New VI Charity Sector Partnership

Blind Veterans UK, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs, Macular Society, Retina UK, RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust and Visionary have announced they will form a new VI Charity Sector Partnership.

The aim of the partnership is to provide strategic overview for the planning and implementation of initiatives in the charity sector that will lead to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss across the UK.

The partnerships says “The coronavirus crisis has resulted in new and significant challenges for blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss.

However, it has made everyone more aware of how much we depend on each other – a sense of social cohesiveness that we should celebrate and build on.

Therefore, we are delighted to announce that eight of the leading charities in the eye health and sight loss sector have come together for the first time and agreed to form a VI Charity Sector Partnership. The
founding partners are: Blind Veterans UK, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs,Macular Society, Retina UK, RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust and Visionary.

The aim of this partnership is to provide strategic overview for the planning and implementation of initiatives in the charity sector that will lead to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people and those
at risk of sight loss across the UK. This partnership will build on the legacy of Vision UK which sadly closed in July 2020.

Partners have agreed to focus on two key themes initially:

• Crisis response planning including a focus on mental health and
wellbeing;

• Lived experience leadership and talent development.

Workstreams are in development to address these important issues and will include working with partners across the eye health and sight loss sector and beyond.

This partnership will build on the legacy of Vision UK, which sadly closed in July 2020 as a result of the funding crisis following the coronavirus outbreak.

The outgoing trustees of Vision UK asked Thomas Pocklington Trust to produce a brief report on the impact of Vision UK over the years and the future work it has inspired.