BOURNEMOUTH BLIND SOCIETY

Registered charity 1114570 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BOURNEMOUTH SOCIETY FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Bournemouth Blind Society operates a Sight & Hearing Resource Centre; Community Support; Befriending Service; Emotional Support; Sight Awareness Training and provides activities for blind and partially sighted people from its centre in Moordown, Bournemouth. The Society also actively works with the hard of hearing. It promotes independent living and encourages members to remain in their own homes.

Objects

(A) TO ASSIST AND BENEFIT, BUT NOT WITH DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, PEOPLE WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND/OR HEARING IMPAIRMENT LIVING WITHIN THE BOURNEMOUTH/CHRISTCHURCH/POOLE AREA. (B) TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SIGHT AND/OR HEARING LOSS.

Area of benefit: BOURNEMOUTH, CHRISTCHURCH, POOLE AREA

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 · Recreation · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£152k

Latest spending

£220k

Registered

2006

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £61,725 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by expenditure exceeding income. Despite this, the trustees confirm that total reserves of £840,082 are more than adequate to maintain the society through any further period of shutdown, and the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: approximately half of the market valuation of investments (held: £224k)

“The aim of the Directors/Trustees is to ensure that the charity could survive through any period of unexpected expenditure or serious reduction in income and, consistent with that goal, previously established a Continuity Reserve Fund. The level of reserves retained within that Fund equates to approximately half of the market valuation of investments at 31 March 2025.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 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
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

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05792657 · Financial health read from its filings

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.

COPLAND, Richard Alexander — director, appointed 23/06/2025on trustee list
SHERRIFF, Andrew Nicholas — director, appointed 02/09/2024on trustee list
BARBER, Tania Patricia — director, appointed 02/09/2024on trustee list
COPLAND, Ann Elizabeth — director, appointed 06/06/2023on trustee list
VOUSDEN, Margaret Joyce — director, appointed 29/02/2016on trustee list
AVIS, Madeleine — director, appointed 24/02/2014on trustee list
TARRANT, Philip Paul — secretary, appointed 25/04/2012

Official officers record.

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.

Register events

Received assets from another charity (17/12/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Richard Alexander Coplandchair
Andrew Nicholas Sherriff
Ann Copland
Tania Patricia Barber

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

Operates in: Bournemouth · Dorset · Hampshire · Poole

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2026	£152k	£220k
31/03/2025	£141k	£203k
31/03/2024	£135k	£191k
31/03/2023	£220k	£188k
31/03/2022	£180k	£163k

Common questions

Is BOURNEMOUTH BLIND SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an operating deficit of £61,725 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by expenditure exceeding income. Despite this, the trustees confirm that total reserves of £840,082 are more than adequate to maintain the society through any further period of shutdown, and the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.