BERKSHIRE COUNTY BLIND SOCIETY

Charity number: 1146413
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

Provision of information, advice, guidance, support services, leisure, social and sports activities for visually impaired people in Berkshire

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024

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.

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

This charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.

Trustee payments

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

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Disability
  • Amateur Sport
  • Economic/community Development/employment
  • Recreation
  • Other Charitable Purposes
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • Elderly/old People
  • People With Disabilities
How the charity helps:
  • Provides Human Resources
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Services
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Other Charitable Activities
Where the charity operates:
  • Bracknell Forest
  • Reading
  • Slough
  • West Berkshire
  • Windsor And Maidenhead
  • Wokingham

Governance

Registration history:
  • 15 March 2012: Standard registration
  • 03 May 2012: Funds received from 202351 THE BERKSHIRE COUNTY BLIND SOCIETY
  • 21 February 2025: Funds received from 1062433 READING ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:
  • BCBS (Working name)
  • BERKSHIRE VISION (Working name)
Company number:
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
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • 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
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases 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

10 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Christopher Owen Trustee 01 January 2025
None on record
Clare Baldwin Trustee 01 January 2025
None on record
Gavin Miller Trustee 01 January 2025
None on record
ROBERT BRISTOW Trustee 01 November 2023
None on record
Andrew Jones Trustee 01 January 2022
None on record
Jane Veys Trustee 29 January 2020
None on record
MARTIN JOHN GUBB Trustee 30 September 2015
None on record
IAN ALEXANDER FRASER Trustee 10 December 2013
None on record
DAVID JOHN FEW Trustee 12 March 2012
None on record
MR DON REED Trustee 12 March 2012
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/03/2020 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024
Total gross income £306.56k £441.54k £424.05k £499.24k £1.43m
Total expenditure £657.22k £488.42k £607.32k £655.62k £760.48k
Income from government contracts £71.61k £72.22k N/A £49.26k £61.64k
Income from government grants N/A £33.80k £88.53k £3.13k N/A
Income - Donations and legacies N/A N/A N/A N/A £506.00k
Income - Other trading activities N/A N/A N/A N/A £0
Income - Charitable activities N/A N/A N/A N/A £118.77k
Income - Endowments N/A N/A N/A N/A £0
Income - Investment N/A N/A N/A N/A £53.01k
Income - Other N/A N/A N/A N/A £747.36k
Income - Legacies N/A N/A N/A N/A £159.93k
Expenditure - Charitable activities N/A N/A N/A N/A £719.66k
Expenditure - Raising funds N/A N/A N/A N/A £40.82k
Expenditure - Governance N/A N/A N/A N/A £210.37k
Expenditure - Grants institution N/A N/A N/A N/A £0
Expenditure - Investment management N/A N/A N/A N/A £0
Expenditure - Other N/A N/A N/A N/A £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.

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Asset / Liability 31/03/2020 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024
Own use assets N/A N/A N/A N/A £1.12m
Long-term investments N/A N/A N/A N/A £1.87m
Other assets N/A N/A N/A N/A £235.97k
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability N/A N/A N/A N/A -£86.60k
Total liabilities N/A N/A N/A N/A £42.70k

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 March 2024 19 November 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2024 19 November 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2023 22 November 2023 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2023 22 November 2023 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2022 16 November 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2022 16 November 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2021 14 October 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2021 14 October 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2020 26 November 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2020 26 November 2020 On Time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Contact information

Address:
BERKSHIRE VISION
5 ERLEIGH ROAD
READING
RG1 5LR
Phone:
01189872803