40. Visit to the Royal Society for Blind Children Life without Limits Centre, 2 October 2023

A group of Consorts visited the Royal Society for Blind Children Life without Limits Centre.  The Centre has a striking entrance from the Thames Path, just past London Bridge.  Inside it is bright and airy, and very orange!  The Centre is cheerful and colourful to assist users to find their way round the various areas.

We were greeted with a welcome coffee and given an opportunity to chat to staff.  Shalni Sood, the Centre’s Director of Philanthropy and a force to be reckoned with, told us how she was able to charm media mogul Richard Desmond into donating some of his property to be converted into this Centre, and raise the requisite £1.2m in a matter of months.  She was able to persuade many architects and construction companies and financial services to provide their assistance free of charge.  And so a basement car park was transformed into this vibrant centre providing support for 6,500 young people with impaired vision up to the age of 25.

It was quiet when we visited, but after school and at weekends this place comes into its own.  There are areas in which to relax, to make or listen to podcasts on practical issues, play a variety of musical instruments, or learn cooking skills in a safe environment.  The kitchen was amazing, and we were all impressed by a speaking microwave!  There is bright lighting everywhere, and large AV screens to enable those at home to be able to participate in events.

Our guide was Kia, a visually impaired volunteer, who showed us how she made full use of all these amenities.  She is studying for a degree in psychology at the OU and is a very able young woman.  Appallingly, though, she has met with discrimination and sheer ignorance when people see her white stick.

We then went on something of a route march to the very elegant Chartered Accountants’ Hall for a most enjoyable lunch, where further members joined us.  Shalni was guest speaker, informing us that the RSBC is the only charity focussing on sight loss in children.  In the UK 44,500 children face sight loss.  As 1 in 10 outpatient appointments are for ophthalmology issues, maintaining eye health is crucial.

This was certainly an insightful and inspiring morning.  Many thanks to Sue Haig-Brown, Consort of the Spectacle Makers, and Caz Green, Consort of the Chartered Accountants, and Events Organiser Clare Ferrar for their organisation.