GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL
Activities
As described by the charity on the register
We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our statutory role is to protect and promote the health and safety of members of the public by promoting high standards of professional education, conduct and performance among our registrants. We currently register around 26,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.
Latest income
£12.2m
Expenditure
£13.1m
Financial year end
2025-03-31
Income & spending history
As reported to the Charity Commission, by financial year end
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-03-31 | £11.7m | £8.6m | |
| 2022-03-31 | £10.0m | £9.5m | |
| 2023-03-31 | £10.3m | £10.5m | |
| 2024-03-31 | £11.2m | £12.0m | |
| 2025-03-31 | £12.2m | £13.1m |
Latest detailed return
Year end 2025-03-31
Income mix
| Donations & legacies | £0 |
| Charitable activities | £11.7m |
| Trading | £0 |
| Investment income | £478k |
| Total income | £12.2m |
Spending
| Charitable spend | £13.1m |
| Raising funds | £48k |
| Grants to institutions | £0 |
| Governance | £801k |
| Total expenditure | £13.1m |
Balance sheet
| Reserves | £8.0m |
| Total funds | £8.0m |
| — restricted | £0 |
| — unrestricted | £8.0m |
| — endowment | £0 |
| Total assets | £8.0m |
| Cash | £1.6m |
People
| Employees | 112 |
Classification
The charity's own register classification
What it does
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
Who it helps
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
How it works
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales register, 2026-07-28. Detailed figures as filed in the charity's annual return. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.