Local heroes

The days of consigning a blind person to isolation and a white stick are long gone. Today the aim of most local societies is to help them remain independent and socially included. The range of services delivered varies from charity grants, low vision equipment and volunteer support in the home to training in the use of specially adapted software on personal computers. Our task is to ensure that everyone who needs our help is fully informed of the choices open to them for the future. Without us they would never get to know.
In many cases, but predominantly the medium to large local societies, the charitable ethos is harnessed with a strong professional business approach. Local societies exist for charitable purposes, but still have to meet the high standards required of human resource management, health and safety at work, finance and much more. They also need to deal sensitively with volunteers, campaign on issues, and organise fundraising activities. Importantly, they deal on a daily basis with people who need advice, support and sometimes training.