Children and Young People Award 2024

Look UK

LOOK is not just a charity; LOOK is a community. People say we’re a lifeline. Here’s how we’re making a difference:

• PEER MENTORING: Our pioneering peer mentoring programme pairs young VI youth with experienced mentors who understand their journey. The mentors use their wisdom and lived experience to guide their mentees through the highs and lows of living with sight loss. It’s a support system unlike any other in the UK.
• COMMUNITY EVENTS: We foster community, and connection through events that promote mutual support, skill-sharing, friendship and fun.
• ESSENTIAL RESOURCES: We provide practical knowledge and life-tips to navigate the challenges they face.
• FAMILY PEER SUPPORT: Our parent support groups, helpline and events offer understanding, guidance and friendship to parent/ carers, navigating the unique challenges of raising visually impaired children. We lift expectations about what’s possible for their child’s future.

At LOOK, we empower VI people to take control. All our services are created and driven by the passion of our community. 80% of LOOK staff are VI or care for a VI child and 100% of our volunteers are visually impaired.

We are a small but mighty charity. Last year we directly supported over 625 young people. 100% of our mentoring project participants say LOOK combats isolation, boosts confidence, nurtures aspirations, and opens doors to opportunity. Many of our mentees go on to become mentors.

“LOOK has helped me feel less alone. She has shown me that with the right support, it IS possible to pursue my dreams for the future.”

Merton Vision

Dear Visionary Partners and Friends,

We are reaching out to request your support for the MertonVision (MV) Children and Young People (CYP) Project, a crucial initiative designed to empower VI children and young people in Merton Borough.

The MV CYP Project has already made a significant impact, supporting over 45 families by offering tailored services such as peer-to-peer mentorship, IT skills training, and a wide array of activities. In just eight months, we have organized 30 diverse events that foster social engagement and skill development, from rock climbing and yoga to music lessons and cooking workshops.

However, our journey is far from over. Winning this award would not only motivate and empower our dedicated CYP outreach worker, Nneamaka Eleje, but also provide us with the resources needed to expand our reach. With additional funding, we could organize more frequent activities, reaching more families and making a bigger impact on the VI community.

This award would allow us to address the critical gaps in confidence, social skills, and independence that many VI children face, especially during school holidays when support is most needed.

We urge you to vote for the MV CYP Project. Your support will enable us to continue breaking barriers, fostering inclusion, and making a lasting difference in the lives of VI youth. Together, we can create a brighter future for our community.

Thank you for considering our project.

Warm regards,

MertonVision Team

VICTA

The VICTA Young Achievers Award is a programme designed to encourage educational curiosity and freedoms for children aged under 10 years old with a vision impairment.

Encompassing four themes: Science, Nature, Community and Create; the Young Achievers Award encourages children to engage in learning through experience, not instruction. Children complete three small activities in each theme to earn a certificate and a pin badge. Once all four themes have been completed, children earn a VICTA Young Achievers medal.

Developed after a conversation with a parent who has two children: one VI and one sighted. The parent mentioned that their sighted child frequently came home from school with certificates of achievement and their VI child does much more infrequently. After conversations with more parents, it became clear that this situation was not uncommon.

The award was launched as a pilot in 2023 with 15 Young Achievers. As the pilot year progressed, VI schools and organisations expressed their interest to get involved as well as asks from parents for their sighted children to have a recognition in helping their VI siblings with the award.

Therefore for 2024, siblings are now recognised for supporting their VI brothers and sisters with certificates and badges as well as a ‘Super Sibling’ medal. VI schools and organisations can now support groups of children to go through the programme at the same time, learning and growing together.

As a result of the programme changes for 2024, VICTA now have over 65 Young Achievers currently going through the award.