VISIONARY - LINKING LOCAL SIGHT LOSS CHARITIES

Registered charity 1135360 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC044163 (OSCR)

Visionary is a federation of one hundred local societies for blind and partially sighted people in the UK. It aspires to provide support for and raise awareness of the services provided by its members. It has a development fund for small societies and advises national research and campaign groups. A conference for members is held annually and members receive a bi-monthly newsletter.

Objects

THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS ("OBJECTS") ARE SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED TOTHE FOLLOWING: TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF PERSONS WHO ARE BLINDOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Area of benefit: UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, NATIONAL

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 · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: City of Edinburgh, Scotland (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£387k

Latest spending

£344k

Registered

2010

Accounts read

FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The charity reported a net surplus of £42,696 for the year ended 31 March 2026, with total income of £387,032 and expenditure of £344,336. Unrestricted reserves stood at £150,647, which the trustees state is equivalent to just over five months of running costs, satisfying their policy of maintaining three to six months of committed costs. However, the accounts note a dependency on continued support from the Thomas Pocklington Trust, with a funding agreement in place for two years from April 2025.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,000 to £89,999 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £60k)

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration (excluding pension and NI) was £60,000 or more were: Band £70,000 to £79,999 £80,000 to £89,999 £90,000 to £99,999 2025/26 1 - 2024/25 1 -” — page 37

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“The number of employees whose annual remuneration (excluding pension and NI) was £60,000 or more were: Band £70,000 to £79,999 £80,000 to £89,999 £90,000 to £99,999 2025/26 1 - 2024/25 1 -” — page 37

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: three and six months of committed running costs (reserves figure: £151k)

“Our policy is to maintain reserves at a level between three and six months of committed running costs.” — page 19

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“The charity is heavily reliant on the continued support of Thomas Pocklington Trust. A funding agreement is in place for two years from April 2025.”

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Invoices received from MyVision Oxfordshire Ltd, where Chair Mark Upton is CEO.

“During the year, invoices totalling £4,155 were received from MyVision Oxfordshire Ltd, an organisation where our Chair, Mark Upton, is Chief Executive.” — page 42

“Sight Scotland provided accounting and payroll services during the year at a total cost, including VAT, of £3,500. Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, is a trustee of Visionary.” — page 42

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Accounting and payroll services provided by Sight Scotland, where Trustee Craig Spalding is CEO.

“During the year, invoices totalling £4,155 were received from MyVision Oxfordshire Ltd, an organisation where our Chair, Mark Upton, is Chief Executive.” — page 42

“Sight Scotland provided accounting and payroll services during the year at a total cost, including VAT, of £3,500. Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, is a trustee of Visionary.” — page 42

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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
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
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 31/03/2026

Volunteers: 1
Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£70,001–£80,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)

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

Employees paid over £60,000: 1 (£80,001–£90,000: 1)

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

Funders the charity credits

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

Thomas Pocklington Trust — “Visionary is supported by Thomas Pocklington Trust” (source page)

Register events

Received assets from another charity (22/07/2011) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Mark Peter Uptonchair
Craig Spalding
Lowri Bartrum
Michael Keith Eales
PHILIP DAVID MILLS · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Shahina Pardhan · trustee of 1 other charity
Sarah French
Tom Harte

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2026	£387k	£344k
31/03/2025	£399k	£437k
31/03/2024	£487k	£438k
31/03/2023	£473k	£423k
31/03/2022	£359k	£382k

Common questions

Is VISIONARY - LINKING LOCAL SIGHT LOSS CHARITIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The charity reported a net surplus of £42,696 for the year ended 31 March 2026, with total income of £387,032 and expenditure of £344,336. Unrestricted reserves stood at £150,647, which the trustees state is equivalent to just over five months of running costs, satisfying their policy of maintaining three to six months of committed costs. However, the accounts note a dependency on continued support from the Thomas Pocklington Trust, with a funding agreement in place for two years from April 2025. Its FY2026 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of VISIONARY - LINKING LOCAL SIGHT LOSS CHARITIES earn?

Per its FY2026 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,000 to £89,999 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

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
THE FORTE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	2	£14k
THE TULA TRUST LIMITED	2	£6k
SIR JULES THORN CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£6k
H C D MEMORIAL FUND	1	£75k
KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£28k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUST	1	£20k
THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE	1	£16k
SANDRA CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£14k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with VISION (ROSSENDALE).

VISION (ROSSENDALE) income £64k
Visably income £758k
VISION HOMES ASSOCIATION income £3.6m
WIRRAL SOCIETY OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED income £251k
THE PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY income £410k
VISION ACTION income £880k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
VISIONARY - LINKING LOCAL SIGHT LOSS CHARITIES	£387k	£80,000 to £89,999	1	within	—	noted
VISION (ROSSENDALE) FY2025	£64k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
Visably FY2025	£758k	—	—	below	—	no doubt
VISION HOMES ASSOCIATION FY2026	£3.6m	£60,001 - £70,000	1	below	—	no doubt
WIRRAL SOCIETY OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED FY2025	£251k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PARTIALLY SIGHTED SOCIETY FY2025	£410k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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