Finance Score: -7

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 7

Multiple Deficits: -2
Fundraising costs high: -5

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +7

Overall GiG Score: 9

BLISS -THE NATIONAL CHARITY FOR THE NEWBORN

- Provision of information, practical and emotional support to parents and families of premature and sick babies- Programmes and training for health professionals to improve family centred care- Funding and championing clinical research- Campaigning for change within government and the NHS- Raising awareness of issues that affect premature and sick babies and their families

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending
Fundraising costs are extremely high relative to funds raised

Established: 33 years

www.bliss.org.uk

ask@bliss.org.uk

02073781122

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23		£2,288	£2,519	£-231	£1,282	£904	£831	4	42	44
31/03/22		£2,389	£2,478	£-89	£1,187	£1,148	£1,098	5.3	39	18
31/03/21		£2,690	£1,826	£864	£728	£1,211	£1,208	7.9	30	60
31/03/20		£2,281	£2,060	£221	£806	£354	£324	1.9	39	100
31/03/19		£2,407	£2,739	£-332	£1,142	£132	£132	0.6	52	120
31/03/18		£2,437	£2,766	£-329	£999	£465	£465	2	51	0
31/03/17		£2,141	£2,627	£-486	£873	£790	£783	3.6	46	0
31/03/16		£2,661	£2,515	£146	£805	£1,255	£1,176	5.6	38	0
31/03/15		£2,968	£2,709	£259	£856	£1,136	£1,055	4.7	39	0
31/03/14		£2,805	£3,087	£-281	£848	£864	£660	2.6	41	0
31/03/13		£2,436	£2,362	£74	£740	£1,122	£915	4.6	39	0
31/03/12		£2,357	£2,281	£76	£803	£1,048	£947	5	35	0
31/03/11		£2,218	£2,077	£141	£728	£972	£908	5.2	31	0
31/03/10		£2,299	£2,014	£285	£735	£831	£698	4.2	30	0
31/03/09		£2,070	£1,910	£160	£714	£546	£441	2.8	27	0
31/03/08		£1,909	£1,913	£-4	£610	£386	£374	2.3	29	0
31/03/07	*	£1,883	£1,988	£-105	£648	£390	£329	2	28	0
31/03/06	*	£1,737	£1,815	£-78	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£1,469	£1,473	£-4	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04	*	£1,245	£1,305	£-60	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 102.2%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 50.9%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 4%
Highest pay band: £80,000-£90,000
Liabilities/Assets: 24%
Liabilities/Income: 12%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 92%
Reserves/Spending: 4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 4 months
Quick Ratio: 1.9

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

How it operates

Makes Grants to Organisations
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services
Sponsors or undertakes research

Where it operates

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Other Defined Groups

Who works here?

42 employees
44 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

Department of Health	£235,534
Garfield Weston Foundation	£125,000
DCMS	£39,841
National Lottery Community Fund	£9,964

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Digital peer support project for families of babies born premature or sick
£9,964	07/10/2022	The funding will be used to develop and expand the groups pilot project for families of babies who are born premature or sick. The project aims to improve the chances of babies reduce isolation and ....more The funding will be used to develop and expand the groups pilot project for families of babies who are born premature or sick. The project aims to improve the chances of babies reduce isolation and provide stronger support networks.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£75,000	12/08/2022	2022-25 Strategy
Department of Health - VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund
£149,534	01/04/2021	The VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund is a yearly fund for voluntary and community sector organisations that is run in partnership between DHSC, PHE and NHS EI. Each year the fund has a different theme ....more The VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund is a yearly fund for voluntary and community sector organisations that is run in partnership between DHSC, PHE and NHS EI. Each year the fund has a different theme which is determined based on system-wide priorities and co-production with the voluntary sector.The theme of the HW Fund 2021-22 is providing support to families and childrens services, particularly due to the increase of paediatric respiratory infections.Provide additional support for childrens respiratory services and acute services during Autumn, Winter 2021Raise awareness of respiratory infections such as RSV and information about early detection to families and communities to prevent late admissions, especially within communities that experience the greatest health inequalitiesGive support to those with children suffering from respiratory infections such as RSV, especially where they may not have other support structures available
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£39,841	23/07/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
Department of Health - Bliss
£86,000	17/04/2020	The grant funding provided a period of support for charities providing vital services to ensure they could meet increased demand as a result of COVID-19, while continuing their day-to-day activities ....more The grant funding provided a period of support for charities providing vital services to ensure they could meet increased demand as a result of COVID-19, while continuing their day-to-day activities to help those in need, up to the end of October 2021. Each organisation was either:Providing key services specific to supporting the Covid-19 response, to reduce burden on the NHS or other public services; orProviding critical frontline services to vulnerable groups affected by Covid-19 and associated measures (ie. social-distancing) (must outline the characteristics that make those groups vulnerable).
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£50,000	17/01/2020	2019-2022 Strategy
True Colours Trust - Bliss Baby Charter Grant Fund
£200,000	13/10/2014	Bliss Baby Charter Grant Fund

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (12)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 10/12 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 25-57

ALEXANDER BURROWS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director/Researcher

CALVIN SELLERS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Consultant Cfo

CHARLOTTE WITTERIDGE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Head Of Volunteering

CORALINA SMITH Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Hr Director

DR MICHELLE PETER Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Social Scientist And Researcher

FAITH-ROSE CHATTAIKA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Programme Coordinator

FAUZIA PAIZE Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Consultant

JASON DOMINIC SIMON PARKER ACA Appointed: 2016

JAYDE TANISHA EDWARDS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Project Manager

JOHN ROBERT CALDER BSC Appointed: 2017

MALA SHAH-COULON Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Chartered Accountant

NEIL JAMES Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Management Consultant, Other trusteeship: THE RUNNYMEDE DRAMA GROUP,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 20/05/1991, number: 1002973
Registered at Companies House on 09/05/1991, number: 02609219

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

20 returns made; AR07: 16 days late, AR06: 2 days late, AR04: 25 days late,

Main office

1st Floor North
10-18 Union Street
London
SE1 1SZ

Objectives

TO SUPPORT THE LIFE OF BABIES IN DISTRESS AT OR IN THE PERIOD PRIOR TO BIRTH OR BORN PREMATURELY OR SICK TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR SURVIVAL AND TO ENSURE THAT SUCH BABIES HAVE THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE POSSIBLE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources