Visionary Annual Conference 2024

Visionary welcomes delegates from across the UK, and beyond, to our flagship sight loss sector conference.

The Visionary Annual Conference is a key highlight of the year for the sight loss sector and the 2024 event did not disappoint.   This flagship event brought together an impressive assembly of over 230 industry professionals, representing over 110 organisations from across the Visionary network.

The two-day gathering showcased the strength of our community, drawing attendance from local member organisations, national partners, industry-leading exhibitors and corporate sponsors.

True to Visionary’s core values, the conference maintained its reputation for fostering an environment of collaboration and growth – all offered within a supportive atmosphere, networking along with engaging sessions and discussions.  The event was buzzing and the positive energy reaffirmed the conference’s status as an essential platform for knowledge sharing and relationship building across the sector.

The conference opened with a candid and powerful fireside discussion, proudly sponsored by Fight for Sight.   We were honoured to host the discussion between Eleanor Southwood MBE, James Watson-O’Neill OBE and Dr. Amit Patel which was facilitated by Fern Lulham.

This compelling session pushed boundaries and challenged perspectives.  Hosted on World Dream Day, the panellists shared personal insights, exploring both ambitious aspirations and the complex realities of living with sight loss and related conditions. Their honest discussions resonated deeply with attendees, discussing possibilities, challenges and uncertainties that individuals face – whilst reminding us that “everyone can dream big”.

“The Visionary Annual Conference serves as a key event in the sight loss calendar, where attendees can collaborate, exchange innovative ideas, and learn from organisations from across the sector and beyond,” explains Fiona Sandford, CEO of Visionary. “Our delegates engage in interactive workshops, gain valuable insights from speakers, and celebrate their accomplishments together.”

A cornerstone of the conference was recognising local organisations that support blind and partially sighted people.  During our annual awards ceremony, sponsored by Fight for Sight, we recognised the outstanding contributions these groups make to enhance quality of life for people with sight loss

The Annual Award Winners for 2024 are as follows and you can hear directly from the award winners with Amelia from RNIB Connect Radio using the links below:

• Merton Vision: Children and Young People Award, Sponsored by The Powell Family Foundation.  RNIB Connect Radio:  Merton Vision
• Vision Partnership: Connect and Collaborate Award, sponsored by RNIB. RNIB Connect Radio:  Vision Partnership
• Beacon Centre for the Blind: Develop and Share Award, sponsored by Guide Dogs UK.
• Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey: Community Impact Award, sponsored by Specsavers
• MyVision Oxfordshire: Innovate and Inspire Award, sponsored by Fight for Sight.  RNIB Connect Radio – MyVision Oxfordshire

Please visit the awards section of the Visionary website for more information on the winners and nominees.

Our second day was kick started by Prof. Leon Davies and Nikhil Sonpal, who showcased Villa Vision.  Villa Vision is an innovative programme led by the Aston Villa Foundation, supported by EssilorLuxottica, which raises awareness of eye health for children and bridges the gaps in inequality for eye care support in local communities.  You can hear more about Villa Vision on RNIB Connect Radio.

A Visionary conference is not complete without a broad range of workshops and discussion sessions.   We build the conference programme based on feedback and themes identified by our members and partners. This year, workshops included sessions focused on inclusion, governance, energy efficiency, telling real life stories, donor management, engaging with Integrated Care Boards, internships, AI, human resources, Charles Bonnet Syndrome, managing stress and burnout, Low Vision Frameworks and making health accessible. A number of Visionary members also hosted workshop sessions which showcased their work, including, Beacon Centre for the Blind, Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind, MyVision Oxfordshire, Sight for Wight, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, VISTA and a collaboration of member organisations from Essex.  We were also delighted to include focused sessions on the strategic priorities of the Vision Partnership, including workshops on research, political influencing, and the Eye Care Pathway.

We know that delivering a workshop is not just the time spent facilitating it, but it is also the huge amount of time and energy our speakers spend planning and preparing the sessions – thank you to everyone involved in creating such a varied programme.

Thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters, the Visionary Annual Conference has become an eagerly anticipated industry event. This fabulous gathering enables members and partners to network, exchange expertise, and participate in diverse workshops while celebrating their successes.  This year’s event was made possible by sponsorship and support from the following wonderful organisations, who you can read more about on the Annual Conference Sponsors 2024 page 

• Visionary member: Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans,
• Visionary national partners: Fight for Sight, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs UK, Macular Society, RNIB, RNIB Business Services, Thomas Pocklington Trust,
• Funders and corporate sponsors: Associated Optical, Bayer, EssilorLuxottica, Roche Products, Russell Cooke, Specsavers, The Powell Family Foundation and Utility Aid.

We were delighted to be joined by Amelia Hilton from RNIB Connect Radio throughout the conference.  You can catch up on all of her interviews here: RNIB Connect Radio at the Visionary Annual Conference 2024 (opens new window).

We would also like to extend special thanks to the team at Thomas Pocklington Trust for their continued support, encouragement and commitment to Visionary and our network of members and partners.

And finally….thank you to everyone who volunteered to help us behind the scenes and during the event, including our trustees and colleagues from member and sponsor organisations who helped to make the conference run smoothly.

You can explore details about this year’s workshops, exhibitors, sponsors, and award nominees in the sections below.

Planning is already underway to make the 2025 event another outstanding opportunity for connection and growth.

Please add next year’s conference to your diary: 24 – 25 September 2025.