Walsall Society for the Blind celebrate after receiving £200,000 in National Lottery funding

Walsall Society for the Blind based on Hatherton Road, Walsall is celebrating today after being awarded £200,865 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Walsall Society for the Blind will use their funding to ensure that no one in Walsall has to face sight loss alone.

This new National Lottery funding will enable the charity to continue its vital community outreach programme, which delivers essential information, advice and support to over 1,400 people in the town who are registered with a sight impairment. It will also see the introduction of a new information service, through which the charity aims to reach out to the 7,500 individuals with sight loss in Walsall who are not currently accessing the free support available to them.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.

Amanda Reed, Chief Executive Officer at Walsall Society for the Blind said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we can be there to support every

one in Walsall who is struggling with their vision. This grant will ensure that we can continue to help people with sight loss to retain their independence, their wellbeing and their confidence through regular phone calls, home visits and interventions. This is especially important in the wake of the pandemic which has left so many people with sight loss extremely isolated.

“The grant will also allow us to set up a new information service, through which we will be able to reach out to the many individuals with deteriorating vision who aren’t currently getting the help and support they so badly need. This grant will make a big difference to the lives of thousands of people affected by visual impairment in Walsall.”

To find out more about your local sight loss support services visit www.walsallblind.org
or to find out more about The National Lottery Community Fund, visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk.