RNIB Group Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 "Blind and Partially Sighted People Are at the Heart of RNIB and They Influence Everything We Do."
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RNIB Group annual report and accounts 2019/20 " Blind and partially sighted people are at the heart of RNIB and they influence everything we do." 02 Contents 4 Welcome from our Chair, Eleanor Southwood 74 Independent Auditor’s report to Trustees of RNIB 6 Introduction from our Chief Executive, Matt Stringer 79 Group statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2020 8 Trustees’ Report and Strategic Report 86 Group and RNIB balance sheets as at 10 Strategic priorities and impact: 31 March 2020 What we’ve achieved 88 Group cash flow statement for the year 12 RNIB’s Impact: Progress against our priorities ended 31 March 2020 20 Our main objectives for 2020/21 89 Notes to the cash flow statement 22 Working together 91 Notes to the financial statements for 30 Fundraising review the year ended 31 March 2020 34 Partnerships 161 Thank you to our supporters 36 Financial review 164 Who’s who at RNIB 44 Principal risks and uncertainties 164 References and administration 52 Structure, governance and leadership 164 Professional advisers 68 Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities 166 Contact details 70 Disclosure of information to auditors 72 Statement of public benefit 03 Welcome from our Chair, Eleanor Southwood Welcome to RNIB’s annual report We started this journey not a We have made breakthroughs moment too soon. As coronavirus campaigning for an equal society. For It is with a mixture of pride and showed us, every organisation needs the first time, many blind and partially sadness that I present my last report to be flexible, agile and resilient sighted people were able to vote as RNIB Chair. In the following pages, if it is to successfully support its independently and in private in the you will hear how this 152-year-old community during such times. It also 2019 General Election. This was a result organisation has this year continued needs to listen to the people it is of our campaigning – fuelled by public its remarkable transformation to here to support; we reached out to – support – and saw the Government ensure it is properly equipped to and were approached by – blind and informing all Returning Officers that stand with blind and partially sighted partially sighted people, who in some magnifiers and mobile phone AI people through every challenge. cases were struggling even to get apps to “read” the ballot paper were You will also see how this work was access to essentials such as food and a reasonable adjustment under the completed against the backdrop medicine, as life changed overnight. Equality Act. of an ongoing Statutory Inquiry As the UK moved on from the by the Charity Commission. This initial coronavirus lockdown, blind But our priorities are not just about inquiry reported in June 2020 and and partially sighted people were changing things for the better outside we are profoundly sorry both to faced with even more challenges as RNIB. We want to involve more and the individuals affected and for the difficulties including social distancing more of the UK’s two million blind and failings identified in its report. We and street modifications became partially sighted people in our work as have made significant changes to more apparent. But, while facing the we expand our capability to engage, RNIB over the past two years and are coronavirus challenge, we knew we involve and understand the lived continuing to embed improvements had the benefits of a successful year, experience of sight loss. to ensure that these failings cannot both operationally and financially, be repeated. behind us. At the end of the last financial year we launched Connect Voices. This 04 " As I reach the end of my term, I can only feel pride in how RNIB is rising to meet today's and tomorrow's challenges." new initiative gives blind and partially As we look to an uncertain future and partially sighted people, more sighted people a platform and an for the UK, I want to reflect on the than 150 years after our foundation. important role in our decision-making important changes to RNIB over the and helps us in our mission to create a last year. I also want to highlight So, yes, like many of us, I have world where there are no barriers for how important it has been that we experienced mixed emotions this people with sight loss. Connect Voices have kept our values – collaborative, year, but, as I reach the end of my has made a great start: 282 blind creative, inclusive and open – at front term as a Trustee, I can only feel and partially sighted people joined of mind. Many of those values are best pride in how RNIB is rising to meet online and have been involved with reflected by our generous supporters, the challenges of both today and 102 pieces of work. Locally, 103 people supporters like Keith Ainsworth – tomorrow. I leave looking forward to joined 13 committees across the UK. Morecambe’s much-loved “Sooty Man” seeing the organisation continue to This is particularly significant as blind – who sadly passed away on 8 March go from strength to strength. and partially sighted people are at 2020 after devoting so much of his the heart of RNIB and they influence life to raising more than half a million everything we do. pounds for RNIB. Alongside this, within RNIB we have Our thoughts are with Keith’s family created a Customer Voice team, and friends and I want to let them bringing together our Research, know how much we appreciate all of Insight, and Involvement functions Keith’s efforts. to better articulate what it can be like to live with sight loss and to Indeed, I want to thank all our drive RNIB towards new ways of volunteers, staff and supporters for removing barriers. all their help in ensuring we are still here, fighting for the best for blind 05 Introduction from our Chief Executive, Matt Stringer Last year, I had only just started at continued with our action plan to the “new normal” and the positive, RNIB by the time the annual report respond to the Charity Commission agile way we have responded. Many was in production, so I barely had Statutory Inquiry (see page 54). We of these changes may bring long- time to remark how we had an are truly sorry for the failings that term benefits as we evolve as an excellent foundation in place – in led to this inquiry and I want to add organisation. We have been actively terms of brand and strategy – for the my personal apologies to the families listening, of course, to our customers year ahead. Alongside our work to affected. Since the Inquiry opened, and so we have expanded and build on those foundations, we have we have worked tirelessly to address evolved our services and campaigns the root causes of the failings and to meet their new needs. With our many of these changes are reflected new, long-term strategic priorities in the progress you will read about in place (in box opposite), in what in this report. I believe they will quickly became an emergency deliver a more effective, more situation for many blind and partially relevant RNIB and we are already sighted people, we focused on the seeing their impact in our finances short-term needs. We addressed the and governance. unique challenges experienced by blind and partially sighted people Of course, I didn’t know that we during lockdown – ensuring access would end the year with most of to food supplies, stepping up to be the organisation working remotely the voice of the blind and partially and key services and staff, including sighted community with government our Eye Clinic Liaison Officers and campaigning tirelessly for critical (ECLOs), having to adapt to new information to be made available in ways of working. I am incredibly accessible formats. proud of how our staff adapted to 06 " By staying focused on our goals and the needs of our customers, RNIB will continue to progress." Fundraising was also affected. All build on those strong foundations, of our face-to-face fundraising aligning our resources and efforts to Strategic priorities 2021/22 efforts were immediately put on those areas where they will make the From implementing new hold, which highlighted the need for biggest difference. infrastructure and systems to flexibility, innovation and diversity investing in our people, our in our revenue-generation. However, From implementing new infrastructure business strategy sets out the next thanks to our turnaround planning and systems to investing in our people, stage of RNIB’s transformation. and careful financial stewardship, we our business strategy sets out the ended the year in a healthy financial next stage of RNIB’s transformation. I Priority 1: Equip blind and state, as this report shows. And, while have no doubt that by staying focused partially sighted people to live we are still reacting to the changes on our goals and the needs of our the life they want to lead. prompted by coronavirus, I believe customers, that RNIB will continue to we have a strategy in place which progress positively on the next stage Priority 2: Innovate and improve allows us to focus on core priorities of its journey. conditions in society so that blind to ensure we stand side by side with and partially sighted people can blind and partially sighted people We must not lose that focus. live the life they want to lead. through every challenge ahead. Whatever challenges lie ahead. Priority 3: Transform RNIB to There are more than two million To our community, staff, volunteers, be a catalyst for change.