BERKSHIRE COUNTY BLIND SOCIETY

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
Total income:
£1,425,136
Donations and legacies | £506.00k | |
Charitable activities | £118.77k | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £53.01k | |
Other | £747.36k |
Total expenditure:
£760,482
Raising funds | £40.82k | |
Charitable activities | £719.66k | |
Other | £0 |
£114,779 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £61,637 from 4 government contract(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
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.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £40.82k | |
Charitable expenditure | £719.66k | |
Retained for future use | £664.65k |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £40.82k | |
Charitable expenditure | £719.66k | |
Retained for future use | £779.43k |
People

36 Employee(s)
10 Trustee(s)
418 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
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£60k to £70k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Disability
- Amateur Sport
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Recreation
- Other Charitable Purposes
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- People With Disabilities
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Other Charitable Activities
- Bracknell Forest
- Reading
- Slough
- West Berkshire
- Windsor And Maidenhead
- Wokingham
Governance
- BCBS (Working name)
- BERKSHIRE VISION (Working name)
- 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
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 | ||||
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Christopher Owen | Trustee | 01 January 2025 |
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Clare Baldwin | Trustee | 01 January 2025 |
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Gavin Miller | Trustee | 01 January 2025 |
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ROBERT BRISTOW | Trustee | 01 November 2023 |
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Andrew Jones | Trustee | 01 January 2022 |
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Jane Veys | Trustee | 29 January 2020 |
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MARTIN JOHN GUBB | Trustee | 30 September 2015 |
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IAN ALEXANDER FRASER | Trustee | 10 December 2013 |
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DAVID JOHN FEW | Trustee | 12 March 2012 |
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MR DON REED | Trustee | 12 March 2012 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £306.56k | £441.54k | £424.05k | £499.24k | £1.43m | |
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Total expenditure | £657.22k | £488.42k | £607.32k | £655.62k | £760.48k | |
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Income from government contracts | £71.61k | £72.22k | N/A | £49.26k | £61.64k | |
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Income from government grants | N/A | £33.80k | £88.53k | £3.13k | N/A | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £506.00k | |
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Income - Other trading activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £0 | |
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Income - Charitable activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £118.77k | |
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Income - Endowments | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £53.01k | |
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Income - Other | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £747.36k | |
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Income - Legacies | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £159.93k | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £719.66k | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £40.82k | |
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Expenditure - Governance | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £210.37k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Other | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
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 InvestmentsInvestments 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.
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 liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese 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.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £1.12m | |
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Long-term investments | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £1.87m | |
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Other assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £235.97k | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | -£86.60k | |
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Total liabilities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | £42.70k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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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 |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 06 MAR 2012 as amended on 11 Oct 2019
Charitable objects
THE OBJECTS ARE TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED BY, IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY: (1)PROVIDING FACILITIES, SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT OR LITERATURE ON CONTRACT TO, AS AGENTS FOR, OR IN CO-OPERATION WITH, THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN BERKSHIRE OR ANY ORGANISATION, INSTITUTE, BODY, TRUST OR FUND, OR ANY PERSON OR PERSONS SUPPORTING THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY. (2) PROVIDING FINANCIAL AND/ OR PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN SPECIAL NEED. (3) CO-OPERATING WITH ORGANISATIONS CARRYING OUT RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSES OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND PROVIDING NON-TECHNICAL RELIEF FROM VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. (4) PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATING WITH THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES WITH REGARD TO THEIR EDUCATION AND WELFARE. (5) HELPING WITH THE PROVISION OF HOLIDAYS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. (6) SUPPLYING MATERIALS TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE ENGAGED IN PASTIME WORK AND ASSISTING IN MARKETING THE ARTICLES MADE BY THEM. (7) RAISING FUNDS AND INVITING AND RECEIVING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANY SOURCE WHATSOEVER BY WAY OF SUBSCRIPTIONS, DONATIONS AND COVENANTS IN ORDER TO FURTHER THE WORK OF THE CHARITY. (8) THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC WITH REGARD TO THE NEEDS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE.
Contact information
- Address:
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BERKSHIRE VISION
5 ERLEIGH ROAD
READING
RG1 5LR
- Phone:
- 01189872803
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