The Royal Leicestershire Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind
Analysis
The Royal Leicestershire Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Leicester. It was registered in March 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and accommodation/housing, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00163099). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.
In the financial year ending March 2025, The Royal Leicestershire Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind reported income of £3.9m and spending of £5.8m, spending 147% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £7.4m to £3.9m (-47%), an average of -15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income dropped by 50%. Over the whole period it spent 120% 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 Royal Leicestershire Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Marchant-Holliday School Limited (£3.9m), Duchenne UK (£3.9m) and The Florence Nightingale Foundation (£3.9m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 81%, trading 12% and donations and legacies 6.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £169k. Charitable activities took 83% of spending and raising funds 15%. Reserves of £1.4m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 157 people.
Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 2.3%
- Legacies 4.3%
- Charitable activities 81%
- Trading 12%
- Investments 0.4%
- Other 0.6%
In the charity's own words
Vista is recognised as the primary provider of services to blind and visually impaired people in the City of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Marchant-Holliday School Limited | Templecombe | £3.9m |
| Duchenne UK | London | £3.9m |
| The Florence Nightingale Foundation | London | £3.9m |
| Surrey Crossroads | Surrey | £3.9m |