Sight Life Newsletter - Summer 2025
In this issue:
- Happy 160th Anniversary to Sight Life (and how to get involved!)
- Farewell Anita
- Fundraising Success Stories
- New! ‘Stuart Says’ Column
- Tech Talk: all about the latest smart tools
- Latest updates from Cardiff, Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT)
Happy 160th Anniversary to Us!
Welcome to the Spring 2025 edition of our newsletter - and what an exciting year it's shaping up to be!
On 01 April 2025, Sight Life officially turned 160 years old, making us one of Wales’ oldest charities. We’re thrilled to be celebrating with a full year of events and activities and we’d love you to get involved.
This bumper issue is packed with local news, exciting fundraising stories, gadgets, groups and ways to join the fun. Let’s make this anniversary year one to remember!
Cardiff: 02920 398900 | RCT: 07753 305631 | Swansea: 01792 776360 Website: www.sightlife.wales
Socials: @SightLifeWales on X (Twitter) | @SightLife.Wales on Facebook
Farewell Anita
After an incredible 32 years of dedicated service, we say a fond farewell to Anita Davies, our Locality Manager for Swansea, who is moving on to an exciting new role with Wales Council for the Blind.
Anita has been a cornerstone of Sight Life, playing a vital role in developing and strengthening our support for blind and partially sighted people across Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot.
Having worked in the field of disability all her life, Anita began her journey in the sight loss sector in 1993 when she joined Sight Life (then Cardiff Institute for the Blind). Born with a rare eye condition, Anita brought not only professional expertise but also deep personal insight to her work. Her lived experience shaped her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people.
As Locality Development Manager for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, Anita has been instrumental in designing and delivering a wide range of services that empowered individuals and created a welcoming, inclusive community.
During her time at Sight Life, Anita led the development of peer support groups, inclusive leisure and wellbeing activities, and championed accessibility and independence for blind and partially sighted people. She supported and inspired staff and volunteers with her compassion and belief that anything is possible, encouraging service users to embrace life, whether through sailing, cold-water swimming, or simply trying something new.
Beyond the achievements, it’s the personal stories that truly capture Anita’s spirit and one such moment stands out. During a group outing to the Gower Peninsula, the weather turned unexpectedly rough. While others hesitated, Anita, undaunted, led the group forward, laughing as the wind whipped around them. “We might not see the view,” she said, “but we can feel it.” That day, she reminded everyone that joy and adventure aren’t about perfect conditions, they’re about courage, connection, and presence.
As Anita steps into an exciting new chapter, we take this opportunity to celebrate her remarkable journey with Sight Life. Her passion, dedication, and tireless efforts over the years have left a profound impact on the communities of Swansea, Neath, and Port Talbot.
Anita’s legacy will continue to inspire and benefit many for years to come, and she leaves with our heartfelt thanks and very best wishes for the future.
Challenge 160 - Get Involved!
Our Challenge 160 campaign is in full swing and proving to be a real hit! From marathons to fancy dress and everything in between, our supporters are going above and beyond for Sight Life.
Here are just a few amazing efforts so far:
- Our CEO Richard Harvey has tackled 16,000 kettlebell swings over April and May.
- Staff at Robertson’s Solicitors turned the office “Blue-tiful” for a fancy dress day in April.
- St David’s Centre and Studio Tarw teamed up for a Spinathon, cycling an incredible 330 miles in 6 hours!
- Guide-runner Dafydd Trystan Davies completed back-to-back marathons to raise funds.
A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part so far! To find out more about any upcoming joint challenges that you could get involved with or how you could start your own challenge, please do call Dylan or Hazel on 02920 398900 or have a chat if you're in the Resource Centre.
Fundraising Successes
Our Fundraising Manager Dylan has been busy building partnerships that benefit both our members and the charity by generating a donation to Sight Life. Please do take a look at the Trusted Businesses page on our website (sightlife.wales/get-involved/trusted-businesses) or contact them for more information.
- Utility Warehouse (with Hazel) is continuing to help members save on household bills. https://uw.partners/hazel.thomas.
- We’ve recently teamed up with Leyla Kent at Not Just Travel – a lovely travel expert who specialises in accessible holidays. Find her at www.notjustholidays.com/sightlife or email leyla.kent@notjusttravel.com.
- Another new partner is Shaun Williams from CF Solar who offers expert renewable energy solutions. Learn more at www.cfsolar.co.uk or email info@cfsolar.co.uk – don’t forget to mention Sight Life!
Sight Life Spring Ball success
A huge thank you to everyone who attended our annual Spring Ball. It was a fantastic evening filled with laughter, dancing, and great company. Your support helped make the event a memorable success, raising an incredible £11,000 of vital funds to support blind and partially sighted people across South Wales. We’re so grateful for the continued generosity of our community, we’re already looking forward to next year’s celebration!
Stuart and his team conquer the 10YFan Challenge
Sight Life’s very own Stuart Ball recently completed the gruelling 10YFan Challenge, climbing Pen y Fan ten times in 24 hours, with the support of seven amazing, sighted guides, including staff members Michelle Jones and Dylan Winchester. Stuart, who is blind, described it as one of the hardest but most rewarding experiences of his life. Together, the team raised over £2,000 to support people living with sight loss in South Wales. A huge well done to Stuart and his incredible team, your determination and teamwork have inspired us all!
Stuart Says...
Hello everyone! There’s been a lot going on lately. Nicholas Chan and I recently completed a video series for Cardiff Council's Neurodiversity Project, showing how to navigate all 20 of Cardiff's Library Hubs from the perspective of someone with sight loss.
We’re also working with Transport for Wales on public transport accessibility, Cardiff Council on signage and crossings and Centre for Digital Public Services on digital accessibility.
Our Facebook page is buzzing with stories of life after sight loss, and we’ve been out at events spreading the word about our 160-year legacy.
Got an idea to help us celebrate or anything you’d like to see on our socials? Contact me at stuart.ball@sightlife.wales or call 02920 398900.
Smart Tech Tools
Accessible technology is opening new doors for blind and partially sighted people. Apps like Be My Eyes and Seeing AI offer real-time visual support and narration, while GPS tools like Soundscape help with confident navigation. Many of our members also enjoy using smart speakers like Alexa for everyday tasks, from setting reminders to listening to audiobooks. If you’d like help getting started, we have a dedicated team here to guide you - sometimes a little tech can make a big difference!
Free Wills Week
Our lovely friends at Robertsons Solicitors (https://robsols.co.uk) are offering a Free Will Week during Monday 23 June – Friday 27 June to Sight Life staff, volunteers and members.
Normally, with a Free Will Week, the associated charity would be expected to pay a nominal fee to the Solicitor for each will. However, as Robertsons are one of our Supporting Partners and Sight Life is 160 years old this year, they are generously offering their standard wills (both individual and mirror, worth up to £300) for free but would like to suggest a donation of £160 to Sight Life instead.
As this offer has limited availability, please book your appointment asap. Call Amy Palin at Robertsons on 02920 237777.
A Summer Big Give
For the first time ever, we’re excited to have been accepted onto the Big Give’s summer event.
It’s a smaller sibling to the Christmas event but, running between 23 and 30 June this year, it will still enable us to get any donations doubled.
This is a huge opportunity to maximise our donations during this period and, when Gift Aid is also added, this makes even more of a difference.
If you’d like to support us during this time, you can donate here: bit.ly/SightLifeSummerBigGive
Sight Life branded Hoodies & T-shirts
We are super excited to announce that we partnered with Spartan Activewear to launch a range of branded Sight Life hoodies and t-shirts, available to buy via our website.
The Sight Life team have been wearing these hoodies, which were produced to celebrate our 160-year anniversary, and we’ve had so many compliments, we’ve now made them available to everyone!
The range includes adult and children’s hoodies and t-shirts available in a range of sizes. Additional items will be introduced later in the year.
Each purchase will generate a donation directly to Sight Life to help us continue to deliver the work and range of services we offer supporting people with sight loss.
Please visit the Sight Life page on the Spartan Activewear website to get yours: https://www.spartanactivewear.co.uk/product-category/online-shops/sight-life.
Val’s Volunteering & Groups Update
We’ve recently enjoyed Volunteer Week and what a success it was! We're so grateful for everyone who donates their time to help us and the work they do. If you, or anyone you know, would like to join our volunteering team, we’d love to hear from you. In particular, we’re currently very much in need of Volunteer Drivers to support our members. If this could be you, please do contact Val on 02920 398900.
In other news, our Cardiff groups are thriving! Our new Creative Writing and Poetry group is going strong with 8–10 regular members and some fantastic work being produced.
We’re launching a new Short Walks Group soon which will be a great way to get out and socialise without the perseverance needed for ramble!
Also, coming soon, will be a Local History Group. So, if anyone has any interesting history stories to share either about their connections with Sight Life or just going back through the decades, please do come along and get involved.
We’re also looking to organise our popular summer trip to Barry Island on the train. If you’d like to join us, contact the office for further information or email Val on valerie.baynton@sightlife.wales.
Natalie’s Young People’s Update
On 25 June, Natalie will be running the last of her three free workshops at Sight Life in Cardiff about career exploration, confidence building, identifying and developing your work skills and volunteer opportunities at Cardiff Central Library Hub. Anyone can attend these sessions. If you’re interested, please email her as soon as possible on natalie.moore@sightlife.wales
If you are aged 18–25, visually impaired and would like to find out more about our new funding opportunities to help you explore work or volunteering, please get in touch with Natalie.
Carys’ RCT Roundup
It’s been a busy first half of the year in Rhondda Cynon Taff with new members getting involved and receiving all-important advice, support, onward referrals as well as an introduction to our social groups, which are all thriving.
Our fantastic Young at Heart Social group is constantly growing and welcoming new members. We meet monthly/bi-monthly on a Friday morning in locations across RCT that have a train or bus station nearby.
Our friends at Cambrian Village Trust in Clydach Vale are delivering excellent wellbeing sessions covering mindfulness, fitness, crafts and exploring nature. We’ll soon be venturing outdoors for accessible cycling, outdoor gym and kayaking as well as visits to various local parks.
We also have orientation trips planned with Transport for Wales as part of their Confident Traveller Initiative and to familiarise members with the new trains now running on Valley lines and, of course, our annual Barry Island visit which is hugely popular.
For those in or near Aberdare, our new social group in the Cynon Linc building is thriving and is a wonderfully friendly group. We enjoy tea, coffee, cakes and guest speakers every second Thursday of the month. This coincides with the hugely popular ‘Digital Drop-In' that are run by our friends at Age Connects Morgannwg to help members with technology. It’s already been so popular that we’ve had to get a bigger room, but we would love to welcome more new members.
Our Visually Impaired Pontypridd (VIP) group meet every second and fourth Tuesday of the month in Pontypridd Museum from 10 till 12pm, for social chat with tea, coffee and cake, quizzes and occasional speakers.
In February, we were thrilled to be awarded the Tesco Stronger Starts grant which will allow us to further develop our Llanharan & District Sight Loss Group. It is for local people with sight loss, family, friends and carers in a social group setting with refreshments, speakers and activities. We meet every second Monday of the month in Llanharan Community Development Project (the old Drop-in Centre) from 1.30 – 3.30pm.
We have an outdoor Pétanque taster session in August at Pontyclun RFC. We are also looking forward to the opening of the new Sensory Garden at the centre and getting involved with their various activities.
We also have a great friendship with the Macular Society groups in RCT, linking in with the Talbot Green group which runs every first Wednesday of the month 2-4pm at the Pavilion in Talbot Green and the Treorchy group who meet in the library on Station Road every first Friday of the month from 10.30–12.30pm. Both groups provide invaluable peer to peer support for anyone living with Macular degeneration.
We understand how important the Contact Line is to our members in RCT, especially those who are isolated and live alone. We really need more volunteers to help run this essential support service. Please get in touch if you have a couple of hours a week or month to help.
For information on any of the groups or support and advice in RCT please call Carys 07753 305631 or email: carys.groves@sightlife.wales
Swansea Update
As Anita prepares to leave Sight Life, we want to reassure our members and volunteers that the Cardiff team will be supporting Adam during this transition period until a new Locality Manager is appointed. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be visiting the various groups and activities to offer continued support and stay connected.
Day trips - We’ve got lots planned for the coming months including Garw Valley on 18 July, Pembroke Castle on 19 August, Swansea Museum on 3 September and Brecon Canal on 30 Sept. If you’re interested in taking part in any of our ongoing groups and activities, please do get in touch. Don’t delay as places are limited and booking deposits are required!
One Stop Information Shop - Located at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, SA1 3RD, it takes place on the first Monday of every month from 11:00am to 1:00pm. We're there to provide information and advice, alongside other organisations offering support on topics such as wellbeing, employment, bereavement, money, anxiety, and more. Everyone is welcome!
Vision Zone - Are you interested in assistive technology, local support, services and groups? If so, come along to our Vision Zone event - a free, drop-in showcase featuring a range of organisations and charities supporting blind and partially sighted people.
Vision Zone Swansea - Tuesday 22nd July, from 10.00am to 2.00pm, at The Collaboration Station, St David’s Place, Unit 9 - 11 (formerly Cranes Music Store), Swansea, SA1 3LG
Vision Zone Neath - Thursday 18th September, from 10.00am to 2.00pm Neath Town Hall, Neath.
Inclusive Sports & Activity Drop in Event - Pop along and see us on our stand at this fun, informal and engaging event to try out a range of different sports and activities. You will also be able to immerse yourself amongst various partner stalls and informative offerings. Held at LC Swansea on Thursday 17 July from 10am – 2pm. Children & young adults can get involved in taster sessions between 10am and 11.30am, whereas adults can try out different activities between 12pm and 1.30pm.
Blind and VI tennis sessions - These run weekly every Saturday from 4pm at the Tennis Centre in Swansea. It is a great opportunity to have fun and learn new skills. Call 01792 650484 to book your place.
Christmas Meal - This year’s Christmas meal will be held at the Grand Hotel, Swansea on Wednesday 10 December. The cost is £40 which includes a meal and entertainment. Deposits of £10 required by 31 July 2025.
Data Protection
As you may know, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives individuals greater control over their personal data and how it's used. At Sight Life, we take our responsibility to protect and manage your information very seriously.
If you'd prefer to receive only certain types of information from us or if you'd like to stop hearing from us altogether, please let us know. You can update your preferences at any time by calling 029 2039 8900 or emailing ask@sightlife.wales.
