Success goes beyond profit margins and market shares in today’s dynamic business environment. Private companies are increasingly recognising the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – an approach to business that integrates philanthropy, ethics and activism into your practices.

Supporting local charities making a difference in their communities is perhaps the most straightforward and accessible way for companies to achieve this. But did you know that there are a whole bunch of financial and social benefits that come with these corporate donations?

Let’s delve into some indirect benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and find out how it makes business sense to give back to the community.

Corporation Tax Relief:

When your business makes donations to UK charities registered with HMRC, you’re eligible to pay less corporation tax at the end of the financial year. This means the amount your company donates can be deducted from your profits before calculating your tax.

These donations can range from:
Donating money to help fund a charity;
Giving equipment or stock to help with their operations;
Donating land, property, or shares in another company;
Lending employees on secondment;
And sponsorship payments to regularly support the work they do.

Many businesses already incorporate charitable donations into their yearly financial plans as it’s an easy victory for both profits and public perception.

Effective Local Advertising of your services and brand:

When donating to a local charity you’re not only helping keep them afloat and achieve their goals but also raising awareness of your own business in a public and respectable way at the same time. Consider using the donation as an opportunity to promote your brand to a wider audience. This is especially effective if the charity has a strong online presence or receives a lot of media coverage.

You can also display the charity’s logo or name on your website, social media pages and marketing materials to show customers and potential clients that you care about the community and are willing to support a good cause. Not only that but by enhancing your reputation and credibility, you’ll attract valuable new customers and employees who share your values.

Employee Wellbeing and Respect:

Charitable donations can also have a positive impact on your employees’ well-being and respect. By involving them in choosing the charities you support, or organising fundraising events or volunteering opportunities for them, you can boost morale, motivation, and camaraderie amongst your staff as they work together for a common goal.

Additionally, you can demonstrate your appreciation and recognition of their efforts, by matching their donations or rewarding their participation. This can increase their loyalty, retention, and productivity, as well as attract new talent who want to work for a socially responsible company.

Payroll Giving and Gift Aid:

It’s also good to note that businesses are not the only ones who can financially benefit from charitable donations, employees can also harness donations for their own tax breaks through Gift Aid and Payroll Giving.

Payroll Giving allows employees who pay income tax in the UK to give on a regular, tax-free basis to the charities of their choice. This money gets taken directly from an employee’s pay before income tax is deducted, meaning that the charities receive the full amount whilst the employee pays less income tax even at the highest rates.

On the other hand, Gift Aid is a much simpler scheme that allows charities to claim back the basic rate of income tax that donors have paid on their donations. The donations are made from net pay after income tax is deducted, and donors have to declare that they’re eligible as part of the process.

On top of this, donors who pay higher or additional rate tax can also claim extra tax relief of up to 25% on top of gift-aided charity donations. This means that for every £100 donated, you could claim back up to £31.20 in relief.

The Benefits of Corporate Charitable Donations

In summary, when your business contributes to charities registered in the UK, you’ll become eligible for reduced corporation tax by deducting the donations from your overall profit before calculating tax at the end of the financial year. Donations take various forms, such as money, equipment, or temporary employees and can lead to greater profit overall by lowering your tax band and your outgoing payments.

Supporting local charities not only helps them achieve their goals but also serves as an extremely positive way to advertise your company’s brand. By promoting your business through charity sponsorships, displaying the charity’s logo on your website and social media, and participating in community initiatives, you enhance your reputation and attract customers and employees who share your values. Additionally, involving employees in charity choices and the organisation of fundraiser events can foster well-being, motivation, and a sense of camaraderie within your staff.

The Aira Explorer app is a visual interpreting service that connects people with blindness and visual impairment with professionally-trained advisors to assist them with tasks and activities that would benefit from some extra visual information.

The key feature that makes the app so useful for the visually impaired is its real-time video streaming that gives advisors an immersive view of the user’s surroundings. This allows advisors to provide highly detailed descriptions and navigation guidance tailored to the user’s immediate environment. The app also reads screen text aloud and has adjustable colour contrast and text sizing options to further aid accessibility. 

Once installed from your app store, you’ll be credited with a free 5-minute call to help you test if Aira is the right product for you. Simply tap the call button and you’ll be connected with one of their advisors ready to assist or simply answer your questions about the service.

Whilst free to download, users must set up a subscription to become an “Explorer,” and receive monthly minutes based on their plan’s tier. Prices range from 15 monthly minutes for £54.00, all the way to 800 monthly minutes for £2,407.

Explorers can also purchase additional minutes if they are close to exhausting their monthly allowance, with prices stretching from 25 minutes for £83 to 100 minutes for £313.

In your first call after subscribing, the advisor will go through some physical training with the app, learn about your preferences and needs, and then go about conducting their first task. This can be anything from reading, describing the contents of a cupboard, or even helping you find somewhere new. If it can be captured on your phone’s camera, Aira’s Advisors can help.

You can find more information about the onboarding process here in module six of their audio training series.

Reviews of the app on both Apple and Andriod are glowing, featuring a majority of five-star reviews with some users calling it, “visual interpreting at its best.” We thought the high price point might be a bit more of an issue here, but the overwhelmingly positive reviews seldom even mention the cost.

Despite this high price, Aira offers a range of free calls as part of their mission to get more people with sight loss back into work and take back some agency over their own lives. These calls cover tasks related to searching for a new job such as updating resumes, submitting applications on inaccessible websites, checking appearances, and even free interview practice.

Not only that, but small business owners are also eligible for 150 free minutes a month to use on eligible tasks related to their work as someone self-employed.

In summary, Aira Explorer is a powerful tool that provides invaluable assistance to those with visual impairments through on-demand access to professional advisors. The concept of live-streaming video and GPS to connect users with a pair of eyes whenever needed is groundbreaking and already helping many people the world over.

Reviews make clear this can be transformative, giving independence, confidence and quality of life back to many of its users and the sheer breadth of tasks covered, from reading mail to navigating new places, offers support in almost any situation imaginable.

The subscription pricing may be prohibitively expensive for some, especially when used more regularly. The free call options help offset this, but won’t meet all your needs. Whereas apps like Be My Eyes provide a more affordable, volunteer-based alternative, albeit without the same depth of training and availability.

Overall, for those who can afford the subscription, Aira Explorer stands out as a best-in-class solution for assisting the visually impaired; but more budget-friendly competition is growing fast.

Access to Work is a government-funded employment support programme that aims to help a greater number of disabled people start work, stay in work, and even begin their own businesses. 

The scheme has proven fantastically helpful in providing practical and financial support for people with disabilities – whether physical or mental – that affect their ability to work or to transport into a place of work.

Who can apply for Access to Work?

Access to Work is open to people with a whole range of needs and disabilities. You can apply for Access to Work if you:

It’s good to note that you don’t need to have a formal diagnosis of your condition to qualify, but it does help strengthen your claim if you do. Access to Work is also available for those working from home both part-time and full-time and can be applied for up to 6 weeks before starting work if you have a confirmed job offer.

How can Access to Work help you?

Access to Work can help pay for a range of support you may need for your disability or health condition, such as:

The Access to Work scheme does not provide the support directly but rather provides a grant to reimburse the agreed cost of the support that is required. The amount of the grant will depend on your circumstances and the type of support you require but does not need to be repaid and will not affect your other benefits.

How can Access to Work help employers?

Access to Work can support employers to:

However, employers are also responsible for some of the costs of the support that their employees need. For example, employers are expected to pay for reasonable adjustments under the UK Government’s Equality Act; such as alterations to buildings, policies, and staff training to ensure their place of work services everyone equally. 

Access to Work can also give free practical advice and guidance to employers to help them understand the physical and mental health of their employees in order to better support them.

How to apply for Access to Work?

You can apply for the Access to Work scheme either online or over the phone. All you’ll need is to provide some details about yourself, your disability or condition, the work you do, and the type of support you need. 

You may also need to give some proof of costs (receipts or invoices) for some types of support, as well as an assessment from an Access to Work advisor or partner organisation who would contact you after your application.

If you’re still unsure about your eligibility, contact the Access to Work helpline by Telephone on 0800 121 7479  (9 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday).

How long does Access to Work last?

Access to Work grants usually last up to 3 years and should be reapplied for before the grant ends if the employee wishes to continue receiving support. You will need to reapply before your grant ends if you wish to continue receiving support.

You should also contact Access to Work if:

After contacting them, Access to Work will review your grant and may adjust it accordingly to the new information provided to them.

Where can I find more information about Access to Work?

Access to Work is a fantastic scheme that really goes a long way to helping many of us with disabilities feel safe, secure and productive in our workplaces. 

If you might qualify for the grant or simply want to find out about the scheme in more detail, you can find the GOV.UK article here with all the information you need to get started. You can also find the Access to Work factsheet in the form of British Sign Language at the link here.

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded funding from Worthing Community Infrastructure Levy to put towards electric powered transport for our members. This will give our members greater access to our community, reduce isolation and enable us to increase the number of outings we offer. The funding will also help reduce SSW’s environmental impact and carbon footprint.

We are so pleased to see that our friends at Cycall Adapted Cycling have also received funding; we look forward to many more trips to their newly funded hub and sensory space.

It was a brilliant day. The sun shone. The bees buzzed. And SSW members got free hot drinks and doughnuts. Bob Smytherman, Worthing Town Crier and SSW President, dressed smartly in black hat and blue satin tunic, began official proceedings by ringing his town crier’s bell. ‘Oyez. Oyez,’ he cried. ‘Mr Mayor. Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Welcome to sunny Worthing for our amazing Sight Support Worthing’s Sensory Garden official launch.’ The Mayor, Jon Roser, dutifully cut the inaugural blue-ribbon to heartfelt applause.

The summer weather and a rainy July made sure the Sensory Garden, opposite the seafront, had bloomed. The kitchen herbs, like feisty cat mint, thyme, Jerusalem sage, rosemary, green ginger, and fennel grow vibrantly among household names like fuchsias, lavender, geraniums, poppies, and petunias. There’s plenty of exotic plants too, like amazon mist grass, mountain sandwort, and Babiana-Stricta, which you’re likely to know only if you’re green fingered. For those of you selecting the Sensory Garden as your Mastermind subject (or are just curious), we’ve included a comprehensive list of the featured plants below. One of the most sensory is the lemon balm mint (try rubbing it between your fingers), which bursts with a pungent zesty citrus. The herb has made a spirited second home for itself among the white stones around the fountain. The abundance of plants suggests replanting was easy but, as our before and after photos show, there was an awful lot for the team, spearheaded by SSW Chair of Trustees Cherry Ward, and Adur & Worthing Council to do.

A photo of some read flowers growing in one of the sensory garden beds

In receipt of only basic maintenance for more than a decade, there were only a few shrubs growing back in 2019, when they began. The team retained some of the old plants, like the hebes in the rockery, the blue sea holly and two myrtle bushes, but the vast majority are new. The exposed location of the garden made planting a challenge. Some plants were chosen specifically, with an eye on the climate, because they’re drought tolerant. That’s not to say there weren’t a few surprise success stories. Some plants strongly expected to perish proved their mettle and thrived, like the foxgloves and hollyhocks. A bigger surprise was discovering that each plant needed a UK passport to prove it had lived in the UK for at least two years and didn’t harbour disease. So, all told, it was far from straightforward. And then there was a pandemic.


As a community garden the team are keen for people to take cuttings to use in their own green spaces. The bronze fountain at the garden’s centre takes the form of the Greek god Triton. Featuring the body of a man and the tail of a fish, he stands upright holding a fish wriggling in each hand. The fountain has been fitted by the Council with new pumps, which provide the tranquil sound of trickling water. One SSW member said it reminded them of children playing in the summer. Radiating outwards from the fountain towards the protective fence are railway sleepers imbedded in shards of slate, representing the hands of a clock. Each tip is labelled with a golden number for the appropriate hour. “The colour contrast,” remarked one SSW member, “marks out the different zones. It’s enclosed, but accessible, with no steps. It’s not just a green canvas, it has texture.” Cultivating variety has been the goal to create, said Cherry, “a place of interest and intrigue”. Playful and interactive elements are included, like the concealed cast stone snails in the rockery and the red spotted illuminating mushroom sculptures.

A photo of some dark reddy pink surfinias.

A spirit of collaboration has flourished with the plants. From the children on the first spring planting day running riot with handfuls of seeds, to the graft of SSW volunteers like Andrew, Jane and Barry, as well as the rangers, The Camps Coffee Co. who kindly donated our launch day refreshments, and the Rampion community grant won by our ace fundraiser, Jackie Brownlee; all have had a crucial part to play. The grant is commemorated by the eye-catching circular shaped and multicoloured ‘Wind Spinner’ windmill twirling in the breeze. If everything on display suggests the job is done, well you’re in for a surprise. The park benches are soon to be updated, more bulbs set to be planted, a new sound feature installed and areas are to be textured with bark from materials shredded by the rangers in other public gardens.

Photo of Cherry Ward, Chair of SSW's Board of Trustees, and volunteer Andrew, holding a piece of paper which explains the background of the sensory garden.

There’s plenty for wildlife too. Six willow, salix and acer trees have been planted in the raised brick outer borders as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project. Add to that bird feeders for the winter, two wooden insect hotels (dubbed Buggingham Palace and Wingsor Castle), plants to attract butterflies and ‘beebombs’ for bees and you have a truly multidimensional garden. “Green spaces are so important for everyone at the moment,” said the mayor, casting a handful of seeds. ‘’It’s nice to see people working on it.’’ Work that is set to continue apace.

a close up of a flower bed in the sensory garden, with red flowers and white lillies. The Chatsworth Hotel is visible in the background


The Sensory Garden is permanently open. If you would like help visiting the garden, please call us on 01903 235782. We’d also love you to get involved with the maintenance of the garden. If you’d like to, please call us on the same number.

Further information

the Rampion Offshore Wind Community BEnefit Fund logo





Whilst living with visual impairment can be both challenging and isolating, technology has come a long way towards making it easier for us all to navigate the world. With such a range of accessibility apps on the market, it’s never been more achievable for the blind or partially sighted to regain some of their independence. 

We’ll run you through five of the most popular accessibility apps to support visual impairment and help you find the right tool to match your needs. From cutting-edge AI that can read the emotion on someone’s face, to a community of volunteers on standby to help visualise the world around you, there’s something right for everyone.

What are accessibility apps?

Accessibility apps are designed to help people with disabilities interact with their devices and the world around them more effectively. They provide features like text-to-speech, magnification and voice control, but also more complex tasks like identifying objects and facial expressions.

For example, a person with a visual impairment might use an app with computer visioning to read the label on a product when out shopping or to help them navigate around a new area, completely negating the need for outside help and putting the power back in their hands.

Read on to explore our top picks for accessibility apps for the blind and partially sighted.

Tap Tap See

Tap Tap See is a smartphone application designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users to identify objects around them by utilising CloudSight’s cutting-edge image recognition technology.

Designed for spur-of-the-moment use in everyday life, Tap Tap See is controlled by tapping anywhere on the screen to take a picture that gets analysed in-app and its description spoken back to you within moments. The app supports pictures of any object at any angle, removing the need for precise camera work.

Boasting awards from the American Foundation for the Blind, the RNIB, and having been inducted into the AppleVis Hall of Fame, this well-decorated app is a favourite amongst its users with everyday applications such as searching the fridge or browsing the shops.

Find the app totally free on the Apple or Google app store, or visit their website for more in-depth information.

Seeing AI

Microsoft’s Seeing AI is a powerful tool that uses computer vision, image and speech recognition, language processing and machine learning to help describe a person’s surroundings, read text, answer questions and even identify the emotions on people’s faces.

To use the app, the user first chooses a ‘channel’ they want to see such as documents, products, scenes or currency, used to instruct the app on what it is supposed to be identifying. Next, simply point your phone’s camera at the object or scene and Seeing AI will provide an audio description whilst guiding the user through the process with audio cues.

This can be of great help to people who are blind or have low vision, giving them the agency to identify objects, read text, and stay connected to the world around them at just the touch of a button. 

The app is free and ready for download on iOS and Android devices, with Microsoft still releasing semi-regular updates to improve the user experience.

Be My Eyes

New technology like the above isn’t always for everyone and many of us can feel put off when confronted with unfamiliar tools. If you’d prefer a more personable touch, then Be My Eyes might just be the app for you!

Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that connects blind or partially sighted users with a huge community of volunteers who can assist them over a video call. The one-way video (two-way audio) call then allows the volunteer to see what the user needs help with so they can solve the task together.

This unique solution entirely removes the need for the partially sighted or blind to wait for physical help and empowers them in their day-to-day routines.

Find their website here for more information or download the app from the Apple or Android App Stores.

Clew

Clew is an AR indoor navigation app designed for blind and visually impaired users to help them independently return to a desired location. For example, if leaving your seat in a restaurant users can set their waypoint before standing up and then use that marker to navigate back to the same spot they left from.

The app uses software from Apple’s iOS 11 to record a precise path and guide the user back to their starting location with either a choice of voice direction, sound effects or haptic feedback. Whilst the technology is great, unfortunately, this means that the full experience is only available on iPhone 7’s or later.

Aside from that, this unique app is available for download from the Apple App Store and won’t cost you a penny.

If you’d like to find out more about Clew, find their website here.

Blind Square

Similar to Clew, BlindSquare is a navigation app designed for blind and visually impaired users to be able to move around freely without external assistance from others. Unlike Clew, however, BlindSquare is created for both indoor and outdoor use, making it a fantastic all-in-one app for getting around in your day-to-day life.

Using your GPS and compass on your smartphone to locate you, Blindsquare then gathers information about your surroundings and utilises its algorithms to discern what information to feed back to you via audio. This could include passing shops or places of interest, or even reporting disturbances up ahead.

As well as the range of typical voice commands for navigating the app itself, users can ask questions like: “What’s the most popular place for lunch within 300 meters?” to discover new locations with ease. From here, select the option that takes your fancy and choose from a range of options such as getting contact info, making a phone call, or tracking the place’s location.

Unlike the other apps mentioned here, BlindSquare comes with a hefty price tag of £39.99 – although the range of cleverly thought-out features goes a long way to justifying the cost. It’s also important to remember that whilst Blindsquare can be controlled entirely by voice commands, this feature also requires in-app purchases of credits for continuous use.

BlindSquare is available to download from the Apple App Store where you can also find a range of reviews to see what users think for themselves, or find more information here on their website.

Conclusion

In recent years technology has made it far easier for people with visual impairments to live much more independent and fulfilling lives. Of course, the apps mentioned in this article are just a few examples of the many tools available to help people with visual impairments navigate the world around them – so don’t be put off if nothing jumped out at you! 

If you or someone you know is living with a visual impairment, it’s never been simpler to help them regain some of their independence. If you’d like more support and guidance on what app might be right for you, you can find a helpful guide on the RNIB’s website alongside their six-part podcast on the issue.

In our latest interview with a member of the SSW community we meet Frances Jacobs, who is a Trustee, and was a volunteer before that. Hello Frances!

Name: Frances Jacobs

Have you always lived in Worthing? I have lived in the Worthing area since I was 10 and I now live in Angmering.

How long have you been involved with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)? I have been a volunteer since 2015 and a trustee since 2016.

What’s your role at SSW? I make teas and coffees at the music afternoon and other social events. I also help on the mini bus and on members’ outings.

What do you especially enjoy about your role? I enjoy meeting both members and other volunteers

Tell us about a time at SSW that you have particularly enjoyed? I used to help with an art group and have a special memory of holding an exhibition at Worthing Library. We took the members to see it; the pictures were amazing.

What do you love about living where you do? I love living in this area being near both the sea and the Downs

How do you spend your free time? Walking with friends and playing golf

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! I have been very lucky to travel extensively with my husband Graham, including trips to Antartica and trekking in the Himalayas. My most memorable experiences were spending time with the street children in Delhi and visiting a township in Kampala, Uganda representing ActionAid.

 

Thanks for your responses Frances! The experiences overseas sound fascinating. If you’re a member of SSW and would like to feature in our interview slot, we’d love to hear from you. Just email emily@sightsupportworthing.org.uk and she will send you through the questions.

Frances and Dawn, two of SSW's volunteers, dressed up for Halloween

 

Hello to all Sight Support Worthing members!

I am honoured to be the new Volunteer Coordinator.

I live in Ferring and love this whole area that we are blessed with. I’m a mum of two young ones, and we love nothing more than to explore the surrounding areas of natural beauty in our free time.

I am a keen birdwatcher and nature lover, so spend most of my time outside where I can! My other huge passion is music, which brings so much into my life.

My background is varied, having worked as a Project Coordinator in the volunteer travel sector to driving a boat at Arundel WWT. I am very excited to join the team at Sight Support Worthing and look forward to meeting some of you as activities slowly start again at the centre!

Our Executive Board play an important role in SSW and it’s always interesting to find out more about their background. In this insight we meet Bob Smytherman, who is President of SSW. You might also recognise him as Worthing’s Town Crier!

Name: Bob Smytherman

Lives: Worthing

Have you always lived in Worthing? I born in our family home in Lancing before moving to my own home in Worthing in 1991

How long have you been involved with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)? Since 2012

SSW President Bob Smytherman on Highdown Hill in his Town Crier attire

What’s your role at SSW? President

What do you especially enjoy about your role? I love meeting with our Members at our regular events such as the Burns Lunch or Christmas Party and Volunteers afternoon tea.

Which moments at SSW have you particularly enjoyed? 

Being Master of Ceremonies for the Burns Lunch and addressing the Haggis is always a particular highlight as was Chairing the steering group for the lottery project looking in to the history of the charity and visually impaired people in the town.

What do you love about living where you do? I love being close to both the sea and Downs with a great range of shopping and leisure facilities on our doorstep.

How do you spend your free time?  I love spending my time as Worthing Town Crier promoting our amazing town and community organisations

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! I was Milk Monitor at St Mary’s Catholic Primary school in Worthing where I am now a School Governor.

Photo of Bob Smytherman, President of SSW

We’re currently publicising the work of Sight Support Charity in local media, with the aim of highlighting our services to potential members as well as other interested partes. Here’s a copy of the article we’ve placed. If you’d like to see the article as it appeared, you can take a look at it here.

———

The past year has been full of challenges for all of us, regardless of age, location or situation. For Sight Support Worthing this has meant ensuring its members continue to receive the support, advice and social engagement they’ve been used to. Sight Support Worthing – as the name suggests! – offers a range of activities, events, resources and information designed to inspire and support those who are blind or partially sighted, and their families. Membership is free of charge and open to anyone with a visual impairment.

 

The charity is headed up by Sonia Baker, who started in her role as General Manager in March 2020. Sonia’s first year has seen Sight Support Worthing (SSW) needing to introduce new ways to support members and a number of new initiatives have been introduced: “Along with dealing with the restrictions of lockdown and the challenges that brought, our aim has been to develop the Charity for the future so it meets the changing interests of a wider visually impaired community, while keeping our familiar and welcoming culture.”

Like many other organisations, online communication has been key, especially when it comes to sustaining social interactions. SSW now runs popular weekly sessions including an art group and chair yoga. These are set to continue, with face-to-face classes being held in addition to online options. With lockdown restrictions now reducing, plans are being made to reopen the SSW Centre in Rowlands Road, Worthing for in-person support.

 

One of the areas that is key to the Charity’s vision is technology. Plans include providing demos, tech support and how-to classes for using tech at all levels. “Accessible tech plays an important part in helping enrich people’s lives and open up opportunities for them. However some devices can seem daunting to learn or are priced out of people’s reach. So we’re really trying to help people see what’s out there, as well as giving opportunities to try out equipment to see if it’s right for them. Then once people invest in technology, we’re here to offer them assistance.” says Sonia, who is leading the project.

 

The year ahead is an exciting one for Sight Support Worthing and its members. As well as the expansion of the charity’s technology for visual impairment service, they are launching a volunteer/member buddy scheme, which will match people by shared interests. Naturally, as a charity, volunteers are crucial and muchvalued members of the Sight Support team; new volunteers are always welcome and there are varied roles available.

 

Another important aim for the charity is to introduce activities for its younger members. As Sonia says: “One of the things we’ve been looking at is the gap between activities and services aimed at the very young, and those that appeal to more senior people. There is definitely a shortage of options for those aged between 30-50. These people may be busy with families or jobs and aren’t necessarily looking to engage with a charity on a daily or weekly basis. Equally they might be missing out on some great services simply because they aren’t being offered anything relevant. So we’ll be looking at new ways to reach that missing demographic.”

 

In their quest to attract new members and provide appealing events, activities and  services, the team is looking to collaborate with other organisations, groups or businesses. Sonia and her team are keen to pool resources and share ideas with others who have similar aspirations: “Now more than ever, organisations need to stop working in silos and work together. So many services remain a postcode lottery which doesn’t meet the needs of the community. Logistically we cannot provide everything to everyone, but if we collaborate we can make sure the things we can’t provide, someone else can and vice versa.”

The Charity would love to hear from anybody who would like to to find out more (either for themselves or a family member), those who are interested in volunteering, as well as anyone working within an organisation, group or business who is keen to partner or collaborate on projects and initiatives.

 

“We’re always open to working with anyone who has ideas for inspiring, supporting or promoting accessibility to visually impaired people, particularly those who are themselves are visually impaired, so do get in touch.”

Name: Dawn O’Donnell Lives: I have lived in Worthing for 4.5 years moving from south east London in 2016.  How long have you been involved with SSW?When I moved here I knew no one and my husband was commuting back to London each day. He was leaving at 6 in the morning and not getting home until 5 in the evening; that’s a long day with no one to talk to especially if talking is your specialist subject!  I decided no one would knock on my door just for a chat so I better find some company. I walked down the road, saw the sign at SSW (then The Blind Society) asking if you could make tea and coffee, and applied as a volunteer. I volunteered for about two years then was asked to become a trustee in August 2019.  What’s your role at SSW? What do you especially enjoy about your role?I started in the Art class which I absolutely loved. Then I started taking members on trips and coffee mornings and helping out at afternoon events, which I did right up until covid stopped play.  If you take part in the activities or groups at SSW which have you particularly enjoyed or have special memories of?I have many fabulous memories of conversations with members, Christmas parties, days out and, of cours,e directing the legendary (in my mind) SSW pantomime but I think my favourite was in an art class. Fiona, the tutor, asked a member – also called Dawn – if she wanted to make a birthday card with an owl in it. She said “ohh I can’t do that” so I said I would help her. Dawn’s sight was poor and she was also quite fragile but, between us, we made the card and the look on her face when we finished it was magic. Sadly Dawn passed away not that long after but I will always remember her grinning from ear to ear with pride at her achievement.  What do you love about living where you do?I love the community feel in Worthing and every day during the pandemic I have thanked my lucky stars to be living by the sea.  How do you spend your free time?I do work part-time for another charity but have been furloughed for the best part of a year. In this time I have been drawing. I belong to the Lockdown Scribblers (started by Jacqui who works for SSW) and have drawn something, mainly with a Disney twist, every day since 1st Jan. I also belong to the Worthing Blue Tits and have swum in the sea about a dozen times so far this year, including Easter Sunday.  Tell us an amazing fact about yourself!I don’t have many amazing facts about myself but I did get married in Las Vegas and Elvis walked me down the aisle.  —–That’s a great fact to end on Dawn and in the words of the great man himself… “Thank you very much!”  

Any organisation is formed, influenced and representative of the people involved, and especially in the case of a people-focused charity like Sight Support Worthing. We’re planning to introduce you to a wide range of the people that make Sight Support Worthing the wonderful community it is. We’ll be chatting with members, staff, trustees and volunteers.

It’s with a volunteer that we kick the series off. Here’s Victoria, who has recently started volunteering for us.

Name: Victoria Gray

Age: 26

Where do you live: Shoreham-by-Sea

Have you always lived in the same place?

I was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and it has always been my home town, however I have also been at a residential school and college. I went away to study at New College Worcester from the age of 11 for 7 years. This is a school for the blind. After this I went to The Royal National College for the Blind for 2 years. I found it hard living away from home as I missed my family and I have always loved Shoreham-by-Sea.

How long have you been volunteering with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)?

I have only  recently started volunteering. I would like to be involved in the things that SSW do as I am totally blind myself so I feel very passionate about meeting other people with sight loss and helping to make things accessible.

What activities (whether now or pre-Covid) have you enjoyed at SSW?

SSW have recently started running Chair Yoga sessions which I have really enjoyed. Yoga is very good for relaxation and I find I get a lot out of it because I struggle a lot with my balance which makes Chair Yoga the easiest form of Yoga for me to do.

Is there an activity or social group you’d like SSW to start?

Book Group where members could come together and discuss what they are reading.

Quizzes

Walking group where we could go for a walk and maybe get a pub lunch after.

Tandem Riding

Which of SSW’s other services or support have you used?

I haven’t used any other services but this is something I would like to do and as a volunteer I would like to help in any way I can.

What do you love about living where you do?

I love the community feel. It’s nice to live somewhere where people look out for each other. I also love living by the sea.

How do you spend your free time?

Socialising with friends

Gaming

Reading

Yoga

Choir

Drama workshops

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! 

I have recently started helping to run a book group for the RNIB. It is the first ever group that I have helped to run and it feels like a great achievement. I sometimes get a bit anxious so being able to help run a group and bring people together is such a wonderful feeling and I love being able to help people to connect with each other.

Thanks, Victoria; how brilliant it is to have you on-board as a volunteer! Victoria’s input as someone with sight loss will be of great benefit to the team as they develop services and activities for members. Look out for Victoria when the Centre reopens in the coming months.

Are you a volunteer or member of Sight Support Worthing and would like to be featured in our interviews, you can email Emily.

Of course we’re always keen to welcome new members and volunteers. Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more.