"It's great to meet up, you get award winning Vision magazine, you can get involved with RNIB work, you can join the telephone book clubs, share experiences and ideas with other members and receive regular updates. I would say it's the best £15 you'll ever spend." - RNIB Member
Our members enjoy many exclusive benefits from their membership. Read more about what members Alan, Jean, Malcolm and Heather say they love most about being members of RNIB.
Meet Alan
Alan is 60 and has been blind since birth. He decided to become a member of RNIB nearly ten years ago because he wanted to have a say in the work of RNIB as an organisation that supports people with sight loss.
"I enjoy representing other blind and partially sight people."
Vision magazine is another important reason that Alan became a member.
"I think the Vision magazine is excellent! The letters are my favourite part of the magazine because I hear different things from throughout the UK and it shows me that you're not the only who has problems and that we're all in the same boat."
Meet Jean
Jean is 79 and lives in Brighton with her dog Bertie. After being diagnosed with Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eight years ago she became a member of RNIB. Jean has always been a big reader and telephone book clubs are her favourite part of membership.
"I really enjoy the book clubs so much. It's like going out without having to go out. It's a very very enjoyable hour."
Talking about her friends in the telephone book club Jean says:
"We're all a little bit different, we've all got different tastes but were very tolerant of each other and we listen to each other. If we've read a book that we like then we tell the rest of the group about it. I think we've got a great group."
Meet Malcolm
Malcolm is 51 and lives in Llandudno, North Wales. Malcolm began to experience sight loss as a teenager and was eventually forced to give up work after 28 years at the same company. Malcolm turned to RNIB for support and became an RNIB Member four years ago. He is also an active RNIB campaigner and fundraiser.
Malcolm says that being an RNIB Member has helped him to meet other blind and partially sighted people and he now has a wide circle of friends.
"It's very difficult to meet up with other blind and partially sighted people because a lot of people think once they've lost their sight or they're losing their sight there's nothing out there for them. If I hadn't have been an RNIB Member I wouldn't have met all these people."
Meet Heather
Heather is 49 and lives in Belfast. As a result of being born premature she has been blind since birth. Heather says that she became a member of RNIB because:
"Sometimes as a blind person you can feel a bit isolated and you think that you're the only one that's going through things and then you hear how other people cope and how other people manage and then you know that you're not the only one going through things."
Attending regional member forums has helped Heather to feel less isolated.
"When I go to the forum meetings I catch up with old friends, plus I make new ones!"
Asked about the cost of membership, Heather said that Vision magazine alone makes it worth the cost.
"I think it's absolutely well worth the money. For Vision magazine alone it's worth it. The £15 to me is very very well spent."