The Strategic Engagement Team for the Third Sector
There is estimated to be about 225,000 charities in the UK, with more than 150 of those comprising of national, regional and local charities working with blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss.
Working together we can equip and empower blind and partially sighted people and improve conditions in society so they can live the life they want to lead.
The Strategic Engagement Team for the Third Sector at RNIB supports engagement, communications and activity with charity partners. We have a wide range of opportunities including information sharing, awareness raising, training, resources, support, and services, where we are actively seeking to collaborate to help others. If you are interested, please get in touch with the team: [email protected].
The team also support the work of the VI Charity Sector Partnership.
VI Charity Sector Partnership
Eight of the leading charities in the sight loss sector formed the VI Charity Sector Partnership in October 2020. The aim of this partnership is to provide strategic overview for the planning and implementation of initiatives in the charity sector that will lead to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss across the UK.
The founding partners are: Blind Veterans UK, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs, Macular Society, Retina UK, RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust and Visionary (Visionary are a membership organisation for local sight loss organisations).
Partners agreed to focus on the following work streams:
- Sight Loss Pathway, including vision rehabilitation
- Establishment of a sector-wide Insight base
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Talent development and lived experience leadership, including employment
- Access to technology).
Each work stream has an identified CEO sponsor and comprises of an operational lead and working group of partners. Interested parties from within the sight loss sector and beyond who are willing to contribute to the work streams are invited to get in touch.
The VI Charity Sector Partnership have drawn together an offer for all asylum seekers and refugees arriving in the UK. This is an extension of our offer specifically for blind and partially sighted Ukrainian’s’ arriving is the UK. As well as a range of practical and emotional support, a Thomas Pocklington Trust grant awarded to RNIB enables us to provide free specialist equipment to all blind and partially sighted asylum seekers and refugees arriving in the UK from anywhere in the World.
For further information about the VI Charity Sector Partnership please contact: [email protected].
The Disability Charities Consortium (DCC)
RNIB is part of the Disability Charities Consortium (DCC) which brings together CEOs and policy leads from nine of the UK’s leading not-for-profit disability organisations. We make sure disabled people’s experiences are reflected in UK policy making, by working collaboratively to influence politicians and officials working on disability policy.
The other DCC members are: Business Disability Forum (BDF), Leonard Cheshire, Mencap, Mind, National Autistic Society, Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), Scope, and Sense.
The DCC feeds insights and topical concerns into the Cabinet Office’s Disability Unit to help inform disability related policy development. The DCC engages with decision makers to ensure that public policy is made with and for disabled people.