Creating a community hub

Sight loss affects people of all ages. Every day 250 people in the UK start to lose their sight. Out of those people living with sight loss, almost 50% of them feel cut off from the people and things around them, 46% have given up hobbies and interests because of their sight loss, and 43% of people go on to suffer from depression.

By creating new centres across the UK, Guide Dogs can provide community hubs, where people can come together in an accessible and welcoming environment, to help reduce the isolation and loneliness that people with sight loss experience.

Two members of the Guide Dogs canine team sit on a bench outside. One of them holds the lead of a Labrador guide dog in training.

The new centres will help us extend our reach to more people living with sight loss and their families. For example, our new centre that is being developed at Redbridge in north-east London will help us reach over 7,500 people living with sight loss in that area alone, who would otherwise struggle to access the help they need. Plus with links to London, Essex and the surrounding areas, it means we'll reach even more people, supporting our objective of creating centres that have a connected network across the UK.

Transforming more lives and empowering people to come together

Each new centre will provide an inspiring and accessible hub for the wider community. They'll offer an inclusive, supportive and friendly environment for people living with sight loss and their families, as well as our volunteers and supporters. With flexible space, the team will host community events, so people with sight loss can better engage with others in their local area.

Our centres will provide advice, support and skills training to help people learn to adjust to sight loss and feel more confident and capable of navigating the world around them. We can connect people to a support network of professionals, volunteers and others who are experiencing the same challenges.

We'll build an enriching space that encourages learning within a like-minded community. Where everyone benefits from shared experiences, and people are empowered with the confidence to live the lives they choose, reducing isolation and loneliness.

Our centres will also host visitors from across the community, to give them an experience of the work that we do; to raise vital donations, and to increase the reach and understanding of our cause.