Somerset Freemasons Provide a grant of £15,000 via MCF to Somerset Sight.

Somerset Sight https://www.somersetsight.org.uk – supports people living with a visual impairment, helping them to live fuller and more independent lives. they work Across Somerset and into the borders of Devon and Dorset, their “Mobile Advisory Service” reaches the most rurally isolated towns and villages. 80% of the service users are over 75 with most of them living alone. Sight loss is both isolating and debilitating, with many anxious about leaving their homes to access mainstream support services.

The provide a range of Services to improve wellbeing and quality of life. such as befriending visits, visual impairment aids like audio books and liquid evil indicators, to prevent scalding. Also structured courses such as “Seeing Life Differently” to help adjust to life with visual impairment, as well as cooking classes and days out to the seaside & bird sanctuaries. They are one of the leading visual impairment charities in Somerset and are very well connected to local hospitals and GP surgeries, which demonstrates the quality of their work.

They have over 3,000 service users and the demand for their services are increasing, this grant of £15,000 will enable them to expand their services and reach more people in need of support. The Feedback from those using the services and the medical professionals shows how much of a lifeline they are. “The emotional support has been a blessing for me, my sense of positivity has been the biggest change”.

The grant from Somerset Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, funded by Freemasons, their families and friends from across England and Wales.

Photos courtesy of Les Pickersgill.