What value does a mentor add to the lives of young people with vision loss?
Join us as we speak to UK's leading mentoring organisation for visually impaired young people, LOOK UK. We'll dive into the value of mentoring, how LOOK's programme works and what it takes to set up a mentorship programme. Speaking directly with mentors, we’ll gain insights into their experiences, explore their successes, and understand the difference they’ve made in the lives of young people.
This webinar featured Ruth, LOOK’s Mentor Project Manager; Caitlin, a former mentee and current mentor and intern; Mo, a current mentor; and Jane, the Parent Support Officer. We also heard from Charlotte, the CEO of LOOK UK.
This webinar took place on Wednesday 25 February 2026. A recording of the event is below.
Watch the recording here
More information
"If you are seeking someone to bounce ideas or questions with who can TRULY empathise and talk to you with no judgement - then having the support of a peer mentor with a similar Visual Impairment could be transformative"
About the speakers
Ruth Storey
Ruth Storey is an experienced Youth Worker, with a career background in formal education, voluntary sector and community settings. Ruth joined the LOOK UK team in 2017, when the Mentor Project was in its pilot phase. During this time Ruth and the LOOK UK team have recruited and trained over 200 peer mentors and 250 young people were involved as mentees during 2025 alone. In order to develop & sustain such growth in service delivery, Ruth and the LOOK UK team continually hone the training for the Peer Mentors and the tools they have at their disposal to support the young people being mentored.
Listening to young people lies at the heart of Youth Work and all that the Mentor Project stands for. Ruth is passionate to ensure the Peer Mentor Project hears the young people and the mentors can respond in a person centred way to their mentees. If you're wondering how to support a young person feeling grief or distress regarding their diagnosis, or finding themselves fearful about their identity or their future, or uncertain how to articulate themselves about their needs then Ruth and the LOOK UK team will have insight and experience to share.
Caitlin
Cait is a current intern and mentor at look UK and previous mentee with LOOK. She's 22, registered blind but doesn't let this hold her back. She plays for the England Blind Lionesses, has a guide dog called Honey and is a massive advocate for sight loss, and loves to talk to people about what it’s like to live with progressive sight loss.
She was born with multiple eye conditions, the main being glaucoma and nystagmus. She was the first and only person in her family to have been born with any form of sight loss. Most people would think that this is upsetting but Cait says that having a severe sight impairment has taught her many lessons, such as resilience, self advocacy and independence, that she wouldn’t have gained if she was born with full sight. She's had so much support growing up from family, friends and external influences such as QTVIs, teaching staff, habilitation specialists and charities such as LOOK UK.
Jane Ring
Jane Ring has a 17 year old son who is Deaf Blind. She is a trained drama practitioner and facilitator with a background in Disability Arts. Jane has worked with LOOK UK since 2019 when she identified the need for a peer support group for Parent Carers of VI children and young people who were struggling during lock down. The Parent Carer Support Group is still going and meets online once a month.
Jane currently delivers the Healthy Parent Carer programme for the LOOK community twice a year. Jane’s son Erick was a mentee and benefitted enormously from the mentor programme which gave him confidence and helped him speak up about the barriers he faced at school. Jane believes the mentor programme enhances the whole family and gives parent carers in particular hope for their VI child’s future.
"Before working with my mentor at LOOK, I didn’t have the confidence to advocate for myself and others. My mentor really shaped me as a person and has allowed me to grow in confidence and independence."
About LOOK UK
LOOK believes that nobody should have to cope alone. They are a small but mighty charity, supporting visually impaired young people to thrive. They offer structured peer support for young people and their parents/carers, through their mentoring project, support groups and events programme.
Their flagship LOOK Mentor Project keeps growing, and they are continually investing in the LOOK Mentors. The mentors come from a variety of backgrounds and have different VI needs and experiences, but they share a passion and commitment to supporting VI young people through mentoring. Some of the mentees have gone on to be Mentors, and some now work with LOOK on the Mentor Project.
Who will benefit from this webinar?
The session will interest:
- Anyone interested in becoming a mentor or a mentee.
- Parents, guardians and families of children with vision loss.
- Organisations and individuals in the sight loss sector.
- Organisations hoping to set up a mentoring programme.
- Educators and teachers in the sight loss sector.
