Yahoo News One of Hull's oldest charities celebrating 160 years of helping visually impaired locals with film music concert
One of Hull's oldest charities has announced a special musical concert to celebrate its 160th birthday.
Sight Support Hull & East Yorkshire aids people with visual impairment to help them come to terms with the life-changing diagnosis. With a huge network of paid staff and volunteers - many of whom are visually impaired themselves - the organisation helps people live active and happy lives.
The charity has been assisting local people with sight loss since 1864 when it formed originally as The Hull and East Riding Institute for the Blind. In 2018, the organisation renamed itself as Sight Support to be more inclusive. In June this year, to celebrate its 160-year anniversary the charity will be hosting a special concert in Hull Minster.
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Chief executive for Sight Support, Alison Stannard BEM, said: "It's a big deal really. We're one of the oldest charities in the city and have been supporting people with visual impairment for such a long time. We're having a concert on June 7 to celebrate that. I think the fact that it's in the Minster as well will make it a really, really special event for people to celebrate with us too."
Alison received a British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2021 for her and her team's work during the pandemic to carry on support for visually-impaired people. Many were stuck at home during Covid lockdowns, some without the support of relatives or friends, and Sight Support had to stop its face-to-face support services when the restrictions were introduced.
Alison was recognised for leading her team which had to develop new ways of helping local, blind and partially sighted people during a very challenging time for the charity. Last year, Alison also received a "shock" invitation to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
"We have all sorts of services; we have home visitors service to visit people who are newly diagnosed and guide them and help them they can get the benefits that they are entitled to," Alison said. "Finding out that you're visually impaired can be quite scary, so knowing that there's an organisation like ourselves out there is really important. We have a big practical side, but we also offer leisure opportunities for people to get out and meet other people with visual impairments.
"I don't think you can underestimate the benefits of peer support in situations like this, taking part in activities with people in the same boat as you."
Sight Support has 21 volunteer befrienders, with some volunteering every single week. Alison says that around 70 per cent of them are themselves visually impaired and brilliantly placed to give personal first-hand support.
Take Me Out To The Movies is a concert of film music throughout the decades with performances from the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra and local X Factor contestant Samantha Atkinson. The event will be held at 7pm on Friday, June 7, and tickets can be found here.
