## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1 April 2023 To 31 March 2024 Charity name: Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind** **Charity registration number: 202573** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**The charity acts for the general benefit**
**of blind and partially sighted persons**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind**
**has provided support to the**
**Huntingdonshire community since 1922**
**offering a lifetime of support for people**
**who are blind or partially sighted, The**
**Society provides a wide range of**
**services to c600 members and their**
**carers to meet a variety of needs**
**including free information, advice, and**
**support. Services include**
•
**Home visit Outreach service to**
**assess needs and provide**
**information and support**
•
**Identification of and assistance**
**with benefit entitlement**
**applications**
•
**Visual and mobility aid**
**equipment centre in Huntingdon**
•
**An opportunity to talk through**
**the effects of sight loss**
•
**Everyday living skills advice**
•
**Regular social groups, activities**
**and member outings**
•
**Volunteer home visiting scheme**
•
**Emotional support**
•
**Technology support and**
**information**
•
**Society newsletter**
•
**Signposting you to other support**
**organisations**
•
**Equipment**| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The charity acts for the public benefit of**
**blind and partially sighted persons**| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**At 31st March 2024, 586 visually**
**impaired people were registered with**
**Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind.**
**72% of our members are over the age of**
**70.**
**Over the year we visit approx. 38 people**
**a month in their homes, and approx. 140**
**members attend the social groups each**
**month.**
**Also, regular trips and activities**
**are organised throughout the year,**
**encouraging our members to keep**
**active and independent.**| ## **Financial Review** |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**Whilst a trading loss of £23k was**
**reported for the period this was largely**
**due to one off expenditure and the net**
**movement of funds overall was+£148k**| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**The charity maintains funds invested to**
**generate returns which are used for the**
**purpose of its charitable activities**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£2565k as at 31/1/2024**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**N/A**| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|
Para 1.25|**Constitution and Charity Commission**
**Scheme sealed 10 September 1979**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**Unincorporated association**| ||Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Potential trustees are invited to submit**
**applications to the Board for**
**consideration. There are no**
**constitutional provisions for election to**
**post of for any body to appoint one or**
**more trustees. Trustees are appointed**
**by the Board following interview and**
**receipt of satisfactory references and**
**DBS check.**| |---|---|---|---| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|Hunts Blind & Vision Impaired| |Registered charity number|202573| |Charity’s principal address|8 St Mary’s Street
Huntingdon
PE29 3PE| **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||B Yare|President|Appointed President
18 Sept 2023|| ||N Ruston|Chair||| ||F Tarpey|Vice Chair||| ||F Newton|Treasurer|Resigned as Treasurer
Jan 2024|| ||A Richardson|Treasurer|Appointed Trustee
18 Sept 2023
Appointed Treasurer
January 2024
Resigned July2024|| ||A M White-Horan||Resigned 16 Sept 2024|| ||H Murphy||Appointed Jan 2023|| ||D Fletcher|||| ||N Morgan||Appointed June 2023|| ||F Mizuro||Appointed April 2024|| ||The Venerable H
McCurdy|President|Resigned 18 Sept 2023|| ||J King||Resigned 23 Sept 2023|| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name N/A** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Declarations** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** Fiona Tarpey **Position (eg Secretary,** Vice Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 13 September 2024 STAIEMENf ￿ FINANCIALAciivmES YEAR ENDING 31 P4ARCH 2024 2023f24 2022r23 ikKestricted Restricted Funds Funds Total Totsl Income Resowces Donation5, Legacies and Similar Income OperatingActivities (￿treaCh Grnnts OtherGrant￿1ncome Other trading activities Charity Shop Sale of Btind Ad5 Fund Raising Propety Rental Net Club Income +Member conlrftxrtton Income from wNestrnents 24935.95 ￿668.32 000.(M) 33,000.00 3,68621 925.66 15,167.31 14.999.18 5.999.03 5.093.36 11.623.27 10.989.84 3.564.08 7.036.13 16.400.39 S5.9￿0¢ 51903.30 880.02 4783.32 56,668.32 33,(th.00 925.66 14,999.18 5,093.36 10.989.84 7,036.13 170.360.28 182.615.79 880.02 183,495.81 Resources Expenditure Expend11ure on r*sl￿film1$ Charity SFM)p Bitnd ￿d5 Fund Raising Expenses Club exrRnses .gJO.76 30.233.12 6.163.73 5,229.61 1.041.53 1985.04 8.082.84 55.188.86 38.447.77 ).233.12 5,229.61 1985.04 38,447.77 Net Income ArdllalAe Charltabie AppU&illon 115.171.42 144168.02 880.02 145.048.04 Expendltrre CharTialkn aclivilles Largelspecial Dons. ￿. Payroii Jpport Costs 0.00 ￿834.45 118.264.08 111247.25 19.683.72 17.316.( 12.834.45 112,247.25 880.02 18.1*.08 137.947.80 142.397.76 880.02 143.277.78 Net Income11￿nd1ture) Net GainslLosses on Revaluat￿ of Investments Property Revaluation Net Movement in Funds Funds Brought Forward Funds Canied Fomard .21776.38 L770.26 L770.26 170.54430 -71909.* -l￿).￿3 -74,100.29 0.00 15.000.(XI 15.000.00 147.767.92 -56.139.70 -1.￿1.33 -57.130.03 2.417.874.30 2,443,748.20 31,456.13 2.475.204.33 2.565.642.22 2.387.608.50 30.265.80 1417.874.30 Summary Proflt & Loss Account for year endlng 31 Marth 2024 2023124 2022123 Income Donati(￿$ Other Income Property Income (net) Grant Income Investment and Dividend IrKome Shop Income (Net) Blind Aid Sales Fund Raising Income Club Income Total Charitsble Activities Totsl Income 24.935.95 3.68&21 3,564.08 33.￿).￿) 55,984.04 56.668.32 1,491.36 7,036.13 33,(X)O.(x) 54.783.32 14.374.75 5.999.03 11,623.27 13.381.39 12.9(N).73 5.454.49 10,989.84 45.378.44 166,548.72 29.345.06 182,324.19 Dlrect Costs Blind Aid Purchases Club Expenses Fund Raising Expenditure Cost of Sales Operating Income 6,163.73 8,082.84 1,041.53 5.444.ts1 6,399.80 2,587.67 15,288.10 151.260.62 14,431.51 167,892.68 Expenditures Payroll costs Transp(rt Milea8e. parki￿ etc Prin¢ Post & Stationery {1￿￿1 Stsmps) Equipment purchase Insurances - Property & Employers Legal and professional fees TrainirE and Development Staff and Volunteer Recruitrnent Office/General Admin Telephone/lnternet Repair and MaIntena￿e Utilities, Water & Rate5 Other Expenditure Total Expenditure Net Income/(Expendlture) 118.264.08 112,247.25 9.893.76 5.491.46 1.429.13 4,761.09 2,824.78 459.70 986.56 5.583.81 5.634.69 37.064.98 8,853.98 2,454.73 7,399.23 174.037.(X) -22.776.38 5.047.05 3.787.63 2,360.33 3,451.24 1.730.(X) 580.(KJ 488.56 1,076.60 4,496.53 30,233.12 4,844.09 1,220.33 4,836.81 153,381.60 14.511.08 i•nd & BulldlTrplasatOtt•b•r 2022) Offio, premlse's Bonham Trust Fund £&51I2141ffi unlts 0 £20A3261 Elliott Be4uEStFund £321X17 IL573.67 untts @E2Q43261 Holiday Fwid £155566.0517￿13.52 @£20.43261 Word¥Rrd beq￿ £486645m123,817.C8 uThts @ £20.4326) General stock£137%20J5 167SlQ75 units @ E2Q4326@ 413261 85122 31154.17 ).57 29,485.23 14165335 446251.29 446¢5￿1 379.420. 2fj4.921.92 1444.63fj.56 2274,092.36 CUIREF￿ ASSEts stock Debtor5- GenÈr&l 53)41.84 lo￿9)￿ 4,93839 8,750.41 National Sa￿n8$A¢￿vjnt Barclays Curntkcount CAF CurrentAcC￿j CAF Gdd Account CAF B￿￿￿55 Card Petty Cash 31%L12 14353.14 14222.48 nA6.05 .74 %7.23 133 240.76 31.746x5 IS￿2.03 27.776.a) 74OAIJ IC417 N￿cul￿tENTtsS￿IS 14492956 Cash- Current Account Creditors Autht Fee Genefal 3,1(&C* L447.62 .4147.62 121.(K15.% 565.642.22 143,781. 2.417,874.30 Genèral BalarKe asat l 2023 stJrFl￿IL¢j￿) forthÈ Y&w Ln3X1I77 ¥ThIW.43 145IL08 I.￿￿j5.51 49,74&67 IncreasellRe(luctionl in Share Valua*ions IncreasèllRed￿tl0n) in Prrferty Valuati Elliott BequeStTrUstFw￿ 8onham Tru5tFund Wo(NJward Bequest Holiday Acwjnt Spec(al Donatio￿ Account OTh Lkn.568.69 32J5Q17 29.485.23 780.57 446.25129 14165335 28,857.02 2.417.874.30 486.645.07 155X&05 57 5i8ned ate F Tarpev Vlce c￿[r Board dTrusiEes Notes to the Accounts l) These accounts have been prepared under the historica I cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction Wdlue unless otherwise ststed in the releva nt note{s) to these accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice= Accounting and Reporttng by Charities prepari ng thei r accounts in accordance with the Financia l Reporti ng Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 2) The Finance Report for the AGM contains an analysis of the Annua l Accounts and therefore forms part OF these accounts 3) The introduttion of accounting software QuickBooks has necessitated a slightly a merHJed layout to the accounts this yea r and certain income and expenditure items are now itemised eg club income and expenditure as in previous years club balances were included within the overall general balance. 4) All funds are considered unrestricted as per the Charity Commission's definition of restricted and unrestricted funds. 5) No trustee have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits for the reporti ng pericKI S) No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60.0(XI 15 Station Road St Ives Cambridgeshire PE27 5BH ## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HUNTINGDONSHIRE SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND** We have audited the financial statements of Huntingdon Society for the Blind for the year ended 31 March 2024, which comprise the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). ## **Opinion on financial statements** In our opinion the financial statements: - give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31 March 2024, and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended; - have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and - have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. ## **Basis for opinion** We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRCʼs Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. ## **Conclusions relating to going concern** We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where: - the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or - the trustees have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the Charity’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue. ## **Other information** The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. ## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception** In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Charity and environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: - sufficient accounting records have not been kept; - the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or - we have not obtained all the information and explanations necessary for the purposes of our audit. ## **Responsibilities of the trustees** As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. ## **Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. ## **Use of our report** This report is made solely to the Charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 144* of the Charities Act 2011 and the regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Peter Matthew Barlow (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Thomas Quinn Statutory Auditors 13 September 2024 Dated: …………………………