Following on from the success of our 2006-2007 Open Your Eyes campaign, RNIB's virtual ageing photography pod was re-launched in late 2009 under the new title of "Future Vision" by the then-Home Secretary Alan Johnson, MP for West Hull and Hessle on Friday 4 December at Hull College. Since then the tour has gone round the country visiting vocational colleges in the UK targeting 16 to 25 year olds with a new message:
Smoking increases the risk of blindness.
The Future vision pod
The Future Vision pod contains two virtual aging booths which produce 'before' and 'after' photos showing the student today and at age 70. Students can take these images away with them together with information about the risk factors for eye disease and the importance of regular eye tests. In addition local to this Primary Care Trust Smoking Cessation staff are on hand at the time of the visit to link students in to their services.
Research done with teenagers has shown that using the message 'smoking causes blindness' increases desire in this age group to quit smoking. In addition, the tour will promote the importance of regular eye tests. It is hoped by delivering these the two messages together to young adults there will be an increase both in take-up of smoking cessation services, and of eye tests at the locations visited.
Upcoming Future Vision locations 2011
The Future Vision pod is arriving at colleges up and down the country to spread our message. In the next few months we've now got the following confirmed dates:
30 March to 1 April: Diabetes UK Conference at Excel, London
4 to 6 April: Portsmouth College, Hampshire
11 to 22 April: Belfast, Omagh, Colerain and Derry, Northern Ireland
3 to 5 May: West London and Hammersmith College, London
9 to 11 May: Burnley College, Lancashire
16 to 18 May: Kendal College, Cumbria
23 to 25 May: Wolverhampton College, West Midlands
31 May to 2 June: Waltham Forest College, East London
13 to 17 June: Nottingham Colleges for National Eye Health Week
12 to 14 September: Inverness College, Scotland
19 to 21 September: Gateshead College, Newcastle
Watch this space for further dates!
Where the Future Vision Tour stopped off in 2009-2010
John Wheatley College, Glasgow
City of Plymouth College, Plymouth
City of Norwich College, Norwich
City of Bristol College, Bristol
Isle of Man College, Isle of Man
Queens University and University of Ulster, Belfast University of Glamorgan, Wales
The Oldham College, Greater Manchester
Matthew Boulton College, Birmingham Ealing, Hammersmith
West London College, Southall Campus, Middlesex
Hull College, Hull
Further information
For further information on the tour please contact the campaigns team on 020 7391 2123 or campaigns@rnib.org.uk.