Annual Conference Sponsors 2024

Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans

Sight Scotland is Scotland’s largest sight loss charity. Our diverse services span all ages and stages of sight loss and visual impairment. It also includes 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.

Sight Scotland Veterans 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.

Visit: www.sightscotland.org.uk

Fight for Sight

Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight. In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:

• Can this be stopped?
• How will I live my life?

Currently, research into preventing and treating sight loss is chronically underfunded, receiving a mere 1.5% of publicly funded health research grants: people who are blind or vision impaired are three times more likely to experience loneliness and isolation than the general population.

We find and fund the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight. Our researchers are at the forefront, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will help us better understand, prevent, diagnose and treat eye disease. The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people.

We are Fight for Sight and we won’t stop until we: Save Sight. Change Lives.

Visit:  www.fightforsight.org.uk

Glaucoma UK

At Glaucoma UK it is our vision to bring an end to preventable sight-loss from glaucoma

We are a membership charity passionate about making sure that people living with glaucoma have a say in how and where their care and treatment are delivered. We provide a host of support services to help people at all stages of their glaucoma journey, including a helpline, online webinars, face-to-face support groups, information leaflets and booklets and a website full of information and advice about the disease. We also provide training and an annual conference for glaucoma care professionals.

In addition to our support services, Glaucoma UK funds an annual grants programme to support UK researchers as they work to find out more about the causes and prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and allied conditions.

Visit: www.glaucoma.uk

Guide Dogs UK

Guide Dogs is here to help the two million people living with sight loss live the life they choose. Our expert staff, volunteers and life-changing dogs are here to help people affected by sight loss live actively, independently, and well. We understand that living with sight loss is different for everyone and our services reflect that. From the very first enquiry, our experts talk and listen to people’s needs and aspirations and offer advice and provide support.

A partnership approach is central to what we do, and we know how important it is to learn from others and work together to share ideas and expertise to help change lives. The Visionary conference offers a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the innovation across the sector and we’re delighted to sponsor the Develop and Share Award to recognise the power of collaboration.

Visit:  www.guidedogs.org.uk

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.

Visit: www.macularsociety.org

RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities. We offer practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers. We raise awareness of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people and campaign for change to make our society more accessible for all. We want to change our world so there are no barriers to people with sight loss.

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. If you are interested in having a discussion, please email the RNIB Charity Partners team.

Visit:  www.rnib.org.uk

RNIB – Business Services

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the largest sight loss charity in the UK. At RNIB, we are passionate about accessibility and usability. This includes supporting local societies and charities to use our services and ensure blind and partially sighted people have the information they need in their required reading format.

We are pleased to be supporting this year’s Visionary conference by providing the conference information in a range of accessible formats including large print and braille.

Our expert consultants have valuable lived experience and want to ensure businesses websites, apps, products and services not only comply with current legislation, but are accessible and usable to all users. Through web audits, user testing, training, accessible design and consultancy, we aim to help businesses maximise the value of their products and services through a tailored approach.

To find out more please visit the Business Services section of the RNIB website.

Special offer: Visionary members can get accessible documents at cost price. Read more in the article New Visionary member and partner benefit – Making products and services accessible to all – Visionary.

Thomas Pocklington Trust

At Thomas Pocklington Trust we strive for equality of blind and partially sighted people in every aspect of society. We are a charitable organisation with a dedicated staff – over half of us are blind or partially sighted, and we have over 200 fabulous volunteers who have lived experience of sight loss.

Our strategic focus is on four areas affecting key life chances: Education; Employment; Health and Fitness; Access, Inclusion and Equality.

By collaborating with partners, we develop and implement activities and services that promote independence and improve lives. We provide employment opportunities, support educational pathways and provide grants to organisations helping to meet our goals. Moreover, we spearhead campaigns to protect against future legislation that could limit opportunities.

In bringing together lived experience from across the country, the Visionary Conference 2024 acts as a catalyst for sharing knowledge, ideas and best practice. We are thrilled to be involved.

Visit: www.pocklington.org.uk

Associated Optical

Since 1983 Associated Optical, Eschenbach’s UK partner, has sought to provide eye-care professionals with innovative magnification devices to further enhance their patient care. Working closely with all of our key manufacturers and education team, our aim is to inspire our customers to further improve people’s lives using patient-centred optical solutions.

Our key brands include Eschenbach Optik for Optical and Digital magnification,  Ocutech Bioptics & LiveEyewear for Cocoons FitOvers and Filters.

Visit: www.associatedoptical.com

Bayer plc

Bayer plc has provided sponsorship funding to the Visionary Annual Conference 2024.

www.bayer.co.uk

EssilorLuxottica

EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, eyewear and Instruments. From design and development to distribution, we cover every step of the value chain, starting with a powerful R&D platform committed to making EssilorLuxottica a laboratory for med-tech, design and innovation.

Our global footprint is well balanced and diversified and it guarantees the highest levels of service. At EssilorLuxottica, everything we do daily is driven by our strong Mission to help people “see more and be more.”

This guides our strategy, inspires our approach to sustainable development and ultimately drives our ambition to help eliminate uncorrected poor vision in a generation. We believe that good vision is a basic human right and has the power to change everything. It allows us to unleash our full potential, allowing us to learn better, keep us safe and promote a more inclusive society. Yet uncorrected poor vision affects 1 in 3 people around the world.

Driven by this Mission, we created the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, which aims to help eliminate uncorrected poor vision by 2050 by raising awareness on the importance of good vision and creating permanent access to vision care globally.

EssilorLuxottica proudly supports Visionary a sponsor of the forthcoming 2024 Annual Conference in Birmingham on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th September.

Visit: EssilorLuxottics UK

Roche UK

At Roche UK, we focus our energy and investment in developing tests and treatments that change lives and give us more quality time with the people we love. And, together with others, we’re solving healthcare’s greatest challenges; helping to achieve better results by connecting early diagnosis to targeted treatment and ongoing support.

Roche Products Ltd has provided arm’s length, financial sponsorship of the Visionary Annual Conference 2024.  Roche has had no input or influence on the programme or selection of speakers.

Visit: www.roche.com

Russell-Cooke

We are delighted to sponsor and deliver a workshop at the Visionary Annual Conference 2024. We’re also very pleased to continue our ongoing support for Visionary members through the Russell Cooke free legal advice telephone helpline.

Russell-Cooke’s charity and not-for-profit team is one of the country’s leading charity law practices. We are a team of lawyers who work exclusively with charities and other not-for-profit organisations. We have substantial breadth and depth within the team, with lawyers who specialise in a wide range of areas, including governance, operational and commercial matters, employment, property, intellectual property, safeguarding and data protection.

Many members of the team are charity trustees. The team is supported by other specialist lawyers throughout the firm where required. Russell-Cooke is one of the country’s top 100 law firms and has over 200 lawyers and other legal professionals based across three offices in London.

The Powell Family Foundation

We provide grants to individuals and charities, with the aim of creating opportunities for blind and vision impaired children and young people to reach their full potential.

To learn more about us or apply for a grant please visit The Powell Family Foundation website.

Specsavers

As the leading provider of optometry services for NHS Primary Care and the largest provider of community audiology services, Specsavers changes lives through better sight and hearing. Each practice is owned and run by experts who care for communities throughout the UK. There are currently more than 2,700 optics, audiology, domiciliary and ophthalmology businesses with more than 43,000 dedicated colleagues throughout the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada and this year we have cared for more than 44 million people worldwide.

For more information visit www.specsavers.co.uk

Utility Aid

Utility Aid is the UK’s largest energy broker for the not-for-profit sector, and we are delighted to be one of the sponsors for the Visionary Annual Conference. We are passionate about helping our customers become greener, save time, and save money.

Their dedicated team provide a high-level service to manage and maintain your portfolio, covering Procurement, Bureau Services, Full Account Management, Historical Audits, Carbon Reporting and Net Zero Planning. They have saved their charity customers over £4.7m through their invoice validation services.

Visit: www.utility-aid.co.uk