FIGHT AGAINST BLINDNESS (FAB) Charity No 1124806
TRUSTEES REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023
Summary
In 2023 FAB continued to deliver its Specialist Sight loss and Visual Impairment Clinical Psychology Service to Children and Young People (CYP) in the UK in accordance with its trust deed. FAB’s service is free, unconditional and confidential. It is not available or commissioned by the NHS. We work in partnership with NHS eye clinics to successfully deliver our service to the charity’s beneficiaries.
We established a new partnership with GOSH London and filled the vacancy at St James’s Hospital Leeds.
Income increased by 66%, private donations increased by 85% and the trustees’ fundraising increased by 8% compared with 2022. FAB trustees’ unrestricted fundraising by craft fairs, events and the sale of greeting cards is used to pay the charity’s running costs and for fundraising advice,
In 2023, FAB’s service was available at Great Ormond Stret Hospital London, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge for East Anglia, Oxford Children’s Hospital for central England, Southampton General Hospital for the South, St James’s Leeds for the North and Royal Bristol Hospital for Children for the South West. We recruited an Assistant Psychologist to meet the need in Bristol to reduce wait-time.
Our service is for children with any eye condition eg Retinitis Pigmentosa, Choroideremia, Stargardt Disease, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Best Disease, Leber Amaurosis, Gyrate Atrophy, Bullseye Dystrophy, Alstrom Disease and Syndromes such as Usher and Stickler. FAB includes the CYP’s family, school and other support agencies in its work as they are all needed to help successful outcomes. We have found that approximately 90% of children need our liaison with school.
The clinical psychologists liaised with schools, Sensory Support Services as required and provided training to consultants and doctors, orthoptists. Please see our website for our highly successful podcasts with the RNIB for CYP and parents. A further six were made available on our website in the period.
FAB’s research project, “Psychological Distress in Children with Visual Impairment” at Oxford Children’s Hospital is progressing to plan and due to complete Summer 2024.
FAB continued its prudent financial policies to ensure continuity of service, so essential for our beneficiaries.
We gratefully acknowledge the grant of £10,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge the grant of £20,250 from the Postcode Places Trust. We gratefully acknowledge the first quarterly payment of £5,600 of the 4 year grant from City Bridge Foundation.
1
Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses
All trustees are unpaid. Trustee’s expenses are paid in accordance with internal control, given below.
Review of Accounts
Income for the accounting period was £151,805.25 from all sources including grants of £140,950 from Trusts and Foundations (92.8% of income), the principal funding source for the charity.
Expenditure on Charitable Activities in the period was £120,210.07, 79.2% of income; outstanding payments for work completed in 2023 was £1,700. Funding for charitable activities contracted for 2024 and later years was £202,328. FAB’s policy is to have sufficient funds to cover those contracted activities at the start of 2024 to ensure confidence in continuity of service so essential to our beneficiaries. The fund balance at the end of the period was £49,732.83.
The running cost of the charity was £4,101.60, 2.7% of income for all support activities including travel, charity insurance, website, office, fundraising goods for sale at fetes etc. £17,100 was spent on fundraising consultant fees, which enabled FAB to meet its service expansion targets and partnerships particularly with GOSH, and to meet our future income targets.
Reserves Policy
The trustees are satisfied that the balance of the unrestricted fund is sufficient to meet the day-to-day operating costs of the charity.
A contingency reserve of £10,000 is held to cover emergency funding requests.
FAB maintains restricted reserves amounting up to one year's psychology costs to ensure continuity of service essential to our beneficiaries, (see Grants). Restricted funds above these one year’s costs are invested into current or new projects, subject to staffing levels and/or recruitment.
Grants
Grant income is recognised on a received basis and grants payable are accounted for on an accruals basis reflecting FAB’s contracted commitments to pay.
FAB’s policy is to hold one year forward grant funding to ensure confidence in continuity of service so essential to our beneficiaries. Grants are funded to completion on a year-to-year basis and are given permission to continue subject to a satisfactory year end project review.
Independent Accountant’s Report and External Control
An Independent examiner has examined the accounts for the reporting period in accordance with all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. No concerns were found. This statement is supported in a formal letter to FAB.
2
Internal Control
The trustees of the charity meet formally four times a year. Meeting minutes are agreed by the trustees and signed by FAB chair. The trustees prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with charity law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statement the trustees have selected suitable accounting policies and applied them consistently, made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, and kept proper accounting records.
Expenses are paid to cover reasonable costs by formal application of signed and authorised expense forms complete with receipts.
Payments for the charitable activities are made on receipt of invoices paid in arrears. Agreements are made by formal letter from FAB to an officer of the organisation concerned. Each project organisation is required to submit quarterly reports and have a quarterly progress review with the clinicians involved. FAB makes no payments to private individuals.
Funding requests to trusts and foundations are made by formal letter/email/application including information on the charity as required. Funds are used in accordance with the donor’s wishes.
Future Plans
The charity’s plans for 2024 include,
-
Complete first phase of our research project
-
Expand our work with GOSH, Addenbrookes and Oxford Children’s Hospital
-
Offer our service to Somerset
-
Maintain our higher level of service in Bristol
-
Increase our income to meet future plans
Transactions with Connected Persons and Companies
FAB used Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants for fundraising advice.
==> picture [94 x 63] intentionally omitted <==
Clive Fisher Chair FAB July 2024
3
| STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIGHT AGAINST BLINDNESS(FAB) CHARITY NO 1124806 | ||||||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||||
| 1. INCOME | UNRESTRICTED FUND |
RESTRICTED FUND |
TOTAL FUND |
2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| EVENTS, CRAFT GOODS SOLD AT FAIRS, COFFEE MORNINGS ETC |
6713.90 | 6713.90 | 6198.30 | 3948.67 | ||||||||||
| STORE COLLECTIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| PRIVATE DONATIONS | 2893.52 | 2893.52 | 1559.46 | 12338.21 | ||||||||||
| GIFT AID | 168.75 | 168.75 | 176.75 | 2838.13 | ||||||||||
| BANK INTEREST | 1079.08 | 1079.08 | 441.51 | 222.68 | ||||||||||
| TRUST GRANT UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 420.00 | |||||||||||
| GRANT FROM GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||||||
| GRANT FROM OXFORD COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND | 1200.00 | 1200.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANT FROM POSTCODE PLACES TRUST | 20250.00 | 20250.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANT FROM CITY BRIDGE FOUNDATION | 5600.00 | 5600.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANTS FROM TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS | 103900.00 | 103900.00 | 72530.00 | 96549.00 | ||||||||||
| RETURNS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | -100.00 | |||||||||
| TOTAL INCOME | 20855.25 | 130950.00 | 151805.25 | 91326.02 | 115796.69 | |||||||||
| 2. COSTS | ||||||||||||||
| CHARITIBLE ACTIVITIES | 120210.07 | 120210.07 | 67316.05 | 45611.87 | ||||||||||
| RUNNING COSTS | ||||||||||||||
| FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT FEES | 17100.00 | 17100.00 | 16450.00 | 16625.00 | ||||||||||
| SUPPORT - STATIONARY, OFFICE SUPPLIES, TRAVEL, INSURANCE ETC |
4101.60 | 4101.60 | 4197.67 | 3098.22 | ||||||||||
| COMMUNICATIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4350.75 | |||||||||||
| RETURNS | 0.00 | 0.00 | -50.00 | |||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 21201.60 | 21201.60 | 24948.42 | 19723.22 | ||||||||||
| TOTAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES AND RUNNING COSTS | 21201.60 | 120210.07 | 141411.67 | 92264.47 | 65335.09 | |||||||||
| TOTAL INCOME LESS TOTAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES AND RUNNING COSTS | -346.35 | 10739.93 | 10393.58 | -938.45 | 50461.60 | |||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 AS YET UNPAID(WORK COMPLETED IN 2023) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT CAMBRIDGE(EAST ANGLIA) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT SOUTHAMPTON(SOUTHERN) | 1700.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT OXFORD(CENTRAL) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT BRISTOL(SOUTH WEST) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT GOSH(LONDON) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT LEEDS(YORKSHIRE) | ||||||||||||||
| FAB RESEARCH PROJECT OUH | ||||||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 1700.00 | 1700.00 | 17173.00 | 17207.56 | ||||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED FROM 1 JANUARY 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT CAMBRIDGE(EAST ANGLIA) | 59000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT SOUTHAMPTON(SOUTHERN) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT OXFORD(CENTRAL) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT BRISTOL(SOUTH WEST) | 19500.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT GOSH(LONDON) | 48000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT LEEDS(YORKSHIRE) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| FAB RESEARCH PROJECT OUH | 36828.00 | |||||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 0.00 | 202328.00 | 202328.00 | 185887.00 | 199250.00 | |||||||||
| CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 0.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||||
| TOTAL CONTRACTED WORK AND CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 204028.00 | 214028.00 | 213060.00 | 226457.56 | |||||||||
| 3. BANK BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2022 | 32387.09 | 220980.16 | 253367.25 | 254305.70 | 203844.10 | |||||||||
| 4. BANK BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | 32040.74 | 231720.09 | 263760.83 | 253367.25 | 254305.70 | |||||||||
| 5. BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 INCLUDING CHARITABLE ACTIVIES YET UNPAID, CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED AND CONTINGENCY RESERVE |
22040.74 | 27692.09 | 49732.83 | 40307.25 | 27848.14 | |||||||||
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |||||||
| CASH AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | 32040.74 | 231720.09 | 263760.83 | ||||||
| LIABILITIES | |||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 AS YET UNPAID (WORK COMPLETED IN 2023) |
1700.00 | 1700.00 | |||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED 1 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 |
202328.00 | 202328.00 | |||||||
| CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 10000.00 | 204028.00 | 214028.00 | ||||||
| BALANCE | 22040.74 | 27692.09 | 49732.83 | ||||||
The Trustees Fight Against Blindness (Charity No1124806)
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Fight Against Blindness (FAB) (Charity No 1124806)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Fight Against Blindness (FAB) (Charity No 1124806) (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
==> picture [139 x 47] intentionally omitted <==
Name: Chris Biggs (FCA) (Signed in a personal capacity only)
Address: 474 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 5JG Date: 18 October 2024
| STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIGHT AGAINST BLINDNESS(FAB) CHARITY NO 1124806 | ||||||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||||
| 1. INCOME | UNRESTRICTED FUND |
RESTRICTED FUND |
TOTAL FUND |
2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| EVENTS, CRAFT GOODS SOLD AT FAIRS, COFFEE MORNINGS ETC |
6713.90 | 6713.90 | 6198.30 | 3948.67 | ||||||||||
| STORE COLLECTIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| PRIVATE DONATIONS | 2893.52 | 2893.52 | 1559.46 | 12338.21 | ||||||||||
| GIFT AID | 168.75 | 168.75 | 176.75 | 2838.13 | ||||||||||
| BANK INTEREST | 1079.08 | 1079.08 | 441.51 | 222.68 | ||||||||||
| TRUST GRANT UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 420.00 | |||||||||||
| GRANT FROM GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||||||
| GRANT FROM OXFORD COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND | 1200.00 | 1200.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANT FROM POSTCODE PLACES TRUST | 20250.00 | 20250.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANT FROM CITY BRIDGE FOUNDATION | 5600.00 | 5600.00 | ||||||||||||
| GRANTS FROM TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS | 103900.00 | 103900.00 | 72530.00 | 96549.00 | ||||||||||
| RETURNS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | -100.00 | |||||||||
| TOTAL INCOME | 20855.25 | 130950.00 | 151805.25 | 91326.02 | 115796.69 | |||||||||
| 2. COSTS | ||||||||||||||
| CHARITIBLE ACTIVITIES | 120210.07 | 120210.07 | 67316.05 | 45611.87 | ||||||||||
| RUNNING COSTS | ||||||||||||||
| FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT FEES | 17100.00 | 17100.00 | 16450.00 | 16625.00 | ||||||||||
| SUPPORT - STATIONARY, OFFICE SUPPLIES, TRAVEL, INSURANCE ETC |
4101.60 | 4101.60 | 4197.67 | 3098.22 | ||||||||||
| COMMUNICATIONS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4350.75 | |||||||||||
| RETURNS | 0.00 | 0.00 | -50.00 | |||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 21201.60 | 21201.60 | 24948.42 | 19723.22 | ||||||||||
| TOTAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES AND RUNNING COSTS | 21201.60 | 120210.07 | 141411.67 | 92264.47 | 65335.09 | |||||||||
| TOTAL INCOME LESS TOTAL CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES AND RUNNING COSTS | -346.35 | 10739.93 | 10393.58 | -938.45 | 50461.60 | |||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 AS YET UNPAID(WORK COMPLETED IN 2023) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT CAMBRIDGE(EAST ANGLIA) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT SOUTHAMPTON(SOUTHERN) | 1700.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT OXFORD(CENTRAL) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT BRISTOL(SOUTH WEST) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT GOSH(LONDON) | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT LEEDS(YORKSHIRE) | ||||||||||||||
| FAB RESEARCH PROJECT OUH | ||||||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 1700.00 | 1700.00 | 17173.00 | 17207.56 | ||||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED FROM 1 JANUARY 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT CAMBRIDGE(EAST ANGLIA) | 59000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT SOUTHAMPTON(SOUTHERN) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT OXFORD(CENTRAL) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT BRISTOL(SOUTH WEST) | 19500.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT GOSH(LONDON) | 48000.00 | |||||||||||||
| PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT LEEDS(YORKSHIRE) | 13000.00 | |||||||||||||
| FAB RESEARCH PROJECT OUH | 36828.00 | |||||||||||||
| SUB TOTAL | 0.00 | 202328.00 | 202328.00 | 185887.00 | 199250.00 | |||||||||
| CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 0.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||||
| TOTAL CONTRACTED WORK AND CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 204028.00 | 214028.00 | 213060.00 | 226457.56 | |||||||||
| 3. BANK BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2022 | 32387.09 | 220980.16 | 253367.25 | 254305.70 | 203844.10 | |||||||||
| 4. BANK BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | 32040.74 | 231720.09 | 263760.83 | 253367.25 | 254305.70 | |||||||||
| 5. BALANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 INCLUDING CHARITABLE ACTIVIES YET UNPAID, CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED AND CONTINGENCY RESERVE |
22040.74 | 27692.09 | 49732.83 | 40307.25 | 27848.14 | |||||||||
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |||||||
| CASH AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 | 32040.74 | 231720.09 | 263760.83 | ||||||
| LIABILITIES | |||||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES TO 31 DECEMBER 2023 AS YET UNPAID (WORK COMPLETED IN 2023) |
1700.00 | 1700.00 | |||||||
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES CONTRACTED 1 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 |
202328.00 | 202328.00 | |||||||
| CONTINGENCY RESERVE | 10000.00 | 10000.00 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 10000.00 | 204028.00 | 214028.00 | ||||||
| BALANCE | 22040.74 | 27692.09 | 49732.83 | ||||||
FIGHT AGAINST BLINDNESS (FAB) Charity No 1124806
TRUSTEES REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 1 JANUARY 2023 TO 31 DECEMBER 2023
Summary
In 2023 FAB continued to deliver its Specialist Sight loss and Visual Impairment Clinical Psychology Service to Children and Young People (CYP) in the UK in accordance with its trust deed. FAB’s service is free, unconditional and confidential. It is not available or commissioned by the NHS. We work in partnership with NHS eye clinics to successfully deliver our service to the charity’s beneficiaries.
We established a new partnership with GOSH London and filled the vacancy at St James’s Hospital Leeds.
Income increased by 66%, private donations increased by 85% and the trustees’ fundraising increased by 8% compared with 2022. FAB trustees’ unrestricted fundraising by craft fairs, events and the sale of greeting cards is used to pay the charity’s running costs and for fundraising advice,
In 2023, FAB’s service was available at Great Ormond Stret Hospital London, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge for East Anglia, Oxford Children’s Hospital for central England, Southampton General Hospital for the South, St James’s Leeds for the North and Royal Bristol Hospital for Children for the South West. We recruited an Assistant Psychologist to meet the need in Bristol to reduce wait-time.
Our service is for children with any eye condition eg Retinitis Pigmentosa, Choroideremia, Stargardt Disease, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Best Disease, Leber Amaurosis, Gyrate Atrophy, Bullseye Dystrophy, Alstrom Disease and Syndromes such as Usher and Stickler. FAB includes the CYP’s family, school and other support agencies in its work as they are all needed to help successful outcomes. We have found that approximately 90% of children need our liaison with school.
The clinical psychologists liaised with schools, Sensory Support Services as required and provided training to consultants and doctors, orthoptists. Please see our website for our highly successful podcasts with the RNIB for CYP and parents. A further six were made available on our website in the period.
FAB’s research project, “Psychological Distress in Children with Visual Impairment” at Oxford Children’s Hospital is progressing to plan and due to complete Summer 2024.
FAB continued its prudent financial policies to ensure continuity of service, so essential for our beneficiaries.
We gratefully acknowledge the grant of £10,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge the grant of £20,250 from the Postcode Places Trust. We gratefully acknowledge the first quarterly payment of £5,600 of the 4 year grant from City Bridge Foundation.
1
Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses
All trustees are unpaid. Trustee’s expenses are paid in accordance with internal control, given below.
Review of Accounts
Income for the accounting period was £151,805.25 from all sources including grants of £140,950 from Trusts and Foundations (92.8% of income), the principal funding source for the charity.
Expenditure on Charitable Activities in the period was £120,210.07, 79.2% of income; outstanding payments for work completed in 2023 was £1,700. Funding for charitable activities contracted for 2024 and later years was £202,328. FAB’s policy is to have sufficient funds to cover those contracted activities at the start of 2024 to ensure confidence in continuity of service so essential to our beneficiaries. The fund balance at the end of the period was £49,732.83.
The running cost of the charity was £4,101.60, 2.7% of income for all support activities including travel, charity insurance, website, office, fundraising goods for sale at fetes etc. £17,100 was spent on fundraising consultant fees, which enabled FAB to meet its service expansion targets and partnerships particularly with GOSH, and to meet our future income targets.
Reserves Policy
The trustees are satisfied that the balance of the unrestricted fund is sufficient to meet the day-to-day operating costs of the charity.
A contingency reserve of £10,000 is held to cover emergency funding requests.
FAB maintains restricted reserves amounting up to one year's psychology costs to ensure continuity of service essential to our beneficiaries, (see Grants). Restricted funds above these one year’s costs are invested into current or new projects, subject to staffing levels and/or recruitment.
Grants
Grant income is recognised on a received basis and grants payable are accounted for on an accruals basis reflecting FAB’s contracted commitments to pay.
FAB’s policy is to hold one year forward grant funding to ensure confidence in continuity of service so essential to our beneficiaries. Grants are funded to completion on a year-to-year basis and are given permission to continue subject to a satisfactory year end project review.
Independent Accountant’s Report and External Control
An Independent examiner has examined the accounts for the reporting period in accordance with all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. No concerns were found. This statement is supported in a formal letter to FAB.
2
Internal Control
The trustees of the charity meet formally four times a year. Meeting minutes are agreed by the trustees and signed by FAB chair. The trustees prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with charity law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statement the trustees have selected suitable accounting policies and applied them consistently, made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, and kept proper accounting records.
Expenses are paid to cover reasonable costs by formal application of signed and authorised expense forms complete with receipts.
Payments for the charitable activities are made on receipt of invoices paid in arrears. Agreements are made by formal letter from FAB to an officer of the organisation concerned. Each project organisation is required to submit quarterly reports and have a quarterly progress review with the clinicians involved. FAB makes no payments to private individuals.
Funding requests to trusts and foundations are made by formal letter/email/application including information on the charity as required. Funds are used in accordance with the donor’s wishes.
Future Plans
The charity’s plans for 2024 include,
-
Complete first phase of our research project
-
Expand our work with GOSH, Addenbrookes and Oxford Children’s Hospital
-
Offer our service to Somerset
-
Maintain our higher level of service in Bristol
-
Increase our income to meet future plans
Transactions with Connected Persons and Companies
FAB used Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants for fundraising advice.
==> picture [94 x 63] intentionally omitted <==
Clive Fisher Chair FAB July 2024
3