Ambitious new outlook

A charity that supports around 10,000 people in South Lanarkshire has rebranded and launched its new objective.

Royal Blind is now Sight Scotland, and its sister charity, Scottish War Blinded, is now named Sight Scotland Veterans.

With someone in Scotland starting to lose their sight every hour, the charities have set out plans for their new ambition to reach out and support significantly more people with sight loss.

New research shows that even though the numbers of people living with sight loss is set to increase, fewer than half say they would know where to go for help if they lost their sight.

Sight Scotland Veterans’ outreach support covers all local authority areas in Scotland, with one worker providing assistance to veterans with sight loss in South Lanarkshire.

Mark O’Donnell, chief executive of Sight

Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans said: “We are excited to be launching our new charity names and vision so that we can play our part in supporting even more people living with sight loss.

“The number of people who are blind or partially sighted in Scotland is set to increase by 30,000 in the next decade.

“In NHS Lanarkshire last year alone there were nearly 4000 cataract operations, and we need to ensure those people receive support and treatment quickly.”

John Gouldby, who is an outreach worker covering South Lanarkshire, added: “Sight loss affects every individual differently, which makes the tailored support that Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans can provide to people living with visual impairment vital.

“With the right support, the challenges that sight loss can bring can be overcome.”