FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
BACKCARE Registered as National Back Pain AssociationReport of the Board of Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2007
The Board of Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the Association for the year ended 31 December 2007.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY
BackCare (registered as the National Back Pain Association) is a Registered Charity under the Charities Act 1993, established to carry out and promote research into the causes, cure and prevention of illness, complaints and disorders in, or associated with the back of the body and other allied conditions, and to publish and make available the results of such research; and the relief of persons who suffer such conditions; and the advancement of education of the public concerning such conditions.
VISION:
To significantly reduce the number of people affected by back pain.
AIMS:
- For those who suffer with back pain:
To be an independent source of information about the causes, treatments and management of back pain
- For those who treat people with back pain:
To promote best practice in the diagnosis, treatment and management of back pain
- For those concerned with minimising the costs (human and financial) associated with back pain: To prevent incapacity from back pain
- To produce authoritative and accessible information (evidence-based wherever possible)
- To support people living with back pain through a helpline service
- To fund research into preventing incapacity and promoting best practice
- To work with health professionals, employers, trade unions, government departments and statutory bodies to improve access to information, advice and treatment
- To campaign on behalf of people with back pain through the media and representation on government working parties, appropriate NGOs, etc.
- To support local branches with information, campaigning materials, web pages and insurance
BackCare is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board meets at least four times a year to discharge its responsibilities.
GOVERNING INSTRUMENT
The Charity is a company limited by guarantee. It was incorporated on 7th August 1968 and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE'S RESPONSIBILITIES
Company law requires the Board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Board of Trustees is required to
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
There are, in addition, three sub-committees, which report to the Board.
The Executive Committee recruits, monitors the performance of, advises and directs the Chief Executive; it deals with day-to-day matters that require Trustee decision-making; maintains an overview of constitutional, legal, financial and operational matters to ensure BackCare’s compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission, Companies House and relevant legislation.
The Research Committee invites applications for grants for research into the causes, cure and prevention of back pain; considers the applications, sending them for peer review as necessary; allocates the available funding to selected applications; monitors the research funded by BackCare and expects results to be published and disseminated.
The Education Committee provides expertise in relation to publications, products and educational materials, generating ideas and suggesting writers and editors for new publications; reviewing project plans and proposed materials.
Day-to-day management of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive who reports and is responsible to the Board of Trustees.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
The Trustees report a surplus for the year of £113,446 (deficit of £29,210 in 2006) due in part to an unexpected number of legacies received, totalling £141,336. Although this is welcomed, it cannot be taken as a future permanent source of income.
The income from publication sales was again disappointing, but the membership increased by £9,752 which was due to an increase of corporate supporters.
Fundraising income from donations included a grant of £4,950 from the lottery Awards for All scheme. Our Wolverhampton Branch received an unrestricted donation of £3,000 from their local Lions club and a grant of £5,750 from their local Council to continue with their hydrotherapy programme.
Investment income increased to £14,734 due to the increase in our cash deposits and BackCare Awareness Week produced an income of £12,554 of which £10,150 came from four sponsors.
Other key objectives for 2007 were:
- To redevelop the website and extend the helpline service
into an email answering service.
Work to redevelop the website started in March 2008. Our aim is to launch it around BackCare Awareness Week in early October 2008. An email answering service for the helpline has been successfully launched and is set to expand.
- To establish new income streams and increase the charity’s
reserves.
We have recruited additional corporate supporters and our reserves have significantly increased due to the legacies received. Despite concerted efforts other income streams have not yet been forthcoming.
- To review future strategy for the charity.
The charitable activities have been reviewed and there will be an increasing focus on reducing the burden of back pain in the workplace in the future.
The charity has attended meetings with many of the large companies, which take the health of their workforce seriously. We continue to build relationships with these companies to explore how BackCare can support their aims of reducing absenteeism and helping people with back problems stay at or return to work.
The Helpline service has expanded again over the last year with a further cohort of volunteers being trained in early 2008. Information databases and other resources have been developed to support the email answering service and these are continually updated.
The Trustees see the key objectives for 2008 as:
- To develop the website to increase the charity’s reach and effectiveness.
- To develop partnerships with the corporate sector in order to promote return to work and staying at work for people with back pain.
- To establish new income streams.
A new Trustee with legal skills was co-opted to the Board early in 2007 and an internationally renowned specialist in Pain Management and Research later in the year. Both of these appointments were ratified by the Members at the 2007 AGM. The Education and Research Committees have continued their ambitious programmes and a new Chairman of the Research Committee was appointed in 2007. RISK POLICY
The major risks facing the charity have been identified and reviewed by a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees. A process for establishing systems to mitigate those found to be unacceptable is now in place. There is an annual review.
RESERVES POLICY
With the uncertainties of fund-raising and income, a prudent policy of reserves is maintained. Our objective is to build up sufficient reserves to meet all of our liabilities. To this end we planned to have reserves equivalent to annual salaries, which we have now acheived and we plan to have additional reserves equivalent to one year’s turnover within four years.
AUDITORS
The auditors, Hawkins Scott, will be proposed for re-appointment in accordance with Section 385 of the Companies Act 1985.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small companies.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Dr M J McKiernan MBChB FRCP FFOM - CHAIRMAN
Dated: 26 March 2008