Chief Executives welcome

Welcome to the National Blind Children’s Society's website

2010 is a very exciting year for the charity as we celebrate our 15th birthday.

Last year we succeeded in achieving the objectives set at the beginning of the year to support more children and young people with visual impairment along with their families and carers. We now support more than 3500 families, most of them through our Team Around the Family service which offers holistic care, advice and up-to-date information from first diagnosis on specific eye conditions and the numerous issues faced by children and young people with a visual impairment on a daily basis.

Especially exciting was our vice-president Jenson Button's triumph in becoming Formula One's 2009 World Champion. Jenson has been a staunch supporter of NBCS for several years and his help has been invaluable. We are all behind him in his bid for the 2010 championship!

This year we are celebrating our 15th birthday since our foundation in 1995. Huge strides have been made since then in the ways we can help our children - all thanks to our many supporters. To mark this milestone we are planning lots of exciting events - watch this space for details.

Our key objectives in 2010 are to expand our services even more, within our overall aim of enabling children and young people to achieve their recreational and educational goals. These services are:

• Family Support – Immediate and ongoing 'one-stop' emotional and specialist practical support from first diagnosis.
  • A Day With Tom At The Eye Hospital is a colourful booklet explaining to children what to expect when visiting eye clinics. It has been extremely well received by parents and medical professionals and is available free of charge.

• Recreational activities – A nationwide programme of day and weekend family events, socialising and adventure activities including subsidised breaks at our seaside holiday home in Somerset.

• CustomEyes books – Large-print fact and popular fiction titles, annuals, school texts and revision guides tailormade to the specific needs of individual children.

• Educational advocacy – Expert advice and representation to ensure the child receives the most suitable education in the correct environment.

• Access technology – Personalised ICT, sensory and other specialist equipment to help children participate fully in the modern world and achieve their potential at home and school. The society will continue to provide:
  • Independent information of available equipment and software through prepared literature, online via our website and email and verbally via telephone support.
  • Full independent assessments carried out by a qualified ICT assessor, ensuring the recommended equipment and software meets individual needs.

The National Blind Children’s Society does not receive any statutory funding. It relies totally on voluntary donations from the general public, grant-making trusts and companies. To enable the society to continue to deliver the five key services, it needs to raise at least £1.6 million a year.

Please help us to bring even more emotional, practical and educational support to the estimated 24,000 children and young people with visual impairment in the UK.

Carolyn Fullard
Chief Executive