Registered Charity Number: 1159188 York Blind & Partially Sighted Society CIO Operating as Mysight York Independently Examined Trustees, Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 March 2025 YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO CONTENTS Charity Information Trustees, Report.................................................................................. Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities . .12 Independent Examiner's Report.........................................................13 Statement of Financial Activities........................................................15 Balance Sheet...................................................................................16 Notestothe Financial Statements..............................................17 YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO CHARITY INFORMATION Charity Name York Blind & Partially Sighted Society Charity Number 1159188 (Linked Charity 508914 York Blind and Partially Sighted Society) Trustees The following Trustees have held office since 1 April 2024: John Sole Annette Gamston Eleanor Tew Caroline Clifford Major David Michael Crouch Andrea Glover lain Mitchell Julie Richardson Lisa Wilcox Martin Fawcett Nicola Walker Dr Bethan O'Leary Chair Resigned 14 November 2024 Resigned 3 October 2024 Resigned 3 October 2024 Resigned 22 May 2024 Appointed 26 February 2025 Chief Executive Scott Jobson YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO CHARITY INFORMATION (Cont.) Principal Address and Address for General Enquiries Ground Floor 84-86 Walmgate, York Y019TL Tel: 01904 636269 htyork.or Independent Examiner Jessica Lawrence FCA Azets Audit Services Limited 12 King Street Leeds LS12HL Bankers Unity Bank plc 9 Brindley Place Birmingham B12HB Natwest 250 Bishopsgate London EC2M 4AA Virgin Money Jubilee House Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE3 4PL YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Chairman's Report Dear Members, Partners, and Supporters, This past year has been one of consolidation planning and preparing for the future with the golden thread of sustainability to ensure Mysight York is here to support people with visual impairments in York now and the future. The beginning of the year raised the opportunity to tender for York City Council Sensory contract that supports people with a Visual Impairments and or a Hearing Impairment. Although this was considered in the context that Mysight delivers complementary Visual Impairment ServI￿S at the time of need and free to recipients. The contract would not have been financially viable to tender for and highlighted the restriction on Mysight constitution and its enactment. All involved with the decommissioning of the old premises and finding and setting up the new premiers have gone beyond normal human effort. During this time setting up the new service delivery point at The Community Stadium (as a pilot) and managing working from home and delivering services during the extended transition period that was thwart with legal processes. Although the account balance at the end of the year is positive and restricted funding has been secured for 2025 -2026 along with a reduction in operation costs, the Trustees are mindful that we operate in a very volatile world where both RNIB and Guide Dogs have redU￿d staffing to balance their books to match income. We cannot be complacent. To this end a new strategy has been developed to take Mysight York to 2028 and beyond clearly stating Our Ambitions to: Empower and equip local people with sight loss to make confident choices about their lives. Amplify the voices of blind and partially sighted people, ensuring their lived experiences shape serrfices and policies. Champion inclusivity and accessibility to remove barriers and create a sight-inclusive society. Embed the Eye Care Support Pathway into Mysight York's services, ensuring better access to information, emotional support, and practical resources at all stages of a person's sight loss journey. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Chairman's Report (Cont.) Strengthen Mysight York as a resilient and effective organisation, ensuring long-term sustainability. Looking forward to 2025 -2026 the Trustees and staff will be working on delivering the strategy including consulting on the Mysight York Constitution. Sustainable income generation and a programme of engagement on how Mysight York can continue to develop and deliver what is needed, when it is needed and free at the point of delivery. All this is only possible by your continued support and generosity as we do not receive any government or local authority funding. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, John Sole Chairman Mysight York YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Trustees have prepared these Financial Statements in accordance with 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 (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019) as detailed in the accounting policies. Reference & Administrative Details The Charity information on pages 1 and 2 forms part of this report. Constitution York Blind & Partially Sighted Society (the "Charity") was registered as a CIO on 13 November 2014, number 1159188, SUC￿eding York Blind and Partially Sighted Society (number 508914) which is now a linked Charity. On 1 April 2015, the activities and assets of York Blind and Partially Sighted Society were transferred across to the new CIO which commenced activities on that date. The Trustees have taken advantage of the Charity Commission concession to link charities which have a common Trustee board allowing preparation of one set of financial statements for both charities. Our Ob'ectives and Activities In planning the activities of the organisation, the Trustees have due regard to their duty to meet the Charity Commission's requirements about public benefit. The Trustees ensure that the objective and aims of the organisation are carried out through its activities for the public benefit and details its achievements and activities in this report. The object of the Charity is: To promote the welfare of people who are blind, partially sighted or substantially and permanently disabled by defective vision. The aims are" _ To provide a range of services designed to meet the needs of visually impaired people including an Equipment and Information Centre and Outreach facilities. To promote the needs of visually impaired people to statutory and voluntary organisations. To maintain an up to date record of visually impaired people, whilst ensuring compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy regulations. Any other activities deemed to be desirable to further the welfare of visually impaired people. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Society's Mission is to "advocate, develop and provide services and facilities which enable people who are blind or partially sighted achieve independence with dignity, in all aspects of life and sectors of Society" Our services are available to any visually impaired person in York and surrounding areas, plus hislhersupporters and professional staff. Free membership of Mysight York is available automatically to anyone registered blindlseverely sight impaired or partially sightedlsight impaired, and to any visually impaired person in need of services. It should be noted that services are provided free of charge generally. As our memberluser base increases, there is an added burden around cost, which we need to fund. We receive no Government funding and we are enormously reliant on our own fundraising activities, in a market which is becoming ever more competitive to secure funding. Legacies and donations are vitally important to ensure continued sustainability of Mysight York and as we have seen over the past 3 years, when these are not as frequent or substantial we can face difficulties. It will vitally important that we can continue to raise our profile to meet these objectives. A continued focus of both staff and Trustees will be on how we continue to provide the services in an efficient manner. how we can control our costs and optimise our income streams and where best to do this from. Chief Executive's Introduction - Scott Jobson It is with pride and gratitude that I present this year's Annual Report, marking a period of meaningful progress, courageous decisions, and renewed purpose for Mysight York. In 2024 - 2025, we strengthened our foundations, expanded our reach, and took bold steps to ensure that blind and partially sighted people across York continue to receive high-quality, compassionate, and practical support - free at the point of need. I'd like to echo our Chair, John Sole, in acknowledging the year as one of strategic consolidation, thoughtful reflection, and forward planning. Our shared vision remains clear: to be a sustainable, responsive, and inclusive organisation that delivers for our community not just today, but for the long term. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 One of the key decisions this year was our choice not to tender for the City of York Council's dual sensory contract. While a difficult call, it led to important internal reflection, particularly around the limits of our current constitution. As a result, we have launched a wide-ranging consultation with our members and stakeholders, aimed at modernising our governance and increasing our agility and resilience for the future. We also relocated our city centre base to Walmgate, a more accessible and flexible premises that supports a better service experience for all. This major move was handled with professionalism, creativity, and deep care, thank you to our staff, volunteers and supporters who made it possible. Alongside our move, we launched one of our most exciting new services" the Community Stadium Sight Support Servi￿. Based at York Community Stadium Eye Clinic, this initiative represents a major step forward in extending our reach. It now forms a core part of our new'triangle of support," together with York Hospital and our Walmgate office. The stadium pilot enables us to explore how to meet people at a critical moment in their sight loss journey, when they most need emotional and practical support. It gives us valuable insights into when and where people prefer to engage with us. These lessons are now shaping our future approach, ensuring we meet people where they need us most, in ways that are accessible, timely, and sustainable. Throughout the year, demand for our services has been high and we have responded with energy, compassion, and professionalism. Our Equipment and Information Centre remains a leading hub of personalised advice and hands-on technology support. Our befriending service continues to offer vital social connection for those who need it most. Our wide range of groups and activities brings people together, offering peer support, learning opportunities, creative exploration, and a strong sense of community. And through awareness training, we are helping York become a more inclusive and sight-loss-aware city. We also continued to deliver our Community Connect Project, funded by the National Lottery. This initiative has enabled powerful collaborations and creative activities that are helping to reimagine York as a truly Sight Loss Friendly City. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Thanks to strong financial stewardship and the generous backing of our supporters, we ended the year in surplus. Restricted funding is in place to protect key services through 2025 - 2026, but we remain acutely aware of the challenges ahead and the need for continued investment in this life-changing work. Our new strategy for 2025 - 2028 will focus on five core ambitions: Support people with sight loss to live independently and with confidence, by providing timely, personalised advice, tools, and emotional support. Ensure the voices of blind and partially sighted people are heard and valued, shaping not only our services but also local policy and decision-making. Promote greater ac￿Ssibl11tY and inclusion across York, working with partners to remove barriers and raise awareness through training and advocacy. Embed sight loss support throughout every stage ofthe eye care journey, by fully aligning with the Eye Care Support Pathway and joining up health, social care, and community services. Secure a strong, sustainable future for Mysight York, with resilient finances, empowered staff and volunteers, and a clear vision for growth and innovation. To everyone who makes this work possible: our staff, volunteers, members, funders and partners - thank you. I would also like to extend special thanks to our Chair and Trustees, whose leadership. expertise and vision have helped shape a clear path forward... one grounded in community, inclusion, and resilience. To those considering working with or supporting us: we invite you to join us. We are proud of what we've achieved, and even more excited for what comes next. Together, we are building a more inclusive York and ensuring that no one faces sight loss alone. Financial Review The Society sets an annual budget that is approved by the Trustees prior to the start of the financial year. Our full year income of £463,521 exceeded our expenditure of £408,645 in this financial year. This produced a final result delivering a £54,876 surplus. In comparison, the 2023124 financial year had full year income of £357,251 which was exceeded by expenditure of £357,546. This produced a final result of a £295 deficit. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Financial Review Cont. Our recent levels of income can be further analysed as follows: 2024125 2023124 2022123 Local authority I CCG funding Donations, trusts, community fundraising Legacies Equipment sales Lottery projects TPT projects Other 29,836 28,415 25,832 141,850 129,836 106,773 165,690 5,332 119,764 20,344 8,992 138,523 29,675 1,466 357,251 70,043 10,853 46,000 24,787 1,026 285,314 1,049 463,521 Total The reduction in community fundraising and other income during 2022123 continued to reflect the impact of Covid-19. Legacy funding has continued to enable the Society to deliver the services its users value so highly and our thanks go to members, estates for their continued support. Reserves policy and going concern Free reserves of £25,096 were held at 31 March 2025 (2024.. £42,676). Free reserves exclude those reserves which are restricted, designated, or which can only be realised by disposing of fixed assets held for Charity use. The charity has opted to remove the designated Building Fund going forward. The policy of the Executive Committee is that the Society should retain free reserves covering 3 to 4 months, operating expenditure. YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Key Management Remuneration The pay policy ofstaff is based on the NJC scales with progression where appropriate. Annual increases are normally in line with the national agreement and subject to affordability at the time. New staff salaries are approved by the Executive Committee and are considered after external benchmarking of the post. Structure, Governance and Management We pride ourselves on being a user led organisation, admitting as members anyone who is registered blind or partially sighted living with sight loss and in need of services. The Charity is managed by an Executive Committee (Board of Trustees) of at least 8, but no more than 15 members. In accordance with the constitution, every effort is made to ensure that many Trustees are visually impaired people. All Trustees are required to retire at the Charity's annual general meeting but can offer themselves for re-election. New Trustees are either elected at the Annual General Meeting or co-opted by the board for the period to the next Annual General Meeting. New Trustees participate in induction training and an annual programme of Trustee training is organised by the Honorary Secretary and staff. The Executive Committee meets bi-monthly, with additional meetings as and when required. A between meeting report is issued to Trustees by the Chief Executive. Day to day management of the organisation is delegated to the Chief Executive. Plans YBPSS Business Plan sets the future strategy of the organisation, based on Best Practice guidance nationally and local needs. The Trustees thereby wish to: deliver the activities identified in our Business Plan; continue to provide, develop and enhance the current range of core services and activities. consolidate and further develop fundraising activities so we will not be reliant on legacies" improve training and development of staff, trustees and volunteers. 10 YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 STAFF The Society and the excellent services it provides at the various locations can continue only because of its staff who support all our members throughout all our activities. Once again, our thanks to them all for their contribution over the past year, which has again been challenging. I therefore wish to thank personally all current staff and those who contributed during the year. Current staff Scott Jobson Barbara Fairs Deborah Wheller Catherine Bamford Helen Flett Vicky Smith Louise Railton Lydia Wrightson Bex Wood Karen Dransfield Chief Executive Deputy Chief Executive Sight Support Service Manager Befriending Manager Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Community Involvement Officer Community Engagement OffI￿r Community Connector Sight Support Adviser Sight Support Adviser 1511012025 This reportwas approved by the Trustees on.................. and signed on its behalf by: John p SGIG J Sole (Chair) Andrea Glover (Vice Chair) YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and UK Accounting Standards {UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity 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. make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements" and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business. The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provision of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity's website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. 12 YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the York Blind & Partially Sighted Society CIO for the year ended 31 March 2025. This report is made solely to the Charity's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My independent examination work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity's Trustees those matters l am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner's Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity's Trustees as a body, for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed. Responsibilities and basis of report As the Charity Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent Examiner's Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect- accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or the accounts do not accord with those records; or the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 13 YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF YORK BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY CIO Independent Examiner's Statement (Cont) 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. 1611012025 Jesscia Lawrence FCA Azets Audit Services Limited 12 King Street Leeds LS12HL 14 LnLn(D cor(oc