THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST

Registered charity 1113729 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q59536043 · also known as THE GIFT OF THOMAS POCKLINGTON, THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST LIMITED

To provide support for people with sight loss and to develop increased knowledge and understanding of the prevention, alleviation and cure of sight loss

Objects

TO RELIEVE THOSE IN NEED THROUGH SIGHT LOSS AND OTHER RELATED CONDITIONS, IN PARTICULAR BY THE PROVISION OF SUPPORT SERVICES AND INFORMATION FOR THEIR CARE AND WELFAREANDTO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH INTO THE ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE PREVENTION, ALLEVIATION AND CURE OF SIGHT LOSS AND OTHER RELATED CONDITIONS.

Area of benefit: NATIONAL

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

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Economic/community Development/employment · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Camden, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of STOURBRIDGE INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND (charity 225599) — merger registered 31/12/2009.

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

Latest income

£6.6m

Latest spending

£7.7m

Registered

2006

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a net deficit of £3.7m for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to a £2.7m actuarial loss on its defined benefit pension scheme. Despite this deficit, the charity held £11.1m in unrestricted funds, which the trustees monitor against identified risks and anticipated needs. The trustees confirmed adequate resources for the foreseeable future, supported by detailed cash flow projections and agreed budgets.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: maintained to provide funds to offset any unexpected events... and to provide for major planned events (reserves figure: £11.1m)

“Our unrestricted reserves are maintained to provide funds to offset any unexpected events which may arise, including volatility in the transfers from the permanent endowment due to changes in the London property market, and to provide for major planned events including new developments and research.” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Raj Mehta is Chair of UK National Eye Health Survey and Middlesex Association for the Blind; Trust paid grants to both.

“Raj Mehta, a Trustee of Thomas Pocklington Trust, is also the Chair of the steering committee of UK National Eye Health Survey and the Chair of Middlesex Association for the Blind. The Trust paid grants to UK National Eye Health Survey and Middlesex Association for the Blind during the year.” — page 59

“Raj Mehta is also a Non executive director of Evenbreak. The Trust used Evenbreak as a supplier during the year.” — page 59

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Raj Mehta is Non-executive director of Evenbreak; Trust used Evenbreak as a supplier.

“Raj Mehta, a Trustee of Thomas Pocklington Trust, is also the Chair of the steering committee of UK National Eye Health Survey and the Chair of Middlesex Association for the Blind. The Trust paid grants to UK National Eye Health Survey and Middlesex Association for the Blind during the year.” — page 59

“Raj Mehta is also a Non executive director of Evenbreak. The Trust used Evenbreak as a supplier during the year.” — page 59

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee Louise Robertshaw is Director of Sense; Trust paid a grant to Sense.

“Raj Mehta, a Trustee of Thomas Pocklington Trust, is also the Chair of the steering committee of UK National Eye Health Survey and the Chair of Middlesex Association for the Blind. The Trust paid grants to UK National Eye Health Survey and Middlesex Association for the Blind during the year.” — page 59

“Raj Mehta is also a Non executive director of Evenbreak. The Trust used Evenbreak as a supplier during the year.” — page 59

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £997k

“The recent actuarial valuation of the scheme showed assets of £5.517m, liabilities of £6.514m and a deficit of £0.977m. The deficit is provided for in the accounts.” — page 54

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Forvis Mazars LLP. Discloses 4 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
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: 300
Employees paid over £60,000: 5 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £90,001–£100,000: 1)

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

Volunteers: 200
Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £120,001–£130,000: 1)

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

Volunteers: 180
Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £110,001–£120,000: 1)
Grant-making is its main activity

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

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05359336

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Thomas Pocklington Trust (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.

WARD, James Harvey — director, appointed 16/03/2026on trustee list
AHLUWALIA, Ramneek Kaur — director, appointed 16/03/2026on trustee list
MILOUDI, Sarah — director, appointed 16/03/2026on trustee list
RICHARDSON, Peter Edward — director, appointed 14/09/2023on trustee list
ROBERTSHAW, Louise — director, appointed 21/09/2022on trustee list
MITCHELL, Helen Emma Jacqueline — director, appointed 16/03/2021on trustee list
HOLL, Robert James — director, appointed 16/03/2021on trustee list
MEHTA, Rashmikant Navalchand — director, appointed 03/12/2019on trustee list
FINDLAY, Graham Arthur — director, appointed 04/07/2017on trustee list
WADSWORTH, Matthew William — director, appointed 14/03/2017not on trustee list
WILLIAMSON, Mervyn John — director, appointed 02/05/2006not on trustee list
BROWN, Deborah — secretary, appointed 01/05/2019

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

52 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (50 freehold); recorded price paid £438k. 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 31/03/2025)

Total income

£6.6m

Total spending

£7.7m

Cost of raising funds

£2.1m

Reserves (reported)

£11.1m

Employees

79

Reported reserves equal ~17.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (86% 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: 31.2% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.3%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (13/02/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (16/04/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (02/11/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

MERVYN WILLIAMSON ACAchair
GRAHAM ARTHUR FINDLAY
Helen Emma Jacqueline Mitchell · trustee of 1 other charity
James Harvey Ward
Louise Robertshaw · trustee of 1 other charity
Matt Wadsworth
Peter Edward Richardson
RASHMIKANT NAVALCHAND MEHTA · trustee of 3 other charities
Ramneek Kaur Ahluwalia
Robert James Holl
Sarah Miloudi

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£6.6m	£7.7m
31/03/2024	£6.2m	£6.6m
31/03/2023	£5.8m	£6.9m
31/03/2022	£5.2m	£6.5m
31/03/2021	£5.2m	£6.5m

Common questions

Is THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a net deficit of £3.7m for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to a £2.7m actuarial loss on its defined benefit pension scheme. Despite this deficit, the charity held £11.1m in unrestricted funds, which the trustees monitor against identified risks and anticipated needs. The trustees confirmed adequate resources for the foreseeable future, supported by detailed cash flow projections and agreed budgets. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Forvis Mazars LLP.

Who funds THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST as a grant recipient include THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE, THE POWELL FAMILY FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE	FY2025	£159k	Internship placements – 2 grants payable
THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE	FY2024	£150k	Internship placements – 1 grant payable
THE POWELL FAMILY FOUNDATION	FY2025	£50k

Government & lottery funding

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

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Sport England	19/12/2017	£5k	Inclusive Dance Development Programme
The National Lottery Community Fund	12/01/2011	£302k	The V.I.P. Project

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
SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£5k
ENERGISE ME	1	£160k
WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF NEEDLEMAKERS CHARITABLE FUND	1	£14k
THE WILL CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£10k
THE INMAN CHARITY	1	£5k
THE ULVERSCROFT FOUNDATION	1	£5k
THE DIXIE ROSE FINDLAY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k
THE NOBLE CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£3k

Charities like this

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

SOUTHAMPTON SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND income £205k
THE OUTLOOK TRUST FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED income £30k
STAFFORDSHIRE SIGHT LOSS ASSOCIATION income £119k
Sight Support West of England income £978k
PAUL LUNN-ROCKLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST income £57k
TRELOAR TRUST income £32.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST	£6.6m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
SOUTHAMPTON SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND FY2025	£205k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE OUTLOOK TRUST FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED FY2025	£30k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STAFFORDSHIRE SIGHT LOSS ASSOCIATION FY2025	£119k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
Sight Support West of England FY2025	£978k	£60,001 - £70,000	1	above	—	no doubt
PAUL LUNN-ROCKLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£57k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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