About North East Sight Matters

North East Sight Matters is the only independent specialist organisation supporting sight-impaired children and young people, and their families, across the North East. We have operated successfully for the past six years, having previously helped other organisations develop their services.

Our team and expertise

• Penny and Caroline are directors with over 30 and 40 years’ experience respectively as Vision Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS).
• Charlotte is a registered severely sight-impaired teacher working with children with vision impairments in Newcastle.
• We are active members of professional networks and undertake regular CPD so we can stay up to date and pass on new developments to families.
• We fund our work through grants from trusts, sponsorship and donations, and by delivering Vision Impairment Awareness Training (VIAT).

What we offer

Our main provision is arranging accessible activities and events across the North East. These visits are free of charge to families, as we do not want to add financial pressure for those who may already be struggling.

Any family that has a child or young person from birth to 25 who is registered with a sight impairment, can register with us.

Examples of our activities and events include adapted sports sessions, craft workshops, farm visits, arts, culture and science activities, audio described theatre visits, touch tours, family days, driving experiences, and powerboat trips.

We encourage children to try new things, challenge themselves, and discover what they can achieve, often for the first time.

Every visit is carefully planned to ensure safety, inclusivity, and positive outcomes.

Support for families

We seek new and exciting opportunities that build confidence, self-belief and wellbeing for children and young people who face daily challenges.

We also run a well-established private WhatsApp group where parents and carers share experiences and value the knowledge, guidance, encouragement and friendship of others in similar situations.

Training and venue support

We work closely with venues and provide practical advice on environmental factors that can negatively affect sight-impaired visitors. We also deliver Vision Impairment Awareness Training (VIAT) for staff and volunteers.

We have recently invested in the most up-to-date vision-simulation glasses and are the first, and currently the only organisation in the North East using this technology. The glasses provide an instant, real-time view and can be programmed to simulate different eye conditions and combinations of conditions.

Our training helps sighted people understand the wide spectrum of eye conditions and how different environments can affect someone living with sight impairment. It also gives staff and volunteers greater confidence when welcoming our families and future sight-impaired visitors or customers, improving the overall experience.

Because every person’s vision is different, what works well for one person may not work for another. That is why we consult with our families regularly and take time to get to know each child or young person, their needs, and interests.

Where we’ve made an impact

• Newcastle United asked for support to improve stadium tours for people with a vision impairment. Through VIAT, environmental advice, and family feedback, the club has made significant changes to how tours are delivered.
• Centre for Life (Newcastle) has undertaken extensive consultation with us and now provides excellent experiences for visitors with specific vision-impairment needs.
• Hardick Country Park (Sedgefield)

The learning staff who work at the park undertook VIAT and made a fabulous job of providing an accessible forest school experience for our children and families. 

• Bowes Museum (Barnard Castle) carried out an access walkaround to identify potential difficulties and benefited from our VIAT. Families valued the informative, interactive visit; while there are no quick fixes in a historic building, we will continue working with Bowes to support improvements.

Other venues and facilitators we work with know they can contact us for support and training to enhance what they provide, and they often do.

Listening to children and young people

Children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. We value their opinions and perspectives and actively seek their advice. One project with our ‘teen group’ brought together some “general” tips that could help everyone; the young people created simple but impactful messages, which we printed on a practical tote bag, this is available at a cost of £5.00 and goes towards our work. 

What families say

“We are so grateful for the events we’ve attended. Seeing our child have such fun and feel included has made a massive difference to his life outside of school. XXX has little interaction with other children, not only because of his sight impairment but also due to his learning disabilities. NESM has been a life-changer.”

“For my daughter, having someone who is qualified, with in-depth knowledge of the vast variety of visual impairments and how they affect people differently means the world. I know the events will be planned with precise detail. Inclusion is at the heart of what NESM does, backed by years of experience and working knowledge of vision impairment.”

“A visual impairment doesn’t mean my daughter cannot see. The planning of these events considers factors that affect my daughter, how busy the environment is, lighting, uneven flooring, and clutter that can make it difficult for someone with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) to focus.”

“The thing that makes the most difference to a parent of a child with vision impairment is someone who takes the time to get to know the children, their abilities, difficulties and interests, and who is present at every event to help them feel safe and valued.”

“The NESM family is vital to us and our son. The support is exceptional.”

For more information, please contact us at:

• Email: team@northeastsightmattersltd.co.uk

• Telephone: 07811956381

• Website: northeastsightmattersltd.co.uk