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2021-03-31-accounts

Charity Registration No. 1140321

Company Registration No. 07435564 (England and Wales)

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

President Mr J Weld
Patrons The Lord Fellowes of West Stafford, DL
Lady Emma Kitchener-Fellowes
Mr S Frears
Directors and Trustees Mrs M L Grundmann
Mrs H Rockett
Mrs P L Jones
Mr M Dowley
Mrs T Bastard
Mr J Perry
Mrs Jessica Webster (Appointed 15 October 2020)
Secretary Mr J N Holyhead
Chief executive Mr J N Holyhead
Charity number 1140321
Company number 07435564
Registered office 17 Bournemouth Road
Lower Parkstone
Poole
Dorset
BH14 0EF
Independent examiner Morris Lane
31/33 Commercial Road
Poole
Dorset
BH14 0HU
Bankers Barclays Bank PLC
204 Lower Blandford Road
Broadstone
Dorset
BH18 8DS
Solicitors Druitts Solicitors,
Borough Chambers,
Fir Vale Road,
Bournemouth,
Dorset,
BH1 2JE

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Investment advisors

Charles Stanley & Co Ltd Vadatech House Hounsdown Business Park Bulls Copse Road Southampton Hampshire SO40 9LR

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS

Page
Trustees' report 1 - 11
Independent examiner's report 12
Statement of financial activities 13
Statement of financial position 14 - 15
Statement of cash flows 16
Notes to the accounts 17 - 31

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Dorset Blind Association was established as an unincorporated charity in 1918 to promote the relief in need of visually impaired in the county of Dorset and to advance public education about blindness and the needs of the visually impaired. It is a registered charity (Registration number 1140321) and works closely with officers and staff of Poole Borough Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset County Council, Health Authorities across Dorset, the Royal Bournemouth Hospital Eye Unit and the Royal Eye Infirmary at the Dorset County Hospital of Dorchester.

On 10 November 2010 a new incorporated charity was set up, also called Dorset Blind Association, and on 1 April 2011 the funds, assets, liabilities and operations of the unincorporated charity were transferred to it.

Mission Statement

Helping to make life better for visually impaired people.

What services does it provide?

The main services of the Association are:

  1. Advice, support and information to blind and partially sighted people and people with hearing loss in Dorset.

  2. A community support service, to help people with sight loss maintain independent, healthy and socially active lives. This includes volunteers providing regular home visits.

  3. A Resource Centre in Lower Parkstone, Poole providing advice on, and the facility to purchase, specialist equipment and aids to daily living designed to help people who are visually impaired or hearing impaired.

  4. A mobile resource centre via the Sight Equipment Vehicles.

  5. Support service at the Royal Eye Infirmary at Dorset County Hospital

  6. A quarterly newsletter, 'The Dorset Link', produced in a range of accessible formats.

  7. Social, Handicraft and Activity Clubs.

  8. The provision of grants from voluntary funds, when funding permits.

  9. Agents for the British Wireless for the Blind Fund in Dorset.

  10. A Braille and audio transcription service to members and external organisations.

  11. Awareness training to organisations or individuals on the needs of the visually impaired.

How is it funded?

By voluntary donations, trust funds, bequests and legacies.

By income from investments.

By National Lottery and other grants.

By members' subscriptions.

By income generated at charity shops.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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) (effective 1 January 2015)”

Objectives and activities

The charity's objects are to advance public education about blindness and deafness and the needs of the visually and/or hearing impaired and to promote the relief in need of people who have a sight and/or hearing loss, in the county of Dorset and the surrounding areas. The policies adopted in furtherance of these objects are detailed in the reports presented by the Chairman, Chief Executive and Treasurer.

Public benefit

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake and for the public benefit.

The charity achieves its mission statement and purposes through the provision of a variety of activities, services, help and support for visually impaired people of Dorset, all of which aim to help those people to maintain healthy, independent and socially inclusive lives notwithstanding the impact of the loss of sight.

Sight Loss in Dorset

It is important to understand the scale of sight loss in Dorset and the challenge this presents, as this creates the need for the Dorset Blind Association to exist and to remain vibrant and sustainable.

Being blind or partially sighted has a significant impact on people’s ability to live independently, to access shops and community facilities, to use public transport and to play an active part in society. Sight loss does not come in isolation and is often accompanied by other health issues. It can often also have a real impact on people’s emotional wellbeing.

All of these challenges have been magnified by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The total population of Dorset is now over 773,000. It is an ageing population with a higher than national average number of people of retirement age and this is set to rise.

Latest available statistics tell us that there are over 4,400 people registered as blind or partially sighted in

Dorset.

Of these people over 70% are aged 75 years or older and almost 20% are of working age.

Including the people who are registered as blind or partially sighted, there are an estimated 33,900 people living in Dorset with sight loss, which is equivalent to nearly 4.4% of the county’s population.

This number is predicted to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

The expected increase in the number of people affected by and living with sight loss is strongly linked to the demographics of Dorset, with increased life expectancy certain to result in greater numbers of people affected by conditions such as age-related macular degeneration.

Demand for services to support people suffering from sight loss is already significant and is certain to increase

noticeably in the medium and longer term.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Chairperson’s report 2020/21

In this, our second annual report during the Covid 19 pandemic, I am proud to say we have continued to achieve far beyond our expectations under very difficult circumstances. We learned much over the last year about our capacity to adapt and effect change to not only survive but, in many ways, flourish in this difficult environment. The leadership shown by our CEO has been exemplary as he guided us through the many programmes designed to assist charities to survive and also to protect the jobs of our dedicated staff. This included not only service delivery staff but the staff at our charity shops which enabled the shops to survive the times of closure so they could reopen and continue to generate funds to support our services to people with sight loss throughout all of Dorset.

We are very grateful to the organisations and businesses, as well as individuals, who continued to support us through this past year and into the future. Without their support, and that of our members, volunteers and patrons, we would not have been able to continue to deliver our services in the many new and innovative ways we have developed.

Our board is charged with overseeing and directing the course of the Dorset Blind Association and in doing so, we continue to adapt to meet the needs of the people we serve in a changing and challenging financial and political environment where service cuts elsewhere have increased the demands for our services. We seek to serve as diverse a population of people with sight loss as possible and that includes not only older people, who make up the majority of our service users, but people of working age who have different and more varied needs. We applaud our CEO and staff for always looking for ways to make our services more relevant and inclusive to the people we serve.

We are proud to have a diverse Board of Trustees that includes people from different fields as well as Trustees with sight loss. Our Visually Impaired Trustees contribute not only based on their direct experience of sight loss but also their talents and experiences from their professional lives. Additionally, one of our Trustees has hearing loss and can bring understanding of that challenge to us, which is important as many older people experience both sight and hearing loss. Some of our Trustees have served the Charity as volunteers or staff member, giving us a better understanding of the realities faced on the ground by our staff and volunteers. All of these people together make for a very potent and effective mix of talents and perspectives that will ensure we can offer the best guidance and direction possible to support the growth and sustainability of Dorset Blind Association for many years to come.

I will leave it to our CEO’s and Treasurer’s report to give details of our financial and programme achievements for the past year. We continue to benefit from the dedication, talents and stewardship of our CEO, Jonathan Holyhead. Jonathan continues to achieve a great deal of success in securing the grants and other income that make the running of the organisation possible. These are crucial, as we could never survive based on our much-valued membership dues, donations, legacies and fundraising efforts alone. Fundraising especially has been severely limited since the beginning of Covid 19 shut down our ability to hold events. Our decision to expand our four charity shops to five was a good one and they will continue generating income for us to support our direct services as well as being very important in raising awareness in the community.

In addition to the shop staff, Jonathan leads our wonderful and dedicated team of the twelve staff and 300 volunteers that make the actual delivery of our services possible. Each and every one of these individuals goes above and beyond to deliver the very best to the people with sight loss, their families and carers throughout Dorset. I speak for the entire Board in thanking them for their exemplary service.

Maria Grundmann Chairperson

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Chief Executive Officer’s report 2020/21

Welcome to my 16th Annual Report for the Dorset Blind Association. This is the second report I have given during the time when all of our lives are impacted by coronavirus and while this report will, as usual, look back over the past year, I will again be placing a greater than normal emphasis on also looking ahead, and again with an emphasis on the vitally important areas of how we will work to maintain our services and strive to ensure our charity’s robustness and stability for the future.

Given the considerable challenges posed by the pandemic, I feel very proud to begin my report by saying that last year was another successful year for Dorset Blind Association, both delivering strongly on its core purpose and mission and with an especially strong financial performance too. While we were, for perfectly understandable reasons, unable to provide some of our services in traditional ways, demand for all of our services remained high. We adapted our service delivery methods to ensure that our staff and volunteers still supported significant numbers of blind and partially sighted people in all areas of Dorset and with that support still achieving good, positive outcomes.

Our charity shops performed well during the periods they were allowed to be open and trade and by the end of the year we were close to opening a fifth shop at Broadstone. The shops continue to help us to broaden our reach into the community even further and increase the awareness of our work and how we help people.

The shops helped us achieve a record year for income, with that also significantly helped by good legacy receipts and extremely kind and invaluable support from a range of other funders. After expenditure and all other adjustments we ended the year with a substantial surplus.

In any report about our charity I think it is always worth reminding ourselves why the Dorset Blind Association exists and the significant extent of sight loss in the county. As recorded earlier in this Report, there are more than 4,400 people living in Dorset today who are registered as blind or partially sighted and, in total, an estimated 33,900 people living in the county with sight loss which affects the quality of their life on a day to day basis. Those people need access to support which helps them to come to terms with their loss of sight, to then face and overcome the challenges which serious sight loss presents and to continue to live active, independent lives in their local community.

It is the purpose of the Dorset Blind Association to provide that support and help enable those people to still

have a good quality of life and to maintain a good sense of well-being.

To achieve this purpose Dorset Blind Association provides a range of services which help people to come to terms with the emotional challenges associated with sight loss and to then deal with the practical issues which sight loss cause. As well as trying to help the person suffering sight loss themselves, we also hope that our services can positively help their friends, family and carers too. We treat each person we help as an individual, working with them in partnership to address their unique needs and we always try to put people with sight loss at the centre of all that we do.

As well as being practical in its nature, we pride ourselves that the support we give is also always flexible and, where appropriate, we are willing to be innovative. We aren’t afraid to try something new if we think it will help to make a positive difference.

Without ever compromising people’s safety, there are times when the best result is achieved by taking controlled, calculated risks and trying a different approach.

Finally, we recognise that services we provide are not always the best or most appropriate for some of the visually impaired people we help and so we regularly refer people on to other sources of help, either as part of a package with our services or sometimes as the unique solution for their needs. Through this approach we have developed and maintain excellent referral relationships with many other local and national charities and with local health and social care agencies.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

We consider ourselves to be a caring organisation, nurturing and encouraging people to do things for themselves, to develop their independence. We also consider ourselves to be progressive and a charity where everyone is made to feel welcome and valued and where volunteers and staff feel the satisfaction of knowing that they are really making a positive difference to the lives of others.

For many people it continues to be essential that our help and support is not time limited in any way. Regular evaluation of our services and feedback from our members tells us that people want a holistic service, as individually person-centred as possible, which is continuous and responsive to their changing needs over time. So we will provide help for as long as it is needed, to recognise that people’s needs change and alter over time, as their level of sight may continue to worsen and also other physical health challenges impact more greatly as people age.

Our core services have been developed over a number of years now and continue to adapt and evolve how they work to help visually impaired people across Dorset. Our services achieve a broad range of positive outcomes for the service user. For some the impact can be tiny, for others huge but in every case we work through our staff and volunteers to try and achieve the best outcome we can for that person.

Our various services continue to work towards helping people to remain living independently at home and actively in their local community, including access to social opportunities and through these the ability to build and benefit from a good peer support network.

We recognise the importance of trying to be guided by our members in how the charity operates and to reflect their views in both maintaining existing services and in any new services we are able to provide. Our Board of Directors and Trustees includes visually impaired people and we use regular consultation with our members and volunteers, both formal and informal, as the basis of our Impact Reports, which we aim to publish every second year.

The next such consultation is currently taking place and the information gathered through it will be used to help produce our next Impact Report, as well as being considered in decisions about future service developments.

Our ability to deliver our services and all the extremely positive outcomes these achieve is always dependent on maintaining our key resources, the two most important of which are our people and our income.

We continue to be blessed by a wonderful team of volunteers who give so generously of their time to help provide our services and we are so grateful for all they do. Seeing how our volunteers have continued to help our members as best they can throughout the pandemic, with flexibility and resourcefulness has been inspiring. Our volunteers are extremely kind and generous people, giving freely of their time, energy and skills to help others and it remains a source of great pride to us all that we hold The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. On behalf of each and every visually impaired person we help, I take this opportunity to publicly thank our volunteers as a whole group and also record how much all of the charity’s staff team enjoy working with you and value your dedication and friendship.

I would also like to thank our Board of Directors and Trustees for all they do, individually and as a group, to support Dorset Blind Association. Their support for me personally is always hugely appreciated and has never wavered as we have, as a team working together, faced and met the many challenges posed by the pandemic. Their commitment to the charity should be commended, as also should the continuing and extremely kind support we receive from our President, James Weld and our Patrons, Julian and Emma Fellowes and Stephen Frears. Individually and collectively they provide a range of valuable and vital support for Dorset Blind Association, often in ways which go unseen by the majority. They are all genuinely concerned to see the charity prosper and thrive and are very generous and effective supporters. We are very grateful for their continuing support and I take this opportunity to publicly thank them for that.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Last but certainly not least, when talking of our people assets I must also report another year where our staff have, individually and collectively, delivered far and beyond the call of duty. Similarly to so many of our volunteers, my staff colleagues have responded positively to the challenges brought about by COVID and I am enormously grateful for the hard work they all put in, their flexibility in adjusting to how we have needed to work during this past year and for their enthusiasm, commitment and continuing good humour throughout! Again on behalf of each and every visually impaired person we help, I take this opportunity to publicly thank them.

Financial performance during 2020/21 was, as I have already mentioned, extremely strong. We achieved a record income total, broadly 15% higher than the previous year. Our expenditure was lower than in the previous year, entirely because of the impact of the pandemic, and after all adjustments we ended the year with a surplus of just over £186,000. This helps to leave our finances in a much stronger position than at any other time in the recent past.

A key aspect of our approach to funding Dorset Blind Association has always been to try and generate income from a board platform of sources and never becoming too dependent or over reliant on any one single source. The pandemic understandably stopped a great deal of our traditional community based fundraising and we have now decided that this will play a much smaller part in our overall funding strategy going forward. Notwithstanding that decision, we continue to generate our income from that broad platform we consider best helps to provide stability. Our charity shop project certainly helps with this and the growing income from those shops now sits as a significant contributor to our overall financing, alongside the other important areas of members fees and donations, legacy income and grants and funding from the National Lottery and many grant making Trusts and Foundations.

We are always grateful for all the income and other resources which come into the charity. We are especially grateful to the National Lottery for continuing to support our work during the pandemic and with a new grant towards our community support work across Dorset. Also the many grant making Trusts and Foundations which have given to us from both their regular donation programmes and several emergency funding programmes set up as a response to COVID. None of this support is ever taken for granted, we always thank all who give to us and we continue to work hard to justify the support.

And it would be remiss to not include in our thanks for financial support both local and central government. Through our shops we were able to access a range of financial support schemes and the job retention scheme, (more commonly known as furlough) was essential in enabling us to retain the services of valued staff.

In my report last year I talked about the steps taken to tackle the financial threat to Dorset Blind Association as a result of the pandemic and the impact of COVID on our ability to deliver services. I think my report above speaks for itself that the steps we took to address the challenges have been very successful.

That success was underpinned by taking a focused, calm and measured approach, with quick, but well thought through, decision making backed up by the full support and commitment of Trustees and staff alike. Positive outcomes were achieved through a team effort of which we can all feel proud.

Our community services have all continued. Some of the new ways of working forced on us by the pandemic have been found to be so beneficial that they now remain as part of the way we will work for the foreseeable future. The one service area still most negatively impacted as I write this report is our clubs and activity groups, but as we look forward into the autumn of 2021 and beyond we can see green shoots of recovery in this area and we remain confident that providing a range of social clubs and activity groups remains a key component in our service delivery.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Our finances have not only remained strong and robust but have improved Strong legacy income played an important part in this and the receipts of that nature this year were trailed in my report last year. The significant surplus this year has enabled us to increase the amount we hold in investments, and to generally increase our reserves, which the Trustees and I feel is a prudent and sensible approach given the continuing uncertainties still being caused by the pandemic.

The strong financial performance not only gives us increased security but also the resources to look at further positive service developments in the future. It is a personal ambition of several years standing now that Dorset Blind Association develops a stronger presence in the Weymouth area and 2021 will hopefully see real steps taken towards that, hopefully with a charity shop in that area supporting a larger physical hub through which more support services can be provided.

In conclusion I think we can all look back on year 2020/2021 with quiet satisfaction. As always for Dorset Blind Association, most definitely through a real team effort, where we stand together and support each other through thick and thin, we continued to deliver vitally important and much needed support for our service users throughout Dorset and achieved this alongside a very strong financial performance which gives both increased security and opportunities for further growth and development.

Jonathan Holyhead Chief Executive Officer.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Treasurer’s Report 2020/21

The Dorset Blind Association has made a surplus this year of £186,129, which is excellent news and a really strong financial performance, especially considering the very challenging year we have all faced.

Our income this year is £703,335, which is a new record total for our charity. This compares to last year’s total of £611,055, representing an increase of £92,280 or 15.1%. The increase this year is mainly due to a significant legacy that we received, supported by an increase in grants secured and increased income from our charity shops, but off-set by substantially reduced income from fundraising events, with these being severely curtailed by the impact of the pandemic.

The strong overall financial performance was also helped by our expenditure reducing by £90,448. Reduced expenditure was almost all directly attributable to the impact of COVID. The main areas of cost saving were reduced fundraising costs, reduced operating costs for our charity shops, reduced costs for staff in delivering our community support services, savings from it not being possible to provide our social clubs and activity groups, and the costs of our central office function being less.

This has been a trying time for everyone in all sorts of ways and I would like to say a big thank you to all our staff, who have done extremely well adjusting to different ways of working and still keeping in touch with our members and providing them with such a valuable service. I would also like to say thank you to all our Trustees who have been there to help and give advice to our CEO who has done an excellent job in keeping up to date with applying for all government grants we were allowed to claim and other sources of funding.

I’d like to say a big thank you to our CEO as without him I don’t think we would be in the position we are in today.

Heidi Rockett Hon Treasurer

Achievements and performance Financial review

The results are summarised on page 13. Total income increased from £611,055 in the previous year to £703,335. This is mainly due to the increased legacy receipts and an increase in income generated from the charity shops.

Expenditure has decreased from £622,129 in the previous year to £530,619. This is almost entirely due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, which caused some services to temporarily stop and others to be delivered in new ways at lower cost than before.

The Trustees are aware that all expenditure must be monitored regularly and they have budgeted for it to increase back in year 2021/2022 as it becomes possible for further charitable services to be delivered again.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Reserves policy

In determining the Association’s Reserve Policy, the Trustees have taken into account inter alia:-

• the unpredictable nature of income from donations and gifts;

• that it would be very undesirable to have to cut off services on which the visually or hearing impaired rely.

The Trustees have agreed the Association’s Reserve Policy as:-

• a minimum of twelve months unrestricted operating expenditure;

• commitments such as redundancy or rental charges which would need to be met if the Association ceased to exist.

The policy is reviewed and, if necessary, revised at least annually when the financial statements are approved.

The Trustees felt that the continuing uncertainty caused by COVID meant it was prudent, sensible and justifiable to increase the period of time in the policy from nine months to 12 months this year

The purpose of the designation for designated funds of the charity is detailed in note 23.

The charity free reserves as at 31 March 2021 were £400,657. This is in excess of the £350,000 operating expenditure required per the policy.

The general unrestricted fund has increased from £115,057 to £400,657 as at 31 March 2021. The trustees will continue to monitor the level of reserves.

Investment policy

The trustees acknowledge the role played by investment income as an element of the Association’s overall income needs. They have appointed a firm of stockbrokers, Charles Stanley, to manage a portfolio of investments on their behalf. Decisions regarding the purchase or sale of any investment are made only after taking into consideration professional advice obtained from this firm. Investments held comprise a balanced portfolio with a low to medium level of risk. The current portfolio is 60% medium risk and 40% low risk.

As income from investments is not currently needed for meeting running costs the Trustees have instructed Charles Stanley to retain dividends and reinvest these, to help further boost the value of the investment portfolio held over time.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Risk management

The Trustees have always reviewed the nature of major risks to which the Charity may be exposed from time to time and as a consequence they have designed and established systems aimed at managing those risks. A review was carried out in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as the Trustees quickly recognised the serious nature of the risk this posed to the Charity. This looked especially at risks arising from the pandemic to service delivery, income generation, management of investments and the risks associated with the Leases held by the Charity on its offices and shop premises. That review resulted in several immediate actions, designed to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 as the Trustees, (with professional advice where appropriate) considered was best achieved.

Recognising that the situation with COVID-19 is constantly evolving and changing, risk review is now undertaken on a more frequent basis, almost continuously by the Charity Chief Executive Officer, with further mitigating actions taken on an ongoing basis as felt necessary and the CEO reporting on this to each Trustees meeting.

Plans for the future

The Trustees recognise the need to develop a broad range of sustainable income streams to support the future work of the Association and they are developing plans to work towards this aim.

They are also giving thought to the strategic direction which the work of the Charity should take and the potential value of partnerships and other co-operative working arrangements with other charities to help achieve this.

The charity has now opened 5 charity shops and is considering adding further in the future especially in the Weymouth area, to try and grow the physical presence of the charity in that part of Dorset and potentially provide a base to support an increase in the delivery of community support services for Weymouth and West Dorset.

Structure, governance and management

The Association is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee. Directors are appointed in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association and those Directors are the Trustees of the Charity.

The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year were:

Mrs M L Grundmann Mr M A Noble (Retired 1 October 2020) Mrs H Rockett Mrs P L Jones Mr M Dowley Mrs T Bastard Mr J Perry Mrs Jessica Webster (Appointed 15 October 2020)

They are recruited and trained by a variety of means, including a handbook supplemented by in-house training. Management of the affairs of the Association is vested in the Board of Directors who may appoint such sub-committee and staff as may seem fit. The Management Committee in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer have delegated authority for the day to day management of the Association and report back to the Board of Directors on a regular basis.

None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute such sum (not exceeding £10) as may be demanded in the event of its being wound up while he/she is a member, towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of the charity and towards the costs, charges and expenses of winding up.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

TRUSTEES' REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Mrs M L Grundmann

Chairman Dated: 20 September 2021

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Dorset Blind Association (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’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 ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

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 financial statements to be reached.

Roger Morris ACA Morris Lane

31/33 Commercial Road Poole Dorset BH14 0HU

Dated: 28 September 2021

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds
general designated
2021 2021 2021 2021 2020
Notes £ £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations and legacies 2 366,202 - 54,073 420,275 308,080
Charitable activities 3 1,274 - - 1,274 2,459
Other trading activities 4 278,165 - - 278,165 294,904
Investments 5 3,613 6 2 3,621 5,612
Total income 649,254 6 54,075 703,335 611,055
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 6 241,589 - - 241,589 287,349
Charitable activities 7 226,478 - 62,552 289,030 333,718
Net losses (gains) on disposal of
fixed assets 11 - - - - 1,062
Total resources expended 468,067 - 62,552 530,619 622,129
Net gains/(losses) on investments 12 13,413 - - 13,413 (3,861)
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources
before transfers 194,600 6 (8,477) 186,129 (14,935)
Gross transfers between funds 91,000 (91,000) - - -
Net movement in funds 285,600 (90,994) (8,477) 186,129 (14,935)
Fund balances at 1 April 2020 115,057 177,798 12,742 305,597 320,532
Fund balances at 31 March 2021 400,657 86,804 4,265 491,726 305,597

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 MARCH 2021

2021 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Property, plant and equipment 14 60,806 80,491
Investments 15 118,679 93,572
179,485 174,063
Current assets
Inventories 17 5,378 5,168
Trade and other receivables 18 91,614 63,741
Cash at bank and in hand 236,798 85,238
333,790 154,147
Current liabilities 19 (21,549) (22,613)
Net current assets 312,241 131,534
Total assets less current liabilities 491,726 305,597
Income funds
Restricted funds 22 4,265 12,742
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds 23 86,804 177,798
General unrestricted funds 400,657 115,057
487,461 292,855
491,726 305,597

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION (CONTINUED)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2021

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2021.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the charity keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 20 September 2021

Mrs M L Grundmann

Trustee

Company Registration No. 07435564

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

2021 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations 27 167,096 3,880
Investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (7,463) (67,915)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant
and equipment - 1,200
Purchase of investments (87,170) (20,363)
Proceeds on disposal of investments 75,476 34,833
Interest received 3,621 5,612
Net cash used in investing activities (15,536) (46,633)
Net cash used in financing activities - -
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents 151,560 (42,753)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 85,238 127,991
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 236,798 85,238

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

Dorset Blind Association is a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 17 Bournemouth Road, Lower Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0EF.

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

The trustees have adopted the going concern basis in preparing these accounts, after assessing the principal risks and having considered the impact of a severe downside scenario for COVID-19. The trustees considered the impact of the current COVID-19 environment on the charity for the next 12 months and in the longer term. Whilst the situation evolves daily, making scenario forecasting difficult, the trustees have considered a number of impacts on their various income streams, surplus/deficits and cash flow.

Whilst the biggest risk faced would be a significant reduction in funding resulting from COVID-19, along with potential physical restrictions due to government imposed measures, due to the nature of the charity there is expected to be a continued regenerating income stream going forward and any consequential effect would therefore likely manifest itself primarily in a cash flow timing issue as opposed to a significantly detrimental absolute impact.

As discussed in the Trustees’ report, the charity has a good level of cash, no bank debt, recovering levels of investments, seen continued support for their shops and has taken advantage of Government financial support available to enable it to meet its obligations as they fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the date of signing of these financial statements. The trustees believe their willingness to adapt and overcome difficulties as they present themselves and their regular review of the charity's financial position and performance that the charity is well placed to manage its financing and business risks satisfactorily and they therefore consider it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis in preparing these accounts.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Designated funds comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the trustees for specific purposes. The purposes and uses of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.4 Incoming resources

Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

Assets for distribution are recognised only when distributed. Assets given for use by the charity are recognised when receivable. Stocks of undistributed donated goods are not valued for balance sheet purposes.

Shop income and income derived from events is recognised as earned (that is, as the related goods or services are provided).

Investment income is recognised on a receivable basis.

1.5 Resources expended

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.

Costs of generating funds are the costs associated with attracting voluntary income.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be attributed directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Included within support costs are governance costs including the preparation of the statutory accounts, the costs of trustees' meetings and the cost of any legal advice on governance or constitutional matters.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.6 Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Leasehold improvements 10 years straight line Fixtures, fittings & equipment 5 years straight line Computer equipment 100% Motor vehicles 25% reducing balance

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year.

1.7 Non-current investments

Fixed asset investments are included at market value at the balance sheet date.

Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sales proceeds and their market value at the start of the year, or their subsequent costs, and are charged or credited to the statement of financial activities in the period of disposal.

Unrealised gains and losses represent the movement in market values during the year and are charged or credited to the statement of financial position based on the market value at the year end.

1.8 Impairment of non-current assets

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in income/ (expenditure for the year, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately, unless the relevant asset is carried in at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.9 Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.

1.10 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.11 Financial instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade payables are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.12 Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.13 Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

2 Donations and legacies

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds 2021 2020
general
£ £ £ £
Donations and gifts 16,261 - 16,261 35,896
Legacies receivable 164,432 - 164,432 47,851
Grants receivable 185,509 54,073 239,582 224,333
366,202 54,073 420,275 308,080
For the year ended 31 March 2020 205,822 102,258 308,080

3 Charitable activities

2021 2020
£ £
Transcription income 1,228 578
Transcription training income 46 1,881
1,274 2,459
Other trading activities
2021 2020
£ £
Fundraising events 36,551 71,608
Shop income 241,614 223,296
Other trading activities 278,165 294,904

4 Other trading activities

Included in the shop income are amounts relating to the the sale of new and used equipment specifically designed to aid blind and partially sighted people as per the mission statement of the charity.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

5 Investments

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds
general designated
2021 2021 2021 2021 2020
£ £ £ £ £
Income from listed investments 3,599 - - 3,599 4,556
Interest receivable 14 6 2 22 1,056
3,613 6 2 3,621 5,612
6 Raising funds
2021 2020
£ £
Fundraising and publicity
Other fundraising costs 3,285 3,620
Staff costs 14,862 27,982
Support costs 1,431 4,242
Fundraising and publicity 19,578 35,844
Trading costs
Operating charity shops 93,585 130,993
Staff costs 123,638 114,915
Support costs 3,463 4,731
Trading costs 220,686 250,639
Investment management 1,325 866
241,589 287,349

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

7 Charitable activities

2021 2020
£ £
Staff costs 171,112 180,797
Depreciation and impairment - 6,647
Staff travelling, expenses and training 6,059 11,746
Rent 14,142 12,950
Rates - 588
Heat and light 1,341 740
Insurance 3,869 2,674
Telephone 2,100 1,931
Social and outings 773 13,521
Home visiting scheme 279 1,271
Dorset link 1,891 1,512
PR and advertising - 914
Sight equipment vehicle expenses 4,257 5,469
Transcription expenses - 23
205,823 240,783
Share of support costs (see note 8) 71,202 81,815
Share of governance costs (see note 8) 12,005 11,120
289,030 333,718
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds - general 226,478 249,724
Unrestricted funds - designated - 460
Restricted funds 62,552 83,534
289,030 333,718
For the year ended 31 March 2020
Unrestricted funds - general 249,724
Unrestricted funds - designated 460
Restricted funds 83,534
333,718

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

8 Support costs

Support costs
Support
Governance		 2021 **2020 ** Basis of allocation
costs costs
£ £ £ £
Staff costs 28,250 - 28,250 27,982 Staff time
Depreciation 27,148 - 27,148 28,958 Support
Staff travelling and - - - 2,536 Staff time
expenses
Rent		 4,714 - 4,714 5,550 Usage
Rates - - - 252 Usage
Heat and light 447 - 447 317 Usage
Insurance 1,290 - 1,290 1,146 Usage
Telephone 700 - 700 828 Usage
Office costs 8,063 - 8,063 13,748 Usage
Bank charges 2,021 - 2,021 4,348 Usage
PR and advertising - - - 392 Usage
Legal and professional - 15,468 15,468 13,248 Governance
Independent examiners Governance
fees - - - 2,603
72,633 15,468 88,101 101,908
Analysed between
Fundraising 1,431 - 1,431 4,242
Trading - 3,463 3,463 4,731
Charitable activities 71,202 12,005 83,207 92,935
72,633 15,468 88,101 101,908

9 Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

10 Employees

Number of employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

2021 2020
Number Number
Administration 4 4
Service delivery 4 5
Sales and marketing 1 1
Shop staff 8 7
17 17
Employment costs 2021 2020
£ £
Wages and salaries 314,012 277,690
Social security costs 17,915 19,475
Other pension costs 5,935 3,880
337,862 351,676

Pension costs are allocated to activities in proportion to the related staffing costs incurred and are wholly charged to unrestricted funds.

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the trustees and the Chief Executive Officer. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £51,884 (2020: £52,230).

There were no employees whose annual remuneration was £60,000 or more.

11 Net losses (gains) on disposal of fixed assets

2021 2020
£ £
Net loss (gain) on disposal of tangible fixed assets - 1,062
- 1,062

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

12 Net gains/(losses) on investments

2021 2020
£ £
Revaluation of investments 13,828 (2,930)
Gain/(loss) on sale of investments (415) (931)
13,413 (3,861)

13 Taxation

The company is a registered charity and is, therefore, exempt from taxation.

14 Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment
Leasehold
Fixtures,
Computer
Motor vehicles		 Total
improvements fittings &
equipment
equipment
£ £ £ £ £
Cost
At 1 April 2020 38,366 101,014 40,718 24,875 204,973
Additions - 6,477 986 - 7,463
At 31 March 2021 38,366 107,491 41,704 24,875 212,436
Depreciation and impairment
At 1 April 2020 38,366 39,179 40,718 6,219 124,482
Depreciation charged in the year - 21,498 986 4,664 27,148
At 31 March 2021 38,366 60,677 41,704 10,883 151,630
Carrying amount
At 31 March 2021 - 46,814 - 13,992 60,806
At 31 March 2020 - 61,835 - 18,656 80,491

15 Fixed asset investments

Fixed asset investments
2021 2020
£ £
Listed investments 118,679 93,572
Listed investments included above: 2021 2020
£ £
Listed investments carrying amount 118,679 93,572

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

15 Fixed asset investments

(Continued)

Fixed asset investments revalued The historical cost of the investments is £111,498 (2020: £100,219).

Movements in non-current investments
Shares
£
Cost or valuation
At 31 March 2021 93,572
Additions 87,170
Valuation changes 13,413
Disposals (75,476)
At 31 March 2021 118,679
Carrying amount
At 31 March 2021 118,679
At 31 March 2020 93,572
16 Financial instruments 2021 2020
£ £
Carrying amount of financial assets
Instruments measured at fair value through profit or loss 118,679 93,572
17 Inventories
2021 2020
£ £
Finished goods and goods for resale 5,378 5,168
18 Trade and other receivables
2021 2020
Amounts falling due within one year: £ £
Trade receivables 1,188 64
Other receivables 72,003 42,173
Prepayments and accrued income 18,423 21,504
91,614 63,741

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

19 Current liabilities

Current liabilities
2021 2020
£ £
Other taxation and social security 4,980 5,870
Trade payables 3,616 4,660
Other payables 1,294 1,523
Accruals and deferred income 11,659 10,560
21,549 22,613

20 Operating lease commitments

At 31 March 2020 the company annual commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:

2021 2020
£ £
Within one year 36,000 36,000
Between two and five years 77,116 94,616
In over five years 22,656 41,156
135,772 171,772

The operating leases represent premises rent to third parties.

21 Retirement benefit schemes

Defined contribution schemes

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to the fund and amounted to £5,935 (2020: £6,530). These are unrestricted funds and are analysed under charitable activities.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

22 Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:

Movement in funds
Balance at 1 Incoming Resources Balance at 31
April 2020 resources expended March 2021
£ £ £ £
Childrens Fund 4,263 2 - 4,265
National Lottery Fund 8,479 54,073 (62,552) -

Childrens Fund - this fund was transferred to the charity on the closure of another charity and will be spent on activities, equipment and other service support for visually impaired children.

National Lottery Fund - this fund represents a Reaching Communities grant towards the community support service.

23 Designated funds

The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes:

Movement in funds Movement in funds
Balance at Incoming
Transfers		 Balance at
1 April 2020 resources 31 March 2021
£ £ £ £
Property Fund 165,000 - (165,000) -
VIP Diary Group 12,798 6 (1,000) 11,804
Weymouth Hub Fund - - 75,000 75,000
177,798 6 (91,000) 86,804

Property Fund - this fund represents funds held for the purchase of a potential property in the future.

VIP Diary Group - this fund represents monies held on behalf of our North Dorset Club from the sale of their specialist diaries for visually impaired people to be spent as directed by the Club.

Weymouth Hub Fund - this fund is to enable the development of a hub in the Weymouth area, to include a charity shop and potentially a community cafe. The purpose is to grow our physical presence in this part of Dorset and provide a base from which we can increase the delivery of our community support services.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

24 Analysis of net assets between funds
Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total		 Total
funds funds funds
2021 2021 2021 2021 2020
£ £ £ £ £
Fund balances at 31 March
2021 are represented by:
Property, plant and equipment 60,806 - - 60,806 80,491
Investments 43,679 75,000 - 118,679 93,572
Current assets/(liabilities) 296,172 11,804 4,265 312,241 131,534
400,657 86,804 4,265 491,726 305,597

25 Events after the reporting date

Following a review of conditions which existed at the balance sheet date, the impacts of COVID-19 have not been identified as giving rise to any adjusting post balance sheet events. The main impacts of COVID-19 are forward looking, therefore this has been reviewed in more detail in the going concern note in note 1.2 to these accounts.

26 Related party transactions

Remuneration of key management personnel

The remuneration of key management personnel, including directors, is as follows.

2021 2020
£ £
Aggregate compensation 51,884 52,230

Transactions with related parties

During the year the charity there were the following transactions with related parties:

Purchase of goods
2021 2020
£ £
Other related parties 500 615
500 615

During the year a number of trustees donated goods for the charity to sell in its charity shops.

DORSET BLIND ASSOCIATION

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

27 Cash generated from operations 2021 2020
£ £
Surplus/(deficit) for the year 186,129 (14,935)
Adjustments for:
Investment income recognised in statement of financial activities (3,621) (5,612)
(Gain)/loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - 1,062
Loss on disposal of investments 415 931
Fair value gains and losses on investments (13,828) 2,930
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment 27,148 35,605
Movements in working capital:
(Increase) in inventories (210) (1,435)
(Increase) in trade and other receivables (27,873) (11,772)
(Decrease) in trade and other payables (1,064) (2,894)
Cash generated from operations 167,096 3,880
28 Analysis of changes in net funds
The charity had no debt during the year.