We have a rich history of being there for people impacted by vision impairment for more than 230 years.
During that time, we have continuously evolved to meet the needs of those we work alongside, and to positively change Scotland to be more inclusive. However, there is still much to be done!
Our vision is bold. We want to be at the leading edge of positive societal change, and our strategy is designed to do just that.
Our three year strategy
You can access a PDF version of our organisational strategy below:
Our Vision
An inclusive Scotland where people of all visual abilities have the opportunity to thrive.
Our Mission
Support, campaign and research for people affected by visual impairment.
Our Priorities
For more than two centuries, we’ve been supporting people in Scotland who are impacted by vision impairment. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, but we want to do more. We will build on our rich history to create an organisation which is prepared for the future, and ready to respond to the needs of people impacted by vision loss.
We’ve identified five key priorities for the next three years:
Investing our funds in the support that makes the biggest difference
With more than 180,000 vision impaired people in Scotland, we have a significant opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those impacted by sight loss. Our guiding principles are our charitable objectives, which outline our specific role in making a difference in Scotland.
With over 230 years of history, we owe future generations the support that they may need. In order to do this effectively, we need to ensure that all of the work we do aligns with our charitable purpose, while also ensuring that what we do has the desired impact. Additionally, we need to ensure our financial viability so that we can exist as long
as there is a need for us to be here.
Putting our community at the heart of what we do
We firmly believe that if we want to create a more equitable Scotland, then we need to start by ensuring that we are an equitable organisation. This is not only focussing on the broader themes of equity, diversity and inclusivity, but also in turning people’s lived experience of a vision impairment into lived expertise. We are here to support those impacted by vision impairment, and we can’t do this important work without listening to, understanding, and empowering those who have lived experience of vision impairment.
Campaigning for positive political and social change
In order to create a more equitable Scotland, we need to ensure that the issues preventing this from happening are understood, as well as the opportunities to make this change. We are uniquely positioned to raise political awareness, and push for change, however, we also want to empower communities to raise awareness at a local level and we will support efforts to drive these changes.
Accelerating prevention and treatment of eye conditions
Eye health research is chronically underfunded across Scotland and the whole of the UK. We feel it is vital that we increase the profile and the need of research into eye health conditions so that we can prevent avoidable sight loss, slow down the progression of disease, and understand broader population issues.
There are relatively few sight loss charities that directly support research, and we believe it is important that we derive the most benefit from the charity sector, working in a joined-up way, to be a force for good. We see this as an important moment in time to focus our efforts as an organisation in stepping up to reverse the imbalance in focus on eye-health.
Fostering a collaborative culture of innovation and learning
In order to realise our vision, it is important to focus on how we operate as an organisation. The great work that we do is underpinned by a workforce of dedicated professionals. They embody our values of Transform, Unite and Thrive, and contribute to the rich culture of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans. A strong, enabling culture is vital in us realising our vision.
Our values
Our three organisational values - Transform, Unite and Thrive - underpin this strategy, and all the work we do at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans.
We transform outcomes for people with sight loss
We connect with partners and communities to support more people
We care about those we work with and want them to flourish
Tackling vision loss together
Our sister charity Sight Scotland Veterans shares these priorities.
Find out more about how they are supporting veterans across Scotland, on the Sight Scotland Veterans website.