Vision Support Barrow & District
Registered charity 1051674 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BARROW AND DISTRICTS SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND LIMITED, BARROW BLIND SOCIETY, OSTLEY HOUSE HOME FOR THE BLIND, THE BLIND SHOP
The charity supports visually impaired people who live within Barrow-in-Furness and the surrounding area. The organisation provides information and advice to visually impaired people and to their families and carers, provides visually impaired people with a range of welfare support and social activities, promotes awareness of sight loss issues and supports people within a residential home.
Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Disability · Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £149,085 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total net assets of £3,806,886. The trustees report that unrestricted cash and investments totalled £841,008, while noting that staff costs increased significantly due to government National Insurance contributions. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £1M (held: £841k)
“the Trustees aspire to hold a significant reserve of £1M, comprising of the following: - 6 months running costs - £30k as a contingency towards the cost of projects.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by RFM Audit Services LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Vision Support Barrow & District (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.
- ORLOWSKI, Konrad — director, appointed 25/07/2025on trustee list
- RENTON, Craig James — director, appointed 18/03/2025not on trustee list
- HOLLIS, Simon Jeremy — director, appointed 31/05/2024on trustee list
- MOWAT, Ray — director, appointed 31/03/2023on trustee list
- SAVAGE, Lyn — director, appointed 31/03/2023on trustee list
- WILTON, Vera — director, appointed 26/06/2020on trustee list
- RENTON, Craig James — secretary, appointed 18/03/2025
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
CQC provider record: Vision Support Barrow & District — Registered, 1 registered location, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 02/11/2020.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£48k
Reported reserves equal ~4.6 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (85% 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: 2.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Care Quality Commission ratings
CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).
- Konrad Orlowski
- Lyn Savage
- Ray Mowat
- Simon Jeremy Hollis
- Vera Wilton
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Cumbria
Income and spending
Common questions
Is Vision Support Barrow & District financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £149,085 for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total net assets of £3,806,886. The trustees report that unrestricted cash and investments totalled £841,008, while noting that staff costs increased significantly due to government National Insurance contributions. The auditors confirmed that the financial statements give a true and fair view and that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by RFM Audit Services LLP.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with VISION ENHANCEMENT SERVICES.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.