THE ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND

Registered charity 1000388 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q7374513 · Wikipedia · also known as R N C

Residential Specialist College ,promoting the independence and potential of people who are blind or partially sighted ages 16 and over.

Objects

TO PROVIDE AND PROMOTE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND FOR SUCH OTHER PEOPLE AS THE GOVERNORS MAY DETERMINE FROM TIME TO TIME ("BENEFICIARIES").

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Disability · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Herefordshire, County of, West Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£8.9m

Latest spending

£8.1m

Registered

1990

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group ended the year with total net assets of £11.03 million, including unrestricted funds of £10.07 million. However, the trustees report that free reserves of £471,000 remain below the desired policy target of approximately £1.2 million. The financial position is supported by sufficient working capital and full support from bankers and pension trustees, despite a significant deficit on the defined benefit pension scheme.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Student services (86% of income)

“Income from student services 7,638”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: two months' expenditure, approximately £1,200,000 (held: £471k)

“The Governors consider that, given the nature of RNC's operations, this should be equivalent to two months' expenditure, approximately £1,200,000”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“RNC has a bank loan facility with a final repayment date of 31st January 2030, and a significant deficit on its defined benefit pension scheme, but has worked through a detailed recovery plan to address this and has the full support of its bankers, pension fund trustees and other funders. RNC has a three year financial forecast and a three year cash flow forecast which show that the Group has sufficient headroom to continue to trade within its current bank loan and overdraft facilities. The Governors therefore believe that it is appropriate to prepare these financial statements on the basis that RNC is a going concern.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: RNC recharged expenses of £317,942 to R N C Enterprises Limited and paid £2,876 for products and services.

“During the year RNC recharged expenses of £317,942 (2024: £251,360) to R N C Enterprises Limited and paid £2,876 (2024: £9,931) for products and services.” — page 37

“During the year, RNC received income of £51,000 from Blindcare (2024: £103,000).”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: RNC received income of £51,000 from Blindcare, an independent charity controlled by RNC.

“During the year RNC recharged expenses of £317,942 (2024: £251,360) to R N C Enterprises Limited and paid £2,876 (2024: £9,931) for products and services.” — page 37

“During the year, RNC received income of £51,000 from Blindcare (2024: £103,000).”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £2.9m

“Deficit in plan (2,865)”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: R N C Enterprises Limited

“The wholly owned trading subsidiary, R N C Enterprises Limited, is incorporated in the United Kingdom” — page 28

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Going concern: no going-concern doubt (FY2024) → going-concern doubt noted (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Estyn: Her Majesty's Inspectorate For Education And Training In Wales; Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
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
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/07/2025

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £7,765,000 — contracts £7,495,000 (65), grants £270,000 (2); 87% of the £8,892,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/07/2024

Volunteers: 54
Government income: £6,706,000 — contracts £6,523,000 (67), grants £183,000 (3); 88% of the £7,588,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/07/2023

Volunteers: 45
Government income: £6,468,000 — contracts £6,322,000 (64), grants £146,000 (2); 85% of the £7,578,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Cycling event raises over £7k for Royal National College for the Blind herefordtimes.com · 16/06/2026
Hereford's Royal National College for the Blind students 'inspired' by former pupil Chris' Strictly journey hellorayo.co.uk · 17/12/2024
Refurbished dog wash opens at The Royal National College for the Blind bbc.co.uk · 16/06/2024
Royal National College for the Blind threatened by financial crisis bbc.co.uk · 12/10/2019
Royal National College for the Blind sells off part of campus in funding crisis theguardian.com · 09/04/2019
Royal National College for the Blind in BBC documentary feweek.co.uk · 14/01/2017
More than £15,000 raised for Royal National College for the Blind in 24-hour spinathon herefordtimes.com · 12/05/2016
Hereford Art College moves to take over Royal National College for the Blind building herefordtimes.com · 25/09/2012

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: R N C ENTERPRISES LIMITED Companies House 01747998
Registered company of the charity Companies House 02367626

R N C ENTERPRISES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Turnover: £615k
Profit before tax: £90k
Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £90k

“There is no corporation tax charge due (2024: Enil) as all profits are gift aided to the parent charity within nine months of the year end.”

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Royal National College For The Blind (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

TURNBULL, Ruth Sharon, Dr — director, appointed 30/01/2026on trustee list
WILLIAMS, James Laurence — director, appointed 11/07/2025on trustee list
HUGHES, Tirion Claire, Dr — director, appointed 18/06/2025on trustee list
FINCH, Christopher James — director, appointed 16/05/2025on trustee list
POWELL, Andrew David — director, appointed 11/02/2022on trustee list
MILES, Helen — director, appointed 01/02/2022on trustee list
BRYSON, Sonya Louise — director, appointed 01/02/2022on trustee list
GEBBIE, Peter Thomas — director, appointed 01/02/2022on trustee list
PROCTOR, Lucy — director, appointed 01/07/2021on trustee list
PENNY, Suzanne — director, appointed 13/07/2018on trustee list
DIAMOND, Kerry Ann — director, appointed 31/10/2017on trustee list
FOWER, Todd — secretary, appointed 26/07/2019

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

2 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (2 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)

Total income

£8.9m

Total spending

£8.1m

Cost of raising funds

£583k

Reserves (reported)

£471k

Employees

157

Reported reserves equal ~0.7 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (89% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 6.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew David Powell
Christopher James Finch
Dr Ruth Sharon Turnbull · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr Tirion Claire Hughes
Helen Miles
James Laurence Williams
Joshua Jack Feehan
LUCY PROCTOR · trustee of 1 other charity
Peter Thomas Gebbie
Sonya Louise Bryson
Suzanne Penny · trustee of 1 other charity

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Herefordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/07/2025	£8.9m	£8.1m
31/07/2024	£7.6m	£7.3m
31/07/2023	£7.6m	£7.0m
31/07/2022	£7.8m	£6.2m
31/07/2021	£5.6m	£5.5m

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group ended the year with total net assets of £11.03 million, including unrestricted funds of £10.07 million. However, the trustees report that free reserves of £471,000 remain below the desired policy target of approximately £1.2 million. The financial position is supported by sufficient working capital and full support from bankers and pension trustees, despite a significant deficit on the defined benefit pension scheme. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds THE ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND as a grant recipient include THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST, THE BATCHWORTH TRUST, THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION, THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST, THE LAWSON TRUST CIO.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE STEVEN BLOCH IMAGE OF DISABILITY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£91k	Grant
THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£75k	Education / Training
THE BATCHWORTH TRUST	FY2024	£38k
THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£34k
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£10k	Blind Care
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£10k	Care of the Blind, Prevention of, or Cure of Blindness
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	FY2021	£10k
THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST	FY2025	£9k	Get Set Progress grants to organisations hosting interns
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2022	£8k	Disability
THE MILLICHOPE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE NINEVEH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2025	£5k	Disability
THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2024	£5k	Iron Fund
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE EDWARD CADBURY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k	Education and Training
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2024	£4k	Iron Fund
THE MILLICHOPE FOUNDATION	FY2025	Unverified read£4k
THE DIXIE ROSE FINDLAY CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k
THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£3k
THE DE BRYE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k
BETTER COMMUNITY BUSINESS NETWORK LIMITED	FY2025	£3k
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£3k
FRAZER TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Deaf and blind
THE MILLICHOPE FOUNDATION	FY2026	£2k
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement	FY2021	£2k
The Patricia Routledge Foundation	FY2024	£2k
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement	FY2022	£2k	General charitable donations
FRAZER TRUST	FY2025	£2k	Deaf and blind
FRAZER TRUST	FY2023	£2k	Children
The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement	FY2023	£2k
STANLEY SMITH UK HORTICULTURAL TRUST	FY2022	£2k	Approved March 2022
FRAZER TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£2k
LILLIE JOHNSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
THE CHRISTOPHER LAING FOUNDATION	FY2023	£1k
THE EDWARD AND DOROTHY CADBURY TRUST	FY2023	£1k	Education and Training
LILLIE JOHNSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE W A HANDLEY CHARITY TRUST	FY2023	£1k	Health
THE W E DUNN TRUST	FY2024	£1k
THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
THE W E DUNN TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE MILLICHOPE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£1k
THE IAN ASKEW CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k
LILLIE JOHNSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£1k
THE W E DUNN TRUST	FY2022	Unverified read£1k	Education
THE W A HANDLEY CHARITY TRUST	FY2024	£1k
HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2025	Unverified read£500

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Sport England	07/10/2022	amount not stated	Places and Spaces (Crowdfunding)
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/04/2021	£10k	Sports Hall Cleaning Efficiency Project
UK government	30/10/2020	£40k	Coronavirus Community Support Fund
Sport England	30/10/2019	£10k	Running and Cycling Club for Visually Impaired
The National Lottery Community Fund	13/02/2014	£2k	RNC - Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Sport England	06/02/2014	£9k	Get Equipped - RNC Goalball Development
The National Lottery Community Fund	21/01/2008	£10k	The Sensory Garden
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	60
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	60
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	SC
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	Children and Young People's Serv - Central Depts.
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	SC
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	—	£12k	Children and Young People's Serv - Central Depts.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE BIRMINGHAM ROYAL INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND	1	£2.9m
GAMBLEAWARE	1	£351k
THE GERALD MICKLEM CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£42k
THE INGRAM TRUST	1	£25k
THE IAN KARTEN CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£25k
E B M CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£20k
THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST	1	£14k
THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ROYAL SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND.

THE ROYAL SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND income £36.5m
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS income £53.7m
HOMEFIELD COLLEGE LIMITED income £6.8m
ROYAL SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF DERBY income £5.6m
REAL CARE LTD income £1.8m
QUEEN ALEXANDRA COLLEGE income £17.9m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND	£8.9m	—	—	unclear	—	noted
THE ROYAL SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND FY2025	£36.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS FY2025	£53.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
HOMEFIELD COLLEGE LIMITED FY2025	£6.8m	£80,001 - £90,000	2	below	—	no doubt
ROYAL SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF DERBY FY2025	£5.6m	—	—	above	—	noted
REAL CARE LTD FY2025	£1.8m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.