## Charity no. 1178384
# **Sight Support West of England Report and Unaudited Financial Statements**
**31 March 2025**
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Reference and administrative details**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**Charity number** 1178384 **Registered office** St Lucy's Sight Centre **and operational** Browfort **address** Bath Road Devizes Wiltshire SN10 2AT **Trustees** Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: Nicholas Grinham Chair Heather Armstrong Roger Bonner Carl Hall resigned 26 July 2024 Ioan McAvoy Simon Russell Amar Shah Lauren Williams Anela Wood appointed 28 March 2025 **Chief executive officer** Mike Silvey **Bankers** CAF Bank Ltd The Co-operative Bank Kings Hill - Business West Malling PO Box 250 Kent Skelmersdale ME19 4TA WN8 6WT
1
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Reference and administrative details**
|**For the year**|**ended 31 March 2025**|
|---|---|
|**Investment**|Rathbones Investment Management|
|**managers**|Port of Liverpool Building|
||Pier Head|
||Liverpool|
||L3 1NW|
|**Independent**|Godfrey Wilson Limited
|
|**examiners**|Chartered accountants and statutory auditors|
||5th Floor Mariner House|
||62 Prince Street|
||Bristol|
||BS1 4QD|
2
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 and also wish to express their sincere thanks to all staff and volunteers for their hard work over the past year.
Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Constitution and the Statement of Recommended - Practice Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019).
## **About Sight Support West of England**
Every 6 minutes someone in the UK is told they are losing their sight, and over 2 million people in the UK are currently estimated to be living with sight loss.
Sight loss has huge practical and emotional consequences. It can restrict social and personal interaction, and lead to isolation. It can remove a person’s independence as they have to rely on others for simple day-to-day tasks, which can lead to low self-esteem, lack of confidence and depression.
A diagnosis of sight loss can be devastating. Sight Support West of England exists to provide support at all stages of the sight loss journey, to help make sure people don’t just survive, but thrive after sight loss.
We provide services for people living with sight loss across Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset, and in Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire through our partner charities Insight Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Sight.
There are just under 11,000 people registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired across our region, including just over 350 children. Around 1,350 new registrations are made each year.
3
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
These numbers are just a small part of the picture, as they only show those that are officially registered. There are many more people in the area that are not yet diagnosed, undergoing treatment, don’t meet the criteria for registration but have low vision, or have chosen not to be registered.
Current figures suggest that across the region, over 79,000 people are - currently living with sight loss one in every 30 people¹. With an aging population, and the increasing incidence of conditions like diabetes (with strong links to sight loss), it is forecast that the number of people affected will increase by 25% by 2030.
Our services at Sight Support West of England are driven by the outcomes that people with sight loss have said are most important to them[2] . These are:
- I understand my eye condition and the registration process;
- ▪ I have someone to talk to;
- ▪ I can look after myself, my health, my home and my family;
- ▪ I receive statutory benefits and information and support that I need;
- ▪ I can make the best use of the sight I have;
- I can access information making the most of the advantages that technology brings;
- I can get out and about;
- ▪ I have the tools, skills and confidence to communicate;
- I have equal access to education and lifelong learning; and
- ▪ I can work and volunteer.
1 https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/ key-information-and-statistics/sight-loss-data-tool
2 UK Vision Strategy ‘Seeing it My Way’ survey
4
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
The West of England region is diverse covering remote rural areas, coastal towns, deprived inner city areas and everything in between. The needs of people living in our region are affected greatly by this challenging geography.
Our challenge is to ensure that all people living with sight loss in the region have access to high quality, joined-up services that deliver the identified outcomes (above) and enable people with sight loss to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
## **Our strategy**
Our aim is to ensure that everyone newly diagnosed or living with sight loss in the West of England, including children and young people, have equal and timely access to the support and services they need, and are empowered to pursue independent lives.
We will work with people affected by sight loss to help them navigate the often complex provision of services, joining up health, social care and community services.
We will work with others to provide the best possible support. These partners include professionals in the health, social care and education sectors. They include other charities and, critically, they include people living with sight loss.
Our strategy is defined by the views and needs of people with sight loss, and our services will reflect this.
5
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## Our key **strategic objectives** are:
1. To ensure everyone living with sight loss in our region knows where they can find relevant support.
2. To improve the sight loss pathway so that everyone has equal, timely access to the services and support they need.
3. To provide a range of good quality, high impact services guided by the views and needs of people living with sight loss.
4. To increase awareness of the importance of eye health and the prevention of sight loss.
5. To build a strong and sustainable organisation which adds real value, can demonstrate impact and has the confidence of the people and organisations we work with. An organisation resilient to external challenges, agile enough to exploit opportunities and able to adapt to the changing needs of our service users.
## **Achievements and performance**
This has been a year of both consolidation and growth for Sight Support West of England. At a time when several of the large national sight loss charities have been undergoing restructuring and reducing their direct — services, we have stepped up reaching more people than ever before, strengthening our local presence, and ensuring that no one in our region has to face sight loss alone.
"I felt lost and without any hope when dealing with the hospital alone, until you stepped in. I was ready to give up. I believe it is highly unlikely I would have made it through this without your incredible support."
6
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
Our innovative partnership model with Insight Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Sight, sharing one central management, finance and admin team providing management, finance, fundraising, communications and admin support, means that we are able to provide comprehensive and high-quality services across the West of England region, whilst benefiting from shared cost and management efficiencies. The significant increases in numbers of people provided with one-to-one support and those accessing our social activities across the region are testament to the value placed on the services by the people with sight loss we exist to support.
## **Expanding reach and deepening impact**
We currently provide services to 5,085 people with sight loss in our area. Over the past year we have provided face-to-face support to 2,266 individuals, delivering over 5,400 information, advice and - guidance interventions a 31% increase on the previous year. With several national agencies cutting their direct services this year, we are expecting demand for our services to continue to rise.
Our service reach also continues to expand. In total, we now operate 38 hubs across the region where people can access face-to-face support from one of our Community Sight Loss Advisors, ensuring that over 98% of our service users in Wiltshire, Bristol, and Bath & North-East Somerset live within five miles of a local support hub. Across the region, 676 unique individuals engaged in our local social groups and activities (a 47% rise on 2023-24), with new groups launched in Nailsworth, Trowbridge, Tisbury and Amesbury during the year.
7
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
To cater for some specific groups who may not be able to attend — weekday socials, we also introduced four new virtual hubs providing regular Zoom-based peer support for university students, working-age adults, parents of children with VI, and young carers. We have also introduced telephone consultations for those who cannot travel easily, so we can respond quicker and reduce anxiety following new diagnoses.
Our peer support and befriending services continue to make a profound difference to people's wellbeing:
“The Sight Support befriending service is brilliant. I always feel happier after speaking to my befriender. Even though I — am 90 and she is in her 30s, it doesn’t matter we can talk for ages. A befriender is a beautiful thing, and that’s what she is to me.”
With Insight Gloucestershire now fully part of our partnership model¹, having joined in July 2023, support in the county has grown dramatically. We have seen an increase of more than 500% in the number of unique individuals provided with support in Gloucestershire compared to before the charity joined with Sight Support and Wiltshire Sight. In addition, with the opening of new hubs and social groups across the county, the number of individuals accessing social groups rose from 48 last year, to 181 this year, thanks to the hard work of our revitalised staff and volunteer team.
1. Although our three charities are working in partnership, differences in the governance configuration of the charities mean that only Sight Support West of England and Wiltshire Sight are formally joined in legal terms. As a result, the consolidated accounts presented here only include these two charities.
8
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
Over the year, our team of volunteers contacted 332 service users at random, to ask for feedback on their experience with us. 97% rated the service they had received as good, with 77% rating it as excellent. We are incredibly proud that over 93% of service users contacted reported feeling more able to cope with day-to-day life after receiving support from us, and 91% of those who were suffering from isolation reported feeling less isolated.
## **Strengthening local access and inclusion**
With an increase to the team of Community Sight Loss Advisors in Bristol, we’re now making progress in reaching underserved communities. A new advice hub is set to launch in Easton — an area of cultural richness and significant unmet need — and work is underway to open a second hub in Avonmouth.
While access in some rural parts of Gloucestershire remains more limited, a clear plan is now in place to improve coverage in in the county in 2025–26.
## **Promoting awareness and connection**
Over 400 people attended our Eye Can exhibitions in Gloucestershire and Bristol this year, with 100% of attendees rating the events as Good or Excellent. These exhibitions continue to be a powerful tool in providing a one-stop shop for people with sight loss to see the breadth of support available, and provide an opportunity to connect with others and to hear talks on issues around sight loss.
9
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
We also stepped up our public awareness work in 2024-25. During National Eye Health Week in September, we ran a coordinated campaign across social media and in all our charity shops, providing information on the importance of regular eye checks. Our social media platforms have been reinvigorated, and we have started sharing video testimonies and case studies more widely. We have also installed new — — information stations featuring key messages and resources in all of our shops, providing eye health information and informing the general public about support available.
## **Digital inclusion and innovation**
Our focus on digital inclusion continued this year, with over 130 people accessing one-to-one digital support in the Bristol and Bath area. The project focussed on bringing people from Discovery to Beginners to Improvers in using modern technology that most of us take for granted in daily life.
“I wish I’d learnt it years ago. I’m now able to text my friends without having to ask my family to do it for me!”
“It’s so great to have somewhere to go to get help and ask questions with people who understand, people just don’t seem to have the time these days, so this was great. Thank you, I am now using Google to call my friends and family!”
In March, we welcomed a new Digital Inclusion Lead in Wiltshire, whose role will be to replicate the success of our Bristol programme, running smartphone and tablet training courses, alongside providing one-to-one IT support through a team of digital volunteers. We have also secured funding for a similar roll-out in Gloucestershire later in 2025.
10
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Involving our community**
Volunteers remain the backbone of our organisation. Over the course of the year, 243 volunteers gave their time, energy and lived experience to support others, contributing over 7,900 hours of their time. In our most recent volunteer survey, 95% told us that they felt positive and happy in their roles. 28% of our current active volunteers have direct experience of sight loss themselves.
Our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (previously named the Client Advisory Group) continues to provide critical insights that shape our services, communications and strategy. This self-managing group of local people with sight loss are drawn from across the region and have a wide range of personal experience to share.
## **Governance**
In late 2024 we started on the process of formalising the governance structure between our three charities, to clarify management reporting lines and put in place a procedure for disputes. We now have a draft Partnership Agreement which has been agreed by all three Boards and will be finalised in the first half of the new financial year.
Our joint working involves the voluntary collaboration of all three charities to make a greater impact than acting alone, by sharing working practices, resources and staff. However, differences in the governance configuration of the charities mean that only Sight Support West of England and Wiltshire Sight are formally joined in legal terms. As a result, the consolidated accounts presented here only include these two charities.
The Board is also taking professional VAT advice on the implications of governance structure, and are working to ensure that the new partnership arrangements remain VAT compliant and optimal.
11
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
In March 2025 the Sight Support Board conducted a full review of our internal financial controls, undertaking several actions to ensure our procedures and policies are in line with recommended best practice.
## **Plans for the future**
Our operational Plan for 2025-26 was signed off by the Board at their March meeting and contains key objectives, actions and indicators for the year. Our key development priorities for the year include:
- Monitor impact and respond to anticipated increasing demand for services following changes to the national CVI process (which will now include a referral to local sight loss support services) and cuts to national charities services;
- Embed the new Digital Inclusion project in Wiltshire services and recruit for expansion of the project to Gloucestershire;
- Develop our outreach work in Bristol to engage harder-to-reach communities, and conduct research into communities in Swindon;
- Review reach of our hubs in Gloucestershire and develop a plan to meet agreed service metrics;
- Develop our corporate fundraising offer, building relationships with local companies to increase our corporate income and harness volunteering opportunities; and
- Open at least two more charity shops in strategic locations, including at least one in Gloucestershire.
## **Financial review**
Fundraising income for the year came in on budget. As always, we are very grateful for all the support we receive from our valued donors and supporters. We will continue to review and refine our approach for community and corporate fundraising, to ensure these grow in-line with our strategic objectives.
12
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
Our retail income continues to grow and provide a good profit for the charity. This year we recruited a part-time staff member to manage a new eBay shop, taking donations from the physical shops to maximise profit through online sales. Our aim remains that the retail operation will grow to replace the tapering core grant we receive from the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Overall, year-end accounts for the charity show a small deficit for the year of £15,000, which is in line with the budget approved at the start of the year by the Board.
## **Charitable funders and supporters**
Sight Support West of England wishes to thank the following funders and supporters for their generous support during the year:
159th Beavers Group National Lottery Reaching Annett Charitable Trust Communities Arnold Clarke New Medica Awards for All Quartet Foundation Clothworkers Foundation Radstock Town Council Dixie Rose Findley Trust Richard Davies Charitable Trust Fight for Sight St Monica’s Trust Inspecs Storm Force 10 Shanty Group Keynsham Town Council St Monica / St Augustine Chapel Midsomer Norton Lions Club Thomas Pocklington Trust
13
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Reserves policy**
Sight Support West of England aims to maintain a level of financial reserves that will enable the charity to meet future commitments and unforeseen expenses without a negative impact on our ability to deliver core services or develop the business in the manner planned.
In consideration of the above, the Board of Trustees has decided that the charity should keep available as reserves an amount that would cover the equivalent of four months' operating cost. In doing so, the Board aims to ensure that the charity is able to continue to provide our core services.
The agreed target level of unrestricted general reserves has therefore been set at £230,000, which the Board believes would provide them with the safeguards needed to be able to guarantee continuity of services for a period of at least twelve months regardless of funding uncertainty.
The trustees have also set aside the amount of £28,000 as a designated fund to cover the TUPE redundancy liability for staff delivering the South Gloucestershire Rehabilitation Service.
The trustees have agreed that any reserves accrued above the target amount will be used for the following purposes:
- to fund working capital;
- ▪ to fund unexpected but necessary expenditure; and
- ▪ to fund shortfalls in income, when income does not reach expected levels.
As at 31 March 2025 our unrestricted general reserves are £241,899, which is slightly above the desired level set by the trustees as outlined above.
14
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
The Board also commit to holding sufficient restricted reserves to cover the cost of our contractual commitments, as agreed with each contracting agency.
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the Charities Commission in England & Wales and Companies House on 15 May 2018. The original name of the charity was Vision South West, and it is governed by its Constitution.
The charity passed a special resolution on 29 March 2019 changing its name to Vision West of England. A further resolution was passed on 25 September 2020 to change the name to Sight Support West of England.
Sight Support West of England’s board of trustees is currently made up of 8 people, with a range of backgrounds, skills and professions. Currently we have three members of the board who are registered severely sight impaired.
The charity is staffed by a small team of dedicated staff, headed up by the Chief Executive and a small management team. Staff are based either at one of our offices in Bristol and Devizes, at one of our charity shop premises, or work remotely providing services across our geographic area of remit. Staff pay and benefits are reviewed annually by the trustees at their September meeting.
In July 2023, the Board conducted a review of its effectiveness to identify areas for strengthening. We also work through the Charity Commission and NCVO finance and governance checklists on an annual basis to identify areas of concern and to ensure our policies, procedures and systems were fit for purpose and of a high standard.
15
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **Risk management and delegation**
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate systems and controls are in place in order to mitigate those risks and to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. During the year the trustees have considered the major risks and systems have been put in place to mitigate their impact. The risk analysis is discussed at every other Board meeting, and a full review takes place annually.
The charity has a Schedule of Delegation in place which defines which decisions are taken by the Board of Trustees and which are delegated to staff. The Schedule is reviewed annually and covers areas of strategy, risk management, legal obligations, organisational policies and procedures, variations to agreed budget and strategic use of reserves.
## **Public benefit**
The Board of Trustees have given due consideration to Charity Commission published guidance on the operation of the public benefit requirement and confirm that these requirements are met by the charity.
## **Statement of responsibilities of the trustees**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
16
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
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 state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing those 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 judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice 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 operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees 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 corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
17
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Report of the trustees**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
Members of the charity have no liability to contribute to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
## **Independent examiners**
Godfrey Wilson Limited were re-appointed as independent examiners to the group and parent charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the trustees on 29 July 2025 and signed on their behalf by
Nick Grinham - Chair
18
## **Independent examiner's report**
## **To the trustees of**
## **Sight Support West of England**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the consolidated accounts of the Group comprising Sight Support West of England ('the Charity') and its subsidiary undertakings for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 22 to 50.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated accounts of the Group in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act') and you have chosen to prepare consolidated accounts for the Group. You are satisfied that the accounts of both the Charity and the Group are not required by Charity law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.
I report in respect of my examination of the consolidated accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
An independent examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving their opinion on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance that an independent examination can provide. Consequently I express no opinion as to whether the consolidated accounts present a 'true and fair' view and my report is limited to those specific matters set out in the independent examiner's statement.
## **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 the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.
19
## **Independent examiner's report**
## **To the trustees of**
## **Sight Support West of England**
Godfrey Wilson Limited also provides bookkeeping services to the Charity. I confirm that as a member of the ICAEW I am subject to the FRC’s Revised Ethical Standard 2016, which I have applied with respect to this engagement.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity and the Group as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act and, with respect to the subsidiaries, as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; or
- (2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- (3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
- (4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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.
20
## **Independent examiner's report**
## **To the trustees of**
## **Sight Support West of England**
Date: 30 July 2025
## **Robert Wilson FCA Member of the ICAEW** For and on behalf of:
**Godfrey Wilson Limited** Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD
21
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated statement of financial activities**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Note
**Income from:**
3
4
5
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
7
12
8
Donations
and legacies
Charitable
activities
Other trading
activities
Charitable
activities
**Net income /**
**(expenditure)**
**and net**
**movement in**
**funds**
**Total**
**expenditure**
Net gains /
(losses) on
investments|**The group**
**2025**
2024
Restricted Unrestricted
**Total**
Total
£
£
**£**
£
-
290,904
**290,904**
220,848
117,105
256,061
**373,166**
380,628
-
302,192
**302,192**
260,948
-
12,230
**12,230**
10,892
117,105
861,387
**978,492**
873,316
-
74,396
**74,396**
117,556
133,500
817,392
**950,892**
814,486
133,500
891,788
**1,025,288**
932,042
-
(10,480)
**(10,480)**
32,656
(16,395)
(40,881)
**(57,276)**
(26,070)
The group|
|---|---|
22
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated statement of financial activities**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Note
8
**Total funds carried**
**forward**
Total funds brought
forward
**Reconciliation of**
**funds:**
**Net income /**
**(expenditure)**
**and net**
**movement in**
**funds**
**(continued)**|**The group**
**2025**
Restricted Unrestricted
**Total**
£
£
**£**
(16,395)
(40,881)
**(57,276)**
40,440
848,788
**889,228**
24,045
807,907
**831,952**|2024
Total
£
(26,070)
915,298
The group|
|---|---|---|
|||889,228|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 19 to the accounts.
23
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Charity only statement of financial activities**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Note
**Income from:**
3
4
5
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
**Total expenditure**
7
12
8
Charitable
activities
Other trading
activities
Donations and
legacies
**Net income /**
**(expenditure) and**
**net movement in**
**funds**
Charitable
activities
Net gains / (losses)
on investments|**The charity** The charity
**2025**
2024
Restricted Unrestricted
**Total**
Total
£
£
**£**
£
-
126,063
**126,063**
139,533
259,337
233,636
**492,973**
474,429
-
301,400
**301,400**
260,948
-
2,043
**2,043**
876
259,337
663,142
**922,479**
875,786
-
74,396
**74,396**
109,530
295,732
567,442
**863,174**
729,966
295,732
641,838
**937,570**
839,496
-
91
**91**
-
(36,395)
21,395
**(15,000)**
36,290|
|---|---|
24
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Charity only statement of financial activities**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Note
8
**Total funds**
**carried forward**
**Reconciliation of**
**funds:**
Total funds brought
forward
**Net income /**
**(expenditure) and**
**net movement in**
**funds (continued)**|**The charity** The charity
**2025**
2024
Restricted Unrestricted
**Total**
Total
£
£
**£**
£
(36,395)
21,395
**(15,000)**
36,290
40,440
248,504
**288,944**
252,654
4,045
269,899
**273,944**
288,944|
|---|---|
25
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated balance sheets**
## **As at 31 March 2025**
|**The group**
**2025**
**£**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
**129,465**
Investments
**512,449**
**641,914**
**Current assets**
Stocks
**7,557**
Debtors
**56,032**
**162,899**
**226,488**
**Liabilities**
**(36,450)**
**190,038**
**Net assets**
**831,952**
Cash at bank
and in hand
Creditors:
amounts falling
due within 1
**Net current**
**assets**
17
18
Note
11
12
15
16|The group **The charity** The charity
2024
**2025**
2024
£
**£**
£
135,068
**322**
1,339
515,917
**169,592**
-
650,985
**169,914**
1,339
7,654
**7,557**
7,654
122,244
**117,733**
201,972
132,600
**12,490**
99,894
262,498
**137,780**
309,520
(24,255)
**(33,750)**
(21,915)
238,243
**104,030**
287,605
889,228
**273,944**
288,944|The group **The charity** The charity
2024
**2025**
2024
£
**£**
£
135,068
**322**
1,339
515,917
**169,592**
-
650,985
**169,914**
1,339
7,654
**7,557**
7,654
122,244
**117,733**
201,972
132,600
**12,490**
99,894
262,498
**137,780**
309,520
(24,255)
**(33,750)**
(21,915)
238,243
**104,030**
287,605
889,228
**273,944**
288,944|
|---|---|---|
|||1,339
7,654
201,972
99,894|
|||309,520
(21,915)|
|||287,605|
|||288,944|
26
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated balance sheets**
## **As at 31 March 2025**
|**The group**
**2025**
**£**
**Funds**
Restricted funds
**24,045**
Unrestricted funds
**307,465**
General funds
**500,442**
**Total charity funds**
**831,952**
Designated
funds
Note
19|The group **The charity** The charity
2024
**2025**
2024
£
**£**
£
40,440
**4,045**
40,440
461,730
**28,000**
28,000
387,058
**241,899**
220,504
889,228
**273,944**
288,944|The group **The charity** The charity
2024
**2025**
2024
£
**£**
£
40,440
**4,045**
40,440
461,730
**28,000**
28,000
387,058
**241,899**
220,504
889,228
**273,944**
288,944|
|---|---|---|
|||288,944|
Approved by the trustees on 29 July 2025 and signed on their behalf by
Nick Grinham - Chair
27
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated statement of cash flows**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Cash used in operating activities:**
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Losses / (gains) on investments
Income from investments
Decrease / (increase) in stock
Decrease / (increase) in debtors
Decrease / (increase) in creditors
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Proceeds from the sale of investments
Purchase of investments
Income from investments
**Net cash provided by / (used in) operating**
**activities**
**Net cash provided by investing activities**
**Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash**
**equivalents in the year**|**The group**
The group
**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**(57,276)**
(26,070)
**5,603**
5,785
**10,480**
(32,656)
**(12,230)**
(10,892)
**97**
(4,095)
**66,212**
(52,848)
**12,195**
(903)
**25,081**
(121,679)
**-**
(620)
**366,068**
59,876
**(365,965)**
(86,053)
**12,230**
10,892
**12,333**
(15,905)
**37,414**
(137,584)|
|---|---|
28
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Consolidated statement of cash flows**
|**For the year ended 31 March 2025**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents:**
Cash held in current accounts
Cash held in investment portfolio
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of**
**the year**
**Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash**
**equivalents in the year (continued)**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning
of the year|**The group**
**2025**
**£**
**37,414**
**140,499**
**177,913**
**162,899**
**15,014**
**177,913**|The group
2024
£
(137,584)
278,083|
|||140,499|
|||132,600
7,899|
|||140,499|
The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.
29
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies a) General information and basis of preparation**
Sight support West of England is an unincorporated charity registered in England and Wales. The registered office address is St. Lucy's Sight Centre, Browfort, Bath Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2AT.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
Sight Support West of England meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
## **b) Group accounts**
These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly-owned (controlled) subsidiary on a line by line basis. Transactions and balances between the charity and its subsidiary have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. Balances between the two charities are disclosed in the notes of the charity's balance sheet. A separate statement of financial activities, or income and expenditure account, for the charity itself is presented in addition to that of the group by choice.
## **c) Going concern basis of accounting**
The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern, which the trustees consider appropriate having regard to the current level of unrestricted reserves. The group holds unrestricted, general reserves of £350,764 (charity only: £241,899). For this reason the trustees consider that the charity has sufficient cash reserves to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date on which these financial statements are approved.
## **d) Income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor's intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
30
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **e) Donated services and facilities**
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.
On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
## **f) Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **g) Funds accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particularly areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## **h) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## **i) Allocation of support costs**
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the proportion of staff time as follows:
||**The group**||**The charity**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**|2024|**2025**|2024|
|Raising funds|**7.9%**|7.9%|**8.1%**|8.2%|
|Charitable activities|**92.1%**|92.1%|**91.9%**|91.8%|
## **j) Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:
31
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued) j) Tangible fixed assets (continued)**
Computer equipment 3 years straight line Long leasehold 50 years straight line Fixtures and fittings 15% reducing balance
Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500.
## **k) Investments**
Investments held at the year end are valued at the current market value at that date. Investment income from dividends is included in incoming resources while realised and unrealised losses and gains on investments are shown separately on the statement of financial activities (SOFA). Realised gains and losses are calculated on investment disposals during the year as the difference between the opening market value and the proceeds received on sale. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated on investment holdings at the year end as the difference between the closing market value and the opening market value or purchase value during the year.
## **l) Stock**
Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Donated items of stock are recognised at fair value which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay for the items on the open market.
## **m) Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **n) Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## **o) Creditors**
Creditors and provisions are recognised where there is a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **p) Financial instruments**
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **q) Pension costs**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SoFA.
32
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **r) Foreign currency transactions**
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Balances denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the year end.
## **s) Accounting estimates and key judgements**
In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.
The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are depreciation as described in note 1j above.
## **2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities**
|**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
**Total expenditure**
**Net income / (expenditure) before gains**
Net gains on investments
**Net income / (expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**|Restricted
£
£
-
220,848
141,228
239,400
-
260,948
-
10,892
141,228
732,088
-
117,556
130,742
683,744
130,742
801,300
10,486
(69,212)
-
32,656
10,486
(36,556)
(2,400)
2,400
8,086
(34,156)
Unrestricted|**The group**
**2024**
**Total**
**£**
**220,848**
**380,628**
**260,948**
**10,892**|
|---|---|---|
|||**873,316**|
|||**117,556**
**814,486**|
|||**932,042**|
|||**(58,726)**
**32,656**|
|||**(26,070)**
**-**|
|||**(26,070)**|
33
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **3. Income from donations and legacies** _**The group**_
|**Income from donations and legacies**
**_The group_**|||
|---|---|---|
|Donations
Legacies
Gifts in kind
**Total income from donations and legacies**
**_The charity_**
Donations
Gifts in kind
**Total income from donations and legacies**|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**137,156**
**144,405**
**9,343**
**290,904**
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**116,720**
**9,343**
**126,063**|2024
Total
£
151,973
59,425
9,450|
|||220,848|
|||2024
Total
£
130,083
9,450|
|||139,533|
Gifts in kind comprise the provision of office space. All income from donations and legacies in the current and prior period was unrestricted.
## **4. Income from charitable activities** _**The group**_
|**_The group_**
Grants
Statutory
Resource sales
**Total income from charitable activities**
**_The charity_**
Grants
Statutory
Resource sales
**Total income from charitable activities**|Restricted
£
£
117,105
162,202
-
90,056
-
3,803
117,105
256,061
Restricted
£
£
259,337
139,777
-
90,056
-
3,803
259,337
233,636
Unrestricted
Unrestricted|**The group**
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**279,307**
**90,056**
**3,803**|
|---|---|---|
|||**373,166**|
|||**The charity**
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**399,114**
**90,056**
**3,803**|
|||**492,973**|
34
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**4.**
**Income from charitable activities (continued)**
**Prior period comparative:**
**_The group_**
Grants
Statutory
Resource sales
**Total income from charitable activities**
**_The charity_**
Grants
Statutory
Resource sales
**Total income from charitable activities**
**5.**
**Income from other trading activities**
**_The group_**
Shop sales
Sponsorship and other trading
**_The charity_**
Shop sales
Sponsorship and other trading|Restricted
£
£
141,228
79,955
-
142,970
-
16,475
141,228
239,400
Restricted
£
£
265,625
60,150
-
142,970
-
5,684
265,625
208,804
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**292,571**
**9,621**
**302,192**
**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**292,571**
**8,829**
**301,400**
Unrestricted
Unrestricted|The group
2024
Total
£
221,183
142,970
16,475|
|---|---|---|
|||380,628|
|||The charity
2024
Total
£
325,775
142,970
5,684|
|||474,429|
|||2024
Total
£
253,764
7,184|
|||260,948|
|||2024
Total
£
253,764
7,184|
|||260,948|
All income from other trading activities in the current and prior period was unrestricted.
35
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**6. Government grants** The group receives government funding of £90,056 (2024: £142,970) from South Gloucestershire Council to cover the contracted Visual Impairment Rehabilitation Service. These funds are not available to be used for the charity’s core activities of providing sight loss information, advice and guidance which are funded by fundraising, donations, legacies and grants. Other income recorded as government grants are discretionary awards made by local councils and administrations totalling £5,800 (2024: £7,280), and grants amounting to £64,710 (2024: £104,928) from the National Lottery Community Fund. There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attached to any of these grants.
36
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**7. Total expenditure** _**The group**_
|**Total expenditure**
**_The group_**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs (note 9)
Other staff costs
Direct project costs
Fundraising
Bank charges
Printing, postage and stationery
Insurance
Premises costs
Communications
Accountancy
Legal fees
Depreciation
IT and computer costs
Subscriptions
Miscellaneous costs
**Sub-total**
**Total expenditure**
Allocation of support and
governance costs|Raising
funds
£
49,466
-
-
2,967
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
52,433
21,963
**74,396**|Charitable
activities
£
639,248
-
41,741
-
-
12,271
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
693,260
257,632
**950,892**|£
67,556
4,466
-
-
4,385
-
2,354
138,782
5,096
11,716
4,141
5,603
32,085
3,010
401
279,595
(279,595)
**-**
Support and
governance
costs|**2025 Total**
**£**
**756,270**
**4,466**
**41,741**
**2,967**
**4,385**
**12,271**
**2,354**
**138,782**
**5,096**
**11,716**
**4,141**
**5,603**
**32,085**
**3,010**
**401**|
|||||**1,025,288**
-|
|||||**1,025,288**|
Total governance costs were £4,750 (2024: £4,050).
37
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**7.**
**Total expenditure (continued)**
**_The group_**
**Prior period comparative**
Staff costs (note 9)
Other staff costs
Direct project costs
Fundraising
Bank charges
Printing, postage and stationery
Insurance
Premises costs
Communications
Accountancy
Legal fees
Depreciation
IT and computer costs
Subscriptions
Miscellaneous costs
**Sub-total**
**Total expenditure**
Allocation of support and
governance costs|Raising
funds
£
49,523
-
-
50,901
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100,424
17,132
117,556|Charitable
activities
£
539,982
-
63,088
-
-
11,406
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
614,476
200,010
814,486|Support and
governance
costs
£
64,154
4,589
-
-
3,781
-
4,888
94,653
5,040
9,694
3,592
5,785
15,807
3,295
1,864
217,142
(217,142)
-|2024 Total
£
653,659
4,589
63,088
50,901
3,781
11,406
4,888
94,653
5,040
9,694
3,592
5,785
15,807
3,295
1,864|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||932,042
-|
|||||932,042|
38
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **7. Total expenditure (continued)** _**The charity**_
|**Total expenditure (continued)**
**_The charity_**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs
Other staff costs
Direct project costs
Fundraising
Bank charges
Printing, postage and stationery
Insurance
Premises costs
Communications
Accountancy
Legal fees
Depreciation
IT and support costs
Subscriptions
Miscellaneous costs
**Sub-total**
**Total expenditure**
Allocation of support and
governance costs|Raising
funds
£
49,466
-
-
2,967
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
52,433
21,963
**74,396**|£
560,361
-
41,741
-
-
12,271
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
614,373
248,801
**863,174**
Charitable
activities|£
67,556
4,466
-
-
3,978
-
1,891
138,782
5,096
8,676
3,841
1,017
32,085
2,975
401
270,764
(270,764)
**-**
Support and
governance
costs|**2025 Total**
**£**
**677,383**
**4,466**
**41,741**
**2,967**
**3,978**
**12,271**
**1,891**
**138,782**
**5,096**
**8,676**
**3,841**
**1,017**
**32,085**
**2,975**
**401**|
|||||**937,570**
-|
|||||**937,570**|
39
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|7. **Total expenditure (continued)**
**_The charity_**
**Prior period comparative**
Staff costs
Other staff costs
Direct project costs
Fundraising
Bank charges
Printing, postage and stationery
Insurance
Premises costs
Communications
Accountancy
Legal fees
Depreciation
IT and support costs
Subscriptions
Miscellaneous costs
**Sub-total**
**Total expenditure**
Allocation of support and
governance costs|Raising
funds
£
41,497
-
-
50,901
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
92,398
17,132
109,530|£
463,972
-
63,045
-
-
11,406
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
538,423
191,543
729,966
Charitable
activities|£
64,194
4,589
-
-
3,375
-
4,516
94,638
5,040
7,066
3,292
1,034
15,807
3,260
1,864
208,675
(208,675)
-
Support and
governance
costs|2024 Total
**£**
569,663
4,589
63,045
50,901
3,375
11,406
4,516
94,638
5,040
7,066
3,292
1,034
15,807
3,260
1,864|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||839,496
-|
|||||839,496|
40
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**8. Net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:
|Depreciation
Operating lease payments
Trustees' remuneration
Trustees' reimbursed expenses
Independent examiner's remuneration (excluding VAT):
▪Independent examination
▪Other services|**2025**
**£**
**5,603**
**57,000**
**Nil**
**Nil**
**2,500**
**3,765**|2024
£
5,785
29,167
Nil
Nil
2,100
5,354|
|---|---|---|
## **9. Staff costs and numbers**
Staff costs were as follows:
|Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs|**2025**
**£**
**670,836**
**52,494**
**32,940**
**756,270**|2024
£
583,616
42,654
27,389|
|---|---|---|
|||653,659|
1 employee earned between £60,000 and £70,000 in the year, excluding employer's pension contributions (2024: 1 employee).
The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Head of Services, Head of Retail and Head of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £197,099 (2024: £185,936).
|Average number of employees
Full time equivalent number of employees|**The group**
**2025**
**No.**
**29**
**28**|The group
2024
No.
20
20|
|---|---|---|
## **10. Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
41
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**11.**
**Tangible fixed assets**
**_Group_**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2025
**Net book value**
**At 31 March 2025**
At 31 March 2024
**_Charity_**
**Cost**
At 1 April 2024 and at 31 March 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2025
**Net book value**
**At 31 March 2025**
At 31 March 2024|**Long**
**leasehold**
**£**
**161,424**
32,280
3,228
**35,508**
**125,916**
129,144|**£**
**£**
**40,891**
**34,070**
37,021
32,016
1,865
510
**38,886**
**32,526**
**2,005**
**1,544**
3,870
2,054
**£**
**6,329**
4,990
1,017
**6,007**
**322**
1,339
**Fixtures and**
**fittings**
**Computer**
**equipment**
**Computer**
**equipment**|**Total**
**£**
**236,385**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**101,317**
**5,603**|
||||**106,920**|
||||**129,465**|
||||135,068|
||||**Total**
**£**
**6,329**|
||||**4,990**
**1,017**|
||||**6,007**|
||||**322**|
||||1,339|
42
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **12. Investments**
|Market value at 1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals proceeds
Historical cost update
Realised gains / (losses)
Unrealised gains / (losses)
**Market value at 31 March 2025**
Cash held pending reinvestment
**Total investments**
**Represented by:**
Listed equities
Cash
**Total investments**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**508,018**
449,185
**365,965**
86,053
**(366,068)**
(59,876)
**36**
-
**3,522**
(1,205)
**(14,038)**
33,861
**497,435**
508,018
**15,014**
7,899
**512,449**
515,917
**497,435**
508,018
**15,014**
7,899
**512,449**
515,917
**The group**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**-**
-
**339,838**
-
**(170,911)**
-
**-**
-
**1,846**
-
**(1,755)**
-
**169,018**
-
**574**
-
**169,592**
-
**169,018**
-
**574**
-
**169,592**
**-**
**The charity**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**-**
-
**339,838**
-
**(170,911)**
-
**-**
-
**1,846**
-
**(1,755)**
-
**169,018**
-
**574**
-
**169,592**
-
**169,018**
-
**574**
-
**169,592**
**-**
**The charity**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||-
-|
||||-|
||||-
-|
||||**-**|
Investments comprise listed investments held by the group via Rathbones.
43
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **13. Subsidiary undertakings**
## _Wiltshire Blind Association_
Wiltshire Blind Association, CIO (number: 1119462), is a wholly controlled subsidiary of Sight Support West of England. It promotes the welfare of blind and partially sighted persons living in Wiltshire and Swindon.
|Restricted
£
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
-
Charitable activities
24,050
Investments
-
**Total income**
24,050
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
-
Charitable activities
4,050
**Total expenditure**
4,050
**Net income / (expenditure) before gains**
20,000
Net gains / (losses) on investments
-
20,000
The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and funds was:
Assets
Liabilities
Funds
**Net income / (expenditure) and net**
**movement in funds**|Unrestricted
£
164,841
23,217
10,186
198,244
31,408
218,542
249,950
(51,706)
(10,571)
(62,277)|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**164,841**
**47,267**
**10,186**
**222,294**
**31,408**
**222,592**
**254,000**
**(31,706)**
**(10,571)**
**(42,277)**
**2025**
**£**
**622,406**
**(64,401)**
**558,005**|2024
Total
£
81,314
42,154
10,014|
|---|---|---|---|
||||133,482|
||||10,630
217,870|
||||228,500|
||||(95,018)
32,655|
||||(62,363)|
||||2024
£
770,905
(170,623)|
||||600,282|
44
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **14. Parent charity**
The parent charity's gross income and results for the year are disclosed in the charity only Statement of Financial Activities.
## **15. Stock**
|Finished goods
**Debtors**
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Intercharity loan (Wiltshire Blind Association)
Other debtors
VAT|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**7,557**
7,654
**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**8,416**
1,714
**25,621**
110,193
**-**
-
**17,735**
5,035
**4,260**
5,302
**56,032**
122,244
**The group**
**The group**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**7,557**
7,654
**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**8,416**
1,159
**25,621**
22,193
**61,701**
168,283
**17,735**
5,035
**4,260**
5,302
**117,733**
201,972
**The charity**
**The charity**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**7,557**
7,654
**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**8,416**
1,159
**25,621**
22,193
**61,701**
168,283
**17,735**
5,035
**4,260**
5,302
**117,733**
201,972
**The charity**
**The charity**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||201,972|
## **16. Debtors**
## **17. Creditors : amounts due within 1 year**
|**Creditors : amounts due within 1 year**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Trade creditors
Accruals
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**13,093**
5,733
**6,500**
5,440
**12,348**
13,032
**4,509**
50
**36,450**
24,255
**The group**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**13,093**
5,733
**3,800**
3,100
**12,348**
13,032
**4,509**
50
**33,750**
21,915
**The charity**||
||||21,915|
45
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**18.**
**Analysis of group net assets between funds**
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
-
Current assets
24,045
Current liabilities
-
**Net assets at 31 March 2025**
**24,045**
**Prior year comparative**
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
-
Current assets
40,440
Current liabilities
-
**Net assets at 31 March 2024**
40,440
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds|£
129,465
178,000
-
-
**307,465**
£
133,730
300,000
28,000
-
461,730
Designated
funds
Designated
funds|£
-
334,449
202,443
(36,450)
**500,442**
£
1,338
215,917
194,058
(24,255)
387,058
General
funds
General
funds|**Total**
**Funds**
**£**
**129,465**
**512,449**
**226,488**
**(36,450)**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**831,952**|
||||Total
Funds
£
135,068
515,917
262,498
(24,255)|
||||889,228|
46
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **19. Movements in funds**
||||||Transfers|**At 31**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||At 1 April|||Gains and|between
|**March**|
||2024|Income|Expenditure|losses|funds|**2025**|
||£|£|£|£|£|**£**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||||
|IT equipment|-|7,300|(7,300)|-|-|**-**|
|Digital inclusion|-|51,000|(31,500)|-|-|**19,500**|
|The National Lottery|||||||
|Community Fund|40,440|45,210|(85,650)|-|-|**-**|
|Virtual hubs||9,045|(5,000)|-|-|**4,045**|
|Wiltshire community|||||||
|sight loss service|-|4,550|(4,050)|-|-|**500**|
|**Total restricted funds**|40,440|117,105|(133,500)|-|-|**24,045**|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||||
|_Designated funds:_|||||||
|TUPE redundancy liability|28,000|-|-|-|-|**28,000**|
|Development fund|300,000|-|-|-|(300,000)|**-**|
|Building maintenance fund|-|-|-|-|30,000|**30,000**|
|Collaboration fund|-|-|-|-|120,000|**120,000**|
|Fixed asset fund|133,730|-|(4,587)|-|322|**129,465**|
|_Total designated funds_|461,730|-|(4,587)|-|(149,678)|**307,465**|
|General funds|387,058|861,387|(887,201)|(10,480)|149,678|**500,442**|
|**Total unrestricted funds**|848,788|861,387|(891,788)|(10,480)|-|**807,907**|
|**Total funds**|889,228|978,492|(1,025,288)|(10,480)|-|**831,952**|
|**Purposes of restricted funds**|||||||
|IT equipment|To fund replacement of||laptops.||||
|Digital inclusion|To provide|technology|support for older people||with sight loss|in Bristol,|
||Bath and South Gloucestershire.||||||
The National Lottery To provide comprehensive sight loss services to people across the West Community Fund of England.
47
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
**19. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds** Virtual hubs For the establishment of Virtual Peer Support Hubs. Wiltshire community Funding provided for the costs of a Community Sight Loss Advisor in sight loss service Wiltshire.
**Purposes of designated funds** TUPE redundancy To cover the TUPE redundancy liability for staff delivering the South liability Gloucestershire Rehabilitation Service. Development fund Funding set aside by Wiltshire Blind Association to fund SSWE to provide sight loss advice and guidance services across Wiltshire and Swindon.
Building maintenance fund To provide for significant building repairs which may be required to maintain the St. Lucy’s Sight Centre in Devizes.
Collaboration fund To ensure Wiltshire Sight can fulfil its commitments under our new collaboration agreement venture with Sight Support West of England and Insight Gloucestershire.
Fixed asset fund This fund represents the carrying value of tangible fixed assets held by the subsidiary charity.
48
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **19. Movements in funds (continued)**
|**Prior year comparative**
**Restricted funds**
Get set progress internship
Digital inclusion
Gloucestershire
Thornbury services hub
Screwfix
Trowbridge Services Hub
**Total restricted funds**
_Designated funds:_
TUPE redundancy liability
Development fund
Fixed asset fund
_Total designated funds_
General funds
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Total funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
Wiltshire community
sight loss service
The National Lottery
Community Fund|At 1 April
2023
£
2,354
30,000
-
-
-
-
32,354
28,000
300,000
138,482
466,482
416,462
882,944
915,298
-
-|Income
£
8,242
-
10,000
6,500
2,400
6,658
141,228
-
-
-
-
732,088
732,088
873,316
2,500
104,928|£
(10,596)
(30,000)
(10,000)
(6,500)
-
(6,658)
(130,742)
-
-
(4,752)
(4,752)
(796,548)
(801,300)
(932,042)
Expenditure
(2,500)
(64,488)|£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
32,656
32,656
32,656
Gains and
losses
-
-|Transfers
between
funds
£
-
-
-
-
(2,400)
-
(2,400)
-
-
-
-
2,400
2,400
-|£
-
-
-
-
-
-
At 31
March
2024
40,440
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||40,440|
|||||||28,000
300,000
133,730|
|||||||461,730
387,058|
|||||||848,788|
|||||||889,228|
## **20. Financial instruments at fair value**
|Financial assets measured at fair value|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**497,435**
508,018
**The group**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**169,018**
-
**The charity**|
|---|---|---|
Financial assets measured at fair value comprise listed investments.
49
## **Sight Support West of England**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **21. Related party transactions**
Wiltshire Blind Association (WBA), a CIO (number. 1119462) is a wholly controlled subsidiary of Sight Support West of England (SSWE).
Nick Grinham and Carl Hall (to 24 July 2024) are trustees of Sight Support West of England (SSWE), and also trustees of Wiltshire Blind Association (WBA). During the year ended 31 March 2025, WBA granted SSWE £166,282 (2024: £135,955). SSWE recharged staff costs of £78,887 (2024: £83,996) to WBA. At 31 March 2024, WBA owed SSWE £61,701 (2024: £168,283).
## **22. Operating lease commitments**
The charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows:
|Amount falling due:
Within 1 year
Within 1 - 5 years|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**57,000**
57,000
**36,083**
93,083
**93,083**
150,083
**The group and the**
**charity**|
|---|---|
50