Trustses, Annual Report and Financial Review 2023-24 Clearvision Project, Linden Lodge School, 61 Princes Way, London SW19 6JB Reg. Charity No. 1012850 About Clearvision and our work What we do: We believe everyone should be able to experience the excitement, enjoyment and educational opportunities that come from sharing books with others. We give children who have a sight impairment a way to share stories 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 wo achieve this: We do this by adding braille to conventional children's books, and operating a postal lending library of these books, supplying them to families, schools, Sensory Support serViS, public libraries and other organisations all across the UK and Ireland. Having print, braille (or Moon, an easier altemative to braille) and pictures together on the page allows these books to be shared by people with and without sight reading together. We also have a collection of around 800 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 who read large print but don't have enough vision to enjoy conventional pictures, and to children and teenagers whose additional disabilities mean they may not leam to read, but hugely benefit from exploring the pictures whilst the words are read to them. Clearvision's books are produced by thr self-employed braille transcribers, a self-employed 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. Specific projects are supported by a part-time Project Offir.
Our Aims: To promote literacy and a love of books in children and adults who are blind or have a sight impaiment. To campaign for the availability of books in accessible formats for all people with sight impainnent. To promote the provision, teaching, use and enjoyment of braille, Moon, and tactile illustrations. Our Trustees: The work of the charity is directed by the board of Trustees: Timothy Richmond (Chair). Christina Matswa (Secretary); Peter Flynn (Treasurer); Rosalyn Gibbons; Louise Jeynes. Chamandeep Singh Grover and Leonie Masterson. All the Trustees have personal andlor professional knowledge of the education of children with sight impairment; two are former Clearvision borrowers and have sight impairment. Most have additional management experien. Our Patron: We continue to enjoy the enthusiastic support of our patron, fomier Children's Laureate Anne Fine, OBE. Our Work This Year This year we've loaned a total of 7960 books to 486 borrowers: 324 families, 117 schools, colleges and nurseries (most with multiple children accessing our books), 10 public libraries and 35 Sensory Support Services. The feedback we've had from borrowers makes clear the value of shared reading; and that without our service, that reading simply couldn't take place. %IIPE With this in mind we've continued to strengthen areas of our bookstock, adding substsntially to our exciting and engaging selection of fiction and non-fiction for older children and teenagers who have a low reading age. These young people may read at beginner level because they have come late to braille, perhaps having used large print books but experienced a decline in their vision; because they have leaming or physical disabilities which make learning braille a challenge, or because they're leaming English as a second or subsequent language. In every circumstance, finding books which entertain and motivate these readers is hugely important, so we're delighted to have enhanced our collection in this way. We've also been working with the volunteers who create our tactile image books on filling in gaps in the curriculum, so that children can use our books alongside their peers when studying such topics as climate change, personal identity, the ancient Egyptians and recycling. These new books have been received with enthusiasm by teachers and pupils alike. Th?¥thYWP i'he Gv)n• A huge amount of work has been happening 'behind the scenes" this year to strengthen Clearvision for the future. This has included working to complete the last tasks necessary to launch our online catalogue, and hosting the organising committee of the Typhlo and Tactus international tactile book competition (of whom
we are a member) who work to enhance the number and variety of tactile books on offer to children across the UK and worldwide. We've also completed the charity sector-renowned Pilotlight 360 process. This involved being matched with volunteers working at senior management level in the corporate world to give us a total 'outsider's perspective. on everything from our govemance to our marketing, then supply ideas to help us enhan that work. We paired with Pilotlight specifically to bring us a fresh perspective as we worked through our Theory of Change prosS. A charity's Theory of Chance is a thorough examination of its reason for existence: the difference it wants to make in the world, who it wants to make that difference for, and a thorough audit of how successfully it achieves that. The work was intensive but deeply worthwhile and we've created not only a Theory Of Change but a new Strategic plan and clear priorities for the next three years, all with a clear focus on the needs of our borrowers, present and future. Our contributlons to wider work: We continue to work closely with other organisations providing books in accessible formats, including the RNIB, Calibre audio library, Guide Dogs -particularly on their My Time To Play project- and with VIEW, the professional body for specialist teachers of people with vision impairment. We have presented remotely and in person at the Retina UK and VIEW conferences. We're delighted to have been able to widen our reach in Scotland this year, delivering a webinar through the Scottish Sensory Centre's continuous professional development programme, reaching over 40 specialist teachers across Scotland, and delivering a talk on tactile books to professionals and families through SENSE Scotland. From further afield, we co-hosted with Linden Lodge School a visit of 20 delegates from the South Korean Institute of Inclusive Education, who were eager to learn how Clearvision frts into the wider education of young people with sight impairment. We continue to support the UK Association for Accessible Formats and to sit on the board of Share the Vision, an organisation which widens access to public libraries for those unable to use regular books. This year we sat on BookTrust England's selection panel for their specialist book-gifting packs for babies and toddlers with disabilities, including their BookTouch packs for those with sight impairment. Restrictsd funds: The 'My Home Library, fund is designed to pay for a gift of four free dual format printlbraille 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. We have not found a grantmaker to support this fund this year, but continue to seek funders able to give this deeply- valued gift to our borrowers. We retsin a protected fund on behalf of the Moon Forum, to enable us to write and distribute the Moon Mag magazine. This supports the aims of the Moon Forum to promote Moon as an invaluable alternative for those who cannot leam braille. Due to the closure of HMP Full Sutton's braille unit, from whom we previously commissioned the Moon Mag, there has been no payment made from this fund this year, as we have yet to find an atternative transcriber of Moon font. We continue to seek other providers to enable us to restart this service.
Our Su ortors and Finance Our supporters: We have been fortunate this year to receive financial support from the National Lottery Communty Fund, the Powell Family Foundation, BBC Children In Need, Woodroffe Benton Foundation, The R. S MacDonald Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, The Taylour Foundation, The Wilmcote Charitable Trust, The Grocers Hall, FirstGive and The Michael Cornish Charitable Trust. We are grateful to the generosity of these trusts, and that of the many kind individuals who support us, particularly those who have left us legacies and our regular donors who continue to quietly underpin Clearvision's work, year in, year out. Our Re88rvo8 Pollcy: Clearvision is a small charity, 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 unpredictable external factors, we have adopted a cautious reserves policy. This policy is to hold in reserve one year of our projected annual operating costs, £127,460 for 2024125. At the end of 2023124 we have come very close to achieving this goal, which we consider satisfactory given the current fundraising climate. Investment Policy: the Trustees have considered the most appropriate policy for investing funds and do not see frt to invest in the stock market because of the high risks associated with fluctuating economic market conditions. Instead we keep some surplus funds in short-to-medium tenn deposts with our bankers, which can be accessed readily. To maximise interest, £40,595 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. ortin and res onsibili the responsibility for the management and control of the charity rests with the trustees, who are fully involved in the key aspects of the risk management process. Risks are considered in all aspects of Clearvision's work and include governance, operational, financial and compliance risks, as well as risks arising from extemal 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 which should have brought to the attention of the Charity Commission but have not been. Signed by Chair on behalf of the Clearvision Trustees on 19th July 2024.
CLEARVISION PROJECT ACCOUNTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Cleorvislon Books •• REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1012850
CLEARVISION PROJECT ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Contents Page Recelpt and Payments Accounts Balancè sheet Notes to accounts Independent Ex8mlners Report Trustees. Annual Report and Fln8nclal Rev16W Back page
10 IDP UNT DED 2024 Tot•1 mou 2023 Vnr•8trlcI Restrl¢¢•d Fu DoMtIoD$ . Voluntary donations Grants from Charitable Trusts and Foundallon5 Legac5 7,647 70,525 7,647 70.525 20.865 52,378 SUbsCp{lOnS Refunds for losVdam8ged book8 N81 péedS from Chrf81mas card Sales Glft Ald tax Mcoverod 7,690 718 7.690 718 8,601 1,210 21 1.158 952 9.363 952 Invo8trnenl Incom• r¢celpt8 824 Tolal R•c•lpts La1)r costs rfrbook productton Books and maknials Teleph¢Jn&, Inleff•l,prfnllng, poslaga & stallon8ry C¢)mpuler 80ftw8ra fj1 support cx)st8 Insur8n¢e Repalrn oThJ malntenoncg Exhiblllon Office salarles and 80clal #ecurlty $ts staff pen81on costs offi and aLknln18trallon Confgrence & meeliro cost8 T8cll& book comp8llllon (¥)sts 8,598 2.230 625 3,927 8,108 3,373 2.230 625 3,927 4.028 1,461 261 1.010 80.522 3,621 15 570 1,175 85,098 3.501 108 57 570 1,175 65,098 3.501 57 473 Profe88ional fund ral8lng 198B 9,272 9,272 2.408 5.250 4.650 100411 100411 -7,876 2,958
CLEARVISION PROJECT BALANCE SHEET AS AT 1 MARCH 2024 YIE 31.3.23 FIXED ASSErs Cost Less: Depreciation (page 4) 38.197 -38.171 26 56,734 -54,203 2,531 CURRENT ASSETS Debtor stock Cash Bank 506 110 100 119.267 113 100 123.146 127,859 119,983 NET ASSETS 120,009 130 390 REPRESENTED BY: Unr•strlcted Funds (Page 3) General Fund Balance blfwd 126,456 123,604 Nel (deficit)) receipts for year Less: Depreciatlon charge for year -7,876 -25 2,908 -56 2,852 126,456 -7,901 118,555 General Fund Balance Restrlcted Funds (Page 3) Restricted Fund Balance Net recelpts for year blfwd 3,934 9,690 50 9.740 -5,806 3,934 130,390 3.934 -2.480 Less: Depreciatlon charge 1.454 120,009 Approved by th8 Board of Trustees on. l91.0714.and signed on its behalf by Trustee....... ................ Trustee.......
CLEARVISION PROJECT YEAR ENDED 31 IIIARCH 20 Balanc• 1 Aprll 2023 Movements In Resources Balanco Incomlng Outgolng 31 March 2024 My Home Library Scheme 23 23 The Moon Forum Fund 642 842 Heritage Cirqa Library Management System and Ser4lces Fund 789 789 Total 1,454 1,454 Llbra Sche Clearvislon Is adminlstering this scheme for Anne Fine. MF The Moon Forum Fund relates to the activities of the Moon Forum, a group of organlsations indudlng RNIB, Involv8d In the promotk)n and productlon of Moon. emon Heritage Clrqa Llbrary Management Syst8m and SeNlces Fund is set up for the upgradlng of the Ilbrary software and puttlng the catalogue online {Th8 Herltage Project). ANALYSIS OF NET BETWEEN F ND Flxed Assets Current Assets Tolal Amount Unrestricted Fund8 119,983 120.009 Restrlcted Funds 26 119.983 120,009
CLEARVISION PROJECT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 FIXED ASSETS Heritsge Clrqa Llbrary Management System & S•rvlces Offlce Hut Fixture8 ment & Flttln Total amount Cost At 1 April 2023 36,999 145 1,143 18,447 56,734 Ellmlnation Addltton8 -90 -18,447 -18,537 At 31 March 2024 36.999 55 1,143 38,197 Accumulated Depreclatlon At 1 Aprll 2023 34,519 127 1,110 18,447 54.203 Ellmlnatlon Charge for year -90 18 -18,447 -18,537 2,505 2,480 At 31 March 2024 36,999 55 1,117 38,171 Net Book Value At 1 April 2023 2,480 18 33 2,531 At 31 March 2024 26
CLEARVISION PROJECT (Charlty Number 1012850) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF CLEARVISION PROJEcr FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages I to 4. Respective responsibllltles of trustees and examlner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 201 l Act stat¢ wheth¢r particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent examlner'5 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 disclosurcs in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedur¢s 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 limit¢d to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: l. Which gives me reasonable caus¢ to believe that in any material resp¢ct the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 201 l Act to pr¢pare accounts which accord with the 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 "/'/"