Finance Score: -2

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 9

Multiple Deficits: -2
No PartB

Good trustee age range: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +9

Overall GiG Score: 13

WALSALL SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND LIMITED

Walsall Society for the Blind mission is to provide information, support and friendship to all the visually impaired people within the Borough of Walsall.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

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
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender

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

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		£342	£357	£-15	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	18
31/03/22		£422	£268	£154	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	15
31/03/21		£379	£270	£108	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	15
31/03/20		£148	£254	£-105	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	23
31/03/19		£183	£236	£-53	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	27
31/03/18		£165	£228	£-63	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17		£262	£224	£38	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16		£184	£227	£-43	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15		£183	£244	£-61	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/14		£243	£255	£-12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/13		£292	£297	£-5	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/12		£277	£325	£-48	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/11		£318	£350	£-31	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/10		£347	£333	£14	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/09		£295	£311	£-16	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/08		£251	£281	£-30	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/07	*	£243	£255	£-12	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/06		£286	£249	£36	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£439	£258	£181	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04		£238	£219	£19	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Download accounts

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000

Established: 25 years

www.walsallblind.org

hawleyhouse@wsftb.co.uk

01922627683

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Disability
Education/Training
General Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Makes Grants to Individuals
Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Walsall,

Who it helps

People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
18 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	£206,391
DCMS	£34,351
Wolfson Foundation	£30,000
BBC Children in Need	£29,884
The Grocers' Charity	£5,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
National Lottery Community Fund - Community sight loss support.
£200,865	30/09/2022	This funding will support Walsall Society for the Blind and its Community Sight Loss Support project. The project aims to support the visually impaired community of Walsall to rebuild their ....more This funding will support Walsall Society for the Blind and its Community Sight Loss Support project. The project aims to support the visually impaired community of Walsall to rebuild their confidence independence and self-esteem as they emerge from pandemic induced isolation. Through supporting existing 1-2-1 community sight loss support service and the creation of a new information officer post the project will not only assist individuals already registered with a visual impairment but also hundreds of others across the Borough with deteriorating vision who are not currently accessing the vital support available to them.
National Lottery Community Fund - Helpline for the visually impaired
£5,526	17/06/2022	The funding will be used to upgrade the telephone system for their helpline for the visually impaired community. The project aims to improve access to vital advice and information to help reduce ....more The funding will be used to upgrade the telephone system for their helpline for the visually impaired community. The project aims to improve access to vital advice and information to help reduce social isolation and support the participant's health and wellbeing.
Wolfson Foundation - Grant to Walsall Society for the Blind
£30,000	10/06/2021	Refurbishment of charity’s premises. Grant awarded through 'rapid route' in response to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Grocers' Charity - 2021 - Walsall Society for the Blind
£5,000	24/03/2021	Towards project costs to increase the duration of much-needed technology support for those with sight loss to upskill them to attend vital eye clinic appointments online, shop safely online and ....more Towards project costs to increase the duration of much-needed technology support for those with sight loss to upskill them to attend vital eye clinic appointments online, shop safely online and interact with others using technology.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Walsall Society for the Blind
£29,884	16/12/2020	This project will deliver advice and specialist resources to blind or vision impaired children and young people living in Walsall. The activities will result in reduced isolation, improved ....more This project will deliver advice and specialist resources to blind or vision impaired children and young people living in Walsall. The activities will result in reduced isolation, improved relationships and improved access to support services.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£34,351	02/09/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (9)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 34-77

AMARA ISMAIL-EL-BANNA Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Operations Manager

BALJEET SIYAN Appointed: 2023, Occupation: It Consultant

LAURENCE SHORE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: *

RICHARD MEERE Appointed: 2000, Occupation: Solicitor

ELIZABETH SMITH Appointed: 2013, Occupation: Retired

JOHN HAROLD COOKE JP (Chair), Other trusteeship: THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION,

JULIE HARRIS Appointed: 2009, Occupation: None

KEVIN MERCHANT Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Unemployed

DAVID SMITH Appointed: 1999, Occupation: Operations Manager, Other trusteeship: ATHERSTONE CHORAL SOCIETY CIO,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 07/06/1999, number: 1075854
Registered at Companies House on 27/11/1998, number: 03674948

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
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

20 returns made; AR07: 113 days late,

Main office

HAWLEY HOUSE
11 HATHERTON ROAD
WALSALL
WEST MIDLANDS
WS1 1XS

Objectives

TO PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES AS ARE THOUGH FIT TO THOSE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS REGISTERED AS SUCH OR CAPABLE OF REGISTRATION AS SUCH, AND RESIDING WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WALSALL AND ITS IMMEDIATE ENVIRONS AND SUCH OTHER PERSONS, HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AS THE CHARITY MAY DETERMINE FROM TIME TO TIME. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS MEMORANDUM THE WORDS BLIND AND BLIND PERSONS SHALL INCLUDE PERSONS WHO THOUGH NOT TOTALLY BLIND ARE SUBSTANTIALLY VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND WHO ARE THE INTENDED RECIPIENTS OF THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS

Defined Area of Benefit:

METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WALSALL AND ITS IMMEDIATE ENVIRONS

Data Sources