Wiltshire sight loss charity bags grand boost

A charity that supports blind and partially sighted people across Wiltshire has been given a vital cash boost thanks to Persimmon Homes.

Wiltshire Sight has received a £1,000 donation from Wessex as part of its Community Champions scheme.

Persimmon makes £64,000 a month available to fund local community initiatives across the UK.

Wiltshire Sight are the only local sight loss charity providing face-to-face support, improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people living in the area.

It offers a range of services to provide practical and emotional support, as well as finding the right equipment and training people how to use the technology effectively.

Karen Monk, from the charity, said: “In Wiltshire and Swindon, we estimate over 25,000 people are currently living with sight loss so this grant from Persimmon Homes is absolutely vital for us.

“We have continued to support lots of people throughout the pandemic but with this funding we will be able to re-establish our face-to-face support in the New Year.

“Losing your sight can be devastating. It can restrict social interaction, cause isolation and remove your independence. This can then lead to low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence or depression.

“We want people with visual impairments to be fully supported to live their lives independently and to the full. Whether people have been blind since birth or just experiencing the onset of a visual impairment, we are always here to help.

“We also aim to increase awareness of the importance of eye health and the prevention of sight loss. We do this through the provision of training and awareness-raising activities with communities, service organisations and the public.”

Every six minutes someone in the UK is told they are losing their sight and current figures suggest that by 2030, 1 in 25 people living in the UK will be sight impaired.  

Pauline Fletcher, sales director at Wessex, said: “We’re extremely proud to be supporting Wiltshire Sight and hopefully this £1,000 will be put to great use in our region.

“Sight loss shouldn’t stop people reaching their full potential and we’ve been really impressed with how the team of Community Sight Loss Advisors help people living with sight loss or have been newly diagnosed.

“It gives us great pleasure to be able to play a small part in making sure people in Wiltshire don’t just survive but thrive after sight loss.”