REGISTERED CHARTtY NUMBER.. 1003699
Report of th¢ TrLt$te¢$ and
Unaudited Flnancial St¥tenJents flir th¢ Year Ended 30 Septcrnber 2025
for
The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The A55ociwtiOTL or
Optomeirbts
Harris Lacey and Swa
Suit¢ I
Thc RLvcrsid¢ Building
H¢551e
East Yorkshirc
HU130DZ

The Benevolènt Trund of The College of
Optometrists & The Association or
Optometrists
CoDteTht5 of the Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
Page
Report olthe Trustee5
Independent ExAmiDer'J Report
St#tement of Financial Attivities
B¥lill¢¢ Sh¢et
10
Notes to the finaDeial Staten*nts
I I to 17

The Bettevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The Assuri*iion fy(
Optomctrists
He￿rI of thé Trustet8
ror the Ye4r Ended 30 September 2025
Thc trnstees pre5¢nt th¢ir Tewrt with the fir￿n¢la] sraicments ef th¢ chariry for the y￿r eDd¢d 30 September 2025. The
tru51ees have adopted the provisions ot. Accounting aiid Reporting by Clittiities-. Siatemeni of Recommended Practice
applicable io chaiitL¢S piepaiing iheiT a¢¢ounis Jn accordance wilh Ihe Financial Reporting St3ndard applicable Jn the
UK and Republic of I￿land IFRS 1021 (effective l January 20191.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTMTIES
Objtttive5 and alms
The INsiees r¢vi¢w th¢ aims, objectives and &Clivities of the chanry each ycar. This report looks at what the chariry has
achieved and the outcomes ofiis work in the reporting period. The Itustees TeiM)rt the success of each key acliviiy and
the benefits the charity brought 10 those groups of people thai it is sa up to help The review aLw helps the trustees
ensure the chanty's aitn, obj¢¢iivcs and aciivitics remained focu%d on ils stated purposes.
Th¢ trust¢es have teferred 10 the guidance coiitained in th¢ Charity Comttussiort's general guidanct on public benefii
when reviewing th¢ ch£lritys airns and objectives and in planning lis fiittire aclivili¢s. In particular. the trustees cotL%ideT
how plalln¢d adiviti¢s will conttibute 10 the aims and objeGtiv¢s that liave b¢¢n $¢1.
Objeets of the charity
The pi)ncipal obJe¢t of the charity is to afford asSjStaiice by applicsltion of the Incomc of the charity, and all QT Such part
or parrs of the capitsl. at $uth lime$ a]Ml tn such manner as the managing truste¢5 tnay in their ab$oluie discreiion
fit, 10 or for the benefit of all or gny
Necessiious membcrs and fortller members of Ihe College of Opromeirisrs. the A950¢iaiion of Opiometrisis or
optorn¢trisls re¥isteied with The Gencral Optical Council and tlLeii' dependants.
Formcr mernb¢rs and a550ciatc rnetnbets of histOTical Ophthalmic Optician professional representative organisations
and IheiT dependants.
- Oiher rn¢Tnb¢rs and fotmer Tnembers of the opiometric profession and their dependanls.
- UndeTgrnduaie opiometyy students regi5t¢red with th¢ General Optical Council, on an individual discretionary basis.
Signifi¢xn¢ *¢tlvltle$
The Iruste¢s ar¢ very grate￿1 10 the Association of Opiomctrists for th¢ir member5, donations to the Benevolent Fund.
They ar¢ a150 iiJunensely gtaiefijl to Jndividuals who leBv¢ legacie5 to the chtTIIy 2nd lo organisation5 such as LOCS and
individuals wiihin Ihc opiom¢ty profes$ien who make regular or one-off donatLOtIs.
The Iruslees hgve conlinu¢d to explore ways of 12ising the profile of the Fund, in order to be more conspicuous lo
potential appli¢2ttt5. The Collcgc of Optom¢trisls ICOOI and AssociaiioJJ of Opiometrisis IAOP) m¢th¢TShip
departments r¢f¢r th¢iT tnembers 10 the Benevolent Fund if hardship cas¢5 Come to their attention.
We have scen increasing numbeTS of referrnls following contact with the AOP p¢¢i support helpline and we ulilise our
ttus*¢s' links with the AOP 10 faciliiate this route of ref¢tral. Enquiries have arrjved via th¢ websit¢ as well as
Colleagues and orgaiiisalions which are awdre of ihc fund. Work is being und¢rlak¢n lo prvvide an online application
fonn atKi simplify th¢ applicatiort proc￿.
The existence 2nd work of the Bcnevoleni Fund within the world of optornetTy has bcen promoted via an article in the
'Opiomeiry Today, joumal. The tr￿let$ recognise the need for a more contemporary and inclusive working iiile in order
to publi¢i$e the fL]nd's activities amongst stakeholder5 and have voted to adopt the worklng iitle of'OptomH¢lp'.
Thc Fund ha5 a presence on Lllth¢dIn. It fosters r¢lBtL0115hips with other charities and avails itself of training
oppominiii¢s throiigh lis m¢Tnbership of the Association of Charitabl¢ Organisations IACOI. The Admiwstrative
Secretsry h8s att¢nd¢d fi￿her courses tor froniline workers, provided by Shelter.
Page I

The Benevolent FuDd of The College of
Optometrisis & TILe Association of
Optometrists
Report of the Trustee5
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Publlt bentfit
The Iruste¢s hav¢ had regttrd to the Chatity Commission's gujdance on public benefit and its supplerneEltary guidanc¢ on
public benefjl foi ehariiies for the pteveniion or relief of poverty and they b¢lievc that all of th¢ fvnd's activities fall
within the guidanc¢.
The only T￿Trici10n5 on the fi￿d,8 5UPPOrt, aside frotn ¢X¢¢PliotL21 undeigraduaie hardship, are Ihai beneficiarie5 musl
or have been. on the GOC Registei (or be the dependanl of somconc who hasl and they must dernonstrate financial
nttd. 11 Is not the fund's iask to replace sraic benefits and it in many I￿14n¢e$ paid for an applicatti to receive expen
advice on entLi1¢n￿nt5 and clain)ing.
A number of th¢ fvnd's regular benefitiaries are in receipt of mcans-tested benefits, such a5 Universal CT¢dit and
housing benefit. By implication, they are among th¢ poor¢r m¢mbeT5 of SQEiely. The Insiees take Ihe view that people
annot rnove on with tlieir lives until their basic needs have been mcl. The grants made suppletn¢nt litniled incomes and
pay for basic r¢quircmcnts. thus pr¢v¢nling poverty and allowing 4 Teastsnable quality of life. Other benefjciaries rcccivc
one-off grant5 to tn¢¢t spe¢ifi¢ experw, OT short-i¢mi support to help rhem Ibrough a dI￿lculty whictl eventually
be resolved.
Pag¢ 2

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrist5 & The A55ociation of
Optometrists
Report of the Tiustees
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable a¢tiiities
Th¢ charity's tDain activities and those it tries to help are described below_ Its efforts focus exclusively on opiom¢irists
nd their depet￿anl$. and from time lo tiine. 11105¢ ID training.
The chariry has uE)dertaken io further the Fund's ¢h#rit3bl¢ putP05e5 for the publjc benefji.
During the financial year, thcre wcre 46 new enquiries asking about assistance, 10 of which tesulied in full applications.
Onc was a rc-application. Th¢ 36 made iniiial enquiries but who did not pursue a full applieaiion were followed up.
Th¢y d￿lded noi to apply due to an improvement Ltl their fiTcurtisiances. detlined foT olhtr reasons or did not r¢ply.
Every enquiry r¢c¢iv¢d 1$ afforded detailed aiietLlion. 6 new granrs were awarded. 2 beneficiaries who were awarded
gTant5 in previous ycars eontinued to receLV¢ assistance.
The fund paid for the following items during the fiiiancial y¢aT'
Gencral household expenses and bi115 for a specified period of time.
- ContributiOTL to children's Christmas presents.
Referrals to CA Manchester foT debt and bud8eiin8 advice.
- Help towards fi]neraltheTeavetn¢nl Costs.
Contributions to counKlli￿o st￿l0nS to help deal with piolonged serious illness. allKi¢ty and nKlllal Wellbe￿8.
Help with bills after reduced workkttg hours due 10 major surgery. Geneial Optical Council regisiraiion fees.
Assisiing with mortgag¢ paytn¢nts when unable 10 woik whilst looking after ill dependallts.
F.1gmination ¢qUiPTt]ent for a pre-registraiion sludeDI.
Help with rent.
During the tinancial year one beiiefitiary, who is pemiancntly disabl¢d following Seve￿ illness, coniinued 10 receive
long-term grattt assisiance. The ftLnd enabled pursuit of a fitness re￿i￿t 10 assssi with disability. th¢ purchase of a tjew
wheelchair and general quality of life improvement.
This y¢ar the fiujd assisted several beneficiaries suffering ill healtli, in¢luduxg cancer.
Th¢ fvnd ¢rKourages optometrists to tr2in. stsy and progress in th¢ii chosex ptofession.
Th¢ fvnd ha5 seen an increasing nimiber of ¢nquiTi¢S from applicants whose main need is advice and assi5tan¢e, rather
Ihan a cash grant. In such ca%¢5, the trust¢es rnay signpost ihc ￿￿pplIcant lo specialist organssations or tharities that can
provid¢. for ¢xample, firtartcial. debt managemeiii and budg¢titLg advice or psychological support. The trust¢¢s rtcognLS¢
that signpostmg to ouiside 50uro¢5 of a$sistartee is likely 10 be an incT¢asing role for the charity in illSlance5, for
exajnple, where Control of personal expenditure provid¢s a better long-temi solution to financial Problems compared to a
Cash grant thai only provides a tetnpixary fix.
With regard 10 th¢ fund's changing Tol¢, as identified by the tnjstees, collaborative relations have been e5tsblished with
p%r group ctLaritie5. the doctots, vets. dentists and pharn￿clsts. all of which fjnd themselves Jn the same situaiion.
Mental health issues are becoming more commonplac¢ and th¢ Intstees are ¢ortsidcrin8 how to wvrk with other
oigan15alions Iv provide approprjate typ¢s of care, e5pccially in the ¢ontCKi of long NHS waiting lists foi mentsl health
s¢rvic¢s. In some eases, fijrtding priv81e counsclling in order that an applieartt ]night receive help sooner, can ¢nabl¢ an
earlier remm lo work. restoration of flnatlrl￿ independence and self-esieem.
Page 3

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The Assotlation of
Optometrists
Report of the Trustees
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Complaints & CompliTnents
There were no coniplaints rcceived. Many expressions of appr¢¢i8tion were ie¢eived from berteficiaries with messages
such as..
'I'vc jusi r¢ccived yow lat¢51 ¢rnail and I really appreciate ihe financial help given io me ai Ihis time. Please also
eKteiid my thanks to boih Irhe Trustecsl- Ih¢y were really understsnding and very kdnd al both Zoom ¢alls and the help
so far has been really appre¢Jal¢d. I would like to donate or give sornething back lo the fund ai a laier date- if you let me
know as it has really been of huge benefit and help especially in my ei￿rent circurnsiance5."
"This opportunity and expTession of benevolence is unlike an>rthing I have ¢V¢T ¢ncount¢r¢d. I would like to extend trty
gratitude to all memb¢r5 of the board, to yQUTself and as well as specifitally 10 IThe TNstsesl with whom we had our
Tne¢ting. The Heine Iui is excellent. thank you. I have attached the invoic¢ I have r¢c¢iv¢d Ihus far fro￿ th¢ Ilo¢a(ionl
acci)mmoda(ion for Sepiember. Tlwik you all very much."
'Thtttth you fer thc me&￿ge. That is wonderful ii¢ws and rnuch appre¢iaied. Th¢ grani certainly has a massive iTtLpacl
tsn ihe quality of my life, please pass on my appreciation."
'Thank you very rnuch indeed for your email ouilinitig Ihe support package sugge51¢d by the trustees. 1 fr¢1 rxi¥¢mely
grate￿] io have been considered for suppori and am v¢ry thallkfui lo all iovvlved. This will help me n￿ssIVely. Thank
you so much again for YOUT help aiid kindness and please pass my appreciation on lo th¢ tnIst¢￿. l cannot thaT& and
board mcmbcTS ¢nougli for all the help. I had advis¢d io contact Opliral Benevolent Fund even during my pre reg
when I was stTuggling, even now I was hesJLqni. I could get Ihe courag¢ aft¢1 sp¢aking lo you. thanks. dll the good
work you do. I must say, ir's not easy to ask for help but you atd board members do it in a way which 15 $0 dignified,
¢n¢oura8in8, 1 goi so much Jnformalion diiring Ihe meeting. I want to Say my heartiest thanks to you, trustees who
conducitd th¢ tneeiing. all the board n￿mbers. 1 wish someday I could help someone the way I got help."
FINANCIAI. RF,VIEW
Financial POSLtioTh
The tr￿leeS are most appre£iative of the support from both the College of Optometrists 2nd AOP. Throughoui th¢ year
each body also sUPtx>rts the Furtd by providing valuablc services and facilili¢s which 3551st greatly in Tninirnising
ovcihcads. The Itustces are also irnmen5ely grateful lo individuals who leave legacies 10 the challry and to organisations
such as LOC$ 8T￿ individu21s within the OPiL)meiry profession who r￿￿k¢ regul￿ or on¢-off donation$.
Tli¢ trust¢¢s have conlinued to cxploic ways of iaising the profile of the Fund, itl ordeT lo be more conspieuou$ to
poontial applicants. The Coll¢gc of Optotnetrisls ICOOI attd Associaiion of Opiomeiri815 IAOPI Enemb¢iship
departments refer their members 10 the Benevolent Fund if hardship cases cojne to their attention.
We have seen increasing numbers of referrals following coniact with Ihe AOP peer support helpline and we Ulilise our
Ttustees, litths wilh ihe AOP lo facilitaie this Toul¢ of referral. EnquiTies have also arrived via the website As w¢ll zs
coll¢agu¢5 organi5alions which are awttie of Ihe fund. Work is being und¢rlak¢n to provid¢ oiiljne application
fortn.
Page 4

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrlst$ & The Asso¢latlon of
Optometrists
Report of the Trustees
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
The trustees are looking to increase ih¢ help whi¢h is given 10 Potential benefjcianes by encouraging more applicatiolls
and processing Ilietn mo>re sp¢¢dily. This will tequiie further adminisiraijon resoLwce and will increase ihc cost of grants
and support ¢osrs Ihcmsclvts. While th¢ fund a 5ignifi¢aiit capit￿1 base, Il does noi receive enough opcraling incotnc
ro cover the proposed incTe45e in administration costs and grdni and support Costs.
For this reason the tTusl¢es ar¢ adopting a new reserve5 policy which rccognises that ￿tUre actLVlties will need lo b¢
funded, to a significartt extent. by rehjms rccciv¢d on the inve5tmcn15 underlying the capital base. They also recognisc
that these retums are volatile and 50 the new reserves policy will be carefully reviewed tach year lo se¢ if it is being
achi¢ved. This will include a review of the financial projections for the Fund to e[￿e that reliance on teDJrn5 on capital
reTnains Te2E listtc.
The trustees consider that ii is appropriate to tnaintain a core level of unrestricted res¢rves in ord¢r io..
protetl the long-tcm) financial su5tainabilily of the chaiity,
provid¢ a buffeT against fluctuaiions sn invesitnent returns and itLCOme:
- ettsure cot)lintsiry of 8rani-making aciiviiies during p¢riod5 of financial utKeTtsillry.
Th¢ masn principles of the neiv reserves policy ar¢..
The Unrcstricted r¢5erve will be maintained at th¢ r¢al ter￿￿ ¢quivaleni of the balance OJJ that r¢s¢rv¢ a5 at 30th
S¢pl¢rnb¢r ?Q25",
A new Designaied Fund ha5 been e51abli5hed which will only be used 10 hjnd grants and suppor¢ c051s for b¢n¢ficiaries.
This Fund Idegignaicd by the trusicesl will itself be funded by p¢riodical transfers from the General FurKi, but only to the
extent that unrestricted re5¢Tve5 r¢Tn8in ai oi above the targei level described above.
If unre5trictcd reserves fall below the target Icvel, the rnjsiecs will review planncd expenditurc, including grant
oJnmittnenlS and adminisiraiion costs. and take appropriate actio>n to eosure the lollg-ierm financial slabil2iy ol the
clwity.
The charlty has totsl r¢serYes of £2,593,631 (2024.. £2,375,717) including LEIV¢5tm¢nts. Designated Funds total
£SOO,000, leaving £2,093.631 in General Funds. It needs 10 tnainiairt the investmeni ponfolio to to ¢arn
sufficient income lo pay for the n2eds of its benefieJarL¢S.
The charity wntinue5 to rtteiv¢ applications for a&sistsnce. It does not re¢ognise any evidertce that th siNation will
alter as the size of Ihe profession h95 increased sub5tanlially over the last Iwo dccades and indicaiors are pointing to a
worsening ¢coiiomy. Help is provided foi optomeirists and their (￿n￿li¢S ofteii duTing short term cnses, as well as for
those WI￿ have illness or circutnstanccs thai aT¢15kely 10 ¢ulwe for the longer terni.
Our aijn is 10 also lielp those currently not iii th¢ workplace to TCtuTn to piaclice with the benefits of T¢5torinu their
finance5 and 8elf esteem in [t￿Y cas¢s.
STRUCTURL GOVERf4ANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing docum¢nt
The orB2nisation is a registered charity in England #nd Wales. The charity is governed by lis set of n]les, a5
am¢nd¢d during the year ended 31 Decembcr 2017 as a r¢suli of the atnalgaTh2tion of The Benevoleiit Fund of The
College of Optomeirisis WLrh The Charitable Fulld of The A$sociaiion ofopiical Praclirioners.
Related partles
Following a c1w￿¢ of siructur¢ during 2016. five of thc Icn trustees are appointed by The Coll¢g¢ of Optomeiri$t$ and
another five arc appoin*d by Th¢ Association of opton￿t[ists.
Page 5

The Benevolen¢ Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The Assotiation of
OptometrLSts
Reporl of the Truylees
for the Year Ended 30 Septernber 2025
STRUCTURE. GoVE￿NANcE AND MANAGEMENT
Risk statCTncnt
The tnjstccs are all Tegularly appraised of the fijrtd's firtttrtces and have discussed and ideniified firwncial risks. Th¢
board has not idenlified any i]n£nediale or short-iemi mailers of concern. Fixed cosis and oihei runnin8 txpcn5C5 ale
regularly reviewed and remain at a low level. Th¢ charitys fi[￿nCe& in the form of Lnvestmcnts. arc l¢lt 5uffici¢nt ro
cat¢r for anticipated n¢¢ds. However, the growth of Ihe opromeiry profession, and chang¢d Dature of employment
L¥alDSt hisioric comparaiors. t]ecessitste a regular review c>f th¢ funds L2pabiliiies.
Incorporation
The Charity continued working with a law firm its the yeoi to change its s￿1￿$ to an incorporal¢d charity. The CI￿lty
was granted incorpoiaied status late 111 2025 and is undergoi1￿ the n¢ce.Esary Iransitioii process accoTdiiis 10 Ihc Charity
CoTttsnission. Incorporation will rnean that tru51¢¢5 will have litnitrd liabiliry for Einy debis incurrcd by the Gharity and
thi5 will provid¢ rnore favoutable conditions when nominating and recruiting new Itu$ie¢s.
Th¢ Charity officially became irttorporatcd posi year end on l Decembu 2025.
REFERENCE AIYD ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registtsred Charlry number
1003699
PrlnelpAI address
55 Colchester Road
While Colrte
Colchester
C06 2PW
Trustees
VGBush
A Patcl
J Ma¢naughion
T Majiihia
A Fa7.Iknie
D Ehrlicli
K Dattani
F Marcktti
A McClun¢
R Brougliion
Independent Eiaminer
Harr￿ Lacey #nd Swain
The Riverside Building
Hesslc
East Yoikshire
HU13 ODZ
Billkers
CAF Bank
25 ￿tt£S Hill Avenue
Kings Hill
West Malling
Ktnl
ME196DA
Page 6

The Benev(klent Fund vf The College of
Optvmetrist5 & The Association of
Optometrists
Report ol the Trustees
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
REFERENCE AND ADm￿lSTRATIvE DETAILS
Solicitor5
Rollits LLP
Cilad¢l House
58 High Strcei
Hull
HUI IQE
Investnjent maEhxgers
Cazertove Capital Manauemcnt
12 Moorgate
tnnden
EC2R 6DA
Honorgry offic¢r5
MF V Bush- Chair
MF D Ehrlich- Vi¢e Chair
Mr T Majithia- Treasurer
Adminlstratlvt secretary
Miss Lynne Brown
Assistant to Administrative secretary
MTS Naialie Glasg
Wébsitt
.oplicalbenfund.com
THE TRUSTEES
Th¢ tru51¢es wtLO setved dwitt¥ Ihe yetr and up to the dale of ikns report were as follows..
Vivian Bush Ichairl. Mr Daniel Ehrlich {Vice ChaiTI, Mr Keval Daiianj, Mr Richard Biougjitoji, M5 Pranc¢sra
March¢tti, Ms Alison Mcclune. Mts Aishah Fazlanie. Mr T1￿har Majithia ITTtasllTerl. Dr Jane Macnaughlon and Mr
Anuj Pa*1.
The trustees have no ben¢fi¢ial interest in the charity.
The organisalion is a charitable OFganisation registered as a chariry on l August 1991 in England and Wal¢s.
All trustees giv¢ their time voluntyTily tslld rwiwobgsfjis from the charity. Any expen5e5 reclaimed from th¢ ¢tL&rity
are set out in the #¢¢ouDIS.
Ai
and si￿ed on its b¢half by.
V G Bush- Trustee
Pag¢ 7

Independent Examiner'5 Repor¢ to the Tru5tet$ of
The Btthevoleni Fund o(The College of
Optometrl$t5 & The Assotiation of
Optometrists
Independent examiner's reptsrt to the tru$iet$ of The Btnevoltttt Fund of The College of Optojnetrists & The
A5S0flatlon of Opfometrists
report to the charity trustees un my examination of ihc accounts of The Ben¢vol¢nt Fund of The College of
Oplotntttists & Thc Association of Optom¢trists (the TFUStI foy the y¢aT ertd¢d JO September 2025.
Resport51billtles And basis of report
As the charity trust¢e5 of th¢ TTUSt you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the
r¢quir¢ments of the Charities Aci ?01 I I'the ACVI.
I report in respect of my exaTninalion of Ihc Tnisfs a¢ceunls carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in tarrying out
my examinaiLOll I have followed all applicible Directio[15 given by the Chariry Q}rtU￿Ssion under Section 14515llbl of
Ihe Act.
Independent eTaminer'J statement
I have ¢ompleied my examination. I coiifinn that no tllat¢rial matt¢15 t*ve come tfy my atteniion in connecuon with the
exaininaiiou giving rn¢ cause to believe that in any maieTial respect..
accounting r¢cords W¢Fe not k¢pt In Tespeci of th¢ TnJ$i as required by Section 130 of Ihe A¢1: 01
the accounts do not accord with those Twords," or
the accouiils do not coniply with the applicable Tequiremenls conccming the fomi and content of accounts set out
in the Chariiies (Aceounis and Rcporlsl Rcgulaiions 2008 oth¢T than any requiiemeni thai Ihe accounis give
Irue and fair Vlew which is tjol a rnattei con5ideTed as part of an independtni exainination.
I have no con¢ems and have corn¢ across lio other ]llallers in connection wilh the examinaiiott to which attention should
b¢ drawn in Ihis repon in order io enable 8 prO￿T uDdeT5tanding of the aecounis to be reached.
Laura Drew BFP ACA FCCA
Harris Lacey and Swain
Suire I
Th¢ Riverside Buildtll8
Hessl¢
East Yorkshire
HU13 ODZ
Dale".
. ool ￿￿100..06..........
Page 8

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrist5 & The As50ciation of
Optometrist5
Statement of FiDanci#l Attlvlile$
for the Year Ended 30 SepteEnber 2025
2025
2024
Tvtal
fund5
UJtrestri¢ted
nds
Notc5
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
26.339
38,172
lEivesim¢nt incoin¢
81,463
90.221
Totaj
107.802
128.393
EXPENDJTVRE ON
Raising fijnds
2.872
2,627
Charitable activitits
Assistance to M¢nib¢TS & Metnb¢rs' D¢p¢ndants
43.211
57.451
Oiher
6,516
Total
52.599
60,078
Nel gain5 Otl illvestsnenis
162,711
185.955
NET INCOME
217.914
254.270
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Toral funds brought foTrvard
2,375,717
2,121.447
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
2,593,631
2.375,717
The ttotes forni part of th¢5¢ financial gtatsmertts
Page 9

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Opiometrlsts & The As$Otiaiion of
Optometrists
Balanct Sheet
30 September 2025
2025
2024
Toial
Unresiric¢ed
fvods
Note$
FIXED ASSETS
Inve8irnenlS
2.575,901
2.359,829
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
Cash at bank
10
542
22,391
350
22,933
22,933
23.283
CREDITORS
Amounls fallthg due within one year
15.2031
17.3951
I ET CUIiRENT ASSETS
17.730
15,888
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
2,593,631
2.375,717
NIT ASSETS
2.593.631
2,375.717
FUNDS
Unrestricied funds
12
2.593.631
2J75.717
TOTAL FUNDS
2,593,631
2,375,717
20 Apr 2026
The flnancial statements wer¢ approved by ihe Board of Tn￿tee$ and authoris¢d for 1$5U¢
and werc SI￿¢d on ils beknlf by..
on
V G Bush- Tiustee
T Majithia- Trustee
The notes fotm part of these financial siatcments
Page 10

The Bertevolertt Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The Association of
Optometrist5
Note5 to the Finwnci¥l StitemÈtht$
lor the Year Ended 30 Septernber 2025
STATUTORY U¥FORMAIION
The B¢n¢volent Fund of The College of Opiomeirisis and The A55ociation of Optomeirisi$ is an wiincorporaied
chariry regisiered with the Charity Cottjtnission in Englatd & Wales.
The Charity otficially became incorporai¢d post ye#r end on l December 2025.
The Tegisiered office address and PTincspal place of business is 55 Colchestei Road, While Colnc. Colchesier
C06 2PW.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparitlg the financial statement5
The financial statements of Ihe th￿ily, which is a public benefii eniity under FRS 102, have b¢en prepated in
accordattce with the Charit1¢5 SORP IFRS 1021 'Accounling and Reporting by Charilie5'. Statement of
Recomrnended Practite applicable 10 charities Prepari￿ their accounts in attordan¢¢ with the Financial
Reponing Standard applicable in th¢ UK #lid Republic of ITelartd IFRS 1021 leffeciive l January 20191..
Financial Reporting Stand3Td 102 'The Financjal Rep(irting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of
Ireland, aiid Ihc Chariiics Act 2011. The financial 513tements have been prepared under the historical cosi
convcniion. with the exception of iuv¢sitnents which are included at market valu¢. as Lnodifjtd by the revaluation
ofeertaiti assets.
Assets and liabiljties are initially recogni5¢d al hisiori¢al ¢o$i or transaction value Ullless otherwise 51aied itl the
T¢l¢vanl accountin¥ policy or lloie.
Monetary amounts in these fittancial statements are rounded lo the nearest wtLol¢ £1. Tkne fu￿￿la[ $12lemeDrs are
presenied in srerling which i5 also the fijnciional currency of the Charity.
Critical accounting judgements and key Sources of e$timatlokn uneertalThty
In applying the financial reporting framework, the irusiees have made a nuinber of subjective judgements, for
cxample in respect of significant accountin8 estitnales. Esiimakes and judgcmcnis are continually ¢valuat¢d aiid
ar¢ based on historical cxpciienct and othcr factors, including extKclatiorLg of future events that are believed 10
be reasonablc under the circumstances. The rtaMTe of the estimation means the actual outcom¢s could diffei
from those estitnaies. Any significant estimates and judgement5 affecting these firtatLcial siaiements arc detailed
within the relevant accounting policy below.
Income
Income 15 recognised when th¢ charity has cntLtlement to th¢ fvnds, any p¢rforman¢e Conditions attached lo ihe
Income have been me¢ it is probable thai the income will be received and rhai the amoullt can be measured
Voluniary incoin¢ received by way of donaiions and gifts arKi is included ID full in th¢ $1a*meDt of fjnattcial
activities when receivable.
Income from legacics is account¢d for on a r¢c¢ivablc bagi$ $0 long a$ eoiiilement. certainry of receipt and
mcasurability conditions have been saiisfied.
Incom¢. gains or loss¢$ on inv¢$lffl¢ntg held by Ihe charity are accounted for on acctua15 basi$ and allo¢aied 10
imrestrictsd fijnds.
Bank inietesi is Jncludtd in the income and expenditUT¢ account on an accruals basLS.
Pagc 11
continu¢d...

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrists & The A550¢i2tion of
Optometrists
Notes tLI the Fin¥Dci41 St*ttment$- tothtinued
for the Year Ended 30 Sept¢mber 2025
ACCOUNTING POLICIES- eontinued
Expenditur¢
Liabilities are recoBnised as expenditur¢ when..
there is a Itgal or conslrucrivc obligation committing the chaTity 10 rlot expendimre,
- it is probabl¢ that an ouillow of ¢¢onomic benefiis wjll be requirtd in s¢ttl¢n]ent
the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expendinjre is accourtied for on att accJw15 basis and ha4 been classifjed undeT hettdin8s th21 a¥gregate 211 cosi
relaied to th¢ category. Where costs Cannot be diTeeily attributed 10 particular FKadings they have b¢¢n allorat¢J
to activitieg on a basis consistcni with rhe use of Tesourc¢8.
Govetnance costs include ihe managemenr of the charity's assets, organisational tnana8emeni and Compliance
with constitutional and statutory Tequirements.
Gran15 offered subjtxt io ctsrtditions which have noi been mei at year end dale are noted as a cornmittnenl bul
not accn*d as expenditure.
Taxation
The Charity is cxempi from tax on its charitable activitie$.
UnT¢slricted funds are donations and other iwomin8 resources received or g¢n¢ral¢d for the charitable Purposes.
Public btntfit entity
The charity meeis the defillitLOll of a public b¢n¢fit ¢tLtity undeT FRS 102.
The tnanagjng trustees do noi consider that ther¢ 4r¢ any 50urr¢s of estill￿tl0rt uncertainty at rhc rcy)rling date
that have a $igDifi¢ant risk of causijjg a maierial adjustment io th¢ carrying atnounts of assets and liabilities
within Ihc neKt ieporting period.
Flnonci21 instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic fjnancial instruments.
Basie fittantial instsvm¢nts ar¢ initially r¢cognis¢d £lt ITansaclion valuc and subsequently measurcd at their
settl¢m¢Dt value with the exteplion of bank loans which arc sub5equ¢nily m¢asured at amortised cost using the
effeciive interesi method.
Fixed A$$et Investments
Fixed asset investmcnt8 are measured initi211y at cost and subsequently at fair value at lh¢ reporting date.
Changes in fail value are Te¢o8nised as Income or ¢xpetLditure in th¢ Statetnent OF Fitw]cial Aciiviiies.
Pag¢ 12
coniillucd...

The Benevolent Fund of The Colltge of
Optometrists & The Assoeiation of
Optometrists
Note5 to the Financial Staternents. ¢onlirtued
for the Year Ended 30 September 2025
DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
20?5
?024
Dollaiiotts
Legacies
26,321
18
32.535
5,637
26,339
38.172
INVF.STMENT INCOME
2025
2024
Othcr fixed asset inv¢stm¢nts
Deposit account IDteTest
81233
230
89.960
261
81.463
90,221
RAISING FUNDS
Inwo$tn*nt mAll#Etment ¢osts
2025
2024
Portfolio manag¢m¢llt
2.872
2,627
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS
GTant
fut￿lug of
D￿¢Cl
Costs
Support
osts
Assistance to Memb¢T5 & M¢mbtrs'
Dependartts
14.955
25,388
2,868
43.211
TRUSTEES, REMuf*EK4TION AND BENEFITS
Ther¢ were no trustees, remuneration or other bettefiis for the year ended 30 S¢pt¢mb¢T 2025 noT for the y&
ended 30 Scptember 2024.
Trustee5' expen5e5
There weT¢ no trust¢¢5' ¢%P¢ll$¢8 paid for the year ended 30 September 2023 nor for the year ended
30 September 2024.
Page 13
Conlinued...

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
OptometrLSts & The Associgtion or
Optometrist5
holes to the Financial StaterneDt5- CQlltinued
lor the Year Ended 30 SeptembeT 2025
COMPARATIVES FOR THB STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
UnrestTiCted
furtds
INCOME AND £Tr4DOWMEI%TS FROM
Donatiotjs Artd legacies
38,172
Inv¢stsn¢nt incotn¢
Total
128,393
F,XPENDITURE ON
RaisJiJg funds
2,627
Charitable activities
AssiStan¢e to Metnb¢is & Members,
Depertdants
57,451
Totxl
60.078
Nct gains on investments
185.955
NET INCOME
254,270
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Totsl fijnds brought fornvard
2,121.447
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
2.375,717
FIXF,D ASSF.T INVESTMENTS
Listed
inv¢strnents
MARKET VALUE
At l October 2024
R¢valuations
2,359,829
216,072
At 30 S¢pteTnber 2025
?.575,901
NET BOOK VALUE
At 30 S¢pt¢DJb¢r 2025
2.575.901
At 30 Septernber 2024
2,359,829
Th¢Te W¢Te no irtveslmcni assets outsidt the UK.
Page 14
C￿)lInutd...

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
Optometrlsts & The A550ciatlon of
Optometrists
Notes to the FlThanclal Stalements- eontiTrued
for the Year Ended 30 Septernber 2025
FIXED ASSET LW. VLSTMENTS- continued
Cost or valuation at 30 September 2025 is rtpresented by..
Lisicd
invesimetsts
ValuatlOD in 2024
Valuahon in 2025
2,359.829
216.072
2,575,￿1
io.
DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2025
2024
Prepayments
542
350
CREDrroRS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WtfHLN ONE YEAR
2025
2024
Trade cr¢dit015
Other creditors
1,843
3,360
4,395
3,000
5.203
7,395
12.
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Nei
mov¢m¢nl
irt funds
Transfeis
between
funds
At
1.10.24
At
30.9.25
Unrestricted futtds
General fund
Desiunai¢d fund
2.375.717
217,914
1500,0001
500.000
2,093,631
500.000
2,375.717
217,914
2,593.631
TOTAL FUNDS
2,375,717
217,914
2.593,631
Nci movcment in fvtlds, in¢lud¢d in the above are as follows..
Incoming
T¢SOUTtes
Resource5
expended
Movement
in funds
losses
Unr¢stricted funds
General ￿nd
107,802
152,5991
162,711
217.914
TOTAL FUNDS
107.802
152.5991
162.711
217,914
Page 15
¢onlinued,..

The Benevolent Fund of The College of
OptometTjSts & Th¢ Assoeiation of
OptometrL8tS
Trlotes to the Flnan¢lal Statements- contlnued
ror the Year Ended 30 September 2025
12.
MOVEMENT IN FU￿1)S- eontinued
Cornparatives for movement in funds
Net
mov¢rn¢nt
in funds
At
30.9.24
1.10.23
Unrestricted fund5
Gcn¢ral fund
2,121,447
254,270
2,375.717
TOTAL FUNDS
2,121,447
254,270
2,375,717
Comparative nel moveTncnt in fijnds. Incliided in the above are as follows..
Incoming
r¢wur¢¢s
Resources
expended
Gains and
losscs
Movement
ID funds
Unrp5trltttd fllllds
General fund
128,393
160,0781
185,955
)54,270
TOTAL FUNDS
128.393
160.078)
185.955
254.270
A curr¢nt year 12 months and prior year 12 nN)nths cornbined position is as follows..
Net
movtineni
in futtds
Transfers
betiv¢¢n
nds
.10.23
30.9.25
Unrestrieted fuDd5
General fvnd
DeSi￿ared fund
2,121.447
472,184
1500,0001
500,000
2.093,631
500.000
2.121,447
472.184
2,593,631
TOTAL FUNDS
2,121,447
472,184
2,593.631
A current y¢ar l? months artd prior year 12 rnonth5 combined net m0Ven￿nt in funds. included in th¢ aix)ve aTe
as follows..
Incoming
resouTC¢5
Resources
expended
GALns and
losses
Movemeni
in funds
Unrestricted funds
G¢n¢ral fund
236,195
{1 l2,677}
348,666
472,184
TOTAL FUYDS
236,195
1112,677)
348,666
472,184
Pag¢ 16
continued...

The Belltvolent Fund of The College of
Oplome(rLS¢s & The A550ClXtion of
Optometrists
r*otes to the Finau¢i#l $12ttmtnts- contlnued
lor the Ye¥r Ended 30 September 2025
12.
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- coDtinued
A new D¢5ignated Rirtd h25 been established which will only be used 10 fvnd grants and support costs for
beneficiaries. This F￿d Idesignat¢d by the truoee$l will iiself be funded by periodirnl transfers frotn thE
G¢Deral Fund, depcnding on iyheihcr th¢ policy for the Unrestricted r¢s¢TV¢ IS being achieved. The Reserves
Policy can be lound ￿￿thin the Trustees, Report.
A3.
CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
The Fund has a curttni long iemi Commitment lo a benefTeiary of xrourtd £6,000 per annum, expected io
continue for the duration of the beneficiatys life.
14.
RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 30 September 2025.
Pagt 17