Partnership Award 2026

Hartlepool Vision Support, Newcastle Vision Support and Sense Ability Matters

Every blind and partially sighted person deserves access to the right support, regardless of where they live.

The Northeast Partnership is the result of development work by Hartlepool Vision Support, Newcastle Vision Support and Sense Ability Matters. Together, we mapped need, designed shared referral pathways, agreed outcomes and created a stronger regional model built around collaboration rather than duplication.

This development work has achieved a major success: we secured National Lottery funding to turn the partnership vision into a three-year programme. This funding will help more than 900 blind and partially sighted people improve their wellbeing, build digital confidence, access welfare advice, connect with peer support and receive specialist help closer to home, including in North Tyneside, an area historically underserved by specialist sight loss services.

This nomination recognises not only the services that will be delivered, but the partnership building, planning and evidence gathering that made them possible. It shows what can be achieved when organisations trust one another, share expertise and put people’s needs first.

Please vote for the Northeast Partnership to celebrate a collaboration that has unlocked vital National Lottery investment and will now transform access to support blind and partially sighted people across the region.

LOOK UK

“Volunteering at Look Jamie’s farm has given me the confidence to apply to do a PGCE and train to be a SEN teacher.”

“Our son came back walking tall. He picked so much up from the mentors. He is even using his cane now, something he would never do before.”

“I have grown in ways I never thought possible. I’m more confident, more open, and ready to take on whatever comes next. For the first time, I feel like my voice matters.”

“The Look Jamie’s farm trip was the best thing I’ve ever done. I will remember it forever. I could really be myself and did so many things I never thought possible.”

• 82% of mentees report a significant jump in ability to share thoughts and feelings.
• 68% of mentees report a significant jump in self confidence.
• 73% report a significantly improved ability to speak up for themselves.
• 80% of mentees report feeling significantly better connected to VI peers.

Your vote would help Look-Jamie’s Farm secure funding to increase the number and of these life changing and transformative residentials. Please help – we know it works.

Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans

Vision Collaborative Scotland (VCS) is a partnership of third sector organisations working together to strengthen support for blind and partially sighted people across Scotland.

In 2021, VCS members identified significant challenges within Scotland’s vision rehabilitation system, including inequitable access, workforce shortages and long waiting lists. Partnership was clearly the way forward.

We have established Scotland’s first sustainable specialist vision rehabilitation training programme in partnership with the University of Strathclyde. The flexible programme has already attracted 15 students from Scotland, including learners from rural areas where gaps in provision are greatest. Our scholarship programme, funded by RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, is supporting the future workforce.

VCS has also funded pioneering research with the University of Melbourne to strengthen the evidence base for vision rehabilitation. Involving 14 statutory and charity services. The study is yielding positive results.

Through its Support After Sight Loss campaign, VCS has engaged Scottish Government Ministers on quality standards, workforce planning and training support.

We are active members of the Vision Partnership rehabilitation group, enabling shared learning and contribution to UK developments.

By bringing together charities, academics, funders and policymakers, VCS has achieved tangible progress on a complex national issue and created a platform for long-term, sector-wide improvement.

Southampton Sight 

Southampton Sight’s Community Hub redefines true collaborative support. From disjointed statutory and clinical services, the Hub embraces Southampton’s engine of unity, bringing NHS teams, local authority services, and grassroot organisations into one user-led network.

Anchored within our fully accessible centre, the Hub co-locates NHS Low Vision Services, Southampton City Councils (SCC) SEND and Sensory Services, Guide Dogs early years programmes, and more. The shared space offers a one-stop sight loss shop, accelerating rehabilitation, smoothing transitions, and empowering individuals.

For example, with a dedicated SCC Employment Advisor alongside RNIB/TPT work placement and internship programs, we place employability at the centre of our Hub, offering clarity, confidence, and choice.

However, the reach extends far beyond the building. User-led programmes strengthen advocacy and awareness across the city, with both the pioneering Sight Loss Nurse Advisor and Patient Experience partnerships with University Hospital Southampton transforming clinical understanding through lived experience. With 1,750+ patients supported and over 800 referred across the third sector, the impact is undeniable.

More than 2,800 people accessed the Hub last year, benefitting from partnerships that are not simply transactional, but transformational. By uniting sectors and amplifying lived experience, Southampton Sight has built a compassionate, efficient, and human model of collaborative care.