Launch of Hampshire Sight Loss Council

We are excited to announce the launch of the Hampshire Sight Loss Council in the South East of England. This brings the total number of SLCs across England and Scotland to nearly 25. We are also recruiting new members.

Blind and partially sighted (BPS) members from Hampshire will apply their lived experience of sight loss to projects in public transport, streets, health and fitness, and retail. The aim is to improve accessibility and raise awareness of the barriers many BPS people face daily.

Recently, Hampshire SLC celebrated the launch at its first in-person meeting at Open Sight in Eastleigh, where members marked the occasion with cake and shared ideas for future projects across the region.

Ian Morris, Hampshire SLC volunteer, said:

Image shows a headshot of Ian Morris. Ian is wearing a navy sweatshirt and is smiling at the camera. “The launch of our Hampshire SLC is a fantastic opportunity for the visually impaired (VI) community in Hampshire.

“I believe that bringing together a diverse group of people with lived experience to tackle shared issues is the most effective way to create meaningful change for the entire community. I am proud to contribute my own experiences.”

Kate Healey, fellow Hampshire SLC volunteer, emphasised the importance of working collaboratively in group projects. She said:

Image shows a headshot of Kate Healey. Kate is sitting on a boat, wearing a black coat and navy life jacket and smiling at the camera. “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting my fellow Sight Loss Council volunteers yesterday. While we haven’t yet decided on specific projects, we’ve already started bonding by sharing ideas. This is fantastic as, from my experience, teamwork is much easier when you have established a working relationship beforehand.

“I am excited to collaborate with my fellow volunteers, who come from across the region to as far as the Isle of Wight.”

Rob Hiley, Hampshire SLC Volunteer, added:

“It was so inspiring to meet the other founding members who come from all over the country. I also enjoyed learning about the work done by other SLCs, which gave me lots of ideas for local projects to improve accessibility around Hampshire.”

Become a member of Hampshire Sight Loss Council

We are looking for BPS individuals from Hampshire to join us. Our SLCs rely on dedicated volunteers who use their lived experiences to drive change in their communities.

Become a volunteer today and help make a difference – one conversation at a time.

Join us

Publication date: 25 October 2024

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