PROFESSIONALS Kerry Bevan, the new head of operations for Guide Dogs Cymru

WHAT’S not to love about working in a place where I can watch wonderful dogs being trained to make a life-changing impact?

I have always supported Guide Dogs and the charity’s ambition to reach more people with sight loss, empowering them to live the life they choose, resonates with me.

My career in the voluntary sector began while a student at Cardiff University, and a key motivating factor for me is making a positive difference to people’s lives.

I spent the past 11 years at Alzheimer’s Society Cymru, leading change and building successful teams. I am passionate about challenging preconceptions and influencing public perception away from sympathy to empathy, and pledge to work towards this in collaboration with others in the sight-loss sector.

The post-Covid landscape presents a challenge as we respond to the needs of people with sight loss. Many feel more isolated and lonely than ever, less confident to re-engage with their community or navigate their local areas.

What’s more, trainee guide dogs have not been exposed to the usual buzz of activity in towns and cities. Many puppies are yet to experience public transport, which has slowed down training times and poses a challenge of supply versus demand.

Restarting services is a high priority for us, but they need to be delivered safely and in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines. We rely on donations to carry out this work.

The pandemic also had an impact on the recruitment of the volunteers who are so vital to our charity’s success – a quiet army of amazing people who raise our puppies, provide safe and loving homes for our dogs in early training, and arrange fundraising events.

There is a growing demand in Wales for rehabilitation officers who teach vision-impaired people vital skills for independence, and a shortage of habilitation specialists for children living with sight loss. We have concerns about the postcode lottery of services across Wales.

More effective referral processes are needed to link sight-impaired people of all ages into services that can enable them to live full and active lives.

On a positive note, we are taking advantage of the huge advances in technology to improve the lives of people with sight loss. I want to make the most of those opportunities to think smarter and empower people to access our varied range of services.

We always seek a person-centred solution, whether that is through one of our iconic guide dogs; an individual trained to act as a sighted guide; family support; a companion or buddy dog; or learning how to get about with a long cane. We will also continue to campaign for a more inclusive and safer environment, and for accessible public transport. Guide Dogs has come a long way in 90 years – here’s to the next.

To find out more Guide Dogs’ services, visit www.guidedogs.org. uk or ring 0800 781 1444.