**Registered company number: 01846186 (England and Wales) Registered charity number: 515595**
## **St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Report of the Trustees and Consolidated Financial Statements**
**For The Year Ended 31 March 2024**
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Contents**
||Page|
|---|---|
|**Introduction from our Chairman, Mike Ridley**|1|
|**Reference and Administrative Details**|2|
|**Trustees Report**||
|
Members of the Board|3|
|
Members of the Senior Management Team|3|
|
Governance and Management Arrangements|4|
|
Vision, Mission and Values|9|
|
Principal Objects & Activities, Staff & Volunteers working with and in the community|11|
|
Working with others and in the Community|12|
|
Financial Report|13|
|
Review of Achievements and Performance|17|
|
Plans for the future|19|
|
Statement of Trustee Responsibilities|19|
|
Disclosure of information to the Auditors|20|
|**Independent Auditors Report**|21|
|**Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities**|24|
|**Balance Sheets**|25|
|**Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow**|26|
|**Notes and Accounting Policies**|27|
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Introduction from Mike Ridley, Chairman**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
As I begin my eighth year as Chairman of the Hospice, I look back to 2023/24, and continue to be amazed at the achievements of this relatively small organisation within our local community. It is a very humbling experience, leading and supporting our wonderful Hospice and I thank from the bottom of my heart, every single person (mentioned below) who have been there for the Hospice, over the years, in so many different capacities.
2023/24 was a year of continued recovery from the effects of Covid, with many positive improvements and developments which you will find throughout this report. We have also seen a determined approach, not just to maintain our services, but to begin to look to the future, to see how we might be able to provide more or different services. We must also continue to be aware of the constraints placed upon us by our existing building and facilities and to consider our longer-term plans for more and better hospice services for our local population.
I have been particularly pleased that we continually review our Hospice building and site here at St. Luke’s. Under Neil’s imaginative leadership we have seen a number of internal improvements to the accommodation and services we provide for our patients and staff. A significant example of this is our new Pharmacy area which has replaced a much smaller and more difficult to manage room, but which is so important to providing a full range of services and treatments to those we look after.
Once again, our staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure that our services continue. Generating income to provide these services will always be a challenge, particularly when we only receive approximately 14% of our total funding from the government (a much smaller contribution than many other hospices receive). This makes the work of all our fundraisers and supporters, shop workers, lottery sellers and subscribers and all those who attend our “big” events, so important for the continuation of our services.
As I think of those who support us I must also thank once again our President, Lady Alexis Redmond MBE, and our Patrons, Rosie Spiegelberg MBE and Lady Rose Cholmondeley who continue to encourage and support all that we do. In addition, we have a special group of Vice Presidents who we are looking to involve even more as our services continue to evolve and increase. A further source of support is the many and varied organisations who provide sponsorship, help and so much more, which make such a significant contribution to our work. A special thank-you to you all.
In leading the Hospice, I have enjoyed my regular meetings with our Board of Trustees, who work so hard to ensure that the work of the Board and its committees supports our continuing progress. We have recently said goodbye and thank-you to Tony Baxter who had completed nine years of dedicated service to the Hospice. My thanks go to our existing and new trustees.
I must finally pay tribute to our Management Team under the great leadership of Neil Wright. Everyone has played an enormous part in the success of the Hospice. Kate Estcourt has not only provided leadership from her nursing role but has also gone “above and beyond” in meeting the additional demands placed upon her following the departure of our Medical Director. Claire Langston has risen to the challenge of maintaining and generating even more income to fund our current and future services and Nabela Chaudhry is the rock on which our finances are based! All of these, together with Neil’s imagination and dedication, ensure that the Hospice will continue its great services. Thank-you to the Team and to Gaynor for looking after us!
And just one last personal thank-you. When I began my service to the Hospice all those years ago, I knew very little about hospices and the care they were able to give. One of my first meetings was therefore with Dr Andrea Graham our Medical Director (who responded to my many and varied “layman’s” questions with such great patience!). Sadly, Andrea left us this year, but I just want to place on record my enormous personal thanks and that of the whole Hospice for her commitment and dedicated service over a period of 23 years and to wish her well for the future.
With my best wishes
## **Mike Ridley, Chairman**
Page | 1
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Reference and Administration Details**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Registered Company Number**|St Luke’s Hospice is a company limited by guarantee, number|
|---|---|
|**(England & Wales)**|01846186 (not having a share capital).|
|**Registered Charity Number**|The company is a Registered Charity, number 515595 and its|
||Memorandum of Articles of Association govern its functions.|
||Every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the|
||assets if the company is wound up while he/she is a member, or|
||within one year of ceasing to be a member, such amount as may be|
||required not exceeding £1.|
|**Principal and Registered Office**|St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice|
||Grosvenor House|
||Queensway|
||Winsford|
||Cheshire|
||CW71BH|
|**Contacting Us**|You can contact us by telephone on 01606 551246, by email on|
||enquiries@slhospice.co.uk. If you would like to find out more about|
||our work, please go to our website: http://www.slhospice.co.uk or|
||follow us on Facebook and Twitter.|
|**Auditors**|MHA|
||Richard House|
||9 Winckley Square|
||Preston|
||PR1 3HP|
|**Senior Statutory Auditor**|Nicola Mason|
|**Investment Fund Manager**|Rathbones Investment Management|
||Martins Buildings|
||4 Water Street|
||Liverpool|
||L3 1NW|
|**Bankers**|National Westminster Bank Plc|
||P O Box 6|
||The Bull Ring|
||Northwich|
||Cheshire|
||CW9 5BN|
|**Solicitors**|Poole Alcock|
||238‐246 Edleston Road|
||Crewe|
||CW2 7EH|
Page | 2
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Members of Board**
The Members of Board are Trustees of the Charity and also constitute the Board of Directors.
The Trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purpose of the Companies Act 2006) who served during the period are set out below. Details of our Senior Management Team (SMT), to whom the day to day management of the Hospice is delegated and Ambassadorial roles, are also presented.
## **Trustees**
Mr John Michael Ridley (Chairman) Mrs Tina Cookson Dr Katie Gibbs-Blythe Mr Anthony J Baxter - Retired 18[th] March 2024 Mr Colin Norman Mr Graham Jones Mr Lee Greenbury Mrs Wendy Davies Mr Sean Houlston - Resigned 5[[th]] February 2024 Mr Graham Aitken Dr Samuel Malton Mrs Zoe Ahearne Mrs Rachael Williams - Appointed 26[th] June 2024
- Resigned 5[[th]] February 2024
## **Vice Presidents**
Mrs D Mather Mrs D Parsons Mr R Mills MBE Mrs J Thomas
Mrs J Corfield Mr W Crafter Mrs F Bruce Dr V Pritchard Mr J Baldwin TD DL Mr C Winward Mr J Lea – Resigned September 2023
## **Joint Patrons**
Mrs W Spiegelberg MBE
Lady Rose Cholmondeley
## **President**
Lady Alexis Redmond MBE
## **Honorary Treasurer**
Colin Norman
## **Company Secretary**
Vacant
## **Senior Management Team (SMT)**
Mr Neil Wright Miss Kate Estcourt Mrs Nabela Chaudhry Miss Claire Langston Dr Andrea Graham
Chief Executive Director of Care Finance Director Director of Income Generation & Communications Medical Director – Resigned 29[th] February 2024
Page | 3
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Governance and Management Arrangements**
## **Governing Arrangements**
St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice is a Registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association (MA), which sets out the objects and powers and the essential rules for running the Charity and is governed under its Articles of Association. The Hospice is governed by statute, mainly the Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006. The services delivered by St Luke’s are registered by the Care Quality Commission.
The Charity has two wholly owned subsidiaries. St Luke’s Hospice Promotions Limited which operates a lottery in support of the Hospice and St Luke’s Hospice Trading Limited which runs charity retail shops in support of the Hospice. Both companies exist to generate income to support the work of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice. All surplus income is gift aided to the parent company for this purpose. Two Trustees from the St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice Board also sit on the Board of St Luke’s Hospice Trading Limited and St Luke’s Hospice Promotions Limited.
## **Decision Making Arrangements** ‐ **Role of the Trustee Board & Committees**
St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice has a Trustee Board. The Trustees are directors of the Company as well as being Trustees for the purposes of charity law. It is their role to carry out the objects as set out in the MA, to ensure the Hospice is managed as required by the MA and in line with the standards required by charity law, other statute and regulations, guidelines and good practice.
In line with the above roles, the Trustees are responsible for setting strategy, embedding good governance, maintaining oversight and ensuring the probity of policy and decision making for the effective operations of the Hospice and the achievement of agreed goals. All decisions made by the Board must be made in accordance with the MA.
Whilst our Trustee Board retains ultimate responsibility, the work of the Board is delivered through the following Sub Committees as detailed below:
- Patient Care & Clinical Governance Committee
- Finance and IT Committee
- Income Generation and Communication Committee
- Human Resources Committee
- Estates Committee
The Committees have delegated authority from the Trustee Board to oversee areas of particular Hospice activity and operations. Committees are chaired by a Trustee and have a SMT Lead (with relevant expertise). Membership of the Committees includes a second Trustee representative, SMT representatives as well as the lead operational managers. The Chairs of the Committees provide a report to the Trustee Board and make minutes of the Meetings available to all Trustees.
Each year the Board undertakes a “skill mix” audit to make sure that each of the Trustees has the experience and professional expertise to continue to make a valuable, informed contribution to the Board’s collective decision making as well as oversight of the work of the Senior Management Team.
Page | 4
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Role of Trustees at St Luke’s**
Arrangements for our Trustees are set out in our Articles as follows:
- Trustees are members of the Board – we will have no less than five Trustees and no more than twelve.
- Trustees become members of the organisation.
- Trustees have the power to appoint any person who is able and willing to do so to be a Trustee.
- Trustees are elected to serve for an initial period of three years.
‐ At the expiry of three years, a Trustee may, if they so wish, seek re election for two further three-year terms. After serving three terms of office, a Trustee must stand down. We look to seek the balance of retaining the skills and organisational knowledge of Trustees counterbalanced with a fresh perspective in running the hospice. It is vital that the diversity, skills and experience of our Trustee Board reflects the needs of our Hospice and the local community.
Trustees may be attracted to St Luke’s through many different routes – we believe it is important that we recruit new Trustees from the widest pool possible. We have an established process for the recruitment, selection and induction of new Trustees. Our induction process is designed to ensure that Trustees are confident in their appointment and fully understand:
- Their legal responsibilities, obligations and expected contributions.
- The wider context of the Hospice Movement and the broader landscape in which we operate.
- The governance arrangements at St Luke’s and its regulatory environment.
- The support available to them, where to go for further help and information.
New Trustees receive an induction pack which provides a range of information including the history of the Hospice Movement, the nature of our services at St Luke’s, our ways of working, key contact points and an overview of our strategic direction, performance and risks.
Trustees are expected to undertake an annual review with the Chairman where continuing development needs to fulfil the Trustee role effectively are discussed and supported.
## **Associate Trustee**
In order to widen support and guidance to the Senior Management Team, the Trustees have created a role called Associate Trustee. The role of an Associate Trustee is as a co ‐ opted, non ‐ voting member who sits and supports the work of one of the 5 Trustee subcommittees. Using their expertise and experience, they overview and challenge the Senior Management Team in delivering the strategic aims of the Hospice. On occasions, Associate Trustees are invited to attend Full Board meetings not only to learn more about the work across the Hospice but to offer a different perspective.
## **Public Benefit**
The Trustees have followed Charity Commission guidance on public benefit in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 and believe that the aims and objectives, as well as the activities described throughout this report, are undertaken to further the charity’s purposes for the benefit of the public.
## **Management Arrangements at St Luke’s**
The SMT, with responsibilities for Care/Clinical Services, Medical Services, Income Generation & Communications, Financial, Estates, Human Resources and IT, is led by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who has responsibility for the operations of St Luke’s, the implementation of regulatory requirements and the strategic and other decisions made by the Trustee Board. Members of the SMT are invited to attend the Trustee Board meetings but do not have voting rights.
Page | 5
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
The pay arrangements for all members of the SMT follow the NHS Agenda for Change pay bands and are also peer reviewed against the payrates of other hospices and similar size charities. Over the last few years we have listened to staff comments and feedback on exit interviews and have developed a fairer, structured approach to pay across the whole hospice. This fairer approach also gives a transparent, structured framework for SMT pay, agreed and overviewed by the Board of Trustees.
## **Risk Management**
The Trustee Board is responsible for ensuring that the Hospice has clear strategies and systems for assessing and managing risk. This is at both an operational and strategic level.
‐ Acknowledging that not all risks can be eliminated, the Trustees and SMT, as part of on going activity and reporting, assess, manage and monitor all the major risks to which the Hospice is exposed, endeavouring to ensure that risks are avoided or mitigated where possible, to an acceptable level.
Extracts of the Risk Register highlighting current Risks are reviewed by the board monthly and a full review undertaken by the Board annually.
## **Clinical**
We would like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of Dr Andrea Graham who has recently resigned her position as Medical Director of the Hospice after 23 years of service.
Our 10 bedded Inpatient Unit operated last year with no significant nursing vacancies, enabling us to provide the continuity of services that our patients need. The Medical Director vacancy gives us the opportunity to refresh and review our clinical structure so we can recruit the right person for our needs before we advertise and recruit into this role over the summer.
Our set of clinical data continues to show a growing number of patients being referred to us late in their diagnosis. This might be because of being unable or finding it difficult to access NHS care in a timely manner. This has meant that patient referrals have tended to be more complex, leading to more patients needing terminal care and therefore more deaths than discharges. This remains one of the driving forces behind our strategy **,** to reach out to support patients in the community before they reach the hospice.
The Day Hospice unit continues to offer a wide range of supportive therapies. In addition to the nurse led wellbeing days, we offer complementary therapies, access to occupational health support, creative therapies as well as counselling, social work and benefits advice. The Day Hospice has continued the vital dementia carers group and demand for this service remains high. We are working in partnership with our local community services provider, CCICP, to provide complementary therapies in peoples own homes for those patients and carers who struggle to attend the hospice building
Our Family support team offer one to one bereavement counselling to anyone known to the Hospice along with a bereavement support group for adults, called the Robins Group, and a support group for children, called the Phoenix Group. The team are working with an unprecedented demand for bereavement services and are able to respond to referrals within weeks for most referrals and within days for an urgent referral where locally the waiting lists for bereavement counselling through NHS services can be much lengthier.
Improving access to our specialist palliative care services for everyone in our local area remains a priority. Our homelessness service spans across Cheshire and, in partnership with the other Cheshire Hospices, East Cheshire Hospice & the Hospice of the Good Shepard, seeks to improve access for anyone experiencing homelessness to be able to access hospice services. Ensuring we are meeting the requirements of the Equality and Diversity act is another of the hospice’s clinical priorities. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion lead also works pan Cheshire and has helped all three hospices to obtain a Navajo Quality mark for breaking down barriers for anyone accessing hospices services from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+) community.
Page | 6
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
St Luke’s Night Care Service has been supporting patients and their carer/s in their own home overnight since July 2022. This is one of the services where we are starting to live out our strategy by reaching into the community, providing care outside the hospice. We have produced a service report which show that the main reason for accessing this service is to support carers in their vital role in helping their loved ones. We are aiming to continue the service and forge stronger links with our own “St Luke’s at Home” services and that of our local partners.
The Weekend Hub has been operating for two years and we now have data that shows the vital symptom management and carer support that this service offers via telephone advice and home visiting services. The NHS continues to struggle to provide access to local Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) 7 days a week. The hospice has a 247, 7 days a week Specialist Palliative Care Telephone Helpline and this service complements the Community SPC service during the week Monday to Friday and the helpline over the weekend. This again is part of our strategy, reaching out of the hospice supporting the Specialist Palliative Care needs of our community. Continuation of funding for this service is limited and will be reviewed with commissioners alongside our desire to set up a Single point of Referral for Specialist Palliative Care.
## **Facilities**
Although the hospice continues to offer a good environment for our clinicians to provide good care, the SMT and Board of Trustees have considered carefully how we can continue to improve and provide good care for the next 36 years as we have done since the hospice opened 36 years ago in 1988.
The Board of Trustees and SMT have concluded that whilst the hospice building is good enough for our needs today, it may not fit our needs in the future. The Trustees have asked the SMT to come up with a range of options and sites for a new hospice. Although not yet determined, clearly a new hospice will involve a large capital commitment, which is why the Trustees have approved designating some of our reserves towards a future building project, whilst we continue to look for a suitable site.
Part way through the year, our Health and Safety and Estates Manager, Jackie Raleigh, left us to further her career. We are extremely grateful for Jackie’s tenacity, attention to detail and determination to keep us all safe during the Covid years. The role of the new manager, along with her assistant, now not only looks after the Hospice buildings but also supports our retail estate as well.
Although we have ambitions for a new hospice, the Trustees are mindful that we need to continue to make improvements to the existing hospice for those patients we have the privilege to care for today. With this in mind over the last year, we have created a new, much improved drugs room and with limited communal space on the Inpatient unit, a more engaging dining room for all to use, which we have named The Fountain. Both these areas were reimagined and refocused out of the former large underutilised dining room.
We have also started a programme of works to improve the non-clinical areas of the hospice and refloored the whole of the Income generation department, installed new storage facilities and a brand new multi-functional meeting room for all to use.
We are grateful for the professionalism of the management of the catering and housekeeping teams. These departments continue to provide our patients, visitors, staff and volunteers with nourishing food and keep infections under control.
## **Income Generation**
Our fundraising teams continue to face challenging times trying to encourage the public to join mass participation events and other fundraising initiatives. However, the fundraising challenge is not just specific to St Luke’s, but is being faced by many charities across the country and may have more longer lasting consequences for charitably funded organisations in the future. Nevertheless, the Income Generation team here at St Luke’s has a great reputation and will continue to find new innovative ways to support the work of the hospice. New events and activities have been added during the last financial period to enhance our engagement with supporters and attract new support.
Page | 7
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
The success of our Trading Company is underpinned by a large group of shop volunteers and a stable staffing model. We are still facing a competitive retail labour market and have adjusted payrates to attract and retain good quality staff and we could always do with more volunteer support to strengthen our operational model. The shops however continue to be the ‘window on our community’ and make a good contribution.
One of the challenges across the shops has been to ensure they are in a good state of repair. We have been working on a cycle of projects across the shop units to ensure that our staff, volunteers and customers operate in refreshed spaces. I am pleased to say that the work we undertook in 2022/23 at our Middlewich shop including refitting the inside of the shop and recruiting new staff and volunteers has made a huge difference. The shop is bright and airy and has been welcoming customers back since its reopening last Summer.
Our communications department became an even more effective and essential form of communication during the pandemic making sure that we stayed engaged with supporters online via social media. Although people welcome the return of meeting face to face, we are seeing general signs of Social Media Fatigue, but this nevertheless remains a vital part of our communications strategy. Our communications department work professionally and diligently to find stories to explain the vital work that we do here at the Hospice.
Over a good number of years, we have actively pursued the policy of signing up new lottery players on Direct Debit. All this past hard work has paid off as a way of stabilising this source of sustainable income which helps to fund the care that we provide. As a result, our lottery subsidiary continued to make an excellent contribution towards the work of the hospice. We engage outside lottery canvassers who recruit new members sufficient to replace those who decide to stop playing our lottery.
## **Non-Clinical Staff**
The Finance and HR teams continued to have different challenges. Now that we have a more stable workforce, the HR Team have been focusing the hospice’s attention more on staff wellbeing to ensure that we retain and develop our dedicated staff. We have retained a supportive attitude to work flexibly at home and in work, which helps with recruitment, work life balance and the mental health of our staff.
Our Finance team continued to administer and account for all our income streams and departmental expenditure. They provide excellent accurate and timely management information which enables the SMT and Trustees to make the right decisions for the hospice. The financial support from the government remains one of the lowest in the country for an adult hospice. This means that the Finance team has to work closely with our Income Generation team to account for the various sources of income that we receive from our supporters and from our own initiatives.
Both the Finance and HR teams undertook a comprehensive but time-consuming project to introduce a fairer, hospice wide, pay structure based closely on the NHS’ Agenda for Change but with affordable modifications. This approach will help to recognise everyone’s contribution in a fair and consistent manner and should help with recruitment and retention which could be a problem in the future.
The IT Manager has continued to build on our Cloud based system solutions. This approach enables our staff to work safely from home where they are able to do so. As a hospice we embrace technological solutions positively where and whenever we can to improve the care that we provide.
## **The changing local Health Economy**
St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice covers an approximate population of 300,000 and primarily, sees people in St Luke’s premises (Grosvenor House and Winterley Grange, Sandbach), and we are now starting to reach out into people’s homes.
The health service in our area used to be organized into 4 CCG areas, comprising the former 4 CCG’s, South Cheshire CCG, Vale Royal CCG, East Cheshire CCG and West Cheshire CCG, before it merged to become Cheshire CCG. St Luke’s predominantly cares for patients who live in the old South Cheshire and Vale Royal areas, perhaps better described as Central Cheshire.
Page | 8
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
The old Cheshire CCG has now been replaced with one statutory body called Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, which itself is split up into 9 Places. The new ‘Place’ structures commission health services in their respective Places. St Luke’s hospice now straddles two Places, South Cheshire based in Cheshire East Place and Vale Royal based in Cheshire West Place.
This new administrative structure is creating complications for St Luke’s as both East and West places have adopted different ways of working. Ideally, we would like the ICB to recognise the existence of the unique, mature end of life care network across Central Cheshire.
## **Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board**
Prior to the Pandemic, the Government recognised the fragility of Hospice Funding and now that the pandemic is behind us, unfortunately, the fragility of the hospice sector has not gone away.
Cheshire & Merseyside ICB continued to recognise the question of Hospice Financial sustainability and although they said they were committed to providing equality of access to good end of life care for everybody across Cheshire and Merseyside, they lack the financial resources to put this into practice.
The ICB is undergoing dramatic financial cutbacks in its budget and these cutbacks coupled with the disruption of change and a period of potential political instability, is making the commissioning of healthcare a little confused and uncertain. This is particularly so for us here at St Luke’s, but we are not alone as all hospice organisations in the C&M ICB area hold a similar opinion.
Nevertheless, we are grateful that we continue to be well supported by our local community and will continue with our strategy to provide excellent end of life care for the people of Central Cheshire.
## **Vision, Mission and Values**
## **Strategy 2022 – 2025**
Our existing strategy has been ratified by the board until 2025. We are currently working on a new strategy which will describe where the hospice is now and set out a vision and mission taking into consideration the changing political and economic factors affecting the national and local healthcare economy. Our strategic aims to reach out, care for more people, be sustainable and make our buildings even better remains apposite.
Without the financial support of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, we will find ways to support existing and new ways of working and become even more collaborative, efficient, innovative and cost effective in our practice.
The strategy of the Hospice affirms our Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic aims.
## **Our Vision**
Our Vision is for all dying people in Cheshire and those close to them to have access to the care and support they need, when and wherever they need it.
## **Our Mission**
Our Mission is to help people in Cheshire to live the life they can, informed and supported at the end of their life
Page | 9
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Our Strategic Aims**
**1. Care for more people –** we monitor our clinical activity on a monthly basis and by maximising our clinical workforce and resources, we make sure that we have the privilege to care for as many people as possible.
**2. Be Sustainable -** We have a robust reserves policy to ensure that we are financially sustainable for the near future; we continually review all our infrastructure to see whether we can swap to a more environment sustainable method of operation. We review all our activities to ensure we are as efficient as possible. Where possible we partner with other hospices/health care organisations to be more efficient.
**3. Reach Out –** We have established a number of services where we reach out from the hospice, our Weekend Hub; Night Care Service, Complementary Therapies; Occupational Therapy support.
**4. Make our building even better –** We have carried out a number of building improvements, replaced inefficient old wooden windows, new drugs room, new dining room, new IG meeting room, refurbished Middlewich shop, refreshed the Income Generation workspace to name but a few.
## **Our Hospice Values**
Our Values reflect our fundamental beliefs. They guide the way we behave with patients, carers, volunteers, supporters, suppliers, external stakeholders and each other to achieve results. The values unite us as an organisation and together we are St Luke’s.
The values of St Luke’s are at the heart of everything we do and underpin our strategies, policies and ways of working. Embedding our values through our recruitment, induction, training and communications also helps to create the appropriate environment to work in partnerships with others. Our values are:
- **CARING** - We provide quality, dignified holistic palliative care and support
- **INNOVATIVE** - We promote a culture where innovation and new ideas are encouraged, whilst valuing our heritage and past.
- **COLLABORATIVE** - We work together collaboratively, share ideas and support each other to ensure that we achieve our common goals, both within the hospice and within our wider community.
- **RESPECTFUL** - We treat those we care for, volunteers, colleagues and supporters with respect, dignity & compassion. We respect ethnic, cultural and spiritual beliefs and recognize equality of access.
- **RESOURCEFUL** - we spend money wisely in all that we do to ensure we have equipment and an environment in which to deliver quality, sustainable clinical and non ‐ clinical services.
- **KNOWLEDGEABLE** - We are experienced, knowledgeable and well ‐ trained.
- **HONEST** - We communicate what we do openly and honestly with all our stakeholders and users.
- **EXCELLENCE** - We strive for excellence in everything that we do, we celebrate our successes and learn from our mistakes.
We are committed to creating a culture in which diversity and equality of opportunity is actively promoted and developed. We are committed to challenging all forms of inequality in our role as a service provider and employer.
Page | 10
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Principal Objects & Activities, supported by Staff & Volunteers, working with and in the community**
## **Principal Objects and Activities**
The principal object of the Charity is to promote the relief of illness amongst people suffering from a terminal illness. We aim to achieve this in three key ways:
One ‐ The provision of Specialist Palliative Care with the focus of our services on complex symptom control and terminal care in:
Inpatient Care Telephone support and advice
## **Two** ‐ **The Provision of Supportive Care**
Our experience in supporting patients, their carers’ and loved ones tells us that they often have a need for supportive care in many different forms, involving both our trained staff but also from our trained volunteers. The services we provide consist of:
Social Work & Benefits Adviser Family Support and Counselling Services Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy) Community Befriending & Engagement Day Hospice and Complementary Therapies Lymphoedema Clinics Psychosexual Clinics Homelessness End of Life Care LGBTQ+ Development Facilitator
## **Three** ‐ **The Support and Education of other Providers and our Community**
St Luke’s has always had a strong focus on education. The End of Life Partnership (formerly Cheshire Hospice Education), was born out of the vision, work and funding committed by St Luke’s Hospice over many years.
We support the work of the End of Life Partnership and in partnership with others, we support communities, professionals and local organisations across Cheshire to improve the palliative and end of life experience and care for all.
We also train medical and clinical staff who work in different clinical professions and settings so that they too, can take our shared knowledge and skills into their own communities, in hospital, home and other care settings.
## **The Contribution of our Supporters, Staff and Volunteers**
We truly value the commitment, contribution and achievements of all our staff, volunteers and supporters. They are the hallmark of St Luke’s and allow us to deliver the best possible services to our patients, carers and their loved ones.
We want to ensure that St Luke’s is seen as a good place to work and volunteer and our aim is to continue to attract, recruit and retain our large and valued volunteer community with its wide range of skills and experience. We believe engaging, developing and motivating as best we can is key to achieving this.
Staff and volunteers are recruited in line with relevant standards, including the Disclosure and Barring Service. Induction and orientation are provided alongside a range of developmental and learning opportunities.
The Hospice has over 680 regular volunteers in a range of services fulfilling a variety of roles. Working alongside our employed staff, volunteers offer their skills, experience and expertise to many departments in the Hospice and the Trading and the Promotions companies; this may be directly with patients, on our reception desks or in our shops. Volunteers donated 58,000 hours of time which, if paid at the national living wage of £10.42, would equate to £604,000.
Page | 11
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
We look forward to our volunteers working alongside us because without the commitment and support we receive from volunteers; we could not provide the services we do. We want to acknowledge and sincerely thank our supporters and volunteers for their generous and much needed gifts of time and money in their many varied forms, to the Hospice.
## **Working with Others and in the Community**
Working with others in partnership, across the health community is key to ensuring we achieve our own and shared health objectives and outcomes. Examples of this include our relationships and roles as follows:
- Work in partnership with CCICP to provide a Lymphoedema service to Central Cheshire Patients.
- Training and education of undergraduate and postgraduate students in a range of health care professions from local university medical and health care schools.
- Developing relationships with Health and Educational organisations including local GP Alliances.
- End of Life Partnership through mutually supportive mission and goals that will strengthen the impact and outcomes of our work.
- Membership of umbrella organisations such as Hospice UK, Hospice Lotteries Association, Hospice Quality Partnership, Lotteries Board, Charity Retail Association, Fundraising Regulator, National Association of Hospice Fundraisers, Association of palliative medicine and other local and national professional networks.
- Development of community befriending to enable compassionate communities to develop and address social isolation and loneliness experienced by the ill, frail and elderly in our community
- Working with East Cheshire Hospice and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd to widen access through engagement with Homeless people at end of life and our local LGBTQ+ communities.
- Our developing relationship with the Christie who use the Hospice premises to deliver their service to local residents making their treatment more patient centred, easier and convenient saving them time.
## **Cheshire and Merseyside Hospice Collaborative**
Following the creation of the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, each of the 12 adult and Children’s Hospices have formed a 'Hospice Collaborative’ to formalise working more collaboratively and closer together, sharing experience and best practices.
We provide a modest contribution towards a Collaborative Project manager who has been set a number of collective objectives. One of the most those objectives last year was to create a ‘Sustainable Funding Model’ to present to the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB. Although a robust model has been created, the ICB do not have the resources to provide more sustainable government funding.
The formation of the Collaborative and the appointment of the project manager is still in the early stages, but it is hoped that by speaking together as a Hospice movement, we are stronger and louder than our individual voices.
Page | 12
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Financial Report**
## **Financial Performance and Review**
Charities across the globe have dealt with a constant stream of challenges over the last few years and continue to operate in a fast-changing world with much uncertainty. Although we have safely crossed the threshold of the “once in a generation” events of recent years we are still exposed to ongoing challenges whether they be inflationary cost pressures or the potential future challenges and/or opportunities that may arise for example from the artificial intelligence.
The Hospice sector as reported by Hospice UK recorded that the financial year 2023-24 was the “worst ever” reflecting the significant impact that the end of the “covid government support grants” had on the finances of hospices and the challenges the sector now encountered in resurrecting its income streams. The trustees and SMT recognising these ongoing challenges entered the new financial year with caution, continuing our prudent approach to our financial management. There was a clear realisation that the “exceptionally” high legacy income received in prior years, which had helped secure our strong financial position were unlikely to be repeated in the future.
The financial year began once again with cautious optimism in relation to fundraising which was duly reflected in the annual budget. There was also still some concern about the return of supporters to our shops which was reflected in the prudent Trading budget. Pleasingly however there was a strong resurgence across most of our fund raising activities throughout the year. This culminated with income generation income closing the year well ahead of budget and the prior year. The positive outturn was mirrored in most income generation activities but notably in community, events and corporate. The second year of the twilight walk build on the success of the first year and the well established elf run continued to go from strength to strength. In memoriam giving also generated income well ahead of expectations thanks to the generosity of our supporters. As detailed below the end of year results for Trading also reflected a very positive outcome.
Entering the year once again with a prudent budget our reserves continued to provide us with the reassurance that we could navigate our way through any further uncertainty by maintaining our approach of managing our resources efficiently and effectively. Focussing on maintaining all of our services and where possible improving the offering to patients whether that be through dementia carer workshops or increasing complimentary therapy sessions. The needs of our patients and the continued delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care services remained at the centre of all decision making throughout this period.
The Hospice made a group surplus of £488,183 (2023: £602,025). It is imperative to highlight that once again this surplus would not exist without the receipt of legacy monies of £354,695 (2023: £1,383,427). Excluding these monies and the gain on the revaluation of our investments, the Hospice would be declaring an operating deficit. The Group surplus was £172,413 (2023: £1,084,010) as at the 31 March 2024 before accounting for the year end gain of £315,770 (2023: £302,033 loss) on the revaluation of our investments and £nil (2023: £179,952) on revaluation of fixed assets.
As mentioned this year’s legacy income was significantly less than previous years and less than had been budgeted. However, it was reassuring to see many of our “traditional” income streams continued the upward trend we had started to see evidence of in the previous financial year. Nevertheless, the Executive team and the Board of Trustees recognise that the last few years of surpluses, including two years of “exceptional” surpluses, will be required to carry and support us through the potentially difficult years ahead to ensure we can continue to provide vital services for our patients. The continued low level of central government funding and the relatively low ICB annual inflationary increases remain a concern and further support the need to maintain a level of caution towards the future. The hospice like all other organisations faces significant inflationary wage pressures with the National Living Wage increasing by 10% but unlike many other organisations is unable to pass these cost increases on to service users.
Despite the inevitable inflationary increases that our suppliers passed onto us throughout the year the expenditure levels continued to be well managed with total expenditure being slightly lower than budget. Approximately 79% of our total expenditure relates to pay, a proportion of the cost savings were secured from vacancies when roles were not immediately filled.
Page | 13
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
The Hospice made a gain on the revaluation of its investments of £315,770 (2023: £302,033 gain). Although no additional funds were placed with the fund managers during the year we continued to place significant amounts of cash reserves with the NatWest Treasury Reserve for periods of between 3 to 12 months. This allowed the Hospice to obtain better returns on liquid assets without tying them up in longer term investments and incurring investment management fees. At 31 March 2024 £2m (2023 £1.7m) was held in NatWest Treasury Reserve accounts.
Over recent years the Trustees have been exploring whether a different hospice site would help to offer a better care environment in the future. In light of the need to invest in the Hospice’s infrastructure and the ongoing discussions relating to a potential new site a substantial amount of funds have been designated for the Hospice Development Fund and it is proposed that we continue to build this fund. Following Board approval increased reserves have been designated for the Hospice Development Fund increasing the designation to £3.5m. (2023: £3.0m). These monies will potentially fund our future longer-term aspirations to move to a new location or to develop the existing site to ensure the longevity of the Hospice.
A further £250,000 (2023: £250,000) has been set aside recognising the ongoing capital commitment required to maintain and develop our properties and other assets and ensure compliance to Health and Safety regulations. Almost half of this capital designation will be utilised to improve and invest in our retail estate. The timing of when designated reserves monies will be used will be subject to ongoing review of our financial position before any monies are drawn down and spent.
St Luke’s Trading Limited Income in the year was £1,152,128 (2023: £1,002,292) an expected increase from the previous year. However, Trading like many other retailers continued to face staffing challenges, coupled with the lower number of volunteers this at times required some of our shops to close or reduce their hours of trading. July 2023 saw the opening of the fully refurbished Middlewich shop after an extended period of closure. Trading Limited once again delivered pleasing results and exceeded its conservative budget.
St Luke’s Trading Limited delivered a statutory profit in the year of £57,418 (2023: £40,238) whilst the Hospice received further income from the sale of donated goods at the shops of £406,841 (2023: £382,560) of which £73,951 (2023: £72,795) was claimed in Gift Aid credits from HMRC.
St Luke’s Promotions Limited continues to be our most significant income generation stream gifting the Hospice £602,483 (2023: £633,846). The Lottery however is not without its challenges due to increased attrition levels and the impact of an ageing supporter base. The in-house lottery team continue to develop solutions to mitigate and minimise the impact of these challenges. Our external lottery canvassers continue to play an important role and have been instrumental in maintaining and increasing playing membership.
Legacy income continues to remain an important income stream for the Hospice. We are extremely grateful to all those who have remembered the Hospice in their will. This year legacy income generated income of £354,695 (2023: £1,383,427). Legacy income has always been essential in supporting the hospice, however due to its unpredictability it is not a source of income that can be forecast with a huge degree of certainty. The large drop of over one million from last year’s legacy income to this year’s starkly illustrates this point. That said it is an area that warrants our attention hence we continue to review and develop our approach to legacies and major donors.
We continue to receive and are grateful for the statutory funding from the Integrated Care Board which accounts for 13.9% (2023:12.4%) of our consolidated income. This level of statutory funding is relatively low for the sector and consequently means that 86.1% (2023:87.4%) of our funds are voluntary and must be generated by the Hospice.
Page | 14
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Financial Governance & Management**
The governance arrangements and operating practices supporting the development of the Financial ‐ Regulations Policies and Procedures and Scheme of Delegation, any updates and re training of staff to ensure they are fully integrated and embedded into day to day operations, remain under continuous quality improvement to ensure they are the best they can be.
The monthly reporting pack continually evolves. In addition to the traditional monthly accounting information explaining variances between budget and actual results and projected year end results, the board also received an extract from the Risk Register highlighting the current Opportunities and Risks.
The monthly Income Generation reporting pack includes the Red Amber Green traffic light system enabling reporting, review and monitoring in depth by ’exception’. Full accountability of operational expenditure is being achieved through appropriate controls managed, reviewed and monitored monthly through budget holders, to the senior managers, to the Board.
## **Reserves Policy and Position**
Trustees are required to consider on an annual basis the level of reserves the charity needs to hold, as an important part of planning and sound financial management.
The reserves position has been carefully considered to identify the level required to manage unforeseen circumstances, and unavoidable adverse variances to budget. The reserves policy, which is in line with Charity Commission guidance and comparative charities, calls for the group free reserves to be no less than six months of operating costs, and no greater than twelve months of operating costs.
The Board have designated reserves of £3,500,000 from the reserves for the Development of the Hospice and a further £250,000 for capital projects. Considering the need to invest in the Hospice’s infrastructure the Hospice Development Fund has been increased by £0.5m. These monies will potentially be used to fund our future longer-term aspirations to develop the existing site or to move to a new location. The £250,000 Capital Projects designation recognises the funds needed to facilitate the programme of works identified and planned by the Estates team during 2024/25 on both the hospice and trading estate.
The free reserves as at the 31 March 2024 stood at £3,860,862 (2023: £4,001,694), see note 22, which represents approximately 8 months of operating costs.
## **Investment Policy and Position**
St Luke’s Investment Policy is to achieve maximum return with minimum risk, whilst protecting the capital base. Funds potentially required for working capital are invested in a more readily accessible low risk portfolio. The Investment Managers Rathbones, report to the Finance Director and Finance Committee quarterly who then present an investment performance report to the Board of Trustees annually.
Our listed investment assets are valued in the Balance Sheet at Market Value of £4,551,550 (2023: £4,204,498). The Charity made gains on investments during the year of £315,770 (2023: £302,033 losses). These monies are invested for the medium to longer term.
## **Financial Risk Management**
In line with good practice and recommendations of the Charity Commission, the Hospice holds funds in reserve and is therefore exposed to fluctuations in the stock market, which affect the value of its investment portfolio. This portfolio is monitored by the Finance Committee in terms of the risk profile and the decision to hold or sell the portfolio is under constant review as advised by the Hospice Fund Managers, Rathbones Investment Management Ltd. A significant proportion of cash reserves have been held in a relatively liquid treasury reserve account for the last two years which mitigates some of the risk associated with the investment portfolio market fluctuations.
Page | 15
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Fundraising Standards Information**
St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice and its subsidiary companies St Luke’s Hospice Trading Limited and St Luke’s Hospice Promotions Limited are committed to responsible fundraising practice and regular monitoring.
As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, we agree to ensure our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful. These standards for fundraising are set out in the Code of Fundraising Practice. Please see our website for details.
- We will commit to high standards
- We will be clear, honest and open
- We will be respectful
- We will be fair and reasonable
- We will be accountable and responsible
The Hospice complies with the Data Protection Act requirements and will protect members’ data. St Luke’s Promotions Ltd and St Luke’s Trading Ltd are subsidiary companies of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice Ltd and are all registered under the Data Protection Act 1988.
‐ St Luke’s Hospice Promotions Ltd is also a member of the Hospice Lotteries Association Both organisations are committed to using lotteries to fundraise responsibly and work together to encourage responsible gambling and access support if needed. The ‘Responsibility in Gambling Trust’, ‘GamCare’ and ‘Gamble Aware’ provides ‐ such support if required. We offer a Self Exclusion option and a robust process for complaints and feedback. Regular monitoring of new members is completed by telephone following new sign ups to our lottery. The Gambling Act 2005 confirms that St Luke’s Hospice Promotions Limited now has a statutory duty to verify that members are 16 years of age or over, the minimum age allowed for anyone to play in the lottery. It is an offence for anyone under the age of 16 years to participate in a lottery.
The charity uses a third party to canvass for the in-house lottery named SEC and the contract covering the arrangement embodies all of the above principles, including a methodology for bringing any conversation about lottery membership to an end after receiving a second refusal from an individual. We ensure all these agents observe the highest standards in terms of fundraising practice and monitor their performance through the use of mystery shopping and random checks with any donors that sign up to support our lottery. Weekly calls are in place with SEC.
We are registered voluntarily with the Fundraising Regulator and comply with all the relevant standards set out in the Code of Fundraising Practice. The Code covers the requirements charities must follow as set out in The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 and outlines the behaviour we expect from our fundraisers. It includes treating people fairly and with respect, explaining our cause in a way which does not mislead people, and being sensitive to people who may be in vulnerable circumstances.
St Luke’s (Cheshire Hospice) is a member of the Hospice Income Generation Network. Our website outlines our complaints policy for the public. We received no fundraising complaints in the last year. Our policy is to respond to all complaints within 10 days. Serious complaints are escalated to our Executive Team and Trustees to consider lessons learnt. We report to the Fundraising Regulator and Gambling Commission on the totality of our complaints. We have policies and procedures in place to safeguard the vulnerable and we ensure our fundraisers and third-party suppliers adhere to these policies.
Should we be informed of any persons contacted by the charity who no longer wish to receive communications; any such person would be removed from the charity’s database, but no such requests have been received this year. Fundraising activities at the hospice are carried out in an ethical and sustainable manner. The charity has adopted policies covering data protection, confidentiality and privacy for donors and supporters, including the option to opt in to fundraising communications (rather than opting out), to only hold
Page | 16
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report For the year ended 31 March 2024**
details with the consent of the individual and to have any such details as are held, removed at the request of the ‘data owner’.
## **Review of Achievements and Performance**
- Our Inpatient unit remains a centre of excellence caring for patients referred to us from both hospital and community services for both pain relief, symptom control and end of life care.
- During the year we have successfully commissioned a larger, more modern pharmacy room providing a better working environment for pharmacy and clinical staff.
- During the year we also invested in creating a relaxing dining room named the Fountain for the benefit of patients, families, visitors as well and staff and volunteers.
- Our day hospice services have continued to deliver much needed services. We have continued to expand our dementia carers group and reach out with complimentary therapies at home. Although Hospices mainly support patients with Cancer, we provide end of life services for patients with life limiting illnesses other than cancer.
- Approximately two thirds of IPU admissions to St Luke’s were admitted from home for specialist care confirming our role in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. The remaining third of admissions were transferred to us from hospital helping the Hospital to create greater bed capacity to care for other patients.
- Of the 353 referrals to our IPU, 82% of those patients had a cancer diagnosis. 18% a non ‐ cancer diagnosis.
- 28% of the patients admitted to our inpatient unit were discharged back home dispelling the myth that the Hospice is only a place where people go to die.
- Our average length of stay was 11 days underlining our strong desire to support patients who want to go back home to be cared for and die in their place of choosing.
- We achieved an occupancy rate of 63%. Lower availability of medical staff led to reduced occupancy early in the year, however occupancy levels have since returned to normal.
- We successfully recruited additional doctors to provide more robust medical staffing which enabled us to provide more sustainable, quality end of life care for the people of Central Cheshire. We also provide placements for trainee nurses, counsellors and allied health care professionals.
- We continue to ask for feedback following each episode of care and overwhelmingly the majority of our patients rated our care as excellent or good. Feedback from patients, relatives, carers and service users emphasised the holistic care, kindness and compassion shown to them
- The FSC and SCC teams had 285 referrals for their support. They support patients, families (including children) and carers at difficult times and delivered 2,543 different sessions.
- We continue to embed our Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, EMIS Web. This system has allowed us to work towards local and national targets for improving palliative and end of life care using an Electronic Palliative and Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS). It allows the documentation and sharing of advance care planning decisions across organisations to prevent crisis and improve care. The majority of patients attending our services now have an advance care plan documenting their wishes.
- Along with East Cheshire Hospice and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd we continue to operate a pan Cheshire service to breakdown any potential barriers to provide care services to the LGBTQ+ community. We were delighted to have retained the Navajo Mark for a further two years.
- We continued our much-needed befriending service engaging with vulnerable people who feel isolated and in need of support.
Page | 17
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
- Our work to support people who are homeless at the end of life continues. In addition to direct support, we also helped to support the professionals who cared for homeless people in places like Hostels. We also led on the EDI conference this year highlighting the difficulties some groups face accessing hospice care. The conference drew together experts in the field who offered practical advice on how to remove some of these barriers.
- Our work in collaboration with Mid Cheshire Hospital Trust (MCHFT) Macclesfield District General Hospital (MDGH), Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP) enabled us to continue to offer a much-needed joint Lymphoedema service.
- Care staff continue to improve palliative and end of life care by actively participating at strategic groups such as the Hospice Learning & Development groups and Cancer Network meetings as well as Regional Hospice UK support groups.
- We continue to collaborate with the Christie where they use the Day Hospice space on a Friday and deliver chemotherapy for up to 15 patients a day. In addition, we provide a space for a day and a half a week where patients can call in and have bloods taken in preparation for their visit on a Friday. This has proved popular with local people who no longer need to spend a long day in Manchester, with another visit for bloods tests, instead they can come here under more relaxed surroundings and nearer to home.
- We had 261 telephone calls via our Specialist palliative Care Telephone Advice Line mainly to ‐
- support healthcare professionals. These calls give non hospice staff the confidence to support patients in numerous other care settings helping to keep patients from being admitted inappropriately to Hospital. 40% of the helpline calls were to support patients and their loved ones.
- The Hospice implemented a hospice wide fairer pay structure to address the challenges of recruitment and retention.
- The Hospice has continued to focus on staff wellbeing by implementing an activities-based wellbeing programme and renewed our commitment to mental aid support and training.
- We are pleased to have achieved excellent Income Generation results across the last financial year with all areas of fundraising showing a positive. Our Events, Community and Corporate Income Generation Teams once again put on a full calendar of events with some new additions and some very well attended community events. Our loyal supporters remain very supportive and we had a fantastic response to our Patient Comfort appeal enabling the purchase of new equipment. The goal was to re-establish the same income generating capacity as before the pandemic and to offer as many choices of fundraising for our community as possible, whilst focussing on sustainability. This was achieved and we hope now to continue to grow.
- Our communications team made sure that the hospice is front and centre in the public’s minds by keeping the public aware of the continued good work of St Luke’s. Our social media presence has grown and the launch of a new website in Autumn 2023 has ensured we have a much better platform for fundraising and also access to information about our care services.
- After the reopening in July 2023 of our refurbished Middlewich shop it continues to flourish and more plans in place to ensure our shop units are refreshed on a continuous cycle. We have achieved some excellent results across some shops whilst some shops continue to have more challenges dependent on their location. Robust recruitment in 2023 has stabilised our shop units and achieved better coverage and increased sales.
- Our lottery remains the biggest singular source of income and throughout the last financial period continued to be resilient with excellent week on week results. Marketing of the lottery online with patient stories and examples of the impact of our services has boosted awareness and delivered improved online members sign ups.
Page | 18
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Plans for the future**
The provision of safe, effective and high quality care services is at the centre of our Strategic and Operational Plans. We identified 4 main strategic aims.
- **Care for more people** – The ‘baby boomer’ population, advances in medicine enabling people to live longer and supporting people with diseases other than cancer, mean that there are more patients dying and with greater complexities. We will deliver more quality care services validated through continuous review and improvement programmes.
- **Reach out** – there are more people being cared for in their own homes and in community settings such as care homes. Our ambition is to develop and extend our hospice care for patients outside the hospice walls. We have started by setting up a St Luke’s Night care Service and our Weekend Service. We will monitor and review the success of these services on an ongoing basis.
- **Be sustainable** – this has even greater prominence as the Government struggles to get to grips with a challenging economy. It is important to provide quality services that we can afford to provide. Although the creation of the new Integrated Care Boards offered initial hope they realise that they do not have the financial resources to provide fairer hospice funding support going forward.
- **Make our buildings better** – The Trustees have made the decision to explore whether a different hospice site would help to offer a better care environment in the future. We also recognise that we need to modernise / improve our existing buildings to better support our patients today. We will be exploring longer term solutions to ensure the enduring longevity of St Luke’s for many years to come.
Our aim is to continue working towards our vision, keeping compassionate care at the centre of all we do. We will continue to work in collaboration with others to influence the provision of end of life care, education and training so that we can improve outcomes for palliative and end of life care patients within our communities.
We remain committed to helping people to live the life they can supported, informed and cared for until they die.
## **Statement of Trustee Responsibilities**
The Trustees (who are also the directors of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice (a company limited by guarantee) for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees 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 income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP
- 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; and
- Prepare the financial statements on a ‘going ‐ concern’ basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business
Page | 19
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Trustees Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to 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.
## **Statement as to disclosure of information to Auditors**
In so far as the Trustees are aware
- There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware,
- The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
The Trustees, who are also Directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Company Act 2006, present their report with the consolidated financial statements of the Charity for the period ended 31st March 2024. The Trustees adopted the provision of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued in 2019.
As such, this forms the Annual Report of the Trustees for the purposes of S162 of the Charities Act 2011 and ‐ S445 (3), S414A 414D (Report of the Trustees) of the Companies Act 2006.
Report of the Trustees, approved by order of the Board of Trustees, as the Company Directors, on August 12, 2024 …………………………. and signed on the board’s behalf by:
## **Mike Ridley, Chairman**
Page | 20
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Independent Auditors’ Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice (the ‘parent charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, 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 parent charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2024, and of group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its 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 Companies Act 2006.
## **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 charitable company 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 or parent charitable company’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 other information comprises the information included in the trustees annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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 course of 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.
Page | 21
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Independent Auditors’ Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the trustees’ report (incorporating the strategic report and the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the group and parent charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report and the directors’ report.
## **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 Companies Act 2006 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, 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
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.; or
- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small
- companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report.
## **Respective responsibilities of the trustees**
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) 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’s and parent charitable company’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 group or the parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Auditor’s 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.
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. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Page | 22
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Independent Auditors’ Report**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2024**
- Enquiries with management about any known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations;
- Enquires with management about any known or suspected instances of fraud;
- Review of minutes of board meetings;
- Examination of journal entries and other adjustments to test for appropriateness and identify any instances of management override of controls;
- Review of legal and professional expenditure to identify any evidence of ongoing litigation or enquiries;
- • Review of the systems for recording income, and testing of a sample of income transactions throughout the year to check they have been recorded in the accounts and in the correct period.
Because of 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. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
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.
## **Use of report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with the Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members 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 company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
**Nicola Mason (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of MHA Statutory Auditor Preston** August 12, 2024
Date: …………...…………
MHA is the trading name of MacIntyre Hudson LLP, a limited liability partnership in England and Wales (registered number OC312313)
Page | 23
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities**
## **(Incorporating a Consolidated Income and Expenditure Account) As at 31 March 2024**
|**Note**
**Income from**
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Other trading activities
4
Investment income
5
Coronavirus Support funding
6
**Total income**
**Expenditure on**
Raising funds
7
Charitable activities
8
**Total expenditure**
**Net income/(expenditure) before**
**other gains and losses**
Revaluation of fixed assets
14
Net (losses)/gains on investments
15
**Net income /(expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
20
**Net movement in funds**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**
20|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
1,874,075
717,991
2,631,642
247,420
-
5,471,128
1,914,424
3,409,849
5,324,273
146,855
-
315,770
462,625
-
462,625
9,605,961
10,068,586|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
264,047
23,360
-
-
287,407
-
261,849
261,849
25,558
-
25,558
-
25,558
29,361
54,919|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**1,874,075**
**982,038**
**2,655,002**
**247,420**
**-**
**5,758,535**
**1,914,424**
**3,671,698**
**5,586,122**
**172,413**
**-**
**315,770**
**488,183**
**-**
**488,183**
**9,635,322**
**10,123,505**|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
2,651,317
944,191
2,383,205
150,523
-
6,129,236
1,655,299
3,389,927|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||5,045,226
1,084,010
(179,952)
(302,033)
602,025
-
602,025
9,033,297
9,635,322|
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities. All gains and losses recognised in the year are included above.
Page | 24
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Balance Sheets**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
|||**Group**|**Group**|**Company**|**Company**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Note**|**2024**|**2023**|**2024**|**2023**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||
|Tangible assets|14|**2,457,724**|2,354,267|**2,416,334**|2,337,125|
|Investments|15|**4,551,550**|4,204,498|**4,551,550**|4,204,498|
|Investments in subsidiaries|16|**-**|-|**4**|4|
|||**7,009,274**|6,558,765|**6,967,888**|6,541,627|
|**Current assets**||||||
|Stock|17|**8,142**|7,544|**-**|-|
|Debtors|18|**782,194**|809,525|**852,472**|852,932|
|Cash at bank and in hand||**2,756,086**|2,808,734|**2,505,473**|2,483,718|
|||**3,546,422**|3,625,803|**3,357,945**|3,336,650|
|**Creditors: amounts due within 1 year**|19|**(432,191)**|(549,246)|**(262,928)**|(309,777)|
|**Net current assets**||**3,114,231**|3,076,557|**3,095,017**|3,026,873|
|||||||
|**Net assets**||**10,123,505**|9,635,322|**10,062,905**|9,568,500|
|**Charity Funds**||||||
|Restricted Funds|20|**54,919**|29,361|**54,919**|29,361|
|Unrestricted Funds||||||
|-
General funds|20|**6,318,586**|6,355,961|**6,257,986**|6,289,139|
|-
Designated funds|20|**3,750,000**|3,250,000|**3,750,000**|3,250,000|
|**Total Unrestricted funds**||**10,068,586**|9,605,961|**10,007,986**|9,539,139|
|**Total funds**||**10,123,505**|9,635,322|**10,062,905**|9,568,500|
|The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and|The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and|The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and|The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and
August 12, 2024||The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ………………………. and signed and authorised for issue on its behalf by:
## **Mr M Ridley - Chairman**
Page | 25
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Consolidated Statement of Cash flow Statement**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Note**
**Cash flows from operating activities:**
Net income/(expenditure) for year
Investment income
5
Depreciation & impairment of tangible fixed assets
14
Revaluation of tangible fixed assets
14
Losses/(gains) on investments
15
(Profit)/loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets
Decrease in stock
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
(Decrease)/increase in provisions
**Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Income from investments
5
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets
14
Receipts from sale of tangible fixed assets
Payments to acquire investments
15
Receipts from sales of investments
15
**Net cash flow from investing activities**
**Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents**
**Cash and cash equivalents brought forward**
**Cash and cash equivalents carried forward**
**Cash and cash equivalents consist of:**
Cash at bank and in hand|**2024**
**£**
**488,183**
**(247,420)**
**142,534**
**-**
**(315,770)**
**-**
**(598)**
**27,331**
**(117,055)**
**-**
**(22,795)**
**247,420**
**(245,991)**
**-**
**(619,904)**
**588,622**
**(29,853)**
**(52,648)**
**2,808,734**
**2,756,086**
**2,756,086**
**2,756,086**|**2023**
**£**
602,025
(150,523)
140,006
179,952
302,033
36,239
(192)
(149,077)
822
-|
|---|---|---|
|||961,285|
|||150,523
(491,978)
-
(547,731)
294,440|
|||(594,746)|
|||366,539
2,442,195|
|||2,808,734|
|||2,808,734|
|||2,808,734|
Page | 26
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **1 Summary of significant accounting policies**
## **a General information and basis of preparation**
St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice is a charitable company registered in England. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 2 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities is to care and support people with life limiting and terminal illness and the people close to them.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies.
St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102.
The Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and balance sheet consolidate the financial statements of the charity and its subsidiary undertakings. The results of the subsidiaries are consolidated on a line by line basis. The charity has availed itself of Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 1 of The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and adapted the Companies Act formats to reflect the special nature of the charity's activities. No separate SOFA has been presented for the charity alone as permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.
## **b Funds**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
## **c Income recognition**
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.
For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.
Donated facilities and donated professional services are recognised in income at their fair value when their economic benefit is probable, it can be measured reliably and the charity has control over the item. Fair value is determined on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity i.e. amount the charity would be willing to pay in the open market. A corresponding amount is recognised in expenditure.
No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102). Further detail is given in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
Page | 27
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **1 Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)**
Where practicable, gifts in kind donated for distribution to the beneficiaries of the charity are included in stock and donations in the financial statements upon receipt. If it is impracticable to assess the fair value at receipt or if the costs to undertake such a valuation outweigh any benefits, then the fair value is recognised as a component of donations when it is distributed and an equivalent amount recognised as charitable expenditure.
Gifts in kind donated for resale are included at fair value, being the expected proceeds from sale less the expected costs of sale. Where estimating the fair value is practicable upon receipt it is recognised in stock and ‘Income from other trading activities’. Upon sale, the value of the stock is charged against ‘Income from other trading activities’ and the proceeds are recognised as ‘Income from other trading activities’. Where it is impracticable to fair value the items due to the volume of low value items they are not recognised in the financial statements until they are sold. This income is recognised within ‘Income from other trading activities’.
Fixed asset gifts in kind are recognised when receivable and are included at fair value. They are not deferred over the life of the asset.
Legacies are included in the accounts in accordance with SORP and FRS102. Legacies are recognised in the accounts if probate has been granted and executors have identified that a payment can be made imminently. On occasion legacies will be notified to the charity but it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed.
Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the charity. Income is received in exchange for supplying goods and services in order to raise funds and is recognised when entitlement has occurred.
Income from government and other grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.
Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes such as shares and property. It includes dividends, interest and rent. Where it is not practicable to identify investment management costs incurred within a scheme with reasonable accuracy the investment income is reported net of these costs. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably. Interest income is recognised using the effective interest method and dividend and rent income is recognised as the charity’s right to receive payment is established.
## **d Expenditure recognition**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered, and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of the resources. Premises overheads have been allocated on a floor area basis. The overheads costs of the central function have been apportioned on an estimated basis of usage by each function. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings:
- Costs of raising funds includes lottery prizes, the salaries of the staff who promote fund-raising, direct expenditure including costs of events and an allocation of internal overheads.
- Expenditure on charitable activities includes expenditure associated with the objects, as described in the report of the Trustees.
Page | 28
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **1 Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)**
- Other expenditure represents those items not falling into the categories above.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as an expense against the activity for which expenditure arose.
Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity.
## **e Support costs allocation**
Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs, governance costs, administrative and payroll costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity and include project management carried out at the Hospice. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.
## **f Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost (or deemed cost) or valuation less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Cost includes costs directly attributable to making the asset capable of operating as intended.
Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset on a systematic basis over its expected useful life as follows:
Freehold land and buildings and Long leasehold property 2%, 10% and 20% on cost Fixtures and fittings 15% on cost Motor vehicles 25% on cost Computer equipment 25% on cost Items are capitalised when the cost exceeds £1,000
## **g Pension contributions**
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to the SoFA in the period to which they relate.
Retirement benefits are accruing for various employees of the company through the NHS Pension Scheme. This is a defined benefit scheme, which is externally funded and contracted out of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme. The regular pension cost is charged to the income and expenditure account and is based on the expected pension costs over the service life of the employees.
## **h Investments**
Investments are recognised initially at fair value which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with changes recognised in ‘net gains / (losses) on investments’ in the SoFA if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably. Other investments are measured at cost less impairment.
Current asset investments are short term highly liquid investments and are held at fair value. These include cash on deposit and cash equivalents with a maturity of less than one year.
## **i Shares in subsidiary undertakings**
These are stated at cost. The results of the trading subsidiaries are detailed in note 16 to the accounts.
Page | 29
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **1 Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)**
## **j Stock**
Items donated for resale in the shops are not included within the financial statements until they are sold.
Stock is stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stock to its present location and condition.
Stock held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured at the lower of cost and replacement cost, adjusted where applicable for any loss of service potential.
At each reporting date, an assessment is made for impairment. Any excess of the carrying amount of stock over its estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell is recognised as an impairment loss in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses are also recognised in profit or loss.
## **k Leases**
Rentals payable and receivable under operating leases are charged to the SoFA on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
## **l Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are 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 where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
## **m Provisions**
Provisions are recognised when the charity has an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount can be reliably estimated.
## **n Tax**
The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. The Hospice is not VAT registered but is able to recover VAT using the VAT Relief Scheme for charities.
## **o Going concern**
The trustees are required to assess whether the use of going concern is appropriate, i.e. whether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The Trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of at least one year from the date of authorisation of the accounts. At the date of approving these accounts, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity will be able to manage the situation and that it has sufficient cash resources to enable it to meet its liabilities as they fall due for at least 12 months from the date of approval. Thus, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Page | 30
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **2 Donations and legacies**
|**onations and legacies**|||
|---|---|---|
|Donations
Legacies|**2024**
**£**
**1,519,380**
**354,695**
**1,874,075**|**2023**
**£**
1,267,890
1,383,427|
|||2,651,317|
Above income attributable to restricted was £nil (2023: £nil), balance to unrestricted.
## **3 Income from charitable activities**
|Medical consultancy fees
Grants – NHS CCG
Grants – Other
Other|**2024**
**£**
**(2,405)**
**665,342**
**273,974**
**45,127**
**982,038**|**2023**
**£**
25,007
639,137
228,282
51,765|
|---|---|---|
|||944,191|
Above income attributable to restricted was £264,047 (2023: £229,023), balance to unrestricted.
## **4 Income from other trading activities**
|Fundraising events
Shops and lotteries
Other|**2024**
**£**
**547,841**
**2,092,187**
**14,974**
**2,655,002**|**2023**
**£**
430,642
1,929,926
22,637|
|---|---|---|
|||2,383,205|
Above income attributable to restricted was £23,360 (2023: £nil), balance to unrestricted.
Page | 31
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **5 Income from investments**
|**ncome from investments**|||
|---|---|---|
|Listed UK investments - dividend Income
Rents received
Short term deposit interest|**2024**
**£**
**117,972**
**39,191**
**90,257**
**247,420**|**2023**
**£**
103,410
22,016
25,097|
|||150,523|
All of the above income was attributable to unrestricted funds in the current and prior year.
## **6 Other income**
|Job Retention Scheme
Hospice UK Covid Support
Covid Business Rates Support|**2024**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**2023**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|---|---|---|
|||**-**|
Above income attributable to restricted was £nil (2023: £nil), balance to unrestricted.
## **7 Expenditure on raising funds**
|**xpenditure on raising funds**|||
|---|---|---|
|Shops and lotteries
Other fundraising costs|**2024**
**£**
**1,396,494**
**517,930**
**1,914,424**|2023
£
1,219,093
436,206|
|||1,655,299|
All of the above expenditure was attributable to unrestricted funds in the current and prior year.
Page | 32
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **8 Expenditure on charitable activities**
|**xpenditure on charitable activities**|||
|---|---|---|
|Staff costs
Building costs
Administrationexpenses
Patient care & medical services
Professional fees|**2024**
**£**
**2,937,287**
**385,530**
**77,610**
**233,477**
**37,794**
**3,671,698**|**2023**
**£**
2,644,772
395,306
77,166
241,595
31,088|
|||3,389,927|
Above expenditure attributable to restricted was £261,849 (2023: £219,162), balance to unrestricted.
## **9 Support cost breakdown by activity**
Included within total expenditure are support costs as analysed below:
|**Basis**
Staff costs
Actual
Building costs
Space
Admin expenses
Actual
Patient care costs
Actual
Professional fees
Actual|**Fundraising**
**activities**
**£**
**78,126**
**11,484**
**27,027**
**956**
**18,897**
**136,490**|**Charitable**
**activities**
**£**
**631,005**
**51,350**
**63,786**
**4,309**
**18,897**
**769,347**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**709,131**
**62,834**
**90,813**
**5,265**
**37,794**
**905,837**|**Fundraising**
**activities**
**£**
69,389
10,495
26,634
1,042
15,544
123,104|**Charitable**
**activities**
**£**
560,436
46,838
65,533
4,694
15,544
693,045|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
629,825
57,333
92,167
5,736
31,088|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||816,149|
Included within professional fees and staff costs are governance costs as analysed below:
|**Note**
**Governance costs**
Auditor's remuneration
10
Senior management
Other governance charges|**2024**
**£**
**23,100**
**21,096**
**2,085**
**46,281**|**2023**
**£**
21,500
20,597
2,071|
|---|---|---|
|||44,168|
Page | 33
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **10 Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
|**10**
**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):**
Depreciation & impairment of tangible fixed assets
Revaluation of tangible fixed assets
Auditor's remuneration
(Profit)/loss on sale of tangible fixed assets
Losses/(gains) on investments
**Fees payable to the charity’s auditor:**
Audit of the charity’s annual accounts
Audit of the charity's subsidiaries
Other services
**11**
**Staff costs**
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs||**2024**
**£**
**142,534**
**-**
**23,100**
**-**
**(315,770)**
**9,350**
**7,700**
**6,050**
**23,100**
**2024**
**£**
**3,400,091**
**270,078**
**237,736**
**3,907,905**|**2023**
**£**
140,006
179,952
21,500
36,239
302,033
8,500
7,000
6,000
21,500
**2023**
**£**
3,074,187
240,274
212,913|
||||3,527,374|
The Hospice belongs to two pension schemes: the NHS pension scheme and a defined contribution scheme.
The NHS scheme is a defined benefit scheme, the assets of which are held in a separate trusteeadministered fund. Under the definitions set out under FRS102, the NHS scheme is a multi-employer pension scheme. The Hospice is unable to identify its share of the underlying (notional) assets and liabilities of the scheme. Employer contributions charged against income for the period were £124,716 (2023: £111,712).
The Hospice and its subsidiaries also made contributions to a defined contribution scheme during the period totalling £113,020 (2023: £101,201).
Page | 34
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **11 Staff costs (continued)**
The average number of employees analysed by function was:
|Administrative
Charitable activities
Fundraising
St Luke's Hospice Trading
St Luke's Hospice Promotions|**2024**
**No.**
**13**
**99**
**15**
**29**
**4**
**160**|**2023**
**No.**
13
97
12
25
4
151|
|---|---|---|
The number of employees who received total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000 is as follows:
|£60,000 - £70,000
£70,001 - £80,000
£80,001 - £90,000
£90,001 - £100,000|**2024**
**No.**
**2**
**-**
**1**
**1**
**4**|**2023**
**No.**
1
-
1
1|
|---|---|---|
|||3|
## **12 Trustees' and key management personnel remuneration and expenses**
The Trustees neither received nor waived any remuneration or expenses during the year (2023: £nil). The total amount of employee benefits, including salaries, received by key management personnel was £421,964 (2023: £411,987). The Trustees consider key management personnel to be comprised of the Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Medical Director, Director of Income Generation, Finance Director and the Director of Care.
||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Trustees’ Indemnity Insurance|**1,625**|1,625|
## **13 Taxation**
No liability to UK corporation tax arose on net expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023 for the company. A tax liability of £nil (2023: £nil) arose on the subsidiary companies included within the consolidated accounts.
Page | 35
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **14 Tangible fixed assets**
|**Company**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2023
Revaluation
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2024
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2023
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposal
At 31 March 2024
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023|**Freehold land**
**& buildings**
**£**
3,086,027
-
75,323
-|**Leasehold**
**land &**
**buildings**
**£**
580,723
-
-
-|**Fixtures &**
**fittings**
**£**
445,564
-
117,964
(2,544)|**Computer**
**Equipment**
**£**
102,227
-
19,276
(32,196)|**Motor**
**vehicles**
**£**
14,370
-
-
-|**Totals**
**£**
**4,228,911**
**-**
**212,563**
**(34,740)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**3,161,350**
1,438,633
69,587
-|**580,723**
140,725
10,806
-|**560,984**
199,721
49,115
(2,544)|**89,307**
98,337
3,846
(32,196)|**14,370**
14,370
-
-|**4,406,734**
**1,891,786**
**133,354**
**(34,740)**|
||**1,508,220**
**1,653,130**
1,647,394|**151,531**
**429,192**
439,998|**246,292**
**314,692**
245,843|**69,987**
**19,320**
3,890|**14,370**
**-**
-|**1,990,400**
**2,416,334**
**2,337,125**|
Page | 36
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **14 Tangible fixed assets (continued)**
|**Group**
**Freehold land**
**& buildings**
**£**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2023
3,086,027
Revaluation
-
Additions
75,323
Disposals
-
At 31 March 2024
**3,161,350**
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2023
1,438,633
Charge for year
69,587
Eliminated on disposal
-
At 31 March 2024
**1,508,220**
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2024
**1,653,130**
At 31 March 2023
1,647,394
**15**
**Fixed asset investments**
**Company and Group**
UK quoted investments
At 1 April 2023
Less disposal proceeds
Add acquisitions at cost
Net (losses)/gain on revaluation
At 31 March 2024|**Freehold land**
**& buildings**
**£**
3,086,027
-
75,323
-|**Leasehold**
**land &**
**buildings**
**£**
678,618
-
5,840
-|**Fixtures &**
**fittings**
**£**
520,520
-
141,300
(2,544)|**Fixtures &**
**fittings**
**£**
520,520
-
141,300
(2,544)|**Computer**
**Equipment**
**£**
164,447
-
23,528
(32,196)
**155,779**
160,285
4,738
(32,196)
**132,827**
**22,952**
4,162
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
4,204,498
(588,622)
619,904
315,770
4,551,550|**Motor**
**vehicles**
**£**
40,141
-
-
-
**40,141**
40,141
-
-|**Totals**
**£**
**4,489,753**
**-**
**245,991**
**(34,740)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**3,161,350**
1,438,633
69,587
-|**684,458**
230,327
13,338
-|**659,276**
266,100
54,871
(2,544)||||**4,701,004**
**2,135,486**
**142,534**
**(34,740)**|
|||**243,665**
**440,793**
448,291|**318,427**|
||**40,141**
**-**
-
**Total 2024**
**£**
**4,204,498**
**(588,622)**
**619,904**
**315,770**|**2,243,280**
**2,457,724**
**2,354,267**
**Total 2023**
**£**
4,253,240
(294,440)
547,731
(302,033)|
||||**340,849**|||||
||||254,420|||||
|||||||||
|||||||**4,551,550**|4,204,498|
The fair value of listed investments is determined by reference to the quoted price for identical assets in an active market at the balance sheet date.
Page | 37
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **16 Investment in subsidiaries**
The parent charity owns 100% of the issued share capital of St Luke’s Hospice Trading Ltd (Co.No.03024652) and St Luke’s Hospice Promotion Ltd (Co.No.-02862345) at cost of £4 (2023: £4), performance for the year was as follows:
|Shops and lottery income
Interest & other operating income
Total income
Total costs before rental costs paid to Hospice
Net income for the year
Rental costs paid to Hospice
Net income for the year before profits donated
Profits donated to St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice
Net Profit/(loss) for the year after donations
Share capital & reserves brought forward
Share capital & reserves carried forward
Fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets|**St Luke’s**
**Trading**
**Limited**
**£**
1,152,128
-
1,152,128
(1,057,904)
94,224
(36,806)|**St Luke’s**
**Promotions**
**Limited**
**£**
940,059
1,714
941,773
(338,590)
603,183
(700)|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**2,092,187**
**1,714**
**2,093,901**
**(1,396,494)**|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
1,929,926
757
1,930,683
(1,219,093)|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**697,407**
**(37,506)**|711,590
(37,506)|
||57,418
(63,640)|602,483
(602,483)|**659,901**
**(666,123)**|674,084
(652,514)|
||(6,222)
23,391
**17,169**
41,390
194,279
(218,500)|-
43,435
**43,435**
-
176,678
(133,243)|**(6,222)**
**66,826**
**60,604**
**41,390**
**370,957**
**(351,743)**|21,570
45,256|
|||||66,826|
|||||17,142
430,294
(380,610)|
||**17,169**|**43,435**|**60,604**|66,826|
During the year St Luke's Hospice Trading Limited transacted sales of donated goods in its shops of £332,890 (2023: £309,765) under the Gift Aid Retail Scheme. This enabled the Hospice to claim £73,951 (2023: £72,795) in Gift Aid credits from HMRC. Therefore, the Hospice benefitted from the sale of donated goods at the shops by £406,841 (2023: £382,560).
In the prior year, the Trading income included an insurance payment of £30,130 for the closure of Winsford shop for over 4 months following fire damage and commission received for Gift Aid Sales.
Page | 38
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
|**17**
**Stock**
**Group**
Goods for resale
**18**
**Debtors**
Amounts owed by group undertakings
Other debtors
VAT
Prepayments and accrued Income
Trade debtors
**19**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Bank overdraft
Trade creditors
Other creditors
Social security and other taxes
Accruals and deferred Income|**Company**
**2024**
**£**
**182,479**
**78,441**
**73,734**
**435,361**
**82,457**
**852,472**
**Company**
**2024**
**£**
**-**
**79,277**
**45,277**
**65,319**
**73,055**
**262,928**|**Company**
**2023**
**£**
141,141
73,956
48,899
543,964
44,972
852,932
**Company**
**2023**
**£**
-
126,713
40,363
59,744
82,957
309,777|**2024**
**£**
**8,142**
**Group**
**2024**
**£**
**-**
**78,441**
**85,229**
**533,801**
**84,723**
**782,194**
**Group**
**2024**
**£**
**10,279**
**101,210**
**45,300**
**65,319**
**210,083**
**432,191**|**2023**
**£**
7,544|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**Group**
**2023**
**£**
-
73,956
62,881
620,246
52,442|
|||||809,525|
|||||**Group**
**2023**
**£**
15,423
177,096
40,453
59,744
256,530|
|||||549,246|
Page | 39
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
|**20**
**Fund reconciliation**
**Company**
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Restricted funds
Lymphoedema
Medical Supplies
Carers Break services
Hospice UK
EOLP
Other restricted funds
**Group**
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Restricted funds
Lymphoedema
Medical Supplies
Carers Break services
Hospice UK
EOLP
Other restricted funds|**Balance at 1**
**April 2023**
**£**
6,289,139
3,250,000
9,539,139
-
-
-
-
-
29,361
29,361
**Balance at 1**
**April 2023**
**£**
6,355,961
3,250,000
9,605,961
-
-
-
-
-
29,361
29,361|**Income**
**£**
4,080,856
-
4,080,856
44,321
92,434
11,973
-
10,190
128,489
287,407
**Income**
**£**
5,471,128
-
5,471,128
44,321
92,434
11,973
-
10,190
128,489
287,407|**Expenditure**
**£**
(3,677,779)
(250,000)
(3,927,779)
(44,321)
(92,434)
(11,973)
-
(10,190)
(102,931)|**Transfers**
**£**
(750,000)
750,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Transfers**
**£**
(750,000)
750,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Gains /**
**Losses**
**£**
315,770
-
315,770
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Gains /**
**Losses**
**£**
315,770
-
315,770
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2024**
**£**
**6,257,986**
**3,750,000**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**10,007,986**|
|||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**54,919**|
||||(261,849)
**Expenditure**
**£**
(5,074,273)
(250,000)
(5,324,273)
(44,321)
(92,434)
(11,973)
-
(10,190)
(102,931)|||**54,919**|
|||||||**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2024**
**£**
**6,318,586**
**3,750,000**|
|||||||**10,068,586**|
|||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**54,919**|
||||(261,849)|||**54,919**|
Page | 40
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **20 Fund reconciliation (continued)**
|**Company**
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Restricted funds
Lymphoedema
Medical Supplies
Carers Break services
Hospice UK
EOLP
Other restricted funds
**Group**
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
Restricted funds
Lymphoedema
Medical Supplies
Carers Break services
Hospice UK
EOLP
Other restricted funds|**Balance at 1**
**April 2022**
**£**
6,248,545
2,720,000
8,968,545
-
-
-
-
-
19,500
19,500
**Balance at 1**
**April 2022**
**£**
6,293,797
2,720,000
9,013,797
-
-
-
-
-
19,500
19,500|**Income**
**£**
4,659,550
-
4,659,550
32,623
90,800
15,965
18,949
10,010
60,676
229,023
**Income**
**£**
5,900,213
-
5,900,213
32,623
90,800
15,965
18,949
10,010
60,676
229,023|**Expenditure**
**£**
(3,606,971)
-
(3,606,971)
(32,623)
(90,800)
(15,965)
(18,949)
(10,010)
(50,815)|**Transfers**
**£**
(530,000)
530,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Transfers**
**£**
(530,000)
530,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Gains /**
**Losses**
**£**
(481,985)
-
(481,985)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**Gains /**
**Losses**
**£**
(481,985)
-
(481,985)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2023**
**£**
**6,289,139**
**3,250,000**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**9,539,139**|
|||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**29,361**|
||||(219,162)
**Expenditure**
**£**
(4,826,064)
-
(4,826,064)
(32,623)
(90,800)
(15,965)
(18,949)
(10,010)
(50,815)|||**29,361**|
|||||||**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2023**
**£**
**6,355,961**
**3,250,000**|
|||||||**9,605,961**|
|||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**29,361**|
||||(219,162)|||**29,361**|
Page | 41
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **20 Fund reconciliation (continued)**
## **Medical supplies**
The Department of Health via Integrated Care Board, centrally fund all Hospice pharmacy and medical supplies.
## **Designated funds**
As at 31 March 2024 the trustees have designated the following amounts from free reserves:
|Hospice Development Fund
Capital Projects|**Balance at**
**1 April**
**2023**
**£**
3,000,000
250,000
3,250,000|**Utilised /**
**released**
**£**
-
(250,000)
(250,000)|**New**
**designations**
**£**
500,000
250,000
750,000|**Balance at**
**31 March**
**2024**
**£**
**3,500,000**
**250,000**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**3,750,000**|
## **Hospice Development Fund**
In light of the need to invest in the Hospice’s infrastructure the Hospice Development Fund has been increased by a further £0.5m. This is an additional designation from the existing reserves monies. These monies will potentially be used to fund our future longer term aspirations to develop the existing site or to move to a new location
## **Capital Projects**
Funds are designated by the Trustees for approved Capital Projects.
Page | 42
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **21 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|**21**
**Analysis of net assets between funds**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Company**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Current assets
Current liabilities
**Group**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Current assets
Current liabilities
**22**
**Free reserves**
Total Reserves
Less:
Unrestricted Tangible Fixed Assets
Restricted funds
Designated funds
Free reserves|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
2,416,334
4,551,554
3,303,026
(262,928)|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
54,919
-
54,919
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
54,919
-
54,919|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**2,416,334**
**4,551,554**
**3,357,945**
**(262,928)**|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
2,337,125
4,204,502
3,336,650
(309,777)|
||10,007,986
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
2,457,724
4,551,550
3,491,503
(432,191)||**10,062,905**
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**2,457,724**
**4,551,550**
**3,546,422**
**(432,191)**|9,568,500
**Total**
**2023**
**£**
2,354,267
4,204,498
3,625,803
(549,246)|
||10,068,586||**10,123,505**
**Group**
**2024**
**£**
**10,123,505**
**(2,457,724)**
**(54,919)**
**(3,750,000)**
**3,860,862**|9,635,322
**Group**
**2023**
**£**
9,635,322
(2,354,267)
(29,361)
(3,250,000)
4,001,694|
Please refer to the Finance Report (page 13) and Reserves Policy and Position (Page 15) for further information.
Page | 43
**St Luke's (Cheshire) Hospice**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 March 2024**
## **23 Results of the parent company**
As permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 these accounts do not include a separate SOFA for the parent charity. The results of the parent charity alone (including gift aid receipts from its subsidiaries, as detailed in note 16) are:
|Incoming resources
Resources expended
Net incoming resources before other recognised gains and losses
Revaluation of fixed assets
Gains/(losses) on investments
Net movement in funds|**2024**
**£**
**4,368,263**
**(4,189,628)**|**2023**
**£**
4,888,573
(3,826,133)|
|---|---|---|
||**178,635**
**-**
**315,770**|1,062,440
(179,952)
(302,033)|
||**494,405**|580,455|
## **24 Operating lease commitments**
Total future minimum lease payments are as follows:
|Within one year
Within two to five years|**Land &**
**Buildings**
**£**
98,695
65,192
163,887|**Other**
**£**
11,313
24,800
36,113|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
**110,008**
**89,992**
**200,000**|**Total**
**2023**
£
112,476
175,691|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||288,167|
## **25 Related party transactions**
There were no related party transactions during the current or prior year.
## **26 Post balance sheet events**
As in previous years, the Hospice has been bequeathed a share in a number of legacies during the year. It is the Hospice policy to recognise the income once the amounts can be accurately quantified. All assets quantified have been included in the accounts.
At the year end any legacies still pending and due to the uncertainty of the amounts, the income will be recognised in the year in which the donations are either received or the amounts can be determined with reasonable certainty. The approximate value of such donations in wills to which the Hospice can put a value is in the region of £30,000 (2023: £70,000).
At the year end, the charity had capital commitments of £74,000.(2023 : £nil).
Page | 44