KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND

Registered charity 1062354 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q6391609 · Wikipedia · also known as KAB

Support for blind and partially sighted people and the prevention of sight loss, particularly throughout Kent, Medway and the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley.

Objects

THE RELIEF OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS AND THE PREVENTION OF SIGHT LOSS AND BLINDNESS PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS OF THE COUNTY OF KENT, MEDWAY, THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY AND THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

Area of benefit: THE COUNTY OF KENT, MEDWAY, THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY AND THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

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

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Maidstone, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of Kent Association for the Blind (Herne Bay Branch) (as stated in the register file; not confirmed against the register) — merger registered 13/04/2011.

Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).

Latest income

£5.5m

Latest spending

£3.0m

Registered

1997

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £293,747 for the year ended 31 March 2024, resulting in total funds decreasing to £2,778,859. Despite this deficit, unrestricted reserves stood at £1,063,944, which is above the stated policy target of £490,000. The trustees confirmed that the charity remains in a stable position with adequate resources to continue operations.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £70,001 - £80,000 — above the median for charities its size (£70k)

“During this year, one employee earned more than £70,000 but not more than £80,000” — page 24

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“During this year, one employee earned more than £70,000 but not more than £80,000 (2023: one employee earned more than £60,000 but not more than £70,000).” — page 24

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: £490,000 (held: £1.1m)

“The policy for 2023/24 is to hold reserves of £490,000 (2022/23 £490,000) to cover the risks associated with loss of income” — page 7

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Azets Audit Services. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

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 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 446
Government income: £1,477,371 — contracts £1,471,371 (4), grants £6,000 (1); 27% of the £5,483,599 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 481
Government income: £1,479,752 — contracts £1,473,752 (4), grants £6,000 (1); 58% of the £2,541,473 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Volunteers: 481
Government income: £1,490,690 — contracts £1,483,440 (4), grants £7,250 (1); 61% of the £2,427,088 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)

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).

Emily’s marathon effort to thank Kent Association for the Blind for their support ekhuft.nhs.uk · 21/03/2024
Visually-impaired cyclist’s 1,400 mile bike ride for Kent Association for the Blind theisleofthanetnews.com · 21/08/2020

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 03339912

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Kent Association 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.

HEAP, Rory — director, appointed 25/02/2026not on trustee list
MILNE, James William — director, appointed 25/02/2026not on trustee list
LANGMAN-HEATH, Avril — director, appointed 07/03/2024on trustee list
CASHIN, Luke — director, appointed 06/09/2023on trustee list
BETTS, Paul Alex — director, appointed 01/03/2023on trustee list
COLWELL, Anthony, Mr. — director, appointed 05/09/2018on trustee list
GROVES, Hazel Anne — director, appointed 25/05/2016on trustee list
BURKE, James Michael — director, appointed 01/05/2007on trustee list
RYNNE, Eithne, Mrs. — secretary, appointed 31/08/2016

Official officers record.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£5.5m

Total spending

£3.0m

Cost of raising funds

£176k

Reserves (reported)

£1.2m

Employees

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

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 3.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Avril Langman-Heathchair
Anthony Colwell
Hazel Groves · trustee of 1 other charity
JAMES BURKE
James Milne Co-opted
Luke Cashin
Paul Betts
Rory Heap Co-opted

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

Operates in: Bexley · Bromley · Kent · Medway

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£5.5m	£3.0m
31/03/2024	£2.5m	£3.0m
31/03/2023	£2.4m	£3.2m
31/03/2022	£2.8m	£3.0m
31/03/2021	£2.6m	£2.5m

Common questions

Is KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net deficit of £293,747 for the year ended 31 March 2024, resulting in total funds decreasing to £2,778,859. Despite this deficit, unrestricted reserves stood at £1,063,944, which is above the stated policy target of £490,000. The trustees confirmed that the charity remains in a stable position with adequate resources to continue operations. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Azets Audit Services.

What does the highest-paid employee of KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £70,001 - £80,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND?

Funders whose own accounts filings name KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND as a grant recipient include WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST, JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST, The William Brake Foundation, THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST, JOAN AINSLIE CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£58k	Matched Funding
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£40k
The William Brake Foundation	FY2022	£16k
THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k	Health and Welfare
JOAN AINSLIE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIO	FY2024	£5k	Other grants
THE ULVERSCROFT FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
JOAN AINSLIE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k
THE W H AND A HAWKINS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£5k
THE W H AND A HAWKINS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£4k
THE W H AND A HAWKINS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£4k
THE WO STREET CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£4k
THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k	Health and Welfare
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£2k	City Civic Grant
THE TULA TRUST LIMITED	FY2024	£2k
THE TULA TRUST LIMITED	FY2024	£2k
THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE GODINTON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
JOHN SWIRE 1989 CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£1k
THE ROGER DE HAAN CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£500	Health and Welfare
CANTIACORUM FOUNDATION	FY2025	£500
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INSURERS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	amount not stated	Matched Funding

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	21/11/2024	£19k	Seeing beyond sight loss - community art groups
City Bridge Foundation	20/10/2023	£24k	Grant to Kent Association for the Blind
The National Lottery Community Fund	17/08/2023	£465k	Iris - A vehicle for sight loss change
The National Lottery Community Fund	07/01/2022	£10k	Counselling for people with a sight impairment
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/05/2020	£10k	Visually Impaired Covid-19 Telephone Counselling Service
The National Lottery Community Fund	22/04/2020	£10k	Kent Sight Loss Befriending Service
City Bridge Foundation	27/09/2012	£73k	Grant to Kent Association for the Blind
The National Lottery Community Fund	18/02/2005	£2k	Awareness raising event
The National Lottery Community Fund	07/07/2004	£136k	Development of information technology project for visually impaired people

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
THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST	3	£521k
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£56k
MISSES BARRIE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£5k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION	2	£4k
THE POWELL FAMILY FOUNDATION	1	£101k
MERTON VOLUNTARY SERVICE COUNCIL	1	£24k
THE ALAN EDWARD HIGGS CHARITY	1	£20k
THE CLARE MILNE TRUST	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE KENT AUTISTIC TRUST.

THE KENT AUTISTIC TRUST income £10.5m
BURY SOCIETY FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED income £181k
Sight Support West of England income £978k
DEVON COUNTY ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND income £94k
COVENTRY RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE BLIND income £381k
THE CORNWALL BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED ASSOCIATION income £511k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
KENT ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND	£5.5m	£70,001 - £80,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
THE KENT AUTISTIC TRUST FY2025	£10.5m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
BURY SOCIETY FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED FY2025	£181k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
Sight Support West of England FY2025	£978k	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt
DEVON COUNTY ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND FY2026	£94k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
COVENTRY RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE BLIND FY2025	£381k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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