How we operate

Our organisation consists of a small staff conducting fundraising and welfare initiatives, guided by our Scientific Advisory Group and governed by our Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the charity chaired by our founder, Eddie O’Gorman. The Board convenes at least three times a year to ensure the charitable objectives are being fulfilled and discuss future initiatives.

In addition, trustees are involved in meetings with members of staff on operational matters on a weekly basis.

Each individual trustee brings a special expertise to the charity.

Most of our charitable output is delivered through third parties. Our trustees are committed to having the smallest possible organisation needed to deliver our objectives efficiently.

Grant-making

CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA has become a major funder of scientific research and since 2004 this funding has been granted by a peer-reviewed process as recognised by the Association of Medical Research Charities.

Applications for funding are initially reviewed by a panel made up of at least two members of our Scientific Advisory Committee and relevant external reviewers from within the appropriate scientific field. If the work is recommended and funding granted, the progress of the work is then assessed on an annual basis in an ongoing commitment to quality and relevance.

This process results in the funding of world-class research that endeavours not only to develop and improve treatments, but also to investigate what causes childhood leukaemia and, ultimately, how to prevent it.

Our Scientific Advisory Committee

The Scientific Advisory Committee, chaired by Professor Victor Hoffbrand, is our standing body of the leading scientific and medical experts in childhood leukaemia.

Each year, one member of the Scientific Advisory Committee is invited to chair a research grant committee to review project applications from universities and hospitals around the world.

We are members of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and operate a transparent, scientific grant-making process.

Our staff

CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA is dedicated to keeping administrative and staffing costs as low as possible, in order to maximise the amount we can spend on grants. In 2006, governance costs accounted for less than 0.5% of our total expenditure.

We have a small staff of 16 full-time permanent employees. Most are engaged in fundraising, but we also have staff dedicated to managing our grant-making and keeping public policy and scientific developments under review. Additional office work is undertaken by volunteers and, when necessary, temporary staff and short term contractors.

Over three hundred volunteers are actively involved in delivering the charity’s work. While many give up a whole day to help at the annual Amazing Great Children’s Party, there are 25 volunteers on the committee working throughout the year to make this event such a success.

We also have several dedicated volunteers who work in our offices, helping with everything from publications to filing.

Accountability

Like all registered charities we are regulated by the Charity Commission (you will be directed to an external site - new window will open).

In addition to working with Sayer-Vincent as our internal auditors, an annual external audit of the Trustees Report and Accounts for the year is undertaken by Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Some aspects of our work are also subject to statutory controls, for example our Christmas Grand Draw takes place under licence from the Gambling Commission and is subject to separate audit and inspection.

Download/view our Articles of Association in PDF format (124kb)

Download/view our Memorandum of Association in PDF format (98kb)