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Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind

Notable UK charity

Also known as: Sight Savers, Sightsavers, Sightsavers International

Seventy five per cent of blindness in the world is either avoidable or treatable. Sightsavers works with partners in developing countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Our work alleviates poverty among poor and marginalised communities and thus helps to realise the internationally accepted Millenium Development Goals.

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Activities & Mission

Seventy five per cent of blindness in the world is either avoidable or treatable. Sightsavers works with partners in developing countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Our work alleviates poverty among poor and marginalised communities and thus helps to realise the internationally accepted Millenium Development Goals.

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Show all 31 areas of operation

Financial Information

Latest Income
£285,595,000
Latest Expenditure
£288,464,000

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 92.8%
% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 58% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample: 307). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 91.9%
% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 51% of UK Health charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 8.7%
Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 49% of UK Health charities with income over £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £257,317,000
Charitable Activities £26,245,000
Other Trading £207,000
Investments £2,001,000
Other Income £39,000

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £265,153,000
Raising Funds £22,436,000
Governance £2,587,000
Grants to Institutions £26,767,000
Other Expenditure £875,000

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2024.

Financial YearIncomeExpenditureCharitable SpendingNet AssetsReservesStaff
2024
£285,595,000
£288,464,000£265,153,000£63,749,000£27,412,000826 / 0
2023
£337,945,000
£340,501,000£317,316,000£66,267,000£30,362,000840 / 0
2022
£313,352,000
£309,174,000£286,881,000£68,698,000£33,026,000790 / 0
2021
£236,775,000
£213,622,000£194,686,000£65,417,000£32,185,000745 / 248885
2020
£261,007,000
£250,405,000£230,460,000£40,737,000£20,662,000693 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind

What does Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind do?

Seventy five per cent of blindness in the world is either avoidable or treatable. Sightsavers works with partners in developing countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Our work alleviates poverty among poor and marginalised communities and thus helps to realise the internationally accepted Millenium Development Goals.

How much income did Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind report in 2024?

Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind reported total income of £285.60m and reported expenditure of £288.46m for the financial year ending 2024, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind?

Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind has a program ratio of 92.8%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 58% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample of 307 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind registered as a charity?

Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 22 September 1962 as charity number 207544. It has been registered for 64 years.

Who runs Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind?

Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind is governed by a board of 14 trustees. The chair of trustees is CLIVE JONES CBE. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind operate?

Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind operates across 31 areas, including Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso and 28 others. The full list is shown on its profile.

Is Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind a registered charity?

Yes — Royal Commonwealth Society For The Blind is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 207544.

Details

Address
35 PERRYMOUNT ROAD
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH16 3BW
Registration Date
22 September 1962
Status
Registered

Registry Information

Organisation Number
207544
Charity Number
207544

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Trustees

CLIVE JONES CBE Chair
ABIA AKRAM
Brian Morris Dawson
DAVID LOUIS TAYLOR
Dr Henry Nkumbe
Dr Margaret Gyapong
Dr Subramanian Garimella
Elaine Lee
JOY HUTCHEON
MAVIS OWUSU-GYAMFI
Pratik Vijaykumar Patel
PROFESSOR Christopher John Whitty
Professor Tuwani Adel Rasengane
William Kendall

Sectors & Classifications

Also Known As

  • Sight Savers
  • Sightsavers
  • Sightsavers International

Data & trust

Register data refreshed
14 May 2026
Report a data issue