As we return to a more normal way of life, we’re determined to focus on getting things back on track and investing in our future. In 2020, we all underwent a sustained period of ongoing adjustment and adaptation. Wherever possible, we adapted our operations to keep delivering services, even during lockdown. This included recommencing, after the first immediate lockdown, the training of our dogs and the creation of new partnerships alongside breeding and puppy placement to ensure we have sufficient dogs for training in 2021. 

As our service users know, COVID-19 made it difficult for us to continue with some of our services face-to-face, but it also opened us up to new ways of working, offering help and volunteering. This is something we want to build upon. To do this, we have launched our 2021 annual plan priorities to help us accelerate our goal of helping more people with sight loss live actively, independently and well. We’ll do this by focusing on six key priorities:

1. Shrink guide dog waiting times.

2. Reach more people through digital.

3. Deliver consistent high-quality services, efficiently, UK-wide.

4. Responsive and empowering culture change.

5. Brand change: a leading voice for visually impaired people.

6. Grow and diversify our income with a broader story. 

Watch our 2021 annual plan film to find out about some of the activities underway for each of the above priorities.

This video discusses the annual plan for 2021, laying out six key priorities for the year.

We’ll be keeping the users of our services updated on our progress against our six key priorities.