Neuroblastoma UK, which won £87,500 in prize money from the recent Celebrity Traitors series, has said it expects its finances to recover after reporting a significant operating deficit.
After its patron Alan Carr took home the winnings for the charity from the BBC One TV show earlier this month, the child cancer charity reported that its spending in 2024 was more than triple its income.
The charity recorded an expenditure of £1.85m in 2024, up from £151,000 the year before, and an income of £303,000, compared with £665,000 in 2023.
As a result, it recorded unrestricted reserve levels of negative £296,000 as of 31 December 2024, compared with positive £586,000 a year earlier.
However, the Neuroblastoma UK’s trustee Clair Cliff told Civil Society the charity expects to show a recovery in its next set of published accounts for the current financial year.
Since the TV finale was broadcast on 6 November, Cliff said donations had been coming in on an “upward trend” to the charity.
“With the additional funds of an £87,500 donation from Celebrity Traitors, we will be able to put more towards new, vital research, along with all our other donations received,” she said.
Charities see web traffic increase since finale
Cliff said Neuroblastoma UK recorded a 25,630% increase in page visits following the end of the series from 7 to 8 November.
The other 18 celebrities were also playing to take home the winnings for their chosen charities.
Although they were not mentioned prominently in the show, some of the other charities reported an increase in engagement since the BBC published their names in a list to coincide with the finale.
Bristol Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG), represented by filmmaker David Olusoga, said it had experienced an increase in donations and web traffic since 6 November.
Gerry Watkins, Bristol DAWG trustee, said: “We were aware that he [Olusoga] was appearing in Traitors but we were not aware of his chosen charity, we had hoped but never took anything for granted.”
Parkinson’s UK also said the charity was “delighted” to learn that actor Tameka Empson was representing it, having only found out when the show aired.
Meanwhile, Almost Home Animal Rescue, backed by Ruth Codd, said it only found out the Midnight Club actor was playing for them after receiving a Facebook message from a fan.
