A North Staffordshire charity, which supports people with sight loss, is hoping to raise £100,000 to stay open for the next 12 months.  

After recent unsuccessful funding bids, Staffordshire Sight Loss has launched an appeal to raise the money needed to continue to operate over the next year, by the end of April.

The charity, officially founded in 2018, has previously received funding from the Seedbed Christian Charity, and between 2020 and 2025 much of their work was funded by the National Lottery.  

Chief executive, Suzanne Roberts said: "It's quite hard every day to get messages saying, 'no, sorry'. Often the reason is that they are inundated with applications and they can't fund every application.  

"We don't have any control over the decisions, so you reach that point where you think what are we going to do?"  

Staffordshire Sight Loss explained that more than 17,000 people are living with sight loss in North Staffordshire.  

The charity currently supports around 1,000 people across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands, and Suzanne hopes to raise the funds needed to continue to provide them with support and in-person services.  

Suzanne said: "We wanted to be a charity that delivers what the community wants."  

She added: "People were telling us they want in-person services where they can actually see people face to face.  

"If we go, there will be national helplines, but I think there is a lot of value in being able to actually meet people and not feel isolated. To be able to speak to people who understand."  

Suzanne, alongside several users of the service, explained that one of the key aims of the charity is to tackle the isolation often felt by those living with sight loss.  

The charity facilitates regular drop-in sessions across North Staffordshire, as well as organising trips and running a braille group.  

Geoff, 64, explained that he had "years of just being bored stiff" after leaving his career as a butcher due to sight loss in 2004, before connecting with the charity through the braille group.  

He said: "It's like a group of friends really.  

"It's also a safe space for people to come because people understand and they don't judge you.

"This is the only place in life where we can all be equal together because we've all got sight loss and different variations.   

"You look forward to coming because you feel comfortable with everyone else in the same position."  

He added: "It's changed my life completely."  

Gareth, who has been involved with the charity since Suzanne first began to set it up in 2017, also shared the value of volunteering as a person with sight loss.  

The 57-year-old, who previously worked in an antiques shop, said: "I think a lot of people who volunteer get so much from it.  

"When I finished work because of my vision, I thought I'd never get a job again.  

"I found I had no hope in that sense. So, I think coming here just gives you a bit of direction in a way."  

He also explained the importance of having volunteers with lived experience of sight loss.  

Gareth added: "Just being around other people with sight loss and seeing how they get on can help people to see that there's a life after sight loss.  

"We need the support of somebody who understands. Sight loss is a massive umbrella and I think a lot of people who look in on it are just scratching the surface."  

Alongside the community aspect, the charity also provides practical support such as offering advice about the benefits and equipment available to help people with sight loss live more independent lives. 

The resource centre in Hanley houses a range of technology including talking clocks, video magnifiers and accessible kitchen equipment, so that people can find out which products will best suit their needs before purchasing them. 

Staffordshire Sight Loss also provides some home visits to people unable to attend drop-in sessions in person, such as elderly members of the community.  

Ian, a 58-year-old father-of-two, explained that when he lost his sight in 1983 - after being shot in the left eye with a bow and arrow – he was unable to access this kind of support.  

He explained that after his wife died he struggled to even leave the house. 

Ian said: "I sat in my kitchen for about 12 months after my wife passed away. And it was like being in the prison cell, looking out the same window every day." 

He added: "There was nothing like Staffordshire Sight Loss where they offer benefit advice and actually help you to fill in the forms the correct way. And there was nowhere you could go to see all the equipment, like at the resource centre. 

"There was nothing.  And for me, if this place closes, it would be like going back to the dark ages." 

Staffordshire Sight Loss also explained that sight loss is commonly associated with old age, but it can – and does – affect people of all ages.  

Claudia, 31, who has lived with sight loss her whole life, explained how the charity has helped her to gain independence and provided her with opportunities to socialise. 

She said: "I did go to university, but most of the time I sat at home. I had hobbies, like reading, listening to music and watching documentaries but with Staffordshire Sight Loss, I go out on trips and meet other people. 

"When I joined Staffordshire Sight Loss, I came out of the house." 

To support the Staffordshire Sight Loss fundraiser, visit the JustGiving page here. 

To find out more about Staffordshire Sight Loss and the support they provide, visit their website here.