Impact Report 2024/25

The Lily Foundation is the UK's largest mitochondrial disease charity and Europe's biggest charitable funder of mito research. Their 2024/25 report is a landmark year: the first ever NHS-approved mito treatment, 8 babies born free of disease via mitochondrial donation IVF, and the launch of the £7.5m LifeArc Centre — with the Foundation leading patient involvement across all its work.

Report snapshot
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📋About

Support weekends, online counselling, virtual coffee mornings, Zoom Room webinars, Research Zone, PRIME patient panel, precision medicine diagnostic project

📊Key Metrics

1,500+ families supported; £1.1m donated by supporters Key Metric 1
230 counselling sessions funded; 85 patients on IMPACT research panel Key Metric 2
Europe's largest charitable funder of mitochondrial disease research Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • First ever NHS-approved treatment for mitochondrial disease (idebenone for Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy)
  • 8 babies born via mitochondrial donation IVF with no signs of mito disease — a landmark breakthrough
  • £7.5m LifeArc Centre for Rare Mitochondrial Diseases launched; 172 diagnostic study participants recruited

📍Geography

UK-Wide

2025 Enhanced

Annual Review April 2024 to March 2025

Social care services provided to thousands of people with learning disabilities; information and advice service caseloads growing in complexity; financial resilience rebuilt ahead of NI cost pressures
Key Metric 1
Omaze Yorkshire House Draw partnership raised £3.9m in 6 weeks with Jodie Whittaker as ambassador; awareness of people with learning disability significantly boosted through campaign
Key Metric 2
Voices Council (led by people with learning disabilities) challenged decisions on service handbacks, agency staffing and benefits access; new strategy to 2030 under development; new CEO Jon Sparkes OBE joined June 2024
Key Metric 3
Rebuilt financial resilience ahead of NI cost increases — 'more fortunate than many in the sector'; 80th anniversary approaching; new CEO appointed to lead strategy development
2024 Enhanced

Annual Report and Accounts 2024

518 new guide dog partnerships created in 2024 — 10% increase beating projections; 1,379 new puppies from breeding programme; 400th buddy dog partnership matched
Key Metric 1
17,500+ volunteers giving 12 million+ volunteer hours collectively; 2,400+ volunteers looked after dogs; 7,000+ training sessions on tech, travel and life skills delivered by Vision Rehabilitation Specialists
Key Metric 2
£47m raised through Sponsor a Puppy; £3.1m from raffles; £8.3m increased income from gifts in Wills; 3.45 million clicks to digital information and advice content; 5,900 visits to new Tech Selector assistive tech review tool
Key Metric 3
1,864 children and family members attended My Time to Play sessions; 6,852 large-print books delivered; 5,991 habilitation sessions completed to help children learn essential skills; 432,817 online learners accessing digital content
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report 2024-25

202,694 people supported across 270 locations; 74,070 in drug and alcohol; 102,531 in mental health; 1,035 in learning disability; turnover £191.9m
Key Metric 1
96% of regulated services rated Good or Outstanding by CQC; 12,456 naloxone kits dispensed (5.6% increase); 11,405 Hepatitis C tests (59% increase); 7,448 FibroScans (300% increase)
Key Metric 2
234 peer mentors; 82 volunteers; 5,194 colleagues (60% with lived experience); £7.79m invested in local VCSE organisations; £131.87m social value from local employment
Key Metric 3
87% of people supported have overall positive experience; 90% feel safe; 774/1,063 (72%) in Birmingham social prescribing service achieved goals across health, community, emotional and employment domains; new Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership reached over 160 staff in year one