This month marks a very special milestone for the charity as we’re celebrating 25 years of the Sight Centre. Opened by HRH the Princess Royal on 23 June 1994, the move to the Sight Centre on Newham Road in Truro marked a new chapter for the charity.
After running a residential ‘home for the blind’ for over 20 years for just 35 people, the charity was looking for ways to support more of the growing number of blind and partially sighted people in Cornwall. Following the sale of Malabar House, Cornwall County Association for the Blind (as we were then known) was able to purchase the new premises and the Sight Centre became a permanent base for demonstrating specially adapted tools and aids for daily living.
The new premises were also able to accommodate a growing number of staff which allowed us to introduce new services including low vision, assistive technology and benefits advice which are still going strong to this day.
We now support over 4,000 people each year and have added community outreach and eye clinic support to the services we offer.
Carole Theobald, Deputy Chief Executive said: “As Cornwall’s oldest charity we have a rich history dating back to 1856 when we were set up to support miners who lost their sight due to the working conditions at the time. Since then we have had several different homes and been known by several different names but the heart of the charity has remained the same – helping people with sight loss to lead active and independent lives.”
Steve Holyer has been a member of iSightCornwall for over 30 years and is currently on the board of trustees. “Opening the Sight Centre was a change for the better for the charity. There are a growing number of people with sight loss in Cornwall and the move helped the charity to expand to meet the extra demand for its services. I know from personal experience that being diagnosed with sight loss comes as a huge shock, but thanks to iSightCornwall there is always support available for anyone who needs it.”
