THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE
Registered charity 226227 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as RNIB, THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE BLIND · also registered in Scotland as SC039316 (OSCR)
RNIB is the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to over two million people with sight problems. Our work helps anyone with a sight problem - with braille, Talking Books, education and imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. We fight for equal rights for people with sight problems. Contact the Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Accommodation/housing · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Amateur Sport · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that RNIB delivered a net operating surplus of £0.5m after transformation costs, with free reserves of £57.4m standing above the approved target range of £42.6m to £53.9m. Per the trustees' report, liquidity was £39.6m, and the charity confirmed there is no material uncertainty regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: £42.6m–£53.9m (held: £57.4m)
“The free reserves target range was £42.6m–£53.9m (5.7 to 7.4 months spend) for the year ended 31 March 2025.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustees' expenses reimbursed
“A total of £10,588 was paid to, or on behalf,of 11 Trustees of the Charity as reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses incurred in attending meetings”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: RNIB Enterprises Limited, RNIB Direct Services Lottery Limited, RNIB Feel Good Friday Lottery Limited
“RNIB also has three non-charitable subsidiaries that are active trading entities (RNIB Enterprises Limited, RNIB Direct Services Lottery Limited and RNIB Feel Good Friday Lottery Limited).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by BDO LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Year-over-year changes
- Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "within" (FY2024) to "above" (FY2025).
Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.
Corporate structure
Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — RNIB - Royal National Institute of Blind People (matched by registered charity number).
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Property (HM Land Registry)
14 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (8 freehold); recorded price paid £14.7m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
CQC provider record: The Royal National Institute Of Blind People — Deregistered, 10 registered locations, last inspected 07/10/2014.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record
CQC provider record: Royal National Institute of Blind People — Deregistered, 8 registered locations, last inspected 19/10/2021.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record
Trustpilot: RNIB scores 2.0/5 from 26 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (88,240 likes) · instagram (25K followers)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£20.7m
Reserves (reported)
£49.7m
Reported reserves equal ~6.3 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 21.6% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.8%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (20/06/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- 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 (20/08/2024) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (07/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (02/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (08/12/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Andrew Barry
- Andrew McCracken
- Anna Tylor
- Anouschka Elliott
- Barry Hoffman
- Deborah Womack
- Elizabeth Ann Walker · trustee of 1 other charity
- Mary Elliott
- Sir James Alan Harra
- Tanya Catherine Castell MBE
- Zayna Ali
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Isle Of Man · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that RNIB delivered a net operating surplus of £0.5m after transformation costs, with free reserves of £57.4m standing above the approved target range of £42.6m to £53.9m. Per the trustees' report, liquidity was £39.6m, and the charity confirmed there is no material uncertainty regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by BDO LLP.
Who funds THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE as a grant recipient include WALES COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY ACTION, THE ROAN CHARITABLE TRUST, THE BROWNSWORD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, BOOKER PRIZE FOUNDATION, PHILIP BREEZE WILL TRUST.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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.
Charities like this
Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ACTION FOR BLIND PEOPLE.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.