Charity no. 1119462
Wiltshire Blind Association Report and Audited Financial Statements 31 March 2022
Wiltshire Blind Association
Reference and administrative details
| For the year ended 31 | March 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Charity number | 1119462 | |
| Registered office and | St. Lucy's Sight Centre | |
| operational address | Browfort | |
| Bath Road | ||
| Devizes | ||
| SN10 2AT | ||
| President | The Marchioness of Lansdowne | |
| Trustees | Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were | |
| as follows: | ||
| Simon Williams | resigned 1 June 2022 | |
| Nicholas Grinham | ||
| Carl Hall | Chair | |
| Rachel Farr | ||
| Bankers | CAF Bank Ltd | The Co-operative Bank - Business |
| Kings Hill | PO Box 250 | |
| West Malling | Skelmersdale | |
| Kent | WN8 6WT | |
| ME19 4TA | ||
| Independent | Godfrey Wilson Limited | |
| auditors | Chartered accountants and | statutory auditors |
| 5th Floor Mariner House | ||
| 62 Prince Street | ||
| Bristol | ||
| BS1 4QD |
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022.
Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019).
About Wiltshire Blind Association
The charitable object of Wiltshire Blind Association is to promote the welfare of blind and partially sighted persons living in Wiltshire and Swindon.
The operating name for the charity is Wiltshire Sight.
Our aim is to ensure that everyone newly diagnosed or living with sight loss in Wiltshire and Swindon, including children and young people, have equal and timely access to the support and services they need.
We work with people affected by sight loss to help them navigate the often complex provision of services, joining up health, social care and community services.
Our strategy is defined by the views and needs of people with sight loss, and our services reflect what they identify as important to them.
Our outcomes
Those directly affected by sight loss (including children) in Wiltshire and Swindon will:
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Understand their eye condition, and what it means for them;
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Have someone to talk to who will understand and listen;
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Be able to remain as independent as possible, and to look after themselves and their family;
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Be able to access support to improve their health and wellbeing;
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Have access to the right benefits, and be able to maintain control of finances and plan for the future;
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Have access to volunteering opportunities and employment support;
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Be able to be part of their community and play an active role in it;
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Be aware of, and able to use, resources and technology that is relevant to their needs;
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Understand how to make the most of their remaining sight;
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Be able to make connections with others living with sight loss; and
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• Be able to influence the services which affect them and others living with sight loss.
Families and carers of people affected by sight loss in Wiltshire and Swindon will have:
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Access to support, advice and guidance in how to support people with sight loss; and
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A greater understanding of the challenges faced by people with sight loss and the resources available to overcome these challenges.
Local authorities, health service and other providers in Wiltshire and Swindon will be supported to:
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Understand and address the needs of people living with sight loss in the provision of effective statutory services; and
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Work together to ensure greater consistency, good practice and reduced duplication of services for people living with sight loss.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
Communities, businesses and the general public in Wiltshire and Swindon will have a:
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Greater awareness of the importance of eye health, regular eye checks and other action to prevent sight loss; and
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Greater awareness of the challenges faced by people living with sight loss and be supported to remove barriers that inhibit participation and inclusion.
Review of the year
Over the past four years we have been working in partnership with Sight Support West of England to deliver our services in Wiltshire and Swindon. This partnership has been very beneficial to the charity, firstly in reducing our overhead costs which enables us to spend more of our limited resources on essential services for our clients, and secondly enabling us to benefit from sharing and exchange of knowledge and good practice in the delivery of sight loss services across a larger region, including Bristol, Bath & N-E Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
Wiltshire Blind Association remains an independent charity committed to providing high quality local services to blind and partially sighted people across Wiltshire and Swindon. The only change over the past four years is that our front-line services are being delivered through Sight Support West of England.
The past year has again been a difficult one for everyone, with the pandemic restrictions in place until summer 2021 and many vulnerable clients still feeling unable to venture out. Now restrictions have ended, we are seeing different challenges. There are a significant number of people who have delayed appointments at the eye hospital or with their optician during the pandemic. Research carried out by SpecSavers shows there were 4.3 million fewer eye tests delivered in 2020 compared to 2019 (a 23% decline). There were 316,000 fewer referrals to ophthalmology than the previous year – these are people who missed being diagnosed as a result of the pandemic. Sadly, an estimated 2,986 people nationally lost vision due to delayed identification and treatment of eye disease. The backlog of missed appointments at Eye Clinics over the last two years has meant deterioration in many peoples’ sight conditions and diagnoses.
At Wiltshire Sight we are seeing the impact of this locally. More people than ever are being diagnosed, and then struggling to receive the support they need. There is more demand for our services than ever before.
During the pandemic, we continued to provide face-to-face and virtual services for people across Wiltshire and Swindon, adapting our delivery methods to suit individuals, with a constant eye on the need to reduce transmission risk. Despite the restrictions, we had 148 new clients registering with us over the year, bringing the total number of people supported over the year to 1,080.
As things have slowly returned to normal over the past year, we have had so many stories of how our support has kept people going. It’s been a year of change, and we are proud of the achievements and impact the team have had:
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
“Thank you so much for all you have done to keep me going over the past seven or eight months. I have been really inspired by your work, I wonder how I would have got through without it all. It has been an inspiring journey.”
“Your support has given me so much more confidence. It has opened my eyes to what I can do.”
“The biggest difference has been to my confidence. I will now do things around the house like washing up and making breakfast which I wouldn’t have tried before. I am able to go out to the shop and feel confident crossing the road.”
"Fantastic! - You're an excellent model of how a support service should work."
In early 2021 through our partnership with Sight Support we refined our Sight Loss Assessment process to make it more practical, and a more useful tool for working with clients. As part of this, we reduced our key outcome areas down to six:
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Understanding sight condition and registration;
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Communication and technology;
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Managing at home;
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Moving around;
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Health and wellbeing; and
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• Finances and employment.
Data collected through the year shows that 82% of the clients we worked with in 21-22 have already recorded significant improvement during the year in at least one outcome area as a result of our support. Many of these have made significant progress in several or all of the areas in which they were seeking support.
In addition, since we introduced our evaluation measures to enable clients to provide feedback on our services, 97% of clients have rated our services good, with 90% rating it as excellent. 91% of clients have told us that they feel more able to cope with day-to-day life as a result of our support.
Specific progress against the key objectives we set ourselves for 21-22 is summarised below:
• Opening up of community services across Wiltshire as soon as safe to do so, with full Covid-safe procedures in place;
- With some national Covid restrictions still in place until July 2021, and the need above all to protect our vulnerable clients, the transition back to face-to-face services was a measured process. Whilst we were keen to ensure those who felt able to go out had opportunities to meet face-to-face, it was important to continue to offer services over Zoom and telephone for those who were still exercising caution.
In May 2021 we hosted a sight loss exhibition in Chippenham, one of the first opportunities for people with sight loss to re-engage after the pandemic. The event was surprisingly popular, with many people saying they were so grateful for the opportunity to get face-to-face support and to try out daily living and technology aides in person.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
Over the course of the year, we re-opened community hubs in 18 different locations across the Wiltshire and Swindon – our aim being to ensure that people were able to get information, advice and guidance in an accessible location without the need to travel long distances, which are so often prohibitive for people with sight loss. As the year progressed, we saw a steadily increasing number of people attending the hubs and seeking support.
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Develop new opportunities to increase social connections for people living with sight loss in Wiltshire and Swindon, including peer support, volunteering, social groups and befriending;
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With isolation being such a common symptom of sight loss, we have been working this year to develop our social connection offering. Although we are continuing to offer telephone befriending, several of these relationships have developed into face-to-face ones, and new face-to-face pairings are being offered. Four of our 18 hubs now have a social group attached to them, and we are also helping to connect clients to appropriate groups and activities run by other organisations. We will continue the focus on peer support and social connections over the coming year.
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Work with Sight Support to develop an accessible Knowledge Hub of resources for clients, including an increased focus on health advice and fitness; Our new Knowledge Hub was launched in November at the same time as our new joint website with Sight Support West of England. This is the first time the two organisations have shared a website, but it joining up we are not only halving the costs, but are also able to provide more content, resources and regular updates, making it a much more effective and useful tool. Resources included in the joint Knowledge Hub include advice on managing in the kitchen, gardening, travelling, fraud awareness, audio described exercise classes, workouts and yoga, and technology. Importantly, as so many of our older clients are not active online, we have ensured that all resources are also available in large print and pre-recorded USB which can be sent out to clients.
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Open at least one charity shop to support our longer-term income sustainability, whilst also acting as a client support hub, enabling more clients to access support within easy travelling distance of their home;
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Our first charity shop opened in Salisbury in early November 2021. The shop also contains a resource centre and a consultation room for clients, so we are able to conduct one-to-one advice and training at a location which is easily accessible in the centre of the city. The design of the shop has accessibility at its core, particularly for people with sight loss – bright and airy, with wide pathways and spacing on the shop floor, high contrast colours for the till area and doorframes, and an accessible till system designed for use by visually-impaired volunteers. In addition to traditional charity retail items and new goods, the store sells many of the most commonly used daily living aids, simple technology and gadgets that are useful to our visually impaired clients, including magnifiers, task lighting, talking clocks and watches, and large print diaries, calendars and games.
We are very grateful to our supporters for the huge number of high-quality donations received to stock the shop, which have helped to make it one of most popular charity shops in the area.
At time of writing, we are currently negotiating on new premises in Devizes, and hope to have this second shop open in September 2022.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
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Work with Sight Support to develop an Advisory Board of visually impaired people across the West of England to inform strategy and planning of services and increase client engagement;
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Unfortunately progress on this objective has been slower than we had hoped. However, we do now have a joint Client Advisory group recruited, and the first meeting is planned for July 2022. We will report more on this next year.
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Further build our team of volunteers and volunteer-led services across the county, with a particular focus on providing volunteering opportunities for people with sight loss. Our volunteer team continues to be strong. Although many of the new volunteers we recruited in 20-21 as telephone befrienders had to finish as they returned to work after furlough, our numbers have remained high as we have recruited for many different roles. Over the course of the year we had 44 active volunteers in Wiltshire, nine of whom are living with sight loss. Over the year our volunteers in Wiltshire contributed a total of 1,707 hours of their time. As always, we are incredibly grateful to all those who have given up their time and provided invaluable support over the year.
Plans for the future
Our key development priorities for the 2022-23 year include:
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Professionalisation of phone lines to ensure our Community Sight Loss team are freed up to provide more direct client support;
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Continue to develop peer support and social opportunities in accessible locations across the county;
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Develop a plan for engagement with harder-to-reach communities in Swindon and Wiltshire and increase awareness within these communities of sight loss and available services;
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Raise awareness in communities about services available through local campaigns – parish magazines, social media groups, mailings to care homes, and community noticeboards in key locations;
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Focus on recruitment of local volunteers to support hubs, awareness and fundraising at a local level; and
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Open at least one more charity shop.
Financial review
Income and expenditure for 2021/22 were in line with the budget set for the year by the Board. Our partnership with Sight Support West of England has made a significant difference to our overhead costs which means that the money we raise is able to go directly on our frontline services. In line with our financial planning, we are continuing to use our free reserves to fund services as we bring down our reserves levels in line with our Reserves Policy.
After making appropriate enquiries, the Board of Trustees has a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, it continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
Charitable funders and supporters
Wiltshire Sight wishes to thank all its charitable funders and supporters, listed below for the year April 2021 – March 2022. As an independent charity we rely on the generosity of our supporters and the local community. Without their support we would not be able to deliver any of our valuable work providing local support for blind and partially sighted people in communities across Wiltshire and Swindon:
Arnold Clarke National Lottery Community Fund Asda Melksham Persimmon Homes Calne Town Council Salisbury Darts League Chippenham Town Council SSEN Resilient Communities Devizes Club for Blind St James Trust Devizes Town Council St Mary and St Ethelbert Church Luckington Inchcape Foundation Steve Vick International Julia & Hans Rausing Trust Tesco Bags of Help Lansdown Lodge of Unity Trowbridge Town Council Salisbury Ladies Friendship Group Waitrose Community Matters Lord Hanson Foundation Walter Guinness Charitable Trust Marlborough Town Council Westbury Town Council Melksham Town Council Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council Melksham without Parish Council Ulverscroft Foundation
We also received in-memory donations given in memory of some of our cherished clients who sadly passed away during the year: Anthony Underwood, Kathleen Gibbs, Eileen Glynn, Neville Scannell, Richard Mountain, Rita Ford and Evelyn Humpries. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
Reserves policy
Total funds held at 31 March 2022 were £737,349 all of which were unrestricted. £143,740 of unrestricted reserves are tied up in the capital assets of the charity and £300,000 has been designated by the trustees for future ongoing projects in Wiltshire to be completed over the next three years in partnership with Sight Support West of England.
Our current level of free reserves, defined as unrestricted net current assets is £293,609.
The target amount for contingency set by the charity is 12 months’ operating costs. The Trustees are aware that, as a result of a particularly high legacy received during the 21-22 year, the level of unrestricted reserves is higher than the desired target amount. However, legacy income has huge fluctuations which tend to balance out over a number of years, and the trustees therefore recognise that it is important not to spend this income immediately, as it will be required over leaner legacy years. The Board expects the level of reserves to return back to our target amount over the next two to three years. The reserves policy will continue to be kept under constant scrutiny by the Trustees.
The level of reserves has been set by Wiltshire Sight taking into account the following:
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The smooth running of the charity, and the provision of core services to visually impaired clients, needs to be maintained. Funds should be available to continue to subsidise the provision of core services until alternative sources of funding can be found;
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If the charity were to close it would take a minimum of 12 months to find alternative and equivalent sources of support for our visually impaired clients across Wiltshire and Swindon;
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Funding should be available to deal with the contingencies which might arise in the day to day running of the organisation; and
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A number of costs would be associated with dissolution of the charity.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
Structure, governance and management
The organisation converted from a charitable company limited by guarantee to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 1st September 2020. The charity was established in 1918 and registered under the Companies Act 2006 on 22 January 2007 and registered under the Charities Act 2011 on 1 June 2007. A new constitution of the CIO replaced the existing Memorandum of Association on 1st September 2020. This constitution establishes the objects and powers of the CIO, and governs its operations.
The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Trustees do not receive any remuneration for their services to the charity.
In the event of the CIO being wound up, the trustees have no liability to contribute to its assets.
On 1 April 2021, Sight Support West of England (charity number 1178384) became the controlling party of Wiltshire Blind Association. The consolidated group accounts are available from the Charity Commission.
Related parties
There were no related party transactions with trustees or senior management.
Risk management and delegation
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate systems and controls are in place in order to mitigate those risks and to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. During the year the trustees have considered the major risks and systems have been put in place to mitigate their impact.
The charity investment portfolio is managed by an independent investments manager who operates within the specific guidelines and restrictions set and is reviewed annually by the Board.
Public benefit
The board of trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit “Charities and Public Benefit”.
Wiltshire Blind Association’s charitable objectives are enshrined within its articles and, as such, the Trustees ensure that this charter is carried out for the public benefit. This is done through the delivery of services which, whilst primarily aimed at those who are blind or partially sighted are, where appropriate, open to all who might benefit.
Statement of responsibilities of the trustees
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Report of the trustees
For the year ended 31 March 2022
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
Auditors
Godfrey Wilson Limited were appointed as auditors to the charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the trustees on 9 December 2022 and signed on their behalf by
Carl Hall - Chair
9
Independent auditors' report
To the members of
Wiltshire Blind Association
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Wiltshire Blind Association (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
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give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2022 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
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have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
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have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
10
Independent auditors' report
To the members of
Wiltshire Blind Association
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
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sufficient accounting records have not been kept;
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the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
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we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit.
Responsibilities of the trustees
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out in the trustees’ report, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:
11
Independent auditors' report
To the members of
Wiltshire Blind Association
(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.
(2) We reviewed the charity’s policies and procedures in relation to:
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Identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations, and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
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Detecting and responding to the risk of fraud, and whether they were aware of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and
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Designing and implementing internal controls to mitigate the risk of non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud.
(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.
(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.
(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.
(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:
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▪Testing the appropriateness of journal entries;
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▪Assessing judgements and accounting estimates for potential bias;
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▪Reviewing related party transactions; and
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▪Testing transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
12
Independent auditors' report
To the members of
Wiltshire Blind Association
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charityʼs trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and the regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charityʼs trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorʼs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charityʼs trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Godfrey Wilson Limited
9 December 2022
GODFREY WILSON LIMITED
Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Statement of financial activities
For the year ended 31 March 2022
| Restricted Unrestricted Note £ £ Income from: Donations and legacies 3 - 310,735 Charitable activities 4 34,448 28,999 Other trading activities 5 - 8,383 Investments - 6,927 Total income 34,448 355,044 Expenditure on: Raising funds - - Charitable activities 34,448 185,114 Total expenditure 7 34,448 185,114 Net income before gains - 169,930 Net gains on investments 11 - 9,999 Net income and net movement in funds 8 - 179,929 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward - 557,420 Total funds carried forward - 737,349 |
2022 Total £ 310,735 63,447 8,383 6,927 389,492 - 219,562 219,562 169,930 9,999 179,929 557,420 737,349 |
2021 Total £ 120,117 76,260 94 7,516 |
|---|---|---|
| 203,987 | ||
| 444 131,182 |
||
| 131,626 | ||
| 72,361 41,447 |
||
| 113,808 443,612 |
||
| 557,420 |
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 15 to the accounts.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2022
| Note Fixed assets Tangible assets 10 Investments 11 Current assets Debtors 12 Cash at bank and in hand Liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year 13 Net current assets Net assets 14 Funds 15 Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds General funds Total charity funds |
£ 1,194 170,414 171,608 (77,272) |
2022 £ 143,740 499,273 643,013 94,336 737,349 - 443,740 293,609 737,349 |
2021 £ 149,685 382,981 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 532,666 10 140,582 |
|||
| 140,592 (115,838) |
|||
| 24,754 | |||
| 557,420 | |||
| - 449,685 107,735 |
|||
| 557,420 |
Approved by the trustees on 9 December 2022 and signed on their behalf by
Carl Hall - Chair
15
Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
1. Accounting policies
a) Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
Wiltshire Blind Association meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
b) Going concern basis of accounting
The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern. The charity holds unrestricted funds of £737,349 and has sufficient cash reserves to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date on which these financial statements are approved.
c) Income
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
Income received in advance of provision of a specified service is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.
d) Interest receivable
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
1. Accounting policies (continued)
e) Funds accounting
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
f) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
g) Grants payable
Grants payable are charged in the year in which the offer is conveyed to the recipient except in those cases where the offer is conditional, such grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions attached have been fulfilled. Grants offered subject to conditions at the year end are noted as commitment but are not accrued as expenditure.
h) Allocation of support and governance costs
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated in full to expenditure on charitable activities which is deemed to be reflective of the activities of the charity in this period.
i) Tangible fixed assets
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:
Long leasehold 2% straight line Computer equipment 25% reducing balance Fixtures and fittings 25% reducing balance
Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500.
j) Investments
Investments held at the year end are valued at the current market value at that date. Investment income from dividends is included in incoming resources while realised and unrealised losses and gains on investments are shown separately on the statement of financial activities (SOFA). Realised gains and losses are calculated on investment disposals during the year as the difference between the opening market value and the proceeds received on sale. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated on investment holdings at the year end as the difference between the closing market value and the opening market value or purchase value during the year.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
1. Accounting policies (continued)
k) Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
l) Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
m) Creditors
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
n) Financial instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
o) Foreign currency transactions
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Balances denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the year end.
p) Accounting estimates and key judgements
In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.
The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are described below.
Depreciation
As described in note 1i to the financial statements, depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities
| Income from: Donations and legacies Charitable activities Other trading activities Investments Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total expenditure Net income before gains Net gains on investments Net income and net movement in funds 3. Income from donations and legacies Donations Legacies |
Restricted £ £ - 120,117 39,544 36,716 - 94 - 7,516 39,544 164,443 - 444 39,544 91,638 39,544 92,082 - 72,361 - 41,447 - 113,808 2022 Restricted Total £ £ £ - 14,588 14,588 - 296,147 296,147 - 310,735 310,735 Unrestricted Unrestricted |
2021 Total £ 120,117 76,260 94 7,516 |
|---|---|---|
| 203,987 | ||
| 444 131,182 |
||
| 131,626 | ||
| 72,361 41,447 |
||
| 113,808 | ||
| 2021 Total £ 7,886 112,231 |
||
| 120,117 |
All income from donations and legacies in the prior period was unrestricted.
19
Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
4. Income from charitable activities
| Grants Resource sales Prior period comparative: Grants Resource sales 5. Income from other trading activities Corporate fundraising Events and fundraising |
Restricted £ £ 34,448 28,946 - 53 34,448 28,999 Restricted £ £ 39,544 36,440 - 276 39,544 36,716 2022 Restricted Total £ £ £ - 250 250 - 8,133 8,133 - 8,383 8,383 Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted |
2022 Total £ 63,394 53 |
|---|---|---|
| 63,447 | ||
| 2021 Total £ 75,984 276 |
||
| 76,260 | ||
| 2021 Total £ - 94 |
||
| 94 |
All income from other trading activities in the prior period was unrestricted.
6. Government grants
The group receives government grants, defined as funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and various town councils to fund charitable activities. The total value of such grants in the year ending 31 March 2022 was £16,020 (2021: £14,905). There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants.
20
Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
7. Total expenditure
| Grants payable to Sight Support West of England Depreciation Accountancy General office Advertising and promotion Insurance Investment management fees IT and communications Bank charges Repairs and Maintenance Subscriptions Fundraising costs Sub-total Allocation of support and governance costs Total expenditure |
Raising funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Charitable activities £ 208,464 - - - - - - - - - - - 208,464 11,098 219,562 |
£ - 5,945 3,270 - 624 287 300 (98) 189 531 50 - 11,098 (11,098) - Support and governance costs |
2022 Total £ 208,464 5,945 3,270 - 624 287 300 (98) 189 531 50 - 219,562 - 219,562 |
Raising funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - 444 444 - 444 |
Charitable activities £ 120,369 - - - - - - - - - - - 120,369 10,813 131,182 |
£ - 6,836 2,179 71 936 268 300 98 74 - 51 - 10,813 (10,813) - Support and governance costs |
2021 Total £ 120,369 6,836 2,179 71 936 268 300 98 74 - 51 444 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131,626 - |
||||||||
| 131,626 |
Total governance costs were £3,000 (2021: £1,920)
All amounts included in grants payable are paid to Sight Support West of England (SSWE), the parent of Wiltshire Blind Association.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
8. Net movement in funds
This is stated after charging:
| Net movement in funds This is stated after charging: |
||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Depreciation | 5,945 | 6,836 |
| Trustees' remuneration | Nil | Nil |
| Trustees' reimbursed expenses | Nil | Nil |
| Auditor's remuneration: | ||
| ▪Audit fee / independent examination fee (including VAT) | 3,000 | 1,920 |
| ▪Other services | 270 | 259 |
9. Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
10. Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At 1 April 2021 and at 31 March 2022 Depreciation At 1 April 2021 Charge for the year At 31 March 2022 Net book value At 31 March 2022 At 31 March 2021 |
Long leasehold £ 161,424 22,596 3,228 25,824 135,600 138,828 |
Computer equipment £ 34,562 28,541 1,517 30,058 4,504 6,021 |
Fixtures and fittings £ 34,070 29,234 1,200 30,434 3,636 4,836 |
Total £ 230,056 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80,371 5,945 |
||||
| 86,316 | ||||
| 143,740 | ||||
| 149,685 |
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
11. Investments
| Market value at 1 April 2021 Additions Disposals proceeds Realised gains / (losses) Unrealised gains / (losses) Movement in cash balances Market value at 31 March 2022 Represented by: Listed equities Cash Total |
2022 £ 382,981 107,201 (15,243) 1,798 8,201 14,335 499,273 468,493 30,780 499,273 |
2021 £ 234,318 220,467 (107,712) 16,019 25,428 (5,539) |
|---|---|---|
| 382,981 | ||
| 360,900 22,081 |
||
| 382,981 |
Investments comprise listed investments held by the charity via Rathbones.
12. Debtors
| Trade debtors Creditors : amounts due within 1 year Trade creditors Owed to Sight Support West of England Accruals |
2022 £ 1,194 1,194 2022 £ - 74,272 3,000 77,272 |
2021 £ 10 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | ||
| 2021 £ 268 113,649 1,921 |
||
| 115,838 |
13. Creditors : amounts due within 1 year
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
14. Analysis of net assets between funds
| Tangible fixed assets Investments Current assets Current liabilities Net assets at 31 March 2022 Prior period comparative Tangible fixed assets Investments Current assets Current liabilities Net assets at 31 March 2021 |
£ - - - - - £ - - - - - Restricted funds Restricted funds |
£ 143,740 300,000 - - 443,740 £ 149,685 300,000 - - 449,685 Designated funds Designated funds |
£ - 199,273 171,608 (77,272) 293,609 £ - 82,981 140,592 (115,838) 107,735 General funds General funds |
Total funds £ 143,740 499,273 171,608 (77,272) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 737,349 | ||||
| Total funds £ 149,685 382,981 140,592 (115,838) |
||||
| 557,420 |
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
15. Movements in funds
| Restricted funds Salisbury Resource Centre Total restricted funds Designated funds: Development fund Fixed asset fund Total designated funds General funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds Wiltshire Community Sight Loss Service Unrestricted funds |
At 1 April 2021 £ - - - 300,000 149,685 449,685 107,735 557,420 557,420 |
Income £ 29,448 5,000 34,448 - - - 355,044 355,044 389,492 |
£ (29,448) (5,000) (34,448) - (5,945) (5,945) (179,169) (185,114) (219,562) Expenditure |
£ £ - - - - - - - 300,000 - 143,740 - 443,740 9,999 293,609 9,999 737,349 9,999 737,349 Transfers and gains / (losses) At 31 March 2022 |
£ £ - - - - - - - 300,000 - 143,740 - 443,740 9,999 293,609 9,999 737,349 9,999 737,349 Transfers and gains / (losses) At 31 March 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||||
| 300,000 143,740 |
|||||
| 443,740 | |||||
| 293,609 | |||||
| 737,349 | |||||
| 737,349 |
There were no transfers between funds in the year.
Purposes of restricted funds Wiltshire Community Funding provided for the costs of a Community Sight Loss Advisor in Sight Loss Service Wiltshire.
Salisbury Resource Funding provided for equipping of new Sight Loss Resource Centre in Centre Salisbury.
Purposes of designated funds Development fund To
To fund Sight Support West of England to provide sight loss advice and guidance services across Wiltshire and Swindon.
Fixed asset fund Represents the net book value of fixed assets.
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
| 15. Movements in funds (continued) Prior period comparative Restricted funds Global Make Some Noise Wiltshire Community Foundation Resource Centre Refurbishment Audio Library St James Trust Age UK Wiltshire Total restricted funds Designated funds: Development fund Fixed asset fund Total designated funds General funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds Unrestricted funds Community Sight Loss Service Wiltshire and Swindon Chippenham Borough Lands Charity |
At 1 April 2020 £ - - - - - - - - - 188,318 156,521 344,839 98,773 443,612 443,612 |
Income £ 17,500 8,369 4,275 1,300 100 2,000 1,000 5,000 39,544 - - - 164,443 164,443 203,987 |
£ (17,500) (8,369) (4,275) (1,300) (100) (2,000) (1,000) (5,000) (39,544) - (6,836) (6,836) (85,246) (92,082) (131,626) Expenditure and losses |
£ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 111,682 300,000 - 149,685 111,682 449,685 (70,235) 107,735 41,447 557,420 41,447 557,420 Transfers between funds At 31 March 2021 |
£ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 111,682 300,000 - 149,685 111,682 449,685 (70,235) 107,735 41,447 557,420 41,447 557,420 Transfers between funds At 31 March 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||||
| 300,000 149,685 |
|||||
| 449,685 107,735 |
|||||
| 557,420 | |||||
| 557,420 |
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Wiltshire Blind Association
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 March 2022
16. Financial instruments at fair value
| Financial instruments at fair value | ||
|---|---|---|
| Financial assets measured at fair value Financial assets measured at fair value comprise listed investments. |
2022 £ 499,273 |
2021 £ 382,981 |
17. Related party transactions
Nick Grinham and Carl Hall, trustees of Wiltshire Blind Association (WBA) are also trustees of Sight Support West of England (SSWE). During the year ended 31 March 2022, WBA collected monies on behalf of SSWE and granted £208,464 (2021: £120,369). At 31 March 2022, WBA owed SSWE £74,272 (2021: £113,649).
From 1 April 2021, SSWE (number: 1178384) became the controlling party of WBA. A copy of the consolidated financial statements is available from the Charity Commission. WBA will remain an independent charity with its own board of trustees and its own set of accounts.
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