The Friends  of Guy’s Hospital Annual Report 2005

Chairman’s Report

 In the past 15 years Guy’s Hospital has seen the greatest change in its role since its foundation more than two and a half centuries ago and The Friends of Guy’s Hospital has also had to change, principally in its source of income; but its mission to use its funds for the benefit of patients who use the hospital, now many more as outpatients, and for all members of the staff, remains unchanged.

 The most recent change which will affect our grant awards is the move of the Children’s Hospital to the St. Thomas’ site, in the past year we have provided flowers for the Paediatric Mortuary and supplied three body alarms for the Paediatric Metabolic Unit.

 We have been very fortunate to have had Dr. George Scott and then Mr. Omar Shaheen as Chairmen during this time. I would like to pay special tribute to Mr. Shaheen for his unflagging contribution to the Friends during his six years as chairman, a hard act to follow. Fortunately for me he continues on the executive committee and I am very grateful for his advice and guidance.

 We have not made any major grants in the past year and the reason for this will become apparent. We have continued to support the provision of flowers for the Chapel, Paediatric Mortuary and Bereavement Office with a grant of £4,500, up from £2,500 last year. The Christmas grant for in-patients and staff was £2,500 and we made small grants to the Palliative Care team and the Stanley Chemotherapy Unit. Our largest grant was to The Thomas Guy Club of £13,100 for three new exercise bicycles and a new sauna at the swimming pool, as we felt that this facility, which is available to all, was much appreciated and improved the quality of life for those who worked at Guy’s.

 In 1990, our subscription income was over £80,000 (about 80% of the total income); it is now £47,049. In that year, the Friends Shop, then almost entirely a flower shop, showed a net profit of just over £8,000. This year we expect the shop to show a net profit of £ 16,000 (about 11% of our total income), so the shop has become a significant source of income. 

The shop itself has far exceeded its life expectancy and is now in a very poor state, probably passed economical repair. We were therefore very pleased to hear that it was to be demolished as part of the major programme of works for Great Maze Pond, which is now underway. As part of this work, the shop is to be re-located on the south side of the main entrance car park, backing onto the old back surgery, between the porter’s office and the radiotherapy extension. This is an excellent location and a real opportunity to enhance the shop’s facilities. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Hayden Velinor, (Project Manager, Capital Development Estates, Sandra Carnall (Property Manager) and Karen Sorenson, Head of Face Initiative, Capital Estates, for their help in realising this project in the face of considerable financial pressures. The plans were only finalised at the end of 2005, and it is still not clear quite how much the Friends will have to find to fit out the shop, in addition to the £75,000 we have already committed. This is the reason for not making any major grants this year as we feel that proper provision for the shop is a one off expense and a one off opportunity. Of course the shop would be nothing without its staff and we are very grateful to all the voluntary and paid staff who make the money we disperse.

 I am however very pleased to report that after a series of unfortunate delays, Professor Fentiman in the Breast Unit is now able to start the Intrabeam Therapy Project, that is per-operative radiotherapy for patients with breast cancer. The equipment was purchased with a grant from the Friends of £140,000 in 2004.

 I would like to thank the members of the Executive Committee for their support and advice, particularly Keith Jeremiah who looks after our finances; Peter Hiscock who promotes our interests on the internet; Anne Rigby who keeps the minutes and keeps us in touch with the Charitable Foundation and the most critically important, Pat Hutton around whom it all revolves. It addition to running the Friends she has also personally raised over £2000 for the breast cancer unit and with Carol Tobin cajoled so many organisations to give prizes for the Christmas raffle, which raised over £4000. 

The Friends’ Shop

 These letters are from our “regulars”

 Dear Ladies of the Hospital Shop

 Congratulations on another successful year of running the shop. I haven’t the first idea about the economics and practicalities of the running of the place, I’m afraid; all I know is that it’s been a boon to me for as long as I’ve lived here (six years, I think).

 I’ve always been a great frequenter of charity shops and yours is one of the best I’ve ever known in terms of price, quality and the range of things you sell. I’ve never been a great believer in the idea of “choice” and the range of goods available in the High Street is just bewildering. Clothes shops are full of clothes that won’t suit or fit me; bookshops are full of cut-price bargain books I’ll never read; there’s kitchen equipment, furniture, linen and furnishings I’d never use; records I’ll never play…. It’s depressing just thinking about it. And how much stuff do I actually need? And how will I ever pay for it? As my MS has got worse and my world has been become more circumscribed, it’s wonderful to have a place so near where I can find anything I could ever want (bar underwear) within a couple of minutes hobble.

 I read the bestseller lists and I know that someone, somewhere, will have read that book and will donate it to the shop sooner or later. Occasionally a whole pile of interesting poetry books or classical novels will come in and sometimes I’ll just have been discussing the absence of, say, a German-English dictionary from my life, and one will turn up in the shop for 50p (25p while you’re trying to have a clear out). In the past couple of weeks I’ve snaffled a lovely book of London photos from the 1950’s, an interesting glass lemon squeezer and a pristine vinyl copy of Chet Baker’s “Baby Breeze”, all with plenty of change from a fiver. My friends have given up asking where I bought my best stuff!

 Added to that, there’s the friendliness and helpfulness of your staff who, provided they’re not completely run off their feet (which is often the case around lunchtime), always have time for a chat and will give an honest appraisal of any garment I might feel tempted by. “Oh, you do look nice in that!” or maybe “Are you sure that will do up over a jumper?” I’m afraid I’m very forgetful and, more than once, they have looked after me when I’ve locked myself out of my flat. (Thank you, Pat and Rene).

I can only say Thank You All for your kindness, in providing such a great service – and here’s hoping it’ll continue for as long as the hospital does (which, by rights, should be forever).

 All best wishes

Sharon White

The Friends of Guy’s Charity shop is not just a way of stocking up on cheap bits and bobs, but more of a pleasant way in which to strike up friendships with the staff, who all do a terrific and much appreciated job, and to have a browse at the same time. The charity shop is not just a place where money can be exchanged for goods, but also a place to meet and a place for witty public expression.

 t is the passing comments from the customers, the good work and friendliness of the staff and the delight of discovering a wonderful oddity pulled out of a tangled box of unpromising bric-a-brac that makes the shop unique and less predictable and sterile.

 Sharyn Wallace

Nuclear Medicine

 
How the Friends’ Money is Spent

Re Grant awarded to Carers Support Service/ Palliative Care

 With regard to the very generous grant awarded to us last April 2005, I am pleased to say that we are now the proud owners of a wonderful new, deep red sofa and beech effect coffee table, which look superb in our counselling room here at Guys.

 In my application for a grant I mentioned that we intended to buy several items from Ikea. However it transpired that Trust Policy only allowed me to use certain manufacturers hence we had to limit the amount of goods purchased due to increased prices.  On reflection I feel this was probably wise as the sofa we have now will certainly last for years, has washable fabric and is of course under guarantee.

 We still have approximately £200.00 left with which we plan to buy some soft furnishings to complement the new colour scheme.

 Thank you again for the grant which certainly has benefited many patients/clients and staff who use this room and are thus reminded frequently of the wonderful support given to us by the Friends of Guys.

 With best wishes

Patricia Williams

Lead Therapist,

Carer Support Services

 Re Application for Enuresis alarms

 Enuresis alarms are used for girls and boys who take a little longer than normal for whatever reason to get themselves completely free from wetting.  They are a very small portable device that alarms the minute any damp or wetness comes into contact with the sensory pad.  These alarms are provided by specialist services usually free of charge.

 In our area of practice which is paediatric metabolic medicine, we look after children that use these alarms for a very different purpose.  Inborn errors of metabolism are very rare conditions and difficult to explain, however briefly, it is about the air that we breathe the food that we eat and how energy is made. 

 A specific group of children that we have can never be without fuel for a sustained length of time.  Often the longest period they can go between feeds is 4 to 6 hours and in some cases can only get up to 2 hours.  If the child is not topped up with feed before their maximum fasting time, they will have a fit due to the rapid drop in blood sugar levels. 

 Feeding children during the day with this condition is difficult and on the whole, they are fed through either a naso-gastric tube (through the nose) or via gastrostomy (a tube direct into the stomach).  It would be impossible to feed a child every 2 to 3 hours day and night for sustained periods without running into sheer exhaustion for both child and parent, therefore overnight feeding is absolutely essential. 

 Many children for whatever reason are fed overnight using feeding machines. As long as parents are trained in the management of feeding pumps and tube feeding it is a safe and effective means of providing nourishment.  Should the pump become blocked, the feeding pump will alarm but should the feeding tube disconnect from the feeding pump, feed will continue to be delivered, the child gets covered in milk and the bed gets very wet.  Ordinarily for most children this happens to, getting wet and covered in feed is unpleasant and a bit of a nuisance. 

For our patients, any feed that disconnects in this manner is very dangerous. The child is at a huge risk of having a hypoglycaemic fit because they cannot sustain there blood sugar for any period of time, any lost feed will inevitably create this serious situation.

 I approached the friends of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ to ask for money to buy enuresis alarms for my patients who will wear the alarm in bed.  At any time the feed disconnects a loud alarm rings waking both child and parent so that feed can be re-established very quickly once reconnected these alarms are extremely sensitive and reduces risk of a hypoglycaemic fit.

 Unconventional use of these enuresis alarms for our patient group means we are unable to obtain the alarms at a reasonable cost or even free of charge as is often the case for bed wetting children.  Our patient group is small as these conditions are incredibly rare.  We have limited independent funds to purchase various goods for our patients, therefore to be able to approach the friends of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ to obtain these alarms, have been a very special benefit to our patient groups.

 From myself, our team and our patients

 Thank you very much.

 Regards

Jane Gick

Paediatric Metabolic Nurse Specialist.

Re Sauna for The Thomas Guy Club

 Thanks to the Friends of Guy's the members of the Thomas Guy Club have  benefited greatly in the last 2 years from grants which have provided   3 'High Tec' exercise bikes for the Guy's Gym and a brand new sauna in  the Swimming Pool situated on the Poolside.

 The cycle's have a range of exercise programmes to suit all fitness levels and abilities along with heart rate monitoring.

 The sauna especially popular with users as it is has a fully glazed Front, with subtle lighting and an automatic essence feed.

 Patrick Hourihan

The Thomas Guy Club

Executive Committee’s Report of the Activities

The Executive Committee are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 30th September 2005.

Legal and administrative information set out on the last page forms part of this report. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the full accounts and comply with the Charity’s Articles of Constitution, current statutory requirements and the Statement of Recommended Practice -Accounting and Report by Charities

Constitution

The Friends of Guy’s Hospital is a registered Charity number 264150. The Charity was formed by an amalgamation of The Guild of Ex-Patient and Friends of Guy’s Hospital, and Guy’s Hospital Ladies Association, and traces its origin back to 1895. The Charity’s governing documents are its Articles of Constitution.

Objects and activities

The Charity provides amenities for patients and staff.  Medical research is also supported and substantial grants are made for works of improvement which benefit patients, staff and visiting relatives.  The Charity is able, from time to time, to purchase medical and surgical equipment which Guy's Hospital is not able to buy from its own budget. The Charity's wholly owned subsidiary, The Friends of Guy's Trading Company Limited, operates a shop in the grounds of Guy's Hospital selling flowers, gifts, second hand clothes and sundry items in order to raise funds for the Charity.

Organisation

The Executive Committee who served during the year are set out in the Charity’s Legal and Administrative Information. Members of the committee are appointed by Executive Committee. At each annual general meeting one third of committee members retire from office and may be reappointed.

Review of activities

The financial statements for the year ended 30th September 2005 show net incoming resources of £84,318 (2004 incoming resources £134,073).

Subscriptions and donations amounted to £47,049 (2004 - £50,120). £15,000 (2004 £15,000) was donated from The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited, the Charity’s subsidiary, which runs the shop in the grounds of Guy’s Hospital.

Legacies receivable for the year were £41,012 (2004 - £155,706) and investment and deposit account interest £27,820 (2004 - £19,582).

Reserves policy

The Friends of Guys Hospital have a reserve policy of holding £400,000 because of the uncertain timing of their income and expenditure.  A large part of the income comes from legacies and donations which by their nature are irregular and uncertain.  Conversely it is obliged to manage the uncertain nature of grant applications which can include very expensive items of medical equipment where additional specific contributions can sometimes be obtained from wealthy benefactors provided the Friends themselves are in a position to match the donors funds.  Holding a substantial reserve ensures the Friends are always in a position to maximize the benefit it is able to provide to the Hospital and the Medical and Dental Faculty of the embedded University.  However the Friends are also faced with considerable expenditure in the foreseeable future in respect of the cost of reconstructing their shop premises which provides a steady core annual income for the Charity.  Reconstruction is expected to occur during 2006 and therefore the Charity’s unrestricted funds at the year end are at the higher level of £734,205.

Investment powers

Under the Articles of Constitution, the Charity has the power to make any investment which the Executive Committee sees fit.

Risk management

The Executive Committee actively review the major risks to which the Charity is exposed on a regular basis and confirm that systems have been established to mitigate those risks.

Responsibilities of members of the Executive Committee

The Articles of Constitution requires the members of the Executive Committee to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period.  In preparing those financial statements the members of the Executive Committee are required to:

SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 10 \h     Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 10 \h     Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 10 \h     State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 10 \h     Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The members of the Executive Committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993.  They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Auditors

A resolution will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting that Wilkins Kennedy be appointed as auditors to the charity for the ensuing year.

Approved by the Executive Committee and signed on their behalf by:

Chairman

Guy’s Hospital,

St. Thomas Street,

London SE1 9RT

Accounts

The following pages are taken from the accounts audited by Wilkins Kennedy, Bridge House, London Bridge, SE1 9QR, a copy of which is available for inspection upon request to the secretary. and which are also available on the Friends’ web site (www.friendsofguys.org.uk).

Income and Expenditure Account for the Year ended 30th September 2005

Continuing activities

All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities

Total recognised gains and losses

The Charity has no recognised surpluses other than as detailed above.

Related party transactions

• Lord Harris of Peckham, the Charity’s President has made donations totalling £8,000 to the Charity during the year.

• During the year the Charity received a donation of £15,000 from The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited.

Balance Sheet as at 30^th September 2005

Approved by the committee on 19^th January 2006

Dr. M O’Brien - Chairman

K Jeremiah - Treasurer

Non charitable trading activities - net income

The Charity has a wholly owned subsidiary, The Friends of Guy’s Trading Company Limited, which is incorporated in the UK.  The company runs a shop in the grounds of Guy’s Hospital selling flowers and gifts.  A summary of the company’s trading results and the balance sheet are shown below.

Continuing operations

None of the company’s activities were acquired or discontinued during the above two financial years.

Total recognised gains and losses

The company has no recognised gains or losses other than the profit or loss for the above two financial years.

Individual research, medical committee and amenities grants committed (unutilised / recovered) for the year ended 30th September 2005 are as follows:-

Research  grants

Medical Grants

Amenities grants

Funds

Automaton represents a grant made to the charity by Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charitable Foundation for the purchase of an automated coin slot donations box for Guy’s Hospital.  The restricted fund reduces annually by the amount of depreciation associated with the asset originally acquired.

Breast Cancer Fund relates to a donation received by the Charity specifically for the Breast Cancer Unit of Guy’s Hospital.  The money was donated to the Unit in the year

Children and Heart Patients Fund relates to a legacy received by the Charity specifically for the benefit of children and heart patients.  The money formed part of the £2,500 grant made for Paediatric Care in Caleb Ward during the year

Grant Commitments

At 30th September 2005, grants totalling £46,242 (2004 - £39,947) had been approved by the Executive Committee but had not been paid out.

Joining the Friends

Anyone can join. You do not have to be an ex-patient, although many of our members are.

The minimum subscription is £5 a year, but extra donations are greatly appreciated and will enable the Charity to continue its good work in supporting the hospital, its patients and staff in so many ways that are not available though the NHS. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to ‘The Friends of Guy’s Hospital’ and sent to

The Secretary,

The Friends of Guy’s Hospital,

Level 2, Thomas Guy House,

Guy’s Hospital,

London,

SE1 9RT.

Information regarding Gift Aid and Legacies can be obtained from the Secretary as above (Telephone : 020 7407 1058 or 020 7188 2465).

THE FRIENDS OF GUY'S HOSPITAL

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Executive committee

President:

Lord Harris of Peckham

Vice Presidents:

Chairman:

Dr. M. O’Brien (appointed May 2005)

Vice Chairman:	Treasurer
M. Watson	K. M. Jeremiah

 

Other Members:

 

Professor S. Challacombe (appointed April 2005)	Her Honour Judge S. Coates	Mrs. D. Hay
Professor R. Hay (Resigned May 2005)	P. J. Hiscock	Dr. T. Mant
A.J. Roles	Professor J. Rowe	C. Saunders
O. H. Shaheen (retired as Chairman May 2005)	J. R. Simpson (resigned April 2005)	Dr D Tong
	Mrs. A. Franklin (co-opted member)

Published by

The Friends of Guy’s Hospital

Level 2, Thomas Guy House, Guy’s Hospital

St. Thomas’ Street, London SE1 9RT

Charity Registration Number : 264150