THE COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS

Registered charity 1060431 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

THE COLLEGE IS THE PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH BODY FOR OPTOMETRY IN THE UK, PROMOTING OPTOMETRY TO KEY UK STAKEHOLDERS AND LOBBYING LEGISLATORS.WE FUND UNIVERSITY-BASED RESEARCH; DEVELOP GUIDANCE FOR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT;PUBLISH A LEARNED JOURNAL; ARE THE SOLE UK REGULATOR APPROVED BODY TO ASSESS FITNESS TO PRACTICE IN THE UK;HOUSE AN OPTICAL MUSEUM AND OPTICAL REFERENCE LIBRARY.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£10.7m

Latest spending

£10.7m

Registered

1997

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a small overall deficit of £5,945 for the year ended 30 September 2025, driven by reduced membership income and increased costs for the Scheme for Registration. Despite net current liabilities of £2.7 million, the trustees confirm sufficient resources to continue as a going concern, supported by £5.35 million in liquid investments and a secured overdraft facility.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: free and tangible designated reserves in a range, between £4.3m to £6.0m (held: £2.7m)

“The Trustees reviewed their reserves policy in 2023-2024 and amended it from maintaining reserves equal to 5 months of operating costs to a policy of having free and tangible designated reserves in a range, between £4.3m to £6.0m.” — page 7

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: 4 Trustees received remuneration in the form of payment of fees for acting as examiners, lecturers, editors, facilitators and assessors. Total fees paid: £2,565.

“4 Trustees (2024:8 Trustees) received remuneration in the form of payment of fees. This remuneration is for acting as examiners, lecturers, editors, facilitators and assessors checking the standards of optometric practice and is in accordance with the legal authority of the College's Charter and Bye-Laws. None of the trustees are remunerated for their role as a trustee.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Central Optical Fund — “The Sector Partnership for Optical Knowledge and Education (SPOKE) has secured funding from the Central Optical Fund.” (source page)

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 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 · linkedin

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/09/2025)

Total income

£10.7m

Total spending

£10.7m

Cost of raising funds

£38k

Reserves (reported)

£7.6m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~8.5 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (94% 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: 0.4% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew John Kitchen
Dr Aleksandra Mankowska
Dr Gillian Anne Rudduck
Dr Irene Ctori
Dr Leon Nicholas Davies
Hassnain Safdar MCOptom
Iain McMillan
Irfan Razvi
Kathryn Trimmer MCOptom
Kyla Black
Lewes James Hambrey
Matt Roney
Professor Kathryn Saunders FCOptomPhD

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/09/2025	£10.7m	£10.7m
30/09/2024	£10.9m	£10.4m
30/09/2023	£8.9m	£9.5m
30/09/2022	£8.8m	£9.1m
30/09/2021	£8.2m	£7.0m

Common questions

Is THE COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a small overall deficit of £5,945 for the year ended 30 September 2025, driven by reduced membership income and increased costs for the Scheme for Registration. Despite net current liabilities of £2.7 million, the trustees confirm sufficient resources to continue as a going concern, supported by £5.35 million in liquid investments and a secured overdraft facility. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

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
Fight for Sight	1	£238k
THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL.

GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL income £12.2m
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS income £7.9m
I.O.O. LIMITED income £4.4m
THE COLLEGE OF RADIOGRAPHERS income £2.4m
THE ABDO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION income £3.2m
ROYAL COLLEGE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS income £9.5m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS	£10.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL FY2025	£12.2m	—	—	within	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS FY2025	£7.9m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
I.O.O. LIMITED FY2023	£4.4m	—	0	below	—	material uncertainty
THE COLLEGE OF RADIOGRAPHERS FY2025	£2.4m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE ABDO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FY2025	£3.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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