Clubs, Groups and Client Support

Please click on the green play button below to listen to the audio version of the Clubs and Groups section of the Statutory Accounts.

KAB has a network of around 60 social and leisure clubs around the region. Our clubs aim to improve the lives of visually impaired people by easing isolation, providing leisure and social opportunities and a forum for peer support. Some also provide opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity such as rambling, which bring obvious health benefits to members. Each club is supported by dedicated volunteers who act as drivers and escorts, help with local fundraising initiatives, and help plan activities and outings.

KAB provides financial support to clubs through annual grants, by meeting volunteers’ expenses, and by arranging local fundraising events and street collections for them. Of the clubs who carry out street or store collections most keep the proceeds of the collection; however some clubs also kindly gift all or a proportion back to KAB. KAB also has three minibuses which are available to clubs to transport their members to and from meetings or for club holidays and outings.

At the end of 2009/10 a new club handbook was issued and clubs were asked to sign up to the handbook by the end of April 2011. As part of this process 13 clubs made the decision to become independent of KAB. Significant staff time was taken up with carrying out due diligence exercises around the leaving clubs to ensure that club members were aware of the impact of the changes and any risks which would no longer be monitored by the charity. In addition the exercise aimed to check that funds transferred with the leaving clubs would continue to be spent in line with KAB charitable objectives. We are very pleased to say that we have been able to maintain good links with many of the clubs who opted to become independent and we are still able to refer users to those where we are confident that high standards in terms of provision of activities and management of risk are being maintained.

KAB has a number of clubs whose purpose had historically been to raise funds through fundraising events and to issue these funds as grants to other KAB clubs and sight impaired individuals, usually in their local areas. Over the years the awareness of these funds amongst clubs and rehab workers had reduced and the funds were not being well used to support sight impaired people. During the year a new grant system has been implemented which allows a small committee to receive and review grant applications meaning that grants are more quickly issued and the funds are being used to improve the lives of sight impaired people in various ways.

Following the intensive period of work with clubs surrounding the development of the handbook we observed that significant benefit existed where club volunteers were able to meet together and share ideas. In order to see this continue two club volunteer days were arranged in 2011 where additional training was provided in risk assessment and sighted guide techniques as well as opportunities to share useful information about trips and activities and have question and answer sessions with KAB staff. Feedback from clubs attending showed that these were both encouraging and useful and it is hoped that these will improve the experience of service users attending these clubs.

The cost of supporting clubs has fallen by nearly £12,000. This is because of lower levels of costs associated with minibuses as well as slightly lower levels of club grants and support. Following the introduction of the club handbook at the end of 2009/10 club grants have been reviewed and are only available to clubs who do not have high levels of reserves, which has led to fewer clubs applying for grants. In addition, two of the three minibuses have now reached the end of their depreciation period and as such have incurred no depreciation charges in the year, and running and repair costs have also fallen.

A key aim for 2010/11 is to review KAB’s transport policy for service users and clubs, and to develop a new system which is both equitable and cost effective. As part of this review the cost effectiveness of the minibuses will also be reviewed.