The Benevolent Fund of the College of Optometrists & the Association of Optometrists

Analysis

The Benevolent Fund of the College of Optometrists & the Association of Optometrists is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Colchester. It was registered in August 1991, 35 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. It says it makes grants to individuals and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending September 2025, The Benevolent Fund of the College of Optometrists & the Association of Optometrists reported income of £108k and spending of £53k, leaving 51% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income fell from £363k to £108k (-70%), an average of -26% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2022, when income dropped by 59%. Over the whole period it spent 25% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Benevolent Fund of the College of Optometrists & the Association of Optometrists sits at the 64th percentile: it is larger than about 64% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 72nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Lost Chord UK (£108k), Chernobyl Children's Project (UK) (£108k) and Manningham Mills Sports and Community Association (£108k).