Finance Score: -1

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 12

Volatile income
spending growth: -1
No PartB

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

Large volunteers +3
Grant maker support: +9

Overall GiG Score: 20

SOMERSET SIGHT LIMITED

To help visually impaired people in and around the county of Somerset to live as independently as possible by the provision of services and activities.

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
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

A PartB annual return has not been required and so detailed financial information is not available from the online data
Income has been volatile recently but spending has been maintained

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	£473	£578	£-105	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	325
31/03/22	£479	£462	£17	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	298
31/03/21	£485	£421	£64	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	301
31/03/20	£643	£463	£181	£42	£1,177	£699	18.1	11	306
31/03/19	£610	£434	£176	£37	£1,032	£674	18.6	11	303
31/03/18	£349	£408	£-59	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/17	£407	£378	£29	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/16	£376	£370	£6	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/15	£393	£388	£5	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 13%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000

Established: 10 years

www.somersetsight.org.uk

info@somersetsight.org.uk

01823366150

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

Disability
Education/Training

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Provides services

Where it operates

Somerset,

Who it helps

People With Disabilities

Who works here?

Unknown number of employees
325 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	£294,000
Somerset Community Foundation	£97,500
DCMS	£50,000
Masonic Trust	£15,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£15,000	25/05/2023	Unrestricted core funding for small charities
National Lottery Community Fund - Somerset Sight Early intervention
£290,000	24/03/2022	The project is using funding to continue their existing services which aim to improve the quality of life for people experiencing sight loss across Somerset. The aim is to provide lifelong specialist ....more The project is using funding to continue their existing services which aim to improve the quality of life for people experiencing sight loss across Somerset. The aim is to provide lifelong specialist support for people with sight loss and their family/carers.
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust - Somerset Sight - 04/03/22
£1,500	14/03/2022	Core Funding
Somerset Community Foundation - Volunteer befriending service
£2,500	21/12/2021	Volunteer befriending service
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Support for vulnerable people
£6,200	26/10/2020 4	Grant to Somerset Sight
Somerset Community Foundation - Somerset Sight Support
£85,000	04/08/2020 36	Somerset Sight Support
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£50,000	23/07/2020	"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."
Somerset Community Foundation - COVID19 Expanding remote support for people with sight loss
£3,800	07/05/2020 2	Expanding remote services to support people with sight loss during coronavirus
National Lottery Community Fund - The VI new tech connections project.
£4,000	18/07/2019 12	The funding will be used to provide an internet based phone system for the service which support people living with visual impairment. The project aims to build the groups capacity in order to meet ....more The funding will be used to provide an internet based phone system for the service which support people living with visual impairment. The project aims to build the groups capacity in order to meet the needs of service users
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£25,000	24/10/2018	Somerset Sight Northfield House Extension
National Lottery Community Fund - The great VI staff Tech movement!
£6,000	15/10/2018 12	The funding will be used to purchase new technology designed for people living with visual impairment. The project aims to enable staff members and service users to access greater opportunities.
BBC Children in Need - Grant to Somerset Sight Limited
£25,315	10/08/2017 36	This project will provide holiday activity sessions for children and young people who are blind or visually impaired. The project will increase emotional wellbeing and self-belief and improve a ....more This project will provide holiday activity sessions for children and young people who are blind or visually impaired. The project will increase emotional wellbeing and self-belief and improve a greater sense of self-identity.
Sport England - Somerset Sight Acoustic Rifle Shooting Club
£9,477	11/08/2016 11	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Somerset Sight Acoustic Rifle Shooting Club. This project is a Shooting project, with a focus on ....more Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled Somerset Sight Acoustic Rifle Shooting Club. This project is a Shooting project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
National Lottery Community Fund - Mobile Advisory Service
£393,532	16/06/2016 59	This project aims to improve quality of life for people experiencing sight loss, their carers, families and friends, across Somerset and Dorset. Services will be provided through a mobile unit, ....more This project aims to improve quality of life for people experiencing sight loss, their carers, families and friends, across Somerset and Dorset. Services will be provided through a mobile unit, reaching rural and isolated areas, care homes and retirement villages, with home visits for those who need it. This will include rehabilitation and equipment advice, vision assessments and signposting to other services. Volunteering will be promoted for visually impaired people to support their peers.
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Somerset Sight Limited
£22,600	29/06/2012	the salary and on-costs of the Resource Centre Manager

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (11)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 10/11 persons

Age Range of Trustees: 39-76

ZDENEK GREGOR Appointed: 2015, Occupation: Retired Surgeon, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

ANNA RACHEL BLAKE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Director, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

CHRISTINE BRIGGS Appointed: 2014, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

DR SARAH CHEN Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Engineer, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

IAN PINDER Appointed: 2015, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeships: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF WILTON,

JOHN WRIGHT Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

JONATHAN ALEXANDER NEWTON HALLIDAY Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Consultant, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

NICHOLAS JOHN HAM Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

PAUL FELLINGHAM Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

RICHARD JOHN BARTON Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Director, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

SARAH DIANE TUFTON Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND,

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 05/11/2013, number: 1154472
Registered at Companies House on 06/03/2013, number: 08432686

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Event History

07/01/2014 - Asset transfer in from SOMERSET ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
26/07/2021 - Asset transfer in from WEST SOMERSET TALKING NEWSPAPER
04/07/2022 - Asset transfer in from THE TAUNTON DEANE AUDIO-NEWS ASSOCIATION

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

9 returns made; all on time

Recent reorganisation events:

Asset transfer in from WEST SOMERSET TALKING NEWSPAPER on 26/07/2021
Asset transfer in from THE TAUNTON DEANE AUDIO-NEWS ASSOCIATION on 04/07/2022

Main office

Somerset Sight
Northfield House
51 Staplegrove Road
TAUNTON
TA1 1DG

Objectives

TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF DISABLED PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY WITH VISUAL DISABILITIES SUCH AS BLINDNESS OR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN SUCH CHARITABLE WAYS AS THE TRUSTEES MAY DECIDE FROM TIME TO TIME IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF SPECIALIST AND VOLUNTARY HELP, CONSULTATION, CAMPAIGNING AND AWARENESS-RAISING.

Data Sources