2021-03-31-accounts

Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted

Trustees’ annual report (including Directors’ report) for the period

From: 1 April 2020 To: 31 March 2021

Charity name: Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted

Charity registration number: 1147170 Company number: 07982870

Objectives and activities

The objectives of the charity are to provide services, facilities and support to blind and partially sighted people in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, for public benefit. We promote and encourage self-help and independence by empowering people and removing the barriers they face.

The Society provides a wide range of services and facilities to address the needs of our clients, including the following:

-A Resource Centre equipped with low vision and daily living aids -Outreach Support service -Advocacy Service -Drop in support -Creative and Social activities -Computer technology training courses

-Audio Book Library -Hospital Liaison service based at The University Teaching Hospital

-Service user support groups

The Society is named 'Of the Blind and Partially Sighted'. This gives ownership to those requiring and using our services. We work with our clients to ensure we meet the needs of the group of people we support.

The trustees are aware of the Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and consider that the purposes of the charity are for the public benefit.

Achievements and performance

From March 2020 the past financial year presented unexpected challenges due to the COVID19 pandemic and the temporary closure of our Ashville Lodge Resource Centre. Through this, we were unable to hold our fund raising activities that make a significant contribution to our income. Despite this, we continued to adapt our services and focus on the changing needs of our service users. With the help of emergency crisis grants we were able to deliver remote support services through the use of technology. Our volunteer team provided invaluable support in ensuring our vulnerable groups had access to provision. As most of our staff team were put on furlough, the Government Job Retention Scheme enabled us to maintain all staff positions. As we have now fully opened our Ashville Lodge Resource Centre with a full staff team, we are working to secure other funding streams and build more partnerships

and joint project delivery. We have demonstrated strength and resilience through working with our service users, facing and adapting to change and bringing people back to their support networks.

WSBPS has always looked to the future regarding service provision. We have been successful, in the past, in securing grants and support from local agencies to help us do our work, but we recognise that the funding climate is rapidly changing. We work to develop internal mechanisms and systems to help us recognise wider opportunities and aspects of fundraising.

We have received support and encouragement from independent funders and statutory bodies. The COVID19 grants have been invaluable in bringing the Charity through this crisis and we are grateful for this support. This has enabled us to safely re-open our Resource Centre and re-introduce full service provision.

Our funding and development strategy runs over the next three years in which time we aim to identify and work towards wider funding streams to help build a balance between grant funded projects and financial stability to cover future running costs.

We continue to work with Wirral NHS Trust, and our contracted funding from Wirral CCG has worked to build strong links with wider community health care providers. We hope to continue to build on this partnership in the future.

As a community organisation we do not believe in working in isolation; we work to build and maintain strong wider community links and partnerships within the ethos of sharing skills, experiences and ideas. Our strategic vision is to be creative and not exhaustive in whom we approach to support our long-term vision. We aim to work with a range of differing funding organisations to enable us to meet current and future service needs. Our whole ethos has been developed and built through working with and not for our beneficiaries. We ensure that their views and experiences are actively listened to and taken account of as part of how the Charity operates in facilitating engagement and communication. We work make positive differences to the lives of people with sight loss encouraging individuals to focus on what they can achieve, influence positive changes and live independent and fulfilled lives.

Financial review

The centre was closed for a significant proportion of the financial year, as a result of the pandemic lockdown. However, with staff salaries making up the majority of the charity’s cost base, there were no real savings made during the period. The directors agreed to use the closure to undertake some necessary maintenance work as well as implementing increased health and safety controls. In addition, the introduction of counselling work, funded by The Eye Fund grants, has resulted in an increase in the expenditure of the charity.

As well as the continued securing of restricted grants, mainly from The Henry Smith Charity, and ongoing contracts with the NHS and Wirral CCG, the charity has been fortunate to receive significant support to help recover from the COVID pandemic. Such “COVID-crisis” funding of £134,000 has resulted in a surplus for the year of £110,000. Given the expected forthcoming difficulties in raising funds both through grants and from donations, as we attempt to restart our normal service provision, the directors consider it appropriate that reserves equate to approximately 12 months’ costs.

Structure, governance and management

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 8 March 2012 and registered as a charity on 9 May 2012. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law, and under the company’s Articles are known as members of the Management Committee. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. All members of the Management Committee give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, 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).

Reference and administrative details

Charityname	Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted
Other name the charityuses
Registered charitynumber	1147170
Charity’sprincipal address	Ashville Lodge, Ashville Road, Birkenhead CH41 8AU

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
	Edward Lamb	Chairperson
	Paul Egan
	Adele Law
	GeoffreyPennock		1 April 2020 – 20 May 2020
	Teresa Holmes		1 April 2020 – 3 July 2020
	John Bolderson
	Michael Jones
	Alan Brown

Declarations

The company has taken advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the report above.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report (including directors’ report) above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees/directors

Signature
Full name	Edward Lamb
Position	Director and Chair
Date

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlner's Report Report to the trnsteesldirectorsl members of Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 Charlty no.: 1147170 Company no.: 07982870 Set out on pages I report lo the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2021. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees of the Company {who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act.). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounls as Ca￿led oul under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ("the 2011 Act"). In carying out my examination, I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145{5)Ibl of the 2011 Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006., or the accounts do not accord with such records.. or the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part af an independent examination., or •the accounts have nol been prepared in accordance with the Charit1es SORP {FRS1021. 11ER October 2018

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 nable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Signed: Date: ZOZL Name: Relevant professional qualification(sl or body lif any): PtccTh (I i &1[16) Address: NJI6Lt) Co&T TofvJ-6V-Cpie5TC Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts= directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. 21ER October 2018