## Linking local sight loss charities
Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements
## For the year ended 31 March 2022
**Charity Number: 1135360 Company Registration Number: 07185372 OSCR Registration Number: SC044163**
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## **Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, Its Trustees and Advisors**
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their annual report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2022.
**Registered charity name** Visionary – linking local sight loss charities **Registered charity no.** 1135360 **OSCR charity no.** SC044163 **Company registration no** . 07185372 **Registered office** First Floor, 3 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR **President** Lord Low of Dalston, CBE
## **Visionary Trustee Board**
Owen Williams (Chair) Michael Conroy (Vice Chair) Stuart Clayton (retired March 2022) Arash Andalibi-Abadan (appointed December 2021) Arwyn Jones (retired February 2022) Graham Findlay Mark Upton (appointed December 2021) Philip Mills (appointed December 2021) Philippa Crowther Susan Hoath (appointed December 2021) Tom Harte (appointed December 2021) Shahina Pardhan (appointed May 2022)
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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# **Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, Its Trustees and Advisors (continued)**
## **Finance Committee**
Owen Williams Fiona Sandford Stuart Clayton (retired March 2022) Michael Conroy (appointed July 2021, stood down April 2022) Philip Mills (appointed January 2022) Philippa Crowther
## **Company Secretary**
Fiona Sandford
## **Senior Management Team**
## **Chief Executive Officer**
Fiona Sandford
## **Partnership and Innovation Lead**
Sarah Halliwell
## **Communications and Events Lead**
Amy Pearman
## **Bankers**
National Westminster Cathedral Square Peterborough PE1 1XH
## **Independent Examiner**
Paul Windmill
Myers Clark Chartered Accountants, Egale 1, 80 St Albans Road, Watford WD17 1DL
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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## **Objectives and Activities**
Visionary’s charitable objects are “to promote the relief of persons who are blind or visually impaired”. The trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit. The trustees are confident that Visionary’s aims and activities are in accordance with the regulations on public benefit.
Visionary’s ambition is that by working with key partners, we inspire change and create opportunities to make a better world for everyone affected by sight loss.
Visionary’s long-term goals and the change we want to see are:
- blind and partially sighted people have greater choice and the independence to realise their aspirations
- Visionary members have the knowledge and support to be the best they can be
- Visionary is the trusted leader and expert connector for local members
- Visionary harnesses the voice of members to inspire and influence national change
- Visionary partners, collaborates and seeks sponsors to promote eye health and accessibility for all.
## **We work to three strategic priorities.**
Connect - connecting individuals from organisations together and organisations to each other.
Share - sharing knowledge and expertise to help members be all they can be.
Develop - developing platforms for collaboration and joint initiatives with local and national partners.
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## **Five principles underpin how we work.**
- We are a trusted organisation known for integrity, bravery, innovation, and creativity.
- We are a proactive team.
- We are clear about our member offer.
- We are led by our members.
Visionary is the voice of local sight loss sector – shouting about the amazing work and difference it makes.
## **The Visionary Promise.**
The Visionary Promise sets out how we work and how we expect our partners to work with us and each other. We hope that by sharing our promise with members, we will:
- be clear on our expectations from each other
- understand how we work
- know what to do if there is any uncertainty or disharmony.
## **Visionary promises our members that we will…**
- strive to empower our members to provide the best possible services with and for the visual impairment community
- provide professional, expert support, guidance and skills
- be honest and transparent
- engage with you in an efficient, timely and courteous manner
- communicate with a unified voice ensuring members receive consistent messages in their preferred format
- ask for and acknowledge feedback.
We make a promise to members that our behaviour will reflect our **values** of:
- integrity
- trust
- creativity
- bravery
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## **How we achieve our objectives.**
Visionary achieves its objectives by supporting local sight loss charities that deliver direct support to people with sight loss and enabling those charities to deliver their services more effectively by connecting, developing and sharing.
Visionary also works closely with our partners (sight loss organisations with a UK wide remit) to connect local and national organisations, develop opportunities and share information.
Local sight loss charities are members of Visionary and their nominated representatives attend Annual General Meetings.
Part of the commitment to being the voice of a UK wide movement of local charities is to play a lead role in national networks such as the Visual Impairment Charity Sector Partnership. Visionary is the voice of local organisations and is a key influencer in delivering the shared sector workstreams.
## **Achievement and Performance**
Team Visionary are so proud of what we have achieved over the last 12 months with a team of only 5 people.
Our success is due to listening and responding to our member organisations, in order to understand the challenges, they are experiencing, innovations that are happening and changes that are emerging.
Together with our members and national partners, we have developed an informed approach to our work that constantly evolves as the external environment changes.
## **2021/2022 Achievements.**
## **Visionary Conference 2021**
Visionary held its biggest ever annual conference in November 2021 – Rainbows, Disruptions and Transformations.
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The online event was a huge success with 440 confirmed attendees from 122 different organisations. Delegate feedback showed that 97.5% felt that the conference was excellent/good value and 95% indicated that they had learnt something valuable. We received resoundingly positive feedback about the breadth and scope of our workshops, the keynote speakers and the wellbeing programme. The planning for next years ‘Future-proof’ conference is already underway.
Furthermore, throughout the year we:
- delivered 211 online sessions
- attracted 2,602 attendances at Visionary online sessions, networking events and conference
- carried out 748 member/partner one to one support interactions
- welcomed 27 external experts to share their expertise with our members and partners
- developed a collaborative relationship with Specsavers to provide data for their State of the UK’s Eye Health report.
- increased our profile on the national stage through the VI Charity Sector Partnership, national workstreams and building improved relationships between local and national organisations
- launched our Make it Matter programme to promote inclusion, challenge, and change within local sight loss organisations
- developed themed months (lived experience, tech, employment, and mental health) addressing skills and knowledge gaps identified by Visionary members
- established a lived experience movement across the Visionary membership
- identified and addressed rehabilitation skills gaps through innovative collaborations, which resulted in the Tech for Rehabilitation and Fit for Rehabilitation work programmes
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- led the delivery of the first ever sector wide national fundraising initiative ‘Take on 250’
- grew our twitter following by 12%
- developed and launched our informative new website and Knowledge Hub.
## **2021/22 Performance**
The work that we do directly impacts on our members and therefore, positively impacts on the approximately 225,000 blind and partially sighted people these organisations support across the UK.
Our impact is evidenced through feedback, surveys, and stories of change. Each quarter this year we have shared impact stories that have demonstrated the long term impact our work has on blind and partially sighted people.
The following brief story of change is a snapshot of the difference that Visionary makes.
## **The problem**
Visionary members who manage care homes told us they felt isolated and wanted to connect with other members facing similar challenges.
## **The solution**
The establishment of a member Care Home and Care at Home peer support forum.
## **The outcome**
- Members with care homes gained invaluable peer support.
- Members explored issues and came up with practical solutions.
- Members shared success and good practice that could be implement by others.
- **“**
- • This was the best and most supportive hour I’ve experienced all
- year” Ruth Lambert, N Vision.
## **The difference for blind and partially sighted people**
- Blind and partially sighted people in care homes have an improved experience and quality of life.
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## **2021 – 2022 Performance and Achievement Highlights**
- Following Employment month, in December 2021, we supported a group of Visionary members and partners to collaborate on a preemployment course for their service users who are actively seeking employment.
- The third session in our Make it Matter series around diversity and inclusion went ahead in October. This session focused on creating inclusive services for LGBTQ+ people and was facilitated by the LGBTQ+ charity The Kite Trust and Focus Birmingham. 100% of those who attended rated the session as very good or good.
- Visionary supported two member organisations to deliver training sessions to Visionary members to implement, utilise and evaluate the Children and Young People Sight Loss MOT. This was attended by 20 colleagues from across the Visionary network, improving services available for children, young people and their families.
- Our lived experience work continues to develop through our Blind and Partially Sighted (BPS) group, our newly launched BPS leader forum and our leadership of the national workstream. We are now planning for Lived Experience and Inclusion month in April 2022 as well as sharing the public commitment to lived experience employment.
- In response to a gap identified by members and partners we delivered a themed month of online session, which focused on specific eye conditions, research, treatment, and support **.** The aim of this month was creating a toolkit of information to be used for induction of staff and volunteers across the Visionary network. We worked with members, national partners, and external experts to create a toolkit of videos and resources which included covering Nystagmus, Macular Degeneration, Keratoconus, hereditary retina conditions, Glaucoma, and a session introducing the eye and common eye conditions. This toolkit is now available through our online Knowledge Hub.
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## **Visionary Relationships**
We have further developed relationships within the visual impairment sector with Visionary being described as the ‘glue which holds us together’. Examples of this work are:
- RNIB and Visionary have worked in partnership with Sign Health, Sense, RAD, Healthwatch, RNID and Learning Disability England to conduct a survey relating to the Accessible Information Standard. The first draft of the findings was shared with NHS England, with Visionary and RNIB working together to gain further responses from blind and partially sighted people who are active online.
- Visionary participated in the VI Charity Sector Partnership Strategic Planning Session with RNIB, Guide Dogs and TPT, contributing to a proposed future strategy for the partnership.
- Visionary is a key member of the BAME Vision committee, driving forward this work in partnership with our members ensuring an integrated national and local approach.
## **Beyond Visual Impairment**
Visionary is developing productive relationships beyond visual impairment to ensure that our members can offer a holistic approach to the people they work with. Some examples follow.
- We have created links with external partners with plans to broaden the learning for the sight loss sector including Alzheimer’s Society and SeeAbility.
- We welcomed Hospice UK in March 2021, who created an opportunity for members to share thoughts, strategies, and experiences of coping with disenfranchised grief.
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- Visionary is an active member of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the accessibility of COVID-19 testing for people who are blind/partially sighted.
## **How do we know what we do is worthwhile?**
Visionary undertakes a poll survey at the end of our ‘learn and develop’ sessions. This promotes a high response rate and gives a good indication of how valuable our members find the sessions. Over the course of the last 12 months the results were:
- 96% of respondents reported learning something new from our sessions
- 99.6% of respondents reported that the sessions were either good or very good.
## **How do we communicate with our members?**
One of the key achievements of Visionary is the information we share between members and partners – saving them valuable time and money that can then be directed towards the provision of front-line services. In this financial year, we shared a total of 623 resources, articles, job adverts and insights.
The new Visionary website was launched in August 2021, and we immediately experienced increased activity, increasing website hits by just over 10,000 throughout the year. The Knowledge Hub was launched in March 2022. This redesigned hub is a point of reference for members and partners, containing recordings of sessions, templates, and links to useful external resources. Within 24 hours of launching, 46 colleagues from member and partner organisations had registered to access the Knowledge Hub.
This year, again we increased our Twitter presence with an additional 450 followers giving us a total of 3,348 followers, with a high number of blind and partially sighted followers. We had a total of 9,203 engagements – demonstrating the wide appeal of Visionary news and updates.
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We have continued to develop the role of the Members and Partners Consultative Group (MPCG) made up of our Member Consultative Group (MCG) representatives as well as leads from UK wide sight loss organisations including RNIB, Guide Dogs, TPT, Blind Veterans UK, Retina UK, Glaucoma UK and Macular Society. This group meets quarterly providing an opportunity for relevant and meaningful collaboration.
Regional and Country meetings are held with each of the Visionary regions and countries (Scotland, Wales, Northeast, Northwest, Yorkshire, Midlands, East, Southeast, Southwest) with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 meetings per year. All members in the region /country are invited to attend to: share information, ideas, priorities and strategic intelligence and provide feedback to MCG.
## **Visionary’s Strategic Influence – Visual Impairment Charity Sector Partnership**
Covid resulted in the Visual Impairment Charity Sector Partnership coming together and collaborating to address the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people. As reported last year, at the outset of the crisis a Sector Coronavirus Response Group was formed, comprised of Visionary and seven other key sight loss charities. The group has collaborated on issues such as access to food, mental health and wellbeing, accessible information, and social distancing. As the pandemic progressed the group tackled challenges due to ongoing lockdowns including pressures on sight loss organisations service delivery staff, the roll-out of the vaccination programme and home schooling of children and young people with visual impairment.
Being part of this group demonstrated to Visionary and our members that there are clear benefits to service users from collaborating and working with other partner organisations.
As a direct outcome of this group, the VI Charity Sector Partnership was formed in October 2020, and one of the first initiatives involved partners supporting the Sight Loss Charter developed by Visionary, which aims to
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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help everyone understand the ethos we agree to adopt in working together; creating a foundation stone to build sector relationships.
The VI Charity Sector Partnership has seven workstreams and Visionary plays an active role in every group. Each workstream has an identified CEO sponsor and comprises a subject matter expert lead and sector working group. Interested parties from within the sight loss sector and beyond also contribute to the workstreams.
- Crisis Response Plan
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Talent Development and Lived Experience Leadership
- Establishment of a Sector-wide Insight Base
- Sector Information Sharing Kickstarter
- Access to Technology
- Joint Awareness Raising and Campaigning
Fiona Sandford, CEO of Visionary is the CEO sponsor of Talent Development and Lived Experience Leadership.
## **Finally, in the words of our Visionary members:**
‘I cannot believe how much and how far things have progressed between Visionary and RNIB in the last 12 months; and I know there is so much more to do so the developments and progress can only continue in 2022/2023. thank you …. we have greatly benefitted and enjoyed the close working with the Visionary team, so the gains have all been mutual!’
‘It was an honour to collaborate on social media activity for World Braille Day. We certainly welcome the opportunity to work together again in 2022.’
‘I can’t thank everyone at Visionary for what you do to support local charities, CEOs and the sector as a whole! I think Visionary has transformed and moved the whole sector forward 10 years (in no time at all)!’
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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## **Financial Review**
Overall, the Charity generated a deficit of (£22,954) in the financial year ending 31 March 2022 with income of £358,665 and expenditure of (£381,619).
Visionary's purpose, as agreed with its members, is to support them in their development and service delivery, connect them with each other and with national partners, and promote a strong collective influence on their behalf. Visionary has benefitted local organisations during the year by applying charitable funds to the following activities.
- Sharing good practice which directly benefits blind and partially sighted adults and children.
- Encouraging organisations to have people with lived experience of visual impairment at the heart of what they do.
- Provision of an information, advice and support service for visual impairment organisations and professionals.
- Sharing information, policy updates and good practice through online events, regular briefings, website, knowledge hub and social media.
- Creating opportunities for visual impairment organisations and professionals to connect via online events, regional and country meetings, members consultative meetings and partner meetings.
- Provision of training and networking via online sessions and events.
- Organising the flagship annual conference for the visual impairment sector.
- Liaising with relevant charities and other bodies at a national level on behalf of the Visionary membership and the people they work with.
## **Reserves Policy**
Our policy is to hold reserves of a minimum of three months committed running costs. The Thomas Pocklington Trust donated £60,000 to supplement our reserves in January 2020 and this is held in our restricted funds. Reserves held in March 2022 were equivalent to just over three months of running costs.
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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## **Plans for the Future and Achieving our Priorities**
Looking forward to 2022/23, we have added ‘Inspire’ as a strategic priority to the existing priorities of Connect, Develop and Share. This new priority will amplify the voices of member organisations to inspire innovation and create positive change within the visual impairment sector.
In September 2022, we will return to a face-to-face conference, and we have gradually returned to some elements of face-to-face work. However, for Visionary, online delivery is the most effective, cost efficient and convenient way for member organisations to access networking opportunities across the UK and also to tap into our expertise and knowledge. Therefore, we intend to continue with our online offering to our members.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The legal and administrative information set out on pages 2 and 3 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
Visionary - linking local sight loss charities (Visionary) is a charitable company limited by guarantee. It was formed from the National Association of Local Societies for Visually Impaired people (NALSVI) when the membership voted, in December 2009, to change the name to Visionary and for this new entity to become incorporated. Visionary was formally registered as a charity on 10 March 2010.
Full membership of Visionary is open to voluntary organisations that operate at a local level and comply with the criteria of membership. In addition, there is a partnership category for UK wide sight loss organisations that form part of the network.
Visionary’s trustee board (the board) is responsible for strategic leadership and oversight as outlined in the articles of association.
Visionary trustees are recruited from Visionary members and external sources where a distinct skill benefit will be gained by directorship. Elections are held annually with full members voting in person at the
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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AGM or by proxy. The board deals with trustee recruitment and interviews for new board members in between AGMs. In this case, trustees must stand down at the next AGM and submit themselves for election by members. Trustees are appointed for periods of three years and rotated in accordance with the terms of the memorandum and articles of association. After a three-year period, trustees may stand for a further term. The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected each year by the board.
Visionary is managed by not less than three trustees who form the board and who are directors of the company; they meet no less than quarterly. As of 31 March 2022, there were 9 trustees, 4 of whom bring their personal experience of sight loss to the board, in addition to their other skills. Business planning and risk management processes are undertaken at board level.
The Finance Committee reports to the Board. This committee provides independent advice and assurance on risk, control and finance matters. The Finance Committee is made up of no less than two trustees (including the Chair) and the CEO.
Trustees undergo full induction regarding the Visionary objectives and local charity environment. They are encouraged to take an interest in a particular aspect of the work of the charity. Trustees give of their time freely and do not receive any remuneration in relation to their roles (other than reimbursement of their expenses).
The CEO is responsible for Visionary's day to day operations and the leadership of the organisation and is supported by the other members of the Visionary team. The CEO is further supported by the trustees and the Members Consultative Group which is made up of regional
representatives from local sight loss charities who regularly meet with the Visionary team, informing them of the needs, aspirations and views of members in their regions.
The trustees have established systems of internal controls with the CEO which are designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss. They include:
- a strategic plan and an annual budget set by the trustees
- regular consideration by the Finance Committee and trustees of
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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financial results, variances from budgets, cashflow forecasts and nonfinancial performance indicators
- identification and management of risks.
## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also directors of Visionary - linking local sight loss charities for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The laws applicable to charities in England and Wales and Scotland require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them
- consistently.
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015
- (FRS102).
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been
- followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless
- it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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other irregularities.
In so far as the Trustees are aware:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's independent examiners are unaware; and
• the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken, in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the independent examiners are aware of that information.
Signed by order of the trustees on
Owen Williams – Chairperson
Registered office: First Floor, 3 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR
Company Registration Number: 07185372
**Trustees Annual Report (incorporating the Directors’ Report) For the year ended 31 March 2022**
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## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Visionary – Linking local sight loss charities**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Visionary (charity no. 1135360; company no. 07185372) for the year ended 31 March 2022 which are set out on pages 21-38.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
The charitable company's trustees, who are also directors of Visionary, for the purposes of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year under part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 'Act') and that an independent examination is needed.
I report in respect of my examination of the charitable company'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**
Since the charitable company's gross income exceeded £250,000, your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
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:
1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the charitable company as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. 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.
**Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Visionary-linking local sight loss charities**
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## **Paul Windmill FCA**
## **14 October 2022**
Myers Clark Statutory Auditor and Chartered Accountants Egale 1, 80 St Albans Road Watford Hertfordshire WD17 1DL
**Independent Examiner`s Report to the Trustees of Visionary-linking local sight loss charities**
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## **Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating the Income and Expenditure Account)**
|**Note**
**Income and**
**endowments**
Donations and legacies
2
Income from charitable
activities
3
Other Trading Activities
4
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Charitable Activities
5
**Total Expenditure**
**Net income/expenditure for the**
**year**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Funds brought forward|**2022**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
308,949
10,000
318,949
7,222
4,420
11,642
28,074
-
28,074|
|---|---|
||**344,245**
**14,420**
**358,665**
(369,181)
(12,438) (381,619)|
||**(369,181)**
**(12,438) (381,619)**|
||**(24,936)**
**1,982**
**(22,954)**|
||68,672
60,000
128,672|
|**Funds carried forward**|**43,736**
**61,982**
**105,718**|
**Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2022**
21
## **Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating the Income and Expenditure Account) – prior year**
|**Note**
**Income and endowments**
Donations and legacies
2
Income from charitable
activities
3
Other Trading Activities
4
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Charitable Activities
5
**Total Expenditure**
**Net income/expenditure for**
**the year**
**Reconciliation of**
**funds**
Funds brought forward|**2021**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
293,338
20,000
313,338
1,210
1,400
2,610
25,120
-
25,120|
|---|---|
||**319,668**
**21,400**
**341,068**
(356,540)
(21,400) (377,940)|
||**(356,540)**
**(21,400) (377,940)**|
||**(36,872)**
**-**
**(36,872)**|
||105,544
60,000
165,544|
|**Funds carried forward**|**68,672**
**60,000**
**128,672**|
**Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2022**
22
## **Balance Sheet**
|**Note**
**Current Assets**
Debtors
10
Cash at bank
**Total current assets**
**Creditors:**Amounts due within one year
11
Net Current Assets/ Net Assets
**Funds of Charity**
12
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted funds|**2022**
**2021**
**£**
**£**
7,335
10,331
114,973
143,436|
|---|---|
||**122,308**
**153,767**
(16,590)
(25,095)|
||**(16,590)**
**(25,095)**|
||**105,718**
**128,672**|
||61,982
60,000
43,736
68,672|
||**105,718**
**128,672**|
## **Trustees’ responsibilities:**
- The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with
- the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
- These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the
- provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
• The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2022.
**Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 March 2022**
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• The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on the 26 September 2022 and are signed on their behalf
by:
Owen Williams
Company Registration Number: 07185372
**Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 March 2022**
24
## **General Information**
The charity is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales as a charity (1135360) and company (07185372). The address of the registered office is First Floor, 3 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR. The charity also has a charity registration in Scotland (SC044163)
## **Statement of Compliance**
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland’, the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, as well as applicable charity and company law.
## **1. Accounting Policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value through income or expenditure.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.
## **Going concern**
The accounts have been prepared on the going concern basis as, after making enquiries, the Trustees have reasonable assurance that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. As explained in note 14 the charity is heavily reliant on the continued support of the Thomas Pocklington Trust. A funding agreement is in place for three years from January 2020.
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
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## **Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
The preparation of the financial statements may require management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported.
The estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. No material estimates or judgements were made during the year.
## **Financial instruments**
A financial asset or a financial liability is recognised only when the entity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the amount receivable or payable including any related transaction costs, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where it is recognised at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.
Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.
## **Income**
Voluntary income including donations, gifts and grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature are recognised where there is entitlement, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability. Such income is only deferred when the donor specifies it must be used in future accounting periods or the donor has imposed conditions which must be met before the charity has unconditional entitlement. This includes capital grants.
Incoming resources from charitable activities includes income received under contract or where entitlement to grant funding is subject to specific performance conditions. This income is recognised as the related services are provided and there is entitlement, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability. Income is
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
26
deferred when the amounts received are in advance of the performance of the service or event to which they relate.
Donations received in kind and not in cash are brought into the statement of financial activities at a value which the trustees consider would represent the cost to the charity if these items were purchased. The income is accounted for under donations and the appropriate expenditure under resources expended.
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates.
Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
Other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.
## **Netting off of income and expenditure**
It is not the policy of the charity to show incoming resources net of expenditure
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
27
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for restricted purposes.
Transfers from restricted to unrestricted funds are made when the expending of the funds has fulfilled the terms of the restriction. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
## **2. Donations and Legacies**
|**Donations**
Donations
Pocklington Trust
**Grants Receivables**
Pocklington Trust
LWWSL
**Total**|**Unrestricted Restricted 2021/22**
**2020/21**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Total**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
238
-
238
362
24,120
-
24,120
29,969
284,591
-
10,000
284,591
10,000
283,007|
|---|---|
||**308,949**
**10,000**
**318,949**
**313,338**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
28
## **3. Income from charitable activities**
|Conference income
Shared Purchasing
**Total**|**Unrestricted Restricted 2021/22**
**2020/21**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Total**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
5,795
4,420
10,215
1,238
1,427
-
1,427
1,372
**7,222**
**4,420**
**11,642**
**2,610**|
|---|---|
£4,420 (Bayer £1,250, Optelec £250, RNIB £550, Guide Dogs £550, Wilberforce £200, Blind Veterans £570, Thomas Pocklington Trust £250 & Macular Society £800).
## **4. Other trading activities**
|National membership
fees
Other membership
fees
**Total**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted 2021/22**
**2020/21**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Total**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
13,700
-
13,700
13,750
14,374
-
14,374
11,370
**28,074**
**-**
**28,074**
**25,120**|
|---|---|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
29
## **5. Cost of charitable activities by fund**
|**Year ended 31 March 2022**
Information and co-ordination
Support costs
**Total**
**Year ended 31 March 2021**
Information and co-ordination
Support costs
**Total**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
313,703
12,438
326,141
55,478
-
55,478|
|---|---|
||**369,181**
**12,438**
**381,619**|
||309,705
21,400
331,105
46,835
-
46,835|
||**356,540**
**21,400**
**377,940**|
## **6. Costs of charitable activities by activity type**
|**Year ended 31 March 2022**
Information and co-
ordination
**Total**
**Year ended 31 March 2021**
Information and co-
ordination
**Total**|**Direct**
**CostsGrants**
**Support**
**Costs**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
318,123
8,018
55,478
381,619|
|---|---|
||**318,123**
**8,018**
**55,478**
**381,619**|
||311,105
20,000
46,835
377,940|
||**311,105**
**20,000**
**46,835**
**377,940**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
30
## **7. Analysis of Support Costs**
|**. Analysis of Support Costs**||
|---|---|
|General office costs
Governance costs
Management Charge|**2021/22**
**2020/21**
**£**
**£**
18,667
9,523
12,691
7,343
24,120
29,969|
||**55,478**
**46,835**|
The Donation in Kind from Pocklington Trust includes administrative and overhead services to Visionary, such as human resources, finance and office costs. These have been valued and the in-kind expenditure included as support costs.
## **8. Governance costs**
|External auditor`s fees
Independent Examination
Trustees` expenses
Other|**2021/22**
**2020/21**
**£**
**£**
-
3,720
5,400
-
2,601
99
6,370
1,844|
|---|---|
||**12,691**
**7,343**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
31
## **9. Staff Costs**
|**.Staff Costs**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2021/22**|**2020/21**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Gross salaries|240,034|227,076|
|Employer`s National Insurance|21,501|21,174|
|Employer's Pension Contribution|11,310|10,441|
|Health Insurance|1,008|932|
|Total Staff Costs|**273,853**|**259,623**|
||**Headcount**
**Headcount**||
|The average number of staff during the|5.3|5.1|
|year was:
|||
The number of employees whose annual remuneration (excluding pension) was £60,000 or more were:
|pension) was £60,000 or more were:|||
|---|---|---|
||||
|**Band**|**2021/22**|**2020/21**|
|£70,000 to £79,999|-|1|
|£80,000 to £89,999|-|-|
|£90,000 to £99,999|1|-|
Included within staff cost is remuneration to key management personnel amounting to Total remuneration £92,809 £83,550
## **Disclosure on redundancy and termination payments**
Total redundancy and termination payments in the year amounted to £8,077 (2021: £Nil) and related to termination payments.
Termination payments are recognised immediately as an expense when the charitable company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination payments.
At the balance sheet date (31 March 2022) all amounts due had been paid.
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
32
## **10. Debtors**
|Debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
**Total debtors**
**11. Creditors**
Creditors
Accruals and deferred income
**Total creditors**|**2021/22**
**2020/21**
**£**
**£**
95
211
7,240
10,120
**7,335**
**10,331**|
|---|---|
||**2021/22**
**2020/21**
**£**
**£**
11,711
9,740
4,879
15,355
**16,590**
**25,095**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
33
## **12.1a Funds of the Charity - Current year**
|**Restricted funds**
Bayer Conference
Sponsorship
Optelec Sponsorship
RNIB Conference Sponsorship
Guide Dogs Conference
Sponsorship
Wilberforce
Blind Veterans (conference
award)
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Conference Sponsorship
Pocklington Trust
Living Well with Sight Loss
Macular Society
**Unrestricted Funds**
**Total**
**Total Funds**|**At 1 April**
**2021**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**At 31**
**March**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-
1,250
(1,250)
-
-
250
(250)
-
-
550
(550)
-
-
550
(550)
-
-
200
(200)
-
-
570
(570)
-
-
250
(250)
-
60,000
-
-
60,000
-
10,000
(8018)
1,982
-
800
(800)
-|
|---|---|
||**60,000**
**14,420**
**(12,438)**
**61,982**|
||
68,672
344,245
(369,181)
43,736|
||**68,672**
**344,245**
**(369,181)**
**43,736**|
||**128,672**
**358,665**
**(381,619) 105,718**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
34
## **12.1b Analysis of net Assets by Fund – Current year**
|Cash at bank
Debtors
**Creditors:**Amounts due within
one year
**Net assets**|**Restricted Unrestricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
61,982
52,991
114,973
-
7,335
7,335
-
(16,590)
(16,590)|
|---|---|
||**61,982**
**43,736**
**105,718**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
35
## **12.2a Funds of the Charity - Prior year**
|**Restricted funds**
Bayer Conference
Sponsorship
Novartis Conference
Sponsorship
RNIB Conference Sponsorship
Guide Dogs Conference
Sponsorship
Wilberforce
Russell Cook (conference
award)
Vision Support Conference
Sponsorship
Blind Veterans (conference
award)
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Conference Sponsorship
Pocklington Trust
EVS Project
**Unrestricted Funds**
**Total**
**Total Funds**|**At 1 April**
**2020**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**At 31**
**March**
**2021**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,000
(1,000)
-
-
400
(400)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
60,000
-
-
60,000
20,000
(20,000)
-|
|---|---|
||**60,000**
**21,400**
**(21,400)**
**60,000**|
||105,544
319,668
(356,540)
68,672|
||**105,544**
**319,668**
**(356,540)**
**68,672**|
||**165,544**
**341,068**
**(377,940) 128,672**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
36
## **12.2b Analysis of net Assets by Fund - Prior year**
|Cash at bank
Debtors
**Creditors:**Amounts due within one
year|**Restricted**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
60,000
83,436
143,436
-
10,331
10,331
-
(25,095)
(25,095)|
|---|---|
||**60,000**
**68,672**
**128,672**|
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
37
## **13. Trustee remuneration and expenses**
No trustee received any remuneration from the charity in the year (2021: none)
Two trustees received reimbursement for travel expenses, £501 (2021:nil) to attend Board meetings.
Consultancy was provided to work with the Visionary Board to refresh Visionary Strategy, £2,100, (2021: nil).
## **14. Related Party Transactions**
Graham Findlay is a trustee of Visionary and also of Thomas Pocklington Trust, which made grants to Visionary of £313,961 (2021: £307,976).
## **End of Document**
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022**
38