Support 4 Sight celebrates after receiving £437,000 from the National Lottery to help visually impaired people with employment

LOCAL Charity, Support 4 Sight, is today celebrating after being awarded almost £437,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work enabling visually impaired either retain, get back into employment or learn new skills. The Charity, based in Saffron Walden and Chelmsford, will use the money to help completing an application forms, writing a CV, improving or learning digital skills, or just improving interview skills, as well as offering support for those who are in employment, but having difficulties due to sight loss.

Statistics from the RNIB show that 1 in 5 of us will start to live with sight loss at a time in our lives. With nearly 2 million people living with sight loss currently in the UK, it is anticipated that this number will rise to over 4 million by 2050, only 31 years away.

The most striking statistics are:

In 2018, only 27% – one in 4 people who are visually impaired and are of working age are currently in employment.

This number has decreased from 33% in 2006.

A third of the working age visually impaired community are struggling to make ends meet financially.

There is no support for visually impaired young people leaving university.

Support 4 Sight is pleased to announce a new and exclusive Employment project which is funded by a five-year grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. The support offered can range from help completing an application form, writing a CV, improving or learning digital skills, or just improving interview skills, as well as offering support for those who are in employment, but having difficulties due to sight loss.

This is a great achievement for those living with sight loss to continue living their lives as independently as possible, to continue supporting their families without relying on the help of jobseekers allowances.

Leah who is a mother of one, has been desperately trying to get back into her original workplace after experiencing sight loss but wasn’t confident in how to establish this or have any knowledge of her rights. With computer training, information and guidance of the support available to her funded by the government and commanding the expectation of her employer under the Equality Act 2010, Leah is now back in work and able to provide for her child. Leah quotes “Without Support 4 Sight behind me, pushing me all the way to achieve my goals I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this. I am now in employment and continue to be supported, I have my confidence back and I have an independent life and able to provide for my family”.