time at the hospice, and it is a privilege to be able to help create a little bit of calm at what are some of life’s most challenging moments. There is no expectation for people to ‘listen’ or engage with me in any way but, if they can connect to the music or find comfort from it in some way then I feel my time volunteering is very well spent.

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Claire’s Story

My mum Janet

My mum Janet was a very smart lady, a Head Teacher and History Teacher; so, when she started getting words wrong, we knew something wasn’t right.

Her and my dad, Mike, went to the doctors who initially thought that she might have had a mini stroke. After scans and tests we got a phone call from the hospital who said that there were significant abnormalities in her brain. Mum had a brain tumour and that they were certain it was cancer; not curable but it was treatable. My head was spinning, I couldn’t process what I was hearing, so God knows how my mum felt.

Unfortunately, Mum’s condition deteriorated quite quickly, she stopped going out; she had lost her confidence and didn’t want to bump into people and get things wrong. It wasn’t a good prognosis, depending on any treatment

her maximum life expectancy was 6-14 months. She put on a brave face and insisted “I’ll get another Christmas!” We were all supportive, she wanted more time with us.

Her physical and mental condition declined during treatment and she wasn’t in a fit state to go through chemo and radiotherapy. In the weeks we cared for her at home it was tough, Mum wasn’t Mum anymore.

My sister Alida and I would take it in turns to stay over but it began to take its toll. Caring for Mum suddenly became very full on. I think Mum knew we couldn’t cope and that we needed support.

We managed to get Mum a place at Dove House Hospice, it was such a weight lifted as we knew they would give her the care she needed.

Receiving the support we got from Dove House honestly changed our story, from struggling, to being able to be Mum’s daughters again, for Dad to be her husband, and her friends to see her in such a loving and warm environment. Dove House became a home from home for us.

We were able to walk away and go back to our families for the night and go back that little bit stronger. When we had to leave it was hard; but we knew that she would be cared for.

As a family we were able to come to the hospice and be together. Nothing is ever too much for that amazing team. I will never forget the day rabbits, a pony, and a snake came to Dove House to visit the patients, it made us all smile, and was a lovely break for us all.

We only had 14 weeks with Mum from her diagnosis, and she never did get her last Christmas. When Mum died, it was the hardest day but we all knew it was as peaceful as it could be, and she wasn’t in pain. It wouldn’t have been like that if she had been at home. The support and compassion we received will stay with us forever.

20

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Income Generation

Our financial success underpins all that the charity can achieve and enables our vision to come to life. This area of the Strategy aims to provide a sound model to fund our current services as well as designate funds for new developments so we can be responsive to the needs of our patients.

Retail

The Retail Division once again generated more funds than ever before (up £117,000 to £6.1 million) however a rise in costs meant the net was down against the previous year by £146,000 to £1.68 million. We sold 1,835,379 items of clothing, up 4.71% on last year with an average basket price rise of 16p (3.19%) to £4.91.

We also welcomed 244 new volunteers to Team Retail however 234 left the division over the course of the year so volunteer numbers across the division remains a concern.

New Leadership Team

In April 2024, we welcomed Jennifer Rowan to the team as Head of Retail. Jennifer spent 9 years working in London on Savile Row before joining the charity sector and working as a Head of Retail at another hospice. Jennifer’s degree in Fashion and Textile Management has been put to good use since joining Dove House and following the retirement of Janine Drury, an Area Manager for over 20 years, she has recruited and formed a new Area Manager Team.

Hessle Shop Relocation: On 26th October, we relocated our Hessle Shop to a larger unit. The shop has gone from strength to strength, finishing the year up against target.

‘The Market’ Launch: On Saturday 20th July we launched ‘The Market by Dove House,’ a vibrant new concept store filled with pre-loved clothes, stylish furniture, quirky homewares and crafts. The shop was created using part of the site of our Retail Distribution Centre on Malmo Road and since opening has net over £57,000 for the hospice.

Hessle Road Shop Concerns: Unfortunately, we have had a very poor year of trade at our Hessle Road Shop due in part to difficulties with recruiting a new manager. The shop finished £70,000 down on 2023/24. We have since recruited a new manager and this shop has seen a significant improvement in performance.

Rag Price Drop: We saw a year-on-year reduction in income from rags of £95,000 due to the collapse of the market and plummeting rates of payment. This has been a nation-wide problem for charities this year although signs are positive that we will see our rates increase for 2025/26.

Gift Aid: We recruited 3438 new Gift Aider’s in 2024-25 and made our largest annual Gift Aid claim of £408,000.

21

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Fundraising

The 2024/25 was once again a phenomenally successful year for the hospice's Fundraising Team. They secured a record-breaking fundraising total, exceeding the previous year's achievement by a significant £104,000, raising a net of £812,000. This exceptional outcome is credited to the fantastic work of the team and the recruitment of new roles and software to complement their efforts.

Community Fundraising: This area once again saw a rise in income of £37,000 compared with the year previous. Schools and nurseries continued to be a cornerstone of fundraising success. An impressive 58 schools/nurseries once again actively participated in the Santa Run event, raising over £64,000.

Events and Challenges: This area also continued to perform strongly generating income of £478,000, £149,000 more than we had budgeted. Challenges undertaken on behalf of the hospice included the London Landmarks Half Marathon which saw 15 runners raise £9,000, the inaugural Pub to Pub walk which raised in excess of £10,000 and the return of the Night Walk (previously the Starlight Stride) which raised £26,000.

Corporate Support: The support we saw from the business community also soared in 2024/25 raising £309,000. These included bespoke fundraising events and initiatives, sponsorship opportunities, gift-in-kind donations, providing raffle and sale items, and making one-off donations as straightforward as possible.

Our focus has been on evolving corporate relationships into genuine partnerships, built on mutual benefit and long-term support. More businesses than ever before selected Dove House as their Charity of the Year, leading to sustained fundraising efforts throughout the year.

Meanwhile, our growing corporate volunteering programme enabled more staff members to experience the hospice’s impact firsthand, inspiring further fundraising within their teams and companies.

Trusts and Grants: Over £89,000 of unrestricted support was garnered from supporting grant makers and trusts. Further restricted funding was also gained to purchase ‘tilt in space’ therapy chairs, specialist falls beds and outdoor garden furniture as well as a generous £20,000 a year for 3 years of funding from the Ann Watson Trust for our Child Bereavement Service.

Individual Giving and Memorial Campaigns: This area also saw significant growth during 2024/25. During the summer, 750 forget-me-not flowers were bought in memory of loved ones and were showcased in a beautiful display at Burton Constable Hall, raising £23,000. We also saw a rise in online memorial pages which raised an average of £620/person compared with an average funeral collection of £185.

Legacy Giving: Fundraising agency Pebblebeach were contracted to do a comprehensive audit of our legacy giving and develop a strategic plan to grow income from this area. This ongoing project is aimed at yielding substantial financial benefits in the medium to long term as legacies truly underpin our ability to grow our services and care for more people in the future.

We also joined with hospices across the UK and took part in a Legacy Campaign led by Hospice UK. A TV advert and other media was produced which was aired by 58 channels and reached over £10million adults aged over 55+. Whilst the results of such a campaign may not be obvious for some time, we were really pleased to be a part of this and intend to join forces again for a second year.

----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising Income - Past 3 Years
£510,000
£410,000
£310,000
£210,000
£110,000
£10,000
Community Corporate Individual Seasonal Gift Aid Trust
Gifts Appeals
2022 2023 2024
22
----- End of picture text -----

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Your Charity Lottery

Your Charity Lottery ended the year up on 2023/24 by £24,000. Despite a difficult year for canvassing, 3,613 new members were recruited.

Welcoming New Beneficiaries:

Throughout the year, we expanded our reach by welcoming five new beneficiaries to Your Charity Lottery. Including Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Little Hiccups, Autism and ADHD PSUK, Beaumond House Hospice and One-to-One Enfield. A further four beneficiaries are due to launch in early 2025/26.

Trading Company

Little Owls Day Nurseries

Little Owls Day Nurseries enjoyed another successful year in 2024/25, caring for over 300 children across our Dove House and Ainthorpe locations. We welcomed over 50 new starters to our Ainthorpe nursery following a recruitment drive in the area which took the site from a loss of £3,000 in 2023/24 to a profit of £36,000 in 2024/25. The Little Owls site at the hospice also had a phenomenal year generating net of £243,000 which was £152,000 up on 2023/24.

Dulcies Café

Dulcies Café saw its net fall £12,000 on 2023/24 mostly due to a rise in costs. Plans for a rebrand and expansion into outside catering are in place for 2025/26.

Resale Goods

We sell a range of new good across our 34 shops and this year saw the net increase year-on-year by £39,000. In total £122,000 was generated from these items; much of this growth was generated from new furniture sales within our Furniture Superstore shop.

Fundraising Good Practice

We take fundraising compliance seriously. We adhere to all relevant laws, including the Charities Act 2011 and the Gambling Act 2005. We are regulated by both the Fundraising Regulator and the Gambling Commission, ensuring our practices meet their Codes of Practice and licensing conditions.

Protecting vulnerable individuals is a priority. Our staff and volunteers are trained to recognise signs of vulnerability, and any suspected cases halt fundraising activities with documented records. We also implement measures like limiting lottery entries to safeguard this group.

Transparency and support are key. Most fundraising involves our supporters, guided by our diverse team of fundraisers, and administrative staff. Professional fundraisers assist with lottery canvassing, with contracts reviewed annually. We provide comprehensive support through the Fundraising Team and online resources to ensure everyone raises funds ethically and legally.

We address concerns promptly. In 2024/25 we received no complaints about our fundraising practices.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Income Generation Goals 2025/26

3. Inspire and attract new customers, supporters and volunteers.

Following a mid-point review of our organisational strategy, we have introduced an Income Generation Section to our Strategic Objectives. Below are our aims for 2025-26:

1. Optimise and expand existing income streams.

We held a wedding in the York Room.

Special Moments

A Care Assistant sang with a patient before they died.

Doctor brought their dog in for a dog loving patient to cuddle.

Doctor escorted a patient to a family BBQ over a weekend.

Organised canal boat trips for bereaved children.

Opera singers visited the Inpatient Unit. 25

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Financial Review

Regulations and Accounting Standards

1. Financial Regulations Financial Results: The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with all major requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP FRS102) “Accounting and 2024/2025 2023/2024 Reporting by Charities” issued in October 2019 and applicable accounting standards. Incoming £12,752,850 £12,173,058 Resources 2. Financial Results Resources A summary of the financial activities for the year ending 31 Expended £11,965,499 £11,200,293 March 2025 are shown opposite, with fuller details including Gain/ (Loss) on comparative results on page 39. £27,735 £222,842 Investments 3. Taxation Net Surplus £815,086 £1,195,607 Dove House Hospice Limited is a UK registered charity. All the £12,752,850 income is applied to its charitable Total income of £12,752,850 was generated objectives and the charitable company is therefore exempt from the following sources: under current legislation from most forms of taxation. A proportion of value added tax is recoverable by the charity Donations and is therefore credited to the statement of financial £447,570 £362,291 & Gifts activities or balance sheet as received. Reclaimable tax credits on legacy income and dividends are accounted for Legacies £1,013,199 £1,375,122 on an accrual basis. - 4. Fixed Assets and Depreciation Grants £115,191 Expenditure on tangible items of an enduring nature is capitalised and depreciated in accordance with normal Charitable £1,333,512 £1,255,482 accounting principles. The rates generally applicable are: Activties Activity for Freehold Property 2% GeneratingFunds £9,524,980 £9,007,114 Motor Vehicles 25% Plant & Equipment 20% Investments £310,127 £165,789 Hi Tech Equipment 25% Fixtures & Fittings 10% Other Income £8,271 £7,260 Leasehold Improvements over lease period Charitable Expenditure amounted to £11,965,499 comprising the following: 5. Financial Commitments The Trustees confirm that the charity’s current funds as Charitable £5,326,196 £4,832,312 outlined in the balance sheet and the new budget for Activities 2025-2026 can meet obligations around the financial Cost of commitments of that year and meet the direct and indirect Generating £6,639,303 £6,367,981 costs of providing a specialist palliative care service to the Funds local community. 26 Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report ~~[I]~~ For the year ended 31 March 2025

Reserves Policy

It is the charity’s stated policy to retain sufficient funds to cover fluctuations in income, current liabilities and unplanned expenditure in line with the forecasted needs of the organisation.

Investment Policy

The Board of Trustees have approved an investment policy and strategy, which is supervised by the Audit Committee.

The most significant risk to the financial sustainability of the charity is the over reliance on internal fundraising, given the relatively low levels of statutory funding. The volatility that exists within our conventional fundraising is an ongoing risk that is assessed by the Audit Committee and the Trustees on an annual basis.

Included within the reserves policy section of the TAR entities are required to disclose the level of total funds and restricted funds held at the year end (plus comparatives).

Therefore, Trustees have reviewed the charity’s need for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission taking account of the following:

e Volatility and unforeseen reduction in income levels Unexpected material levels of expenditure @ Capital commitments @

Long term viability of the charity e

Total funds available at the year-end are £21,179,062 (2024: £20,363,976), of which £12,239,365 are unrestricted (2024: £11,464,555), £5,000,000 are designated funds (2024: £5,000,000), £3,910,651 are held for restricted purposes (2024: £3,868,956) and there are endowment funds of £29,046 (2024: £30,465).

The Charity’s aim for the invested assets is to protect their purchasing power against inflation as a minimum requirement while offering an opportunity to provide an additional level of return to support its ongoing operational activities. The Trustees have agreed to delegate to Rathbones Investment Management the investment of long-term funds held on a discretionary basis. The Trustees have invested £3 million, and the Audit Committee will continue to review the levels invested taking account of the current reserves position. The Charity adopts a total return approach to investment, generating the investment return from income and capital gains or losses. As such, there is no target level of investment income required, and income is currently reinvested.

At the 31 March 2025 the total value of the investment portfolio stood at £3,277,206. We also have 2 other small investment portfolios which total £262,749.

Free Reserves

The Trustees have set a level to achieve 6 months operational running costs in reserve, which currently equates to £5.98million. The charity had free reserves, defined as unrestricted funds excluding any designated funds or tangible fixed assets of £4,390,895 (2024: £4,098,049).

Designated Funds

The charity can designate funds for specific purposes. Trustees review the need for designated funds on an annual basis taking into account current operational and future plans.

The Trustees have one designated fund: Reconfiguration of the existing hospice site as at present there are only 5 single rooms which is a major barrier to referrals to the current Inpatient Unit. Most of the other clinical services are either disconnected or isolated on the first floor making access difficult. Adaptations over the years have created a deep building layout, limiting natural daylight, desirable views or access to outside spaces. There is also limited scope to develop new and existing services.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Finance Report

Summary

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2019) and include the consolidated results of Dove House Hospice Ltd and its trading subsidiary, Dove House Trading Ltd, for the year ending 31 March 2025.

Financial Management

Dove House Hospice is predominantly funded through voluntary sources, with only 10% of the funds required to sustain the organisation coming from the government. Given this significant reliance on community fundraising activities, the Trustees are prudent in managing the long-term financial position of the charity to ensure resilience and sustainability. One strategic ambition is to achieve a balanced operational budget without reliance on legacy income. Although the budget projections for the year ending March 2025 indicated a small operational deficit, the Trustees are committed to achieving a balanced position over the next three years.

Headline Figures

The consolidated results show a surplus of £815,000, a decrease of 31% from the previous year’s surplus of £1.19 million. Working within a challenging economic environment our overall costs for the year rose to £11.97 million, an increase of £765,000 from the previous year. However, record levels of fundraising helped offset these costs, with total income reaching £12.75 million, compared to £12.17 million in the previous year.

Funding through Charitable Activities

NHS Statutory Grants

Dove House provides specialist palliative care and hospice services through Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, covering Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. This year, Dove House received £1.15 million in statutory funding, equating to around 10% of the required funds to sustain the essential services at Dove House. Despite providing critical services and excellent care, this is one of the lowest levels of statutory funding for hospices nationwide. Dove House aims to increase statutory funding to match the national average and is working collaboratively with other hospices in the ICS to achieve a sustainable long-term funding plan.

Legacy Funding

----- Start of picture text -----
Legacy funds totalled £1.01 million, a decrease of
£362,000 from the previous year. Due to the Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. This year, Dove
volatility of legacy income, it is difficult to include House received £1.15 million in statutory funding,
these funds in a sustainable long-term funding equating to around 10% of the required funds to
model. Trustees use legacy funds to support sustain the essential services at Dove House.
capital investment, develop new projects and Despite providing critical services and excellent
services, maintain reserves, and address any care, this is one of the lowest levels of statutory
underperformance in fundraising activities. This funding for hospices nationwide. Dove House aims
year, Dove House engaged an external company to increase statutory funding to match the national
to develop and market legacy gifts and joined average and is working collaboratively with other
Hospice UK's national legacy campaign for hospices in the ICS to achieve a sustainable
greater exposure. long-term funding plan.
Legacies Dove House funding
£1,500
£
£1,000 10% 90%
£
£500
Funded by Comes from local
the State communities
£-
On average hospice’s nationally
20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 receive 34% funding from the state
28
l Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report utl- For the year ended 31 March 2025
Thousands
----- End of picture text -----*

Retail

The hospice retail division has experienced a challenging year, with a significant reduction in the overall net position compared to the previous financial year. The current year ending March 2025 closed with a surplus of £1.68 million, down from £1.83 million in March 2024. This decline was driven by flat like for like sales, and a significant drop in the textile recycling tonnage rate. Overall costs increased as wage inflation and general operational expenditure was above expectations. However, while this financial performance presents obstacles, the retail team has been working hard, implementing new initiatives and measures to address these concerns. This work was reflected in a much improved financial performance in the final quarter of the year.

Fundraising

Fundraising activities delivered an outstanding return, well above our expectations with total income £1.1 million up by £241,000 from the previous year. This pushed the overall nett contribution to £812,000 an increase on the previous year of 15%. The fundraising team were proactive and creative with their plans, working closely with the community to deliver exceptional results across all areas. This included an increase in the funds raised through individual challenges, community appeals, trusts and a substantial increase in corporate support. It was also a record year for the amount we claimed in gift aid (£122,000) on monetary donations, up by 10% on the previous year.

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Fundraising Income
£1,400
£1,200
£1,000
£800
£600
£400
£200
0
2022 2023 2024 2025
----- End of picture text -----

Your Charity Lottery

Professional canvassing teams were recruited throughout the year to meet growth expectations and obligations from beneficiary partners. Membership cancellations were slightly higher than expected due to the ongoing financial pressures and economic uncertainty which often hits regular giving schemes. This has resulted in a slight reduction to gross income levels of 1.7%, however this is offset with a reduction in staffing costs, with overall costs down by 4.6%. So, in terms of the nett position, the lottery increased its contribution by £24,000, to £374,000.

Funding through Trading and Commercial Activities

Summary

Our trading subsidiary Dove House Trading Ltd made a total profit of £392,115 through various commercial ventures, which was a significant improvement on the operating profit from the previous year of £102,087. No new projects were started in the year; however, we did incur some costs from the Humber Wood project which ceased trading in 2023. All other areas were in profit with the nursery project and general resale goods accounting for around 90% of the surplus.

Little Owls Nursery Project

The Little Owls Nursery Project has 2 early years settings in Hull, one at the main hospice site, and the other within Ainthorpe Primary School. Results from both sites were mixed, however the overall combined profit increased to £325,000 a significant increase on the previous year. With high occupancy rates, the nursery at the hospice site benefited from the new government tariffs to record its highest ever profit, whereas the site at Ainthorpe struggled with recruitment and so their profit was considerably below expectations.

Resale Goods

The other significant factor in the trading company figures are new goods, sold predominantly through our network of shops. Although gross sales were at a similar level from the previous year, the cost of sales was down, increasing our profit margin. Sales of more bulky items from our furniture range have increased, which is one area we hope to expand and develop in the new financial year.

Charitable Activities

The costs shown for resources expended on charitable activities in our statement of financial activities represents the total costs for all the services provided by Dove House, both at the hospice and in the community. We are consistent and thorough in how we manage expenditure across these areas to ensure we are efficient and effective when delivering these services.

Throughout the past 12 months we have strengthened and increased some of our services as we constantly look at the demands we face and how we can support and deliver our care offer to meet this need. However, any increase in care and services has to be balanced against our continued long term financial sustainability. Over the year our charitable activity costs have increased by £494,000, which is an increase on the previous year of 10%.

29

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Structure, Governance & Management

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees who are also Directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2025. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” in preparing the Trustees' Report and financial statements of the charity. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published in October 2019.

The Trustees (who are also directors of Dove House Hospice Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report (including the Strategic Report) and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law 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 charitable company and of the incoming

resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year. 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 2019 (FRS 102);

make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequateaccounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

there is no relevant audit information of which charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.

30

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Adminstration & Reference Details

Registered Office:

Dove House Hospice Limited, Chamberlain Road, Hull, HU8 8DH Registered Charity Number: 509551 Company Number: 01498747

President: Vacancy

Vice Presidents: Dr Sean Dunn Maureen Lipman, DBE

Governing Board of Trustees:

Philip Daniels Chairman

Maggie Butt Vice Chairman

Jan Antons

Sally Booker Annie Bowes John Dunning Dan Harman

Executive Leadership Team

Christopher Sadler: Chief Executive/Director of Finance and Support Services

Sarah Cash:

Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Business and Income Development

Andrew Walker: Director of People and Development

Helen Hudson: Director of Clinical Services

Dr Rachael Dixon: Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Principal Advisors

Solicitors:

Graham & Rosen 8 Parliament Street Hull HU1 2BB

Bankers:

HSBC

3-4 Jameson Street Hull HU1 3JX

Investment Managers:

Rathbone Investment Management Limited Earl Grey House 75-85 Grey Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6EF

Jim Harris

Jae Saleh Claire Thomas

Pepperells Solicitors

100 Alfred Gelder Street Hull HU1 2AE

Auditors:

Smailes Goldie Statutory Auditor Regents Court Princess Street Hull HU2 8BA

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Governing Document

Dove House Hospice Limited is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee without share capital. The charity’s governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association which restricts the charity’s operations to all such lawful acts as are incidental or necessary to the attainment of its objectives.

Appointment, Induction, and Training of Trustees

Appointment, induction, and training of Trustees takes place in accordance with Fit and Proper Person legislation (Health and Social Care Act (2008) Regulated activities (Regulations) 2014). That being that Trustees are appointed rather than elected by a membership.

Any person may apply to become a Trustee and a process is in place whereby the applicant’s suitability for the role is tested through an appropriate application and interview process which assesses the applicant’s suitability for the role and that they fulfil the requirements of the Fit and Proper persons legislation.

Any potential new Trustee would have to complement and enhance the existing skill mix of the Board prior to undergoing a ‘fit and proper person check’. Appointment is agreed by resolution at a meeting of the Board of Trustees. The term of office begins on this date. All terms of office will be for 3 years without time limit.

All newly appointed Trustees are provided with an information pack including guidance on being a trustee of a charity and specific guidance related to being a Trustee at Dove House Hospice Limited. Induction includes a detailed site visit and meetings with the Chair and the Executive Leadership Team. Specific time is set aside to meet with the Director of Finance ensuring that new appointments have a full understanding of the finances of the organisation. Training is delivered on a rolling programme and includes essential elements such annual Safeguarding and Information Governance (IG) training.

Every year, the Trustees meet outside of the Board meetings to have two development days. This includes a review of the hospice’s 5 year strategy, presentations from the Executive Leadership Team, plans for the future and discussions on governance.

The hospice has also introduced a Trustee appraisal system and all trustees have had an appraisal with the Chairman. Among other things, regular appraisal sits well within the ‘fit and proper person’ legislation, as it helps to ensure the ongoing suitability of the Trustee for their role and also, it gives Trustees the opportunity to ask any questions and raise any concerns they may have. The process has been welcomed by the Trustees and the feedback has been positive.

Organisation

The responsibility to ensure appropriate management of the charity is vested in the Board of Trustees. To assist the Board in discharging and achieving its responsibilities, it receives regular reports on some aspects of its principal functions from the Chief Executive and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). These reports ensure Board Members have relevant information to review all the financial and clinical activities of the charity.The Chief Executive, who leads the leadership team, is responsible to the Board of Trustees for the day to day management of the charity and the execution of the policies and strategies defined by the Board.

\j

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Audit Committee

The purpose of the Audit Committee is to ensure robust governance in relation to risk and financial processes. This is a non-executive committee of the Board of Trustees and has no executive powers other than those specifically delegated in the agreed terms of reference. The committee will include a minimum of three Trustees and two members of the Executive Leadership Team and will focus on governance, risk management and internal control.

Related Parties

The charity has a wholly owned trading subsidiary, Dove House Trading Limited. The activities of Dove House Trading Limited are restricted to activities that assist in the furtherance of the objects of the charity. As noted within the notes to the financial statements the charity provides services by way of management charges, which are considered to be at an arm’s length price, to Dove House Trading Limited. All of the income of Dove House Trading Limited is donated to the charity under the Gift Aid scheme.

Risk Management

The Trustees and the ELT are responsible for managing the risks faced by the organisation. A Risk Register is in place. Key areas of risk have been identified as follows:

Serious Incidents

There have been no serious incidents during 2024-25.

Objectives and Activities

The objectives of the charity are: 

  - a. to maintain and conduct a specialist palliative care service which provides relief for those who are suffering from a life limiting illness, their families, and significant carers.

  - b. supplementary to providing for the relief of sickness, the hospice will promote and assist in the teaching and training of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and other persons engaged in any branch of medicine, surgery, nursing, or allied services.

  - c. the organisation will promote or conduct research into the care and treatment of persons suffering from a life limiting illness, disability, disease or infirmity, and in particular into the care and treatment of persons from cancer and terminal illnesses and to disseminate the results thereof to the public.

  - d. the organisation will engage in such activities as to raise sufficient funds which will enable it to achieve the charity’s objectives and provide care and treatment of persons suffering from a life limiting illness, disability, disease, or infirmity.

The Trustees and the Executive Leadership Team continually review the risks faced by the charity and have satisfied themselves that systems and procedures are established in order to mitigate these risks as far as possible.

Remuneration

The Trustees have reviewed the current activities of the charity and confirm they are in line with its objectives. All the activities of the organisation carried out during 2024-25 are in pursuance of the charity’s objectives and considered to be for the public benefit. All services provided are free to all beneficiaries irrespective of capacity, ethnicity, faith, religious conviction, sexual orientation, or social economic environment.

The Trustees also confirm that the organisation’s aims and objectives fall within the descriptions of purposes in the Charities Act 2011 and are recognised as charitable and are carried out for the public benefit.

The Trustees refer to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit to ensure all activities meet the guidance.

The Chair and Audit Committee are responsible for setting the pay and remuneration levels for the Chief Executive. The pay of other key management personnel is also set by this group, along with the Chief Executive. These are benchmarked against regional hospices and reviewed annually.

33

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 202 53

Section 172 Statement - The Trustees duty to promote the success of the Charity.

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Environmental Sustainability

We recognise that our operations have an impact on the environment and are committed to minimising our impact, preventing pollution, and complying with relevant legislation.

We take actions to continually improve our environmental performance and set objectives and targets that are monitored and continually reviewed.

We actively seek to:

Energy Consumed

The aggregate of the annual totals of gas, electricity and business transport consumed from activities for which the charity is responsible is 1,522,802 kWh.

Methodology

Energy consumption data was generated from meter readings and billing information. Business travel information was obtained from staff mileage claims for the period and billing information. As retrieving car type, fuel type, etc. was not possible, aggregated conversion factors were used for petrol and diesel cars, based on an ‘average’ car in the government guidance. For owned vehicles fuel usage from fuel cards was used.

Energy Efficiency

The following measures were taken to increase energy efficiency in the reporting period:

Carbon Dioxide Emissions (CO²e)

Tonnes of CO²e generated by Dove House from gas, fuel for transport and electricity for fuel:

Gas = 125.95 tonnes CO²e • Electricity = 150.10 tonnes CO²e Business transport = 77.40 tonnes CO²e The total CO²e generated by Dove House Hospice during 2024-25 was 353.46 tonnes. ae |

We will continue with all the above projects and continue to improve monitoring and metering arrangements to help identify further opportunities.

Water Use Water use for the main hospice building was 3,815m³ for the reporting period.

Date: 13 / / 11 25

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Independent Auditor’s Report

to the members of Dove House Hospice Limited

We have audited the financial statements of Dove House Hospice Limited (the 'charitable parent company') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 March 2025, which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, Consolidated Balance Sheet, Charitable Company Balance Sheet, Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising Charities SORP - FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and applicable law (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

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 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 trustees 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 group's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the original financial statements were 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. 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.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

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Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report and the Trustees' Report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of trustees' responsibilities (set out on page 6), 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 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.

Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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.

Extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charity, including the Charity Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Gambling Act 2005, Care Quality regulations, Ofsted regulations, data protection laws and employment laws. An understanding of these laws and regulations was obtained through discussion with management and inspecting legal and regulatory correspondence.

We assessed the susceptibility of the charity's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by making enquiries of management and considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls we:

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In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

Due to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission, or misrepresentation.

Stephen Bramall FCA, BSc. (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of

Smailes Goldie,

Statutory Auditor Regents Court Princess Street Hull HU2 8BA

Date:

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

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable parent company's trustees, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the group'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 charitable parent company and its trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

(Including Consolidated Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)

The notes on pages 43 to 67 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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Consolidated Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025

(Registration number: 01498747)

Date: 13 / / 11 25

The notes on pages 43 to 67 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Charitable Company Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025

(Registration number: 01498747)

Date: / / 13 11 25

The notes on pages 43 to 67 form an integral part of these financial statements.

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Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Donations and legacies

Donations are recognised when the charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the charity before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that these conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

Legacy gifts are recognised on a case by case basis following the grant of probate when the administrator/executor for the estate has communicated in writing both the amount and settlement date. In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measurable with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title to the asset having been transferred to the charity.

Grants receivable

Grants are recognised when the group has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income is recognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.

Retail income

Donated goods for resale are recognised at their realised value at the point of resale.

Investment income

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.

Expenditure

All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Raising funds

These are costs incurred in attracting voluntary income, the management of investments and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.

Charitable activities

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Fund structure

Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the group.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.

Hire purchase and finance leases

Leases in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases. Rentals payable under operating leases are charged in the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the lease term.

Employee benefits

When employees have rendered service to the charity, short-term employee benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charitable company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Critical accounting estimates and assumptions:

The charitable company makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.

Critical areas of judgement:

Support costs allocation across expenditure headings uses a significant element of judgement. Management have made the appropriate assessments to determine a suitable basis which is applied consistently each year and the allocation is reviewed periodically to ensure this approach remains appropriate.

Legacies

Legacy income is recognised when notification has been received from the solicitors, legal entitlement to the funds has been established and sufficient information is available to allow the entitlement to be reliably estimated and measured.

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Get in touch

01482 784343 hello@dovehouse.org.uk www.dovehouse.org.uk Dove House Hospice Limited, Chamberlain Road, Hull, HU8 8DH

Dove House Hospice Limited a company limited by guarantee. Registered office: Dove House Hospice, Chamberlain Road, Hull, HU8 8DH. Registered in England and Wales Company number: 01498747 Registered Charity Number: 509551

Dove House Hospice Limited Directors’ Report For the year ended 31 March 2025