Making every day better:Impact report for RNIB group of charities 2015/16

We’re RNIB 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. 

“Whether you’re born blind or recently diagnosed, RNIB is there every step of the way to help you.”Nicki Cockburn

"RNIB gave me practical information about working and getting into employment.”Ruth Nortey

“If it wasn’t for that first point of contact with RNIB and my sight loss adviser, I wouldn’t have known about the help that was available. I don’t know where I would be.”Gareth Davies

“I’m a member of Haggeye, RNIB Scotland’s youth forum. I’ve had so many opportunities with Haggeye which have not only been amazing to go to but have helped me gain independence.” Tuesday Berry

“Being in Cardiff is one of the best places to be if you have sight loss, because the Cardiff Institute for the Blind is right on your doorstep. It's of great help to many, many people.”Des Radcliff

"We met on an Action for Blind People weekend. Nine months after that, I got down on one knee, I pulled the ring out, and I asked Katie: 'Will you marry me?' And she said ‘Yes’!"Jack Gibson

ContentsForewordKey statisticsBringing people togetherSomeone to be there and show me the wayTimely advice and informationThe gift of readingGetting online and using technologyGiving the best start to children and young peopleCreating an accessible world, championing rightsMy VoiceOur financesOur supporters and volunteersThank youKeep in touch and get involvedContact us

ForewordWelcome to our Impact Report for 2015-16. I am pleased to present our story for the year – one of small steps and great achievements in making every day better for everyone affected by sight loss.

This year we have focused on bringing people together. We’ve worked with blind and partially sighted people to create a new, vibrant community, RNIB Connect. You can read more about Connect in the section on ‘Bringing people together’. We have also developed partnerships with local sight loss charities, NHS bodies and local councils to improve advice and support in eye clinics.

We have not let the challenging public sector environment stop us improving our services for blind and partially sighted people. We boldly decided to make our flagship Talking Books service free last November and are delighted that thousands more people are now enjoying the gift of reading. We have continued to champion the needs of blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of

sight loss. We published My Voice, a major survey of life as a blind or partially sighted person in the UK today. Many people with sight loss have unique stories to tell, and some have kindly shared their stories with us for this report.

This is the last year I will be writing as Chief Executive, as I am retiring after 12 years in what I’ve often described as the best job in the world. I am enormously proud that we have created a group of sight loss charities working together with a shared purpose to achieve more for blind and partially sighted people. Reflecting on our achievements, I know these have only been possible because of the generosity and commitment of our donors and our dedicated staff and volunteers.

Thank you to each and every one of you. There will continue to be obstacles to overcome, but with your support and commitment, I know that the RNIB group of charities will always be there to help blind and partially sighted people face the future with confidence.

Lesley-Anne Alexander CBE, Chief Executive

Key statistics We identified £19.5million in unclaimed welfare benefit

entitlements Our supporters raised £71.9million so we could continue to

fund our vital services Our sight loss advisers supported nearly 20,000 people

across the UK More than 35,000 people used RNIB Library's services Our Online Today technology support service helped 28,000

people to get online and use new technology More than one million people accessed our eye health

advice on our website Our volunteers donated 440,000 hours of their time.

Bringing people togetherIn February this year we launched RNIB Connect, our new membership community. It offers group activities and events that are led by blind and partially sighted people of all ages. Connect is

open to everyone – people who have lived with a sight condition for a long time, people new to sight loss, and their family and friends.

Connect provides more opportunities to connect with one another and makes it easier to find out what is going on across the RNIB group of charities. Connect brings together 24,000 former RNIB members, Action Connect members and our network of volunteer campaigners. Connect offers a much simpler way to get involved and gives people a stronger voice in campaigning for change.

By joining Connect, members can lead and participate in community activities, support one another, shape our work and make links between organisations in their local area. We hope that fewer blind and partially sighted people will feel isolated because they are part of this supportive community and more people will be contributing to help others.

Membership is completely free for anyone who wants to be part of RNIB Connect. Join us and use your experience to help others and contribute to our work.

“RNIB Connect is an exciting development, because the larger our network, the greater the support for our campaigns, and the higher the chance of success. We’re hoping to reach the grassroots level... the minorities who have not been reached before.”Padma Cheriyan, Volunteer Campaign Coordinator

Partnership valuesWe have a set of values which describe our ethos and drive our behaviours: we’re led by blind and partially sighted people, and we’re collaborative, creative, inclusive and open.

We build and support partnerships with leading eye health and sight loss organisations across the UK to raise awareness of sight loss. We founded the UK Vision Strategy to improve eye health and we’re developing partnerships of all kinds to implement the Strategy throughout the country. This year, we worked with 10 other sight loss charities by sharing knowledge, training and opportunities for professionals to network.

Our standardsWe’ve outlined the standards we want for all our services and how we need to be set up to deliver them. We continue to embed accessibility across all our activities and processes. And we’re getting the right technology and IT infrastructure in place with a central hub for the knowledge we hold to make it easier to share.

We’re committed to learning and finding ways to improve everything that we do to make every day better for people with sight loss.

Someone to be there and show me the wayCaroline and Carl Henderson discovered that their much-longed for baby, Aibhilin, had a serious eye condition when she was only 12 weeks old. It came as a huge shock to them.

“We didn’t know what it would mean for Aibhilin in terms of her future,” Caroline says. “We had this healthy baby who didn’t seem to have anything wrong with her; then we were told she could only see light because she had albinism. We were heartbroken.”

At that point, Caroline and Carl were referred to RNIB’s sight loss adviser service at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. They met Andie Morrow, a sight loss adviser (also known as an ECLO).

“Andie explained Aibhilin’s condition, and really helped us emotionally,” Caroline says. “We would have been at a loss without her support.”

Talking about her role, Andie says: “I work with some fantastic consultants, but their clinics are so full. It’s very important for a sight loss adviser to be there, because the consultants can’t spare enough time to sit with patients. Sight loss advisers can spend as much time as the family need. We can also be there for them later when the shock has worn off.”

Caroline agrees: “To have that service available on the day we got the diagnosis was priceless, because we weren’t just left with a piece of paper with a medical description. We were able to speak with someone who understood, and who gave us all the right support. We feel positive about Aibhilin’s future now.”

I want someone to talk toIt's devastating to be told you're losing your sight. This is the life-changing news that people receive at eye hospitals every day, all over the UK.

We want every hospital to have a sight loss adviser, a trained professional who can offer vital emotional and practical support at the point of diagnosis. Through our hard work, the number of new eye patients receiving support from RNIB sight loss advisers jumped from 17,500 last year to 19,200. We believe that a sight loss adviser service should be part of the essential care for all eye patients. We took steps to increase these services by training 58 new sight loss advisers and 370 volunteers. By gaining the support of a hundred MPs and local commissioners, we protected 18 sight loss adviser posts across the UK that were being threatened with the withdrawal of funding. We also tested new and flexible ways of working, providing locum sight loss advisers to cover sick leave so we can maintain a consistent level of service.

Last yearSomeone to talk to RNIB sight loss advisers supported 19,200 people across the UK, a rise on 17,500 in 2014-15.

Practical support83 per cent of people supported by RNIB sight loss advice service received the practical support they needed.

Emotional support87 per cent of people felt more reassured after seeing an RNIB sight loss adviser.

Next yearSupport more peopleExtend our sight loss advice service to support 34,000 people and work with partners so that even more people get the practical and emotional support they need.

Test new ways of working

Link qualified sight loss advisers with trained volunteers to reach more people.

Timely advice and informationAngela Webb was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition 25 years ago, leaving her with limited vision in one eye.

“Last year, I found out that my other eye was affected as well and that I could lose my sight totally. I’m now registered as blind. I was hoping that it would never happen. I was devastated – I thought I might never see my grandchildren,” says Angela.

Angela is outgoing and loves talking to people, and has worked as a customer services assistant for a large retail chain for 16 years. But after her new diagnosis, she was off work for almost three months as she struggled with feelings of depression.

“I was very stressed because I thought I wouldn’t be able to adjust,” recalls Angela. “But I need my job to keep me social – I’m not someone who likes sitting at home.”

Things started looking up after Angela was put in touch with RNIB by a sight loss adviser. After learning that Angela’s priority was going back to work, RNIB referred her to the Access to Work scheme. Access to Work visited Angela at her workplace, and following their report, Angela’s employer provided her with a bigger monitor and keypad that enabled her to carry on with her role.

“If it wasn’t for RNIB, I would have been off work for much longer. I now know what I’m entitled to and who I need to get in touch with to help me.”

I’m getting the support that I needHaving someone to talk to when you are feeling worried about your health can really help. Our Helpline provides crucial support and this year we answered 213,000 calls and 35,200 letters and emails from people. Our professionally trained staff always listen, assess each situation and act to change lives for the better. Through our confidential counselling service, we delivered more than 4,600 counselling sessions that people rely on when they reach breaking point.

Our benefits advice makes sure blind and partially sighted people access the financial support to which they are entitled. Last year we supported 15,300 people and identified £19.5million in unclaimed additional benefits to help meet the additional cost associated with sight loss.

The government has dropped all five proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) following our vigorous efforts to highlight how PIP is essential in helping blind and partially sighted people get out and about independently. Our successful e-campaign encouraged 1,000 people to write to their MP to convince of them of the need to protect PIP.

Last yearWelfare rights adviceOur welfare rights service supported 15,300 people, compared to 12,400 in 2014-15, an increase of more than 23 per cent.

Supporting independenceOur counselling team delivered more than 4,600 sight loss counselling sessions and supported 17 per cent more people than last year.

Next yearSupporting more peopleWe will increase our capacity to serve more people by delivering a new service model with one joined-up welfare rights service across the UK.

New technologyEveryone using our counselling service will be offered options of video chat or email as well as counselling over the phone.

Vision rehabilitation campaignUse the opportunity provided by the Care Act to campaign for local authority vision rehabilitation provision.

The gift of readingGraham Cook, a former journalist and lecturer, has had glaucoma for number of years. About four years ago, his sight started to

deteriorate, and he went from being able to see normally to having very little vision now. This happened just before his grandson, Edward, was born. “I’ve never actually seen Edward. Only in a fuzzy way, when he was still very tiny,” Graham says.

For Graham, one impact of sight loss was not being able to read to Edward. “All my life, I’ve devoured books of all sorts, and I’ve read to various generations of our family as they’ve come along – but I’ve missed that with Edward,” says Graham. “While I can make up stories, I miss being able to share what he enjoys in his learning.”

Keen to find other ways to read, Graham signed up to our Talking Books service. “RNIB’s Talking Books are an absolute lifeline,” he says, “I can always find books that I’m interested in, and I can now read with Edward without an intermediary.”

The first Talking Book that Graham and Edward listened to was a Peter Rabbit story. “It’s one of his favourites, and I enjoyed it with him,” says Graham. “Talking Books have given us something in common we can do together. They have opened up a whole new world for both of us.”

I want to enjoy a wide range of readingReading is important to all of us – a source of joy, pleasure and information. To celebrate 80 years of Talking Books in November 2015, we made them absolutely free to borrow. Following this landmark decision, 5,000 more people signed up to our Talking Books service, which offers more than 23,000 titles.

Talking Books is part of the RNIB Library, which has digital, audio, braille and giant print books for adults and children. It’s the largest library in the UK for people with sight loss. The total number of people using our Library rose from just over 26,000 in April 2015 to over 35,000 by the end of the year.

We sent an average of 4,700 Talking Books and 470 volumes of braille and giant print each day.

Last yearRNIB Library membersTotal Library customer numbers grew from just over 26,000 in April 2015 to over 35,000 by the end of the year.

Downloading books2,600 people used RNIB Overdrive to download digital Talking Books, choosing from 21,200 titles.

Next yearReaching more readersWe will continue to transform Talking Books to engage even more new readers.

Developing new Talking Books We will work with publishers to develop new content to bring more Talking Books to more people, more quickly.

Getting online and using technology“My name is Polly Conn, I’m 87 years old. I have glaucoma, which has completely taken the sight from one eye and diminished the sight in the other.

When you have sight loss, using the internet can be difficult – things like magnification have to be completely right. But I wanted to keep up with things and learn how to join Facebook and insert photos and messages.

When I was given an iPad, the first thing I did was to ring RNIB and ask for help. They arranged for a volunteer to come and give me lessons. The more I’ve learned, the more I want to learn.

My most recent lesson was very exciting – I learned how to book tickets for travelling. I also learned about zooming – how to make the print on the iPad bigger.

Online Today is a marvellous service. There are classes that one can go to, but not everybody is mobile and able to go to classes. RNIB will send someone to your home, and you can ask them to teach you the things you’re interested in and need help with.

I would say to other people with sight loss to get cracking with Online Today. You’re left behind enough when you have sight loss. There is tremendous benefit in being able to use the internet. It’s

so much fun – you just join in and belong, instead of being left behind. It’s a wonderful thing!”

I want to get onlineTechnology is changing the lives of people with sight loss. It’s vital we help people make the most of advances in technology so no one is left behind. People have told us they want us to offer more information, support and training about technology.

Our UK-wide technology support services give people the skills, tools and confidence they need to make the most of technology to improve their independence. In 2015-16, we helped 28,000 people get online and use new technology independently. Our volunteer Technology Support Squad responded to 2,300 requests for help from blind and partially sighted people.

Online Today is a project funded by the Big Lottery Fund, led by RNIB to help 125,000 people with sensory loss all over the UK to get online. Online Today is a partnership project and we’re working with Action for Blind People, Action on Hearing Loss, Guide Dogs, North Wales Society for Blind People, Sense and Vision Support. Since the project began in May 2015, we’ve shared information about getting online with over 1.8million people. We’ve supported 750 volunteers to become digital champions, who helped us to provide home support, demonstrations and introductory training.

Last year Technology support Our Online Today technology support service helped 28,000 people get online and use new technology.

Tech volunteersOur Technology Support Squad volunteers gave 6,000 hours and responded to 2,300 requests for help.

Next yearPromote technology Use RNIB Connect Radio and develop online resources to reach people with sight loss earlier and help them understand how technology can benefit them.

Embed Online Today

Embed Online Today technology support within our core services, such as sight loss advisers and employment so that they can help people get online.

Giving the best start to children and young people “My name is Hardeep Rai and my son, Eshan, is nine. During Eshan’s birth, there were last-minute complications which led to him being starved of oxygen for 17 minutes. This resulted in Eshan being severely visually impaired. His mobility and mental development are also impaired, so his condition is quite severe.

When Eshan was five years old, we were very fortunate to get a part-time place at RNIB Sunshine House, which was fantastic – we could see the difference with Eshan within the first three to four months of him starting there.

When we decided that we needed something full-time for Eshan, we came to RNIB Pears Centre. The care that Eshan has received since he’s been at Pears has been exceptional. One of the many fantastic things is the number of qualified experts and specialists who are on site. Eshan is seen by physiotherapists and speech and language therapists almost every day. They track his progress, and the staff who work here are just incredible. I get weekly updates through the school about different things that Eshan does and he has other children here that he can interact with.

I know that at Pears, Eshan will be pushed and stimulated as much as possible, which is the best thing that any parent could hope for in my position. So I’m excited for Eshan and his future prospects.”

I want my child to have the best possible start in lifeWe support children and young people, including those with multiple disabilities, to reach their potential by providing a range of care, support and learning opportunities at our specialist education centres – RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning, RNIB Sunshine House School, and RNIB College Loughborough. The

number of people using our schools and colleges has risen from 155 to 170.

We have worked to influence local authorities to ensure specialist services for blind and partially sighted learners are protected and we have equipped teachers to support them.

We helped thousands of students throughout the UK to get access to textbooks in a format which they can use through BookShare, a free web-based service for schools and colleges delivered by RNIB and Dyslexia Action. Almost 3,500 schools and universities have joined BookShare. This year, they used BookShare 37,200 times to download a variety of resources. BookShare was formerly known as Load2Learn.

Last yearAchieving individual targetsOne hundred per cent of children and young people in our schools and college achieved their individual targets, compared to 94 per cent in the previous year.

BookShare successThe number of BookShare subscribers rose to nearly 3,500 from 1,400 in 2014-15, and resources were downloaded over 32,000 times.

Next yearMore textbooks for studentsExpand BookShare in partnership with academic publishing company Pearson Education.

Supporting children and young peopleDeliver specialist support to enable children and young people to achieve their goals in life.

Creating an accessible world, championing rightsLinda Wilson was told she had a hereditary sight condition in her early twenties. Her gradual loss of sight and eventual blindness did

not stop her from raising a family and enjoying a 20-year career as an audio typist and writing adviser.

Linda became a volunteer campaigner for RNIB in Cumbria last year, and has been campaigning hard for the implementation of the NHS Information Standard, a mandatory requirement for providing blind and partially sighted people with information in a format they can read.

Linda, who prefers to read letters by email on her talking computer, explains why the Standard is important:

“A patient should be the first to read private information. If you’re blind, you can’t read printed letters and having to ask strangers to read confidential letters is just not right. Imagine getting a test result which isn’t positive – you’d need to get your head round that before telling anyone, even your husband or wife.”

Linda has worked tirelessly, meeting key people in the health service and serving on committees. Her successes include getting her own GP to agree to send letters in the right format.

While there is much work ahead to ensure the NHS Information Standard is implemented fully across England, Linda is feeling positive. “I used to get, ‘Oh, we can’t do that’. Now I’m hearing, ‘Yes, we know we have to do that. We have challenges but we are addressing them’.”

I want to read letters from my GP myselfRaising awareness of sight loss is critical if more people are to take responsibility for eye health. We supported people to cope with sight loss by increasing their knowledge and understanding of their eye condition. We’ve worked with partners to develop our online eye health information service to include advice about a wide range of other health conditions such as diabetes and dementia. Our information is of such high quality that the NHS Choices website directs people to our web pages – forming part of the one million plus visitors to our website last year.

Our award-winning Living Well with Diabetes initiative has improved the support which people living with diabetes receive in

four major cities, helping them manage their condition to prevent sight loss.

We campaigned for fair access to sight-saving treatment and influenced three national eye care plans for glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration.

Accessible health care standards in Wales and Scotland are enabling blind and partially sighted people to manage their own health with the same levels of privacy and independence that many sighted people take for granted. After years of campaigning in England, the NHS agreed to put in place a new binding standard called the NHS Accessible Information Standard, which came into force on 31 July 2016. All NHS England services must now give information in a format that their patients can read. We believe this new standard will deliver a critical change in patient communication across the NHS. We will continue to campaign for a similar outcome in Northern Ireland.

Last yearEye healthOver one million people accessed our eye health advice on our website, compared to 780,000 in 2014-15.

New treatmentsA new treatment for diabetic macular oedema will help approximately 218,000 patients.

Next yearReducing waiting times Present innovative ways to improve timely access to eye care by helping people to ask for the appointments they need, and supporting eye clinics to be more efficient.

Increase screening uptakeCreate Eye Health Champions to promote eye examinations and diabetic retinopathy screening in deprived communities.

My Voice highlightsWe supported 837 people to gain and retain their jobs in 2015-16 – that’s 187 more people than the year before.

But we want to do more. We know people need our services. We surveyed 1,200 people who are registered blind and partially sighted for our My Voice report. They told us:

Four in 10 feel cut off from the people and things around them

Four out of four people had no practical support around the home with things like preparing food

80 percent didn't get any emotional support Only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working

age were in employment Almost half of 30-49-year-olds struggle financially.

Our financesIn 2015-2016 we spent £22.7 million to raise £71.9 million – a three-to-one return on investment.

For each pound raised we spent 82p supporting people with sight loss.

The RNIB group of charities focused expenditure on the following areas of work:

Independence £80.7million Inclusion £11.6million Being there £6.6million Prevention £1.5million Fundraising costs £22.7million

The total expenditure was £123.1million.

The RNIB group of charities’ income came from the following sources:

Donations and legacies £67.8million Charitable activities £45.4million Investment income £0.5million Merchandising and sponsorship £0.3million Other income £0.5milllion

This gave a total income of £114.5million and a planned operating deficit of £8.6million.

The RNIB group of charities’ resources at 31 March 2016 consisted of the following:

Unrestricted funds £65.8million Restricted funds £27.7million Pension surplus £7.6million Endowment funds £5.6million

This gives total net assets of £106.7million.

These figures are taken from the full Trustees’ report and financial statement for the year ending 31 March 2016, 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

Our supporters and volunteersThis year, our fantastic supporters and volunteers helped us raise £71.9million. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver life-changing services to our customers and raise awareness of sight loss.

We received an amazing £37million in gifts from our generous supporters who remembered us in their Will. About a third of our work is supported by gifts in Wills, so we are hugely grateful for all those who have chosen to support us in this way, allowing us to continue with our vital work.

The generosity of our supporters was incredible throughout the year – notably, they gave an amazing £570,000 in response to our RNIB and Action for Blind People Christmas appeals.

We’re grateful to our army of over 5,000 volunteers who help us to deliver vital services and who are involved with us in many different ways across the UK. Volunteers have never been more important in helping us to make every day better for blind and partially sighted people.

This year, volunteers contributed 440,000 hours in time donations.

“Being a volunteer has made me so much more aware of the issues people with sight loss face on a daily basis. I have made so many lasting friendships and find the time I spend volunteering is always an enjoyable experience.” Kay Emery, Social and Support Group volunteer

“I get a lot out of seeing people grow and develop and seeing their personality come alive.” Steven Downes, children events volunteer

“I was invited to lunch at a local Indian restaurant to assess their new braille menu. A rare opportunity for me as a totally blind person.”Jeff Bashton, BucksVision volunteer

To all our supporters and volunteers – thank you so much for making every day better for people with sight loss.

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

Sir John Beckwith CBEThe Rt Hon. The Lord Blunkett Richard BrewsterProfessor Ian Bruce CBEJeremy BullDr Haruhisa HandaDr Euclid HerieLady JarvisPenny Lancaster-StewartLord Low of Dalston CBETrevor Pears CMGSir Mike RakeDr Dermot SmurfitRod Stewart CBEThe Rt Hon Earl of StocktonHis Grace The Duke of Westminster KG, CB, CVO, OBE, TD, CD, DL

We would also like to thank our RNIB Ambassadors for their ongoing support:

The BAND TrustBooker Prize FoundationThe Brackpool Family FoundationMr and Mrs Oliver ChristofMr Richard DesmondMr Graham Edwards and Ms Georgina BlackEvelyn and David GreenMr James HendersonMr and Mrs Bernard KantorNathan and Frances KirshThe Linbury Trust The Lotus FoundationDerek and Deborah LovelockRuth McIntoshHeather MillsDr and Mrs Samad MunshiIain and Martha ParhamMr and Mrs Paul PolmanThe Joseph and Lena Randall Charitable TrustIan and Emma Rosenblatt Edmond J. Safra Foundation Schroders plcMr and Mrs SchwarzenbachMr and Mrs Graeme ShanklandBaljit and Daljinder ShergillDr and Mrs Dermot SmurfitThe Steinberg Family Charitable Trust Mr Alastair StoreyMr Chris ThomasThe Garfield Weston FoundationThe Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson FoundationDr Allen Zimbler and Dr Caryn Solomon

And also those Ambassadors who wish to remain anonymous.

Thank you to the many individuals, companies, trusts and public bodies that have supported us this year and made our work

possible. We can’t possibly name you all but here’s a list of those who have contributed significantly to our cause:

AAberdeen Asset Management PLC AIG Europe LTDAlcon Allergan UK Alliance ScotlandThe Ampelos TrustAwareness Fund

BBayer PLCBBC Children in NeedBig Lottery FundBlind Veterans UK Blindcraft TrustBoots Opticians LtdThe Philip Breeze Charity The Brownlie Charitable Trust The Carmen Butler-Charteris Charitable Trust

CThe Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust CAF Grants FundCHK Charities LimitedCrerar Hotels Trust

DDepartment of Health

EEdenred UK Group Ltd European Social Fund

FMichèle and Keith Freedman

GTony and Rita GallagherGive it Away LtdThe B and P Glasser Charitable Trust The J H F Green TrustVicky Ford and Neil Summers of the Grove Golf Club

HCharlie & Bianca HareHer Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Heritage Lottery FundThe Ada Hillard Charitable Trust The Dorothy Howard Charitable TrustMiss Agnes H Hunter’s TrustThe Edith Lilian Harrison 2000 Foundation

IThe Inman CharityInternational Foundation for Arts and Culture Investec International Bank PLC

KIsaac and Myrna Kaye

LThe Leslau familyThe Martin Lewis Charitable Fund L’Occitane LTD

MThe Mackie FoundationMasonic Charitable FoundationW T Mattock Charitable Settlement Manx Blind Welfare SocietyThe Melbreak Charitable TrustThe Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust The Elizabeth Frankland Moore and Star FoundationThe Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable TrustSean MulryanMyristica Trust

NNestaNext PlcNHS FifeNorthern Ireland Executive Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK LTD

OOlton Golf Club ladies Section

PP F Charitable Trust Graham and Diana Peacock Peacock Charitable Trust Pears FoundationJack Petchey Foundation Pom Charitable Trust

QQualcomm Foundation

RThe Royal Bank of Scotland plcRNIB Pears Fundraising GroupThe Gerald Ronson Family Foundation Rontec Investments LLPThe Cecil Rosen FoundationThe Rowlands Trust

SMatthew SandersSantander FoundationThe John Scott Charitable Trust Scottish Government ScottishPower FoundationThe Shanly FoundationShareGiftThe Jack Simmons Will Trust Simplyhealth

Sky UK LTDKathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable Trust Smith Charitable TrustState StreetLady Beryl SteinbergThe Storey Charitable TrustJohn Swire 1989 Charitable Trust

TThe Tabor FoundationThe Three Oaks TrustThe Constance Travis Charitable Trust

WWaitrose LtdCouncillor Ryan Watkins, Mayor of TredegarThe Tony and Audrey Watson Charitable TrustWelsh GovernmentWhite Top FoundationThe Roger Whitfield Foundation

YThe Doris Judith Yeatman Deceased Discretionery Will Trust

We’d also like to say thank you to our volunteers for your tireless dedication – without your support we couldn’t have achieved all that we’ve done.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all those who remembered RNIB in their Will. Their generosity will enable us to reach the increasing number of people with sight loss now and in years to come.

Keep in touch and get involvedJoin us: volunteer, fundraise or campaign for change.

RNIB ConnectJoin the growing community of blind and partially sighted people in RNIB Connect community, bringing together people affected by

sight loss to share experiences, tips and support. It’s free! Visit rnib.org.uk/connect or call 0303 1234 555.

RNIB Connect RadioRNIB Connect Radio is made by and for people with sight loss. It broadcasts nationally with a variety of shows to suit all tastes and lots of information about living with sight loss. You can hear RNIB Connect Radio on Freeview Channel 730, online, or digitally via Radioplayer and TuneIn apps. Visit insightradio.co.uk

VolunteerWe couldn’t run our services without volunteers. You can support our work by becoming a volunteer. It could be from home or in the community, as a campaigner, a fundraiser, or as a befriender. In just a few hours each month you can make a real difference to people whose lives have been changed by sight loss. Visit rnib.org.uk/volunteer or call 0173 337 5450.

FundraiseThere are many ways you can show your support or get involved, such as sponsoring a Talking Book, taking on a challenge or making a one-off or regular donation. You can also get involved with our Wear dots raise lots campaign, host a tea party, come along to a Legacy supporter reception, or play the RNIB Weekly Lottery. Contact our fundraising team today if you’d like to find out more. Write to us at RNIB, 105 Judd Street, London, WC1H 9NE, email fundraising@rnib.org.uk or call 0345 345 0054 or visit rnib.org.uk/donations-and-fundraising.

CampaignJoin us to campaign for change. We have a network of over 8,000 volunteer campaign supporters across the UK and we support blind and partially sighted people to challenge on a range of national and local issues. Visit rnib.org.uk/campaigning or call 020 7391 2123.

Contact usRNIB HelplineIf you, or someone you know, is living with sight loss, we’re here to help.

Call our Helpline 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 report in large print, audio and braille as well as our range of products and publications.

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