Making every day betterImpact 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.

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“ 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

“ I went on RNIB’s ‘Finding your feet’ programme. They had experts talk about equipment, technology, cane training and more. It was a life-changer and opened so many doors for me.”

Ken Carson

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“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

“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

“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

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Contents

6 Foreword

7 Key statistics

8 Bringing people together

11 Someone to be there and show me the way

15 Timelyadviceand information

19 Thegiftof reading

23 Getting online and using technology

27 Giving the best start to children and young people

31 Creating an accessible world, championing rights

35 My Voice

36 Our finances

38 Our supporters and volunteers

40 Thank you

44 Keep in touch and get involved

45 Contact us

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Foreword This is the last year I will be writing as Chief Executive, as I am retiring after 12 yearsinwhatI’veoftendescribedas the best job in the world. I am enormously proudthatwehavecreateda 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 futurewithconfidence.

Lesley-Anne Alexander CBEChief Executive

Welcome 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 on pages 8-9. We have also developed partnerships with local sight loss charities, NHS bodies and local councils toimproveadviceandsupportin eyeclinics.

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 usforthisreport.

in unclaimed welfare benefit entitlements

£19.5millionWe identified

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1millionpeople accessed our eye health advice on our website

20,000people across the UK

Our sight loss advisers supported nearly

people used RNIB Library’s services

35,000

28,000In 2015/16…

people were helped by our Online Today technology support service to get online and use new technology

Our supporters raised

so we can continue to fund our vital services

£71.9m

440,000hours in time donations

Our volunteers contributedover

over

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Bringing people togetherIn February this year we launched RNIB Connect, our new, welcoming 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 theirfamilyandfriends.

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 localarea.We hopethatfewerblindandpartially 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.

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 10othersightlosscharities bysharingknowledge,training andopportunitiesfor professionalstonetwork.

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.

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“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

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

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Caroline 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.”

Someone to be there and show me the way

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It’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.

The number of new eye patients receiving support from RNIB sight loss advisers rose from 17,500 last year to

19,200

I want someone to talk to

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Last year Next yearSomeone to talk toRNIB 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

Support 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 workingLink qualified sight loss advisers with trained volunteers to reach more people

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“ 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.”

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Angela 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.”

Timely advice and information

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Having 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 over 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.

We made sure the government understood how Personal Independent Payment (PIP) is essential in helping blind and partially sighted people get out and about independently so that if regulations were changed rights to PIP were protected. Our successful e-campaign encouraged 1,000 people to write to their MP to convince of them of the need to protect PIP. We were delighted that the government dropped all five proposed cuts to PIP.

in unclaimed welfare benefit entitlements

£19.5million

I’m getting the support that I need

We identified

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Welfare rights adviceOur welfare rights service supported 15,300 people, compared to 12,400 in 2014-15

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

Supporting 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

Last year Next year

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“RNIB’s Talking Books are an absolute lifeline. I can always find books that I’m interested in, and I can now read with Edward without an intermediary.”

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Graham 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.”

The gift of reading

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Reading is important to all of us – a sourceofjoy,pleasureandinformation.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.

more people enjoyed the gift of reading since Talking Books became free

5,000

I want to enjoy a wide range of reading

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RNIB 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

Reaching 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

Last year Next year

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“ 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.”

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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!

Getting online and using technology

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Technology 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 supported 28,000 people to get online and use new technology independently. Our volunteer Technology Support Squad responded to 2,300 requests for help from blind and partiallysightedpeople.

Online Today is a project funded by theBig LotteryFund,ledbyRNIBtohelp 125,000 people with sensory loss allover theUKtogetonline.OnlineTodayis apartnershipprojectandwe’reworking 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.

requests for help from blind and partially sighted people have been answered by our volunteer technology support squad

2,300

I want to get online

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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

Promote 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

Last year Next year

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“ 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.”

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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.

Giving the best start to children and young people

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We 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.

schools and more than 200 universities have joined BookShare

5,500over

I want my child to have the best possible start in life

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Last year Next 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

More 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

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“ 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’.”

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Linda 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’.”

Creating an accessible world, championing rights

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Raising 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 receiveinfourmajorcities,helping them manage their condition to preventsightloss.

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 willcontinuetocampaignfor asimilaroutcome in Northern Ireland.

I want to read letters from my GP myself

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Last year Next 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

Reducing 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

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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:

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

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Only 1 in 4 blind and partially sighted people of working age were in employment

Almost half of 30–49-year-olds struggle financiallyDidn’t get any

emotional support

4 out of 5 people had no practical support around the home with things like preparing food

My Voice

4 in 10Feel cut off from the people and things around them

80%

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Our finances

– a three-to-one return on investment.

£22.7 million

£71.9 million

to raise

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

In 2015-2016 we spent

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

Total expenditure £123.1m

Independence £80.7m

Being there £6.6m

Fundraising costs £22.7m

Inclusion £11.6m

Prevention £1.5m

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

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

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

This gives total net assets of £106.7m

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

Donations and legacies £67.8m

Unrestricted funds £65.8m

Investment income £0.5m

Restricted funds £27.7m

Charitable activities £45.4m

Endowment funds £5.6m

Other income £0.5m

Pension surplus £7.6m

Merchandising and sponsorship £0.3m

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This 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 PeopleChristmasappeals.

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.

Our supporters and volunteers

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

£71.9million

This year our fantastic supporters and volunteers helped us raise

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“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

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Thank you

We’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 CBE

The Rt Hon. The Lord Blunkett

Richard Brewster

Professor Ian Bruce CBE

Jeremy Bull

Dr Haruhisa Handa

Dr Euclid Herie

Lady Jarvis

Penny Lancaster-Stewart

Lord Low of Dalston CBE

Trevor Pears CMG

Sir Mike Rake

Dr Dermot Smurfit

Rod Stewart CBE

The Rt Hon Earl of Stockton

His 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 Trust

Booker Prize Foundation

The Brackpool Family Foundation

Mr and Mrs Oliver Christof

Mr Richard Desmond

Mr Graham Edwards and Ms Georgina Black

Evelyn and David Green

Mr James Henderson

Mr and Mrs Bernard Kantor

Nathan and Frances Kirsh

The Linbury Trust

The Lotus Foundation

Derek and Deborah Lovelock

Ruth McIntosh

Heather Mills

Dr and Mrs Samad Munshi

Iain and Martha Parham

Mr and Mrs Paul Polman

The Joseph and Lena Randall Charitable Trust

Ian and Emma Rosenblatt

Edmond J. Safra Foundation

Schroders plc

Mr and Mrs Schwarzenbach

Mr and Mrs Graeme Shankland

Baljit and Daljinder Shergill

Dr and Mrs Dermot Smurfit

The Steinberg Family Charitable Trust

Mr Alastair Storey

Mr Chris Thomas

The Garfield Weston Foundation

The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle WolfsonFoundation

Dr Allen Zimbler and Dr Caryn Solomon

And also those Ambassadors who wish to remain anonymous

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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 LTD

Alcon

Allergan UK

Alliance Scotland

The Ampelos Trust

Awareness Fund

BBayer PLC

BBC Children in Need

Big Lottery Fund

Blind Veterans UK

Blindcraft Trust

Boots Opticians Ltd

The Philip Breeze Charity

The Brownlie Charitable Trust

The Carmen Butler-Charteris Charitable Trust

CThe Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust

CAF Grants Fund

CHK Charities Limited

Crerar Hotels Trust

DDepartment of Health

EEdenred UK Group Ltd

European Social Fund

FMichèle and Keith Freedman

GTony and Rita Gallagher

Give it Away Ltd

The B and P Glasser Charitable Trust

The J H F Green Trust

Vicky Ford and Neil Summers of the Grove GolfClub

HCharlie & Bianca Hare

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs

Heritage Lottery Fund

The Ada Hillard Charitable Trust

The Dorothy Howard Charitable Trust

Miss Agnes H Hunter’s Trust

The Edith Lilian Harrison 2000 Foundation

IThe Inman Charity

International Foundation for Arts and Culture

Investec International Bank PLC

KIsaac and Myrna Kaye

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LThe Leslau family

The Martin Lewis Charitable Fund

L’Occitane LTD

MThe Mackie Foundation

Masonic Charitable Foundation

W T Mattock Charitable Settlement

Manx Blind Welfare Society

The Melbreak Charitable Trust

The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust

The Elizabeth Frankland Moore and Star Foundation

The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust

Sean Mulryan

Myristica Trust

NNesta

Next Plc

NHS Fife

Northern Ireland Executive

Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK LTD

OOlton Golf Club ladies Section

PP F Charitable Trust

Graham and Diana Peacock

Peacock Charitable Trust

Pears Foundation

Jack Petchey Foundation

Pom Charitable Trust

QQualcomm Foundation

RThe Royal Bank of Scotland plc

RNIB Pears Fundraising Group

The Gerald Ronson Family Foundation

Rontec Investments LLP

The Cecil Rosen Foundation

The Rowlands Trust

SMatthew Sanders

Santander Foundation

The John Scott Charitable Trust

Scottish Government

ScottishPower Foundation

The Shanly Foundation

ShareGift

The Jack Simmons Will Trust

Simplyhealth

Sky UK LTD

Kathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable Trust

Smith Charitable Trust

State Street

Lady Beryl Steinberg

The Storey Charitable Trust

John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust

TThe Tabor Foundation

The Three Oaks Trust

The Constance Travis Charitable Trust

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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.

WWaitrose Ltd

Councillor Ryan Watkins, Mayor of Tredegar

The Tony and Audrey Watson Charitable Trust

Welsh Government

White Top Foundation

The Roger Whitfield Foundation

YThe Doris Judith Yeatman Deceased Discretionery Will Trust

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Keep in touch and get involved

Join 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,tipsandsupport.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 supporterreception,or playtheRNIBWeekly 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.ukor call0345 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.

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Contact us

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

Call our Helpline on 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.

RNIB105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NE

020 7388 1266 rnib.org.uk

facebook.com/rnibuk twitter.com/rnib youtube.com/rnibuk

RNIB CymruJones Court Womanby Street Cardiff CF10 1BR

029 2082 8500 rnib.org.uk

facebook.com/rnibcymru twitter.com/rnibcymru

RNIB Northern IrelandVictoria House 15–17 Gloucester Street Belfast BT1 4LS

028 9032 9373 rnib.org.uk

facebook.com/rnibnorthernireland twitter.com/rnibni

RNIB ScotlandGreenside House 12–14 Hillside Crescent Edinburgh EH7 5EA

0131 652 3140 rnib.org.uk

facebook.com/rnibscotland twitter.com/rnibscotland

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National Helpline 0303 123 9999 helpline@rnib.org.uk

Follow us online:

facebook.com/rnibuk

twitter.com/RNIB

youtube.com/user/rnibuk

© 2016 RNIB Registered charity number 226227 (England and Wales) and SC039316 (Scotland)

rnib.org.uk

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