NSPCC’s income dropped again in 2013 to below £130m but efficiencies mean it reported a budget surplus for the first time in six years.
The charity’s income for 2013 fell by £6.3m from £135.7m in 2012 to £129.4m. The charity's income has been in decline since 2009, when it was £157.5m, and last year it saw its income drop by £13m on the previous year.
Its recently-published accounts for the year end March 2013, show that voluntary income fell by £3.7m which the report attributes to “a reduction in regular giving income of £3.3m”.
Income from charitable activities, mostly contracts with from local authorities and the government, fell by £2.1m and government funding for ChildLine and the adult helpline was £1m lower than in 2012.
Positive news
This is the first year since 2007 that the charity has reported an operating surplus (£8.2m) which it plans to use to “enhance significantly” its campaigning and influencing work.
In the foreword to this year’s annual report, chairman Mark Wood said: “I would like to pay tribute to our outgoing chief executive, Andrew Flanagan. He has successfully navigated the NSPCC through a period of transformation in a challenging financial climate and we are already seeing the fruits of our new strategy.”
Flanagan left at the end of March 2013 and was replaced by Peter Wanless, formerly of BIG Lottery Fund in June.
The accounts also show that the charity’s pension deficit has shrunk from £5.5m in 2012 to £3.7m in 2013 with trustees believing that this deficit is recoverable. During the year pension trustees purchased a pension insurance policy.
NSPCC continued to make savings, with expenditure falling by more than 12 per cent from £138.8m in 2012 to £121.9 in 2013.
Its accounts note “a reduction in back office costs from £8.8m (6.3 per cent of total resources expended) to £5.9m” and that: “As a consequence, total expenditure on services for children and families decreased by 3.1 per cent to £46.3m (2012 £47.8m) but, due to planned reductions in support and administrative costs, direct frontline service costs were maintained at £43.8m (2012 £43.9m).
