ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND

Charity number: 207544
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

Seventy five per cent of blindness in the world is either avoidable or treatable. Sightsavers works with partners in developing countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Our work alleviates poverty among poor and marginalised communities and thus helps to realise the internationally accepted Millenium Development Goals.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 December 2023

Total income:
£338,159,000

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Donations and legacies £312.34m
Charitable activities £24.02m
Other trading activities £226.00k
Investments £1.53m
Other £38.00k

Total expenditure:
£340,501,000

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Raising funds £23.19m
Charitable activities £317.32m
Other £0

£365,000 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £5,749,148 from 1 government contract(s) and £1,302,306 from 5 government grant(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Raising funds and other expenditure £23.19m
Charitable expenditure £317.32m

People

840 Employee(s)

14 Trustee(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£60k to £70k 38
£70k to £80k 17
£80k to £90k 16
£90k to £100k 7
£100k to £110k 3
£110k to £120k 2
£120k to £130k 1
£130k to £140k 1
£140k to £150k 1
£150k to £200k 3

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

One or more trustees are also directors of the subsidiaries

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
  • Disability
  • The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
  • Overseas Aid/famine Relief
  • Economic/community Development/employment
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • Elderly/old People
  • People With Disabilities
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Organisations
  • Provides Human Resources
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Services
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Where the charity operates:
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cameroon
  • Chad
  • Congo
  • Congo (Democratic Republic)
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-bissau
  • India
  • Ivory Coast
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mozambique
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • The Gambia
  • Togo
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Governance

Registration history:
  • 21 December 2004: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Other
Other names:
  • SIGHT SAVERS (Working name)
  • SIGHTSAVERS (Working name)
  • SIGHTSAVERS INTERNATIONAL (Working name)
Company number:
RC000706 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
No information available
Policies:
  • 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
Land and property:
This charity does not own and/or lease land or property

Trustees

Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service

14 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
CLIVE JONES CBE Chair 01 August 2018
None on record
Pratik Vijaykumar Patel Trustee 21 September 2023
None on record
Dr Subramanian Garimella Trustee 25 April 2023
None on record
Dr Henry Nkumbe Trustee 09 February 2023
None on record
Joan Burton Trustee 19 January 2022
None on record
Dr Margaret Gyapong Trustee 16 February 2021
None on record
JOY HUTCHEON Trustee 11 July 2019
None on record
DAVID LOUIS TAYLOR Trustee 01 November 2018
None on record
Professor Tuwani Adel Rasengane Trustee 01 November 2018
None on record
MAVIS OWUSU-GYAMFI Trustee 01 November 2017
None on record
PROFESSOR Christopher John Whitty Trustee 01 November 2017
None on record
ABIA AKRAM Trustee 01 September 2017
None on record
William Kendall Trustee 23 January 2017
None on record
Elaine Lee Trustee 04 May 2016
None on record

Financial history

" role="img"> Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.

Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023
Total gross income £340.66m £261.01m £236.78m £313.35m £337.95m
Total expenditure £332.11m £250.41m £213.62m £309.17m £340.50m
Income from government contracts £16.55m £26.13m £25.95m £7.59m £5.75m
Income from government grants £447.20k £9.26m £5.68m £3.85m £1.30m
Income - Donations and legacies £299.08m £217.74m £194.15m £281.59m £312.34m
Income - Other trading activities £0 £0 £263.00k £218.00k £226.00k
Income - Charitable activities £41.28m £43.09m £42.12m £31.11m £24.02m
Income - Endowments £214.00k £214.00k £214.00k £214.00k £214.00k
Income - Investment £453.00k £292.00k £189.00k £368.00k £1.53m
Income - Other £65.00k £106.00k £47.00k £58.00k £38.00k
Income - Legacies £10.33m £12.54m £14.05m £11.83m £15.88m
Expenditure - Charitable activities £313.29m £230.46m £194.69m £286.88m £317.32m
Expenditure - Raising funds £18.06m £19.53m £18.58m £22.29m £23.19m
Expenditure - Governance £1.88m £1.96m £1.44m £2.35m £2.47m
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £37.04m £39.88m £39.25m £30.93m
Expenditure - Investment management £64.00k £52.73k £45.00k £43.96k £52.00k
Expenditure - Other £755.00k £419.00k £360.00k £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.

Long term Investments

Investments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.

Other assets

These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.

Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.

" role="img"> Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Asset / Liability 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023
Own use assets £6.75m £73.00k £656.00k £6.62m £670.00k
Long-term investments £47.00k £6.72m £7.24m £676.30k £7.10m
Other assets £39.78m £55.17m £79.35m £86.42m £75.62m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability -£370.00k -£1.38m £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £14.89m £19.84m £21.83m £25.02m £17.12m

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 31 December 2023 09 October 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2023 09 October 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2022 31 October 2023 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2022 31 October 2023 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2021 03 October 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2021 03 October 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2020 06 October 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2020 06 October 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2019 13 October 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2019 13 October 2020 On Time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

ROYAL CHARTER AND BYE-LAWS DATED 28TH FEBRUARY 1990, AS AMENDED BY PRIVY COUNCIL 1 MAY 1998 AS AMENDED BY S282 RESOLUTION EFFECTIVE ON 21 JULY 2014

Charitable objects

(A) THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF BLINDNESS AND THE EDUCATION ,REHABILITATION ,TRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE BLIND IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT. (B) TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG ORGANISATIONS CONCERNED WITH BLINDNESS AND ITS PREVENTION AND TO PROMOTE AND WHERE APPROPRIATE TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES LIKELY TO PREVENT BLINDNESS AND BENEFIT THE BLIND IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD.

Area of benefit

The area the charity can operate in, as set out in its governing document.

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COMMONWEALTH

Linked charities

Linked charities
Linked charity 207544-2 MOUNTJOY BEQUEST FUND
Governing document
TRUST DEED DATED 15 NOVEMBER 2004.
Charitable objects
2.1 THE RELIEF OF THE DISABILITY OF THE BLIND OR PARTIALLY SIGHTED PARTICULARLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BLIND OR PARTIALLY SIGHTED CHILDREN BY ANY MEANS WHICH SHALL BE RECOGNISED AS CHARITABLE. 2.2 THE TRUSTEES MUST USE THE INCOME OF THE FUND IN PROMOTING THE OBJECTS THE CAPITAL WILL BE HELD AS PERMANENT ENDOWMENT.
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE NATIONAL AND OVERSEAS.
Registration history
  • 21 December 2004 : Standard registration

Contact information

Address:
35 PERRYMOUNT ROAD
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH16 3BW
Phone:
01444446601
Email:
info@sightsavers.org
Website:

www.sightsavers.org Open in new window