I am delighted to be offered and accept my new role as Chairman of HuntsBlind our local charity supporting blind and visually impaired people across Huntingdonshire.
I would first like to pay tribute to my predecessor. Nick Ruston, who was Chair for four years, and a trustee for 8 years before that. Nick successfully provided leadership during a period of considerable changes in staff as well as expansion with member numbers growing to their current highest ever number of almost 750.
I have been resident in Huntingdonshire since 1984 when I started as an eye surgeon in Hinchingbrooke and Addenbrooke’s hospitals. The range and quality of treatments that eye surgeons can offer patients has increased enormously in my time as an eye surgeon. Despite these improvements approximately 26,000 people are registered sight or severely sight impaired in England annually with 34% of new members of Hunts Blind in Huntingdonshire being registered. Most visual impairment today is due to conditions associated with increasing age, particularly Age-Related Macular Degeneration and other retinal conditions which remain difficult to prevent or treat effectively.
Hunts Blind outreach workers and staff help visually impaired people to adapt and make the best use of their remaining vision allowing them to continue to lead independent lives.
Technology has an important role in enabling visually impaired people to make the best use of their remaining vision. Hunts Blind staff help visually impaired people to obtain and then fully utilise smartphones, magnification, word transcription and other devices. As new technology becomes available we will ensure that our members get access to it promptly.
We remain very grateful to our generous corporate and individual donors who make most of the support that we provide for visually impaired people possible.