Finance Score: 5

Governance Score: 4

Support Score: 6

Liabilities <10%: +3
Excess liquidity: -1
Fundraising costs low: +3

Narrow trustee age band: -2
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +6

Overall GiG Score: 15

VISION SUPPORT BARROW & DISTRICT

The charity supports visually impaired people who live within Barrow-in-Furness and the surrounding area. The organisation provides information and advice to visually impaired people and to their families and carers, provides visually impaired people with a range of welfare support and social activities, promotes awareness of sight loss issues and supports people within a residential home.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

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
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

The Board has little diversity in terms of age

Financial issues to consider:

Liquidity appeared to be in excess of CC guidelines at the latest year end
There has been a change of accounting period recently, so trends may be hard to determine

Established: 28 years

www.vsbd.org.uk

info@vsbd.org.uk

01229 440556

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

N.B. data has been adjusted to reflect year end change

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		£2,188	£1,881	£307	£41	£3,367	£3,040	19.4	75	52
31/03/22?		£2,276	£1,978	£298	£43	£3,081	£2,962	18	65	65
31/12/20		£1,806	£1,512	£294	£9	£2,790	£2,726	21.6	66	65
31/12/19		£1,782	£1,403	£379	£10	£2,500	£2,465	21.1	78	30
31/12/18		£1,316	£1,370	£-53	£30	£2,119	£1,962	17.2	64	30
31/12/17		£1,304	£1,187	£117	£11	£2,176	£2,053	20.8	57	0
31/12/16		£1,176	£1,172	£4	£39	£2,055	£1,872	19.2	58	0
31/12/15	*	£1,106	£1,132	£-26	£113	£2,104	£1,995	21.1	60	0
31/12/14		£1,052	£1,079	£-27	£135	£2,118	£2,037	22.7	59	0
31/12/13		£1,232	£1,033	£199	£143	£2,140	£2,140	24.9	57	0
31/12/12		£1,100	£1,029	£70	£117	£1,885	£1,885	22	52	0
31/12/11		£1,052	£987	£65	£120	£1,844	£1,844	22.4	54	0
31/12/10		£994	£967	£27	£123	£1,812	£1,812	22.5	49	0
31/12/09		£1,196	£1,049	£146	£130	£1,666	£1,666	19	45	0
31/12/08		£984	£1,018	£-34	£127	£2,226	£2,226	26.2	35	0
31/12/07		£856	£915	£-58	£132	£2,356	£2,356	30.9	35	0
31/12/06		£812	£887	£-75	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/05		£993	£839	£154	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/12/04		£806	£773	£33	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 1.9%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 2.2%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 4%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000
Liabilities/Assets: 3%
Liabilities/Income: 5%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 90%
Reserves/Spending: 19.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 3

Asset Split ?

Listed activities

Accommodation/Housing
Disability
General Charitable Purposes

How it operates

Makes Grants to Individuals
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Cumbria,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

75 employees
52 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

Henry Smith Charity	£99,300
National Lottery Community Fund	£77,500
Cumbria Community Foundation	£20,110
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust	£1,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Transport for visually impaired people
£10,000	15/08/2022	The funding will be used to provide transport for people who are visionally impaired to attend a variety of activities which include crafts bingo knit and natter men's group technology knowhow group ....more The funding will be used to provide transport for people who are visionally impaired to attend a variety of activities which include crafts bingo knit and natter men's group technology knowhow group poetry kitchen skills luncheon club quizzes guest speakers and information/support groups. The project aims to connect people reduce isolation and forge new friendships.
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Vision Support Barrow & District - 12/11/21
£1,000	17/12/2021	New Lift - Ostley House
Cumbria Community Foundation - Innovation Officer
£10,000	28/07/2021	Innovation Officer
Cumbria Community Foundation - Activities Project
£3,850	28/01/2021	Activities Project
Cumbria Community Foundation - Staff costs and zoom fees for 6 months only
£3,760	17/12/2020	Staff costs and zoom fees for 6 months only
Cumbria Community Foundation - Staff costs and Zoom fee
£2,500	10/09/2020	Staff costs and Zoom fee
National Lottery Community Fund - Vision Support Centre Manager and Funding Shortfall
£57,500	26/05/2020 6	The funding will provide valuable financial support for one of area's key blind and sight loss charities which helps people who live in the area with a range of support mechanisms and guidance.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Barrow & Districts Society for the Blind
£99,300	10/12/2019 36	towards three years' salary of two Vision Support Officers at a project providing support and advice to disabled people in Barrow-in-Furness
National Lottery Community Fund - Groups & Activities
£10,000	14/06/2019 12	The funding will be used to deliver group activities for people living with visual disabilities. The project aims to provide socialising opportunities and develop skills, self-esteem and confidence ....more The funding will be used to deliver group activities for people living with visual disabilities. The project aims to provide socialising opportunities and develop skills, self-esteem and confidence in participants.
Sport England - Vision of Adventure
£10,000	26/04/2019 11	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Vision of Adventure. This project is a Multi Sports project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Ostley House Home for the Blind
£5,678	19/11/2018	We want money to assist with transport for our residents so they can visit schools, other homes and go shopping.
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Barrow & Districts Society for the Blind
£50,000	26/09/2018	construction of a Sight Loss Dementia Village for a charity which works with people with visual impairment in Cumbria
Co-Operative Group - Grant to The Barrow And Districts Society For The Blind
£3,062	29/11/2017	We want to provide a centre of excellence for the visually impaired people in the south west of Cumbria.
National Lottery Community Fund - Vision Support Centre Lift
£10,000	27/07/2016 12	The organisation will use the funding to install a lift in its head office building. This will increase access to services by sight and mobility impaired service users and volunteers and enable the ....more The organisation will use the funding to install a lift in its head office building. This will increase access to services by sight and mobility impaired service users and volunteers and enable the organisation to expand the range of support provided to service users.
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Barrow and Districts Society for the Blind
£50,000	16/06/2016	Dementia unit in Ostley House
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Barrow & Districts Society for the Blind
£25,000	09/06/2016 12	towards the refurbishment of premises at a project providing support services to visually impaired people in Cumbria

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 57-70

DR GEOFFREY JOLLIFFE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: General Practitioner

LYN SAVAGE Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Retired

MAXINE BARON Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Businessman

NORMA MARGARET REYNOLDS (Chair) Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Retired Nurse

RAY MOWAT Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Retired

VERA WILTON Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Optometrist

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 28/12/1995, number: 1051674
Registered at Companies House on 01/12/1995, number: 03133015

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Other Regulators

Care Quality Commission

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity 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
Paying staff
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
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

19 returns made; AR15: 50 days late,

Main office

Vision Support Barrow & District
67-69 Cavendish Street
BARROW-IN-FURNESS
Cumbria
LA14 1QD

Objectives

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS (OBJECTS) ARE SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED TO THE FOLLOWING:TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO LIVE WITHIN BARROW-IN-FURNESS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTS, THE CHARITY: A. HELPS VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY; B. PROVIDES INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE AND TO THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS; C. PROVIDES VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE WITH A RANGE OF WELFARE SUPPORT AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES; D. PROMOTES AWARENESS OF SIGHT LOSS ISSUES TO ENCOURAGE INCLUSION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY; E. PROVIDES CONTINUAL CARE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE WITHIN OUR RESIDENTIAL HOME.

Defined Area of Benefit:

BARROW-IN-FURNESS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

Data Sources