Information about BTRS

BTRS were originally established as a legacy fund in memory of Andrea Key and in 2003 registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

The Charity operates to achieve three key objectives:

To provide funds for research projects into the treatment of paediatric and adult brain tumours. All research shall be carried out within Yorkshire’s hospitals and universities. All research shall be written up for publication.

To provide funds to supply aids and equipment to Yorkshire hospitals to support brain tumour patients whilst they are in hospital. Medical staff within Yorkshire hospitals shall identify such pieces of equipment.

To provide funds to support brain tumour patients and their families.

Over the past five years BTRS have grown away from our legacy fund roots and into an established charity with a small team of staff. We maintain an annual calendar of fundraising events, pride ourselves on the support we provide to our community and corporate fundraisers and we have established Yorkshire’s first charity shop to further benefit our cause.

We are also proud to boast about the development of our patient support service overperiod. Offering a complimentary service that supports the NHS Pathway for brain tumour patients our support service is run by a Registered Nurse. We hold monthly support groups, weekly telephone clinics and offer onsite services such as counselling, a benefits clinic and holistic therapies.

BTRS have just emerged from our most successful fundraising year, raising just over £310,000 in 2017. We currently have plans in place that will see our next strategic five-year plan implemented and the charity grow to an income of £500,000 per year by 2022.

To see this plan delivered BTRS are looking to develop our Board of Trustees.

The role of a trustee is a very responsible role and should not be entered into lightly. Trustees are accountable for;

  • Ensuring your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
  • Complying with your charity’s governing document and the law
  • Acting in your charity’s best interests
  • Managing your charity’s resources responsibly
  • Acting with reasonable care and skill
  • Ensuring your charity is accountable

(Taken from The Charity Commission Document – The Essential Trustee, what you need to know, what you need to do)

Whilst a trustee position is a serious one the role of a trustee is also incredibly rewarding, especially at a small charity such at BTRS. We very much welcomeour governors to get involved! Current board members take part in our annual cycling event, attend our awareness events and take part in our regular lab tours, where we open our research doors to our supporters. There are many ways we would encourage you to be involved on a day to day basis as well as at the quarterly Board Meetings.

To be a Charity Trustee you must fulfil the following criteria:

Minimum age

You must be at least 16 years old to be a trustee of a charitable company or a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), unless the charity’s governing document says you must be older. You must be at least 18 to be a trustee of any other type of charity.

Disqualification

You must not act as a trustee if you are disqualified under the Charities Act. This includes if you:

  • are disqualified as a company director
  • have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception (such as fraud)
  • are an undischarged bankrupt (or subject to sequestration in Scotland), or have a current composition or arrangement including an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) with your creditors
  • have been removed as a trustee of any charity by the commission (or the court) because of misconduct or mismanagement

Fit and proper persons

Charities that want to claim UK tax reliefs and exemptions (eg Gift Aid) must meet the management condition in the Finance Act 2010. This requires all of the charity’s managers (including trustees) to be ‘fit and proper persons’.

Working with children and vulnerable adults

Some people are barred by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) from specified kinds of work involving contact with children or vulnerable adults (‘regulated activity’). It is illegal for a barred person to apply for a regulated activity (paid or voluntary). It is illegal for a charity to knowingly employ a barred person in such work. A charity must check with the DBS before employing someone working in a regulated activity.

(Taken from the Charity Commission website).