Finance Score: 7

Governance Score: 0

Support Score: 8

Liabilities <10%: +3
Excess liquidity: -1
Income diversified: +3
Strong growth: +2

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 15

SIGHT SUPPORT WEST OF ENGLAND

To provide local practical and emotional support for people living with sight loss across the West of England to improve quality of life, increase independence and enable blind and partially-sighted people to lead active and fulfilling lives.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has a robust balance sheet
Income generation is well diversified
There has been strong growth in spending since inception
There have been no income shortfalls in recent years
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government and there are significant future grants due to be received

Financial issues to consider:

Liquidity appeared to be in excess of CC guidelines at the latest year end

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	£700	£694	£6	£73	£915	£883	15.3	18	92
31/03/22	£1,362	£586	£776	£113	£942	£936	19.2	17	68
31/03/21	£525	£471	£54	£82	£156	£149	3.8	14	58
31/03/20	£421	£390	£31	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	35
31/03/19	£376	£304	£71	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 13.2%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 10.5%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 11%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000
Liabilities/Assets: 3%
Liabilities/Income: 4%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 96%
Reserves/Spending: 15.3 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 5 months
Quick Ratio: 10.1

Asset Split ?

Established: 6 years

www.sightsupportwest.org.uk

info@sightsupportwest.org.uk

01173224885

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Listed activities

Disability
General Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Bath And North East Somerset, Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities

Who works here?

18 employees
92 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	£374,928
Quartet Community Foundation	£18,675
Masonic Trust	£15,000
The Grocers' Charity	£4,562

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£1,687	21/10/2023	We plan to run peer support groups in Bristol. People can get to know each other and their local area, and finally have someone to talk to that understands what they are going through.
National Lottery Community Fund - Community Sight Loss Service
£344,928	31/05/2023	The funding will support the project over 5 years with core costs and enable them to continue and extend the reach of the project. This service bridges the gap between health provision and social ....more The funding will support the project over 5 years with core costs and enable them to continue and extend the reach of the project. This service bridges the gap between health provision and social care and aims to benefit 2600 registered visually impaired people each year.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£5,000	01/02/2023	To grow and expand the community sight loss service reaching more people who are adjusting to living with sight loss.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£1,557	22/10/2022	We aim to provide a range of practical and emotional support face to face, online or by phone for people living with sight loss to live independently and create social networks to reduce isolation.
National Lottery Community Fund - Community Sight Loss Service
£10,000	16/09/2022	The organisation will expand their services providing local community sight loss hubs across the region to access harder to reach communities and support people with sight loss in their local areas ....more The organisation will expand their services providing local community sight loss hubs across the region to access harder to reach communities and support people with sight loss in their local areas and address issues linked to social isolation and lack of independence.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£843	23/10/2021	We provide information, advice and local support to blind and partially sighted people in Thornbury and across South Gloucestershire. We help them to live independently with their sight loss.
National Lottery Community Fund - Community Sight Loss Support
£10,000	27/08/2021	The funding will be used towards the cost of a 'Community Sight Loss Advisor' which will enable the organisation to re-start face-to-face community services providing information advice guidance and ....more The funding will be used towards the cost of a 'Community Sight Loss Advisor' which will enable the organisation to re-start face-to-face community services providing information advice guidance and social activities for people experiencing sight loss.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£9,400	21/07/2021 7	Employing a Project Officer post that will support the development of the organisation's governance structure by building relationships with new communities and increasing access to the people they ....more Employing a Project Officer post that will support the development of the organisation's governance structure by building relationships with new communities and increasing access to the people they aim to serve.
The Grocers' Charity - 2021 - Sight Support West of England
£4,562	17/11/2020	Providing face to face support/advice for up to 300 people with vision impairments. The grant would support a part-time sight advisor.
Masonic Trust - MCF Small Grant
£15,000	02/06/2020	Unrestricted core funding for small charities
National Lottery Community Fund - Community Sight Loss Support
£10,000	22/05/2020 18	The funding will be used on a telephone befriending service provide emotional support calls and to facilitate virtual social groups. This aims to help those who are visually impaired and are feeling ....more The funding will be used on a telephone befriending service provide emotional support calls and to facilitate virtual social groups. This aims to help those who are visually impaired and are feeling isolated or lonely during this current Covid-19 epidemic.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to Sight Support West of England
£4,275	12/05/2020	To support the set up of a telephone befriending service, emotional support calls and online and telephone social events for clients, including the recruitment of volunteers.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (8)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Based on 7/8 persons

Age Range of Trustees:

IOAN MCAVOY Appointed: 2024

AMAR SHAH Appointed: 2019

HEATHER ARMSTRONG Appointed: 2020

LAUREN JANE WILLIAMS Appointed: 2019

ROGER BONNER Appointed: 2022

SIMON JOHN RUSSELL Appointed: 2019

CARL HALL Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Opperations Director, Other trusteeship: WILTSHIRE BLIND ASSOCIATION,

NICHOLAS GRINHAM (Chair) Appointed: 2017, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: WILTSHIRE BLIND ASSOCIATION,

Legal constitution

Charity registered in England & Wales on 15/05/2018, number: 1178384

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
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

5 returns made; all on time

Main office

St Lucy's Sight Centre
Browfort
Bath Road
Devizes
Wiltshire
SN10 2AT

Objectives

THE OBJECT OF THE CIO ISTO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE GOOD HEALTH OF PEOPLE WITH AND AT RISK OF SIGHT LOSS BY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO INCREASE THEIR INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENCE AND BY DEVELOPING AN INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PREVENTION AND ALLEVIATION OF SIGHT LOSS. NOTHING IN THIS CONSTITUTION SHALL AUTHORISE AN APPLICATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CIO FOR THE PURPOSES WHICH ARE NOT CHARITABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH [SECTION 7 OF THE CHARITIES AND TRUSTEE INVESTMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005] AND [SECTION 2 OF THE CHARITIES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2008].

Data Sources