Finance Score: -6

Governance Score: 6

Support Score: 8

Excess reserves: -2
Income diversified: +3
Multiple Deficits: -2
Fundraising costs high: -5

Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Grant maker support: +8

Overall GiG Score: 8

BEACON CENTRE FOR THE BLIND

Domiciliary care is provided for up to 71 elderly blind and partially sighted persons. Up to 400 blind and partially sighted persons attend our Day Centre each week to participate in stimulating and therapeutic activities. We provide Community Services to blind and partially sighted persons residing in the Midlands area. We facilitate employment opportunities for visually impaired people.

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

Income generation is well diversified
A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Financial issues to consider:

This charity has substantial assets and unrestricted reserves of £5,651,000 available, equivalent to 24 months of spending and so may not be able to utilise additional funding
On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending
Fundraising costs are extremely high relative to funds raised

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/03/23		£2,503	£2,812	£-309	£1,132	£6,508	£5,651	24.1	105	220
31/03/22		£2,191	£2,610	£-418	£1,080	£7,316	£6,533	30	105	291
31/03/21		£2,279	£2,577	£-298	£1,021	£7,562	£6,758	31.5	118	232
31/03/20		£2,329	£3,511	£-1,183	£845	£7,172	£6,382	21.8	141	298
31/03/19		£2,316	£3,200	£-884	£845	£8,518	£7,626	28.6	98	252
31/03/18		£2,724	£3,027	£-303	£629	£9,216	£8,242	32.7	126	0
31/03/17		£2,717	£2,731	£-13	£537	£9,518	£8,444	37.1	78	0
31/03/16		£2,428	£2,684	£-257	£494	£8,924	£7,880	35.2	73	0
31/03/15		£2,540	£2,472	£68	£614	£9,500	£8,643	42	64	0
31/03/14		£2,466	£2,413	£53	£575	£9,060	£8,181	40.7	70	0
31/03/13		£2,181	£2,414	£-233	£588	£8,669	£7,770	38.6	73	0
31/03/12		£2,191	£2,481	£-290	£885	£8,513	£7,570	36.6	82	0
31/03/11		£2,178	£2,360	£-182	£802	£8,888	£7,903	40.2	79	0
31/03/10		£2,023	£2,296	£-273	£817	£8,712	£7,660	40	71	0
31/03/09		£2,863	£3,352	£-489	£908	£7,985	£7,114	25.5	83	0
31/03/08		£3,071	£2,204	£867	£833	£4,664	£3,877	21.1	77	0
31/03/07		£2,294	£2,177	£116	£592	£3,944	£3,667	20.2	83	0
31/03/06		£2,238	£2,393	£-155	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/05		£2,172	£2,319	£-148	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0
31/03/04	*	£1,943	£2,129	£-186	£0	£0	£0	n/a	0	0

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Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 81%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 41.1%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 3%
Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000
Liabilities/Assets: 11%
Liabilities/Income: 31%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 87%
Reserves/Spending: 24.1 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 2 months
Quick Ratio: 0.9

Asset Split ?

Established: 56 years
(62 years as a company)

www.beaconvision.org

enquiries@beaconvision.org

01902 880111

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

Listed activities

Amateur Sport
Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
Disability
Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
General Charitable Purposes
Other Charitable Purposes
Recreation
The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives

GiG Classification

Services for people with disabilities

How it operates

Makes Grants to Individuals
Other charitable activities
Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides buildings/facilities/open space
Provides human resources
Provides services

Where it operates

Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton,

Who it helps

Children/Young People
Elderly/Old People
People With Disabilities
The General Public/Mankind

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

National Lottery Community Fund	£449,406
DCMS	£127,510
Vision Foundation	£16,394

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
Vision Foundation - Domestic Violence and Abuse Accessible Support Network
£16,394	08/03/2023 6	Our project will transform the support offered to visually impaired people who are victims or survivors of domestic abuse. Led by West Midlands sight loss charity, the Beacon Centre, in partnership ....more Our project will transform the support offered to visually impaired people who are victims or survivors of domestic abuse. Led by West Midlands sight loss charity, the Beacon Centre, in partnership with local community housing provider and domestic abuse
National Lottery Community Fund - A Coronation Celebration for the sight loss community
£900	03/03/2023	The funding will be used to celebrate King Charles III's coronation through inclusive events and activities for the blind and partially sighted. The project aims to bring people together foster ....more The funding will be used to celebrate King Charles III's coronation through inclusive events and activities for the blind and partially sighted. The project aims to bring people together foster friendships reduce isolation and provide an accessible space to commemorate and enjoy the coronation.
National Lottery Community Fund - Seeing Beyond Sight Loss
£438,506	17/02/2023	This funding will be used to further develop an engagement pathway for people suffering from sight loss. The project aims to target communities predominantly in Wolverhampton Dudley and parts of ....more This funding will be used to further develop an engagement pathway for people suffering from sight loss. The project aims to target communities predominantly in Wolverhampton Dudley and parts of South Staffordshire creating local hubs to provide information and advice and also develop individual support plans.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£127,510	31/07/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
National Lottery Community Fund - Strategic Brand Development
£10,000	02/08/2019 12	The funding will be used to carry out a consultation and business review exercise. The project aims to establish the needs of people with sight loss and improve the organisation's services to local ....more The funding will be used to carry out a consultation and business review exercise. The project aims to establish the needs of people with sight loss and improve the organisation's services to local people with visual impairments.
National Lottery Community Fund - Pathway to Reablement
£304,816	13/07/2016 59	This is the continuation and development of an existing project that provides a tailored structured programme to re-enable those living with a visual impairment to acquire the skills and confidence ....more This is the continuation and development of an existing project that provides a tailored structured programme to re-enable those living with a visual impairment to acquire the skills and confidence needed to live independently, become work ready and improve social well-being addressing issues of isolation. The project will support 600 people with a visual impairment across the Black Country in the West Midlands.
Sport England - Beacon Centre Goalball Club
£8,471	12/03/2014	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'Beacon Centre Goalball Club'. This project is a Goalball project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a ....more Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'Beacon Centre Goalball Club'. This project is a Goalball project, with a focus on beneficiaries with a disability.
National Lottery Community Fund - Beacon 4 Work
£198,907	10/05/2011 60	The aim of the project is to help unemployed visually impaired people in the Black Country to find work by improving their skills and increasing employment opportunities by tackling stigma and ....more The aim of the project is to help unemployed visually impaired people in the Black Country to find work by improving their skills and increasing employment opportunities by tackling stigma and working with local employers. One to one support will be given, along with skills training in areas such as IT, team work, problem solving and time management. Help with CV writing and interview preparation, confidence building and motivation will be given. There will be opportunities to volunteer at the centre.
Sport England - Beacon Centre Goalball Club
£9,802	18/04/2011	Funding under Sport England's Small Grants funding programme for a Revenue project titled 'Beacon Centre Goalball Club'. This project lists its main activity as Goalball.

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Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (9)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 54-76

BETHAN SIAN WYNN-WILLIAMS Appointed: 2021, Occupation: None

CLIVE JAMES SMALL Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Retired

IAN BOWERS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Retired, Other trusteeship: HOPE HOME (THAILAND) UK,

JEANETTE SUWE Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired

KAREN ANN SCOTT Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Retired

KATHRYN ELIZABETH ROPER Appointed: 2019, Occupation: Retired

PHILIP TURNER Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Financial Controller, Other trusteeship: DR J MILLINGTON EXHIBITION CHARITY,

RICHARD JONATHAN ENNIS Appointed: 2023, Occupation: Solicitor, Other trusteeship: EXERCISE REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED,

SHARON SCOTT PHILLIPS Appointed: 2021, Occupation: Project Manager

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 03/04/1968, number: 216092
Registered at Companies House on 08/12/1961, number: 00710129

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Other Regulators

Care Quality Commission

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

20 returns made; AR04: 24 days late,

Main office

BEACON CENTRE FOR THE BLIND
WOLVERHAMPTON ROAD EAST
WOLVERHAMPTON
WV4 6AZ

Objectives

TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE AND THOSE WITH DISABILITIES OTHER THAN BLINDNESS OR DEFECTIVE VISION AND WHO ARE RESIDENT FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WOLVERHAMPTON, THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF DUDLEY, THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF SANDWELL OR THE COUNTY OF STAFFORDSHIRE OR SUCH OTHER AREAS AS THE CHARITY MAY FROM TIME TO TIME CONSIDER APPROPRIATE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

CITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF DUDLEY, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF SANDWELL, COUNTY OF STAFFORDSHIRE OR SUCH OTHER AREAS CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE

Data Sources