ANNUAL REVIEW

Contents
Chief Executive and Chairmans comments Who did our members help? SPAG grants Looking to the future Our vision Celebrating 90 years of fundraising to help blind people Stories of people we have helped Fundraising overview (including collections) Fundraising overview (including shops) Financial summary Contact details. Response form 3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12 13 14-15 16

Since the third decade of the last millennium, the Greater London Fund for the Blind has provided the financial resources needed to support the most comprehensive delivery of services and opportunities to visually impaired people in London and surrounding areas. During the year under review, a new Business Plan was approved for immediate implementation. A key strategic objective is to raise and distribute more funds and in doing so reach out further into an ever-widening community of blind and partially sighted people. In looking to the future, however, the Fund remains deeply concerned as to the potential impact reduced services will have on communities and local charities, especially those working in areas of special need. The voluntary sector has a long and proud history of overcoming adversity with resilience, dedication and purposeful intent. These unique qualities will be sorely tested now, and in the coming years. We have set our sights forward with renewed conviction as we enter the next decade towards our centenary. To all those supporters, volunteers and friends who have given so generously of their time, resources or talents over the years, we express deepest thanks and warm appreciation.

Our patrons and trustees

Royal Patron: President: Vice Presidents: Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex GCVO The Right Hon The Lord Mayor of London Lord Attenborough CBE Lord Imbert QPM The Hon Sir Rocco Forte The Right Hon Sir John Major KG CH Dame Diana Rigg DBE Rear Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO Sir Trevor McDonald OBE Sir Stirling Moss KCVO Cherie Booth QC Chairman: David Hawkins Hon Treasurer: Stephen Jack Company Secretary: Jane Laidler Chief Executive: R E (Cass) Edwards Trustees: Lance Clarke, Victoria Jarman, Fran Hibbert, David Scott-Ralphs Bankers: Arbuthnot Latham & Co Ltd, National Westminster Bank plc Auditors: Wilkins Kennedy Solicitors: Gregory, Rowcliffe & Milners Registered Charity Company No. 1074958 Page 2 Greater London Fund For The Blind Annual Review

David Hawkins Chairman Cass Edwards Chief Executive

Left to right: Chairman David Hawkins, Hayley Mills, PM David Cameron, Sir Stirling Moss, Chief Executive Cass Edwards

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Member charities
In the past year, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we were able to distribute vital funds to our member charities, many of whom depend on us for their survival. Blind Aid (formerly Metropolitan Society for the Blind) Croydon Voluntary Association for the Blind Clarity Employment for Blind People Kingston upon Thames Association for the Blind Merton Vision The Middlesex Association for the Blind SeeAbility Surrey Association for Visual Impairment Sutton Association for the Blind They used these grants to provide a range of services to help visually impaired people get the best from life. Over 10,000 visually impaired people received some form of assistance from our member charities. The clubs are nice because people laugh with you, not at you, when you tell them something thats happened because of your vision problems. Heather, member of Kingston Upon Thames Association for the Blind Cricket for Change creates friendships, helps me maintain independence and offers me a positive focus. Ryan, 17, coach with Cricket for Change

Our Special Project Awards Group (SPAG) Grants

We have also funded 16 special projects which helped blind people across London to realise their potential in a great number of ways, including helping them with emotional support, recreation and independent living. These funds went towards a variety of activities, including the following: Through the National Blind Childrens Society, we funded a Family Support Officer for London who will help the families of children with a visual impairment to get the best opportunities for their child. We funded Eye Clinics at four major London hospitals, providing information, advice and support for patients with permanent sight loss, right at the point of their diagnosis Through funding to Lunch and Social Clubs for the Blind, we enabled many visually impaired members to get out, receive advice and companionship. We gave Blind Independence Greenwich a grant to pay for cookery lessons, music classes and a tandem cycling scheme, all of which will help someone with a visual impairment to get more from life. VocalEyes were given a grant to provide audio-described tours of iconic London buildings for blind people to enjoy.

Our members provide services from nursery school to nursing home and to visually impaired people of all ages and backgrounds.

The SPAG grants were forecast to help over 5,000 visually impaired people in the year.

It allows them to be creative. It allows them to be original, and inspired. It gets them out, and it gives them a purpose. Danny, guitar instructor with Blind Independence Greenwich

I am so grateful to all the staff and volunteers for all their support, hard work and dedication in helping to run such life-changing services. They make you feel that life is not just contained within four walls and that life is worth living. George, member of Sutton Association for the Blind

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Our aims and targets in coming years

At a meeting of the Board in February 2011, the directors adopted a new Fund Raising Business Plan 2011-2014. This document sets out the Funds two main aims in coming years: 1. To establish a broad and sustainable fundraising programme, combining traditional and new channels and sources to support the GLFBs primary purpose to raise funds. 2. To extend the reach and impact of the GLFB by identifying and supporting a broader range of charities with appropriate objectives throughout Greater London. Our ultimate aim is to make London the greatest city in the world for blind people to live. We want to raise sufficient funds to make sure every visually impaired person, no matter where they live in London, has access to any service that will improve their independence, confidence and quality of life. We intend to achieve these objectives by exploring new ways of raising money, including: online fundraising home money boxes challenge events community fundraising local fundraising campaigns

Special events
The 90th anniversary celebrations got off to an excellent start with the arrival of a major donation of 100,000, from a most generous Vice President. The Prime Minister, Sir Stirling Moss and Hayley Mills then launched the 90th Geranium Flag Day Appeal at Downing Street. David Cameron also kindly agreed to host a reception party at No 10 to bring the 90th year to a close in June 2012. In May 2011, Vice President Sir Rocco Forte sponsored a 90th year fundraising cocktail party reception at Browns, attended by our Royal Patron The Countess of Wessex, Vice Presidents Cherie Blair, Rear Admiral Sir Donald Gosling KCVO and many celebrity guests and friends. In July the Lanesborough Hotel hosted a very special 90th anniversary dinner, at which Vice President Sir John Major gave a most entertaining speech on global matters. He also spoke movingly, and with personal experience, of the challenges faced every day by Londons blind: We with sight say I see when we mean I understand. But for those who cannot see, it must be hard to understand our helterskelter, frantic world. And for many and there are too many how impossible it must be how heartbreaking. In October, the annual Koch/LME Football Cup took place in the grounds of Kensington Palace with international teams from South America, Europe and the UK. Later next year, events are planned at City Hall and the Mansion House, with support from our President The Lord Mayor of London.

The Fund will also seek to support the work of both new and established charities for blind people that are able to deliver an inclusive range of services which address the developing needs of blind and partially sighted people within the Greater London area.

Our targets by 2014:

1. To be raising funds of 4m pa gross. 2. To be distributing funds of 2.5m pa. 3. To be able to demonstrate a positive impact upon welfare service provision to blind and partially sighted people across the whole of the Greater London area.

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The Greater London Fund for the Blind is lucky to have a long history and a number of proud achievements to reflect on over its 90 years. This timeline highlights a few of the major events and

developments in serving blind people that have led up to the present day. We have done much over the past decades to improve the lives of blind people in London, but, as ever, there is more to do.

1921

Following the Great War, under the direction of London County Council, RNIB and a collection of small charities are brought together to unify the collection of funds for the blind in London. The Greater London Fund for the Blind is born.

1924

The first recorded legacy is left to the Fund. This is the beginning of a long tradition that has seen our generous supporters help thousands of blind people over the years.

1931

The then Duchess of York becomes the Funds Royal Patron. She will remain in this role for over 70 years, as HM The Queen and later Queen Mother.

1939 1945

World War II leaves Britain in a period of austerity. Londons blind step into the roles left vacant by those called to fight, and make an invaluable contribution to the war effort. They are praised for their zeal and intensity of purpose.

1952

Winston Churchill launches the 30th Geranium Day. This tradition has been upheld by every Prime Minister since 1922.

1960s

1971

Do you remember the blind boys we used for collections across London? Some of them are still in use today, along with thousands of collection boxes and bottles.

Decimalisation is introduced in the United Kingdom, although to the present day we occasionally receive shillings as donations! We celebrate our 50th anniversary by raising over 250,000 for the first time, in this milestone year.

1983

The National Talking Newspaper and Magazine service is launched to give visually impaired people greater access to current affairs stories. Since then, we have funded a number of talking newspapers across Greater London, bringing the news to the citys blind residents.

1985

Lasers are used in ophthalmic surgery for the first time, a great breakthrough in restoring sight to those with vision problems.

1987

Our profile is raised with a poster campaign featuring Ami and the launch of our Geranium Shops across the city.

1998

We hold a special 90th birthday party for Sir John Mills at the Dorchester Hotel. On this occasion, he becomes our very first Vice President, and is soon joined by a number of distinguished individuals.

2001

Erik Weihenmayer becomes the first blind person to climb Mount Everest, proving that the obstacles created by a visual impairment are not insurmountable. With support, incredible achievements are within everyones reach.

2006

Our special projects fund, which supports a variety of schemes by organisations across London, is born. Over five years we have funded some amazing projects, including those that give blind people opportunities in recreation, independent living, education and employment.

2011/12

The Fund celebrates its 90th year with a series of birthday events, with HRH The Countess of Wessex as its Royal Patron, having assumed the role in 2003. We have the opportunity to look to the past and to focus firmly on the future and on our mission to make London the best city in the world for blind people to live. Greater London Fund For The Blind Annual Review Page 9

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People we have helped

A difficult eye journey made easier
We have recently funded an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, who provides information, advice and support for patients with permanent sight loss, right at the point of their diagnosis in hospital. The story below, told by the Liaison Officer, illustrates how important her work is: One gentleman has Glaucoma and Dry Macular Degeneration in both eyes. Earlier in the year he had an operation on his back, making it difficult to walk. His consultant had advised him that there was nothing further that could be done for him. When I introduced myself and we closed the door to my room, he burst into tears, telling me he wanted to avoid going to live in residential care but he was finding it very hard as he lived alone. After spending time with him I identified areas we could work on and reassured him that together we could move forward. What was so important to him at that time was having someone there to listen. He has my number to call me at any time. He went home feeling so much better and reassured.

Helping people back into Employment with Clarity

Id like to thank everyone who funds us and donates money. It keeps me in employment, and Im very grateful for that. I have a good standard of living. With three out of every four blind people unemployed, finding a job can be a daunting and exhausting task for someone with a visual impairment. Steven has been employed by Clarity for several years, learning new skills and finding his independence. As part of Claritys extension of employment activities, members can now avail themselves of I.T. training and a course which will

lead them to an NVQ qualification, and, hopefully, into mainstream employment. There are many more talented people like Steven who need help with preparing themselves for employment, and Claritys work gives them this chance.

Kingston lunch clubs

Marjorie is a member of the Kingston SocialEyes lunch club. Like many people with visual impairment, Marjorie started losing her sight at quite an advanced age, and unfamiliar obstacles proved a huge shock to her. At first, she was too scared to leave the four walls of her home. But this soon changed. Through social services she was contacted by Kingston Upon Thames Association for the Blind, and her life changed for the better: Without the club, I would be absolutely isolated. Before I went blind, I had never heard of any blind clubs or anything like that. I have learned so much from the clubs. I saw the others coping and I thought If they can do it, then so can I!. At the clubs, you see others not just getting on with it, but having a right laugh.

Support when you need it the most from the National Blind Childrens Society
Imagine being told your child will never see. Everything changes. Your world turns upside down, and you dont know where to start. Luckily, your donations mean we make sure that families dealing with this are not alone. The GLFB has funded Jenny Holder, a family support worker, to help families in this situation. Instead of Mum and Dad being left feeling fear and frustration, Jenny is there when they call; reassuring families that they are not alone, and ready to help them through everything they need to do next. When we met Jenny recently she told us about a family who were really struggling; Oliver had complex needs including a visual impairment and his family did not feel they were receiving adequate support. After meeting with the familys social worker and occupational therapist Jenny was able to ensure the family home was adapted to meet Olivers needs. She also made sure he received a new wheelchair so that he is as comfortable as possible. Jenny has also made sure that Mum and Dad have had some time to rest.

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Fundraising overview
Collections
The Fund has a staggering 5,000 collection boxes across Greater London and has collectors in train stations and shopping centres nearly every day of the year. The loose change really adds up, as in the last year we took in over 469,000 in donations. Andrew, the Collections Manager, explains: The success of this is down to the generosity of the general public and the hard work of our great team of collectors who have achieved these fantastic results, often at times of extremely cold and uncomfortable conditions.

Geranium shops
Our Geranium shops reached a new record milestone, raising 335,000 in profit over the last year. We have eleven Geranium shops across London, where customers can buy clothing, furniture and bric-a-brac. This outstanding result from the shops reflects the enthusiasm of shop staff, and the quantity and quality of donated goods by the public, as well as the generosity of our loyal customers and friends. Lorraine, the Retail Shops Manager, has this to say about the shops continued success: The kindness of those who donate goods is matched by our customers, who have made this year a great success. We also couldnt have done it without our dedicated shop staff and volunteers. Below you can see for yourself the amazing progress of our shops programme.

Donations from individuals

Thanks to the generous support of donors who chose to remember the Fund in their Will, we raised 335,000. The help of these people who support our vision of the future is invaluable. Over 7,500 people made a gift to the GLFB last year, raising nearly 750,000. The majority came from our loyal regular givers and the generous individuals who responded to our appeals. Other fundraised income came from corporate events, trusts and various community fundraising activities. Head of Fundraising Craig is delighted with the level of support from individuals: People have shown their support in many ways from making a one-off donation to the biggest gift of all remembering us in their Will. We are truly grateful for all their support.

5-year period turnover

1,000,000 800,000 600,000 587,850 666,951 676,580 705,225 400,000 200,000 0 839,765

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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2010/11 Financial review

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the GLFB continues to enjoy a strong financial position. Income was slightly down on the previous year at 2,507,647, which resulted in a surplus of 1,311,410. This allowed us to distribute 969,216 to member charities and special projects and gave us a surplus of 342,194 to be carried forward.

Fundraising efficiency
The GLFB has relatively high administration and fundraising costs. However, these are due to the nature of its operations and the fundraising activities it carries out on behalf of many of its members. It is a cost effective and efficient charity. The majority of our members have limited or no fundraising ability. Generally, they are small, community-based organisations and it is not cost effective or feasible for each of them to have their own fundraising team. The GLFB is able to provide fundraising expertise and leadership to these organisations, which means more money ends up where it matters: helping visually impaired people. The 2009 Fundratios report gives the average return on investment for differing areas of fundraising in the charitable sector. It should be noted that in 2010/11 the GLFB compares very favourably against other charities in three of its main fundraising areas and it is more cost effective than many other much larger household name charities:

Please let us know if you would like any further information or if you have any questions about our work.
Name ____________________________________ Address _________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Postcode_________________________________ Home Telephone Number* __________________________________________ Mobile Number* __________________________________________ E-mail* __________________________________
*Optional info only. By giving your details in this way, you kindly consent for us to contact you in the future.

Consolidated statement of financial activities for year ended 31 March 2011

Incoming resources Voluntary Income Trading Company Income Investment Income Total Incoming Resources Resources Expended Cost of generating funds: Face to Face Fundraising General Fundraising Trading company expenditure Charitable expenditure Distribution to member societies Grants to individual charities Governance Costs Total resources expended Net outgoing resources Total funds carried forward 2011 1,604,512 839,667 63,468 2,507,647 2010 1,794,731 759,240 55,386 2,609,357 3.5 110,895 567,508 505,170 829,906 139,310 12,664 2,165,453 342,194 3,016,686 26,952 589,558 560,948 1,016,254 242,676 36,899 2,473,287 151,570 2,674,492 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 .5 0

Please send me information on: Making a regular gift Leaving a gift in my Will to help blind people Services for visually impaired people in my area

3.33 2.35 1.88 1.66 1.24 GLFB 2010/11 ROI Fundratios 2009 Charity Average ROI Direct Mail Face to Face Shops/Trading

Further information on your work Volunteering Events Let us know if you have any further questions:

2.08

Do you, or anyone you know, have any personal stories or experience of being blind or partially sighted?

Reserves & investment policy

The Trustees have adopted a formal reserves and investment policy, to ensure that the GLFB has sufficient resources to meet its running costs. These policies together with its Risk register are reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees. In addition, reserves have been set aside as follows: a Development/Members Reserve, a dilapidations & building maintenance reserve, a reserve in memory of Sir John Mills and a Special Projects Grants reserve.

Endnote
If you would like a full copy of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2011 then please get in touch. Fundratios is an independent research report that assesses fundraising costs. The 2009 report is the latest version as of October 2011. The 2009 report can be accessed here: www.cifc.co.uk/Fundratios09.html

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If you would like to make a donation then please complete this form
and return it to us at: Greater London Fund for the Blind, Freepost LON 1168, London SE1 7UX I would like to make a donation of _________ Please make cheques payable to GLFB or fill in the credit/debit card details below. Please debit my Mastercard/Visa/Visa Debit/ Amex/Charity Card. Delete as appropriate. Card Number

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Thank you to all our supporters

Name ___________________________________ Address ________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Postcode________________________________ Home Telephone Number* _________________________________________ Mobile Number* _________________________________________ E-mail* _________________________________
*Optional info only. By giving your details in this way, you kindly consent for us to contact you in the future.

Please tick if you dont want to hear from us again

Shopping List: 10 pays the phone bill for a phone friend to contact 6-10 isolated visually impaired people during one week. 20 supports a child to attend a special outdoor pursuits day with other partially sighted children. 50 pays for a special computer magnifier so a visually impaired person can keep in touch with friends and family via email.
Gift Aid Declaration make your gift worth 25% more at no cost to you! I am a UK taxpayer and I would like all donations I have made for the four years prior to this tax year and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid donations. I confirm I pay sufficient income/capital gains tax and will notify you if my circumstances change. Date: ___/___/___
Registered Charity Number 1074958