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Content03 ABOUT RAYS OF SUNSHINE

04 CHAIRMEN’S REPORT

05 CEO’S REPORT

06 WHAT’S IN A WISH?

07 SAMUEL’S WISH

09 OUR WISHES

10 RAYS OF SUNSHINE IS 10!

12 OUR VOLUNTEERS

13 FUNDRAISING

16 CORPORATE PARTNERS

17 ENNA’S AND PHILIP’S WISHES

18 AMBASSADORS

20 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

22 A MAGICAL WISH

23 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Ellie, eight, who lives with Ventricular Ectopics Bigeminy, couldn’t keep the smile off her face when she fulfilled

her wish of meeting Harry Styles and One Direction

ABOUT RAYS OF SUNSHINE 03

About Us Rays of Sunshine has been granting wishes to children aged 3 to 18 in the UK living with serious or life-limiting illnesses since 2003. In that time, we have fulfilled more than 3,000 wishes. We also grant hospital ward wishes and arrange events and outings for groups of seriously ill children. Our wishes bring hope, happiness and memories to our wish children and their families.

“Being able to offer the children the chance to choose a wish and do something magnificent is amazing.” Jane Cotterill, Renal Services Manager, Birmingham Children’s Hospital

Our Vision To make wishes come true and turn them into happy memories. There are 49,000 children and young people in the UK living with a serious or life limiting illness*. This figure is increasing every year. We believe every child deserves to experience happiness and put their illness on hold – even if it is just for one day.

*Source: Together for Short Lives

What We DoWe grant wishes to children in the UK with serious or life-limiting illnesses.

Who We Are Rays of Sunshine operates from offices in Wembley, London which are generously provided to us for free by BE Offices. We have 16 members of staff and 50 active volunteers in London, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow. There are four trustees and 12 executives.

The executive board of Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity

Chairmen’s ReportStephen Allan and Daniel Coleman, Chairmen, Rays of Sunshine

04 CHAIRMEN’S REPORT

The last 18 months has been a successful period for Rays of Sunshine. Most notably, we have brought joy to the lives of more sick children this year than ever before. This is a result of not only granting our highest number of individual wishes but also through our hospital pamper and activity days, our special events, and the new Ward Wish scheme.

The Ward Wish scheme has enhanced our wish programme significantly. We have received a great response to it from medical staff at hospitals and hospices throughout the UK and plan to continue expanding it.

Our corporate partnerships are a key part of our strategy and we are proud to be associated with so many fantastic companies

In 2012, we took the ambitious decision to move the annual concert to The Royal Albert Hall. This proved to be a good one for a number of reasons. As well as being a superb concert enjoyed by all present, it also generated excellent PR and played a large part in boosting our presence on social media. We successfully repeated the concert in 2013, which again was a wonderful occasion and lifted the charity’s profile. Our Twitter followers grew dramatically from 8,000 at the end of 2011 to 28,000 by the middle of 2013.

The impact of the positive PR has been reflected in the number of additional wish packs we received and the new fundraisers we have attracted.

The annual fundraising ball in London was a great success, contributing to improved income in a difficult financial climate. A challenge for the charity going forward is to

generate sustainable income without over-reliance on any one source of funds. The number of corporate partnerships we have put in place this year is a key part of this and we are proud to be associated with so many fantastic companies.

Finally, thank you to our volunteers, Jane Sharpe, our CEO, and her team in the office for their unflagging commitment, passion and sheer hard work. They all do a brilliant job.

Alison Howe, the mother of one of our wish children, Amber, was kind enough to write to us after the annual concert to say: “The concert was so amazing and so emotional. You should have seen Amber singing and dancing. I’ve never been able to afford a concert so this was the first one she’s been to. You must all have worked so hard to put that on. Just wanted to say a big thank you for everything really, I’m so glad to have met you all. I’ve really struggled the last six years with Amber’s health and the things you as a charity have done for us over the last few months have made us feel so special and proud of Amber. Thank you so much

again, for everything you have done for Amber and all the other children.”

Daniel Coleman & Stephen Allan

CEO’s ReportJane Sharpe, CEO, Rays of Sunshine

05CEO’S REPORT

In 2012 Rays of Sunshine granted 538 wishes to children from all over the UK – our highest number ever. Of these, 8% were ‘rush’ wishes and for children with the most serious conditions.

You only have to see the look on a child’s face as their dream comes true or read any of the letters we get to realise the impact these wishes have.

After Rays of Sunshine arranged for terminally ill 18-year-old Hannah to meet One Direction, her mother said: “She adores the band. I honestly thought we were going to run out of time. We had tried everything but got nowhere. Things like today keep Hannah going.”

The Ward Wish Scheme we launched in January has been a big success and enabled us to reach more children than ever. We fulfilled wishes for 24 hospitals and hospices under the scheme by the end of 2012. These included a sensory garden at Manchester Children’s Hospital, play equipment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a Christmas party for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Karen Gair from Great Ormond Street Hospital said: “Your organisation is an incredible gift to our patients. You cannot really know, here on the frontline, just how much it is appreciated by patients.”

A highlight of 2012 was our Winter Party. More than 250 ill children joined us for a magical afternoon at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair . The mother of a child suffering from cancer wrote afterwards to tell us: “Maisie still tells her friends about her day meeting Mary Poppins. It is a day we will always treasure. Maisie’s chemo was so debilitating for her but she overcame her illness on that special day and I thank you with all my heart.”

Another memorable event in 2012, which we repeated in July 2013, was the Summer Sunshine Concert. Both concerts were played to packed out crowds at the Royal Albert Hall who raised the roof for stars including JLS, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis. Over the two concerts, more than 3,500 seats were given to wish children and their families. The remaining seats in the 5,000 seat arena were sold, and raised significant funds for the charity.

“You only have to see the look on a child’s face to realise the impact wishes have”

I am pleased to report a 28% rise in our income to £2,138,166 for 2012. This was largely due an increase in corporate income to £403,193 (£107,313 in 2011).

Administrative expenses rose by 7% but relative to total expenditure fell from 40% to 37%.

The average cost per wish was up slightly from £1,012 to £1,039. We did though fulfil an additional 14 holidays this year, which shows that we kept a

close eye on costs. Rays of Sunshine does not receive a penny in

government funding. That is why our charity partners are so important. In 2012, we were delighted to be joined by these impressive new partners:

• The England Footballers Foundation. It is a great honour to have their support for a period that includes the World Cup in Brazil 2014.

• National retailer The Fragrance Shop has selected us as their first ever charity partner.

• We are the chosen charity partner of Domino’s Pizza and Clintons.

• We are also one of the charities chosen to benefit from the 2013 Have a Heart Charity Appeal.

Our goals in 2013 are to receive 730 wishes and 48 Ward Wishes and we are on course to achieve this. To do this, we need to continue to build our supporter base, expand our corporate partnerships and increase our fundraising.

With the wonderful support we receive from our sponsors, patrons, staff, supporters and volunteers we are hopeful we can do it.

I cannot thank everyone involved with Rays of Sunshine better than one of our wish children, Sophie. She wrote to us recently to say: “The work you do makes such a difference, and on behalf of all your wish children, I want to say a HUGE thank you for all your dedication!” Jane Sharpe, CEO

06

Anyone who has seen the impact a wish can have on a sick child and his or her family understands the power of a wish. For an ill child, having their dream come true benefits them in all sorts of ways

What’s in a Wish?WHAT’S IN A WISH?

HOPE

“Being able to pull some people out of dark times and struggles is such an achievement and I hope you can see the difference you have made to every child’s life.”

Hannah Phillips, 18, wish child

STRENGTH

“Thank you so much for granting Adam and his family this amazing gift. He has spent such a long time in hospital and it was so wonderful for him to be able to fulfil his dreams. Around the time of the transplant, when Adam was very ill in hospital, it gave him and his family light at the end of the tunnel”

Dr Larissa Kerecuk, Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, Birmingham Children’s Hospital

HAPPINESS

“Thank you for my amazing day. I got to meet my idols JLS. It was truly the best day ever. I haven’t stopped smiling.”

Charlotte Fletcher, 12, wish child

HEALTH

“I reviewed Jack a few weeks ago. Despite continuing pain, he was in a much happier place. He spoke glowingly about the day in London that you organised and I am sure this contributed to his improved well-being.”

Dr Mark Wood, Consultant Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatologist, Leeds General Infirmary

RELIEF

“For children like my son Jordan, creating happy memories is so important. He will remember what a great day he had for the rest of his life. He could forget all about his hospital visits and medication.”June Smith, mother of wish child Jordan, aged 18

In a survey Rays of Sunshine conducted among its medical referrers, 97% thought that having a wish granted has a positive effect on a child who has a life threatening or serious illness

SELF-ESTEEM

“Thanks for thinking of me so often. It makes a big difference when I am feeling low.” Ellen Bisci, Wish Child

MEMORIES

“Can’t thank you enough for George’s wish day at Mercedes World. It was fabulous and we have loads of great memories and one happy boy!”

Michele Keith, mother of wish child George, aged 16

Samuel is an 11-year-old from Hull who has Cystic Fibrosis. Despite the condition, which affects his lungs and digestive system, Samuel is an active child with a passion for music and gymnastics. Samuel’s wish was to perform on stage with his idol, Olly Murs.

In March, the charity arranged for Samuel to travel to London with his mum Frances, sister Lucy and aunt Bridget. After a visit to the Ripley museum, a sightseeing tour of London, and lunch at the Rainforest Cafe the family spent the night at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley.

The following day the family went to Wembley Arena expecting to watch Olly Murs rehearse in advance of his

07WISH CASE STUDY

evening concert. But the charity had a surprise in store. During the sound check, Olly invited Samuel up on stage to perform Olly’s hit, “Dance with me Tonight”.

Samuel said afterwards: “Going on stage with Olly was amazing, I wasn’t nervous at all.”

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Rays of Sunshine had an even bigger treat in store for Samuel at Rays of Sunshine’s summer concert at The Royal Albert Hall in July. Samuel joined Olly on stage to perform “Dance with me Tonight” and “Troublemaker” in front of an ecstatic crowd that included 2,000 wish children.

Samuel’s mum Frances said of the occasion: “It’s just incredible that they do this for children. It’s given him a massive boost of confidence. It really is like a ray of sunshine when you’re going through tough times.”

As delighted as Frances was of her son’s confident performance on stage, she was just as proud of his charity work after his first meeting with Olly. “He did a charity tombola,” she said. “He did it all himself: got all the prizes, all the raffle tickets, even printed his own Rays of Sunshine posters. He raised £300.”

Samuel’s WishSamuel performs with Olly Murs, not once but twice!

Samuel’s duet with Olly Murs at the Rays of Sunshine Concert brought the house down

Iona, 15, who lives with Cystic Fibrosis, realised her dream of becoming a model for the day.

After the wish, Iona said: “I had the most fantastic time. It was just amazing to see how

much work goes in to setting up a shoot”

08 WISHES

09

Our WishesOUR WISHES

Wishes In 2012, we received 635 wish packs and granted 538 wishes – our highest ever number. We do not operate a waiting list and 8% of the wishes we fulfilled were for children with the most serious illnesses or “rush” wishes. When we grant a wish, we include the whole family so that everyone can share life-long memories.

Around 12% of the wishes we fulfilled last year were for children to go to Lapland or have Disney experiences. The charity takes care of every aspect of these wishes including flights, airport transfers and funding the medical insurance.

Every wish is unique and every wish brings joy and strength to our brave wish children and their families.

Group Events and OutingsMore than 2,000 wish children and their families attended our concert at The Royal Albert Hall and 250 seriously ill children came to our Children’s Winter Party. We also took more than 1,000 children and their families on a group outing to Legoland.

Ward WishesOur Ward Wish Scheme started in January 2012 and by the end of the year, we had granted wishes to 24 hospitals and hospices.

Ward Wishes enable us reach hundreds more children and help to make their stay in hospital just that bit more bearable.

Wishes have included parties, a sensory garden, trips to the Snowdome, iPads and cinema tickets.

A review of the wished granted by Rays of Sunshine in 2012

wishes by medical condition

wishes by type

36%

10%

10%

9%

6%

5%

5%

3%

16%

30%

28%

15%

11%

6%

4%3%

2% 1%

wishes by medical condition

wishes by type

36%

10%

10%

9%

6%

5%

5%

3%

16%

30%

28%

15%

11%

6%

4%3%

2% 1%

Cancers

Neurological

Renal Illness

Endocrine/Metabolic

Muscular Dystrophy

Gastrointestinal

Cystic Fibrosis

Cardiac Illness

Other

Celeb meet & greet

Possessions

Outings

Football dream day

Shopping spree

To be...

Disney experience

UK holiday

Lapland

Wishes by Medical Condition, 2012

Cancers

Neurological

Renal Illness

Endocrine/Metabolic

Muscular Dystrophy

Gastrointestinal

Cystic Fibrosis

Cardiac Illness

Other

Celeb meet & greet

Possessions

Outings

Football dream day

Shopping spree

To be...

Disney experience

UK holiday

Lapland

2012 AT A GLANCE...• 538 WISHES • 24 WARD WISHES • 4,000 CHILDREN ATTENDED EVENTS

Wishes Approved by type, 2012

10

Rays of Sunshine is 10!Rays of Sunshine celebrated its 10th birthday in May with a party in Downing Street hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne

Sixteen wish children and a host of stars including Dynamo, Aston and JB from JLS, Molly, Una and Vanessa from The Saturdays, and Kimberley Walsh joined us in Downing Street to celebrate our 10th birthday.

CEO Jane Sharpe with Ashanti, 10, who suffers from a rare condition called Progeria

Rays of Sunshine wish children celebrate our 10th birthday in Downing Street with Chancellor George Osborne and JLS’s Aston Merrygold

Oscar, aged eight, who has a rare form of childhood Leukaemia, fulfilled his wish of meeting Una, Vanessa and Molly from The Saturdays

RAYS OF SUNSHINE IS 10!

Dynamo shows some tricks to nine-year-old Kyle, who has the childhood eye cancer Retinoblastoma

5 Wasim

3Ena

2 Bel

4 Charlie

1 Paris

Some wishes from around the UK

11WISHES FROM AROUND THE UK

4

Knutford’s Charlie Frith, 10, dreamed of meeting Dragons Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis

Rays of Sunshine arranged for Bel, 12, from Harrogate, to meet Miley Cyrus

1Lorem Ipsum

5

Wasim, 18, from Harrow, spent the day cooking with Gordon Ramsay

2

Paris from Canterbury fulfilled her wish of visiting an animal sanctuary

1 3

Ena, 16, from Northallerton, travelled to London to meet her idol Beyoncé

Wishes are referred by hospitals and hospices across the UK. Our wish team, together with our medical

consultants, reviews every wish individually.

VOLUNTEERS12

1,500 tickets to the Rays of Sunshine Concert were given away to our wish families. More

than 50 of our volunteers gave up their time to help out on the night

Our 50 volunteers from all over the UK use their time and skills to provide invaluable support to the charity and our wish families. Our volunteers’ ages range from 14 to 70 and every one of them helps to bring joy into the lives of our wish children.

Wish volunteersOur wish volunteers work alongside our wish team. They will contact a wish child’s family to discuss the wish, make the arrangements and attend the wish on the day. This involves a lot of planning, and sometimes strong powers of persuasion to convince suppliers to offer their goods and services for free.

Fundraising volunteersEvery fundraising event relies on our volunteers to help it run smoothly. This could mean selling programmes or raffle tickets, cheering runners or tri-athletes, handing out goody bags, putting up branding or holding collection buckets. We depend on our volunteers to make every event a success and help raise as much money as possible for the charity.

Wish volunteer’s storyJennifer Cohen has been a wish volunteer for over three years. Memorable wishes she has fulfilled include Arwen who became a princess for a day, and Daniel Barnett, a talented artist, who had his work displayed at Christie’s.

Last year Jennifer arranged Christmas a party in July for Sophie, who was suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic

13

VolunteersVOLUNTEERS

Leukemia. Jennifer was in regular contact with the family as they had specific requirements for the date and location of the party so that they could invite friends and family from abroad.

In the morning, Sophie and her mum were whisked off by limousine to the Christmas shop in Harrods where Father Christmas met them and took them shopping in Toy Kingdom. Then they drove to The Village Hotel in Elstree where 50 guests sat down to Christmas lunch. Jennifer organised everything including a children’s entertainer, karaoke and DJ, and even a reindeer and sleigh. “Sophie and her family had a great time,” says Jennifer. “The day was something they will never forget.”

Sadly, Sophie died in July 2013.

Rays of Sunshine owes a huge debt of thanks to its dedicated team of volunteers

We depend on our volunteers to make every event a success and help raise as much money as possible for the charity

Wish volunteer Jennifer helped to arrange Christmas in July for Sophie

Rays of Sunshine’s fundraising has to be sustainable and wide-ranging, and not rely on major donors or events. The aim is to increase or supporter base across the UK.

Corporate PartnersWe are delighted to have entered into new partnerships with The Fragrance Shop, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Domino’s Pizza Group, BGC Partners, Have a Heart Appeal, England Footballers Foundation, the Sun newspaper and Clintons. We are keen to increase our corporate partnerships as we see this is as a crucial part of our goal of securing sustainable income for the charity. Working with top companies is also an excellent way to raise our profile and boost our PR.

Fundraising EventsLast year, hundreds of generous people gave up their time and energy to put on or take part in fundraising events. Some of these were fundraisers for Rays of Sunshine exclusively, such as the annual dinner, summer concert, golf day and abseiling event. Others were external challenges like the London Marathon, Tri for Life triathlon or Royal Parks half-marathon that people did in aid of Rays of Sunshine.

Regular GivingWe are grateful to our those wonderful supporters who give us regular monthly donations. This regular income is so important for us as it give us reliable funding and allows us to plan for the long term. We have had tremendous backing from our corporate partners in this area, too. The Fragrance Shop’s “Spray a Little Happiness” campaign generates 5p for every sale they make. Giraffe donate 50p from the sale of a nominated breakfast.

We are seeking to increase our regular donations through Pennies and Payroll. If you would like to get involved in either of these schemes please go to Ways to Get Involved on page 23.

14

Our goal is to grow our income so that we can reach as many children as possible every year

FundraisingFUNDRAISING

Bachelor Auction organised by Young Sunshine volunteers

Fundraiser Samantha Meadows inspired a team of 10 to take part in Tough Mudder

PhilanthropyPhilanthropy comes in several forms. It can be from patrons, legacies or one-off donations. We owe a huge debt to everyone who has given so generously to allow our wish children’s dreams come true. We aim to continue to engage major patrons and donors so that we can secure the financial footing of the charity.

Community Events & SchoolsWe want to build greater links with schools and local communities. We believe that one of the goals of the charity is to raise awareness of the medical conditions some children have to live with. Our young wish ambassadors do a wonderful job for us passing on this message. We are hoping to grow our supporter base through Sunshine Breakfasts – where we provide fundraising packs and schools, community groups or friends put on fundraising breakfasts.

Linda from BACTA was one of many volunteers who raised money for

Rays of Sunshine by abseiling down our office building in Wembley Belinda and Brooke at the Tri for Life triathlon

15FUNDRAISING

The Rays of Sunshine team at Runday at Luton Hoo in June

As well as offering Rays of Sunshine such valuable support, partners also get real benefits from working with Rays of Sunshine, such as:• Being associated with a charity that has

strong positive family values • The ability to help a young charity

leave a lasting legacy • Acknowledgement in our Summer

Sunshine Concert programme, reaching an audience of 5,500

• Staff engagement and team building at our challenge events

• Volunteering opportunities at our events

Lance Batchelor, CEO for Domino’s Pizza: “We are delighted to be working with Rays of Sunshine. They are a fantastic charity who help to deliver feel good moments and create special memories. They display so much passion and commitment in what they do and this is why they make the perfect charity partner for us. Recently, I have been able to witness first hand some of their amazing work and have been very impressed and inspired by just what they achieve. As a company we are wholeheartedly behind this cause and our staff, franchisees and store teams will be doing everything they can over the coming year to raise lots of money for the many children they support.”

16 CORPORATE PARTNERS

We are so grateful to our corporate partners who helped us grant a record number of wishes last year and bring joy to so many children and their families

Corporate Partners

The Fragrance Shop has sponsored several events and wishes over the last year

Wish child Leoni at a Domino’s Pizza workshop

Enna goes to LaplandEnna is a nine-year-old girl from New Markse in North Yorkshire. Last year, Enna was diagnosed with a Medulloblastoma – a type of brain tumour that mainly affects children. Enna has undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Enna’s wish was to go to Lapland with her parents.

Rays of Sunshine arranged for Enna and her parents to fly to Lapland where they spent four days enjoying all the activities the winter wonderland had to offer, even meeting Santa Claus himself.

Enna’s mum Vana said: “To know that even though this terrible thing has happened to her, Enna can still have an amazing time and feel ‘normal’ is just fantastic. We can never thank Rays of Sunshine enough.”

Philip’s bedroom make-overPhilip, from Ramsgate in Kent, is 13 years old. He suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy and relies on an electric wheelchair.

Philip’s wish was to have a bedroom make-over and stay in a hotel during the decoration.

Philip’s expectation was that his room would be freshened-up and made more welcoming. But with the support of the British Contract Furnishings Association, Rays of Sunshine transformed Philip’s bedroom. As well as being redecorated, Philip’s room now has a hand-made motorised desk, an electric blind operated from his iPad, a new TV, and artwork with Philip’s two favourite things – Lego and Star Wars.

Philip’s mum Susan said: “Philip really loves his new room. It has given him somewhere to go to get away from things, his own space and independence. Rays of Sunshine have been amazing, they have gone out of their way to make this experience life changing for us.”

17WISH STORIES

Enna’s and Philip’s WishesWishes can be as unique as the children themselves. Enna went to Lapland and Philip’s wish for a new bedroom came true

Enna loved her four day trip to Lapland

Philip’s bedroom: Before

Philip’s bedroom: After

Thank you to our ambassadors who give freely of their valuable time to raise the profile of the charity and help us to fulfil wishes whenever we ask.

• Simon Cowell• Dynamo• Amanda Lamb• Leona Lewis• Olly Murs• Gordon Ramsay• JLS• One Direction• Lorraine Pascale• Stooshe• Pixie Lott• Louis Smith

Special AmbassadorWe are proud to introduce Alice Halstead (right), our special ambassador. Alice is a former wish child who at the age of 15 was diagnosed with a rare and potentially life-threatening form of diabetes.

Alice’s wish was to go to London with her family to see The Lion King but she had to wait two-and-a-half years before she was well enough to leave hospital, even for one night. Even then, Alice had to be accompanied by two nurses.

“Without Rays of Sunshine my wish would never have come true,” says Alice. “As a family we wouldn’t have been in a position to pay the expenses to have nurses come with us. Rays of Sunshine gave us a worry-free experience that wouldn’t have been possible without their help.”

Recalling the impact of that trip with her Mum, Dad and sister Laura, Alice says: “Rays of Sunshine gave me that boost and determination to continue to fight whatever my condition threw at me. Having a Rays of Sunshine wish granted is definitely one of the best medicines.”

Following the wish, Alice started fundraising for Rays of Sunshine from her hospital bed in Leeds so that other children could have their wishes come true too. Alice has

AMBASSADORS

since raised over £50,000 for the charity in a variety of ways including holding a fundraising ball for her 21st birthday.

As well as being our special ambassador, Alice is now a member of the Rays of Sunshine team as a Wish Co-ordinator. “I have met so many lovely families,” she says. “Sadly not all of them are now complete.”

In April this year, Alice was awarded a Just Giving award for her outstanding commitment to fundraising.

After three-and-a-half years in hospital, Alice was discharged in December 2010. A team of nurses continues to monitor her condition. Alice is also supported by her hypo-alert black labrador, Holly. “I am thoroughly enjoying being back at home and starting to get a part of my life back,” says Alice.

Wish AmbassadorsOur wish ambassadors Jessica Allan, Hannah Phillips and Sophie Washington are all former wish children. They help raise awareness among children by talking about the struggles faced by young people who suffer from illness and disease.

They also act as an inspiration to our wish children. As former wish children themselves, they are in a unique position to offer them support.

18

We are hugely grateful to our ambassadors for their commitment to Rays of Sunshine

Ambassadors

Alice Halstead at her 21st birthday party with Maddy, one of the children she met during her stay in hospital

19AMBASSADORS

Our wish ambassadors are an inspiration to our wish children. As former wish children themselves, they are in a unique position to offer them support

Wish ambassador Jessica Allan, 15, is in remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She is shown above (far left) helping at a Rays of Sunshine fundraising event

Hannah Phillips, 18, who has a rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly, abseiling to raise money for Rays of Sunshine

Sophie Washington, 17, who suffers from a rare form of diabetes, with Marvin from JLS

Financial Overview Income for 2012 was £2,138,116 compared to £1,645,477 last year (an increase of 28%). This was due in part to an increase in corporate income by an incredible 375% to £403,193 (19% of our overall income).

Our administrative expenses rose by 7% to £645,875 but relative to total expenditure fell from 40% to 37%.

The average cost per wish was up to £1,039 (£1,012 in 2011) although this is explained by the fact that we fulfilled an additional 14 holidays this year.

Goals for 2013Our goals for 2013 are to grant 730 wishes and 48 ward wishes.

We aim to increase our annual income in 2013 by:

• expanding and diversify our supporter base• adding corporate partners• putting on more challenge events• increasing our fundraising with our wish children, their

schools and universities.

We also plan to raise awareness of Rays of Sunshine through PR and communication, more use of social media and on-pack promotions.

Rays of Sunshine’s trustees, (from left to right): David Joseph, Stephen Allan, Tim Shaw and Nick Davis

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW20

Financial OverviewA brief summary of Rays of Sunshine’s finances in 2012

21FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

We plan to raise awareness of Rays of Sunshine through PR and communication, and more use of social media and on-pack promotions

Where the money comes from

where the money comes from

where the money goes

Admin Costs

Wishes

Party CostsWard Wishes

Fundraising

OtherChildrens ConcertEvents

34%

19%9%

5%

4%

4%

4%

3%

3%

3%2%

10%

36%

34%

14%

8%

3%3%

1%1%

Cancers

Neurological

Renal Illness

Endocrine/ Metabolic

Muscular dystrophy

Gastrointestinal

Cystic fibrosis

Cardiac illness

Other

Celeb Meet & Greet

Posessions

Outings

Football Dream Day

Shopping Spree

To Be...

Disney Experience

UK Holiday

Lapland

Party

Corporate Income

Children's concert

Challenge Events

Donation In Kind

In Aid of Events

Tri For Life

Donations

Patrons

Community Fundraising

Legacies

Other

Admin Costs

Wishes

Party Costs

Fundraising

Events

Ward Wishes

Childrens Concert

Other

5%

4%

4%

4%

3%

3%

David JosephCHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK

David joined Universal Music UK

in August 1998 as general manager

of the company’s Polydor label

before moving up in February

2002 to become managing

director and later co-President of

Polydor Records. In March 2008,

he was promoted to Chairman

and CEO of Universal Music UK.

Universal Music UK is home to

successful artists from across

the musical spectrum. In 2005,

David became a member of the

BPI Council and for the past two

years has been Chairman of the

Brits Committee, which oversees

the Brit Awards.

Stephen Allan WORLDWIDE CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF MEDIACOM

Appointed as MediaCom Worldwide’s Chairman and CEO in August 2008, Stephen previously held the role of CEO at GroupM UK and MediaCom UK. During his tenure, he quadrupled its billings to become the first UK £1 billion media agency and catapulted the agency’s ranking from sixth to first. In December 2008, Stephen was voted Campaign Media Achiever of the Year. In 2009, MediaCom became the first network to be presented with two global awards: M&M Agency Network of the Year and The Festival of Media Agency Network of the Year.

Tim Shaw PARTNER, CLARK HOWES, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

Tim is a partner in Clark Howes,

chartered accountants and

business advisers. He also runs

an investment company, TS

Squared. From 1993 to 2000, Tim

was a partner in an accountancy

practice in London before taking

the position of CEO of Watford

Leisure PLC, the parent company

of Watford Football Club. After

leaving Watford Leisure PLC,

Tim specialised in providing

turnaround advice, particularly

for companies in the sports

and entertainment industry

before becoming CEO of Rays

of Sunshine in 2007. Tim is also a

qualified commercial mediator.

Nick Davis HEAD OF THE CORPORATE DEPARTMENT AT MISHCON DE REYA

Nick is head of the corporate

department at commercial law

firm Mishcon de Reya. He is

an expert in mergers and

acquisitions, reorganisation

and restructuring, and business

law. His work embraces a

wide range of industries

including recruitment, finance,

technology, renewable energy

and property services, and a

variety of business types

from entrepreneurs to

international corporations.

The Trustees of Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity

Thirty children from the Retinoblastoma Unit at The Royal London Hospital attend their first ever

Eye Club which included pizza and bowling at All Star Lanes

Magical sensory gardenOne of our first Ward Wishes was the magical sensory garden on the Long Term Ventilation and Neuro Rehabilitation Ward at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The garden is partially open to the elements which is great for the children as they feel like they are playing outside. John Smith, a Play Specialist on the ward had a vision for the garden after seeing a sensory garden beside the United Nations building in Geneva.

The most common conditions requiring Long Term Ventilation – defined as mechanical ventilation for over three months – are neuromuscular disorders and chronic respiratory conditions.

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One of Rays of Sunshine’s first ward wish was a wonderful sensory garden

A Magical Ward WishWISH STORY

The magical sensory garden was opened by former Manchester United star Denis Law

“Imagine never experiencing the sensation of grass under your feet, smelling beautifulflowers or seeing the changing seasons. I want every child to experience these wonders. This was my dream for the children of our ward. Thank you for making it come true.”Jackie Sheridan, Staff Nurse, The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

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Ways to Get Involved

Corporate Partner

By becoming a corporate partner, you can make a difference to the lives of so many sick children and their families. But that is not all. You also get the benefit of associating your company with the nationally recognised Rays of Sunshine brand and the happiness we bring to children all over the country.

Hold a Fundraising Event

Our kind fundraisers have done everything from bungee jumping to the hardcore Tough Mudder challenge and everything in between. To discuss how you can hold an event or take part in one of our in aid of events please contact us.

Volunteer

Volunteers are crucial to us, whether going on a wish with one of our wish children, or helping out at a fundraising event. If you are interested in taking part, please call us.

Monthly Payments and Donations

The cost of bringing sunshine to the life of a terminally ill child can be as little as £1 a month. Every penny helps and regular giving is especially important as it allows us to plan for the future knowing we have the funds in place. All donations, (regular or one-off) are tax-deductable and can be made by visiting the Donate Now page on our website or calling the office.

Legacies

Remember Rays of Sunshine in your Will and help create precious memories for seriously ill children.

Goods or Services In-Kind DonationOffering your goods or services is a fantastic way for us to keep our wish costs down. If you have something you would like to offer our wish children, please contact us.

Pennies

Pennies is an electronic charity box. It is a new channel for the old habit of dropping a few coins into a charity box on the shop counter, brought up to date for card and internet payments. There is no charge to companies that join and every penny raised goes to charity. If you are interested in taking part in the Pennies scheme please contact us.

Payroll

This is a way for employees to donate from their monthly salary before tax. Contributions can be £2, £5, 10, or £25 and above. For a basic rate tax-payer every pound given costs only 80p – even less for higher rate taxpayers. Individuals can opt out at any time. The Rays of Sunshine finance team will work with corporate partners to implement the scheme.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Find out how you can help Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity

Children from St Thomas’s School holding a Sunshine Breakfast during our awareness month

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE ON 0208 782 1171

Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity1 Olympic Way, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 0NP

Telephone: 0208 782 1171Web: raysofsunshine.org.ukTwitter: @raysofsunshineFacebook: /raysofsunshinecharity

A huge thank you to our corporate partners...

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