Annual report 2015-16 Annual report 2015-16 | Page 34

34 Annual Report and Financial Statements 2015–16 Overview 2015–16 has been an extremely positive year for the charity, with our income growing by 3.5%. Our fundraised income grew 12.2% in the year from £11.8m to £13.2m and we saw our total voluntary income, excluding legacies, at its highest level since 2007. This resulted in our net income, after deducting the expenditure to raise funds, rise 10.5% to £34.2m. We continue to maintain good control of our expenditure and were able to reduce costs in many areas of activity. Real progress in our commercial activities performance resulted in its net contribution improving by £0.96m over 2015–16; this despite some ongoing challenges. Income Our total income for the year was £38.4m. This is an increase of £1.3m when compared to income in 2014–15 of £37.1m. This was generated from higher total voluntary income, an increase of £0.31m or 1.5% from growth in Support and Care, achieved despite continuing funding pressures. Both offset the 1.7% decline over 2014–15 in our commercial income. The incoming resources were made up of income generated from charitable activities, comprised mainly of fees, donations, legacies and commercial income. Expenditure Our overall expenditure increased fr om £38.3m in 2014–15 to £38.9m in 2015–16. Expenditure on charitable activities was £34.7m in 2015–16 – an increase of £1.1m from £33.6m in 2014–15. Managing our expenditure remains a core focus, and we have again this year been very effective in our financial controls across all areas of the Charity. Expenditure on raising funds The total cost of expenditure, including investment manager costs, was £4.2m: a decrease of £0.5m from last year. This means that for every pound we spent, 10p was spent on fundraising. This figure has reduced from 2014–15 as we were unable to carry out the same level of regular giving campaigns.