Event Sponsors
The conference would not be possible without the amazing support we receive from our sponsors, providing support for our keynote speakers, workshops, VI Charity Sector Partnership showcase, annual awards and accessible content.
We are extremely grateful to be supported by our members, partners and corporate sponsors:
Visionary Members
Sight Scotland
Sight Scotland is Scotland’s largest sight loss charity. Our diverse services span all ages and stages of sight loss and visual impairment, and include the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh and specialist learning services across Scotland, residential care for children and adults, community services, and research funding into sight loss conditions. We also run the Scottish Braille Press which provides supported employment – half of the employees of the Scottish Braille Press are disabled people, including people with visual impairment. Our community services are reaching out to support even more people with sight loss in Scotland, as well as their relatives and carers. We have a sister charity, Sight Scotland Veterans, that provides support to armed forces veterans in Scotland – including those who served National Service – who are affected by sight loss, regardless of the cause. The charity helps veterans with sight loss regain confidence, restore their independence and make new connections. Together, our charities are determined that no one should face sight loss alone.
VISTA
Vista is the local sight loss charity for people who live in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and we aim to provide support at all points of the sight loss journey from paediatrics to end-of-life residential care. Working from sites across the area, our staff and volunteers engage with thousands of people affected by sight loss; including families, carers and communities at risk as well as those experiencing sight loss themselves. We are extremely proud of our own work but also of the work we do in partnership with others to increase our impact and we know that we need to do more.
We are delighted to be part of the Visionary: Future Proof event and look forward to lots of animated conversations through which we can carry on learning and sharing in this unique setting.
Wilberforce Trust
Since 1833 Wilberforce Trust have been passionate about empowering people to gain confidence and independence with sight and hearing impairment including other disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives. We provide a range of services including supported housing, supported living, sensory impairment assessments, sight registrations, rehabilitation officer support and much more. We are also the home of Club Wilber, the fantastic club for the families of children with visual impairments!
National Partners
Guide Dogs UK
Guide Dogs’ aim is to help people with sight loss live actively, independently, and well. Children and adults. Friends and family. We do this through a combination of information, advice and guidance and a range of holistic, person-centred services provided by our expert staff, volunteers and life-changing dogs.
While none of us welcomed the emergence of a global pandemic we all recognise that it encouraged our sector to come together like never before and share our concerns, share our insights, and share our best practice. Our shared mission was to ensure that people with vision impairment did not get left behind as we all adjusted to the new normal. The Visionary conference is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our shared learning and our shared achievements which is why Guide Dogs is delighted to sponsor the Share Award.
Macular Society
Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, with around 300 people diagnosed every day.
The Macular Society is determined to beat the fear and isolation of macular disease with world-class research, and the best advice and support.
The Society works in close collaboration with local and regional sight loss organisations, and the members of Visionary, to support people affected by this devastating condition and to beat macular disease, for good. The conference is a great opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other, in order to continue to improve the lives of those living sight loss.
RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)
RNIB is one of the UK’s leading national sight loss charities supporting blind and partially sighted people. Our vision is a world where blind and partially sighted people can participate equitably. We recognise everyone’s unique experience of sight loss and offer help and support to people – this can be anything from practical and emotional support, campaigning for change, reading services and the products we offer in our online shop. We’re a catalyst for change – inspiring people with sight loss to transform their own personal experience, their community and, ultimately, society as a whole. Our focus is on giving them the help, support and tools they need to realise their aspirations.
RNIB is delighted to sponsor and support the Visionary Annual Conference. We wish to build stronger more productive relationships at a local level and are seeking to engage with local sight loss charities to provide more opportunities for blind and partially sighted people and improve equity of access. Opportunities include sharing information, training, support, resources etc. where RNIB is actively seeking to collaborate. If you are interested in having a discussion, please get in touch with the team via email.
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Thomas Pocklington Trust places emphasis on education, employment and engagement to support blind and partially sighted people to live the life they want to lead. It is committed to raising awareness and understanding of the needs and aspirations of blind and partially sighted people and working with partners and developing and implementing activities and services which meet these needs to increase independence and improve lives.
The Visionary Conference is a brilliant platform for organisations across the country to come together to share knowledge, ideas and best practice. As always, we are delighted to be involved in the event to support Visionary and its members across the whole country.
Vision Foundation
Our vision is a future where people living with sight loss are equal citizens and preventable blindness is a thing of the past. We aim to transform the lives of people facing or living with sight loss by funding projects which inform, empower and include.
We are committed to three strategic aims to help us move a step closer to achieving our vision:
- Opening London Up – everyone working or visiting London should have access to the rich, cultural, economic and social opportunities of our city.
- Empowering Those at Risk – Within the visually impaired community there are certain groups who may experience “double disadvantage”. When facing sight loss, those from BAME community, older people, women, those living on a low income and those with other disabilities are at risk of experiencing poorer outcomes.
- Preventing Avoidable Blindness – Public awareness and a stretched NHS are major contributors to these poor outcomes. The NHS recommends an eye test every two years, but over a third of people are put off eye tests due to concerns about cost, and two in three parents have never taken their child for a test. 50% of sight loss is preventable, but not necessarily treatable.
Corporate Sponsors
Bayer
As a leader in medical retina, Bayer is dedicated to working in partnership with the ophthalmology community to support the provision of high quality patient care.”
Reflecting its mission to deliver ‘Science for a Better Life’, Bayer is proud to support a wide range of initiatives that are designed to advance ophthalmology care and deliver real benefits for patients.
The team from Bayer are looking forward to meeting everyone at the conference, read their introductions here: Bayer Team
Together.ly
Together.ly is a software platform that helps charities supporting people who are older, disabled or vulnerable, to reduce loneliness and isolation by enabling them to remotely deliver social interactions, establish connections and build communities.
Utilising both the telephone and the internet, Together.ly proprietary software is simple to use and designed to meet the accessibility and safeguarding requirements of a vulnerable audience, enabling care providers to easily reach the people that need it the most
Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we strive to use innovative science and digital technologies to create treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world.
In the UK, we employ approximately 1,500 people to serve healthcare needs across the whole of the UK, as well as supporting the global operations of Novartis. Since 2014, Novartis has invested over £200 million in R&D and is a leading sponsor of clinical trials, in the UK. For more information, please visit www.novartis.co.uk
Specsavers
Specsavers has been a family-run business for over 30 years, working together with store partners to provide the best value optometry, audiology and other healthcare service for customers. Specsavers has more than 2,000 businesses in 11 countries, employing more than 35,000 people.
Each store is part-owned and managed by its own directors, who are shareholders of their own businesses but who are supported by key specialists in support offices, who provide a range of services, such as marketing, accounting, IT and wholesaling, among others.
This joint venture partnership ensures that the opticians and audiologists who run their stores can concentrate on delivering what they do best – providing expert eye and hearing care to their customers. There are currently more than 2,700 partners running stores across the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. For more information visit www.specsavers.co.uk
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