**Staffordshire Sight Loss Association** (Registered charity, number 1176919) **Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022** **Page Contents** 2 -6 Trustees' annual report ? Independent examiner's report 8 Receipts & Payments Account 9 Statement of Assets & Liabilities 10 Notes to the Accounts ## **Staffordshire Sight Loss Association Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022** **Full name** Staffordshire Sight Loss Association ## **Registered charity number** 1176919 ## **Principal address** Unit 6, the Forecourt, 12 Albion Street, Hanley Stoke on Trent ST1 5OD ## **Trustees** Andrea Scott (Chair) Linda Dunn (Treasurer) Sandra Barlow (Secretary) Ian Wiltshaw ## **Bankers** Natwest ## **Independent examiner** Daryl Denson ACMA VAST The Dudson Centre Hope Street ## **Charity Objectives** For the public benefit to promote the relief of blind and partially sighted people, their friends, families, and carers who primarily (but not exclusively) live in Staffordshire, including those who may not be registered as Blind/ Severely Sight Impaired or Partially Sighted/ Sight Impaired, by such means as the trustees think fit including: - Providing services, advice and information, social activities/opportunities, and peer support. - Increasing public awareness of the needs of blind and partially sighted people. ## **Governance and management** The Charity is governed by a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Constitution (Foundation Model), adopted on 31 st January 2018. ## **The methods adopted for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees** The trustees of the charity must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. ## **Related Parties** Staffordshire Sight Loss operates independently and has no related party transactions. 2 ## **Staffordshire Sight Loss Association Trustees' Annual Report (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **fit Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public bene** - Advice, information, and support around living independently with sight loss, including welfare rights, concessions, advice about equipment, support with forms, grant applications and housing issues. - Community Hubs which include a pop-up Resource Centre that provides opportunities for members of the community to come and try a wide range of daily living equipment. - Beneficiaries can also attend our Community Hubs for advice and information, support with forms and a coffee and chat. This service became available as a weekly service in Hanley from June 2021 and a monthly service in Biddulph from August 2021 with plans to expand to other areas in 2022. - - Peer support/ social groups, for the first part of 2021 these were delivered as online groups with in-person groups being reintroduced from August in Hanley, Leek and Newcastle. At the end of the year, we offer a blend of online and in-person social groups with plans to expand our in-person groups to other locations in 2022. - Weekly Hanley braille class which began in August 2021. - - - - - - Weekly online yoga class and monthly online book club - Group excursions: In October we arranged a group visit to the British Ceramics Biennial Festival for plate making and ceramics handling. In December we arranged a group visit to a local Art event presented by local Arts organisation Appetite, held at Staffordshire University called 'Lookout'. We plan to organise further outings in 2022. - Technology Support Service to support people to use technology for independence, including phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers. - Telephone peer support/ befriending service: a weekly or fortnightly call from someone with lived experience of sight loss - Regular newsletter produced in a range of formats to maximise accessibility. - Social media pages including a closed Facebook group for information sharing and peer support and the delivery of Interactive Facebook live videos for sharing information, asking questions, and engaging with others. - Accessible volunteer opportunities ## **Public Benefit** The trustees of the Charity are aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and have had regard to it in their administration of the Charity. ## **Achievements and Performance** Staffordshire Sight loss Association was set up in 2018 to provide in-person support services for blind and partially sighted people living in North Staffordshire. Our consultation within the local community helped us to design a range of services that we were confident would make a positive difference to the lives of many and in the first 2 years we were gradually building and developing these services on a small scale as a group of volunteers. In 2020 we were thrilled to be awarded a substantial 2-year grant from the National Lottery Community Fund which would enable us to develop and expand upon these services. This success was quickly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and we, like other charities have navigated the challenges that this has presented over the last 2 years, being unable for a long period to deliver the face-to-face services that we know are so important and needed within our community and adapting our services accordingly. In 2021 we began our transition back to in-person services and by the end of that year we were successfully delivering a combination of remote and face-to-face services to meet the varying needs of our community. We feel that 2022 has been a success, it has been the year that we have been able to execute plans that we made prior to the pandemic and by the end of the year we are delivering a range of in-person community-led services that we know are making a positive impact within our community each day. 3 **Staffordshire Sight Loss Association Trustees' Annual Report (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **Achievements and Performance ( continued)** In February 2022 our National Lottery funded Independence and Wellbeing Project came to an end and we were thrilled to be awarded a further National Lottery Community Fund grant for our 3-year Independent and Connected Communities Project. This project combined with a grant from the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups Long Tenn Condition Support Fund and a further National Lottery Awards for All grant has enabled us to expand our range of Community Hub drop-ins, social opportunities and the number of people that we could reach through our Independent Living Service. In 2022 we have delivered 92 Community Hub drop-ins, attended by 283 people. We have delivered 126 peer support and activity groups, 93 of these groups were face to face and 33 were online. Groups were delivered in Hanley, Leek, Newcastle, Biddulph and Cheadle. Groups and activities were attended by 63 people. We supported 181 people through our Independent Living and Technology Services. A big part of the work we do is to bring people together for peer support and many of our services aim to reduce isolation and feelings of loneliness. This year we have been able to increase the number of peer support groups that we offer as well as providing various group outings and activities. We have seen how valuable sharing experiences and infonnation with peers can be for building confidence and increasing independence. Increased work in this area has also provided opportunities for attendees to have fun together, make memories and in many instances to build lasting friendships. Throughout the year we have seen increased demand for our services, we feel that this is in part due to increased awareness of our services but also because of current national issues. Issues currently impacting our beneficiaries include the lasting impact of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and the global energy crisis. This is resulting in increased requests for support from people who have complex issues and needs, including financial crisis, mental health, addiction, and homelessness. We are therefore working with partners to ensure the best possible outcomes for our beneficiaries and to manage demand. It is also important that our staff are trained and feel supported and well equipped to deal with complex issues as they arise including confidence in lone working and safeguarding policies and practices. We will continue to monitor demand for our services so that we can respond appropriately. During 2022 we have delivered Awareness Sessions to local organisations including Frontline Dance, Appetite and Door to Door Community Transport as well as for a local Cubs group to help them to achieve their Disability Awareness Activity Badge. We reached approximately 90 people through these sessions. Our lnfonnation Day held at the Best Western Stoke City Centre Hotel on the 13th of October was a success. This is the first time that we have been able to hold this event since 2019 due to the pandemic. The event aimed to bring together local, regional and national organisations for the community to find out about a wide range of services, equipment, technology and support in one place. 28 organisations attended to provide infonnation, advice and equipment demonstrations, these included national charities such as the **RNIB,** Guide Dogs, Sightline, the Macular Society and Blind Veterans as well as local charities such as VAST, Changes, Appetite and the North Staffordshire Pensioner's Convention. Statutory and sports organisations also attended a wide range of Assistive technology companies as well such as Optelec, Vision Aid, Dolphin and Humanware. Sighted Guides were available throughout the day as well as a BSL interpreter. There was a schedule of talks provided in a separate room, talks were provided by the local sensory team, The Royal Association for Deaf People, Staffordshire Cricket as well as some Employability Workshops delivered by Severn Trent. 4 **Staffordshire Sight Loss Association Trustees' Annual Report (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **Achievements and Performance (continued)** 115 members of the community attended the event and feedback from attendees and exhibitors was excellent. The event was supported by 14 of our volunteers who helped with tasks such as setting up, welcoming and counting guests, providing information about our services and asking guests for feedback. Funding received during 2022 meant that we have also been able to grow our team of staff and volunteers. In May 2022 we hired a new part time Administration and Customer Service Assistant to provide administration support to the team and to work within the weekly Hanley Community Hub drop-in. We also hired a part time Independent Living Coordinator who supports our community-based drop-ins and social groups as well as providing advice, information and support through our Independent Living Service, this includes form filling and support with welfare rights issues amongst other things. In October we hired our first part time Assistive Technology Coordinator who provides support with technology issues including phones, tablets, smart speakers and computers. At the end of 2022 we have five staff members (3 part-time and 2 full-time). Feedback has shown us that our services this year have led to many positive outcomes for our beneficiaries. We could not have delivered these services without the support of our volunteers, funders, partners, and supporters. Volunteers have played a huge part in all areas of the charity's work in 2022 including supporting services (for example with administration tasks, technology support, telephone peer support and hosting social groups), attending Steering Group meetings, helping with social media and fundraising. Our charity has been supported by 21 volunteers during 2022. We were also very proud that one of our wonderful volunteers was recognised at the BBC Radio Stoke Make a Difference Awards where he was nominated for an award in the Volunteer Category and received a trophy for being highly commended in the category. We would also like to thank our partners who have helped us to spread the word about the services that we offer. Our partners include the Eye Clinic Liaison Officers at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, the local Sensory Teams at Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire County Council, local Social Prescribers, The Macular Society, East Cheshire Eye Society, the RNIB, Guide Dogs, Blind Veterans, Appetite and our local Talking Newspapers. Moving into 2023 we are looking forward to developing our services further using beneficiary and partner feedback to continue to improve in a community-led way. We are also looking forward to planning and delivering our first ever Community Awareness Event over the summer, the aim of which is to increase people's understanding of sight loss, dispel myths and stereotypes, and to break down barriers making North Staffordshire a more inclusive place to live. 5 ## Staffordshire Sight Loss Association Trustees' Annual Report (continued) for the year ended 31 December 2022 ## **Financial Review** Staffordshire Sight Loss Association had an income of £148,281 in the financial year 2022. Most of this funding (£99,311) came from the National Lottery Community Fund for our 3-year Independent and Connected Communities project which began in February 2022. During 2022 we received a further £27,458 in restricted grants from other funders including: - The Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group's Long Term Condition Support Fund for our Independence, Health and Wellbeing Project. This enabled us to scale up and enhance existing services. - Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Community Investment Fund for our Digital Skills Project, this provided us with equipment necessary to demonstrate and support local people with using Assistive Technology. - Local Giving for accessible yoga classes; and - A further grant from the National Lottery from their Awards for All funding stream to increase local peer support opportunities. The remainder of our income has come from an unrestricted grant from the Sir Jules Thom Charitable Trust (£1000), as well as individual donations, in memory donations, fundraising activities, and sale of daily living equipment. We would also like to thank our Potter's Arf Relay team who ran the local hilly half marathon for sponsorship and raised £1161. We rent an office space on Albion Street in Hanley and our assets consist of our office furniture and equipment (for example our printer, laptops, phones etc.), daily living equipment and technology purchased for demonstration purposes at our Community Hubs and stock for our resource centre. At year end the charity has a balance of £38,427. £10,488 of this is unrestricted funds and the remaining £27,939 is restricted. ## **Reserves Policy** The charity has a reserves policy. As a relatively new charity that has been operating for just under 5 years, we have been gradually building our reserves during that time and reserves have increased year on year. Unrestricted reserves are currently £10,488. Building up reserves has been challenging over the last couple of years as fundraising activities have been impacted by the pandemic however, we have a Sustainability Plan in place which is regularly reviewed and aims to diversify our income and build reserves to an adequate level. It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should ideally be maintained at a level equivalent to between three- and six-months non-project expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will cover continuity, restructuring to cover essential activities where it's necessary to source further income and a Dissolution Fund to provide for dissolution should the charity be unable to continue. We are working towards this goal and aim to increase our reserves to an adequate level over the next 24 months. Due to the nature of the organisation and the regular review of the budget our Reserves Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it reflects what is needed for continuity, that the restructuring element matches the requirements of our activities, and that the dissolution element matches the requirements of staffing levels. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees:
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Andrea Scott Chair
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Linda Dunn Treasurer
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6 Independent examlnefs report to the trustees of Stsffordshiro Sight Loss Association for the year ended 31 December 2022 I to tsity trustees on my examNiatK)n of the aCc￿nts of the ch8nty for the period en￿ 31 Marth 2022 are OLrt on p8g88 7 to 9. Ro8pKtlv• Mpon•lbSlllles of tN8ts•8 and •xfdnln•r As the charity's trustees of Siaffordshife Sight Loss Association. ￿1 are reswn8ibl8 for the preparatson of the acco￿￿ in acccfdance wrth r4uirements of the Chwrties Act 20111'th• Acll. I rewt in respect of my frxaminatic￿ of SiaffordshTr Sight Loss A830Ci8tion a(￿o￿nIS carried out urth s8Ction 145 of the 2011 Act and in caffyirvj (XA my examinalicn I have followed all the applKabl• Direction8 given by iho Charity commis81c￿ under 8ecti¢M 145151{bl of the Act. Ind•wid•nt •x•mln•¢• slatemont I have cnmplel8d my examination. I confinn that r#) material mattef8 have come lo my attenti[￿ connection with the examinolion givirvJ me cause lo believe that in any matwhql respect.. 1. Accounllng records were riot kept ￿ r88P8¢t of Slafft*￿1re Stht Loss As8ocialK)n a• réquired by Sed￿ 130 of lh8 Act. ( 2. Ihe Ke￿ntI not with thow rac£rfd$; or 3. the accounts to not comply with the aceounting requir6ment8 concerning th8 fom and ¢ont8nt of accwnts sel out in the Chariti68 (Account5 and Report$} Regulati¢￿$ 20( other than any requirement that th& accounts give a 'tru8 WKI fair which is not matter C{￿11dor8d as part of an ind6FwMkn* examThtK)n. I hav8 no concam8 and hav• come acro￿ Ott￿ matters in wilh the oxaminalion to which attention sh￿Id b8 drwi n this rewt Jn order to enabla a prop8r understanding of th8 accounts to bo r•8chd. SvJned Daryl Den8￿ AC VAST at• 3111012023 Stsffordshire Sight Loss Association Receipts & Payments Account for the year ended 31 December 2022 Totsl 2022 Total 2021 Funds Funds Recelpts Social @oups 136 128,269 1.799 78 76.981 210 217 2,797 650 126.769 Donation Salos Fundraising misceHane0￿ Inco￿ Total recolpts 13.720 2.771 13,720 2.7T1 Equipn￿l her Purchases SaEaries plus eypenses AdrT#nislrator Social (>oups Vokjnteer E4)enses Rent 8nd StC¢8ge Room Hire ResoLrce Centre Stock Da18base Staff Training misce1ane0L￿ ewdilmre 2.774 293 5.288 8,(E2 293 73,110 28,488 2,349 33.031 12.427 1.819 875 13.242 714 73.110 19.821 I9,￿1 14.753 171 701 14.753 171 701 816 462 Fun(traising AGGountsnGy Phone and Internet Stationary and Postage 1.212 1.212 1.170 1.776 522 1,170 1.776 947 Insurance Actikities Ewits 774 Subscriptions & Me￿￿erShipS Monitoring & E￿lUatiOn 472 472 295 5,1¢JO Tr￿￿ripts Repairs & Decorations 2.369 2,￿9 136 136 552 Total paynwnts Net recel)tsl{payrnntsl 7.610 11664 127.822) Cash f￿￿5 at end of thls porkxl Staffordshire Sight Loss Assoclation Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December 2022 20 Cash a88*s Uablke8 due Accwnlancy Fees Th8se financial statements are attepled on behalt of the charity by.. Dated S I Sign&d Andrea Scott Chair iolls. Signod L Linda Dunn Treasuror Dated 31 io Stsffordshire SSght Loss Associatlon Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 1. Recelpts & paymonts a¢¢ount8 Receipts and payments ￿cOUnt$ are slalemenls that summarise th8 movement of cash into and out of the charrty during the financial year. In this context'cash" includès cash equivalents. for exampl&, bank accounts Nvhere ￿5h can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due. For the purposes of Lxvjerstsnding a statement of as$ets and liabilities al the year-end ha$ been included. 2. Trustse8' rernuneratlon Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or bgnefrts in this yaar. 3. Fun Oper* Rgcelpt• Payn*nls Transforn Closlng balance balance Restrlcted Funds Nab'onal Lottery - CF Prqect 1 Nab'onal Lottery - CF Project 2 Nalional Lottery - AvArds for All Comnwnity Foundallon Staffordshlre L￿al CiNing Fund - Yoga Sloke-￿-Trenl City T&kling In8qua￿be$ Fund L￿g Term Condits'on Fund Restricted Funding 16,781 {11,681} (S,1￿) 180,161) 5,100 19,7321 12,5251 (225) 13618) 99.311 24,250 218 2.525 275 (54581 unrn•trl¢I￿ Fund• ngral Funds T￿41 148 10