RNIB is structured into six groups, each working to acheive various parts of our overall
strategy.
Royal Charter and Bye-Laws
As a Royal Charity, RNIB is governed by Royal Charter and Bye-Laws. These set out in broad terms what we can and can't do, and how we are governed.
RNIB has been a Royal Charity since 1949 when we received our Royal Charter.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is RNIB's supreme decision making authority.
The Board is responsible for taking the major decisions which affect the organisation, including appointing RNIB's Chief Executive.
Kevin Carey became Chair of the Board on 23 July 2009 and began a second term of office on 19 July 2012. He is supported by three other Honorary Officers: Derek Child, who is the Vice-Chair (Internal Affairs), Ellie Southwood who is Vice Chair (External Affairs) and Terry Moody, who is the Honorary Treasurer.
We entered into an association with
Action for Blind People on 1 April 2009, following which Action's Board reports to the RNIB Board. Action also has a representative on RNIB's Board, and RNIB has representatives on Action's Board.
Including the Honorary Officers, we currently have 18 trustees, 15 of whom are blind or partially sighted.
Our Trustees are:
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Kevin Carey (RNIB Group Chair)
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Derek Child (RNIB Group Vice Chair: Internal Affairs)
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Ellie Southwood (RNIB Group Vice-Chair: External Affairs)
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Terry Moody (Honorary Treasurer)
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Linda Bancroft
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Margaret Bennett
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Paul Bryce
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Heather Giles
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Lydia Harper
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Vidar Hjardeng
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Tanya Lawler
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David Quigley
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Richard Moore (Chair of RNIB Northern Ireland)
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Mike Nussbaum (Chair of Action for Blind People)
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Tony Rucinski (Chair of RNIB Cymru)
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Ken Reid (Chair of RNIB Scotland)
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Paul Ryb
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Robert Silbermann
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Mike Townsend
Committees
RNIB also has a number of committees, including:
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Executive Committee
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Governance Committee
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RNIB Group Audit Committee.
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Country Committees representing RNIB Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland.
In addition, there are now a series of 'Programme Boards' which have been put in place to support
RNIB's 2009-2014 Strategy.
Consultative bodies
In 2009, we established two consultative bodies:
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a UK Members' Forum, supported by Regional and Country Member Forums
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the Vision 2020 Voluntary Sector Forum.
UK Members' Forum
The UK Members' Forum is a place for representatives of RNIB Members to come together and discuss the issues of importance to them. These issues go forward to the Board of Trustees. This gives Members a direct link to RNIB's most senior governing body and will help with identifying and shaping major strategic, policy and service issues. It met for the first time in March 2010.
To support the UK Members' Forum, local Member Forums have been set up - nine in England, and three in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will help members to influence RNIB and also to provide more local events and interaction between members.
All RNIB members are being invited to the Forum Meeting nearest to them. Each Forum will choose representatives to the UK Members Forum.
Vision 2020 Voluntary Sector Forum
The Vision 2020 Voluntary Sector Forum is not an RNIB "owned" body - it is part of
Vision 2020 UK.
It is a body that enables the national organisations "of" and "for" blind and partially sighted people to come together as equal partners to talk about issues of importance to the sector, including how organisations are contributing to the development of the
UK Vision Strategy. Its first meeting was in October 2009.
Patron, President and Vice Presidents
Patron: HM The Queen.
President: Dame Gail Ronson DBE.
Our Vice Presidents include past Chairs of RNIB and other individuals who have made a significant contribution to the work of RNIB:
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Sir John Beckwith CBE
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The Rt Hon David Blunkett MP
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Richard Brewster
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Professor Ian Bruce CBE
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Jeremy Bull
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Haruhisa Handa
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Euclid Herie
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Lady Joan Jarvis
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Lord Colin Low of Dalston CBE
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Penny Lancaster-Stewart
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Sir Mike Rake
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Dr Dermot Smurfit
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Rod Stewart CBE
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The Rt Hon Earl of Stockton
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Sir Duncan Watson.
Contact us
General queries on governance can be emailed to
governance@rnib.org.uk or call 020 7391 2359.
For queries about getting involved in your local Member Forum or to
become a member of RNIB, contact the Membership Team by email
membership@rnib.org.uk or call 0303 1234 555.
For queries in relation to the Vision 2020 Voluntary Sector Forum, contact Matt Broom: UK Operations Manager, VISION 2020 UK either by email to
m.broom@vision2020uk.org.uk or by post to 80 Elms Farm Road, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 5RD.