Royal Society for Blind Children announces new Chair of trustees

January 11, 2023
The RSBC is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Plant as its new Chair of Trustees with effect from 1 January 2023. The appointment follows the retirement of Ian Stephenson at the end of last year.
Commenting, Ian Stephenson said, “I am delighted that Patrick has taken on the role of Chair. It is a position which I was honoured to hold during a period of significant change in the charity. RSBC is now a national charity serving blind and partially sighted children and their families across England and Wales. I am immensely proud of all the staff and volunteers who have taken the charity to this point. I know that they will continue to work hard to ensure that many more children and young people can benefit from the charity’s support.”
Patrick Plant has served as an RSBC trustee for 8 years and took up the role of Vice-Chair in 2022. He has brought his professional legal expertise and his charitable experience to support the charity over that time and is passionate about blind and partially sighted children and young people securing the best possible life outcomes.
“I am immensely proud to be taking up the reins as Chair of the RSBC and thank my predecessor, Ian Stephenson, for his stewardship.
I am excited to be taking over at a time when we have established our Life without Limits Centre in the heart of the City of London providing blind and partially sighted children, young people and their families with new opportunities to engage with us, both in person and via the technology in the Centre. Through our Families First service we are also able to support families where they live and our specialist FE College, Dorton College, is growing steadily from its base in Bromley.
There remains much to do but I am looking forward to working with my fellow trustees, and Sue Sharp, the Society’s CEO and her team to continue the Society’s journey to better support blind and partially sighted children and young people and their families.”
You may also like

No categories March 28, 2025
Mother’s Day: our CEO shares her story
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating! In recognition of this special day, we sat down with our CEO, Julie, to hear about her relationship with her daughter, Saime, who is registered blind.

No categories March 20, 2025
What our young poets have to say this World Poetry Day
We were delighted to host two workshop sessions with renowned poet Dave Steele recently, and they certainly fired up the imaginations of the young people who attended! We’re pleased to be able to showcase the incredible talent that came out of the workshops in the beautiful poems written by those attending below.

No categories March 10, 2025
RSBC’s 5 key reforms to support young people into work
The government has just announced plans for a major shakeup of the welfare system, with £6bn of proposed cuts. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are a lifeline for many people in our community. We understand the system needs reform, and that tough times can call for tough measures. But cutting back on PIP without making it […]

No categories March 7, 2025
Dorton College careers day: giving our students the confidence to shine
Too often, young people living with a vision impairment aren’t given the career opportunities they deserve. That’s why RSBC’s Dorton College hosted a careers day recently, inviting external speakers to inspire our students and help provide them with the tools they need to enter the world of work.

No categories March 5, 2025
Gary O’Donoghue’s win at the RTS Television Journalism Awards
Each year, the Royal Television Society hosts the Television Journalism Awards, celebrating the most prestigious change-makers in the British journalism space.

No categories March 4, 2025
Young people unlock their imagination at The Blind Poet’s workshops
Dave Steele, popularly known as The Blind Poet, is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning poet, author, speaker and singer – and an advocate for people with vision impairment.

No categories March 3, 2025
Helping young people be heard: RSBC’s Youth Voice Strategy Day
Recently, RSBC’s Youth Forum, Young Ambassadors and members of the RSBC team came together for a Youth Voice Strategy Day at our Life Without Limits Centre in London. The mission was simple: young people were tasked with coming up with their own objectives and create a roadmap for the future, which would help RSBC identify […]

No categories February 19, 2025
The Roundhouse becomes London’s first venue to use Navilens – with RSBC’s support
Iconic music and performing arts venue, the Roundhouse in Camden, has provided creative space that empowers people and communities since the 1960s. Its team is focused on unleashing the creative potential of young people and artists, giving them the opportunity to experiment, develop their skills, and be part of unforgettable moments with a lasting impact.

No categories February 14, 2025
A volunteer’s journey: Meet Joné
Joné has been volunteering with RSBC since August 2024. We spoke to her about why she wanted to become a volunteer and what her experience has been like so far.

No categories January 30, 2025
George and Nicola’s story
George is an energetic and confident eight-year-old boy who lives in a bustling household with his mum, Nicola, his dad, and his baby brother Ted. It’s a home that’s filled with love and resilience as the family faces the challenges and celebrates the triumphs that vision impairment brings.