Charity News

How we’re creating UK-wide connections for young blind and vision impaired people

We fund sustainable, projects that build connections and confidence, and have lasting impact for people affected by vision loss.

Our latest funding is supporting 11 UK-wide projects for young blind and vision impaired people. The projects we’re funding will support young people to engage in activities that build connections, grow confidence and encourage them to self-advocate when needed.

They’re part of the bright ideas at the core of our funding and the innovative projects span everything from sporting activities to opening reading through Braille, accessing peer support and improving mental health.

The projects span from Devon to West Yorkshire and the learning we gather will inform what works for young people who are blind and vision impaired everywhere. 

As an evidence-based funder our rounds are guided by research that we have commissioned to understand what life is like for someone with a visual impairment. This round, and two previous rounds, have been guided by the findings from our research which found that 1 in 3 vision impaired people experience loneliness and isolation. 

Read on to hear more about the projects which our social grants assessment panel felt matched the criteria and need. 

Sport and social activities 

  • Bloomsbury Football Foundation – Access to football sessions

    The core purpose of this project is to reduce participation barriers to regular, organised football for young people impacted by vision loss. Barriers can include:
    -    economic status
    -    inaccessible facilities and equipment
    -    previous negative experiences, 
    -    and the insufficient provision of tailored sessions. 
    These barriers compound to produce disproportionately high levels of inactivity, loneliness, and isolation among young people who are blind and visually impaired. By reducing these barriers to participation, attendees to our blind/VI-specific sessions will access sport’s extensive physical health and mental wellbeing benefits.

    Bloomsbury Football Foundation

  • Metro Blind Sport – social and sport activities

    Reducing loneliness of blind and vision impaired children and young people through sport, social and information sharing activities. The programme, Get Out Together, It’s Tremendous, revolves around a kick off winter, indoor track and field event as well as 12 low intensity, high impact events throughout the coming year. 

    Metro Blind Sport

  • Mid-Yorkshire Community Foundation - Empowering vision impaired youth through active connections

    A physical activity program that fosters social connections, enhances wellbeing, and promotes independent living. By creating an inclusive environment where participants can engage in sports and exercise, the project aims to build confidence, resilience, and essential social skills. Participants will develop friendships and learn to navigate their communities, ultimately reducing feelings of isolation and improving their quality of life. This initiative aligns with the need for targeted support to help vision impaired youth thrive both socially and physically.

    Mid Yorkshire Community Foundation

Peer support programmes

  • Retina UK - Young Persons' Project 2025

    This project is designed to empower, and connect people living with an inherited retinal dystrophy from the ages of 18-30. Retina UK is launching a peer support group dedicated to young people, for them to come together, build friendships and find community. This group will help to foster social connections and promote self-advocacy. The programme kicks off with a working group to include young adults with inherited sight loss and collaborate with Rare Minds to co-design new services or update existing ones. 

    Retina UK 

  • Sight Support West of England - Virtual peer support service for young blind and vision impaired people

    The project aims to reduce isolation and boost confidence for young people with sight loss and families of visually impaired children. Sight loss often leads to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, and anxiety. While face-to-face support is offered, there is a growing need for virtual peer support. Virtual hubs will provide practical and emotional support through Zoom meetings and chat groups, tailored to the unique needs of young working-age adults and families of visually impaired children. These hubs will help individuals connect, share advice, and offer emotional support, fostering a sense of community and reducing isolation.

    Sight Support West of England

  • Usher Kids UK - Empowerment Programme for 17-25 year olds

    This programme will build confidence and connections for young people (17-25 years) with vision loss. The programme’s aims are two-fold: Firstly, to build knowledge, skills, and confidence in key milestones of early adulthood, such as employment and independent living. This, through a series of bespoke mentoring, online training and signposting to available services and organisations. Secondly, it aims to develop self-advocacy, identity, and mental wellbeing through talking therapy, connection events and the opportunity to become an USHadvocate.

    Usher Kids UK 

Growing skills and confidence 

  • Royal Society for Blind Children - Building Connections For Young People - Designed with experience

    The purpose of the project is to address lived experiences of loneliness in blind and partially sighted children and young people growing up in London, particularly those associated with travel anxiety. Guided by their lived narratives, RSBC will engage blind and partially sighted children and young people in designing activities, and programmes that increase their connectivity with their peers. They’ll train blind and partially sighted children and young people to make the most out of assistive technology, to enable them to feel more confident and independent in making their way to afterschool and weekend activities.

    Royal Society for Blind Children

  • Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind - Empowerment for Independence - Youth sight loss transition workshops

    To give young blind and vision impaired people the skills to gain the confidence and knowledge to be independent, to transition into adulthood and to self-advocate. This project will provide regular 2½ day workshops for young people during the school holidays in a safe environment which replicate our successful Looking Ahead course for older clients. The overall outcome is hoped to be lasting relationships, with access to both centres in Sheffield and Rotherham and the wider community, creating social inclusion.

    Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind

  • MoorVision - SEND information, training, support and advocacy project

    Based in Devon and Cornwall this project aims to upskill, equip and directly support families of children with vision impairment to ensure their child’s Special Educational and Disability Needs (SEND) are met. Offering support to individual families as well as online meet ups and face-to-face workshops. The programme provides timely updates, information, advice and support about all aspects of SEND education and SEND educational rights.

    MoorVision 

Creative solutions

  • Clearvision Project – Online library catalogue 

    Clearvision Project is a national posting library of children’s books with the text added in Braille. This allows them to be shared by print- and braille-reading children and adults. The project lends books to families, schools, visual impairment services and public libraries all over the UK. 

    With our funding Clearvision Project is creating an online catalogue. This means children and young people can make their own book choices, discover new titles, and connect and interact with others with the book review facility.

  • Torch Trust – Hope for All

    Hope for All aims to provide visually impaired children in the UK with equal access to Christian literature through soft toys embedded with audio content. This initiative seeks to address the lack of engaging, inclusive faith-based resources, ensuring children experience the joy and comfort of Christian stories in a sensory-rich format whilst boosting their confidence and giving them the opportunity to connect with others within the wider community.

    Torch Trust

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