Principal activities of the company

The Society exists to provide information, support and friendship to all visually impaired people living in the large Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, now recognised as one of the most deprived areas of the country with a diverse and ageing population. We aim to help anyone with visual impairment that needs our help, whether registered blind or not. We are the main and by far the largest provider of visual impairment services in Walsall, working alongside the Sensory Support team of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

Political and charitable donations

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the Society is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably, and it is probable that the income will be received. For donations to be recognised the Society will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the Society and it is probable that they will be fulfilled. Donated facilities and donated professional services are recognised in income at their fair value when their economic benefit is probable, it can be measured reliably and the Society has control over the item. Fair value is determined on the basis of the value of the gift to the Society; for example the amount the Society would be willing to pay in the open market for such facilities and services. A corresponding amount is recognised in expenditure. No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102). Further detail is given in the Trustees' Report. For legacies entitlement is recognised on the earlier of the Society being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received. Sometimes legacies will be notified to the Society but it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the Society. Income is received in exchange for supplying goods and services in order to raise funds and is recognised when entitlement has occurred. Income from government and other grants are recognised at fair value when the Society has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.

Additional information

Services provided by the Society The Society currently supports approximately 1,529 visually impaired individuals and the demand for its services is increasing each year. Our Community Officers provide personal support to visually impaired people and their families at Hawley House or in their own homes and communities. This one-to-one work is at the heart of what we do, advising and supporting people with anything that visual impairment makes challenging in daily life. We maintain the register of Blind and Partially Sighted people on behalf of Walsall MBC. After referral by a Consultant Ophthalmologist, our Registration Officer assists with the process of registration and advises on the benefits it can bring. Our Social Activities Centre is open every weekday. Conveniently situated in Walsall town centre near the bus station, it is a popular meeting place for groups of visually impaired people to enjoy activities such as arts and crafts, quizzes and entertainment. Social isolation is often a consequence of sight loss, so our centre is an essential resource for the local visually impaired community to meet and thus enable its members to remain independent in a safe environment. It is large enough even to accommodate the Walsall Visually Impaired Bowls Group. Our Information Officer provides information, advice and guidance on living with sight loss and the support services Walsall Society for the Blind provide. She achieves this by holding information stands in the community doing talks and presentations and networking with other organizations. Our weekly Walsall Talking Newspaper is extremely popular. Each week in our own in-house studio, we record, edit and produce more than four hours of content which is then distributed on memory sticks by post, or by digital download. We also produce a monthly Audio Magazine with more than twelve hours of content. Digital technology designed specifically for visually impaired people is rapidly becoming more advanced and readily available. In response to growing demand, we have an Assistive Technology Officer. This important service provides both group and one-to-one training sessions on generic smart devices tailored to meet the needs of each individual. WSB Youth are a youth group for visually impaired aged 0-25 years they offer monthly youth groups, carer coffee catch ups, a private Facebook carer’s support group and offer ongoing individual support

This report was approved by the board of directors on 20 November 2025
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: David Smith
Status: Director