2020 has been a unique year for the whole world, and RSBC is no exception! As much of what we do is face-to-face interaction, we quickly made the decision in March 2020 to move our Families First service and our Live Life, Go Further service online until the virus was completely under control.

Because of this quick change, we were able to still act as a fully functioning charity throughout the spring and summer of this year. This included offering bespoke (online) 1-2-1 therapeutic sessions with young people and their families, and hosting over 8 Zoom activities a week through Live Life, Go Further. Our specialist college Dorton College is operating normally in line with government guidance.

When the government allows us we will resume ‘face-to-face’ activities alongside our online activities. Moving online has allowed blind and partially sighted children and young people from across England and Wales to participate from the safety of their own homes.

Here is some feedback we have had:

Young People:

“I’ve had the chance to meet up more than I would doing face to face sessions. The main thing is that I applied for and got a job, and RSBC helped me achieve that, building my confidence and getting ready for the interviews.”- Lukasz

“Meeting other VI people particularly at the Sisterhood group. It’s been amazing getting to know people who are really doing things with their lives despite lockdown and despite being VI. Before this I’d never met a blind person who had a job.” – Sasha

“I’ve loved all the different activities, especially the sisterhood group, mindfulness and the morning workout with Health and Well-being.” – Hadil

“I was getting very, very bored and I don’t know what I would do without the sessions and meeting so many new people.” – Celeste

“I don’t know how I would’ve coped, especially for such a long period of time.. At the beginning I had some sessions with my teachers at school over the phone, but after that I had nothing to do. I would have been so bored without RSBC as I would have had to stay indoors and do almost nothing for the entire of summer.” – Adeboye

Parents:

“Just having regular contact with our Family Practitioner has made a real difference, having someone to talk to who understands what you’re going through. Stan has loved the weekly sensory stories and our FP is so lovely.

“I just wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for me and A. We have also just had our DLA back too and are so pleased so thank you again.”

After Remi was filmed for the BBC’s ‘Tiny Happy People’ website her Mum fed back to our Family Practitioner saying “Thanks for putting us forward and we both loved the experience and we are really proud we got to help the BBC diversify their content”.

“It was lovely to catch up with you today and it got me thinking as I enter my eleventh year in the role of QTVI that there has been a need for such a role as yours for many years… It really is a huge relief to know this service is available to our CYP.”

And finally, our super-Volunteer Steve has started helping out in sessions again, volunteering. His feedback was:

“As ever it was also good to catch up with some familiar faces, and meet some new ones. For example I used to see D all the time (travelling huge distances on the [Tube]) but it seemed like she had disappeared in the last couple of years – but there she was on the virtual audio book club reading and the virtual work out sessions.”

If you are interested in getting involved please either email connections@rsbc.org.uk or phone 020 3198 0225.