NORFOLK’S SIGHT LOSS CHARITY OPENS ITS DOORS ON WORLD SIGHT DAY
Norfolk’s sight loss charity is marking World Sight Day on Thursday 12th October by inviting people to visit its headquarters in Norwich and see the work that the organisation does to help people with sight loss enjoy independent and fulfilled lives.
During the morning, the Norfolk & Norwich Association for the Blind’s annual general meeting, which is open to all, will see the unveiling of the charity’s latest annual report.
The meeting will also hear from guest speaker Steve Tyler, a former head of solutions, strategy and planning at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), who is now director of assistive technology – digital transformation at Leonard Cheshire Disability.
In his new role Mr Tyler, who is himself blind, is responsible for developing knowledge, and capability in assistive technology that can transform lives and life chances.
The NNAB’s annual meeting will be chaired by the High Sheriff of Norfolk, Mr James Bagge, and attended by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, the Mayor of King’s Lynn and the Mayor of Great Yarmouth.
After The AGM, visitors will have the opportunity to see for themselves the work that the NNAB does to support people with sight loss, including its innovative Equipment Centre, which offers a huge range of technology and equipment to help visually-impaired people live independently, and Thomas Tawell House, the charity’s residential care home.
“Our annual general meeting is an opportunity for us to tell the world about the huge range of support that we offer to thousands of visually-impaired people right across Norfolk,” said NNAB chief executive Gina Dormer.
“As the meeting is taking place on World Sight Day, we decided to open up the charity’s headquarters so that everybody could come in and see what we do, meet our staff, volunteers and service users, and gain a better understanding of how what we do helps people with sight loss enjoy fulfilled and independent lives.”
The NNAB annual general meeting takes place at 10.30am on Thursday 12th October at the charity’s Bradbury Activity Centre, off Edward Street in Norwich. Following the AGM, the charity will be open to visitors for the rest of the day until 5pm.
- World Sight Day is an international day of awareness focussing attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. The Day is supported by hundreds of charities, NGOs, professional ophthalmology and optometry bodies, teaching hospitals and corporations. More information at www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day.