Annual Report and Financial Statements Starlight Children’s Foundation Year ended 31 March 2020 A company limited by guarantee 02038895 Registered charity 296058 (England & Wales) SC047600 (Scotland) Royal Patron Safeguarding Committee HRH Princess Alexandra KG GCVO Dr Chris Hanvey (Chair) Samuel Butler Co-Founder Jasmin Garrett Emma Samms MBE Sandy Gulyurtlu President Dr Krutika Pau Christopher Hanbury Advisory Committee Trustees Dr Chris Evans (Chair) Nick Mustoe (Chair) Dr Luca May Brady Senior Research Fellow, Dr Christopher Evans UCL Institute Alasdair Hadden-Paton ACA (Vice Chair) of Ophthalmology Dr Christopher Hanvey Professor Lucy Bray Professor of Child Health Ian Harding (Appointed October 2019) Literacy James Innes Edge Hill University Hina Patel Kath Evans Director of Nursing Mark Tasker (Children’s) at Bart’s Health Alain Wolffe Development Committee Senior Management team Alastair Hadden-Paton (Chair) Cathy Gilman CEO Kate Deighton Dr Krutika Pau Director of Children’s Services Carrie Hardcastle (Appointed June 2019) Oliver Hardcastle Gary Seager Interim Director of Finance Hattie Mauleverer (End of contract July 2020) Alex Spencer-Churchill Nicky Wade Director of Finance and Resources Bankers (Appointed May 2020) HSBC Plc Sue Wildman Director of Children’s Services 25 Wigmore Street (left June 14th, 2019) London W1H 0DP Sarah Woods Director of Fundraising and Marketing Bankers (Appointed September 2019) Lloyds Bank Plc 25 Gresham Street Registered Office and Contact Details London EC2V 7HN Starlight Children’s Foundation 227 Shepherds Bush Road Solicitors London W6 7AU BDB Pitmans www.starlight.org.uk One Bartholomew Close 020 7262 2881 London EC1A 7BL Audit and Risk Committee Auditors James Innes (Chair) Sayer Vincent LLP Invicta House Hina Patel 108-114 Golden Lane Alain Wolffe London EC1Y 0TL 2 Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2020 Contents Thank you from our Chair 4 About Starlight 6 Our achievements this year 8 How we raise money 18 Starlight Strategy 22 Financial review 29 Governance 32 Independent Auditor’s report 36 Statement of financial activities 40 Balance sheets 41 Cash flows 42 Financial Statements 39 Accounting policies and notes to the accounts 43 Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements 3 Year ended 31 March 2020 Thank you from our Chair When a child becomes seriously ill, sadly thoughts of maintaining a sense of childhood can easily go out of the window in the urgency to treat the condition. It is understandable of course; especially in an NHS that has been stretched to the limits this year by Covid-19. But childhood and play are of critical importance and without social interaction, physical activity and enough things to do, it’s not only harder to cope with treatment but the mental health of a child and their family can be affected for years to come. We thought that the impact of Brexit would be challenging enough this year, but Covid-19 has raised uncertainty to a new level. Despite this, it has been a good year for Starlight. 4 Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2020 We appointed our first Director of Fundraising As well as this, our recently established and Marketing, Sarah Woods, this year and are research team has uncovered more important developing new services and a new strategy for insights about the needs of seriously ill children the year ahead. We now have a permanent senior and the problems of delivering play in the NHS. management team with the appointments of Health professionals tell us that our services are Dr. Krutika Pau, Children’s Services Director and often the only resources they have for play and Nicky Wade, Director of Finance and Resources. distraction with children. We feel confident that however world events might Our services really matter. impact our income or curtail our activity, we can In the latter part of the year we have demonstrated find new and clever ways to light up the lives of resilience and flexibility in a very uncertain world. seriously ill children. Small amounts of money With your support we will continue to deliver the can go a long way at Starlight. Starlight magic to children, siblings, and parents If we cannot hold our big family fun days, we who might be isolated and anxious, throughout the can organise them online for just £100. If the toys UK, whatever happens in the year ahead. in our Boost Boxes cannot be shared because of We feel confident that with refined plans in place, the risk of infection, we can provide bags of toys good management controls and a sensible level to create isolation packs which reach up to 60 of reserves we can weather the storm and there children for just £128. is no doubt that our services are needed now If we need to reduce expenditure, we work with more than ever. partners like Nintendo, Ryman and pladis to deliver We simply cannot thank you enough for standing services in new, different and exciting ways. by us through these challenging times. Thanks If wishes are suspended because of the virus, we to you we have touched the lives of 1.5 million find other ways to give children something to look children this year, just when they needed us the forward to. Continuing to reduce our deficit while most. We have made life a whole lot better for still supporting more children are not incompatible their families too. objectives and we have made very good progress this year with both. Thank you from everyone at Starlight. Best wishes Nick Mustoe Chair of Trustees Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements 5 Year ended 31 March 2020 About Starlight Starlight aims to reduce the long-term impact toys, activities, and entertainment to support of serious illness for children, young people, and health professionals; from nurses to health play their families in hospital and at home. specialists providing opportunities for play and When a child is seriously ill the initial focus must distraction throughout the UK. These help children be on treatment of the illness, often in hospital. to have enough things to do, get along with other This can mean separation from parents, painful children and have a sense of self and some control procedures and necessary changes to sleep, diet, in at least one area of their life. and the opportunity to play which can inevitably At home, families need to feel connected to life, cause anxiety and distress. If the experience of connected with things to look forward to and hospital is not a positive one, it can make it much the confidence to do things: take a break, have harder to cope with treatment and can have fun and make memories that matter. The reality a lasting impact on the mental health and well- and routine of serious illness can easily take being of the whole family. these away. Coping with the challenges of illness, The resources available to support regular financial constraints and some of the physical childhood activities in the NHS are very limited barriers that families can face in UK society and provision is inconsistent around the country. make the simple act of fun and time together Starlight has a unique role in providing toolkits, seemingly impossible. 6 Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2020 Our wish-granting, escapes and special treats To achieve our goal of reducing the deficit by can give families important milestones to look 2022, we have had to limit expenditure across forward to and we can show them the way to the charity this year. Despite this, thanks to the continue to have good times together and even creativity of the team and some generous partners overcome some of the perceived and actual donating gifts in kind we have managed to reach barriers that might be in the way. thousands of children and their families across the Our services tackle the issues that we already range of our services. We have also ensured that know about, but we are also committed to no eligible family is denied a wish by working in deepening our understanding of the challenges partnership with Make a Wish. and blockages there are in enabling play through There is no question that uncertainty lies ahead, serious illness. There is a paucity of research with the medium-term effect of Covid-19 on the and coherent data and by talking to children, economic climate and, therefore, on the ability their families and health professionals as well of our supporters to give, being as yet unknown. as understanding existing evidence we are However, we have demonstrated our ability over creating a unique appreciation of what is needed. the first few months of the pandemic to adjust our This will help us to innovate, testing and trialling services to meet changes in fundraising levels and new services uniquely tailored to what we are are confident that we will continue to meet the learning and making the data available to other needs of as many children and families as possible organisations to ensure we deliver services in over the coming year. a co-ordinated and collegiate way. Starlight Children’s Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statements 7 Year ended 31 March 2020 Our achievements this year Our services in hospitals Distraction Boxes Our Distraction Boxes are our most iconic Distraction Boxes sent service for health professionals thanks to their eye-catching design and important purpose. 19/20 18/19 This portable toolkit is filled with toys, puzzles and conversation starters that help nurses to distract England 1,259 1019 children during medical procedures and engage Wales 45 69 them in conversation.