Vision Foundation for London

Vision Foundation for London champions equality and independence for blind and partially sighted people, evolving from a historic coordinator of sight loss support to a strategic grantmaker blending scientific research and social empowerment. Grounded in values of partnership, inclusion, empowerment, evidence-based advocacy, and amplifying lived experiences of visually impaired individuals, it drives funding decisions through unmet needs, demonstrable impact, and systemic change, believing transformation arises from collaborative interventions, capacity building, leadership development, and policy-influencing research that combats preventable blindness and fosters equal citizenship.

It funds targeted interventions tackling social and economic barriers for blind and partially sighted people across all ages, including specialist employment support and skills training addressing sight loss unemployment, accessible technology enabling independence, mental health counselling and peer support groups for visually impaired adults facing isolation and anxiety, youth programmes and family support promoting participation and resilience, training for frontline professionals in visual impairment services, public awareness campaigns shifting perceptions, and leadership development building sector capacity. It backs participatory research projects informing policy and service design, such as investigations into employment barriers and disproportionate crisis impacts, alongside service delivery like peer mentoring, accessible information provision, innovative pilots for community engagement, and core support strengthening grassroots organisations delivering person-centred, preventative approaches to independence, social inclusion, and equal opportunities.

Exclusions encompass capital projects, non-sight loss issues, and activities lacking evidence-based impact or beneficiary voice; it prioritises blind and partially sighted individuals nationwide, from children and youth to families and older adults in urban and underserved communities facing exclusion. Distinctive for its dual focus on pioneering scientific sight loss research and community-based empowerment, advocacy-driven campaigns, convening power fostering collaborations, and preference for innovative, lived-experience-led organisations driving scalable, holistic change through unrestricted support, professional development, and resilience-building for the visual impairment sector.