Celebrating £15 million of lifechanging support from the players of Postcode Lottery

To celebrate, we embarked on a roadshow across the nation to showcase the human impact behind the funding.

Maureen’s story: how RNIB’s Helpline helped her stay independent after sight loss

“On Wednesday I lost a bit of sight, on Thursday a bit more and then on Saturday, I could see nothing at all.”

Maureen lost her sight very suddenly. “It was a huge shock,” she says. “It was almost overnight that I went from being a sighted person to a blind person”.

Feeling overwhelmed, Maureen contacted the RNIB Helpline, which is supported by funding from players of the Postcode Lottery. Maureen was put in touch with the Digital Skills team, who helped her learn how technology could support her day-to-day life.

With support, Maureen learned how to use technology to manage everyday tasks, such as identifying items at home or reading letters that arrived through the post. One of the biggest revelations came when she learned how to use a smart speaker to access RNIB Talking Books. “Books have always been very important to me,” she says. “Using a smart speaker to open Talking Books for me was a great step forward to being able to read again.”

One of the Helpline voices  who was able to support her was Mohammed. He described, “All of us in the digital skills team have lived experience of visual impairment to varying degree. We all use technology and are very passionate about accessibility and technology. We were able to relate to people like Maureen, because we have been there asking the questions ourselves.”

As part of our roadshow, Maureen recently travelled to meet Mohammad at RNIB’s Peterborough office to say thank you for the support that has changed her life, made possible thanks to the generosity of Postcode Lottery players.

Watch their short film:

Lara’s story: how RNIB works to make libraries more inclusive 

“Accessibility isn’t just a tick box exercise; it's an ongoing conversation.”

Lara Marshall is Library Engagement Manager at RNIB, a post funded entirely by money raised by players of the Postcode Lottery. She works with libraries across the UK to improve access and inclusive services for blind and partially sighted people.

Lara told us: “We work with all sorts of public libraries, to advise on the training, support and technology that can help bring books to life for those living with little or no sight.”

Over the past three years, Lara worked closely with several library networks to improve the service for blind and partially sighted visitors. One of these networks includes Camden, where the nine libraries within the borough receive more than three quarters of a million visitors each year.

On the second leg of our roadshow, Lara visited Holborn Library to see the progress for herself. There, she met Fiona Tarn, Head of Libraries in the London Borough of Camden.

Fiona shared, “The projects we are working on have had a definite positive impact and enhanced the service for blind and partially sighted residents in the borough. Now we are extending this work across London with the ambition to develop tech hubs across London libraries through our partnership with RNIB.”

RNIB trains staff to better meet the needs of blind and partially sighted readers, familiarising them with a range of accessible formats like large print, audio book or magnification aids. Additionally, RNIB has provided consultation on new or refurbished library buildings to ensure maximum accessibility for visitors and events.

David’s story: creating a more accessible workplace for blind and partially sighted staff 

“It’s a very valuable process to go through and has made a big difference.”

David Chaffey can often be found walking the corridors of hospitals in the Gwent with his guide dog. As disability inclusion officer at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, he was instrumental in his organisation gaining RNIB’s Visibly Better Employer accreditation.

Created in 2021 with the support of player funding, the Visibly Better Employer quality standard addresses the barriers to employment experienced by many blind and partially sighted people.

RNIB research shows that three out of four people affected by sight loss are currently out of work. Many blind and partially sighted people lose their jobs each year unnecessarily because their employers are unable to train, retrain and retain staff, as well as attract new staff from the pool of jobseekers with sight loss.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is one of the more than 50 employers who have achieved the Visibly Better Employer quality standard.

David told us, “I consider myself lucky that I joined Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. They are a very supportive employer. Not everyone is as lucky as I am, so I wanted to use my lived experience to make sure it was accessible and inclusive as possible for everyone. We are very proud to have achieved the RNIB Visibly Better Employer standard.”

David was visited by Katie Morgan-Jones, employment adviser for RNIB’s Visibly Better Employer quality standard, on the final leg of our roadshow.

Katie said, “It’s wonderful to see how the Trust has been able to build long-term policies and infrastructures which makes them the gold standard when it comes to promoting this scheme to other organisations.”

“For us, the Postcode Lottery funding has been a game changer.”

Thanks to players of the Postcode Lottery, Katie and her team have been able to help keep blind and partially sighted people in work and open up new career paths through our flagship Visibly Better Employer scheme.

People helping people, made possible by players of the Postcode Lottery

Every player of the Postcode Lottery helps someone living with sight loss and guarantees vital RNIB services can continue – from practical and emotional support to employment programmes, Talking Books, our Helpline and beyond.

Players aren’t just making an impact today – they’re helping us shape tomorrow too. Thanks to £15 million of player funding, RNIB has joined forces with leading partners to make exciting new technologies, like virtual and augmented reality, more accessible for all.

With your support, we’re also helping to shape the future of audio description too. Working with the University of Surrey, player funding allowed us to explore research into how AI could create faster accessible content without losing the important human touch at its heart.

Thank you for playing and making a difference

None of this would be possible without the incredible players of the Postcode Lottery. Your generosity helps ensure no one has to face sight loss alone. From everyone at RNIB, thank you.