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2021-12-31-accounts

Annual report 2021 Sightsavers

Annual report 2021

Trachoma grader Alusine works in local communities in Sierra Leone to check patients for signs of the disease.

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Content

23 Equity, diversity and inclusion

50 Our objectives for 2022

On the cover

Mustapha is a black fly catcher in Akinleye, Nigeria. These flies live near rivers, hence the name of the disease they transmit through repeated bites: river blindness.

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Annual report 2021

Message from our Chair

Despite facing challenges in 2021, there has been good news to report, including the resumption of our programmes, raising a record amount of income, and reaching more people than ever before.

2021 proved to be another turbulent year, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every country where we work, in different ways and at different times. There have also been conflicts and coups in Africa, notably

the civil war in Ethiopia. All of these have had an impact on our programmes, both directly (in areas where they have had to be paused) and indirectly (through the effect on global supply chains and prices).

£19 million

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While the pandemic continues, most of our programmes are up and running again, and we expect others to return to full speed very soon. The current severity of COVID-19 cases, driven by milder variants and higher immunity, appears to be much lower, and most countries are lifting restrictions. Travel has also restarted, albeit at a lower level than before.

During the year, Sightsavers reached a huge number of people. Our key output statistics increased – we had a great year for delivering NTD treatments, rising from 42.1 million in 2020 to more than 172 million.

We also had a significant increase in the number of eye operations, from 287,000 to 410,000, showing how we were able to rebuild our programmes in the wake of the pandemic.

During the year, we raised a record amount of income: our supporters gave generously, helping to increase our voluntary income by more than £19 million. Our institutional funding also increased by more than £5 million. In total, our income reached almost £124 million (plus £112 million gifts in kind). This is our biggest ever cash total, which is remarkable considering the circumstances.

However, we were dismayed to see the UK government cutting our contracts and grants as budgets plummeted – in one case, exiting the Ascend NTD programme almost a year early. We were still able to continue many activities, thanks to generous donations from philanthropists and by using some of our unrestricted funds.

A new look

Our annual report looks slightly different this year. We’ve made it easier to read by simplifying the structure, and have created a new Review of the Year on our website, which includes case studies and interactive content to complement the printed report.

Read the new Review of the Year online at www.sightsavers.org/ 2021-review

As we look forward, the environment becomes ever more challenging. As I write, the conflict in Ukraine continues, and the cost of living crisis is starting to bite. We are, however, in good shape to tackle the future and launch new programmes to support all aspects of our strategy. The challenge is how to do this sustainably and responsibly while health, education, and other government ministries are still stretched.

I’d like to thank all our staff, trustees, partners and supporters who have been so loyal in standing with us, enabling us to have such a successful year, despite all the adverse circumstances.

Sir Clive Jones Chair, Sightsavers

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Annual report 2021

Background and context

Worldwide, at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment

Nearly half of all vision impairment is preventable or treatable.

Without action, the number of people who are blind could rise to 115 million by 2050.

65 million people

are blind or visually impaired because of cataracts.

About 15% of the world’s population has some form of disability.

In many low-income countries, the prevalence of blindness is eight times higher than in high-income countries.

More than

These figures are regularly reviewed using updates from the World Health Organization, the Lancet Commission, and the Vision Loss Expert Group.

800 million

people have refractive errors that could be addressed with glasses.

Sources: WHO World Report on Vision: www.tinyurl.com/World-Report-on-Vision Vision Loss Expert Group: www.tinyurl.com/Vision-Loss-Report WHO Disability and Health factsheet: www.tinyurl.com/Disability-and-Health

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Anita, 10, wearing the new glasses she received at a Sightsavers vision screening in Bong County, Liberia.

Annual report 2021

About Sightsavers Strategy, aims and objects

Our vision

Our mission

We want a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where people with visual impairments and other disabilities participate equally in society.

We are an international organisation working with partners in low- and middleincome countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Our objects

To advance health, with particular emphasis on preventing and/or curing blindness.

To advance the education of people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on blind people.

To prevent or relieve poverty among people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on blind people.

Sightsavers’ thematic strategies have been developed in consultation with our staff; they were reviewed at the end of April 2021 at our trustees’ meeting and were launched in full later in the year.

The strategies combine to create a coherent programme of work, providing useful learning and interconnected interventions. All strategies consider our operating environment, particularly relating to climate change and fragile environments.

Our current strategy is shown in our scorecard, known as the Strategy Implementation and Monitoring (SIM) card (see page 9). Each element has detailed sub-strategies and indicators that measure performance.

There are four ultimate aims shown at the top of the SIM card, linked to our objects on health, education and inclusion. These

aims inform what we want to achieve for our programme participants during each strategic period. At present, we undertake demonstration programmes in eye health, education, and social inclusion. We have a separate object to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is tied to our object on advancing health.

Each of the objects has ‘lead’ and ‘lag’ indicators, with data collected at least once a year, sometimes every six months.

When reviewing our aims and objects, Sightsavers’ trustees take into account the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, and continue to do so when planning future activities.

To view our strategies, visit www.sightsavers.org/strategies

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Annual report 2021

FCDO aid cuts

In April 2021, the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) instructed us to pause all work on our Ascend contract for fighting neglected tropical diseases in West and Central Africa, pending a decision on the impact of the aid cuts.

In May 2021, we were told a decision had been made to exit the Ascend contract, which should have run until March 2022. On 10 June, FCDO issued a ‘no fault’ termination notice, stating the contract would run until 1 November 2021, but that all activities needed to be complete by the end of August. The expected budget for the year from April had been £37.4 million.

How we contributed to the funding gap

FCDO agreed a set of critical activities that it was willing to fund until the end of August – mainly scheduled mass drug administration activities, pre-booked operations, and surveys. An exit plan was agreed, supported by £5.6 million of funding from FCDO, as well as £2.1 million to cover staff costs for all partners from 1 April until the start date of the exit plan and budget. The exit programme was successfully completed on time.

Several donors, notably Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ELMA Philanthropies, stepped in to provide funding, while People’s Postcode Lottery and a few major donors allowed us to use some of their funding. We were able to secure just over £10 million, and we designated £5 million of our unrestricted funding.

There will be ongoing gaps, most notably in some of the integrated work and health system strengthening activities, and for most activities in Democratic Republic of Congo. The 18-month funded extension will no longer go ahead. Fundraising efforts are ongoing to ensure that as much of our work as possible can continue.

Programmes affected

Our Inclusion Works economic empowerment programme for people with disabilities, which is due to end in June 2022, was cut by 26.5 per cent (£3.5 million) of its original budget. There remains uncertainty over the budget for the final quarter of the project.

The Disability Inclusive Development programme budget for 2021 was reduced by 20 per cent, and that budget had to include some new work on COVID-19. We do not know what the budget will be from April 2022; under the terms of the contract, a three-year budget should normally have been set at this point. We do not know what long-term impact these cuts will have on the programme.

We’ve been able to source new funding for economic empowerment work, building on the Inclusion Works programme, primarily from USAID’s Global Labor Program. This is currently valued at $5.3 million, based in Kenya. We also have new funding from the Standard Chartered Futuremakers scheme, leading inclusive employment programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kenya.

Other programmes affected by the cuts included the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme, where we are a subcontractor to Options. Funding was cut by 40 per cent, the Sightsavers’ portion by £266,000. There was a cut of £280,000 to the Disability Capacity Building Programme, on which we work jointly with the International Disability Alliance. A further component of this programme, which was about to start, had been cut completely.

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Sightsavers and COVID-19

The ongoing pandemic continued to challenge us throughout the year. A number of country offices were closed temporarily throughout the year as cases spiked, and international travel also remained heavily restricted.

The pandemic has seen us become a more adaptable organisation, not only in how we’ve adjusted to the challenges to our programmes on the ground, but also in how we communicate and operate around the world. Across our programmes, we’ve used existing knowledge and processes to distribute hygiene equipment and share information, as well as integrating COVID-19 awareness activities. We’ve also emphasised the need for pandemic response measures to be inclusive of people with disabilities, and worked with our partners to make this possible.

“COVID-19 has increased the awareness of following infection prevention and control measures, and one result has been a greater emphasis on hygiene and hand washing. This has limited the spread of eye infections from touch and contact.”

Tiangay Gondoe, programme manager, Sierra Leone

“We’ve seen that everyone has begun to value virtual means of communication, such as Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp. These tools helped us keep in touch and enabled our programme teams to successfully work from home.”

Abrão Banqueiro Chale, programme officer, Mozambique

We amended all our programmes to be COVID-19 secure, and worked with the World Health Organization to develop standard operating procedures so that we could continue working, although introducing these measures has increased our programming costs.

Our offices partially reopened during the year, although many staff chose to work entirely remotely or a combination of home and office working. We’ve had weekly updates from our CEO, Dr Caroline Harper, who has shared organisational challenges and celebrations, as well as regularly interviewing guest speakers from inside and outside Sightsavers.

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Eye health

Education

Srikanth was given glasses at an eye camp organised by Sightsavers in Bangalore, India.

Nine-year-old Mariam has visual impairments, but is able to go to school alongside her friends in Bamako, Mali.

Social inclusion

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

Eveline Angonwi is president of the Cameroon National Committee for Visually Impaired Women.

In Nigeria, black flies are collected and studied to track the spread of river blindness.

Annual report 2021

Where we work

Regional and support offices

Sightsavers works in more than 30 countries in Africa and Asia, where we partner with local, regional, national and international organisations and governments. We also have nine regional and support offices around the world.

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www.sightsavers.org Cote d'lvoire '50 250F Tanzania @ Sightsovers 15

Annual report 2021

Structure and governance

Sightsavers is the working name of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. Originally founded in 1950, it is now incorporated by Royal Charter dated 28 February 1990, as amended on 8 July 2009 (company number RC000706) and is a charity registered in England and Wales (207544) and Scotland (SC038110). It is regulated by the Charity Commission.

Board of trustees

Committees

Our international global board of non-executive trustees maintains a high standard of corporate governance. There are currently 15 trustees, drawn from diverse backgrounds and bringing a broad range of experience and skills. The global board has three officers: chair, vice-chair, and honorary treasurer, all of whom are appointed annually.

Trustees are elected to the global board by other trustees for up to two terms of four years, which may be extended in exceptional circumstances (such as where a particular skill cannot easily be replaced). Recruitment of new trustees is based upon consideration of skills, always mindful of the need to reflect diversity and maintain a balance of individuals from different countries. Depending on the gap to be filled, this may be achieved via existing networks or by advertisement.

All trustees have a tailored induction programme to familiarise them with their statutory responsibilities, their role within the global board, the governance framework and Sightsavers’ mission and objectives. They also have full access to the staff e-learning induction programme, as well as key programme database and performance measurement systems. It is now mandatory for all trustees to undertake an e-learning module on safeguarding. Performance of the board, both collectively and as individual trustees, is reviewed annually, with a periodic external review.

The global board has appointed four standing committees:

Committees may include non-trustee specialist members who voluntarily offer their expertise to assist the committees. As well as the formal governance committees, a programme expert group typically meets twice a year to provide advice and insight on more detailed programme matters to the global board and senior management.

There are clear distinctions between the roles of the global board and of senior management, to whom day-to-day operational management is delegated. Matters such as policy and strategic plans are prepared by senior management for consideration and approval by the

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global board and its committees. The key leadership team is the management team, set up to facilitate decision-making at management level and made up of senior staff drawn from across the organisation. This includes the regional directors, the CEOs of India and Ireland, and senior staff across the directorates.

There is also a people team, which meets to discuss strategic HR matters when required. There is a strategy refresh steering group and a series of working groups to tackle the strategy review process.

Directorates

The organisation is structured with four main directorates, whose leaders report to the CEO. These are:

The CEO of India reports to the CEO of the international organisation, although he is ultimately responsible to the Sightsavers India board. The CEO of Ireland reports to the chair of Ireland and the Irish board, with a link to the international CEO. The director of the Uniting to Combat NTDs secretariat, which Sightsavers hosts, also reports into the CEO.

As of 31 December 2021, there were seven subsidiary undertakings consolidated within the group: Sightsavers (Trading) Limited; Sightsavers Ireland; Sightsavers International (Italia); Sightsavers International Inc (USA); Sightsavers Inc (USA); Insamlingsstiftelsen Sightsavers International Sverige (based in Sweden); and Stiftelsen Sightsavers International Norge (based in Norway). Our presence in the UAE is consolidated under our licensed branch located in Dubai.

Sightsavers is a charity registered in Scotland with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, registration number SC038110. In 2021, Sightsavers raised £5.4 million (2020: £4.9 million) from donors based in Scotland (donations coming from a Scottish address).

Chandrakanth, a bus driver, having an eye check-up, organised by Sightsavers at a bus depot in Bangalore, India.

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Annual report 2021

Accountability

Sightsavers is a member of Accountable Now, an international organisation dedicated to helping international NGOs demonstrate and improve their accountability.

We submit a full report to the charter company independent review panel (IRP) every two years. In 2021, we filed an interim report covering the period 2020-2021; our next full report will be submitted in 2022.

The latest report can be read online at www.accountablenow.org/ members/sightsavers

Governance code

The Charity Governance Code is a voluntary code that was last revised in 2020, addressing matters of good governance across seven principles: organisational purpose; leadership; integrity; decision-making (risk and control); board effectiveness; equality, diversity and inclusion; and openness and accountability. These principles are central to the core values of our organisation. Sightsavers’ board remains committed to maintaining our compliance with the Charity Governance Code, which is reviewed annually and overseen by the audit committee.

Sightsavers undertook an external review of its governance and board effectiveness against the principles of the code in 2021. The review concluded that the board delivers a high standard of governance, based on sound structures and procedures and the high calibre and commitment of trustees, the management team, and supporting executives. There were opportunities for enhancing Sightsavers’ governance, including activities to mitigate the relative separation of the board caused by an extensive period of virtual meetings, resuming physical meetings when possible, and fostering additional discussion in person.

Modern slavery

We maintain a zero-tolerance stance to modern slavery and human trafficking, and we are committed to ensuring we have practices in place to combat this. We continued to develop our controls throughout 2021 in areas such as supplier and partner management, training, and risk management.

In accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, our slavery and human trafficking statement for 2021 can be read at www.sightsavers.org/slaverystatement

We also updated our global anti-slavery policy to reflect our amended processes and include new donor reporting requirements. The policy is available on our website.

To view our global anti-slavery policy, visit www.sightsavers.org/policies

Safeguarding

Sightsavers’ safeguarding approach means identifying and minimising the risk of harm to children and adults from our representatives, partners and programme activities, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to harm, exploitation, and abuse.

All staff and trustees must sign and abide by our code of conduct for representatives, and we ask partners and suppliers to abide by a separate code of conduct.

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In 2021, 12 safeguarding concerns were reported to us, none of which related to the misconduct of a Sightsavers staff member. One met the criteria for reporting to the Charity Commission (see right). Four related to harm caused by someone in the community where we implement our programmes, so we provided signposting to appropriate support services. The other eight were investigated by Sightsavers and our partners, as they related to the conduct of partner representatives, project participants and suppliers. In all eight cases, support was provided to individuals and organisations, and action plans were implemented to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring again.

From 2022, we will include safeguarding in new budget templates, to ensure sufficient funds are available for training and related risk mitigation activities. We will also prioritise programme participants’ engagement on safeguarding and work on implementing the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

To learn more about the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, visit www.misconduct-disclosurescheme.org

Concerns raised in 2021 Concerns raised in 2021
Supplier 2
Community member 4
Partner 3
Project participant 3

Charity Commission serious incidents

In 2021, we reported two incidents, which we believe met the conditions for what the Charity Commission consider to be serious incidents:

We updated the Charity Commission when requested to do so and have received notifications that they consider the above incidents closed to their satisfaction. In all cases, our donors, along with the relevant authorities, were kept fully informed of the incidents and our responses.

Complaints and whistleblowing

In 2021, we launched our ‘Speak Up’ reporting system (www.sightsavers.org/ speakup), which enables Sightsavers to receive and take action on complaints about our activities and reports of wrongdoing by our staff. It enhances our existing whistleblowing channels and our safeguarding and fraud reporting mechanisms. We will continue to work with partners to improve our ability to receive concerns and complaints in the communities in which we work.

To learn more about Speak Up, visit www.sightsavers.org/speakup

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Annual report 2021

Environment

Sightsavers’ environmental policy, approved in 2021, demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and carbon footprint. We aim to adapt our programmes to cope with the effects of climate change: this is included as a cross-cutting issue in our thematic strategies, and we have set up a climate action strategy team of senior staff to implement this.

We are prioritising the design of new projects where we plan to procure energyefficient equipment, reduce and correctly dispose of waste, and create awareness among our partners.

We have started work on a project for a Green Vision Centre in Sierra Leone, which will enable us to test different approaches for use in other projects. We are also working with organisations of people with

disabilities to enable them to engage with climate initiatives in the countries where they are based.

Our environment management system is being piloted in the UK before being rolled out to our other offices, and we have published a carbon reduction plan for the UK activities to reach net zero by 2050, in line with the UK government net zero strategy.

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UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)

Summary of energy use in our UK operations in 2021, in accordance with SECR requirements

----- Start of picture text -----
Energy consumption (kWh) 2020 2021
Electricity 101,277 79,181
Emissions (tCO2e) 2020 2021
Scope 1
Emissions from combustion
0 0
of gas in buildings
Emissions from combustion
of fuel for transport 0 0
purposes
Scope 2
Emissions from purchased
electricity (location-based 23.61 16.81
method)
Total scope 1 and 2
23.61 16.81
emissions
Scope 3
Emissions from business
travel in rental cars or
employee vehicles where 1.40 0.78
company is responsible for
purchasing the fuel
Total emissions 25.01 17.59
Office area (m2) 1332.32 1332.32
Intensity ratio (tCO2e/m2) 0.02 0.01
----- End of picture text -----

When designing new projects, we’re focusing on energy efficiency

Notes: Purchased electricity is the only energy source for the office, and no vehicles are owned or on long-term lease. Electricity usage data is available from the landlord, and Defra’s ‘Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2021’ were used to calculate emissions for 2021. Scope 3 emissions for 2021 were included for the first time, and 2020 data has been included for comparison purposes.

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Annual report 2021

Energy efficiency measures

There were higher overall office occupancy rates in 2020 than in 2021. During the reporting period, the UK office was refurbished, and older fridges and coffee and vending machines were replaced by more energy-efficient models, as were many computer monitors that were more than 10 years old.

Halogen light bulbs are being replaced with LED bulbs when they fail. The use of air conditioning and heating was targeted and successfully reduced.

2020 2021 101,277 kWh 79,181 kWh

Sightsavers’ UK head office in Haywards Heath was refurbished in 2021 to remove older appliances and boost energy efficiency.

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Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Disability Inclusion Working Group (DIWG), founded in 2016, continues to spearhead Sightsavers’ approach to inclusion. In 2021, the group expanded and updated its accessibility testing and began discussions with external organisations, including the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Safaricom, Save the Children, Pernod Ricard, and the International Civil Society Centre, to share Sightsavers’ approach to inclusion in the workplace.

In 2021, the DIWG trained members 64 of staff on the importance of disability inclusion

Disability awareness training

In 2021, the DIWG trained 64 members of staff on the importance of disability inclusion and delivered a session to Sightsavers’ board of trustees. Following a survey of staff who attended training in 2020-2021, the group adjusted the sessions based on feedback and expanded the pool of trainers. The sessions have also been developed so colleagues in Sightsavers’ country offices can participate alongside UK staff.

Racial diversity and inclusion survey

One of the main objectives of the Racial Diversity Working Group, following its inception in November 2020, was to conduct a survey to assess Sightsavers’ racial diversity and inclusion. The survey was launched in October 2021 and recorded a response rate of 92% among our workforce of more than 700 staff. We scored an inclusion index of 91%, positioning the organisation 18 points above the average sector benchmark.

Overall, staff felt that Sightsavers is very inclusive and recognised efforts being made to encourage inclusion, with most feeling that we are on the right track. Suggestions for improvement include more diversity within the senior management team, creating more career progression opportunities for minorities, and improving staff confidence in the incident reporting process.

In 2022, we aim to develop an action plan based on the results, with implementation supported by the Racial Diversity Working Group during the second half of the year and beyond.

We scored an inclusion index of 91%

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Annual report 2021

Fundraising

The relationships we have with our supporters, and the kind donations they give, are vital to the work we do. We aim to be transparent, ethical, and efficient with our budgets. We are always conscious of the responsibility we hold towards our supporters and programme participants, and do our best to make those relationships as meaningful and positive as possible.

With efficiency in mind, we regularly update our return-on-investment analysis to enable us to see which fundraising channels are performing best. This helps us to be flexible with our investment and make quick decisions so that we can maximise the return on our spend, which in turn enables us to raise more money and deliver more support for our programme participants.

While most work is done in house, there are occasions where it is cheaper and more effective to work alongside professional fundraisers and commercial organisations. All contracts and partnerships are subject to due diligence and close management: external partners receive regular visits and training (conducted virtually during the pandemic) and are expected to deliver against closely monitored service level agreements. Any third-party fundraising organisations are required to adhere to our supplier code of conduct.

Sightsavers is a member of the Fundraising Regulator and the Direct Marketing Association and abides by the direct marketing code of practice and the fundraising code of practice. For our international offices, Sightsavers is registered with the fundraising regulators in their respective countries, where there is one.

In 2021, Sightsavers received 60 fundraising complaints from members of the public and 25 complaints on related issues (such as administration). These were all received and resolved by us; none were received from the regulator. This represents a decrease on the figure from 2020 (when a total of 96 complaints were received) and is mainly due to a reduction in the audience reached by our TV advertising. We continue to take feedback seriously and aim to respond to questions and complaints promptly: in 2021, we responded to most complaints received via email or telephone within 24 hours, and those received by letter within a week.

We also take our responsibility to protect vulnerable people seriously. We follow guidance issued by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and we make sure all agency partners are fully aware of this. We also have a safeguarding policy (including our code of conduct) and a supporter promise, both of which set out our approach to protecting our programme participants and supporters.

The safeguarding policy and supporter promise are available at www.sightsavers.org/policies

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Remuneration

Sightsavers’ policy on remuneration is to ensure that the reward package offered to staff is competitive with other organisations in the areas where we work, both in terms of geography and type of role, to ensure we can recruit and retain staff. As stated previously, inability to do this is seen as a key risk to the organisation.

We have a remuneration committee of trustees, including one with extensive HR experience. The policy (approved in 2016) is based around benchmarks at the median level, with flexibility as required, particularly for roles that are difficult to benchmark. The salaries of all individuals who report to the CEO, and that of the CEO herself, are individually approved by the remuneration committee, as is the overall policy.

As of December 2021, the gross annual salary of the CEO was £144,288. This was the highest salary in the organisation. There is no bonus scheme or car allowance for any members of staff and the CEO has the same pension rights as other UK staff. All UK staff are paid at least the living wage, including apprentices and interns.

In December 2021, Sightsavers’ mean and median gender pay gaps in the UK were calculated to be 0.27% and 1.76% in favour of men. We now have a greater number of men employed in the lower salary grades, and a larger number of women employed in the higher grades. This compares well with other organisations, both within and outside the sector.

Women account for about two thirds of our UK workforce across all salary levels, including the 25% highest earners, and 71% of staff in the UK are women.

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Annual report 2021

Achievements in 2021 Our work in numbers

410,445 people had their sight restored through vital eye surgery

19,788

children with disabilities were supported to go to school

172.8 million

treatments were distributed to protect people from diseases

41,860

new UK supporters donated for the first time

125

new members of staff were recruited, bringing our global workforce to more than 730

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26.3 million

people read our posts on social media

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Skydiving: just one of the ways that supporters can choose to raise money for Sightsavers.

research papers were published by us, containing high-quality evidence to inform our work

Dr Ndalela and his assistant operate on a patient with advanced trachoma in Senanga, western Zambia.

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Annual report 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
2018 2019 2020 2021
Eye health
People examined 16,364,038 11,542,420 6,309,510 6,442,712
Operations performed
(including cataracts,
427,008 473,430 286,724 410,445
glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy and trichiasis)
Cataract operations
355,630 403,346 256,657 367,100
carried out
Spectacles dispensed 458,481 493,186 259,654 585,458
Neglected tropical diseases
People treated
17,663,974 28,538,035 11,124,713 8,308,302
for trachoma
People treated for
40,272,072 42,744,697 8,841,252 52,402,304
river blindness
People treated for
45,187,264 50,085,660 2,016,150 74,465,405
lymphatic filariasis
People treated for soil-
3,913,216 5,890,582 4,378,966 11,407,199
transmitted helminths
People treated for
6,521,477 15,332,416 15,768,671 26,218,535
schistosomiasis
Total NTD treatments 113,558,003 192,783,929 42,129,752 172,801,745
Education and inclusion
Children who are blind,
have low vision or
8,362 13,535 9,032 19,788
other disabilities being
supported in school
People who are blind,
have low vision or
22,716 20,916 16,921 4,413
other disabilities who
received training
----- End of picture text -----*

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----- Start of picture text -----
2018 2019 2020 2021
Human resources
Health workers
trained to gain initial 25 12 12 5
professional qualification
Professionals supported
on eye health 64,440 102,482 51,670 125,426
short courses
Professionals supported
on education or 30,486 94,533 5,732 49,443
inclusion short courses
Volunteers
Total number of village-
248,885 436,127 137,361 458,188
level volunteers trained
----- End of picture text -----*

Notes: Statistics from previous years may have changed from prior reporting due to updated information.

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Annual report 2021

Our performance

Our overall performance in 2021 continued to be affected by COVID-19, but the impact was more variable than in 2020. The second quarter was most affected because of the second wave of the pandemic and strict restrictions returning in the Asia/India region, though the impact was less than the first wave in 2020. The second half of the year saw signs of recovery, as restrictions were relaxed and outreach activities gradually resumed.

Because of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, most countries set lower targets for the key indicators this year. On the positive side, our projects adapted to the pandemic and we identified alternative ways to reach beneficiaries, ensuring almost all activity increased relative to 2020 levels.

Eye health

The number of eye examinations we performed in 2021 was slightly higher than in 2020 and 95% of our target. Secondary/ tertiary-level examinations exceeded primary-level examinations for the first time, due to COVID-19 restrictions reducing the number of outreach activities, with many people having to attend secondary facilities to be examined.

Overall, we achieved 97% of our annual target for cataract operations, and we were able to exceed our target in Senegal after organising mobile consultations in remote areas. Tanzania’s cataract outreach benefitted from awareness campaigns to generate demand in marginalised communities, including among people with disabilities and older people. Mali ran free surgery campaigns and awareness-raising events during the year, which led to more communities requesting operations.

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Overall, spectacle distribution more than doubled compared with 2020, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Successful partnerships, increased community awareness, and outreach activity were some of the factors helping projects in Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Mali to exceed their targets.

Jenny Bouston, supporter care manager, Sightsavers UK.

www.sightsavers.org

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Masud Rana,
monitoring officer,
Sightsavers
Bangladesh.
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Neglected tropical diseases

After the challenges of 2020, our NTD projects delivered more than 172 million treatments in 2021, carried out in accordance with the risk assessment and mitigation action tool (known as RAMA) that was first used in 2020.

We expanded our mass drug administration (MDA) activities for trachoma in Ethiopia as part of the Accelerate programme, enabling us to achieve 105% of our target for MDA treatments for trachoma in the country.

In total, we carried out 20,564 trichiasis operations: 85% of our target and an increase of 51% on 2020. A highlight of 2021 was in Q3, when the final trichiasis operations were conducted in Benin. Operations for hydrocele, a symptom of lymphatic filariasis in men that causes painful scrotal swelling, was significantly over-target in 2021.

Note that outputs include all those supported by consortium partners.

Education

More than three-quarters of our education target came from Bihar in India, where Sightsavers is supporting the Department of Education to improve the education and learning outcomes of children across the state. Overall, we supported more than 19,000 children with disabilities in school, more than twice the number achieved in 2020 and 61% of our target. The training of inclusion champions in Cameroon helped us to exceed our country target.

Social inclusion

There was a significant drop in the number of adults being trained, explained by two factors: annual targets were lower, and COVID-19 restrictions continued to affect training events being organised throughout the year in Indian states, where this activity was concentrated. However, jobseekers were supported in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, as part of the Inclusion Works programme, with activity numbers included in our annual report for the first time this year.

Human resource development

After the challenges of 2020, the number of village volunteers and professionals supported on short health and education courses was much higher in 2021. Training was mainly undertaken in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria, accounting for 79% of the total. Education and inclusion short courses were mainly delivered in India, accounting for 98% of the global performance. Training of village volunteers was also concentrated in Nigeria and DRC, where we trained community drug distributors to coincide with mass drug administration campaigns in our NTD programmes.

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Annual report 2021

Strategy, implementation and monitoring results

For more details, see our SIM card on page 9.

For full performance notes for each indicator, see our online dashboard at dashboard-public.sightsavers.org

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Objective Indicator Target Result Status Trend
1. Demonstrate Lag: % of countries
scalable where Sightsavers has an
cost-effective eye health project that
approaches demonstrate improved
30.00 40.00 On target
to eye health access to eye care services
that are integrated into
health systems, where this
can be measured
Lead: % of countries
where Sightsavers has
an eye health project
that have contributed to
58.00 58.33 On target
identification of gaps/
needs through an eye
health system assessment
in the past 10 years
Lead: % of countries where
Sightsavers has an eye
health project that has
contributed to
80.00 84.62 On target
identification of gaps/
needs through a
prevalence survey in the
past 10 years
Lead: % of health projects
with clearly defined
strategies to improve 50.00 61.29 On target
access by people with
disabilities
Lead: % of health projects
that reach more women 50.00 61.90 On target
than men
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Objective Indicator Target Result Status Trend
2. Demonstrate Lag: % of countries with
scalable education projects where
Approaching
approaches government has an 37.50 33.33
target
that promote education policy in line with
inclusive the UNCRPD
education
Lead: % of education
projects that are suitable
Approaching
for replication/adoption by 100.00 83.33
target
government or other service
providers
3. Demonstrate Lag: % of countries that
approaches meet at least four of the
80.00 88.00 On target
that impact eight criteria on our social
positively on inclusion index
inclusion and
Lead: % of countries where
empowerment
we run social inclusion and/
of people with
disabilities or education projects that 95.00 66.67 Below target
can demonstrate effective
inclusion and empowerment
of people with disabilities
Lead: % of health,
education and NTD
projects with clearly
65.00 76.19 On target
defined social inclusion
strategies to include people
with disabilities
4. Deliver Lag: % of countries where
integrated Sightsavers supports
NTD specific NTD disease
Approaching
programmes projects that are meeting 90.00 76.00
target
in support of national milestones to
agreed global eliminate or control these
targets specific NTDs
Lead: % of projects that
meet or exceed their MDA
95.00 69.77 Below target
targets for therapeutic and
geographical coverage
Lead: % of NTD projects
with clearly defined Approaching
80.00 79.41
strategies to improve access target
by people with disabilities
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Annual report 2021

Progress towards our objectives

Delivering for our programme participants

What we What we did planned to do

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1. Ensure we During the year, we continued to strengthen our ROAR
have a balanced (Review, Oversight, Analysis, Reflect) process to ensure
and resilient unrestricted and restricted funding is strategically targeted.
programme We prioritised the resourcing of key programme strategic shifts
portfolio that resulting from the refreshed thematic strategy framework (see
maximises below), and we overhauled our project design process.
impact for
We continued to lead the Inclusive Futures consortia
programme programmes, managing replanning and delivery following
participants
the reduction in official development assistance (ODA),
and donors
and strengthened collaboration between our technical and
evidence teams.
2. Finalise The process to refresh our strategies concluded in March
and implement 2021, with final drafts submitted to the core group and
refreshed board, and the strategies were launched on 11 May. During
thematic the year, we focused on embedding the strategies across the
strategies within organisation, particularly with staff and partners in countries
Sightsavers where we work.
and across our
A Learning, Accountability and Monitoring Performance
partnerships
(LAMP) framework was developed for each strategy to help
us to understand how we are progressing against achieving
our objectives. We also updated our Research Strategy, MEL
strategy, and our SIM card indicators to reflect the refreshed
strategies, to ensure our monitoring is fully outlined
and understood.
3. Maintain During the year, we rolled out systematic approaches to the
ongoing high use of our evidence base when designing and delivering
standards of programmes through the Research Uptake and Learning (RUL)
delivery on all framework. We also piloted a longer-term approach to our
major contracts planning process to ensure long-term analysis is included in
decision-making and design of programmes, and we refreshed
our thematic capacity statements, detailing our track record.
We continued to develop Sightsavers’ leadership on inclusive
disability data, by reviewing our organisational framework and
tools and strengthening understanding, practice and learning
on inclusive data across our projects and programmes.
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www.sightsavers.org

What we What we did planned to do

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4. Improve In 2021, we supported project monitoring while protecting
monitoring, individuals during the pandemic by switching to virtual visits
evaluation to evaluate performance and impact; flexing the frequency
and learning of performance monitoring to provide real-time data and
processes across learning; and introducing Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation
our programmes, (MEL) plans at the start of projects to prioritise project
including start- outcomes and learning to improve our evidence base. We
up support for conducted seven programme reviews and evaluations, and
new projects have continued to deliver a highly effective oversight process
and an effective that is now being rolled out to new projects funded from
programme unrestricted funds. The team has been heavily involved
oversight in developing the LAMP framework that will enable us to
process track and understand strategic performance across our
programme portfolio.
5. Continue to In 2021, we developed safeguarding training and resources
develop our specific to our four thematic areas. We continued to work
safeguarding with the International Disability Development Consortium and
framework, with the FCDO-funded Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub
increasing focus (www.safeguardingsupporthub.org) to ensure our practices
on partners are up to date and that reporting mechanisms are accessible.
and community This included creating and updating guidance tools and
awareness hosting an inclusive webinar via the support hub.
Our safeguarding team helped to develop and review
22 safeguarding policies at partner organisations, and
our advocacy work in Pakistan led to Sightsavers being
approached to support the National Commission on the
Right of the Child by reviewing safeguarding guidelines for
educational institutions.
6. Enhance, We are continuing to explore how to better understand the
expand and experience of our programme participants, and will keep
embed our investigating innovative approaches with the communities
programme in which we work now that the impact of COVID-19 on our
participant programmes is receding. In terms of safeguarding, we started
feedback researching the best ways to engage with the people we work
processes for, which involved liaising with other charities to identify best
practice. The outcome will feed into the creation of a formal
strategy roll-out in 2022.
As part of the Ascend NTDs programme, we have also
developed beneficiary feedback tools suitable for different
elements of our programmes that are being piloted and rolled
out across a lot of our NTD work.
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Annual report 2021

Increasing our capacities

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What we planned to do What we did
1. Finalise, approve and roll We have introduced small changes to the SIM
out the SIM card review card wording and included new indicators where
and upgrade to reflect new appropriate, which we expect will provide more
programme and thematic insight into our organisational performance over
strategies the next few years. Some of these indicators will
be collected in early 2022 for 2021 performance;
others will see data collection later in 2022 instead.
These include a focus on new performance areas,
including supply chain, which is now key to the
success of our programmes, and partner due
diligence processes. We have yet to introduce
new indicators at impact level: we aim to update
these in line with the development of our LAMP
frameworks for our thematic strategies. Work on
these is almost complete, with new indicators due
to appear on the system in early 2022.
2. Support the roll out of the Roll out of the World Report on Vision was again
WHO World Report on paused throughout much of 2021 because of the
Vision, which was paused ongoing COVID-19 situation. We aim to continue
due to the pandemic this work in 2022 and beyond in partnership with
the World Health Organization.
3. Build additional regional We have concentrated on building expertise and
support in our programme capacity closer to the geographic areas where our
supply chain, monitoring, programmes are implemented, and have aimed
evidence and learning, and to recruit new and replacement roles via our
resilience operational areas, regional or country offices, which has been a great
while ensuring collaborative success. We have recruited high-quality staff for
approaches across support several teams from Africa and Asia: these staff
functions are able to work with country office teams more
closely, especially given COVID-19 challenges. We
are now seeing very high levels of coordination
between country office staff and global support
teams, with improved processes and enhanced
skills among country office staff.
Programme reporting and oversight (PRO) calls
continue to be a valuable way for global support
functions to collaborate with programme staff on
specific projects to ensure smooth implementation
and identify strengths and good practice that can
be shared across teams.
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www.sightsavers.org

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What we planned to do What we did
4. Roll out our environmental Our EMS aims to ensure we are complying
management system with environmental legislation, environmental
(EMS) to underpin our new codes of practice and regulation on resource
environmental policy usage, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions
and the disposal of medical waste. The EMS is
currently being completed for the UK before
being rolled out to our other offices. We have
also strengthened our understanding of the
regulatory framework, and have improved our
UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting
(SECR) and carbon reduction plan.
5. Develop our strategic During 2021, we reviewed our list of strategic
alliances to enable us to alliances and developed clear engagement plans
increase our impact, ranging for the year with key partners, including Fred
from new partnerships to Hollows Foundation, CBM, the International
long-standing relationships Disability Alliance and the Task Force for Global
Health. We launched our new NTD thematic
strategy, which supports and responds to the
World Health Organization NTD roadmap, and
we forged a new partnership with the Global
Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) to help
eliminate river blindness in high-prevalence,
cross-border areas in Africa. We ensured we
were actively engaged in relevant civil society
networks, including IAPB, IDDC, Bond, Concord
and EDF, and we also developed mechanisms
for closer collaboration between our policy and
evidence teams.
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Arif with his mother, Shumeza, and sister, Shahina, at their house in Narsingdi, Bangladesh. He had cataract surgery 15 years ago and now drives a van in Dhaka.

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Annual report 2021

Learning and growth

What we planned to do

1. Strengthen programme data capture and our evidence and learning processes to ensure our evidence base feeds into programme design, implementation, adaptation and policy influencing

What we did

In 2021, we launched a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Community of Practice to create a network for professional collaboration. A number of learning exchanges also took place, bringing together colleagues from different countries with shared objectives relating to a particular programme or thematic area. MEL plans were introduced at the project design stage to support cross-team collaboration and clarity on project outcomes, and we continued to invest in building our evidence base to provide insight into what’s working across the programme portfolio. Externally, we also shared our experiences at a number of conferences.

From a data perspective, we are rolling out granular project output monitoring and data capture tools that improve the speed and accuracy of project data reporting into our organisational database and support project management dashboards. Our programme data capture systems are being reviewed and the changes we make will improve the experience for programme teams: as data is entered into the system, it will be immediately available for analytics and visualisation.

2. Contribute to the global evidence base on inclusive data by sharing our experience and learning internally and with partners

In 2021, Sightsavers continued to champion the Inclusive Data Charter (IDC) and hosted numerous learning seminars, including an event with UN Women, Development Initiatives and HelpAge International, and a webinar hosted by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office. We also supported the World Bank Group to develop an e-learning course on gathering disability inclusive data.

We worked with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, the International Civil Society Centre and more than 20 organisations to launch a collaboration on inclusive COVID-19 data. We continued to co-lead the Inclusive Data Charter and worked with other organisations to develop knowledge and learning products on intersectional approaches to data.

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www.sightsavers.org

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What we planned to do What we did
3. Continue to deliver Our quarterly and annual output statistics are now
analytical tools such as routinely released with an interactive analytics
Power BI dashboards to platform (through Power BI) where users can
enhance decision-making, drill down into our global output data, looking at
with a focus on country aspects such as gender, location, and progress
offices management over time against targets. Several countries are
information now analysing data using custom-built dashboards
from our analytics team, which has improved the
functionality and pace of turning project data and
evidence into actions.
Regional Director hubs (in Power BI) continue to
evolve and have recently incorporated data from
project financial forecasting and Sightsavers’
advocacy reporting app, providing improved
accessibility for country-by-country information
and oversight.
As part of our NTD work, we continue to develop
a suite of publicly accessible resources. Our
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Action (RAMA)
tool, which launched in 2020, supports country
programmes to continue working safely during
COVID-19, while the Country Health Information
Platform (CHIP) integrates national yearly NTD
data so programmes can plan and monitor
programme performance. We have also developed
interactive StoryMaps to showcase our work and
achievements on individual NTD projects.
4. Develop a coherent, In 2021, work began on developing our
consistent approach organisation-wide LAMP framework. In 2022,
to measuring strategic we will begin to collate, analyse, synthesise and
progress by developing interpret data from across the programme –
monitoring, accountability from both restricted and unrestricted projects,
and learning frameworks from all regions including India, and from all five
thematic strategies. Once fully operational, the
LAMP will enable us to analyse and communicate
progress in implementing our thematic
strategies, supporting programme design
and implementation, informing decisions and
ultimately increasing our positive impact.
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Annual report 2021

Funding and resources

Sightsavers fundraises in the UK and India, and has subsidiaries in Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the UAE and USA. Information about their registration, relationship with the UK charity, and financial performance is contained in the financial accounts.

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What we planned to do What we did
1. Enhance our digital In 2021, we created a new role in the digital
fundraising programme fundraising team to focus on insight and optimisation,
through increased and to provide expertise and dedicated resource to this
testing, data insight crucial area that underpins all of our digital fundraising
and conversion rate work. This helped us conduct four times as many tests
optimisation resource
as in the previous year. The changes we adopted as
a result of these tests generated an estimated 6%
increase in online income, and we rejected several
potential changes that would have reduced overall
income. We will continue to build on this approach, as
well as ensuring the findings are considered in a wider
fundraising context.
2. Explore the opportunity During the year we researched how to look after
for a new fundraising mid-level givers and help all supporters have a
programme, to better consistent relationship with our work. The initial
steward and nurture research suggested there are a number of supporters
mid-level givers in the UK who would benefit from a different type of
relationship and fundraising programme. To address
this, we introduced a new role that sits across our
Supporter Care and Major Donor teams, to bring
together the two areas and build a bespoke programme
for mid-level donors, which remains a focus in 2022.
3. Continue to optimise our We continued to scrutinise our fundraising activity
voluntary fundraising through regular monitoring of return on investment
activity, based on and other key performance indicators. We paid
data and return on particular attention to new donors who began
investments supporting us during the early lockdowns to see if
they responded the same as existing supporters. We
also maintained the agile approach that worked so
well in the early days of the pandemic, increasing and
amending activity based on the current environment,
particularly in terms of TV advertising, where we
were able to make the most of continued favourable
market conditions through the first half of 2021.
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What we planned to do What we did
4. Optimise the use of our In 2021, through the cross-organisational process we
unrestricted resources, use to ensure we invest strategically in programmes
undertaking targeted (ROAR), we made the key decision to develop
investments to support significant new and expanded eye health initiatives
the refreshed strategic in several countries. These will allow us to implement
framework our new eye health and refractive error strategies
more rapidly, and will be followed by similar
investments in other thematic areas in 2022.
During the year, we earmarked £5 million of
unrestricted funding for our NTD work, and provided
a further £1.5 million of funding to our key advocacy
partner, Uniting to Combat NTDs. We prioritised
service delivery in this round of allocation, given the
urgent need to maintain annual treatment rounds in
several countries.
5. Enhance our forecasting In 2021, we continued to strengthen our financial
and scenario planning management oversight processes so we could be
processes in response confident of our financial position and make high-
to the challenging quality financial decisions during a period of great
economic and funding uncertainty. We developed our financial scenario
environment planning processes to support our statutory audit
work and help us understand the potential impact of
a range of variables on our future financial position.
We continued to implement monthly forecasting
for all income and expenditure cost centres, using
Power BI analytical capabilities to analyse full data for
the organisation. This enabled us to assess progress
against our scenarios and maintain a strong financial
position despite the uncertainties of COVID-19.
6. Continue to improve During the year we published high-quality data sets on
how we showcase a quarterly basis and worked with partners to ensure
our value-for-money they were aware of their transparency obligations as
work, bringing a result of donor funding. We played a leading role
together examples within the INGO IATI network in the UK. We have also
from all aspects of started to produce bespoke reports to share user-
the organisation friendly data internally and take advantage of what is
now a significant set of programme and financial data.
We spent considerable time in 2021 refreshing the
organisational approach to value for money. We have
maintained the ‘four Es’ framework and have worked
to strengthen documentation to support project
design teams to articulate value-for-money drivers
and measurements more clearly.
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Annual report 2021

What we planned to do

7. Manage our liquidity by developing our cash position and reporting and strengthening country offices’ internal controls in liquidity management

8. Manage reopening of offices and resumption of travel to ensure it is COVID-19 secure

9. Manage FCDO budget cuts to protect the organisation, our programme participants, and our mission as best we can.

What we did

Our Treasury Management System (TMS) platform has enabled us to monitor cash on a near real-time basis, and we have introduced system-generated reporting to improve our treasury processes. We have also refined the processes governing funding flows to country offices and programme offices, to optimise them from a liquidity and treasury management perspective.

During 2021, COVID-19 continued to present challenges to our operations. Spikes in cases necessitated ongoing business continuity measures, including temporary closure of several country offices throughout the year. International travel also remained heavily restricted.

As detailed on page 8, the early end to the Ascend programme created a £38 million funding gap for NTD work already planned by Sightsavers up to April 2022. As news about the funding cuts broke, our media team worked closely with Uniting to Combat NTDs, which led on initial public relations, while Sightsavers director for NTDs Simon Bush spoke to the media about the impact of the cuts.

Our country teams and their partners worked extremely hard to get drug treatments to people and operate on as many people as possible before the new project deadline. Their hard work meant that initial concerns of medication going to waste never materialised.

During 2021, our fundraising team were able to fill some of the funding gaps: see page 8 for details. We are very grateful to the funders who came forward to support this.

We also took steps to ensure we met the objectives of the disability-focused grants and contracts affected by the cuts, including re-planning some work and making unrestricted investments into essential operational and programme costs.

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Siafa identifies items in a booklet as part of a Sightsavers eye screening in Bong County, Liberia.

Annual report 2021

Risks and challenges

Sightsavers maintains a risk log at organisational level and for all major programmes, with the largest having their own bespoke governance processes. The log is reviewed by the management team, the audit committee, and the council. Trustees are satisfied that adequate systems are in place to monitor, manage and, where appropriate, mitigate Sightsavers’ exposure to the major risks.

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www.sightsavers.org

Recruiting and retaining key employees and contractors

Our unmanaged attrition rate remains low, at 7.41%, compared with an average of 12.5% for UK non-profit organisations. Our fundraising success has enabled us to continue to support our programmes, with a 4% increase in our head count during the year.

The closure of the Ascend NTD

programme prompted a restructure: many colleagues moved on to other projects, while others left the organisation, and the new slimmed-down team is in a good position to continue our work in this area. In late 2020 and 2021, our country directors in Mali, Kenya and Uganda retired, and we have successfully recruited to fill these roles.

Higher-than-average workforce mobility is likely to continue to be a challenge in 2022. We aim to maintain a below-average attrition rate while attracting a diverse range of candidates by maximising our attractiveness as an employer.

In southern Nigeria, Sightsavers researcher Martins has been studying the black flies that cause river blindness.

Safeguarding of programme participants, supporters, and external contacts

We updated our due diligence assessment templates in 2021 and ran training for staff with an emphasis on safeguarding. We launched our Speak Up reporting platform ( www.sightsavers.org/speakup ), and updated our code of conduct for partners and suppliers to include a wider range of prohibited behaviours. We also ran in-person safeguarding training for partners and our network of designated safeguarding leads.

Health, safety and security events, and other safeguarding issues concerning employees

We have maintained our comprehensive reporting approach, increased the number of staff in our resilience and safeguarding teams, and improved our remote working capabilities, initially aimed at supporting staff in countries where offices have to be closed because of conflict.

Safeguarding training continues to be mandatory for all staff and trustees, and we have a designated safeguarding trustee (Barry Hoffman) to whom whistleblowing can be directed if staff do not want to go via management. The newly launched Speak Up reporting platform also enables stakeholders to raise concerns with Sightsavers.

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Annual report 2021

Poor quality or strategic alignment of programmes

In 2021, following our thematic strategy review, we started developing a monitoring framework for each strategy that will provide a clearer picture of where our programmes are delivering against our strategies, and where we need to realign or launch new initiatives. We also updated our internal project design process to ensure the standards and requirements are robust, focused on strategy alignment and based on quality evidence, and that the process remains relevant and fit for purpose alongside the refreshed strategies.

Inability to manage consortia to deliver on contracts and secure new opportunities

We effectively managed both NTD and disability-focused FCDO-funded consortia through the difficult process of the FCDO cuts, including the closure of the Ascend programme (see page 8). We secured replacement funding for Ascend activities from a range of donors, demonstrating the ongoing health of the consortium relationships. We continue to liaise closely with the FCDO team responsible for the ongoing disability contracts to ensure expectations are aligned to the resources that are allocated to the programme.

Poor implementation of programmes leading to failures in services to beneficiaries or delivering expected programme outputs and outcomes

The strategic monitoring framework mentioned above will be finalised in 2022 and implemented progressively from 2023, to improve our mitigation against this risk.

Inability to raise adequate voluntary income in mature and new markets

2021 was another very strong year for voluntary income. We maintained our core approach of continual monitoring and flexibility to react to conditions across different markets. In the first half of the year we continued to make the most of opportunities to maximise our reach through TV advertising, which put us in a strong position ahead of more turbulent conditions towards the end of the year.

Our supporters continued to be loyal and committed, demonstrated by low attrition rates, a very strong response to our appeals and significant repeat gifts from some of our larger donors.

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© Sightsavers/Michael Duff
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A trachoma survey team getting around the Tambaya community, Sierra Leone, in a pick-up truck.

Media crisis in core markets

Following continued coverage in the media about cuts to UK aid, we worked with Uniting to Combat NTDs to stress the importance of reinstating funding. We focused on the future of disease elimination and control in the new funding climate, and prioritised media outreach that shows we are still committed to tackling NTDs.

Safeguarding policy in NGO work

continues to be a key theme for the media, so all communication related to incidents and policy has needed to be mindful of this. Similarly, the media continues to focus on diversity, decolonisation, and how beneficiaries are depicted. Development organisations are increasingly being

scrutinised, and there is growing expectation that we are transparent about how these themes relate to our work.

We have also seen scrutiny of HR practices relating to transparency of salary on job adverts, whether we can justify requiring a degree from applicants, and themes around accessibility. The establishment of a Racial Diversity Working Group including a survey of all staff, alongside the existing Disability Inclusion Working Group, is a key organisational process to mitigate this risk.

We also restructured our campaigns and communications functions and recruited a director of campaigns and communications with significant expertise in both areas.

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Annual report 2021

Inability to replace or grow institutional income

We have been strengthening relationships with institutional funders beyond FCDO, and have secured new/extended funding from USAID, the German government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Foundation, Standard Charted Bank, People’s Postcode Lottery, and GiveWell, and have brought on new donors such as UNICEF.

We are adjusting the team to dedicate more resource to new partnership development, and are looking at how we can increase our engagement with government, foundations, and corporate donors in the US, building on recent successes in that market.

Governance and organisationallevel regulatory challenges, such as forced federation, new regulatory hurdles, and strategic misalignment of board

We successfully addressed the challenges and restrictive financial ratios created by the amending legislation to India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act; following the regulatory inspection carried out during the summer, our Indian entity was able to renew our FCRA registration and licence to operate there.

We also registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria, which led to us forming the Sightsavers Nigeria Foundation. This will provide an in-country fundraising mechanism, with proceeds used exclusively to fund the work of our country office in Nigeria.

Financial loss, disruption or damage to our reputation as a result of data loss, ICT failure or in information security process controls

In 2021, we developed new IT change management controls and a change management committee, to increase quality and oversight of changes to key systems. This is supported by enhancements to our system update and patch management systems.

We rolled out technical measures to support Sightsavers’ financial control framework – part of a deeper integration of information security as a core function within the organisation. We also implemented measures to enhance the security of our accounts, particularly those with administrative privileges. Our Cyber Essentials certification was renewed in December 2021.

Child carer Bhanwar had successful cataract treatment in Jaipur, India.

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www.sightsavers.org

Financial loss or operational constraints as a result of treasury activities, including credit loss, foreign exchange movement, liquidity or inability to transfer funds internationally

Our cross-organisational liquidity group continues to focus on liquidity management. Real-time cash information across our accounts is available via the new treasury management system, and we continue to develop our financial and cashflow reporting capability. Forex risk management remains covered by our treasury policy, including a basic hedging mechanism related to net expenditures for income and expenditure currencies that are correlated. There continues to be significant volatility in global currencies due to a range of economic and geo-political factors.

We continue to closely monitor our potential credit exposures arising from our cash holdings, and aim to enhance our capability for international funds transfers with our relationship financial institutions, to mitigate against problems in crossborder payment systems.

Mitigating future risks

In 2022 we will continue to strengthen our risk management procedures, and will undertake a review of the crisis risk protocols in place across the organisation to ensure we are well placed to deal with any future risks.

Challenges in 2021

As this report makes clear, the main challenges for Sightsavers during the year were the impact of the FCDO aid cuts and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, there were other challenges that continue to reverberate.

Security and conflict affected our ability to work in several countries, and the threat level in some has increased. The conflict in Ethiopia, ongoing insecurity in Nigeria, terrorist incidents in Uganda and across the Sahel, and political instability in West Africa, all affected our operations throughout 2021.

Incidents of cyber crime – notably ransomware attacks – have continued to increase since the start of the pandemic. Sightsavers continues to invest in security, particularly on staff awareness to threats such as phishing.

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Our objectives for 2022

Delivering for our programme participants

Learning and growth

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Increasing our capacities

Funding and resources

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Review of financial outcome 2021

Detailed financial information is reviewed by the Council in each of their meetings during the year. The financial outcome for 2021 is set out in the consolidated statement of financial activities.

Sightsavers financial operating model continued to be highly resilient during 2021, which saw continuing significant impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and a challenging economic and geo-political environment.

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Income and expenditure

The total income of the Group in 2021 fell to £237 million, a reduction of 9% on the £261 million received in 2020. Total expenditure fell to £213.6 million in 2021, from £250 million in 2020.

Donations and legacies increased considerably in 2021. Legacies performed particularly well, with an increase of 12%, to £14 million.

The split of charitable expenditures across our thematic areas is shown on the consolidated statement of financial activities, and further by region and country within the notes.

The reduction of income was due to a reduced value of gifts in kind (principally donated pharmaceuticals) being utilised in programme countries, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This income was £113 million in 2021 compared with £155 million in 2020. Income (not including gifts in kind) totalled £123 million, an increase of 14% on the £106 million received in 2020. Expenditure (excluding gifts in kind) rose by £5.6 million in 2021, to £101 million, from £96 million in 2020. This was primarily due to an increase in programme activities being carried out in our countries after COVID-19 shutdowns.

Donations from government, NGO and institutional donors rose by £6 million, to £14 million, a 73% increase on the £8 million in 2020, due in part to a donation from the ELMA Foundation of £5 million.

Trust income also rose significantly, to £12 million from £5.6 million, a 114% increase of over £6 million. This includes continued support from The GiveWell recommended funds – Good Ventures Foundation, its donation of £6 million in 2021 was an increase of £4 million on the donation of £2 million in 2020.

Income from charitable activities was broadly flat, with the FCDO Ascend contract subject to early termination during the year and accounting closure.

In terms of underlying costs, staff costs rose to £28 million in 2021 from £25 million in 2020. Average global staff numbers increased from 693 in 2020 to 745 in 2021, principally supporting growth in programme-related staffing capacity in the international programmes and policy and programme strategies functions.

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Global income 2021

Other trading £263,000

Investments £189,000

Other income £47,000

Charitable activities £42.12 million

£236.78 million

Donations and legacies £81.46 million

Gifts in kind £112.69 million

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Global expenditure 2021

Other £360,000

Raising funds £18.58 million

Eye health £15.38 million

Policy and research £3.73 million

Social inclusion £9.86 million

~~E~~ ducation £3.39 million

£213.62 million

Neglected tropical diseases £50.06 million

Gifts in kind drug donations £112.26 million

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Grant-making policy

Sightsavers works in partnership with numerous implementing organisations. Grants payable are made in line with strategic objectives, and we monitor all grants to partner organisations in accordance with the relevant partnership agreement. There is an annual process to review the project and partner budgets for the following year and determine what funds will be paid.

A list of principal grants is available on our website: www.sightsavers.org/annual-reports

Financial position and reserves

The results for 2021 significantly exceeded expectations, with an overall outturn surplus net income of £24.7 million. After transfers between funds, which includes the benefit of indirect cost recovery on restricted grants and contracts, and the transfer of any final balance on closed projects, the outturn restricted funds net surplus was £6.5 million, with a surplus of £18.1 million for unrestricted funds.

As at 31 December 2021, total fund balances were £65.4 million, comprising £43.7 million of total unrestricted funds, £0.2 million of endowment funds, and £21.4 million of restricted funds. The component items of the restricted funds balance are shown in note 23: Statement of Funds (see page 99).

An amount of £6.5 million was designated by Trustees in 2021, from unrestricted funds for NTD activities, following on from the early closure of the Ascend programme and complementing the existing Uniting to Combat NTDs programme and other related projects, in recognition of this continuing area of focus.

The continuing liquidity reserve of £3 million, currently separate to general reserves and held within designated reserves, is a formal recognition that the organisation requires operating liquidity to facilitate ongoing financial operations.

As at 31 December 2021, unrestricted funds comprised general reserves of £32.2 million and £11.6 million of designated funds.

Shahid relied on his friends to read textbooks to him before he received spectacles provided by Sightsavers. He can now read in front of his school friends in India.

Reserves policy is decided by the Council, taking into consideration, inter alia, relevant Charity Commission guidance. The policy seeks to balance the objective of promptly spending income with the need to maintain a level of reserves to ensure uninterrupted

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operations and to provide time to adjust to a change in financial circumstances and the financial impact of risk events.

Our reserves policy is currently being reviewed and is expected to be revised in 2022. The current policy is based on a single point reference, whereas the review is considering adopting a policy range. The review will incorporate a current, likely upward, assessment of the financial impact of risk events and will consider incorporating operating liquidity requirements within reserves. The policy will continue to strike a balance between the need to spend down income and maintaining operational integrity. Prior to the review, the policy specifies general reserves of £8 million, with minor flexibility.

In 2021, Sightsavers’ income-generating model continued to be highly resilient during a period of extended constraint on certain expenditures as a result of the pandemic. As a result, our unrestricted general reserves have increased to £32.2 million as at 31 December 2021, still significantly above the existing target.

Trustees are mindful that we continue to operate in very uncertain conditions, including a continuing global pandemic, post-Brexit headwinds, major changes

in FCDO funding, and exceptionally high levels of government borrowings, alongside new significant global economic, political and security concerns, all with attendant risks. Against such a backdrop, whilst general reserves as at 31 December 2021 are equivalent to reported 2021 unrestricted expenditures, they cover fewer months, approximately eight months of core organisational costs. In determining a plan to align general reserves with the target, there remain significant uncertainties with high-potential impact, which means that we will continue to be cautious as we reduce down the level of reserves.

Some operational uncertainties arising from COVID-19 are now reducing, and our ability to plan and commit expenditures with greater certainty has increased. We have a financial plan for the period 2022 to 2024, which contains significant spend down of general reserves, with a gradual impact through 2022 while new programme expenditure comes on stream.

The trustees believe the current level of reserves is acceptable and prudent, given the continuing economic and operational risks faced. The reserves policy is periodically reviewed to ensure that it remains appropriate as circumstances change.

Safia, pictured with her granddaughter Moussaya, in Borgou, Benin, had an eye operation and is now able to see without the feeling of having grains of sand in her eyes.

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Abraham Koblah Apetor, NTD focal person and deputy director for public health in Western Region, Ghana, in his office at Tarkoradi.

Investments

Our investment activities are supported by UBS Wealth Management; the investment committee meets regularly with UBS to assess investment strategy and performance.

The value of assets held with our fund manager at 31 December 2021 was £7.2 million. The investment objectives are to maximise investment returns from a long-term discretionary portfolio through both income and capital growth, at acceptable levels of risk, while maintaining good liquidity and in line with ethical standards that are consistent with our objects and values.

The Investment Committee continue to review the performance of our investment manager and are satisfied that UBS Wealth Management continue to deliver as expected against the objectives described.

Pensions

Sightsavers operates a defined contribution pension scheme, which was established in 2002, with membership made available to all UK contracted employees.

Sightsavers also operates a defined benefit pension scheme for contracted employees in the UK. This scheme was closed to new entrants in 2002 and closed to future accruals for existing employees in August 2010. As set out in note 13 of the financial statements, under FRS102 there was a surplus in the scheme of £0.5 million at the end of 2021, although that surplus has not been recognised.

The Investment Committee provides oversight on the management of this UK-defined benefit scheme, as a standing agenda item in meetings. Sightsavers Finance Director attends and participates in scheme trustee board meetings, receiving all meeting materials. Sightsavers also engages its own professional advice in relation to the scheme.

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Financial outlook

Financial planning and forecasting activity takes place within the context of the overall strategic plan and objectives. Programme effectiveness is continually assessed and the portfolio mix of projects is expected to continue to evolve.

Our 2022 plan includes expenditure levels, exclusive of gifts in kind, above 2021 outturn levels. The very significant post year end unrestricted donation we refer to in the notes to the financial statements has the effect of reducing the planned overall deficit and the portion to be funded from general reserves, alongside the use of brought forward restricted fund balances.

Overall fundraising levels are planned to increase modestly in 2022, as a part of the continuing strategy to strengthen the base of committed and ongoing givers across all fundraising markets.

We retain the ability to suspend, defer or cancel discretionary, variable fundraising expenditures if we so wish, as a decisionmaking tool to help ensure a robust financial position.

We have modelled forward-looking financial scenarios to test our resilience to the possibility of serious and long-lasting potential financial stress, which include assumptions regarding reduced income. Our financial position remains robust; even under the most adverse scenario we would end 2022 still exceeding our general reserves target level, with commensurate holdings of unrestricted cash.

There are ongoing funding awards, and further potential funding opportunities, that are not included fully in the 2022 base plan figures. Our ongoing reforecasts aim to capture and use the best available forward financial information, which we expect will lead to changes in the rolling financial forecast for 2022, and in following years.

Going concern

There is a reasonable expectation that Sightsavers has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Taking into account the strength of our financial modelling, we believe any adverse impacts are manageable.

Taking account of the level of reserves held, current and projected, the trustees believe that there are no material uncertainties that call into doubt the charity’s ability to continue.

The financial statements have, therefore, been prepared on the basis that the charity is a going concern, as described in note 2 (see page 72).

Shobha, a community health worker in India, conducting an eye test. She has worked with Sightsavers, screening thousands of people for refractive error.

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© Sightsavers/Animesh Dutta
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Key people and suppliers

Patron

Her Majesty the Queen

President

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy GCVO

Vice-presidents

Lady Wilson OBE

Sir David Thompson KCMG (deceased December 2020) Sir Graham Burton KCMG (deceased July 2021) Lord Nigel Crisp KCB Martin Dinham CBE Dr Uche Amazigo

Honorary officers

Sir Clive Jones GCMG CBE, Chair Christopher Kinder, Vice-chair Bill Kendall, Treasurer

Members of the Council (trustees)

Abia Akram Maryanne Diamond

Prof Margaret Gyapong (appointed February 2021) Barry Hoffman Joy Hutcheon Sir Clive Jones GCMG CBE Bill Kendall Christopher Kinder Elaine Lee Jim Miley (stepped down December 2021 ) Joan Burton TD (appointed January 2022) Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi Dr Manoj Parulekar Prof Tuwani Rasengane David Louis Taylor Prof Sir Chris Whitty

The committees

Audit committee Christopher Kinder, Chair Bill Kendall Prof Tuwani Rasengane David Louis Taylor Richard Ufland (Co-opted member)

Governance committee

Sir Clive Jones, Chair Christopher Kinder, Vice-Chair Barry Hoffman Bill Kendall

Investment committee

Bill Kendall, Chair Sir Clive Jones Christopher Kinder

Remuneration committee

Sir Clive Jones, Chair Barry Hoffman Bill Kendall Christopher Kinder

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Strategy steering group

Dr Caroline Harper CBE, Chair Chief Executive Officer

Dominic Haslam OBE Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Kenneth Moon Chief Operating Officer

Simon Bush Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases

Imran Khan

Director of Programme Strategy and Development

Ella Pierce

Director of Fundraising and Marketing

Gareth Roberts Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Director

Alicia Cummins Director of Policy and Programme Strategy and Planning

Senior management team

Kenneth Moon, Chair Chief Operating Officer

Anna Becker Director of Institutional Funding

Andy Boetius Finance Director

Alicia Cummins Director of Policy and Programme Strategy and Planning

Fatoumata Diouf Regional Director, West Africa

Dr Caroline Harper CBE Chief Executive Officer

Dominic Haslam OBE Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Natasha Kennedy Director of Campaigns and Communications

Imran Khan Director of Programme Strategy and Development Juilet Milgate Director of Policy and Global Advocacy

Thomas Millar Neglected Tropical Diseases Operations Director

RN Mohanty Chief Executive, India

John Muriuki Regional Director, East Central and Southern Africa

Feargal O’Connell Chief Executive, Ireland (appointed December 2020)

Ella Pierce Director of Fundraising and Marketing

Mark Ramsden Director of Governance, Legal and Assurance

Gareth Roberts Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Director

Elena Schmidt Director of Evidence, Research and Innovations

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Principal addresses

Registered address

35 Perrymount Road Haywards Heath West Sussex RH16 3BW

Correspondence address

Bumpers Way Bumpers Farm Chippenham SN14 6NG

Principal bankers

HSBC Bank plc Sussex and Surrey Corporate Centre First Point, Buckingham Gate London Gatwick Airport West Sussex RH6 0NT

Standard Chartered Bank 1 Basinghall Avenue London EC2V 5DD

Investment managers

UBS AG 5 Broadgate London EC2M 2QS

Independent auditors

Crowe U.K. LLP 55 Ludgate Hill London EC4M 7JW

Allied Irish Bank 7/12 Dame Street Dublin 2 D02 KX20

Solicitors

Bates, Wells & Braithwaite Cheapside House 138 Cheapside London EC2V 6BB

Independent auditors

A resolution that Crowe U.K. LLP be appointed as the independent auditor to Sightsavers will be proposed at the forthcoming annual general meeting. Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf on:

Sir Clive Jones Chair

Date: 21 July 2022

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Independent Auditor’s Report to the Trustees of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind (‘the charity’) and its subsidiaries (‘the group’) for the year ended 31 December 2021. It comprises the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Group and Charity Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is 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).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

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 group in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s 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

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s or the group’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

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Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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.

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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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

Responsibilities of 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 the trustees 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 group and the parent 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.

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Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011, and section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and report in accordance with the Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and noncompliance with laws and regulations, are set out as follows.

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.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members, including significant component audit teams. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charity and group operates, focusing on the laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Charities Act 2011 and The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, together with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charity’s and the group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charity and the group for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context for the UK operations were General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), anti-fraud, bribery and corruption legislation, taxation legislation, and employment legislation.

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We also considered compliance with local legislation for the group’s overseas operating segments.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management, and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of grant and contract income and major donations, end use of funds, including funds granted to partner organisations, and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management, internal audit and the Audit Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, testing of a sample of grant, contract and major donation income against the terms of the funding agreements and the requirement of the Charities SORP (FRS102), sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission, and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions,

misrepresentations, and the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and Regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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 and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Signature:

Date: 16 August 2022

For and on behalf of Crowe U.K. LLP Statutory Auditor London

Crowe U.K. LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Crowe U.K. LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity under regulation 10(2) of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations by virtue of its eligibility under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

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Consolidated statement of financial activities year ended 31 December 2021

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Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds 2021 funds 2021 2021 funds 2020 funds 2020 2020
Note £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 3 40,166 41,294 81,460 36,810 25,536 62,346
Gifts in kind 4 435 112,258 112,693 446 154,699 155,145
Charitable activities 5 - 42,123 42,123 - 43,088 43,088
Investments 6 189 - 189 292 - 292
Other trading 7 263 - 263 244 - 244
Other 8 16 31 47 106 - 106
Total income and endowments 41,069 195,706 236,775 37,898 223,323 261,221
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 10 16,991 1,585 18,576 18,239 1,287 19,526
Charitable activities
Health: eye care 9,10 3,181 12,196 15,377 3,576 7,939 11,515
Neglected tropical diseases 9,10 3,935 46,129 50,064 3,578 44,200 47,778
- -
Gift-in-kind drug donation 9,10 112,258 112,258 154,699 154,699
Education 9,10 1,302 2,088 3,390 1,324 1,812 3,136
Social inclusion 9,10 2,165 7,698 9,863 2,055 8,077 10,132
Policy and research 9,10 3,562 172 3,734 2,938 262 3,200
Total charitable activities 9,10 14,145 180,541 194,686 13,471 216,989 230,460
Other 10 360 - 360 419 - 419
Total expenditure 31,496 182,126 213,622 32,129 218,276 250,405
Gains on investments 17 550 - 550 7 - 7
Net income 10,123 13,580 23,703 5,776 5,047 10,823
Transfer between funds 23 7,083 (7,083) - 3,555 (3,555) -
Actuarial gains / (losses) on
defined benefit pension scheme 13 977 - 977 (1,409) - (1,409)
Net movement in funds 18,183 6,497 24,680 7,922 1,492 9,414
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 25,565 15,172 40,737 17,643 13,680 31,323
Total funds carried forward 23 43,748 21,669 65,417 25,565 15,172 40,737
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Restricted funds include endowment funds, which had a balance as at 31 December 2021 of £214,000 (2020: £214,000). See note 23 on page 9100 for further information. All incoming and outgoing resources arise from continuing activities. All gains and losses recognised in the year are included above.

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Consolidated and charity balance sheet 31 December 2021

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Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
Note £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 16 656 73 656 73
Investments 17 7,237 6,718 7,237 6,718
Total fixed assets 7,893 6,791 7,893 6,791
Current assets
Debtors 18 4,484 3,887 4,892 8,652
Cash at bank and in hand 19 74,865 51,279 70,614 43,091
Total current assets 79,349 55,166 75,506 51,743
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 20 20,903 18,965 18,542 17,560
Net current assets 58,446 36,201 56,963 34,183
Total assets less current liabilities 66,339 42,992 64,857 40,974
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than
one year 20 - - - -
Provision for other liabilities 21 922 877 914 871
Net assets excluding pension (liability) 65,417 42,115 63,943 40,103
Defined benefit pension scheme (liability) 13 - (1,378) - (1,378)
Total net assets 65,417 40,737 63,943 38,725
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted funds
Free reserve 23,24 32,185 22,040 30,810 20,104
Pension reserve 13,23,24 - (1,378) - (1,378)
General 23,24 32,185 20,662 30,809 18,726
Designated 23,24 11,563 4,903 11,563 4,903
Total unrestricted funds 43,748 25,565 42,373 23,629
Restricted funds 23,24 21,455 14,958 21,356 14,882
Endowment funds 23,24 214 214 214 214
Total funds 65,417 40,737 63,943 38,725
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The net movement in funds for the financial year dealt within the financial statements of the parent charity was £23,857,000 (2020: £9,202,000). The trustees have prepared group accounts in accordance with section 138 of the Charities Act 2011. The notes on pages 72 to 107 form part of these financial statements.

These financial statements were approved by the Council on 21 July 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Chair

Hon. Treasurer

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Consolidated statement of cash flows Year ended 31 December 2021

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2021 2020
Note £’000 £’000
Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period
(as per the statement of financial activities) 23,302 10,422
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges 16 195 175
Gains on investments 17 (445) (124)
Investment income 6 (189) (292)
Exchange rate (gain) 10 (409) (392)
Loss on sale of fixed assets 8 46 106
Increase in provisions 21 45 165
(Increase) / decrease in debtors 18 (597) 1,105
Increase in creditors 20 1,938 2,903
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 23,886 14,068
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets 16 (778) (201)
Payments to acquire investments 17 (1,952) (3,278)
Receipts from sale of fixed assets 8 (46) (106)
Receipts from sale of investments 17 2,179 3,357
(Increase) / decrease in cash held for investment 17 (301) 79
Investment income 6 189 292
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (709) 143
Cash flows from financing activities:
- -
Repayment of borrowing
- -
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents 23,177 14,211
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 51,279 34,791
Exchange gains / (losses) on cash equivalents 409 392
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 74,865 49,394
Cash and cash equivalents consist of:
Cash in hand 74,865 51,279
- -
Notice deposits (less than 3 months)
-
Overdraft facility repayable on demand (1,885)
Total cash and cash equivalents 74,865 49,394
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Analysis of changes in net cash / (debt)

At start of year Cashflows Foreign exchange At end of year
£’000 £’000 movements £’000
£’000
Cash 51,279 23,178 409 74,865
Cash equivalents - - - -
Overdraft facility repayable on demand (1,885) 1,885 - -
Total 49,394 25,062 409 74,865

Linda, a community health nurse in the western region of Ghana, has been helping to improve treatment of neglected tropical diseases.

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Notes to the financial statements Year ended 31 December 2021

1 Charity information

The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, trading as Sightsavers, is a registered charity (No. 207544 and SCO38110) which is incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The address of the registered office is 35 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3BW, UK.

2 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified by the inclusion of investments at market value, and in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), effective 1 January 2019, and the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the current and previous year.

The trustees report includes a review of financial performance and the Charity’s reserves position (page 56). Sightsavers has adequate financial resources and is well placed to manage the business risks. The planning process, including financial projections, has taken into consideration the current economic climate and its potential impact on the various sources of income and planned expenditure. There is a reasonable expectation that Sightsavers has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The trustees believe that there are no material uncertainties that call into

doubt the Charity’s ability to continue. The financial statements have, therefore, been prepared on the basis that the Charity is a going concern.

Sightsavers meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Basis of consolidation

The financial statements consolidate the results of the Charity and its subsidiary undertakings on a line-by-line basis. A separate Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) has not been presented for the Charity alone, which is consistent with previous years. The net result for the Charity (which includes all its branches) is a surplus of £23,857,000, which comprises income of £98,820,000, expenditure of £75,513,000, and a gain on investment of £550,000 (2020 gain of £7,000). Sightsavers has the following subsidiary undertakings for which group accounts have been prepared. These all undertake fundraising activity in their local jurisdictions.

Sightsavers (Trading) Limited is a UK registered company (No: 2464229). Control is established by virtue of the Charity owning 100 per cent of the issued share capital of the organisation.

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Sightsavers International Inc. is registered in the USA, incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (federal ID: 311740776). The Charity has the right to appoint all directors of the organisation.

Sightsavers Inc. is registered in the USA, incorporated under the laws of the State of Missouri (federal ID: 47-4657747). There is a collaboration agreement between the organisations.

Sightsavers (Ireland) is registered in Ireland (company number: 377692, charity number: CHY15437). The Charity appoints two directors to the Board of the organisation and there is a management contract in place between the organisations.

Sightsavers International Italia (Onlus No: 97653640017) is registered in Italy as an Onlus non-profit, non-stock corporation. The majority of the Board of the entity are trustees or senior management of the Charity. The Charity and subsidiary are managed on a unified basis.

Insamlingsstiftelsen Sightsavers International (Sverige) is registered in Sweden (company number: 802477-8188, charity number: 90 03 63-3). The Charity, as founder, has the right to appoint the Board in the governing document.

Stiftelsen Sightsavers International Norge is registered in Norway (No: 912 388 573). The Charity, as founder, has the right to appoint the Board in the governing document.

Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds available for use at the discretion of the trustees to further the general objectives of Sightsavers that have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The use of each designated fund is set out in note 23.

Restricted funds are funds to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been

raised by the Charity for particular purposes. Details of restricted funds are set out in note 23.

Endowment funds comprise monies that must be held indefinitely as capital. Related income is credited to general funds and applied for general purposes unless under the terms of the endowment that such income must be used for specific purposes, in which case it is credited to restricted funds.

Income

Income is recognised when Sightsavers is entitled to the income. Where performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Charitable activities performance-related conditions: some funding agreements specify the services to be performed by Sightsavers for receiving the funds. Where this is the case, Sightsavers becomes entitled to the funds as it earns the right to consideration by its performance. When cash is received in advance of entitlement, income is deferred and included in creditors. Where entitlement occurs before cash being received, the income is accrued.

The following specific policies apply to categories of income:

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Expenditure

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. All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT where applicable. Expenditure is classified into the following categories:

Amounts payable to partners for overseas projects are charged when an obligation exists and are described as grants payable in note 9. These payments are made under standard partner agreements, which include an agreed project budget, in response to payment requests made by the partner.

These requests are reviewed and approved on an individual basis where the obligation to pay exists. They are generally recognised as a partner payable, as opposed to an accrual, once the payment request has been approved.

Employee benefits include all costs incurred by the Charity in exchange for the services of its employees. Expenditure is recognised for all employee benefits resulting from their service to Sightsavers during the reporting period. A liability is recognised for the cost of all benefits to which employees are entitled at the reporting date and have yet to be paid.

Redundancy costs (termination benefits) are recognised as an immediate cost and charged to the SOFA on a demonstrable

commitment to termination, with provision for future redundancy costs measured at a best estimate of the expenditure that would be required to settle the obligation at the reporting date.

Expenditure includes gifts in kind, which are valued and recognised on the same basis as the equivalent income.

Allocation of support costs

Support costs include the central and regional office functions such as general management, payroll administration, budgeting, forecasting and accounting, information technology, human resources, and facilities management. These are allocated across the categories of expenditure outlined above. The basis of the cost allocation is explained in note 10.

Operating leases

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the SOFA on a straight-line basis over the most likely term of the lease.

Finance leases

Leases are accounted for as finance leases when substantially all the risk and rewards relating to the leased property transfer to Sightsavers. The asset is recognised as a tangible fixed asset. Rentals payable are apportioned between:

Fixed assets recognised under finance leases are accounted for using the policies applied generally to tangible fixed assets.

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Tangible fixed assets

Individual tangible fixed assets costing £5,000 or more are capitalised at cost. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, excluding freehold land, at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation of each asset on a straight-line basis over their expected useful economic lives, as set out below:

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Tangible fixed asset Depreciation
Freehold buildings 2% to 4%
Computer equipment 33%
Motor vehicles held 100%
overseas
Fittings and office 25%
equipment
Leasehold To the date of
improvements the next lease
break point
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Investments

Investments are initially measured at cost and subsequently at market value at the balance sheet date. The SOFA includes the net gains and losses arising from disposals and revaluations throughout the year.

Debtors

Debtors are measured in the accounts at their recoverable amount.

Creditors

Creditors are measured in the accounts at their settlement amount.

Forward exchange contracts

Sightsavers has entered into forward exchange contracts during the year to hedge forward currency exposure on near-term programme expenditure. Forward currency exchanges made under these contracts are recorded at the specified rate at the time of the transaction.

At the end of each reporting period, each contract is revalued, based on the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. An asset or liability is recorded and the gain or loss is reported in the SOFA.

Financial instruments

Sightsavers also has financial assets and 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.

Investments held as part of an investment portfolio are held at fair value at the balance sheet date, with gains and losses being recognised in the SOFA. Investments in subsidiary undertakings are held at cost less impairment.

Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the Charity has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events; it is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation and the amount can be estimated reliably.

Provisions are measured at the present value of the expenditure expected to be required to settle the obligation. The increase in the provision due to passage of time is recognised as a finance cost.

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Pension

Sightsavers operates a defined benefit pension scheme for its eligible UK contracted employees. This scheme was closed to new members in September 2002 and to future accruals in August 2010. The pension costs and the pension provision for the defined benefit scheme are calculated on the basis of actuarial advice and are charged to the SOFA in accordance with the requirements of FRS 102.

Sightsavers also operates a defined contribution scheme for eligible UK contracted employees. Pension costs for the defined contribution scheme are charged to the accounts as they are accrued.

A pensions reserve has been created within unrestricted funds in compliance with paragraph 10.93 of the Charities SORP (FRS 102). Details of the pension schemes are disclosed in note 13.

For staff based overseas, Sightsavers contributes to locally managed provident fund schemes and a centrally managed end-of-service benefit scheme based on the number of years’ service completed, in line with local employment laws. Any benefit accrued but not paid at the year-end is recorded as a liability.

All pension costs are allocated between activities and between restricted and unrestricted funds on the basis of the time spent.

Foreign exchange

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies have been translated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Exchange differences are recognised within net income / expenditure.

Income and expenditure transactions incurred in a foreign currency have been translated during the course of the year at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of the transaction and are disclosed in the SOFA.

Functional / presentation currency

The functional currency of the Charity and its subsidiaries is considered to be pound sterling because that is the currency of the primary economic environment in which Sightsavers operates. The consolidated financial statements are also presented in pound sterling and rounded to the nearest thousand.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the Charity’s accounting policies, trustees are required to make judgements, estimates, and assumptions about the carrying value 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 on-going 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 the current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have an effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are described in the accounting policies and are summarised here:

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Going concern

The Trustees of Sightsavers receive forecasts and financial projections, which detail variations in the level and timing of future income and funding, and have considered the short- and longer-term financial projections and other risks that may affect Sightsavers.

They have considered the key risks that could negatively impact the going concern of Sightsavers and have considered budgets and forecasts, cashflow projections and contingency, and recovery plans. Sightsavers ended 2021 significantly financially stronger than when it started the year.

To mitigate risks faced, Sightsavers has undertaken a range of activities and measures to maximise its resilience, including:

After considering these factors, the trustees have concluded that Sightsavers has a reasonable expectation that there are adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and have continued to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis.

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3 Donations and legacies

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2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Individuals
UK 23,563 19,518
Ireland 4,027 4,047
Italy 4,757 4,179
India 2,154 2,057
Other 1,159 1,103
Total from individuals 35,660 30,904
Legacies 14,051 12,542
Government, NGO and institutional donors 14,115 8,154
Companies 5,470 4,949
Trusts 12,026 5,621
Community service and other organisations 138 176
Total 81,460 62,346
Donations, excluding legacies, above £100,000 included within the above:
Government, NGO and institutional donors:
ELMA Foundation 4,575 -
FCDO UK Aid Connect Inclusion Works 2,399 3,138
FCDO UK Aid Match 2,259 1,297
FCDO IDP 1,020 -
Irish Aid 1,577 1,611
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 655 429
Crown Prince Court 539 -
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 418 218
Task Force for Global Health 116 -
Fred Hollows Foundation 19 130
The END Fund 16 338
States of Jersey 12 103
Companies:
People’s Postcode Lottery 2,500 2,588
Standard Chartered Seeing is Believing 528 605
Dubai Cares 425 304
Cholamandalam Business Services 225 245
Options Consulting 219 195
Baxter International 139 -
Azimpremji Philanthropic 138 133
Dubai Duty Free 111 111
L’Occitaine Foundation 83 134
HCL Technologies 49 122
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2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Trusts:
GiveWell recommended funds - Good Ventures Foundation 6,639 2,312
An Anonymous Foundation 2,872 1,181
Rausing EH 724 -
KS Thorne 250 -
Latter Day Saints 244 -
DAK Foundation 231 129
Global Institute for Disease Education 149 -
Pears Foundation 100 -
Zochonis Trust 100 99
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As at 31 December 2021, in addition to legacy income that has been included in the accounts, Sightsavers is expected to benefit from a number of legacies from estates for which the administration has yet to be finalised or Sightsavers notified that a payment will be made. Sightsavers’ future income from these legacies is estimated at £15,880,000 (2020: estimated at £17,014,000). In addition, Sightsavers is the future beneficiary of legacy assets transferred to and held in trust, with an estimated value of £2,121,000 (2020: £2,288,000).

Thanks to Sightsavers’ integrated school health programme in Liberia, Mehnu, pictured with his father and mother, was able to be treated for an eye condition that caused itching, irritation and sensitivity to sunlight.

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Annual report 2021

4 Gifts in kind

In 2021, Sightsavers International Inc. secured gift-in-kind donations valued at £112,258,000 (2020: £154,699,000) from Merck Inc., in the form of Mectizan® tablets, which have been shipped to Benin, Cameroon, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Togo. Ongoing delays in some of the programmes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have once again resulted in a reduced number of shipments in the year and thereby caused a corresponding decrease in the value of donations compared to 2020.

Sightsavers is responsible for the coordination of Mectizan® tablet distribution to those people at risk of developing river blindness. The gift-in-kind donations received reflects the approximate value of tablets distributed through the Sightsavers coordination work. Sightsavers works in collaboration with a small number of other agencies to ensure the responsibilities for coordination are most effectively undertaken.

On 31st December 2020, Emirates ceased donating air miles to Sightsavers, no donations were therefore received in 2021.During 2020, Sightsavers utilised 6,467,500 air miles for the purpose of 92 related flights. These were valued at £43,000, based on the lowest economy fare available at the time of travel.

Google grants is a unique gift-in-kind donation programme that awards free AdWords advertising to selected charitable organisations. It supports organisations that share Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. During the year, Sightsavers secured donations valued at £435,000 (2020: £403,000).

In 2021, Sightsavers benefited from the contribution of unpaid volunteers. The activities carried out by these volunteers, predominantly interactions with schools and community groups, have not been included in the accounts in accordance with the SORP, due to the absence of any reliable measurement basis.

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Gifts in kind 2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Mectizan [®] 112,258 154,699
Drug donation 112,258 154,699
sub-total
Emirates air miles 0 43
Google AdWords 435 403
Total gifts 112,693 155,145
in kind
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5 Income from charitable activities

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2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Accelerate Partners 14,103 9,294
FCDO Commonwealth - 4,664
14,103 13,958
FCDO UK Aid Match Oncho / LF - 5
FCDO DID 3,714 3,900
FCDO Ascend 22,231 22,232
European Commission 157 134
The Gates Foundation 1,565 2,505
USAID (through HKI, JSI and RTI) 97 149
Helen Keller International 249 191
RTI International 7 14
Total 42,123 43,088
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Further information on each of these income sources is provided in note 23.

6 Investment income

6Investment income
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Dividends from investments 137 150
Bank deposit interest 52 142
Total 189 292

7 Other trading income

7Other trading income
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Sightsavers raffle ticket sales 263 244
Total 263 244

During the year, Sightsavers decided to have a closer alignment with the Charities SORP, to show income received from Sightsavers own raffle ticket sales as trading income. In 2020, this was previously included within donations and legacies.

8 Other income

8Other income
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Profit on disposal of fixed assets 47 106
Total 47 106

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Annual report 2021

9 Charitable activities

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Neglected Gift-
Health tropical in-kind Social Policy and
eye care diseases drugs Education inclusion research 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Benin - 637 - - - - 637 536
Burkina Faso - 407 - - - - 407 263
Cameroon - 1,625 - 142 135 - 1,902 2,019
Cote D’Ivoire - 354 - - - - 354 698
Ghana - 421 - - 156 - 577 756
Guinea 32 1,168 - - - - 1,200 1,343
Guinea Bissau 5 533 - - - - 538 532
Kenya - 1,376 - - 671 - 2,047 1,417
Liberia 520 439 - 330 - - 1,289 1,085
Malawi 724 - - 264 - - 988 659
Mali 364 544 - 112 - - 1,020 882
Mozambique 668 57 - - - - 725 555
Nigeria 375 4,763 - - 510 - 5,648 5,438
Senegal 195 1,001 - 126 197 - 1,519 1,142
Sierra Leone 548 446 - 161 - - 1,155 1,246
Sudan - 67 - - - - 67 141
South Sudan - 81 - - - - 81 127
Tanzania 915 582 - - - - 1,497 1,339
The Gambia - - - - - - - 3
Togo - 107 - - - - 107 81
Uganda 585 312 - 79 217 - 1,193 947
Zambia 281 - - 205 - - 486 267
Zimbabwe 15 986 - - - - 1,001 949
East Central Southern Africa
(ECSA) Regional Office 125 19 - - - - 144 168
West Africa Regional Office 20 134 - 7 8 - 169 111
Africa Finance Office 66 371 - 24 24 - 485 410
Sub-total Africa 5,438 16,430 - 1,450 1,918 - 25,236 23,114
India 2,749 - - 274 338 - 3,361 3,225
India Regional Office 357 - - 35 84 20 496 575
Sub-total India 3,106 - - 309 422 20 3,857 3,800
Bangladesh 1,018 - - - 255 - 1,273 1,180
Pakistan 1,020 81 - 7 4 4 1,116 1,165
Sub-total South Asia 2,038 81 - 7 259 4 2,389 2,345
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Neglected Gift-
Health tropical in-kind Social Policy and
eye care diseases drugs Education inclusion research 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Global programmes 2 23,282 - - 4,591 - 27,875 28,040
Gifts in kind
Central support functions
Programme technical support
Advocacy and policy support
Direct charitable
expenditure		 -
1,485
1,716
1,592
15,377		 -
1,971
6,644
1,656
50,064		 112,258
-
-
-
112,258		 -
492
1,060
72
3,390		 -
699
1,181
793
9,863		 -
907
887
1,916
3,734		 112,258
5,554
11,488
6,029
**194,686 **		 154,729
5,047
9,362
4,023
230,460

Our income from our charitable activities arises from activities across our programme portfolio, described on page 12. The principal programme categories and types of activities undertaken are as follows:

1. Eye health: we undertake programmes to promote sustainable, good quality eye health services and systems that contribute to universal health coverage, and to strengthen global, national and sub-national policy and accountability frameworks that facilitate integration of eye health into universal health coverage. Our work covers support to inclusive and quality service delivery, scale-up of effective coverage by influencing policy and financing systems for eye health, and support for equitable and inclusive refractive services.

2. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs): our programmes are focused on achieving elimination of five NTDs – intestinal worms (soil-transmitted helminths), lymphatic filariasis, river blindness (onchocerciasis), schistosomiasis and trachoma. This is being achieved through support for large-scale treatment and monitoring activities, work with partners and governments to ensure NTD interventions are sustainable and integrated into health systems, and research and evidence generation to increase the effectiveness of elimination programmes.

3. Education: we work at all three levels of education systems (institutional, organisational and local) to achieve strengthened policy frameworks, education sector plans and donor

commitments that promote disability inclusive education, increased capacity of ministries of education and other agencies to support schools and communities to deliver disabilityinclusive education, and increased capacity of schools and communities to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities. The promotion of gender equitable education that meets the specific needs of girls and boys with disabilities is a key cross-cutting objective of our work.

4. Social inclusion: our programmes work across four key areas: citizenship and political participation to ensure people with disabilities are included in key decision-making processes, economic empowerment focused on individuals and deeper systemic change, inclusive health to ensure people with disabilities have equitable access to health services, and the promotion of the rights of women and girls with disabilities to tackle the disproportionate discrimination and exclusion they face.

5. Policy and research: we strive to be an evidence-driven organisation investing in research activities that generate deeper understanding of the issues we are addressing in our work, and providing evidence that gives the design and implementation of successful programme activity.

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Annual report 2021
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Zuwaira had been living with painful, itchy eyes for 27 years until she had an operation in Nigeria, thanks to Sightsavers’ work helping to eliminate trachoma.

10 Total expenditure

Allocation
Grants Direct Gifts of support Total Total
payable costs in kind costs 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Raising funds - 15,741 435 2,400 18,576 19,526
Charitable activities
Health - eye care
Neglected tropical disease
Gift in kind drugs
Education
Social inclusion
Policy and research
Other - revaluations
Other – forward exchange contracts
Total resources expended 2021		 5,121
29,918
-
297
4,535
7
-
-
39,878		 8,028
17,592
-
2,376
4,397
3,030
411
(51)
51,524		 -
-
112,258
-
-
-
-
-
112,693		 2,228
2,554
-
717
931
697
-
-
9,527		 15,377
50,064
112,258
3,390
9,863
3,734
411
(51)
213,622		 11,515
47,778
154,699
3,136
10,132
3,200
392
27
n/a
Total resources expended 2020 37,038 49,089 155,145 9,133 n/a 250,405

During the year, Sightsavers made grants to partner organisations carrying out work in support of the mission. These are considered to be part of the costs of activities in furtherance of the aims of Sightsavers: much of the Charity’s programme activity is carried out through grants to local organisations that support long-term, sustainable benefits for people affected by blindness, visual impairment, and disability. This includes capacity-

building and partnership development. The work of these local organisations is closely monitored by Sightsavers.

A list of principal grants is available on our website: www.sightsavers.org/annual-reports

Staff costs included in direct costs is £23,152,000 (2020: £21,538,000).

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The support costs and the basis of their allocation were as follows:

2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Directorate 273 233
Governance
Financial management
Information communication technology
Human resources
Planning, performance and reporting
Programme support
Total		 1,436
848
2,163
865
410
3,532
9,527		 1,961
347
2,381
833
377
3,001
9,133

Support costs are defined as costs that cannot be directly identified with a single activity of the organisation, such as head office finance, human resources, and facilities, and are primarily identified by cost centre. All costs associated with Sightsavers’ overseas offices, such as finance or rent, are included as direct costs, as these are directly related to the implementation of Sightsavers’ programmes.

The support costs were allocated across the expenditure categories based on an estimate of the time spent. This estimate is updated periodically.

Other costs include foreign exchange gains and losses. In 2021, a foreign exchange gain of £51,000 (2020: loss of £397,000) arose on the translation of foreign currency denominated monetary net assets.

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Annual report 2021

11 Net income/expenditure

2021 2021 2020 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Stated after charging:
Depreciation 195 175
Fees paid to Crowe:
UK charity audit
81
International audits
83
USAID audit
2
Tax advisory
10
Fees paid to other audit firms:
International audits
119
Pension scheme audit
7
EC project verification
-
Investment managers’ fees
Operating lease charges		 176
126
45
1,000		 83
57
2
22
117
6
6		 164
129
53
1,096

12 Staff costs

2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Wages and salaries 21,749 20,532
Social security costs
Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension scheme
Operating costs of defined
benefit pension scheme
End of service benefit
Other employee benefits		 1,960
2,854
-
601
755		 1,857
1,535
1
590
710
Total 27,919 25,225

The average number of employees during the year was as follows:

2021 2020
No. No.
Directorate 8 8
Finance and performance
Global fundraising
NTDs
Policy and programme strategies
International programmes		 105
82
39
132
379		 103
83
33
119
347
Total 745 693

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Staff number growth was driven by a focus on strengthening strategic support for programmes; employing finance and support staff overseas to achieve support across time zones; and the development of a new campaigns, communications, and media function.

The total employee remuneration of the Chief Executive and direct reports was £1,034,527 (2020: £1,067,734), inclusive of employer pension and national insurance contributions.

For staff paid £60,000 or greater per annum, the number of employees with emoluments in the following ranges were:

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No. employees
Range 2021 2020
£60,000 – £69,999 17 15
£70,000 – £79,999 15 15
£80,000 – £89,999 3 5
£90,000 – £99,999 3 4
-
£100,000 – £109,999 3
- -
£110,000 – £119,999
£120,000 – £129,999 2 2
-
£130,000 – £139,999 2
£140,000 – £149,999 2 1
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The cost of health insurance for two senior employees with places of work outside of the United Kingdom, with no available state health provision, are included within their emoluments above £60,000 per annum, and are also included in their remuneration as direct reports to the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive received the highest base salary and also received the highest emoluments in 2021.

End-of-service benefit scheme liabilities / payments are deemed as employer’s contributions to an individual employee pension scheme and, as such, are not classed as employee emoluments.

Sightsavers operates a flexible holidays scheme where employees can increase or decrease their annual holiday entitlement by buying or selling up to five days of holiday. The value of flexible holiday transactions, which increase and decrease remuneration, have not been included in the calculations of emoluments in the above table so as to allow comparability around base salary plus other emoluments.

Redundancy and termination payments made and provided for during the year to employees for compensation for loss of employment totalled £160,616 (2020: £52,108). A further £39,278 of ex-gratia payments was made to employees as a result of the early closure of the FCDO-funded Ascend contract.

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13 Pension costs

Sightsavers operates a defined contribution pension scheme for UK staff. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Charity in an independently administered fund.

Sightsavers contributes twice the level of an employee’s contribution, up to a maximum of 10 per cent of pensionable pay. Contributions payable by Sightsavers were £1,615,922 in 2021 (2020: £1,487,336), of which £280,173 was outstanding at the balance sheet date (2020: £127,975). The disclosure in note 12 also includes the costs of contributions to overseas pension schemes.

Sightsavers operates a defined benefit pension scheme in the UK. This is a separate trustee administered fund holding the pension scheme assets to meet longterm pension liabilities. The scheme was closed to new members on 30 September 2002 and closed to future accrual on 31 August 2010, although active members at that date continue to have their benefits linked to future salary increases. A full actuarial valuation is carried out every three

years by a qualified actuary, independent of the scheme’s sponsoring employer,the latest completed at 31 December 2018 (with the 2021 actuarial valuation currently in progress). The major assumptions used by the actuary for financial reporting are shown on page 91.

On the FRS 102 basis, the Scheme has a surplus as at 31 December 2021 of £507,000 (2020: deficit £1,378,000). In accordance with FRS 102, the surplus is not recognised, as future economic benefits are not deemed available to Sightsavers in the form of a reduction in future contributions or a cash refund.

Sightsavers is operating a ten-year indexed deficit recovery contribution plan, agreed with the trustees of the pension scheme, paying funding contributions of £360,000 per annum in real terms to the scheme, from 2016, through to the end of 2026. In 2021, this was indexed to £417,399. Contribution payments are subject to inflation indexation, set at 3% per annum. Payments are made monthly.

Mountaga is president of a school management committee enrolled in an inclusive education project helping visually impaired primary school children in Mali.

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Present values of defined benefit obligation, fair value of assets, and defined benefit asset (liability)

2021 2020 2019
£’000 £’000 £’000
Fair value of plan assets 17,665 16,427 15,086
Present value of defined
benefit obligation
Surplus (deficit) in plan
Unrecognised surplus		 (17,158)
507
(507)		 (17,805)
(1,378)
-		 (15,456)
(370)
-
Defined benefit asset (liability)
to be recognised - (1,378) (370)

Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the defined benefit obligation


of the defined benefit obligation
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Defined benefit obligation at start of period
Expenses
Interest expense
Actuarial losses (gains)
Benefits paid and expenses
Losses (gains) due to benefit changes		 17,805
-
246
(453)
(440)
-		 15,456
-
315
2,904
(871)
1
Defined benefit obligation at
end of period 17,158 17,805

Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the fair value of plan assets


of the fair value of plan assets
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Fair value of plan assets at start of period 16,427 15,086
Interest income
Actuarial gains (losses)
Contributions by the employer
Benefits paid and expenses
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		 230
1,031
417
(440)
17,665		 312
1,495
405
(871)
16,427

The actuarial return on the plan assets over the period ending 31 December 2020 was £1,261,000 (2020: £1,807,000).

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Annual report 2021

Defined benefit costs recognised in net income / (expenditure)

2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Net interest cost 16 3
Losses (gains) due to benefit changes - 1
Defined benefit cost recognised in
resources expended 16 4

Defined benefit costs recognised in other recognised gains (losses)

2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Return on plan assets (excluding amounts
included in net interest cost) – gain 1,031 1,495
Gains (losses) arising on the plan liabilities
Effects of changes in the demographic and
financial assumptions underlying the present
value of the plan liabilities – (loss)
Unrecognised surplus scheme assets		 73
380
(507)		 155
(3,059)
Total 977 (1,409)

The assets of the scheme are held via an investment platform in funds managed by BMO (Bank of Montreal), Columbia Threadneedle and Baillie Gifford. The managed funds are invested in a diversified portfolio of investments comprising 73.2% growth assets, 26.3% Liability Driven Investments (LDI) assets, and 0.5% cash.

The fair value of assets of the scheme at 31 December 2021, along with the expected percentage rates of return (Asset RoR) on the scheme assets, are as follows:

Asset
2021
Asset
2020		 Asset
2019
RoR% £’000 RoR% £’000 RoR% £’000
Growth assets 12,928 11,934 11,667
Gilts
Corporate bonds
Liability-driven investments (LDI)
Cash
Total assets
1.80%		 -
-
4,647
90
17,665		 1.40% -
-
4,416
77
16,427		 2.10 % -
-
3,389
30
15,086

None of the fair values of the assets shown above includes any direct investments in the employer’s own financial instruments or any property occupied by, or other assets used by, the employer.

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As required for the preparation of statutory accounts and in accordance with the requirements of FRS 102 the actuarial valuation was updated by Mercer Limited (the Mercer Group having acquired JLT Benefit Solutions Limited) as at 31 December 2021. The major assumptions used for the purpose of calculating the deficiency were:

2021 2020 2019
Discount rate 1.80% 1.40% 2.10%
Inflation (RPI)
Inflation (CPI)
Salary increases
Allowance for revaluation of deferred pensions of CPI or 5% p.a. if less
Allowance for pension in payment increases of RPI or 8.5% p.a. if less
Allowance for pension in payment increases of RPI or 5% p.a. if less
Allowance for pension in payment increases of CPI or 3% p.a. if less		 3.50%
3.00%
3.30%
3.00%
3.50%
3.30%
2.30%		 3.10%
2.60%
2.90%
2.60%
3.00%
3.00%
2.60%		 2.80%
2.00%
2.30%
2.00%
2.70%
2.70%
2.00%
75% of post 75% of post 75% of post
Allowance for commutation of pension for cash at retirement A day A day A day

The mortality assumptions adopted as at 31 December 2021 imply the following life expectancies at age 65:

2021 2020
Years Years
Member aged 65 (current life expectancy): male 21.8 21.8
Member aged
Member aged
Member aged		 45
65
45		 (life expectancy at 65): male
(current life expectancy): female
(life expectancy at 65): female		 23.1
23.7
25.3		 23.1
23.7
25.2

The best estimate of contributions to be paid by Sightsavers to the scheme for the period commencing 1 January 2022 is £429,859.

14 Trustees’ expenses

2021 2020
No. of trustees £’000 No. of trustees £’000
Reimbursed to trustees:
UK-related 5 1 12 1
Programme visits - - - -

No emoluments or any other benefits have been received by the trustees (2020: £nil). Trustees can be reimbursed for their travel and subsistence expenses in attending meetings. Additionally, trustees may occasionally visit Sightsavers’ partners and programmes overseas, with costs of such trips being met by the Charity. Trustees are encouraged to visit at least one international programme in every four-year term served.

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Annual report 2021

15 Related party transactions

Dr Caroline Harper, Chief Executive of Sightsavers, is a trustee of The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). IAPB was paid £121,674 in 2021 (2020: £119,106), in respect of Sightsavers’ membership fee to IAPB and contributions to support the UN Friends of Vision Group and a World Health Assembly event; no payable balance was outstanding at the end of the year (2020: £nil). Sightsavers received grant funding of £264,525 in 2020 (2020: £327,319) from Standard Chartered Bank’s ‘Seeing Is Believing’ programme, which is co-managed by the IAPB.

Dr Harper is also on the Board of trustees of the International Civil Society Centre; the Centre was paid £33,937 in 2021 (2020: £28,788) for event support payments and contributions to International Sign interpreting and a civil society organisation’s data collaboration initiative. A balance of £22,693 was outstanding at the end of the year (2020: £24,297).

Dominic Haslam (Deputy Chief Executive of Sightsavers) is on the Board of trustees of the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC). IDDC was paid £11,770 in 2021 (2020: £11,739) in respect of Sightsavers’ membership fee.

The related party transactions and intercompany balances of the Charity with subsidiary and related undertakings are:

2021 2020
Grants from Intercompany balances Grants from Intercompany balances
Sightsavers UK at 31 December Sightsavers UK at 31 December
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Sightsavers Ireland - 419 - 964
Sightsavers Italia
Sightsavers International Inc.
Sightsavers Inc.
Insamlingsstiftelsen Sightsavers
International (Sverige)
Stiftelsen Sightsavers
International Norge
Sightsavers (Trading)		 -
7
-
48
55
-		 453
(95)
(605)
75
25
13		 -
13
-
123
136
-		 (115)
(87)
4,253
97
(25)
(1)

Sightsavers has been helping to improve school health services in Liberia. Angelyn (left), pictured with her best friend, was offered an operation to improve her eye health.

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16 Tangible fixed assets

Freehold Leasehold Computer Office fixtures Motor
property property equipment and fittings vehicles Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Cost or valuation
At 1 January 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31 December 2021		 59
-
-
59		 771
617
-
1,388		 27
-
27		 42
-
42		 1,645
161
(136)
1,670		 2,544
778
(136)
3,186
Depreciation
At 1 January 2021
Charge for the year
Revaluation
Disposals
At 31 December 2021		 59
-
-
-
59		 755
15
-
-
769		 12
9
-
-
21		 -
11
-
-
11		 1,645
161
-
(136)
1,670		 2,471
195
-
(136)
2,530
Net book value
At 31 December 2021		 - 619 6 31 - 656
At 1 January 2021 - 16 15 42 - 73

Sightsavers’ head office relocated in 2014 to 35 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, a leasehold property. The balance held in the leasehold property above includes the capitalised finance lease cost associated with leasehold improvements and associated fixtures and fittings and a provision for future dilapidations costs to remove leasehold improvements at the end of the lease, in line with the conditions of the lease agreement.

17 Investments

17Investments
Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Market value at 1 January 6,620 6,575 6,620 6,575
Disposals at opening market value
Acquisitions at cost
Net unrealised gains on revaluation at 31 December
Cash held in portfolio at 31 December
Market value at 31 December
Historical cost at 31 December*
Fund managed investments at market value
Non-fund managed investments at trustees valuation		 (2,179)
1,952
445
6,838
399
7,237
6,382
6,827
11		 (3,357)
3,278
124
6,620
98
6,718
6,496
6,620
-		 (2,179)
1,952
445
6,838
399
7,237
6,382
6,827
11		 (3,357)
3,278
124
6,620
98
6,718
6,496
6,620
-
6,838 6,620 6,838 6,620

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Annual report 2021

Of the UK amounts, the holdings with a market value greater than 5 per cent of the total portfolio value were:


portfolio value were:
2021 2020
% £’000 £’000
Key Multi Manager Hedge Fund Diversified 7.68 525 511
Key Multi Manager Hedge Fund Focused
UBS ETF PLC MSCI UK SOC RES UCITS
Charity Property Fund		 7.63
8.20		 521
-
560		 492
621
466
UBS ETF MSCI Emerging Mkt SHS A - 710
Pimco 6.26 428 394

Subsidiary undertakings

These group accounts include the activities, assets, and liabilities of its subsidiaries. Sightsavers has the following subsidiaries:

Net Surplus/
Assets
Liabilities		 assets Capital
Income
Expenditure		 (deficit)
£’000s £’000s £’000s £’000s £’000s £’000s £’000s
2021 Sightsavers Ireland 1,466 683 783 - 6,266 6,226 40
Sightsavers Italia
Sightsavers International Inc.
Sightsavers Inc.
Insamlingsstiftelsen Sightsavers
International (Sverige)
Stiftelsen Sightsavers International
Norge
Sightsavers Trading		 1,227
111
2,083
107
167
19		 880
6
2,298
90
73
16		 347
104
(215)
17
94
3		 -
-
-
-
-
-		 5,332
7
12,277
424
726
8		 5,890
7
12,261
426
727
23		 (558)
-
16
(2)
(1)
(15)
2020 Sightsavers Ireland
Sightsavers Italia
Sightsavers International Inc.
Sightsavers Inc.
Insamlingsstiftelsen Sightsavers
International (Sverige)
Stiftelsen Sightsavers International
Norge		 2,154
1,288
110
5,118
136
134		 1,411
383
6
5,007
117
39		 743
905
104
111
19
95		 -
-
-
-
-
-		 6,266
4,365
13
7,349
576
633		 6,236
3,657
49
6,942
523
584		 30
708
(36)
407
53
49
Sightsavers Trading 22 4 18 - 24 15 9

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18 Debtors

18Debtors
Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Amounts owed by group and associated undertakings - - 984 5,323
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors		 4,026
458
4,484		 3,587
300
3,887		 3,453
455
4,892		 3,038
291
8,652

The Charity is committed to purchasing a total of US$nil (2020 $2.39 million) under forward contract at 31 December 2021 and to sell a commensurate amount of GBP nil at a USD/GBP average rate of 1.2948 as part of its foreign exchange risk management strategy. The fair value of these forward purchases is held within other creditors. See note 22 for further details.

19 Cash at bank and in hand

----- Start of picture text -----
Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Cash at bank
UK 68,329 40,908 68,322 40,890
Ireland 1,078 1,798 - -
- -
Italy 1,090 1,038
USA 1,824 5,110 - -
Sweden 107 135 - -
Norway 145 88 - -
Middle East 114 126 114 126
India 1,462 1,447 1,462 1,447
Africa 518 454 518 454
South Asia 189 168 189 167
74,856 51,272 70,605 43,084
Cash in hand
India 2 2 2 2
South Asia 6 1 6 1
Africa 1 4 1 4
74,865 51,279 70,614 43,091
----- End of picture text -----

Cash at bank includes money received at the year-end that is to be expended in the first quarter of 2022. In addition, further funds were received in advance to facilitate short-term cash commitments later than three months. In general, these are held in short-term, highly liquid, interest-earning deposit accounts with our existing relationship bank partners until required.

As of 31 December 2021, restricted cash stands at £43,844,000 (2020: £33,966,000).

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Annual report 2021

20 Creditors

Amounts falling due within one year

Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Bank loans and overdrafts 6 1,885 - 1,885
Amounts owed to group and associated undertakings
Payments received on account for contracts or
performance-related grants
Accruals and deferred income
Taxation and social security
Other creditors		 -
15,126
3,050
484
2,237		 -
13,180
1,771
436
1,693		 700
13,409
2,052
444
1,937		 227
10,179
3,316
404
1,549
20,903 18,965 18,542 17,560

The Charity has a high level of restricted cash balances and associated liabilities due to a number of grants with performance-related conditions. When restricted funds are received in advance on such grants, income is deferred until the performance conditions have been met.

Sightsavers has agreed a one-year renewable, rolling £5 million standard, general-purpose overdraft facility with HSBC, which can be utilised to provide working capital funding for specific contracts with payment in arrears terms, principally FCDO Ascend and FCDO DID. The facility operates via a designated bank account, which held a balance at 31 December 2021 of £2,328,275 (2020: overdraft £1,884,726). The facility is unsecured but repayable on demand.

Movement on deferred income during the year

Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Balance brought forward 13,484 9,933 12,393 7,007
Received in year
Released to income
Balance carried forward		 41,837
(39,388)
15,933		 42,404
(38,853)
13,484		 36,461
(35,414)
13,440		 40,020
(34,634)
12,393

The balance carried forward on deferred income is split between payments received on account for contracts or performance-related grants and an element from accruals and deferred income. This element comprises funding received in advance for 2022 projects.

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21 Provision for other liabilities

The Charity had the following provisions during the year:

Dilapidations
provisions
£’000
End of
contract/
service
benefit
£’000
Employee
benefit
accrual
£’000
Total
2021
£’000
Total
2020
£’000
Group At 1 January 2021
54
583
240
877
712
Additions
7
591
192
790
905
Utilised
-
(481)
(240)
(721)
(502)
Reversals
-
-
-
-
(227)
Foreign exchange translation
adjustment
-
(24)
-
(24)
(11)
At 31 December 2021
61
669
192
922
n/a
At 31 December 2020
54
583
240
n/a
877
Charity At 1 January 2021
50
583
238
871
705
Additions
7
591
188
786
903
Utilised
-
(481)
(238)
(719)
(502)
Reversals
-
-
-
-
(224)
Foreign exchange translation
adjustment
-
(24)
-
(24)
(11)
At 31 December 2021
57
669
188
914
n/a
At 31 December 2020
50
583
238
n/a
871

Dilapidations provision

As part of the Charity’s property leasing arrangements, there is an obligation to repair any damages during the life of the lease, such as wear and tear. The cost is charged to the SOFA as the obligation arises. The provision is expected to be utilised before 2028, the year the leases terminate.

End of contract/service benefit

The Charity provides certain international employees with an end of contract / service benefit. The Charity does not set aside assets to fund the payments and pays the benefits out of cash resources. The amounts provided are paid out as and when required, and are ongoing while the employee remains in employment.

Employee benefit accrual

The Charity recognises a provision for annual leave accrued by employees as a result of services rendered in the current period, and which employees are entitled to carry forward and use within the next 12 months. The provision is measured at the salary cost payable for the period of absence.

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Annual report 2021

22 Financial instruments

The Charity has certain 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 amortised cost. Certain other financial instruments are held at fair value, with gains and losses being recognised within income and expenditure.

The Charity has the following financial instruments measured at fair value through the profit and loss:


profit and loss:
Group Charity
2021 2020 2021 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Financial assets measured at fair value, through profit and loss
Investments 7,237 6,718 7,237 6,718
Forward foreign exchange contracts - (51) - (51)
7,237 6,667 7,237 6,667
Group 2021 Group 2020
Income Expense Gain/(loss) Income Expense Gain/(loss)
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Financial assets measured at fair value,
through profit and loss
Investments
687
Forward foreign exchange contracts
51
738		 -
-
-		 687
51
738		 157
-
157		 -
(22)
(22)		 157
(22)
135

Sightsavers entered into three forward exchange contracts during the year to hedge forward currency exposure on future programme expenditure. These contracts were to purchase US dollars (USD) using sterling (GBP), each for six months in duration, at GBP/ USD contract rates ranging from 1.340054 to 1.416181.

As at 31 December 2021, there were no contracts remaining and, as such, there was no carrying amount in the balance sheet (2020: liability of £50,835). This movement on the fair value forms part of the free reserves in note 23.

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Sightsavers research lead Martins with Abiodun Taofeek Mafiu, king of Akinleye in southern Nigeria, who is working alongside Sightsavers to help fight river blindness in his community.

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Annual report 2021

23 Statement of funds

----- Start of picture text -----
2021 Balance at Investment Balance at
1 January gains/ 31 December
2021 Income Expenditure (losses) Transfers 2021
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
General reserve:
Free reserve 22,040 41,069 (31,897) 550 423 32,185
Pension reserve (1,378) - 401 977 - -
Designated funds:
- - -
Future overseas expenditure 1,830 (423) 1,407
Fixed assets fund 73 - - - 583 656
- - - -
Liquidity reserve 3,000 3,000
NTD activities - - - - 6,500 6,500
Total unrestricted funds 25,565 41,069 (31,496) 1,527 7,083 43,748
Restricted funds:
Donations and legacies:
FCDO UK Aid Connect Inclusion Works 4 2,399 (2,236) - (167) -
FCDO UK Aid Match 88 2,259 (2,076) - (206) 65
-
People’s Postcode Lottery 3,951 2,500 (2,594) (649) 3,208
Standard Chartered Bank Seeing is Believing 224 528 (330) - (37) 385
Irish Aid - 1,577 (1,488) - (89) -
States of Jersey 32 12 (32) - (12) -
Fred Hollows Foundation - 19 (19) - - -
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 488 655 (1,097) - 34 80
Dubai Duty Free 6 111 (117) - - -
Dubai Cares 158 425 (371) - (28) 184
The END Fund - 16 (5) - (11) -
Izumi Foundation 15 - - - (15) -
GiveWell recommended funds 6,853 6,639 (2,784) - (360) 10,348
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine - 418 (318) - (100) -
Arcadia 37 - (37) - - -
DAK Foundation 129 231 (185) - (36) 139
Cholamandalam Business Services 219 225 (378) - - 66
L’Occitane Foundation 122 83 (139) - (16) 50
ELMA Foundation - 4,575 (905) - (176) 3,494
Other 2,572 18,653 (17,108) - (681) 3,436
Subtotal 14,898 41,325 (32,219) - (2,549) 21,455
Gifts in kind - 112,258 (112,258) - - -
----- End of picture text -----

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----- Start of picture text -----
2021 Balance at Investment Balance at
1 January gains/ 31 December
2021 Income Expenditure (losses) Transfers 2021
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Income from charitable activities:
- - -
FCDO Disability Inclusive Development 3,714 (3,639) (75)
FCDO ASCEND - 22,231 (18,812) - (3,419) -
USAID - 97 (113) - 16 -
The Gates Foundation - 1,565 (1,364) - (201) -
Accelerate Partners – FCDO Commonwealth - - 3 - (3) -
- - -
Accelerate partners – other 14,103 (13,304) (799)
Helen Keller International - 249 (218) - (31) -
RTI International 1 7 (8) - - -
European Commission 59 157 (194) - (22) -
Subtotal 60 42,123 (37,649) - (4,534) -
Total restricted funds 14,958 195,706 (182,126) - (7,083) 21,455
Endowment funds:
Mountjoy Trust 214 - - - - 214
Total endowment funds 214 - - - - 214
Total funds 40,737 236,775 (213,622) 1,527 - 65,417
----- End of picture text -----

Sightsavers has been helping children with visual impairments in Mali. Here’s Chaka, a teacher at a school in Segou, giving a geometry lesson to Alfousseini, a blind student, using tactile teaching tools.

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Annual report 2021

23 Statement of funds (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
Balance at Income Expenditure Investment Transfers Balance at
2020 1 January £’000 £’000 gains/ £’000 31 December
2020 (losses) 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000
General reserve:
Free reserve 13,819 37,898 (32,530) 7 2,846 22,040
Pension reserve (370) - 401 (1,409) - (1,378)
Designated funds:
Future overseas expenditure 1,147 - - - 683 1,830
Fixed assets fund 47 - - - 26 73
- - - -
Liquidity reserve 3,000 3,000
Total unrestricted funds 17,643 37,898 (32,129) (1,402) 3,555 25,565
Restricted funds:
Donations and legacies:
FCDO Inclusion Works 127 3,138 (3,075) - (186) 4
FCDO UK Aid Match 99 1,297 (1,308) - - 88
-
People’s Postcode Lottery 2,504 2,588 (999) (142) 3,951
Standard Chartered Bank Seeing is Believing 129 605 (638) - 128 224
Irish Aid - 1,611 (1,534) - (77) -
States of Jersey 34 103 (100) - (5) 32
Fred Hollows Foundation 92 130 (129) - (93) -
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 932 429 (929) - 56 488
Dubai Duty Free 11 111 (116) - - 6
Dubai Cares 112 304 (238) - (20) 158
The END Fund 26 338 (458) - 94 -
Izumi Foundation 30 98 (103) - (10) 15
GiveWell Fund – Good Ventures Foundation 7,648 2,312 (2,399) - (708) 6,853
Rama Prasad Group (RPG) 26 24 (47) - (3) -
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 15 218 (307) - 74 -
Arcadia 230 - (144) - (49) 37
DAK Foundation - 129 - - - 129
Cholamandalam Business Services 94 245 (143) - 23 219
L’Occitane Foundation - 134 (22) - 10 122
Other 1,329 11,722 (10,227) - (252) 2,572
Subtotal 13,438 25,536 (22,916) - (1,160) 14,898
Gifts in Kind - 154,699 (154,699) - - -
----- End of picture text -----

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----- Start of picture text -----
Balance at Income Expenditure Investment Transfers Balance at
2020 1 January £’000 £’000 gains/ £’000 31 December
2020 (losses) 2020
£’000 £’000 £’000
Income from charitable activities:
FCDO Nigeria NTD - - (2) - 2 -
FCDO Aid Match - 5 - - (5) -
FCDO SAFE - - 28 - (28) -
FCDO DID - 3,900 (3,768) - (132) -
FCDO ASCEND - 22,232 (21,353) - (879) -
USAID - 149 (141) - (8) -
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust - - 18 - (18) -
The Gates Foundation - 2,505 (2,134) - (371) -
Accelerate Partners – FCDO Commonwealth - 4,664 (4,340) - (324) -
Accelerate Partners – other - 9,294 (8,628) (666) -
Helen Keller International - 191 (229) 38 -
RTI International - 14 (13) - 1
EC India 28 134 (99) - (4) 59
Subtotal 28 43,088 (40,661) - (2,395) 60
Total restricted funds 13,466 223,323 (218,276) (1,402) (3,555) 14,958
Endowment funds:
Mountjoy Trust 214 - - - - 214
Total endowment funds 214 - - - - 214
Total funds 40,737 236,775 (213,622) 1,527 - 65,417
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Mustapha (left) sits near a river, exposing his legs to the black flies that spread river blindness. When they land, he captures the flies in a tube, putting himself at risk of the disease to help save others in his community in Nigeria.

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Designated funds

The balance on future overseas expenditure represents cash held in overseas programme countries bank accounts at the balance sheet date. These balances will be drawn down within one to two months of the year-end.

The balance on the fixed-asset fund represents the net book value of tangible fixed assets at the balance sheet date. These are operational assets required for the day-to-day operations of the Charity.

The liquidity reserve has been maintained at a level of £3 million, to ensure adequate operational liquidity and cash availability to support the day-to-day operations of the Charity.

An NTD activities reserve of £6.5 million has been designated at the end of 2021, primarily to address the FCDO Ascend contract shortfalls, but to also complement

the existing Uniting to Combat NTDs programme and the various projects relating to combating NTDs.

This will fund activities between 1st January 2022 until 31st December 2024.

Restricted funds

The transfer to unrestricted funds of £7,083,000 relates mainly to funds received as part of restricted funding agreements that are provided for Sightsavers indirect costs, principally under our large grants and contracts, including with DFID.

Endowment funds

The Mountjoy Trust is invested and the interest earned is expended specifically for the benefit of the visually deprived, either blind or near blind, in accordance with the terms of the bequest.

The principal grant contracts Sightsavers has classified as restricted fund projects in 2021, the majority of which are recognised under charitable activities, are set out here:

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Donor name Countries affected Formal contract name
Irish Aid Cameroon, Liberia, Programme Grant II
Senegal and Sierra
Leone
Conrad N. Hilton Mali Contribution to the elimination of
Foundation trachoma as a public problem in
Mali
Conrad N. Hilton Tanzania Support the national trachoma
Foundation elimination programme in Tanzania
Conrad N. Hilton Tanzania Support the national trachoma
Foundation elimination programme in Tanzania
Liverpool School of Nigeria Programme of implementation
Tropical Medicine research to inform the effective
and sustainable scaling-up of
integrated neglected tropical
disease (NTD) control initiatives
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Donor name Countries affected Formal contract name
The ELMA Foundation Nigeria, Liberia, Chad ARISE – To fund mass drug
administrations for onchocerciasis
and lymphatic filariasis
GiveWell Cameroon, Nigeria, Delivering schistosomiasis and
Recommended Funds Guinea Bissau, soil-transmitted helminths MDA
Guinea Conakry and in: DRC, Nigeria, Cameroon,
Democratic Republic Guinea Bissau and Guinea
of Congo Conakry
Standard Chartered Pakistan COVID-19 emergency response
Bank programme
Standard Chartered Pakistan Futuremakers Pakistan
Bank
Foreign, Burkina Faso, Chad, Accelerating the sustainable
Commonwealth and Central African control and elimination of
Development Office Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, neglected tropical diseases
Democratic Republic (Ascend) Lot 2 – Western and
of the Congo, Guinea, Central Africa
Liberia, Niger, Nigeria,
Benin, Ghana, Guinea
Bissau and Sierra Leone
Foreign, Bangladesh, Kenya, Disability inclusive development
Commonwealth and Nigeria, Tanzania, programme
Development Office Nepal and Jordan
Foreign, Bangladesh, Kenya, Inclusion works
Commonwealth and Nigeria and Uganda
Development Office
Foreign, Bangladesh and The right to health: Breaking
Commonwealth and Pakistan down barriers to eye health in
Development Office South Asia
Foreign, Tanzania Improved sustainability and equity
Commonwealth and of access to affordable and quality
Development Office eye care services for people, with
and without disabilities, in Tanzania
Foreign, Malawi and Uganda Improved access to affordable,
Commonwealth and quality eye care services for
Development Office people, with and without
disabilities, in South West region,
Malawi and Karamoja, Uganda
Options Consultancy Ghana Leave No One Behind: Mental
(sub FCDO) Health & Disability (MH&D) Ghana
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Annual report 2021

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Donor name Countries affected Formal contract name
Foreign, Global Sightsavers and International
Commonwealth and Disability Alliance: Disability
Development Office Capacity Building Programme
Component 2
Foreign, Global, incl. Ethiopia, Resource and support hub (RSH)
Commonwealth and Nigeria and South
Development Office Sudan
USAID Mali We can learn: Inclusive education
for visually impaired primary
school children in Mali
The Bill and Melinda Global 1. Enhancing the advocacy
Gates Foundation capacity of the Uniting to
Combat NTDs support centre
2. Setting and resourcing a new
NTD agenda for a decade
The Bill and Melinda Nigeria and Onchoceriasis elimination
Gates Foundation Mozambique mapping in Africa
Accelerate Partners:
Commonwealth Kenya, Tanzania, Contributing towards eliminating
Summit Fund Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua blinding trachoma in the
New Guinea, Solomon Commonwealth
Islands, Tonga, Nauru,
Vanuatu and Kiribati
The Bill & Melinda Benin, Botswana, Accelerate: Eliminate blinding
Gates foundation Burkina Faso, trachoma in ten African countries
Cameroon, Côte and make significant progress
Virgin Unite
d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, towards elimination in three
Children’s Investment Guinea, Guinea Bissau, other African countries via an
Fund Foundation Kenya, Namibia, integrated neglected tropical
Senegal, Tanzania, disease programme and conduct
ELMA Foundation Uganda, Zambia targeted research on reducing
and Zimbabwe child mortality through trachoma
Anonymous donor
and onchocerciasis programmes
European Commission Zambia Tusambilile Chapamo – Lets
Learn Together, Developing
a Zambian model of low cost
inclusive education that spans
early childhood to secondary and
vocational education
Helen Keller Cameroon Act to end NTD’s West program
International (Sub
FHI360/USAID)
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www.sightsavers.org

24 Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible Other net Pension
fixed assets
Investments		 Cash assets liability Net assets
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
2021 Unrestricted funds:
General
-
7,023
Designated
656
-
Restricted funds
-
-
Endowment funds
-
214
656
7,237		 19,994
10,907
43,964
-
74,865		 5,168
-
(22,509)
-
(17,341)		 -
-
-
-
-		 32,185
11,563
21,455
214
65,417
2020 Unrestricted funds:
General
-
Designated
73
Restricted funds
-
Endowment funds
-
73		 6,504
-
-
214
6,718		 12,483
4,830
33,966
-
51,279		 3,053
-
(19,008)
-
(15,955)		 (1,378)
-
-
-
(1,378)		 20,662
4,903
14,958
214
40,737

25 Leasing commitments

Operating lease obligations

Sightsavers is committed to make future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases of £1,488,000 (2020: £2,210,000). The obligation to make these payments fall due as follows:


payments fall due as follows:
2021 2020
£’000 £’000
Land and buildings
Within 1 year
Within 2-5 years
After 5 years
Subtotal
Other		 730
680
18
1,428		 827
1,284
-
2,111
Within 1 year 31 34
Within 2-5 years
After 5 years
Subtotal		 29
-
60		 65
-
99
Total 1,488 2,210

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Annual report 2021

26 Post-balance sheet events

In March 2022, we received a donation of $20 million from a very generous US donor, donated to our US fundraising entity. This donation is entirely unrestricted.

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www.sightsavers.org

Noutene, a visually impaired student with albinism at a school in Ségou. Sightsavers has been helping visually impaired children with strong and sustainable networks of support within schools in Mali.

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We work with partners in low- and middle-income countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities www.sightsavers.org

SightsaversUK @Sightsavers @sightsavers SightsaversTV

Bumpers Way Bumpers Farm Chippenham SN14 6NG UK

+44 (0)1444 446 600

info@sightsavers.org

Registered charity numbers 207544 and SC038110