Finance Score: 0
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 10
  • Multiple Deficits and declines: -5
  • Future income +5
  • No PartB
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Large volunteer base +3
  • Overall weighted support: +7
Overall GiG Score: 19 ?

WORCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND

We provide access to information, advice and guidance - Supporting people to make informed choices. We provide access to expert support - Supporting people to lead independent lives. We provide access to social and leisure activities - Supporting people to lead full and active lives.
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 and there are significant future grants due to be received
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

  • Income has been volatile and on several occasions in recent years less than spending
  • 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
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23£200£501£-301n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/22£436£392£44n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/21£603£311£292£49£1,433£83632.214195
31/03/20£365£421£-56n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/19£426£422£3n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/18£422£401£22n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/17£412£393£19n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/16*£310£342£-32n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/15£348£357£-10n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/14£414£395£19n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/13£349£463£-114n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/03/12£545£433£113£93£1,127£61417100
31/03/11£319£305£14n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Highest pay bracket: less than £60,000
Balance Sheet History
Established: 14 years

www.sightconcern.co.uk

info@sightconcern.co.uk

01905723245

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
  • Education/Training
  • General Charitable Purposes
GiG Classification
  • Outpatient support services
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides buildings/facilities/open space
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Worcestershire,
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.

Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Postcode Local Trust - Unrestricted Funding
£25,000 29/09/2023
Contribute to the core costs of running our charity.
National Lottery Community Fund - Broader Vision Project
£422,807 29/06/2023
Funding will enable the organisation to transform their work supporting partially sighted and visually impaired people in Worcestershire. The project will increase their capacity to deliver additional support to those experiencing the greatest ....more
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£15,000 23/07/2019
Unrestricted core funding for small charities
DCMS - Building Connections Fund
£22,000 01/04/2019
Expansion project based across Worcestershire, to deliver a befriending service, matching volunteers with people who are blind or partially sighted and become isolated as a result. Befrienders are matched through shared interests and the project ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Broader Vision
£332,200 26/02/2019
36
The project provides a range of information, advice and support services that address the specific challenges that people with sight loss face. Their mission is to support blind and partially sighted people to lead independent and fulfilling lives, ....more
DCMS - Building Connections Fund
£22,000 05/01/2019
Expansion project based across Worcestershire, to deliver a befriending service, matching volunteers with people who are blind or partially sighted and become isolated as a result. Befrienders are matched through shared interests and the project ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - SocialEYES
£56,000 26/11/2018
36
SocialEYES
National Lottery Community Fund - Increasing our Digital Reach
£9,264 22/11/2018
12
This funding will be used to improve the organisation's website, so that it can provide a wider range of services and resources for people living with sight loss.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£10,000 13/04/2018
Sight Concern Volunteering Service
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Worcestershire Association of the Blind - trading as Sight Concern Worcestershire.
£4,295 04/08/2017
Tackle loneliness and enable us to help people with sight loss to meet up and partake in social activities including theatre and sport trips
National Lottery Community Fund - Planning Effective IT support for visually impaired people (VIP)
£9,962 22/02/2017
12
This group will use the funding to facilitate a pilot project aimed at visually impaired people. This will develop and identify the need for technology equipment to improve the lives of their users.
National Lottery Community Fund - Local Eyes
£378,641 20/04/2016
35
A project to provide support services to people with visual impairment and those affected by sight loss, their families and carers. The scheme will include a helpline, outreach drop-in advice services on eye conditions, coping with sight lost, aids ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Transforming Services
£10,000 22/08/2013
12
This is a project by a charity in Worcester. The group will use the funding to undertake a review of their service model, involving consultation with current and interested users, for people who are visually impaired. This will increase awareness ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - See for Yourself
£10,000 22/12/2011
12
Worcestershire Association For The Blind in Worcester will develop their website and marketing materials in order to reach out to an increased number of beneficiaries in the local area.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 48-80
  • ANDREW WILLIAM HALL Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Chartered Surveyor
  • DR ROBERT HOWARD LEE MILFORD Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Director
  • ELIZABETH BAIO Appointed: 2010, Occupation: Retired
  • HAZEL MARGARET SHAW Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Manager
  • JAMES MCBRIDE Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director And Business Consultant
  • JOHN HILL Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired Project Engineer
  • PHILLIP VIRDI-SMITH Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Optometrist
  • SHIRLEY SHERIDAN Appointed: 2014, Occupation: Retired
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 05/07/2010, number: 1136716
  • Registered at Companies House on 19/05/2010, number: 07258623
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
13 returns made; AR16: 2 days late,
Main office

WORCESTERSHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE
BLIND
THE BRADBURY CENTRE
2 SANSOME WALK
WORCESTER
WR1 1LH

Objectives

4.1. TO PROMOTE THE PREVENTION OF AVOIDABLE SIGHT LOSS4.2. TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS AND THEIR FAMILIESOR CARERS, IN PARTICULAR THOSE RESIDENT IN THE COUNTY OF WORCESTERSHIRE4.3. THE PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE AND/OR GOOD QUALITY SERVICES FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTEDPERSONS, ALONE OR IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER VOLUNTARY AND STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS.4.4. TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION NECESSARY TO EMPOWER THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED TOMAKE APPROPRIATE AND INFORMED CHOICES.THE INCOME AND PROPERTY OF THE ASSOCIATION SHALL BE APPLIED SOLELY TOWARDS THE PROMOTION OF THESEOBJECTIVES

Defined Area of Benefit:

WORCESTERSHIRE

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

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