The Royal National College for the Blind

Analysis

The Royal National College for the Blind is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hereford. It was registered in September 1990, 36 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and disability, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02367626). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending July 2025, The Royal National College for the Blind reported income of £8.9m and spending of £8.1m, spending 91% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £5.6m to £8.9m (+58%), an average of +12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2022, when income rose by 38%. Over the whole period it spent 91% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, The Royal National College for the Blind sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Benjamin Foundation (£8.7m), Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (£8.9m) and Minstead Trust (£8.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 89%, trading 7.1% and donations and legacies 3.0%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £2,000. Charitable activities took 92% of spending and raising funds 7.1%. Reserves of £471k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 157 people.