Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: 2

Support Score: 8

Multiple Deficits: -2
No PartB

Dynamic board: +3
Mainly male board: -1

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +5

Overall GiG Score: 8

BERKSHIRE COUNTY BLIND SOCIETY

Provision of information, advice, guidance, support services, leisure, social and sports activities for visually impaired people in Berkshire

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
Spending has increased over the last 3 years relative to the previous period
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

The Board is predominantly male

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending

Established: 12 years

www.berkshirevision.org.uk

office@berkshirevision.org.uk

01189872803

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23		£499	£656	£-156	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	297
31/03/22		£424	£607	£-183	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	328
31/03/21		£442	£488	£-47	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	339
31/03/20		£307	£657	£-351	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	200
31/03/19		£658	£568	£89	£30	£2,769	£717	15.1	23	185
31/03/18		£307	£368	£-61	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17		£337	£371	£-34	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16		£370	£309	£61	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15		£223	£358	£-135	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14	*	£259	£395	£-136	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/13		£291	£352	£-62	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Listed activities

Amateur Sport
Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Other Charitable Purposes
Recreation

How it operates

Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor And Maidenhead, Wokingham,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
297 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

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

Major supporters in last 5 years

National Lottery Community Fund	£354,159
Sport England	£15,000
CAF	£10,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Celebrate and socialise
£1,110	03/03/2023	The funding will be used to enable blind and visually impaired adults in Berkshire to take part in two afternoon tea community events for the Kings Coronation and Eurovision Song Contest. The project ....more The funding will be used to enable blind and visually impaired adults in Berkshire to take part in two afternoon tea community events for the Kings Coronation and Eurovision Song Contest. The project aims to decrease isolation increase confidence and better the community's wellbeing.
National Lottery Community Fund - Facing the Future
£328,264	20/10/2022	The funding will be used to allow Berkshire Vision to deliver their project which will provide group telephone and 1-2-1 peer support to those with sight loss in Berkshire. The project will support ....more The funding will be used to allow Berkshire Vision to deliver their project which will provide group telephone and 1-2-1 peer support to those with sight loss in Berkshire. The project will support integration or re-integration after the pandemic into the wider local community and also support stronger relationships across the sight loss community.
Sport England - TGC CF - Eye Can
£10,000	09/12/2020 11	This project will deliver a programme of activity for up to 100 inactive women with sight loss.
Sport England - Toyota Parasport Fund
£5,000	06/11/2020 22	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Toyota Parasport Fund. This project lists its main activity as Multi Sports
CAF - Grant to Berkshire County Blind Society
£10,000	01/07/2020 3	Grant to Berkshire County Blind Society to support the organisation through COVID19
National Lottery Community Fund - Connect 2020
£14,785	02/06/2020 6	Connect 2020 will use funding to support blind and visually-impaired children and adults across Berkshire to stay connected during COVID-19. The project will help to reduce social isolation build ....more Connect 2020 will use funding to support blind and visually-impaired children and adults across Berkshire to stay connected during COVID-19. The project will help to reduce social isolation build confidence and resilience and keep people more active whilst at home. The project will offer 1-1 regular support calls remote activities and transport to important eye appointments.
National Lottery Community Fund - Volunteer service
£10,000	06/03/2020 12	The project will use funding to provide volunteer support to people who are blind and experiencing social isolation, depression and fear of losing their independence.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Berkshire Vision
£4,597	29/11/2017	We want funds for our varied sports programme which builds confidence and independence as well as happiness, health and well-being.
Sport England - Take the Plunge - Swimming for Visually Impaired People
£4,410	10/07/2014	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'Take the Plunge - Swimming for Visually Impaired People'. This project is a Swimming & Diving project, ....more Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'Take the Plunge - Swimming for Visually Impaired People'. This project is a Swimming & Diving project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
National Lottery Community Fund - Mobile sensory units for visually impaired children and young people
£10,000	27/06/2013 12	This is a project by a registered charity in Reading, Berkshire. The organisation will use the funding to purchase two mobile sensory units which include a range of resources to stimulate, calm and ....more This is a project by a registered charity in Reading, Berkshire. The organisation will use the funding to purchase two mobile sensory units which include a range of resources to stimulate, calm and engage visually impaired young people. This will enable young people and their families to book time to use one of the sensory units in their offices and where needed have the use of the other unit in a young person's home for a period of time.
National Lottery Community Fund - Berkshire County Blind Society - Extending the Reach
£94,233	11/02/2010 36	This new project based in Reading will target two groups of visually impaired people who are not currently actively engaging in community activities, younger people aged 20 to 50 and those living in ....more This new project based in Reading will target two groups of visually impaired people who are not currently actively engaging in community activities, younger people aged 20 to 50 and those living in rural communities throughout Berkshire. Activities will include training opportunities in computer skills, confidence building and leadership skills as well as a buddying system for accompanied outings such as social events and gym sessions, and home visits._x000B_

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 58-88

ANDREW JONES Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Fundraising & Communications Director

JANE VEYS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired

PETER ORR Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Retired

DAVID JOHN FEW Appointed: 2012, Occupation: Solicitor

IAN ALEXANDER FRASER Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Bank Manager

MARTIN JOHN GUBB Appointed: 2015, Occupation: Management Consultant

MR DON REED Appointed: 2012, Occupation: None

ROBERT BRISTOW Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Business Owner, Other trusteeship: READING ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 15/03/2012, number: 1146413
Registered at Companies House on 06/03/2012, number: 07977903

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

11 returns made; AR14: 1 days late,

Main office

BERKSHIRE VISION
5 ERLEIGH ROAD
READING
RG1 5LR

Objectives

THE OBJECTS ARE TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED BY, IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY: (1)PROVIDING FACILITIES, SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT OR LITERATURE ON CONTRACT TO, AS AGENTS FOR, OR IN CO-OPERATION WITH, THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN BERKSHIRE OR ANY ORGANISATION, INSTITUTE, BODY, TRUST OR FUND, OR ANY PERSON OR PERSONS SUPPORTING THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY. (2) PROVIDING FINANCIAL AND/ OR PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN SPECIAL NEED. (3) CO-OPERATING WITH ORGANISATIONS CARRYING OUT RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSES OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND PROVIDING NON-TECHNICAL RELIEF FROM VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. (4) PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATING WITH THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES WITH REGARD TO THEIR EDUCATION AND WELFARE. (5) HELPING WITH THE PROVISION OF HOLIDAYS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. (6) SUPPLYING MATERIALS TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE ENGAGED IN PASTIME WORK AND ASSISTING IN MARKETING THE ARTICLES MADE BY THEM. (7) RAISING FUNDS AND INVITING AND RECEIVING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANY SOURCE WHATSOEVER BY WAY OF SUBSCRIPTIONS, DONATIONS AND COVENANTS IN ORDER TO FURTHER THE WORK OF THE CHARITY. (8) THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC WITH REGARD TO THE NEEDS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE.

Data Sources