BLIND VETERANS UK

Charity number: 216227
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

We help blind or vision impaired men and women who have served in the UK Armed Forces, and who meet our criteria, by giving the emotional and practical support they require to overcome the challenges they face to discover a life beyond blindness. All blind veterans should have access to the finest quality of services to help them discover life beyond sight loss.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024

Total income:
£29,761,000

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Donations and legacies £20.80m
Charitable activities £1.73m
Other trading activities £0
Investments £3.90m
Other £3.34m

Total expenditure:
£36,292,000

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Raising funds £5.70m
Charitable activities £30.59m
Other £0

£3,939,000 investments gains (losses)

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.

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Raising funds and other expenditure £5.70m
Charitable expenditure £30.59m

People

425 Employee(s)

13 Trustee(s)

1048 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£60k to £70k 7
£70k to £80k 6
£80k to £90k 3
£90k to £100k 1
£100k to £110k 1
£110k to £120k 2
£120k to £130k 2

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:
  • Education/training
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
  • Disability
  • Accommodation/housing
  • Amateur Sport
Who the charity helps:
  • People With Disabilities
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • Other Defined Groups
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Individuals
  • Makes Grants To Organisations
  • Provides Human Resources
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Services
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
Where the charity operates:
  • Throughout England And Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • Scotland

Governance

Registration history:
  • 19 November 1962: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:
  • ST DUNSTAN'S (Previous name)
Company number:
00189648 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
  • Care Quality Commission
  • Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity 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
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

13 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Ben Caswell Trustee 12 December 2023
None on record
Georgina Jarratt Trustee 21 March 2023
None on record
Karl Havard Trustee 21 March 2023
None on record
Clare Hayes Trustee 14 December 2021
None on record
Jamie Cuthbertson Trustee 14 December 2021
None on record
Ian Sherriff Trustee 23 June 2020
None on record
Alan Holderness Trustee 11 December 2018
BLACKBURN AND DISTRICT BLIND SOCIETY
Received: On time
Brigadier Tim Seal TD DL VR Trustee 11 December 2018
THE ULYSSES TRUST
Received: On time
GUY DAVIES Trustee 20 March 2018
None on record
Neelesh Heredia Trustee 26 September 2017
None on record
Colin Williamson Trustee 03 February 2017
None on record
Barry Coupe Trustee 28 March 2016
None on record
DAVID TURNER Trustee 01 February 2016
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 £28.13m £27.53m £28.83m £37.95m £29.76m
Total expenditure £42.21m £33.06m £32.02m £34.98m £36.29m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants N/A £203.00k N/A N/A N/A
Income - Donations and legacies £17.25m £20.22m £18.71m £16.91m £20.80m
Income - Other trading activities £8.00k £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Charitable activities £2.50m £1.55m £1.71m £1.80m £1.73m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £3.53m £2.85m £3.03m £3.65m £3.90m
Income - Other £4.84m £2.91m £5.37m £15.60m £3.34m
Income - Legacies £10.91m £11.43m £11.87m £10.53m £14.70m
Expenditure - Charitable activities £31.35m £26.36m £26.97m £29.28m £30.59m
Expenditure - Raising funds £7.81m £6.70m £5.06m £5.70m £5.70m
Expenditure - Governance £0 £64.00k £9.13m £10.34m £2.15m
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Investment management £917.00k £900.00k £887.00k £833.00k £927.00k
Expenditure - Other £3.05m £0 £0 £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.

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Asset / Liability 31/03/2020 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024
Own use assets £42.12m £89.80m £48.19m £47.57m £81.10m
Long-term investments £83.25m £41.43m £87.78m £83.31m £62.17m
Other assets £8.74m £11.15m £9.52m £13.94m £18.53m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability -£13.02m -£12.17m -£3.71m £3.56m £2.66m
Total liabilities £2.48m £4.99m £7.62m £7.80m £7.56m

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 31 January 2025 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2024 31 January 2025 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2023 09 January 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2023 09 January 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2022 11 November 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2022 11 November 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2021 15 November 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2021 15 November 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2020 20 October 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2020 20 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.

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 30/04/1923 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 19/07/1935 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 19/06/1940 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 12/11/1948 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 31/03/1950 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 21/07/1961 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 27/11/1963 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 07/10/1982 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 09/11/1995 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 27/11/1998 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 01/12/1998 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 28/11/1999 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 02/03/2000 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 06/11/2007 AS AMENDED BY CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION ON CHANGE OF NAME DATED 27/01/2012 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 21 SEP 2016 as amended on 22 Mar 2022 as amended on 01 Jun 2022

Charitable objects

4.1 To provide for the medical or surgical treatment, re-education, training in one or more trade or trades, settlement and permanent welfare of:- 4.1.1 Members or former members of the armed forces both men and women blinded from whatever cause whether or not connected in any way with service in the armed forces; 4.1.2 Other persons both men and women not being members or former members of the armed forces who are blinded in or as a consequence of any war or warlike operations in which the forces of the Crown may be at any time engaged or any service connected with or subsidiary to such war or warlike operations or by or as a consequence of enemy action in the course of any such war or warlike operations; and 4.1.3 Other persons both men and women not being members or former members of the UK armed forces who are blinded in or as a consequence of any war or warlike operations or terrorist activity (all such persons being hereinafter referred to as ‘Beneficiaries’) and so that for the purposes of these Articles the word ‘blinded’ shall extend to all cases in which the sight has been so impaired that special care and training are required and all cases in which the sight is endangered so long as the cause of the danger continues. 4.2 To provide allowances or other assistance for any wife, widow, husband, widower, child or dependent of a Beneficiary who may be in need of assistance or any person who shall have kept house for or nursed or otherwise rendered exceptional service to or have been dependent upon a Beneficiary any may after the death of such Beneficiary be in need of assistance.

Area of benefit

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

NOT DEFINED

Linked charities

Linked charities
Linked charity 216227-2 ARTHUR PEARSON MEMORIAL FUND
Governing document
UNKNOWN
Charitable objects
FOR THE GENERAL PURPOSES OF ST. DUNSTAN'S.
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED
Registration history
  • 19 November 1962 : Standard registration

Contact information

Address:
Blind Veterans UK
3 Queen Square
LONDON
WC1N 3AR
Phone:
03001112233
Email:
Supporter.Services@blindveterans.org.uk
Website:

www.blindveterans.org.uk Open in new window