The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)".
The charitable objectives are:
Protecting and preserving health amongst those experiencing or at risk of experiencing leg ulcers and/or associated conditions, in particular by:
Disseminating and facilitating the implementation of the Lindsay Leg Club model;
Advising on and promoting the provision and use of modern equipment, services and facilities aimed at diagnosing, preventing and treating leg ulcers and or/associated conditions; and
Advising education in and increasing the understanding and awareness of leg ulcers and associated conditions and how they can be diagnosed, prevented and treated.
In reviewing the year, the trustees have taken into account the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the two principles that:
There must be an identifiable benefit or benefits, and
The benefit must be to the public or a section of the public.
They have also considered the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of education and health.
It is their belief that, given the objects of the Charity and its record of activities over the year, the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation provides identifiable benefits which are open to all who experience or are at risk of experiencing leg ulcers and/or associated conditions; and also is promoting better understanding of leg ulcer care amongst relevant health professionals.
2025 was a significant year of change within the NHS with the introduction of the NHS 10 Year Plan. The Plan places a large emphasis on improving care through patient choice and consultation. Integrated care boards are required to involve patients and communities in decisions about health care.
The Plan dovetails exactly with our focus as an organisation centred on communities with person-centred care at our heart. As always the NHS faces many challenges but we believe the Leg Club model can thrive and lead the way in this new operating environment by providing effective, holistic, quality care that encourages and enables successful self-management of a long-term condition that will improve wellbeing and quality of life.
We are among only a few nurse-led clinics that are held outside a medical setting, which puts us in the company of organisations who do such important work as family planning, drug/needle exchange centres and homeless centres. Like them we are intrinsically led by a social model of care, devoted to the well being of our members, with our clinics taking place deep within the heart of the communities that we serve.
The social approach of Leg Clubs act as a catalyst to create a sense of community, re-socialising people who have become isolated through illness and providing opportunities for them to play significant voluntary roles within their communities. Many of our members have commented on their reluctance to visit a medical centre for treatment, while they have found that attending a clinic in a social setting has given them a sense of purpose. Countless members confirmed that mixing with fellow members experiencing treatment in a social setting has helped overcome the stigma associated with their leg ulcers. This network of mutual support and friendship has provided a strong sense of motivation for the clinical teams, members, and their loved ones.
Much of the day-to-day work to support Leg Clubs is driven by the Leg Club Industry Partners (LCIP). These suppliers of wound care and related products (‘Industry’) continue to provide the majority of our funding and are committed to support the Leg Clubs in spite of the commercial challenges they face, a clear sign of their commitment to support best possible standards of care within the NHS. The Board again thank the LCIP for their financial support, as well as their heartfelt drive and enthusiasm for the Model.
In addition to the support of Industry, the Leg Clubs could not exist without all the amazing volunteers and the work they do to run their clubs, the many other funders who help support us, and the dedication of our committed NHS nursing teams who so actively promote the model. As a Board we are consistently amazed by their motivation and commitment, for which we unreservedly express our gratitude. Volunteers are at the heart of what we do, enabling the model to thrive. Volunteering delivers well documented benefits not only to the beneficiaries but to the volunteers themselves.
As ever, our driving force and inspiration remains Ellie Lindsay OBE, Life President and Founder. Her passion and commitment is the reason why so many people give their time to support the Foundation. Ellie serves on the board of The Medical Technology Group, a non-profit of patient groups, research charities, and medical device manufacturers. The MTG’s Management Committee meets regularly to discuss developments, plan, and monitor progress.
Ellie also plays an active role within the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease, which allows MPs, Peers, clinicians, patients, and industry representatives to discuss related issues. Through her role, Ellie champions collaboration between diverse stakeholders and advocates for equitable access to innovative medical technologies. Her leadership has contributed to initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes and shaping health policy at both national and local levels.
Board information
A number of Board changes took place through the year and are in process for 2026/27.
David Hutchinson was appointed as Trustee but had to stand down due to a career change.
Mark Farrington, previously local Leg Club Chair Basingstoke, was appointed as Treasurer during the year but unfortunately had to stand down for personal reasons.
Having served two recent 3 year terms as Chair, following on from the two terms I served from 2004 and with the new NHS 10 Year Plan in mind, I have made the decision not to apply for re-election as Chair so this will be my final Annual Report. I am delighted to announce that Barbara Harpham who joined the Board as Trustee in April of this year has been voted Chair and will take over in July, 2026.
Barbara has an outstanding record of delivering change within healthcare organisations. She has experience of dealing with Ministers, civil servants and local government both inside and outside healthcare She has been on many charity committees, often as a Chair. She is retired but remains active within professional and political spheres that influence healthcare delivery and policy. This involvement has helped her understand the wider systems that shape patient care advocate effectively for both patients and healthcare professionals. She campaigns actively for patients and clinicians and for improvements in care and treatment in the NHS. I can’t think of anyone better equipped to lead the Foundation to the next stage of its development.
David Dawson who is a qualified senior nurse and advises Govt on healthcare strategy and policy. He has accepted an offer to join the Board from April and has agreed to take the position of Treasurer.
I am delighted to leave the Board in a stronger position than ever as I step down.
Third Party Partnerships and Supporters
The Leg Club Industry Partners (LCIP) have again continued to support the Foundation with unfailing commitment and financial support. The Foundation Charity would again like to acknowledge and thank our LCIP advocates without which we could not exist. They continue to support us in spite of the increasing financial pressure the medical device sector is under.
I would also specifically like to thank Coloplast for allowing us to use their Boardroom free of charge for our quarterly meetings.
We are grateful to the support we get from our in-house media consultants Semra and Omer Dinc, Graham Hobbs, Tim Ashton and Julian Tynedale-Biscoe and to the publishing teams at MA Healthcare, Wounds UK and Wound Care People.
Without the support of all these people, and many more, who give freely of their money and their time, we simply could not continue to function and are eternally grateful.
During the year we formalised an alliance with Wounds Australia. We already have a number of Leg Clubs in Australia and we expect this collaboration to generate more research into the effectiveness of our model on an international basis.
We have also partnered with the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics as well as the British Association of Sclerotherapists. Both organisations share our values of promoting evidence-based education, advancing standards and putting the patient at the heart of everything they do.
Highlights of the Year
Our website has a full summary of all the exciting projects we have been involved with during the year In particular I would highlight the following:
We opened 3 new Leg Clubs during the year:
The 4PCN Leg Club (Bristol) , July 2025
The Ryedale Leg Club (Pickering), November 2025
Crane Valley Leg Club, January 2026.
Our International Social Media Committee helps promote, show case and bring to a wider audience the work of the Foundation and its Leg Club communities with an eclectic mix of news and Podcast episodes. We now have more than 70 Podcasts available to listen to covering a wide range of topics from Clinical, Leg Clubs, being a Trustee and subjects such as music, art, and cycling which highlight the benefits these pastimes have on your mental health and wellbeing. The Leg Club Linked- In, X (Twitter) and Facebook channels continue to grow with a record number of followers. Our well-received Podcasts can be found on our Leg Club YouTube channel or via our website.
The Foundation is in a good financial position due to the continued backing from LCIP members, charitable donations, and various fund-raising activities. In the last financial year our expenditure was significantly in excess of income and was funded by reserves. Our accounts are independently prepared by Churchgates Accountants, Bury St Edmunds and can be viewed on the Charity Commission website:
https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity details/ 4014745/accounts-and-annual-returns
Total income in the year ending March 2026 was £125,828 of which £42,681 was in Restricted Reserves relating to a European Wound Care project which the Charity is managing on behalf of the individual Leg Clubs and which is restricted to this project therefore does not form part of ongoing activities.
Income from ongoing activities (Unrestricted Funds) for the year was £83,147 which compares to £79,877 for the previous year. Expenditure was significantly higher this year than last (£106,030 vs £88,927) primarily due to the appointment of a Business Consultant in an attempt to drive additional revenues. This resulted in a net unrestricted loss of (£22,883) funded by reserves.
In spite of this loss, the Charity remains in a good financial position overall with £150,212 of available cash reserves as of end March, 2026 with expenditure for the coming financial year anticipated to be back in line with 2024/25 at around £80,000. A significant majority of our funding comes from the Leg Club Industry Partners whose commitment to ensuring the success of the Model remains as strong as ever.
The Charity does not hold significant reserves which can be invested. Any income not required for immediate needs is put on deposit to maximise interest and drawn upon as required. The Charity had unrestricted general reserves of £150,212 at 31 March 2026 which equates to over six months operational costs. The Charity aims to hold four months costs in reserves.
Investment powers and policy
The Charity does not hold significant surplus assets which can be invested. In the event of there being any funds to invest, availability of funds together with risk-free investment are the key criteria for investment.
The Charity is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, company number 05360413, on 10 February 2005 (as amended by special resolution dated 25 August 2005), and was registered with the Charity Commission on 12 September 2005, under charity number 1111259. The governing documents of the Charity are the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The Board of trustees are elected at the AGM and subject to one third of the Board submitting to re-election at each subsequent AGM. Trustees have defined responsibilities and most service on specific committees or groups alongside the main Board.
Trustees are asked to submit a resume of their interests and abilities in support of their election, and on commencing their appointment will be supported through induction to help them become fully effective.
Members of the Trustee Board, who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 5.
The Trustee Board consists of a maximum of 14 who meet on a quarterly basis and they are responsible for the strategic direction of the Charity. A quorum at a meeting of the trustees is three trustees.
Members of the Charity each guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the Charity in the event of a winding up.
Trustees are at all times aware of the financial state of the Charity. The Charity has two forms of insurance:
Employers’ Liability Insurance (£5 million) which covers public liability, products liability, personal accident, money and legal expenses, and
Trustees Indemnity Insurance
Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the Charity. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet the needs of the Charity.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Lindsay Leg Club Foundation (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2026.
As the charity’s trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”). In carrying out my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
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 accounts to be reached.
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
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 Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements 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 financial statements 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.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 10 to 16 form part of these financial statements.
The Lindsay Leg Club Foundation is a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital. In the event of a winding up of the company every member agrees to contribute such amount as may be required (not exceeding £1) to the Charity’s assets if it should be wound up while he or she is a member or within one year after he or she ceases to be a member, for payment of the Charity’s debts and liabilities contracted before he or she ceases to be a member, and of the costs charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”), “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice as it applies from 1 January 2015. The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The accounts have not included a statement of cash flows per Update Bulletin 1 of charities SORP (FRS102) as The Lindsay Leg Club Foundation is not a large charity.
The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The accounts have been prepared on 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.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are 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.
All incoming resources are included in the SOFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. All income is shown gross.
Revenue grants are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities in accordance with the terms of the relevant grant funding agreement.
Donations and Investment income are credited to the SOFA when receivable.
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.
Support costs are those costs incurred in the management and administration of the charitable activities. Support costs are allocated to activities based estimations with reference to historic data.
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 only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
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.
During the year E Lindsay received payments of £30,000 (2025: £30,000) as a consultant to the charity. The charity has received permission from the Charity Commission to make payments to her.
No other trustee received any remuneration during the year. Reimbursed expenses of £11,102 (2025: £2,378) were paid to 8 trustees (2025: 10 trustees) in respect of travel, accommodation and subsistence costs incurred in carrying out their duties on behalf of the charity.
The trustees did not receive any remuneration during the year for their role as trustee.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
EU Grant (INJECTHEAL Project): funding to support the Foundation's patient and public involvement activities within the INJECTHEAL chronic wound research project.
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.
A designated reserve is no longer required as the conference is no longer organised by The Lindsay Leg Club Foundation.