The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "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)" (effective 1 January 2019).
We are a true multidisciplinary society largely made up from the specialties of gynaecology, dermatology, genito-urinary medicine and pathology. Our membership consists of doctors and nurses and we work closely with allied health professionals aligned to vulval disease. This multidisciplinary approach to the speciality enables excellence in clinical outcomes and workforce training. We have a strong commitment to education and training working with our medical colleges striving to achieve high quality standards of care for patients. The objectives of the society are:-
The relief of suffering for patients with vulval diseases
The promotion of research into the cause and management of vulval diseases
The practice, art and science of understanding, diagnosing and managing vulval diseases.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Guidelines
BSSVD members represented vulval disease as part of the BAD guideline development group for the lichen planus guideline which is being published in 2025
BSSVD produced updated clinical standards of care for women with vulval conditions BSSVD-Standards-of-Care-vulval.pdf. Members liaised with commissioners to ensure vulval disease is included in the women’s health hub model, sharing the standards of care document with policy makers.
Education
Arranged BSSVD scientific meeting in March 2023 and May 2024 which were well attended and multi-disciplinary.
Set up a virtual education event on vulval disease to be held November 2024
Awarded an educational grant for project which is a developing lichen Sclerosus patient information website
Research
Joint BSSVD and Wellbeing of Women entry-level scholarship awarded for establishing research priorities in vulvodynia, based at University of Stirling and post-doctoral award
Established a new joint research award with British Skin Foundation – to be awarded May 2024
Supporting other charities
Council members represented on Vulval pain Society
Net expenditure for the year was £1,839 (2023 net expenditure was £5,010) leaving reserves of £57,700 (2023 £59,539) to be carried forward.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to two years expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee, not having share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up, such amounts as may be required not exceeding £10.
The BSSVD Council is the governing committee that is responsible for the financial and legal status of the BSSVD as a charity. It oversees what the society does and sets the strategic direction of the society. All council members are volunteers. The Council usually meets twice a year.
The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Appointment of trustees
The directors of the company are also charity trustees. The number of trustees shall be not less than three and not subject to any maximum. Under the requirements of the Articles of Association, one third of the trustees who are subject to retirement by rotation shall retire from office but are eligible for re-election annually. New trustees are appointed by ordinary resolution by the trustees. On appointment, trustees are (depending on the level of their experience) briefed on their responsibilities as trustees. As it is the present policy only to appoint trustees with relevant experience, formal induction and training has not been considered necessary.
Risk management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
The trustees have considered those areas potentially creating the greatest risk to the charity, particularly those in relation to financial, compliance and regulatory issues and are satisfied that adequate steps have been taken to mitigate exposure to these risks.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The British Society for the Study Of Vulval Diseases (the charity) for the year ended 30 April 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The British Society for the Study Of Vulval Diseases is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales and a registered charity in England and Wales. The registered office is Charlotte House Stanier Way, The Wyvern Business Park, Derby, England, DE21 6BF. The liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up, such amounts as may be required not exceeding £10. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Income from subscriptions and event income are recognised on receipt.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Costs are apportioned between support and governance costs on the basis of actual time allocations.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors are initially recognised at transaction price. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
In the application of the charity’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.
Membership fees
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits or expenses from the charity during the year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).