Living with confidenceRNIB annual review 2013/14

ContentsMaking every day betterAbout usOur work in numbersBeing there for people losing their sightSupporting independent livingCreating an inclusive societyStopping people losing their sight unnecessarilyThank youA brief look at our finances Contact us

Making every day better This annual review marks the end of the last year of our 2009/14 plan. It is impossible to sum up all of our successes over the last five years but here are just some of the many of which we are proud. We are particularly pleased that we have ensured new treatments are available to prevent avoidable sight loss, and that the number of sight loss advisers giving support to people losing their sight has increased. In terms of ensuring full participation of blind and partially sighted people, we helped make sure that the Olympic and Paralympic Games were the most accessible yet. The opening of RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning in 2012, providing support and education for children with severe disabilities including sight loss, was a major milestone. To improve the everyday lives of people with sight loss we have taken huge strides forward in making technology such as TV, mobile phones and e-readers, more accessible.

We know there is so much more to do, so we are tremendously excited to launch our new plan for 2014/19, which is a strategy for the whole group of charities – RNIB, Action for Blind People, Cardiff Institute for the Blind and RNIB Specialist Learning Trust. To help develop the plan, we consulted with blind and partially sighted people, including our members, as well as professionals and organisations. Our new strategy cements our commitment to be there for even more people when they’re losing their sight.

When someone is losing their sight, we want them to receive the help and support they need to come to terms with this potentially devastating news and to face the future with confidence. This year we have continued to increase the quantity and quality of sight loss advisers available to support people in eye clinics. We also launched our “I am here” campaign, which raised awareness of the importance of support services in eye clinics and the threat of potential cuts to existing services.

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Reductions to services and incomes continue to have a huge impact on the lives of many blind and partially sighted people so it’s more important than ever that we reach as many people as possible. The demand on our Helpline continues to grow – this year we responded to over 500,000 individual enquiries. Our welfare rights service identified unclaimed entitlements for blind and partially sighted people, amounting to an incredible £14.5million.

This review highlights the difference we made in 2013/14. Although the tough economic climate is having an impact on our resources, we are immensely proud that our hard work has led to many fantastic achievements this year. All of these achievements are only possible thanks to your generous financial support. Each and every one of our supporters, along with our dedicated staff and volunteers, is making every day better for everyone affected by sight loss in the UK.

Kevin Carey, ChairLesley-Anne Alexander CBE, Chief Executive

Our work in numbers

We identified £14.5million in unclaimed welfare benefit entitlements We have 12,000 blind and partially sighted members 2 million people visited our website Our Helpline responded to 500,000 customer enquiries Around 40,000 people use our reading services including our much-loved

Talking Book Service 20 million homes can now listen to RNIB’s Insight Radio through Freeview Our Eye Health Information Service supported 3,300 people 800 volunteers make up our Technology Support Squad We helped 27,500 people choose and use products.

Note that membership and Technology Support Squad figures are correct at October 2014.

About usWe’re the Royal National Institute of Blind People and we’re here for everyone affected by sight loss. Whether you’re losing your sight or you’re blind or partially sighted, our practical and emotional support can help you face the future with confidence.

Our ambition is to make every day better for everyone affected by sight loss: by being there when you are losing your sight, supporting independent living, creating an inclusive society and preventing sight loss.

We’re a charity, proud to be led by a strong and active membership of blind and partially sighted people, who, along with our trustees, give direction to our work.

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“You gave me hope”Being there We will make sure we reach more people losing their sight.

Coming to terms with losing your sight is incredibly hard. We want everyone in this situation to have the best possible support, and for some this starts straight after diagnosis. Our newest priority is being there, which will focus on making sure we reach more people early in their sight loss journey.

Sight loss advisersWe’re working hard to increase the number of sight loss advisers in eye clinics to support people losing their sight. This year the number of eye clinics in the UK that has sight loss support has risen to 218, or just over half. We know there is still a long way to go.

Our “I am here” campaign, launched in April 2014, was hugely successful in raising awareness of the importance of sight loss advisers and the threat to some existing services from NHS and local authority cuts.

In 2013 we produced a report focusing on the impact of sight loss advisers in England and Vision Support Services in Scotland. The research showed the positive impact which advisers have on people diagnosed with a sight threatening eye condition – 86 per cent of patients said they felt more reassured leaving the eye clinic after receiving information and support.

The sight loss adviser post at Moorfields hospital, initially funded by RNIB, is now an established post funded by the hospital. We’re now providing initial funding of a second post to provide support in two of Moorfields’ largest district hubs in North West London. This post will support around 800 patients per year.

Living with sight lossOur Finding your feet programme helps people face some of the challenges that sight loss brings. This two-day course focuses on confidence-building and ways to maintain health and wellbeing and has supported hundreds of people since it began in 2009.

Action for Blind People successfully launched the new Living with sight loss courses. People attending have experienced some transformative effects; from taking a bus for the first time in years to regaining the confidence to begin looking for work and starting their own clubs.

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Emotional supportOur trained counsellors help people finding it hard to come to terms with sight loss. Offering one-to-one telephone counselling as well as telephone support groups, our Emotional Support Service helped 758 people adapt to their sight loss this year. A recent survey of people who used the service, found that 79 per cent reported feeling less anxious and 73 per cent felt more empowered to deal with problems.

Our Looking Forward service in Northern Ireland provides free counselling for older people with sight loss. Elsie used the service this year and told us, “I found the counsellor very supportive and empathetic towards my own emotional needs. The experience really helped me to process the thoughts I had towards my sight loss.”

Amy’s storyThe cause of Amy’s sight loss was difficult to diagnose and it wasn’t clear whether it was permanent or temporary.

“I couldn’t see fine details and small print so couldn’t do my job as a primary school teacher. I feared for my job and future. I then heard of a sight loss adviser. She gave me some information so I knew where to access help when I was ready. She also got me seen at the Low Vision Clinic and I was given a magnifier, which enabled me to read letters and other important things. Three years later the magnifier is my lifeline. For the first time in months I had hope and a way to do things independently.”

“My quality of life is better”

Supporting independent livingWe’re committed to helping people with sight loss remain independent and lead as full and enjoyable lives as possible.

Keeping you informedOur Helpline is a direct line to the support, advice and products you need from RNIB and Action for Blind People to remain independent. This year we responded to a record 500,000 customer enquiries covering everything from benefits, to eye health information, legal rights, reading services and product sales.

Our new website launched in April 2014. It’s been redesigned to make it quicker and easier for people to find information, and is accessible to the highest standards. This year we had over two million visitors.

Our online shop is packed with products to make life easier for people with sight loss. From reading to cooking to getting out and about, this year we gave support to 27,500 people in choosing and using products to improve their independence.

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Insight radio, RNIB’s award-winning radio station has gone from strength to strength. As well as online and via Sky and Freesat, you can now also listen via Freeview channel 730 so it is available to over 20 million homes across the UK.

Our reading services provided around 40,000 blind and partially sighted people with books in giant print, braille and our much-loved talking books.

Welfare benefit advicePersonal Independence Payment (PIP) is the benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for those aged 16 to 65. It was introduced in selected pilot areas in April 2013 and nationwide in June 2013. At the moment it applies to new claimants, those turning 16 and those who choose to move from DLA.

Our PIP campaign was a notable success for RNIB. Thanks to our work, severely visually impaired people will continue to receive the Higher Rate Mobility component of DLA. We also secured vital improvements to the daily living criteria for blind and partially sighted people.

This year we secured £14.5million in previously unidentified welfare benefit entitlements for blind and partially sighted people. John, whose benefit was increased by £45 per week after his consultation with our advice team told us:

“It’s made such a difference. It doesn’t sound like a huge amount but it does make a difference and my quality of life is better for it.”

Helping people into workLosing your sight doesn’t mean you can’t work. We support employers to understand how they can retain staff when they are losing their sight, or employ people living with sight loss. We also work with individuals to raise their skill and confidence levels to the point where they can gain or retain employment. This year we helped 124 people into work, and supported 153 people to retain their job when they were losing their sight.

Our Trainee Grade Scheme gives people with sight loss the opportunity to learn new skills and prepare for employment. This year a remarkable 85 per cent of Trainee Grade Scheme participants moved into employment, a far higher proportion than in previous years.

We’ve launched the Action Employment Line, an advice and information service for blind and partially sighted people in work or seeking work, employers and employment professionals. A total of 1,200 people received support and advice during the year.

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An adult student on RNIB College Loughborough’s employment programme recently secured a job. He said:

“I have never been unemployed in my life and I don’t like it! I just gave the placement my all and tried to show that my disability doesn’t affect the way I can work... all this was made possible with the help and support of the college staff. They inspired me with their professionalism and support.”

With support from the Big Lottery Fund we launched our Future In-Sight project in Wales to improve the employment chances and confidence of 14-25 year olds with sight loss.

Achieving a better educationIn the UK today there are 25,000 blind and partially sighted children and young people who require specialist education support. Half have additional disabilities as well as sight loss, and two thirds are educated in a mainstream setting. We work with education professionals to support blind and partially sighted children and young people, offering training courses for teaching staff, facilitating specialist professional networks and providing vital resources to improve teaching standards.

RNIB Specialist Learning Trust was established in September 2013 and became an academy sponsor for the Three Spires School in Coventry (now known as the Three Spires Academy). As a sponsor we will drive up standards in the academy, expand our reach as a provider of education and support services, and use our expertise to benefit other local schools and the wider community.

Our schools are outstanding. RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning school and children’s home were both judged as “Outstanding” by Ofsted in 2013. The school was also awarded a gold standard Inclusion Quality Mark in 2013. Both RNIB Sunshine House School and Residence were also judged as “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

Load2learn, a joint project with Dyslexia Action, provides free accessible curriculum resources to support learners who cannot use standard print materials. Load2learn now has over 5,000 registered users and 2,500 books available for download. We’re adding new resources all the time.

Our 29 Actionnaires clubs across England and Wales offer a range of fantastic sporting activities including swimming, archery, skiing and horse riding to 4-16 year old young people with sight loss.

Fearghas’ storyFearghas, 16, is blind with additional disabilities. When he started school at RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning in 2012 he found it difficult to take part in

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activities and to engage with others. Thanks to our specialist support he has grown in confidence and developed his communication and mobility skills.

"Fearghas is really enthusiastic about school and has become so much happier since being here. RNIB Pears Centre is very good at communicating with us and we feel that they are part of the family that works together to support Fearghas as he grows and develops." Lilias, Fearghas's mum

“I’m doing things I never dreamed I’d be able to”

Creating an inclusive societyWe want the UK to be a better place to live for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Mobile phones and the internet can be vital tools for people with sight problems to live independently. We worked with manufacturers and service providers to improve the accessibility of devices and online services.

Finding the confidence to travel when you lose your sight can be difficult. We want blind and partially sighted people to get around safely and independently. To achieve this, we supported blind and partially sighted people to challenge poor practice and worked with transport organisations to make their services more accessible.

New technologyWe lobby and engage with the big names in technology to ensure that the needs of blind and partially sighted people are included when new products are designed and developed.

We recommended some changes to the visual design of the latest mobile operating system from Apple to make it easier for partially sighted people to use. Apple were happy to engage with us and have incorporated many of our recommendations, allowing people to enjoy all the benefits of integrated accessibility with better tonal contrast.

Our work with Amazon has made it possible for blind and partially sighted readers to have access to over 1.5 million books by using synthetic speech for the Kindle app, as well as assessing the new Kindle Fire tablets before their launch.

Television viewing has become easier for people with sight loss as manufacturers have started to include text-to-speech in their electronic programme guides that control digital televisions. Our work with Panasonic led to spoken menus and programme guides being available in their latest range of televisions.

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Technology supportOur Technology Support Squad continued to change the lives of blind and partially sighted people this year by bringing them closer to the difference technology could make. This year over 800 volunteers helped to set up, fix problems and show people how to use their gadgets.

The service has transformed life for many users. Glenda told us:“I’m now doing things on the computer I never dreamed I’d be able to. It gives me such peace of mind, knowing I can shop online if I need to or contact my daughter. I’m so grateful to Phil [the Technology Support Squad volunteer] who made it all possible.”

Our third annual Switch on to technology month raised awareness of the benefits of information technology for blind and partially sighted people. We launched user guides, video tutorials and organised hands-on taster events covering the latest on mobile phones, computers and the internet for people new to technology.

Independent travelThe ability to travel confidently and safely is vital for independence. Our members have told us that bus travel remains a priority for them. Our “Stop for me; Speak to me” campaign has challenged bus operators to revise their services to make them usable by blind and partially sighted people. This includes stopping at a bus stop if a person is waiting, providing information about available seating and notifying customers of their selected destination.

As a result of our campaign Transport for London and Stagecoach East of England have removed request signs, while national operator, First Group, has agreed to endorse our bus charter, along with Kinch and Reading buses.

We organised over 30 “Swap with me” events across England and Wales, providing opportunities for bus drivers and customers to share service and user experiences.

We worked with transport providers to improve services and access to information for blind and partially sighted people. Through our good practice initiative, we’ve recognised Trent Barton Buses, Nottingham City Council, Southern Rail, Network Rail and Transport for London for improving services. We’ve used these as examples to challenge other providers to improve.

We also launched an RNIB Navigator wayfinding app for smartphones, which will enable users to pinpoint their location and follow directions to a chosen destination.

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Control of your moneyWe’re delighted that our influence in the financial sector is benefiting blind and partially sighted people. The number of talking cash machines (ATMs) continues to grow so that people with sight loss can manage their money independently.

In March 2011, there were only 60 audio-enabled machines on trial in Northern Ireland. No banks were interested in installing more. Today, thanks largely to our campaigning, 7,000 machines talk, including most of Barclays’ and all of The Co-operative Bank’s cash points. And we’ve now secured commitments from all the leading high street banks.

Shopping independentlyWe’ve enabled people with sight loss to shop more independently by working with industry and retailers to improve the accessibility of packaging and the services provided to blind and partially sighted shoppers.

Over the last year, in partnership with London College of Fashion, the British Retail Consortium and the Charity Retailers Association we have produced a comprehensive “Top Tips” guide and video on how best to advise people with sight loss, and give them the information they need to make an informed choice.

In online shopping, we’ve continued to review the website accessibility of the leading brands, recognising the increasing use of apps as smartphone and tablet users choose to shop on the go. A highlight was our work with John Lewis to develop its accessible shopping app for Apple devices, launched in July 2013. We’ve recognised this as a beacon of good practice, setting the standard for retailers in meeting the needs of blind and partially sighted people. We’re now working with Waitrose.

In Northern Ireland we worked with Shopmobility to train volunteers and launch a sighted guide shopping service for blind and partially sighted people. Ryan told us:

“It’s made shopping more of a social experience for me and has really improved my self-confidence. I am now able to go out shopping without family or friends being with me.”

Aygun’s storyRetired plumber Aygun began to lose his sight from age-related macular degeneration and lost confidence and the motivation to get out and about. James from our Technology Support Squad helped Aygun choose the right laptop and learn how to use it. We also put him in touch with local support to help build his confidence.

“Being able to talk with my family online has been fantastic. I can’t believe I waited so long to learn how to do it! I’m so grateful to RNIB for helping me learn the skills.

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Getting out and about is getting a bit easier now as well. I’ve been given some really useful tips by my trainer.”

“I’m so glad RNIB came to my rescue”

Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarilyOver 50 per cent of sight loss in the UK is avoidable. We work hard to make eyecare services and sight-saving treatments accessible to all.

We want to reduce the levels of unnecessary sight loss in the UK. We want people to be more aware of the causes and potential signs of sight loss. When they are diagnosed with an eye condition we want people to be able to access appropriate treatments, understand their eye condition and make informed choices.

Sight-saving treatmentsWe continue to fight to save sight by ensuring the availability of vital treatments and supporting individuals to fight for their own personal treatments.

It’s been a busy year for new treatments. Normally one drug would be approved per year but we’ve helped six through the health regulator NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and five through the SMC (Scottish Medical Consortium) this year. This means patients now have access to a wealth of new treatments on the NHS for their eye condition. One approval for the use of the drug Lucentis will mean that around 2,000 people per year will no longer lose their sight.

We also worked with patients to make sure they receive these treatments. This year we intervened on behalf of two patients who were being denied NICE-approved treatment, despite it being recommended by their ophthalmologists. In both instances the patients were offered the treatment they desperately needed within two days of our contacting the Trust involved.

In July we launched our “Surgery deferred, sight denied” campaign with a parliamentary reception attended by over 40 MPs. We highlighted the inconsistent provision of cataract surgery across the UK that was forcing thousands to live with sight loss.

Raising awareness We began 2013 with the launch of our “Spot the signs” campaign, which encouraged people aged 50 and over to take action to look after their sight. The campaign ran from January to June 2013 and was a huge success – over 330,000 people visited our website for further information.

For National Eye Health Week in 2013 we worked with other charities and eye health professionals to promote the importance of eye health and the need for

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regular sight tests. This year over 1,000 supporters participated in the campaign and we reached 135 million people through national radio and press.

This year our Eye Health Information Service gave individual support to around 3,300 people, talking them through their eye condition, the potential implications on their future and helping them come to terms with their sight loss. We know the service had a powerful and positive impact on many of the people who contacted us – we received a 99 per cent satisfaction rating.

We now have text and audio versions of information on common eye conditions available on our website in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Welsh. There have been over 1,000 downloads so far.

Improving eye healthWe carried out five pilot projects to help prevent sight loss in deprived areas and among black and minority ethnic people. These Community Engagement Projects (CEPs) were delivered in Bradford, Wales, Glasgow, Hackney and Belfast – areas identified as needing to improve uptake of eye health care.

The Bradford CEP trialled a range of ways to improve attendance at appointments and developed a self-care pack: “Living Well with Diabetes”. Early findings show that we have started to have an impact. For example, a text reminder service for diabetic retinopathy screening appointments helped to increase attendance from 63 per cent to 82 per cent.

The Hackney CEP trial invited over 3,000 people of black African and Caribbean descent for a series of glaucoma checks and resulted in 12 people being diagnosed with glaucoma.

Carol’s storyAt the age of 63, Carol’s cataract deteriorated quickly and began to affect her ability to work as a dressmaker. Carol was not eligible for surgery but thanks to our support, she eventually got the treatment she so desperately needed.

“I’ve been campaigning nearly two years to get surgery - they kept on telling me that I wasn’t deteriorating enough so I couldn’t get the operation. I found it really difficult to drive in the dark so I had to give up. I’m so glad RNIB came to my rescue, without their support I’m not sure where I would be now.”

Your support

Tim’s challengeTim is taking part in the 100 per cent challenge for RNIB. Throughout 2014 he plans to run 100 marathon miles, cycle 100 miles a day for 10 days from Land’s End

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to John O’Groats, and swim 100km. So far Tim has raised an incredible £5,800. He was inspired by his brother Stephen, who has retinitis pigmentosa.

"Stephen has always been an amazing role model. He is unbelievably brave in facing the difficulties his eye condition presents and I hope that through this year of challenges I can help more people like Stephen by raising money for RNIB."

Louise’s gift Louise has been partially sighted all her life due to albinism. But she hasn’t let it get in the way of an active life, studying for an MA, working as a teacher and enjoying learning Latin, photography, sailing and playing the clarinet.

“I’ve had a lot of help from RNIB, such as employment advice and assistance with welfare support, but one of the biggest things they did for me was providing transcriptions of the Latin text books and the vocabulary list for my course with perfect accuracy. I feel the fact that they do these sorts of things for people is a great reason to leave a legacy to RNIB.”

Joseph’s questOur third annual Read for RNIB Day was held on 11 October 2013. We’d like to thank the many people who took part and raised funds for us by holding a reading-related event.

Joseph, aged 11, has had glaucoma since birth. To raise funds he set himself a challenge to read ten books in a month and finished them all with three days to spare.

“It was an opportunity to read loads of books. RNIB has helped me for ages and it was nice to give something back. My friends and family raised £400!”

Wear dot and raise lotsThis October we are asking everyone to wear dots and raise lots. It’s a really fun and easy way to raise vital funds to make sure we can be there for the two million people with sight loss in the UK. Visit readforrnib.org.uk for more information.

A brief look at our finances

We spentThe RNIB group of charities focused expenditure on the following areas of work:Stopping people losing their sight £3,562,000Supporting independent living £89,913,000Creating an inclusive society £9,741,000Costs to generate funds £15,848,000Governance costs £1,540,000

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Total expenditure £120,604,000

Our expenditure in percentagesWe spent 75 per cent on Supporting independent living, 3 per cent on Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily, and 8 per cent on Creating an inclusive society.

We raisedYou helped us raise an amazing amount this year. Thank you.

The RNIB group of charities’ income came from the following sources:Donations and legacies £71,656,000Investment income £1,056,000Merchandising and sponsorship £348,000Income from charitable activities £44,150,000Other incoming resources £1,437,000This gave a total income of £118,647,000And a planned operating deficit of £1,957,000

The RNIB group of charities’ resources at 31 March 2014 consisted of the following:Unrestricted funds £69,188,000Restricted funds £25,335,000Endowment funds £5,329,000Plus pension surplus £6,482,000This gives total net assets of £106,334,000

These figures are extracted from the full Trustees’ report and financial statement for the year ending 31 March 2014, as audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

If you would like a copy of the full report, available in print, audio, braille and by email, please contact our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

Thank youWe’re honoured to have the support of some remarkable individuals. We’re indebted to our Patron Her Majesty The Queen, and to our President Dame Gail Ronson DBE. We’re also indebted to our Vice-Presidents:

Sir John Beckwith CBEThe Rt Hon David Blunkett MPRichard BrewsterProfessor Ian Bruce CBEJeremy BullDr Haruhisa Handa

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Dr Euclid HerieLady JarvisPenny Lancaster-StewartLord Low of Dalston CBETrevor Pears CMGSir Mike RakeDr Dermot SmurfitRod Stewart CBEThe Rt Hon Earl of StocktonSir Duncan Watson CBEHis Grace The Duke of Westminster KG, CB, CVO, OBE, TD, CD, DL

We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to the many individuals, companies and trusts that have supported us this year. Without your support we couldn’t have achieved what we have. We can’t possibly name you all but here’s a list of those who have contributed significantly to our cause:

Ada Hillard Charitable TrustAgnes Hunter TrustAlcon UKAllerganAndrew AddicottArts Council EnglandB & P Glasser Charitable TrustBayerBBC Children in NeedThe John Beckwith Charitable TrustBig Lottery FundThe Blakey FoundationBook EventsBooker Prize FoundationBoots Opticians LimitedBòrd na GàidhligMr and Mrs Ronald BoschettoBrian Mercer Charitable TrustBrian Wilson Charitable TrustAnne-Marie BriscombeBritish Council, Youth in ActionBrownlie Charitable TrustMr and Mrs Jeremy BullJohn and Susan BurnsCarmen Butler-Charteris Charitable TrustCecil Rosen FoundationMr and Mrs Oliver ChristofCitizenship Foundation

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CoastConstance Travis Charitable TrustCraig McTurk Endowment TrustCreative ScotlandThe Thompson Dean Family FoundationMr Felix DennisDepartment of HealthMr Richard DesmondDiana and Gerard Young TrustDrayson FoundationChristopher EcclestoneMr Graham Edwards and Ms Georgina BlackElizabeth T Robertson's Charitable TrustEuropean Regional Development Fund – INTERREG IVAEuropean Social FundLord and Lady FinkFSIA TrustTony and Rita GallagherJ Paul Getty Jnr Charitable TrustGlasgow Transformation FundThe Gosling Foundation Evelyn and David GreenThe Helen Hamlyn TrustLord and Lady Harris of PeckhamHeath Charitable TrustHer Majesty's Revenue and CustomsHeritage Lottery FundInman CharityInternational Foundation for Arts and Culture Investec International Specialist Bank and Asset ManagerJessie Spencer TrustJohn Scott Charitable TrustJust Imagine Story Centre LtdMr and Mrs KantorKathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable TrustIsaac and Myrna KayePhyllida Law Mr Ric LewisThe Linbury TrustLiz and Terry Bramall FoundationOllie LockLoppylugs & Barbara Morrison Charitable TrustThe Lotus FoundationDerek and Deborah Lovelock Mr and Mrs Roger Macey

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Mr Derek Madden and Ms Aura LounasmaaJo and Raffy ManoukianDr and Mrs Samad MunshiThe John R Murray Charitable TrustMuslim YouthNextNovartisL’OccitaneOpera Holland ParkThe Philip Oppenheimer FoundationMr Roger OrfOrion BooksPan MacMillanPeacock Charitable TrustPears FoundationThe Jack Petchey FoundationSara and Paul Phillips Arlene PhillipsR S Macdonald Charitable TrustQualcommThe Joseph and Lena Randall Charitable TrustRanmoor Charitable TrustRuth RendellAnneka Rice Robertson Charitable TrustThe Sybil Robson Orr FoundationThe Gerald Ronson FoundationMichael RosenMr Ian RosenblattEdmond J. Safra Philanthropic FoundationMr and Mrs Ralph SaundersSchroder Charity TrustSchroders plc Mr and Mrs SchwarzenbachScottish GovernmentScottish Natural HeritageMarcus Sedgwick Mr and Mrs Graeme ShanklandMr and Mrs Derrick SmithDr and Mrs Dermot SmurfitState StreetLady Beryl SteinbergThe Steinberg Family Charitable TrustMr Rod Stewart CBE and Mrs Penny Lancaster-StewartThe Suva Foundation

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The Tabor FoundationUlverscroft FoundationWales Council for Voluntary ActionWalker BooksMr Stanley WatsonWelsh Assembly GovernmentThe Wolfson FoundationThe Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson FoundationWT Mattock Charitable SettlementYellow DoorYouth Council Northern IrelandDr Allen Zimbler and Dr Caryn Solomon

How you can helpEvery day 100 people start to lose their sight. We need your help to provide vital services for blind and partially sighted people. Do something today and make a difference.

A brighter futureAbout a third of our work is supported by gifts in Wills so we are hugely grateful to those people who have supported us in this way. Every penny we are left is used wisely to provide a brighter future and help blind and partially sighted people live their lives with confidence. You don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference; legacies of all sizes are vital to our work. If you’d like to know how you can help in this way please call 0845 600 0313 or visit rnib.org.uk/legacy

FundraiseWithout financial support from donations and legacies we simply couldn’t provide many of the products and services that help people find their lives again. There are many ways you can show your support, such as getting involved in RNIB Read, taking on a challenge or making a one-off donation. Visit rnib.org.uk/fundraise

Volunteer Without volunteers we couldn’t run our services. There are over 100 volunteering opportunities across the UK where you could make a real difference in your local community. Visit rnib.org.uk/volunteer

CampaignWithout active campaigners we’d never get changes made to health, social care, employment and benefits. Join our campaigns on issues that matter to blind and partially sighted people. Visit rnib.org.uk/campaign

Call today on 0303 123 9999 to find out more or send your details to RNIB, 105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE

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Contact us

RNIB HelplineIf you, or someone you know, is living with sight loss, we’re here to help. Call our 0303 123 9999 from Monday to Friday between 8.45am and 5.30pm or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

You can order more copies of this review in print, audio and braille as well as our range of products and publications.

RNIB105 Judd Street, LondonWC1H 9NE020 7388 1266rnib.org.ukfacebook.com/rnibuktwitter.com/rnibyoutube.com/rnibuk

© RNIB October 2014RNIB registered charity number 226227 (England and Wales), SC039316 (Scotland) and 1109 (Isle of Man)

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