TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT 202312024 MORE THAN JUST A PEAR 30TH NOVEMBER 2024
23/24 Annual Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Our Report and Inspiration | 001 | Our Buttony Calendar | 005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Resources | 002 | Our Future Plans | 006 |
| Our Resources | 003 | Thank You | 007 |
| Our Achievements | 004 | Declaration | 008 |
23124Annual Report A BEAR NAMED BUTT•NY Our Report & Inspiration This Is the f5fth annu81 report produced by A Bear Named Buttony. We are del(ghted to Share an update on what has been ochieved in 2024 ond our pljns for 2025. Everyone In the 8uttory f8mlly contlnues to work hard on our core aim of supporting chiklren and young people who have a stoma. We remaln a small. volunteer-led charty workbng to help those who need us across the UK. The ch8rty conllnues to grow in Profi Ond jwareness whlch enables u5 to reach more need the Buttony touch. Please reler to our annual accounts for governance. object1$ and trustee detslls. The inspiration behind Buttony Page 001
23124Annual Report We highlighted in our report last year the resources that we use to support children and young people. These remain at the heart of what we do and the feedback we receve helps us to develop the charty as well as creating ideas for ftrture projects. Our Resources The numbers attached to each resource shows our distribution numbers for the year up to 30° November 2024. Pvt+ony Pear - 933 A FriendJv$+ Like Me- 2.571 A Friond Jt like Me ri "What an extraordinary creation Buttony is. He has been immediately promoted to'top of the bed" and was cuddled all night and first thing this morning". "He loves the book. He gets me to read him and bear the book at least five times a day" Puttony Colouring Pook - 5,058 641i*rj "I received Buttony bear and the lovely books today. The tears I cried. Thank you so much". Page O
23124Annual Report Our Resources young Adult Packs- 313 Our resources - Young Adult Packs "My amazing son received a fantastic kit bag from you...it was just brilliant" . 5pport iMn¥eTsandwur r) Stoma Models - 41 "Love, love, love the new stoma models. Could we have more please?" A IEAR NAblE bUll•N¥ A 6EAR NAMED Page 003
23124Annual Report Our Achievements Every¢xe in the Butt¢)ny team contributes their time, skills and expertise on a purely voluntary basis. This allows us to keep our costs to a minimum so that we can meximise the benefits of our Income for those vtho need our support. Our achievements continued to grow in 2024, with some of the highlights being: Our core aim of sending Buttony Bear and our other resources to femilies continues to flourish and exi We ere investing even more trustee and volunteer time in attending events to raise awareness of the Buttony brand. The educational pack for primary schools was further developed In 2024, with the alm of launching this in 2025. Development work started In 2024 on the second Buttony storybook whlch wlll become avallable In 2025. The Buttony team contlnues to grow wlth the recrultment of new volunteers. Our relatlonshlp wtth stoma nurses across the UK Is a key prlorlty to ensure we reach famllles who n The Board continues to strengthen the efficlent end safe runnlng ofthe charity and this includes the development of pollcles and best practice ways of worklng. Please see our annual accounts for more details. "Many thanks, a$ always, f or yovr generosily and Por Making 5Vth a iv• diFf •r•nca to Qvr stomi children's Iivos!" Page 004
23124Annual Report Our Buttony Calendar We were kept busy In 2024, Includlng an Increased attendance at local and natlonal events. The calendar Included: uuuuuuuuu 2024 Ileostomy Assoclatlon Conference In London In Aprll. Soclety of Health Play Speclallst Conference at UCLH In June. Aberdeen Stoma Informatlon Day In August. Buttory was on the telly In September as part of the BBC2 Sawng Llves In Cardiff. Thank you to the Buttony friend and his famlly who beautlfully demonstrated the positive impact Buttony has had. Max's Trust Conference in Warwick in September. Association of Stoma Nurse Conference in G185gow in September. Scottish Motor Trade Association event in October. Glasgow Ileostomy A5SQCiation conference held in Stirling in October. Attendance throughout the year at Young People's Initiative events at local schools. The Buttory costume was created this year and has already proven to be very popular at events. Thanks to Canterbury Bears for creating this. Page 005
23124 Annual Report Our Future Plans Buttony Bear V4ill be 10 years old In 2025 and we plan to have fvnl A serles of events wlll be organised for our annlversary year, wtth the focus belng celebratory and informatlon sharing rather than active fvndraising. These events will include.. The launch of the second Buttony storybook. Fun events and actlvltles for chlldren and famllles to P8rtlcip8te In e.g. Buttony Bear Drlve. Events in our local home base of Ballater, Aberdeenshire, to show 8ppreclatlon for the support of the community where most of our volunteers are based. A ceilidh and Buttery mornlng are under development. Other plans include.. Increaslng participatic In national stoma forums e.g. National Neonatal Surglc81 Interest (>oup. Development of flash carts for chlldren wlth addi p¢)uch. Conllnulng to wtyk wlth young people and stoma Our research project Is progressing with the 8PPO Page 006 "trle ire very gr•+ePvl Por products thit yov s•nd v
23124 Annual Report Thank you to our Buttony families. It remains a pleasure to see the impact Buttony continues to have and we are grateful to all who give us feedback on what we do. Our contlnued gratitude to the teams of stoma nurses across the country who are our main connection to the families who need us. Thank you to our Buttony team of volunteers. You are the driving force behind the charty and each and every one of you should continue to be proud of what is achieved. We would like to acknowledge the support of Pelican who provide us with Buttony's pouches free of charge. An honorary mention must also go to Amber Computing who have supported Buttony from the start with di ital support and expertise. "Together with the book the bear is the perfect tool to explain to my daughter. Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart. You have helped make an absolutely awful week bearable and I will never forget that" Page 007
23124Annual Report Signed on behalf of the charity trustees: Print Name: Designation: Chair Date: 01/0712025 Page 008
A BEAR NAMED BUTT•NY w4w.buttonybear.org.uk
A Bear Named Buttony SCIO Scottish Charity No - SC049781 Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 30 November 2024
Trustees, Annual Report For the year erKled 30 November 2024 The trustee5 have pleasure in presenting their fekf¢rt together with the financial statements for the yearended 30 November 2024. Charity name A Bear Named Bultony SCIO Charfty no SC049781 Address clo Amber Computing Limited. filneUk. 28 Pannanich Road. Ballater. Aberdeenshire AB35 SPA Trustees on Date Annual Report Approved Other trustees durin8 the year to 30 November 2024 Signed on behalf of the Trustees
Structure Governance and Management Governin8 Document A Bear Named Buttony was first registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorp)rated Organisation ISCIOI on 26 November 2019 and has a written constitution. Changes to the ori8lAal constitutton have been made as follows= Amendment to permit virtual Board meetings an(J ¥Ial AGM, noiified to OSCR 20 November 2020 Amendment to charitable purw>ses. approved byOSCR 21 February 2024 Trustee Recrultment and Appointment The charity 15 governed by a 803rd ofTrustees_ The roles of Chair. Secretary and Treasurer are Clear definèd; thÈs@ office bearers are elected by Board members. Members retire and may be r&appointed in accordance with the constitution. The maximum numi)erof the chariws Irustees is 12. The Board consider that the current cohort of 10 members have requisite skills and experiewKe to suppori ihe charily in achievin8 il5 Slaled purposes. Trustees comprises a mixture of individuals with Fersonal, specific interest in stomas, bowel disease, bu5ines5 knowledge and clinical expertise. Trustees who apkly. or are 3pproached, to join the Board attend an interview, sign the statutory declaration and are provided with a Trustee Pack. New Trustees are supported by existing Board members as they familiari5e thernselves with the chariiWs operatn5 and projects. At the AGM on 21 January 2024, the Eoard resolved. under the terms of the constilution, to create the followins additional office bearefs.. Vice Chair, who will depulise for/ share dutie5 of the Chair as required. Founder,. to be held by until she ceases to be a Trustee, or gives signed notice of resignation from that office. The 2024 AGM was hekl on 21 January 2024 followed by regular Board meetings ihroughout the year: 21 January 2024 24 March 2024 26 May 2024 14 July 2024 6 October 2024 Charitable purposes A Bear Named Buttony has the following purposes as set out at Paragraph 4 of our constitution.. 4.1 To support children and young people with a stoma. by providing a sP1811V created teddy bear, "A Bear Named Burtony-. The bear is a CE approved toy, adapted by volunteers, with a button stoma in the same positson as the child's own Stoma. Buttony Bear has proved to bring instant friendship. support and comfort to a child and their family. This makes the transition from undergoing surgery to living with a sloma less traumatic. 4.2 To support, educate and raise public awareness about life with a stoma. There is a stigma attached to living with a stoma. We aim to reduce that stEm3 by giving presentations about our work to interested groups and health professionals. We intend to develop and distribute an educational pack created specilically for nurser¥ and primary school children. 4.3 fo support the work of paediatr4C Stoma nurses gJpplying appropriate resources. We shall develop initiatives lo support and enhance the lives of children. youn8 people and their families living with a stoma.
At the AGM of 21 January 2024. the Board agreed unanimously not to pursue the establishment of a dedicated online forum to 5UPPOrt parent5 and carers. A revised purpose 4.3 (see above) was drafted and subsequently approved by OSCR. Main activities and achievements of the charity These are detailed in our Trustees Report and Annual review 2024 available on our website htt www.butto bear.com Policy on ReseNes The Board calculate that reserves equal to 6 months of the previous yearfs unrestricted expenditure (adjusted for inflation) are required to allow the charity to maintain a continuous service to the children and young people who are supported by the charity. Reserves for 2025 are £60,0(K). Details of any deficit The accounts for the year show a total surplus of £13.495. Donated services and facilities Volunteer hours The trustees are grateful to over 70 volunteers who give freely of their time and play a vital role in the running of the charity- This helps to keep costs and overheads to a minimum an(J allows us to respond quickly and effectively to requests for support from children. young people. their families and stoma nurses. Stora eand remises A Bear Named Buttony has no permanent or leased premise5. Trustees and volunteers donate space in their homes to store products ready for dispatch. Assembling young adult packs. sewing and postal preparations, amongst other tasks, are all undertaken in the houses of volunteers. We are extremely appreciative of the volunteers and families who accommodate our work in this way. ITSU AII IT services and support are provided pro-bono by Amber Computing Ltd. The Board thank the Directors and staff at Amber for their continued and generous support. Stoma ouches A Bear Narned Buttony supports children and young people with a stoma by providing a specially created teddy bear. The bear is a UKCE approved toy. adapted by volunteers, with a button stoma in the same position as the child's own stoma. Buttonws stoma pouches are specially manufactured to comply with UKCA regulations and donated by Pelican Healthcare Ltd. The Board are very grateful to Pelican Healthcare Ltd for meeting the costs of this key element in the production of our bears.
Amazon Wish-list Our supporters gifted items to the value of £1,197 from our Amazon Wish List. Products on the list, such as fabric, stationery. and small items for our young adult or urostomy packs are essential to our operation. We are indebted to everyone who purchased these items and helped to cover our costs.
Statement of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 30 November 2024 Period ended 3011112023 Unrestrirted Restritted Year ended 3011112024 Funds Funds Receipts Donations (Note 8) Fundraising Transfer of fund5 from Breakaway Charity 88,839 2.750 91.589 67,958 Receipts from charitable activitie5 Total receipts 88.839 2,750 Payments Fundraising costs Cost of charitable Activities (Notes 5 & 9) Governance costs Purchase of equipment 74,227 570 1.245 2.052 76,279 570 1.245 58,543 450 Total p•ymentS 76,042 2.052 93 Surplus/lDeficitl for the year Transfers between funds (Note 7J 12.797 698 13.495 8,965 SurplusllDeficitl for the year 12.797 698
Statement of Balances- As at 30 November 2024 unstriCted Restricted Funds Funds (Note 21 (Note 2J Total 2024 Total 2023 Opening cash at bank and in hand Surplus/lDeficitl for the year 4.399 698 69,243 13.495 60,278 8,965 12,797 Closing cash at bank and in hand 77.641 5,097 Bènk and Cash Balances Bank account 77.641 5.097 82.738 69,243 77,641 5.097 Other assets- unrestritted fund Assets- Laptop A55ets - Shed 883 1.245 883 883 Liabilities (unrestricted fund) Creditors 570 570 Included in creditors is £570 relating to the governante c05t relates to the independent examinerfs fee.
Notes to the accounts- for the year ended 30 November 2024 l Basis of accounting These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charitie5 & TrtJStee Investment (Scotlandl Act 2005 and the Charit5 Accounts (Scotlandl Regulations 2006 las amended) 2 Nature and purpose of funds Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretior) of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day-to-day running of the charity. Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when furkds are raised for specific purposes. During the year the Charity received £1,000 from the Jellie Foundation. which was a restricted fund to be allocated to the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas. The Charity also received £750 from the Yorkshire Bank, which was a restricted fund to be allocated to the Aberdeen area. In addition. during the year the Charity receNed £500 from Country Pursuits Lodge of West Lancashire. Kirkham Lodge and £500 from Cleveleys. Both these Charity donations were restricted funds to be allocated to the Blackpool area. 3 Grants payable No grants were paid during the year. 4 Trustee remuneration No remuneration was paid to any Trustee. Of person connected to a Trustee. 5 Trustee expenses During the year travel expenses totallin8 £2.629 were repaid for four of the Charity Trustees arid one volunteer to attend conferences throughout the year- WCET, ERIC, IA Open Day, Play Specialists Conference & Max's Trust. 6 Related party transartions During the year there were no transactions incurred between the Charity and any Charity Trustee or person connected to a Charity Trustee. 7 Transfer between funds There were no transfers between unrestricted and restricted fund5 during the year.
8 Donations Income increased by 34% compared to the previous year. Donations totalling £13,650 were made up by four corporate donors. The balance represents fundraisin& donations and sponsorship from many individuals and regular supporters. 9 Cost of Charitable activities Expenses remained stable. despite the cost-of-living pressure5. Main areas of spending (to nearest £IOOI were: Bears £37,500 Stoma Training Models £17,200 Young Adult Packs £3,800 Colouring Books & Sheets £2.700 New Book Illustration £2,500 Postage £3,900 Costs represent the amounts paid in the year and includes payments for stock to be used in our first quarter of operations in 2025.
Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of A Bear Named Buttony I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 November 2024. Re5pertlve responsibilities of trustees and exarniner The CharItS trustees are responslble for the preparatlon of the accounts in accordance wlth the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotlandl Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotlandl Regulations 2006 las amendedl. The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 1011) (dl of the 2006 Accounts Regulations does not applv. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 4411) (cl of the Act and to state whether particular matter5 have come to my attention. Basls of Independent examiner's statement My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning anysuch matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidencethat would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view 8lven by the accounts. Independent examlnerf5 Statement In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention: whlch gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirement5: to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 4411) lal of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 8 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or 2. to whlch, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understandin8 of the accounts to be reached. 4 Au8USt 2025