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On December 31st 2004 the Fund was paying rental contributions for 631 needy blind people throughout the United Kingdom (2003= 705). During 2004 the Fund paid for the installation of a telephone line for one new client
Rental contributions paid to each of our clients is £21.00 per quarter (approximately 66% of total line rental cost). The charity pays 100% of the cost of installing a telephone line.
Telephones for the Blind Fund would not be able to provide this support without the unstinting administration work carried out by the Trustees, all of whom give their services on a voluntary basis and work from their own homes. The untimely loss of two of our long serving and enthusiastic Trustees has required an even greater effort on those remaining. We are determined to maintain the efficient level of service we have given our clients in the past.
Total income during 2004 was £77,706 and total expenditure was £54,481. Current income was higher than expenditure for the first time in a number of years and so we did not have to draw on our reserves this year.
The largest single contribution to this result came from the highly successful BBC Radio 4 Appeal made on our behalf by our President, Alan Titchmarsh. We are very grateful for the support he gives us in this and other ways.
The value of our reserve of investment funds (up from £316,449 at the end of 2003 to the current level of £340,677) is due to the efficient management of our Investment Portfolio by our Fund Manager whose efforts are much appreciated.
Although our income more than covered our expenditure in the last year, we are still not in a position to either increase payments to our existing clients or consider offering help, to those new potential clients we would like to assist. We need to increase our funds if we are to offer as good a service in the future as we have done in the past
Raising funds for current expenditure is therefore our top priority, and any donation, large or small, is gratefully received.
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