Finance Score: 0
Governance Score: 6
Support Score: 8
  • No PartB
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +5
Overall GiG Score: 14 ?

BLIND AND SIGHT IMPAIRED SOCIETY (BASIS)

BASIS provides emotional and practical support to visually impaired people in South Essex. We do this through equipment demonstration at our Resource Centre, home visit assessments, befriending services, social activity groups and providing support at the local eye clinic.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • This charity has been successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
  • The charity has received backing from several prominent grant makers recently
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • One or more trustees receive payments or benefits from the charity for providing services to the charity

Financial issues to consider:

  • A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income Spending Surplus/
Deficit
Volun-
teers
31/08/23£128£135£-7n/a
31/08/22£122£125£-3n/a
31/08/21£266£116£149n/a
Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Established: 5 years

www.basissouthessex.org.uk

admin@basissouthessex.org.uk

01268522817

Charity Commission for England and WalesFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • General Charitable Purposes
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
GiG Classification
  • Blind people
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Essex,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • People With Disabilities
  • The General Public/Mankind

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.

Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Support for vision impaired people in Essex
£9,000 07/07/2023
Funding will be used to expand home visiting and activity groups for people with a sight loss diagnosis in South Essex. The project aims to help people live independently at home and socialise with others who understand the challenges of living ....more
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Blind and Sight Impaired Society
£44,100 04/05/2023
24
to support a sight loss advisory service for visitors, patients and staff at Brentwood Community Hospital and offer home visits for those with sight loss in Brentwood, over two years
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Blind and Sight Impaired Society
£7,500 26/04/2022
towards the core costs of an organisation supporting individuals with sight impairment or loss across South Essex
National Lottery Community Fund - Peer to Peer Support for the Visually Impaired
£8,228 12/11/2021
The funding will be used to enable visually impaired people to partner with and support each other in a range of activities designed to engender a return of confidence and encourage socialisation post lockdown while also supporting with employment ....more
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Blind and Sight Impaired Society
£10,000 14/01/2021
to support people with visual impairment across South Essex

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

  • ALASTAIR ROGERS Appointed: 2023
  • ANNE HOWELL Appointed: 2020
  • CLIFF CARTER Appointed: 2024
  • JUNE MAYLIN (Chair) Appointed: 2014
  • SAMANTHA LEFTWICH Appointed: 2017
  • STEPHEN FOGGO Appointed: 2018
Legal constitution
  • Charity registered in England & Wales on 17/03/2020, number: 1188583
Gift Aid
  • NOT 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
  • Paying staff
  • 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
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
3 returns made; all on time
Recent reorganisation events:
  • Asset transfer in from BLIND AND SIGHT IMPAIRED SOCIETY on 27/05/2021
Main office

BRADBURY HOUSE
WITCHARDS
BASILDON
ESSEX
SS16 5BP

Objectives

THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE:1) TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN SOUTH ESSEX BY WORKING WITH BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 11 WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED ON THE GROUNDS OF THEIR DISABILITY, PREVENTING THEM FROM BECOMING SOCIALLY EXCLUDED, AND ASSISTING THEM TO INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY:A) PROVIDING A LOCAL NETWORK GROUP THAT ENCOURAGES AND ENABLES MEMBERS OF THE BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THEIR PEERS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY BY IMPROVING CONFIDENCE AND TACKLING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS;B) INCREASING, OR COORDINATING, OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF THE BLIND/ VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, ENABLING THOSE PROVIDERS TO ADAPT THEIR SERVICES TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE BLIND/ VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITY;C) DEVELOPING INFORMATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO ENABLE THE PARENTS/CARERS OF BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AND MAXIMISE THEIR POTENTIAL;D) RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE, BOTH GENERALLY AND IN RELATION TO THEIR SOCIAL EXCLUSION WITH THE AIM OF EDUCATING THE SIGHTED COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN THE TWO COMMUNITIES.2) TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE, THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS IN SOUTH ESSEX, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY:A) PROVIDING A BEFRIENDING SERVICE TO BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED ADULTS OFFERING HOME VISITS, COMPANIONSHIP, TELEPHONE BEFRIENDING AND SIGHT GUIDING ON EVERYDAY TASKS.B) PROVIDING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, OUTINGS, SOCIAL TRIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF A TRANSPORT SERVICE TO AND FROM RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.C) PROVIDING INFORMATION, ADVICE, ADVOCACY AND GENERAL SUPPORT IN ALL MATTERS RELATING TO VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND ALL ASPECTS OF LIVING WITH SIGHT LOSS.

Defined Area of Benefit:

LOCAL

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

Tips for Selecting Charities

Which areas of philanthropy are most effective?
The text of this post is taken from an article on the Effective Altruism forum. It suggests that you can achieve the most impact by supporting causes that fight extreme poverty, improving animal welfare....more
Our Top Tips for Philanthropy
Here are some ideas to help you gain more satisfaction from your philanthropy and confidence that the causes you have selected are impactful. Engage your brain, as well as your heart You....more
How to become a Philanthropist
In this Blog we outline a strategy to help people who are new to philanthropy and for those who feel dissatisfied with the impact they are having. Effective philanthropy is immensely rewarding for donors,....more

Giving is Great