RNIB annual report and accounts 2008/2009

This Trustees’ report and the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the “Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) – Accounting and Reporting by Charities” as revised in March 2005. The contents of the report are as set out here.

Contents

  • RNIB’s top five achievements of 2008/09
  • Introduction
  • Structure and objectives
    Our legal structure
    How we were managed
    RNIB Membership
    Our registered office
    Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
    Our vision and mission
    Achieving our mission
    Relationships with other charities
    Changes to the way we are managed from April 2009
  • Who’s who in RNIB
    Patron, President and Vice-Presidents
    Honorary Officers
    Chief Executive Officer and Group Directors
    Professional advisors
    Board of Trustees
    Assembly members
  • Our work in 2008/09
    Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily
    Supporting people to get the education, jobs and income they deserve
    Increase access to TV, culture and information
    Enabling people to get support and become independent
    Strengthening our voice and impact
    You’re amazing
    Financial review
    Introducing RNIB’s new strategy 2009/14: to end the isolation of sight loss
  • Independent Auditors’ report to the Trustees of RNIB
  • Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2009
    Consolidated statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2009
    Balance sheets at 31 March 2009
    Consolidated cashflow statement for the year ended 31 March 2009
    Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2009
  • Your support makes a difference
  • Supported by
  • Contact details

RNIB’s top five achievements of 2008/09

Last year we set the following targets...

1. Offer personalised support and advice to 70,000 people losing their sight.

Since the launch of our new helpline in November 2008, over 2,000 people have contacted us every day for personalised advice and support, Talking Books, products and much more. This includes 1,500 individuals who opted for an in-depth “Quality of life” check.

2. Make everyday life easier through our information, specialist products and audio, braille and large print books.

Everyday life was made easier last year for the 150,000 people who purchased a specially designed RNIB product. Two hundred years on from Louis Braille's birth, braille is very much alive. We spent £1 million on new equipment meaning more magazines, books and documents. In addition, our much-loved Talking Book and other library services have grown from strength to strength with 43,000 people enjoying the world of reading thanks to RNIB.

3. Ensure that children get access to the school curriculum and launch Work Focus to support blind and partially sighted adults to find and keep their jobs.

After years of campaigning by RNIB, Government is now funding a pilot project in England to improve the availability of textbooks in braille, audio and large print. Progress is slow, and we know that children are still missing out, so we are pursuing this vigorously throughout the UK. Work Focus has had an impressive start, with more than 170 job seekers benefiting from tailored support and training and over 42 new jobs secured.

4. Ensure that everyone losing their sight due to wet AMD receives new sight saving treatments on the NHS and launch a new programme to detect glaucoma.

We were delighted that final guidance was issued to the NHS in August 2008, giving free access to the new sight-saving drugs to people with wet AMD, which affects 26,000 people in the UK every year. Innovative programmes for local communities and the siblings of people with glaucoma are underway, so that the people most at risk have essential information to protect their sight.

5. Work with organisations and professionals to deliver the ambitions of the UK Vision Strategy.

We have taken a big step forward in the first year of the UK Vision Strategy in making the UK a better place for anyone losing their sight. The ambitions of the strategy are beginning to become reality through a brand new action pack for local eye health service providers and sturdy implementation plans for all parts of the UK. This implementation will be furthered by the Association between RNIB and Action for Blind People.

Introduction

It really was a remarkable year. It’s not every year that we put right a long-standing injustice that will result in an extra £45million a year for people with severe sight impairment. That’s just what we did when we persuaded the Government to allow people with severe sight impairment to claim more from the Disability Living Allowance to help with getting out and about and independence.

It’s not every year that we can celebrate the end of two-and-a-half-year campaign for fair access to sight-saving treatments. That’s just what happened when NICE issued its final set of guidance for wet AMD in August 2008. It has given hope to the 26,000 people diagnosed every year with the UK’s most common eye condition.

It’s not every year that we join forces with a major charity for blind and partially sighted people. That’s just what we did with our partnership with Action for Blind People, which became an Associate Charity of RNIB in April 2009. By combining our regional support across England we will share our skills, knowledge and expertise to reach more blind and partially sighted people than ever before.

This review marks the end of our 2005/09 strategy period. It's been a truly amazing time during which we've transformed RNIB into an organisation led by our members and customers with some incredible successes along the way. This review includes a small selection of what we've achieved in 2008/09 with the unwavering support of our partners, donors, volunteers and members. It is also the last time that we will be introducing this report together, as Colin Low stepped down as Chairman in July 2009. The successes of this year and the last nine years are testament to Colin’s contribution to RNIB and to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Whilst we celebrate these successes we know we still have so much more to do and so despite a global recession and challenging financial times ahead we feel that now is the time for really ambitious goals. As we enter our new five-year strategy 2009/14 we'll focus our energies on three priorities: to stop people losing their sight unnecessarily, to support people to lead independent lives and to make society a more inclusive place for blind and partially sighted people.

To build on our success we need everyone to play their part – staff, donors, volunteers and blind and partially sighted members. With your support, we can help people who have lost their sight, find their lives again.

Lord Low of Dalston CBE

Chairman

Lesley-Anne Alexander

Chief Executive

Structure and objectives

Our legal structure

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a registered charity, number 226227, in England and Wales; and number SCO39316 in Scotland. Established in 1868, RNIB was incorporated under Royal Charter in 1949, with a Supplemental Charter in 1993 (revised in 2002).

RNIB is governed by a Trustee Board of 24 that meets a minimum of six times a year and takes all important strategic, policy and financial decisions. The Board is supported by an Assembly consisting of representatives of stakeholder organisations, representatives from RNIB’s country governance structures and the wider RNIB membership. The purpose of the Assembly is to provide an opportunity to debate issues of importance to the organisation and to contribute to thinking in advance of decisions being made by the Board, allow the views of other organizations to be represented, elect members of committees, and elect 40 per cent of Board members.

The revisions to the supplemental charter and bylaws required that a majority of the Trustee Board, Assembly and wider membership, are themselves blind or partially sighted.

How we were managed

During 2008/09 the Board was supported by a number of committees, the key ones of which were:

  • Access and Innovation Committee
  • Audit Committee
  • Direct Services Committee
  • Executive Committee
  • Fundraising Sub-Committee
  • Governance Committee
  • Human Resources Sub-Committee
  • Investments Sub-Committee
  • Policy and Advocacy Committee
  • Remuneration Committee
  • RNIB Cymru Committee
  • RNIB Northern Ireland Committee
  • RNIB Scotland Committee
  • Schools and Colleges Sub-Committee.

RNIB’s schools and colleges have their own governing bodies.

The day-to-day management of RNIB is delegated to the Strategic Management Team, comprising the Chief Executive, and Group Directors of Access and Innovation; Devolved Services; Direct Services; Fundraising; Policy and Advocacy; and Resources.

The Chief Executive, with the support of the Group Directors, reports to the Board of Trustees which approves major decisions and has overall responsibility for RNIB’s activities. Details of the Strategic Management Team can be found in the section “Who’s who in RNIB”. There are no restrictions on the way in which the charity can operate.

RNIB Membership

The aim of RNIB’s membership scheme is to bring an increasing number of blind and partially sighted people into a wider RNIB community, so that they can receive information and support, and influence the priorities of RNIB.

At March 2009 we had 10,400 members receiving the membership magazine “Vision” every two months and benefiting from services such as opportunities to meet other members at special events or in telephone groups and the automatic state benefits check for all new members aged over 60.

Our registered office

We are registered at 105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, telephone 020 7388 1266.

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

  • Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
  • Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP.
  • Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
  • State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
  • Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the above requirements in preparing the financial statements.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Our vision and mission

Our work starts from our vision:

“A world where people who are blind or partially sighted enjoy the same rights, responsibilities, opportunities and quality of life as people who are sighted.”

Our mission is:

“To challenge blindness by empowering people who are blind or partially sighted, removing the barriers they face and helping to prevent blindness.”

There are around two million people in the UK living with a sight problem.

Achieving our mission

Operating across the UK we take an holistic, comprehensive view of the full range of needs of blind and partially sighted children and adults and the barriers they face. When reviewing our aims and objectives we have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

RNIB believes it needs to:

Campaign. Speaking out loudly with the voice of blind and partially sighted people to government, professionals, policy makers, and a host of other organisations to bring about positive change.

Provide excellent services. Our services provide vital support to the individuals that they reach, but this is not enough. We also look to these services to provide excellent examples of how services can best be delivered to meet the needs of blind and partially sighted people.

Develop knowledge and new solutions. Taking advantage of the positive opportunities of a changing world to find new ways of doing things whilst making sure that people with sight problems are not left further isolated.

Continue to develop our understanding of the needs of people with sight loss and spread this knowledge, expertise and good practice.

Our key areas of work are as follows:

  • Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily through raising awareness of the causes of preventable eye conditions, increasing the number of people taking a regular sight test and campaigning for change.
  • Supporting people to get the education, jobs and income they deserve through our schools and colleges; specialist information, advice and training for individuals, education providers and employers; vacation schemes for children; early years provision and family support; dedicated interactive areas on our website; welfare and benefits advice services; and influencing government to make their services more inclusive.
  • Increase access to TV, culture and information through transcription services for individuals and organisations; accessible publishing, sales and library services including the RNIB Talking Book Service; policy development; influencing change in the media industry; and information and advice on enabling technologies.
  • Enabling people to get support and become independent through information and equipment including a wide range of products; low vision and rehabilitation services; residential care homes; and training and policy development to improve health and social care provision.
  • Strengthening our voice and impact by focusing on delivering our strategy with increased involvement from members, improving our knowledge; and challenging how we do things.

Relationships with other charities

We maintain close links and support the aims of other organisations, such as local, national and international charities working with or for people with sight problems. We also work closely with other disability charities on issues of mutual concern. We deliver services in partnership with some societies for blind and partially sighted people, and some of our funding comes from charities and trusts which support our aims.

On 1 April 2009, RNIB and Action for Blind People officially joined forces in an Association to share resources, skills and expertise to engage and reach more blind and partially sighted people with even better services. The two organisations will combine regional service delivery across England whilst maintaining their individual brand identities, boards of trustees and strategic management teams. The Association will radically improve what is currently available to blind and partially sighted people.

On 2 June 2009, RNIB Cymru and Cardiff Institute for the Blind joined forces to develop and expand services for people with sight problems. Cardiff Institute for the Blind will be an Associate charity of RNIB, and whilst the two organisations will retain their separate identities they will be united in developing services and expanding the support provided to people with sight problems. This exciting move will enable us to extend the range and reach of services and support for people with sight problems for people who live in Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and the South Wales Valleys.

Changes to the way we are managed from April 2009

Over the last year, we have developed RNIB’s governance structures to fully support the new 2009/14 strategy.

The Board of Trustees will continue to be the supreme decision making body of the RNIB Group, meeting 4 times a year from 2010. A number of the functional committees such as Executive, Audit and Governance will continue, but the three main service committees - Access and Innovation; Policy and Advocacy and Direct Services – will be replaced. The implementation of the 2009/14 strategy will be supported by six programme boards:

  • Prevention.
  • Early reach.
  • Living with sight loss.
  • Complex needs.
  • Travel, shopping and control of money.
  • Reading, TV and technology.

There will also be a programme board to support the funding of our new strategy, replacing the Fundraising Sub-Committee.