About Sight Concern

Sight Concern Bedfordshire is a local, independent charity with offices in Luton and Bedford. It was founded in 1999 by the amalgamation of three charities, Enterprises by the Blind, Sight Concern (North Bedfordshire) and The South Bedfordshire Society for the Welfare of the Blind, who had provided services for over 70 years prior to the amalgamation.

In 2007 Sight Concern Bedfordshire became a Charitable Company. It is run by our Board of Trustee Directors and a small team of employees who are assisted by our volunteers. We work with visually impaired people, their families and carers throughout Bedfordshire and Luton to provide services to enable them to live full, active and independent lives.

If I hadn’t had Sight Concern in my life I would still be at home, doing nothing all day, not talking to anyone.

An estimated 6,400 living in Bedfordshire and Luton are affected by moderate to severe sight loss*. Although visual impairment can occur at any age, it is more prevalent in older people, with 1 in 7 people aged over 65 and 1 in 3 people aged over 85 in the UK living with sight loss.

*Source : RNIB Sight Loss Data Tool

In the early days of my sight loss I didn’t have anything. Then I found Sight Concern. The thing I was looking for was Sight Concern.

If you or someone you know and care about is living with sight loss then maybe we could help.

Many blind and partially sighted people live full and active, independent lives, however some struggle to come to terms with sight loss and make adjustments to regain their independence. That’s where we come in. We work closely with the NHS, Local Authorities and other community services to help you access the support that you need to continue with the activities that you enjoy; get our and about and stay in touch with your family and friends.

We support people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and communities through a wide range of tailored services and support. To access our services simply call us.

We are not the only organisation who can help you

Eye Health

If you are worried about your eye health, you should contact your GP, Optometrist or local Hospital Eye Clinic. The website NHS Choices has lots of information about local health services.

Social Care and Rehabilitation

There are Specialist Visual Impairment teams in each Local Authority who can help with registration and rehabilitation including:

Instruction on how to complete daily living tasks such as cooking, making drinks, using the telephone, and writing
Mobility training to complete local routes independently
Appropriate specialist equipment
Sign posting to local and national VI services

For Bedford and Central Bedfordshire call: 01234 718318 or email: visualimpairment@bedford.gov.uk

For Luton call: 01582 547659 or visit their online assessment.

Other sources of information, advice and support

The links below are to external sites for other sight loss organisations.