Finance Score: 6
Governance Score: 4
Support Score: 11
  • Liabilities <10%: +3
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • No volunteer policy: -2
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +8
Overall GiG Score: 21 ?

THE LIVING PAINTINGS TRUST

We publish unique Touch to See books which enable blind and partially sighted people, young and old, to explore and enjoy the world of pictures. Our purpose is to relieve the social and educational isolation that they suffer throughout their lives. These unique books are available throughout Britain and Ireland to all visually impaired people completely free from our postal library service.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
  • This charity has a robust balance sheet
  • Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
  • Fundraising costs are low relative to funds raised
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • Although this charity works with volunteers it does not have a Volunteer Management policy

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/05/23£664£549£116£51£769£56712.412200
31/05/22£491£441£50n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/21£515£396£119£42£604£45713.810320
31/05/20£565£457£109£37£485£3208.414400
31/05/19£425£392£33n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/18*£368£369£-1n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/17£363£353£10n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/16£434£408£26n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/15£397£388£9n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/14£355£340£16n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/13£321£309£12n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/12£341£364£-23n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/11£371£392£-21n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/10£338£469£-132n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/09£463£451£12n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/08£389£383£7n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/07£419£329£90n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/06£291£275£15n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/05£240£220£20n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/04£308£206£102n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 8%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 9.3%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 14%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000
Liabilities/Assets: 4%
Liabilities/Income: 5%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 74%
Reserves/Spending: 12.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 11 months
Quick Ratio: 14.4
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 29 years

www.livingpaintings.org

lpt@livingpaintings.org

01635299771

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Disability
  • Education/Training
  • Recreation
GiG Classification
  • Blind people
How it operates
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
BBC Children in Need£122,781
Garfield Weston Foundation£85,000
Masonic Trust£30,000
Postcode Society Trust£23,421
The Foyle Foundation£20,000
National Lottery Community Fund£20,000
Barnwood Trust£12,256
Vision Foundation£10,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Herefordshire Community Foundation - The Living Paintings Trust
£1,500 20/05/2024
11
Postal Library Service
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - Improving the life chances of blind and partially sighted children living in Cambridgeshire by making the visual world of pictures, books and learning accessible to them.
£3,000 27/04/2023
11
to contribute towards the costs of providing blind or partially sighted children living in Cambridgeshire with as many loans as they wish from our free postal library service of Touch to See books for 12 months
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Living Paintings
£117,975 05/04/2023
36
This project provides touch-to-see books for children and young people who are blind or partially sighted. Children will improve their literacy skills, feel more engaged with sighted peers and increase their confidence.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£30,000 27/03/2023
Improving the life chances, mental health and wellbeing of blind and partially sighted children by providing them with equal access to the visual world of pictures, books and learning.
Barnwood Trust - Glos Funders - Organisation and Group Funding
£5,256 19/01/2023
12
Provide tactile books for blind and visually impaired people
Sussex Community Foundation - Grant to The Living Paintings Trust
£2,000 11/11/2022
Funding was provided to offer free loans to West Sussex residents.
National Lottery Community Fund - Free postal library of Touch to See books for blind and partially sighted people
£10,000 21/10/2022
The project will use funding to cover the costs to run their free library service where they provide touch-to-see books for blind and partially sighted children. The project aims to assist children to read promoting social interaction and overall ....more
Herefordshire Community Foundation - Production and distribution of our Touch to See books to blind and partially sighted people in Herefordshire
£1,500 10/10/2022
Grant to Living Paintings
Somerset Community Foundation - Providing 'Touch to See' books to blind and partially sighted children in Somerset via a free postal library
£2,000 10/10/2022
Grant to Living Paintings
Vision Foundation - Resilience Funding. Support of sight loss charities core funding or current projects affected by the COVID pandemic and asscociated economic crisis.
£10,000 26/09/2022
7
In support of sight loss organisations based and working in London. This funding supports the sight loss sector’s continued adaptation and recovery during the protracted pandemic and the current economic crisis. Open primarily to charities whose ....more
Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland - Grant to The Living Paintings Trust
£2,000 22/09/2022
To cover the costs of a free postal library service for blind and partially sighted people Tyne & Wear and northumberland to access its 'touch to see' books
County Durham Community Foundation - Production and distribution of our Touch to See books to blind and partially sighted people living in the County of Durham
£3,000 15/08/2022
Towards the production and distribution of aTouch to See books to blind and partially sighted people living in the County of Durham
Barnwood Trust - Gloucestershire Funders (Organisational & Group Funding)
£2,000 08/08/2022
Tactile books for visually impaired people
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to The Living Paintings Trust
£2,000 16/06/2022
The provision of a free postal library service of Touch to See books for the benefit of blind and partially sighted people living in North Somerset.
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Living Paintings Trust - 27/04/22
£2,000 23/05/2022
Core Funding
The Shears Foundation - Living Paintings
£5,000 29/04/2022
Touch to See library for blind and partially sighted people - Tyne and Wear and Northumberland
Postcode Society Trust - Staff salary: to meet growing demand for our charitable activity.
£23,421 26/04/2022
By providing access to visual images for blind people this funding helped improve their mental wellbeing, self-worth and confidence
Brian Mercer Trust - Grant to the Living Paintings Trust
£2,000 13/04/2022
Making art accessible to visually impaired and blind
Brian Mercer Trust - Grant to the Living Paintings Trust
£2,000 13/04/2022
12
Making art accessible to visually impaired and blind
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£30,000 17/12/2021
Improving the life chances, mental health and wellbeing of blind and partially sighted children by providing them with equal access to the visual world of pictures, books and learning during COVID-19 and beyond.
National Lottery Community Fund - Living Paintings Touch to See Books for blind and partially sighted people
£10,000 13/08/2021
The funding will be used to create a free library service of Touch to See books for blind and partially sighted children. The project aims to assist children to read promoting social interaction and overall wellbeing.
Suffolk Community Foundation - The provision of accessible materials that support literacy attainment, education and improved quality of life for blind and partially sighted people living in Suffolk.
£2,717 16/06/2021
11
Towards the Touch and See Library Service for partially sighted people in Suffolk.
Masonic Trust - MCF Large Grant
£30,000 26/05/2021
A grant to support blind and visually impaired children through Touch and See books and audio books
Barnwood Trust - Organisational and Groups Funding
£2,000 25/05/2021
Tactile books for visually impaired people
The Leathersellers' Company Charitable Fund - Grant to The Living Paintings Trust
£3,135 08/04/2021
12
Main Grant unrestricted core costs
Suffolk Community Foundation - Touch to See Library Books for Blind People in Suffolk
£4,710 04/09/2020
3
Core funding for the free "Touch & See" library service for blind and partially sighted people living in Suffolk. Covid19
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£4,710 04/09/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots and small organisations who can provide an ....more
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Living Paintings
£4,806 17/06/2020
6
COVID19 - This grant will fund staffing costs to produce and despatch sensory books to disabled children and young people isolated due to Covid-19. Children and young people will engage more in learning and education.
DCMS - VSCE CMC Fund
£4,806 03/06/2020
NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots and small organisations who can provide an ....more
Barnwood Trust - Organisational and Groups Funding
£3,000 02/06/2020
Touch to See books for visually impaired children
The Foyle Foundation - Learning
£20,000 27/05/2020
as a general donation during yearend May 2021 to support the increased demand for the work of the Living Paintings Trust providing tactile and audio books for blind and partially sighted people during the pandemic (awarded grant in response to ....more
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£25,000 01/05/2020
Bringing pictures to life for blind and partially sighted people in the UK
Suffolk Community Foundation - Reaching Isolated People at Home in Suffolk
£2,000 22/04/2020
A free "Touch & See" library service for blind and partially sighted people living in Suffolk. Covid19
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - Grant to Living Paintings
£3,000 20/04/2020
3
to maintain their postal library service for 462 blind and partially sighted people in Cambridgeshire to continue offering Touch to See books to young people to help maintain their education and learning during isolation as well as to older people ....more
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Postal library for blind and partially sighted people of all ages
£1,000 31/03/2020
Postal library for blind and partially sighted people of all ages
The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington - Grant to Living Paintings Trust
£22,800 06/12/2018
24
Enhancing wellbeing for elderly visually impaired people in London with resources that educate, entertain and inspire. Touch to See books will be enjoyed at home or through Book Clubs that bring people together regularly in their local community.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£15,000 09/05/2018
Enabling blind children and adults to engage with the visual world
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Living Paintings
£112,641 06/08/2017
36
This project provides 'Touch to See' books for children and young people with visual impairments. These books provide improved learning experiences, relationships and confidence.
Masonic Trust - Touch to See Book Clubs Programme
£40,000 20/04/2016
Adapted, tactile 'touch to see' books for blind and partially sighted children & adults.
The Blagrave Trust - Support for partially sighted children
£60,000 08/03/2015
Relieve social and educational isolation of blind and partially sighted children
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to The Living Paintings Trust
£111,200 28/08/2013
Towards the salary of a development officer to increase beneficiary numbers of a visual arts programme to 3,250 people with visual impairment to enhance their enjoyment of life and to reduce isolation and promote integration in the wider community.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 7/8 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 23-61
  • CATHERINE BAILEY (Chair) Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Company Director
  • CLAIRE SHORT MRS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Government Lawyer
  • DAVID ROBERT HALL Appointed: 2018, Occupation: It Executive
  • JANE ELIZABETH BURGESS Appointed: 2022, Occupation: People Director
  • JANE FINDLAY Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Head Of Learning - Dulwich Picture Gallery
  • LOUIS MOORHOUSE Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Self Employed
  • PARAMJIT KAUR JETHA Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Customer Business Executive
  • SHALIN MALDE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Chartered Accountant
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 11/09/1995, number: 1049103
  • Registered at Companies House on 29/08/1995, number: 03095963
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Event History
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR18: 29 days late,
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from FIST FAST FOUNDATION on 12/07/2022
  • Asset transfer in from THE NEWARK AND DISTRICT TALKING NEWSPAPER on 02/03/2023
Main office

QUEEN ISABELLE HOUSE
UNIT 8
KINGSCLERE PARK
KINGSCLERE
NEWBURY BERKS
RG20 4SW

Objectives

TO RELIEVE AND EDUCATE VISUALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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