Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Review 2020-21
ClearVision Project, Linden Lodge School, 61 Princes Way, London SW19 6JB Reg. Charity No. 1012850
About ClearVision and our work
Our Aims: To promote literacy and a love of books in children and adults who are blind or have a sight impairment. To campaign for the availability of books in accessible formats for all people with sight impairment. To promote the provision, teaching, use and enjoyment of braille, Moon, and tactile illustrations.
What we do: ClearVision provides children who have a sight impairment with a way to experience the excitement, comfort and pleasure of sharing books with their sighted parents, siblings, teachers and peers. We also give adults with sight impairment the means to read
with sighted children, improving children’s literacy and allowing families to enjoy together one of the great pleasures of childhood.
How we achieve this: We do this by operating a lending library of dual-format books in print and braille. Having print, braille (or Moon, an easier alternative to braille) and pictures together on the page allows these books to be shared by people with sight impairment and sighted people reading together. We also have a collection of around 1000 handmade tactile image books which are loaned through schools and Sensory Support services. These allow children to build up their touch skills in preparation for learning braille, whilst enjoying and benefitting from pictures, just as their sighted peers do. They are also a vital resource for children whose additional disabilities mean they may not become readers in the conventional sense, but hugely benefit from exploring the pictures whilst the words are read to them. ClearVision’s books are produced by three self-employed braille transcribers, a selfemployed blind proofreader, a prison braille unit and a number of volunteers. The project is run by a full-time Director and library borrowing administered by a part-time Library Administrator. We benefit from the help of a one-day-a-week Fundraiser. Our move to new library software is being supported by a part-time Data Administrator.
Our Trustees: The work of the charity is directed by the board of Trustees: Timothy Richmond (Chair); Christina Matawa (Secretary); Kathleen Gaster; Joyce Allinson; Rosalyn Gibbons, Louise Jeynes, Chamandeep Singh Grover and Alister Riedl. All
the Trustees have personal and/or professional knowledge of the education of children with sight impairment. Most have additional management experience.
Our Patron : We continue to enjoy the enthusiastic support of our patron, former Children's Laureate Anne Fine, OBE.
Our Work This Year
This year has seen us conquer unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite everything we have continued to operate our library service and continued to develop our library, thinking ahead to meet future need whilst adapting our operations to meet the needs of hundreds of sightimpaired children suddenly learning at home. Without access to their usual face-toface support from specialist
teachers, teaching assistants and in-school resources, it fell to these children’s sighted parents to help continue their education. This made access to our books, with their format which allows sight-impaired and sighted people to read together, more important than ever. We also supported many braille reading parents homeeducating their sighted children, and sight-impaired grandparents who had taken on full-time care for young grandchildren when schools and nurseries closed.
Our library resides in the grounds of a Special Needs school which from 19[th] March was completely closed under Government regulations. The phone-calls and emails we received requesting extra books during this time meant that simply shutting down operations was not an option. Staff ran the library service from their homes throughout the first lockdown, with books placed in quarantine and sanitised to protect both borrowers and staff. During the second lockdown, with schools allowed to remain open, some staff returned to the library with extra health and safety measures in place, with those who needed to shield continuing to work from home. Incredibly, even with the constraints of the pandemic, we were able to loan 4422 books to 189 families and 134 institutions. We have even continued to welcome new borrowers!
The feedback from our borrowers has been hugely positive. Schools in particular have appreciated our flexibility, as we’ve worked to ensure the right books reach the right children regardless of where they’re being taught. In many cases our communication with busy teachers has been improved by the necessity of frequent phone conversations, and this has continued even after children returned to school.
Many borrowers commented on how vital our service has been to their wellbeing. Several older library members spoke of how our books let them stay connected, reading daily to grandchildren via Zoom or Skype, supporting their families and also lessening their own isolation.
A postal library is in many ways perfect during lockdown: exciting new books delivered to the doors of people who can’t leave home; fresh entertainment in a time of low stimulation- but also old favourites providing comforting bedtime stories in a period of huge anxiety. A way to continue to educate children for the future, at a time when nobody is sure what the immediate future may hold. We are immensely proud to have facilitated this.
Development of our library offer
Despite the huge disruption, we have continued to progress with our plans to put our catalogue online, so that borrowers can browse titles and request books. We have moved to a new library software system and overcome the not inconsiderable difficulties of transferring all our book and borrower records from a very outdated system to a more efficient one. We also took the opportunity to contact all our borrowers, advising them of this process and updating their contact details. Once this had taken place, we began work on the online catalogue, adding additional information to make each book record fully accessible to our borrowers who use screen-reading technology to access the internet. In conjunction with this, we have continued to develop our new website, which will eventually host the catalogue. This is a long process but we are making excellent progress and look forward to trialing the catalogue with a focus group of borrowers next year.
Our contributions to wider work: We continue to work closely with other organisations providing books in accessible formats, including the RNIB, Calibre audio library, Guide Dogs and Living Paintings, and with VIEW (the professional body for specialist teachers of people with vision impairment). To enhance our outreach, we have provided videos and virtual presentations at several online events, including the
VIEW Conference, Sight Village Virtual and Retina UK Conference. We continue to sit on the board of Share the Vision, an organisation which widens access to public libraries for individuals who are unable to use regular print books, and support the UK Association for Accessible Formats.
Restricted funds: The ‘My Home Library’ protected fund continues to pay for a present of four free dual format print/braille books to every young braille reader who joins the ClearVision library. The scheme was initiated by our Patron, author Anne Fine, during her period as Children’s Laureate. The Ulverscroft Foundation continues to support the ongoing provision of this deeply-appreciated gift.
We are a member of the Moon Forum and retain a protected fund to support the Moon Literacy website and enable us to write and distribute the Moon Mag magazine. These activities support the aims of the Moon Forum to promote Moon as an invaluable alternative for those who cannot learn braille.
Our Supporters and Finance
Our supporters: We have been fortunate this year to receive financial support from the Sobell Foundation, the R.S. MacDonald Foundation, the Donald Forrester Trust, the Weinstock Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers, the Gilchrist Education Trust, the Taylour Foundation, the John Thaw Foundation, the Woodroofe Benton Foundation, the National Lottery Covid Response Fund, the C.M. Lowe Charitable Trust, the Green Hall Foundation, the Travers Smith Foundation, the Sir Jules Thorne Charitable Trust and a final trust who wish to remain anonymous. We are very grateful to these organisations, as well as the many individuals and institutions whose donations have enabled us to continue bringing the joy of shared stories to so many families.
Our Reserves Policy: ClearVision is a small charity, currently growing to meet demand, investing in an online catalogue and in the diversification of its income sources. To achieve this, and to mitigate the risk of only having a small staff (which makes us vulnerable to long-term illness or injury) and to external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we have adopted a cautious reserves policy. This policy is to
hold in reserve one year of our projected year's operating costs, £120,000 for 2021/22. At the end of 2020/21 we have achieved this goal.
Investment Policy: the Trustees have considered the most appropriate policy for investing surplus funds and do not see fit to invest in the stock market because of the high risks associated with fluctuating economic market conditions. Instead the charity adopts a policy of keeping some surplus funds in short-to-medium term deposits with its bankers, which can be accessed readily. To maximise interest, £38,971.63 is currently held in a thirty-day notice Clubs & Charities Account. The Trustees are aware of the desirability of spreading savings between different banking groups.
Risk, reporting and responsibility: the responsibility for the management and control of the charity rests with the trustees and they are fully involved in the key aspects of the risk management process. Risks are considered in all aspects of the work of the charity, and include governance, operational, financial and compliance risks, as well as risks arising from external factors. Potential risk areas and mitigation strategies (including the Reserves Policy) are reviewed a minimum of once a year.
The Trustees are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to any significant risks.
We are pleased to confirm that there are no serious incidents that we should have brought to the attention of the Commission but have not been.
Signed by
Chair, on behalf of the Trustees on 9[th] July 2021.
CLEARVISION PROJECT ACCOUNTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 cleorv10Th REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1012850
CLEARVISION PROJECT ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 Contents Page Receipt and Payments Ac(xJunts Balance sheet Notes to accounts Independent Examiners Report Trustees. Annual Rerort and Financial Review Back page
CLEAR RECEIPT AN PAYME NT OR THE YEAR ÉNDED 2021 2020 Total ount Rec81 Donaiions: Voluntary d¢nathYtyJ Grants from Charltt• Tts ¥d F¥I)n$ 12,041 61,434 73,475 12.041 62 434 9.434 104.007 113.441 Subocriptk Refunds for losVd8maged t0k8 N•t prrKe••a8 frcffi Chrhtmas cArd $88 Grft Aj'd i&x Meo%rtyJ 10.450 215 2(M) 8.650 Inve8tm8nt CoM¥ rec4 216 216 Total Rocelpts 82.1 83,341 125,•JS Labour co818 re-book prcJucon Toctiki book comwlknn ¢osts A888t8 ¥cquired for %•rW8 Books 8nd malorli Telephone, lnlemet.pnnTh4, & thtknn•ry Computer so1re arA EOrt eaats Insur¥n¢o Rapairs and mairrt•nane• Exhibition $114ri6s and sothl cc•ts staff ponsion costs OffK• sundn88 and •Jrn¢ntslra Prof85$ional ¢ee8 Cenforence & meetiry costs ConlrlbulioTr lo campa $19 Workshop tak Ground rent 9,651 1.050 5.694 1.629 851 3.675 1.(Q7 6.828 I.7 1.CJ7 3,531 1.fy87 205 40 41.888 211 2.015 .780 2.8 47 41.888 23 6.997 120 Prgle$$ional fvnij raffjiT4 fwB 9.67fj 8,330 5,7 5.745 -9,161 4.416 29,245 Net Re1 for the 6.375 -9.791 4,416 Not•: 1. The number of chibJr8Tr have relAd t4xs as part oflhe My Lbrary was 7. A transfer from this Restrithl Fund to the unrestri FurKI trknllty £6X> Jr per chikl was mthduriThJ the ff.
CLEARVISION PROJECT BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2021 YIE 31.3.20 FIXED ASSErs Cost Less.. Depwiation (page 41 58.5 41,177 17,373 48,574 -31,985 16,589 CURRENT ASSETS Debtor stock Cash Bank 139 147.902 148,141 146,544 CURRENT LIABILITIES Deferred grant reiVed -15,000 NET ASSETS 150,514 163,133 REPRESENTED BY: Unrestrlcted Fund8 (Page 3) General Fund Balance 110.495 110,443 Nel receipts for year Add.. Assets acquired costs 6.375 6,465 Less.. Depreclation charge foryear 5,798 116.293 52 110.495 General Fund Balanc Restrfcted Funds {Page 3) Restricted Fund Balance Nel payments for year 52,638 -19,778 32,860 9,987 42,847 4.626 Add.. Assets acquired costs Less.. Depreciation charge 34,221 150,514 52.638 163,133 Approved by the Board of TTUStees on..Q11.Q.l.u...and signed on tts behalf by Trustee
CLEARVISION PROJECT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 Restricted Fund Balance 1 April 2020 Movement8 In Resou86 Balance Incoming Outgolng 31 March 2021 My Library Scheme 2,430 -697 1,733 The Moon FonJm Fund 617 617 Heritage Cirqa Library Management System and serV@s Fund 34.040 1.IX)O -20,081 14,959 Total 37.087 1,CN)o -20,778 17,309 me Llbr4 S horne Clearvision is administering this xheme ft)rAnne Fine. Moon F MFU The Moon Forum Fund relates lo the activities of the Moon Fowm, a group of organisations Including RNIB, involved In the promobon and products.on of Moon. Horlta B Cl Ll Mana ont s tom an rvl Fu Herila9a Cirqa Liry Mana9&ment System and Services Fund is set up for the up9rading of the library sofhvare and putting the catalogue online (The Heritage Project). ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWE N FUNDS Flxed Currnnt Total Amount Unrestrictsd Funds 115,832 116,293 Reslricled Funds 16,912 17,309 34.221 17,373 133.141 1SO.514 Fixed assets under Restn¢ted Funds of £16,912 reFxesent. - 11 the net book value of the pmiseS at 61 Princes Way London SW19 6JB which is occupi&Y and wholly owned by Clearvtsion Project amounb.ng 10 £7,434. 21 the nel book value of Heritsge Cirqa Library Management and Servw amounting to £9.478.
CLEARVISION PROJECT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 FIXED ASSETS Heritage Cirqa Library Managernent System & SeNices Offlc8 Hut Ftxtures ment & Fittin Total amount ui Cost At 1 April 2020 36,999 1,972 1,143 48,574 Ellminatlon Additions -101 -101 10.077 9,987 At 31 March 2021 36.999 1,961 1,143 18.447 58.550 Accumulated Doprgclatlon At 1 April 2020 27,088 1.079 2.820 31,985 Elimination ChaTge ft>r year -101 854 -101 9.293 2.477 13 8,149 At 31 March 2020 29.565 1,551 1,092 8,969 41,177 Net Book Valuo Al 1 April 2020 9,911 974 5.640 16,589 At 31 March 2021 410 51 17,373
CLEARVISION PROJECT (Charity Number 10128SO) tNDEPEliDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF CLEARIIISION PROJECT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 I report on the accounis of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. which are set out on pages I to 4. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The harity, S trustees consider thai an audil is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 201 l Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It 15 my responsibility to.. examine the acwunts under section 145 of the 2011 Acl follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ib) of ihe 2011 Act slate whether particular matters have come to my attenlion. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matiers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited io those matters set oul in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention. l. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements.. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 201 l Act to prepare accounts which accord with ihe accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met. 2. To which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mrs. Barbara Gabriel Chartered Accountant 156 Clarence Avenue New Malden KT3 3DY Date /2/07/2 /