RNIB Activate

What RNIB Activate did

RNIB Activate provided a combination of 2 Family Fun Days, 2 Family Days for Children with Complex Needs and sight loss, 2 Residential Activity Breaks (sailing and Summer Camp), 2 Family weekend breaks in Edinburgh and Ayr, 5 evening activity groups to develop confidence and personal independence for blind/partially sighted children and young people. Children enjoyed a variety of activities including outdoor pursuits, athletics, judo, goalball, sensory play, etc.

Sailing residential - 10 YP - 20 carers x 24 hours x 4 nights = 1920 hours
Broomlee Camp- 21 YP - 42 carers x 24 hours x 4 nights
Fordell Firs Day - 33 YP - 50 carers x 6 hours = 300 hours
Edinburgh weekend - 15 YP - 30 carers x 24 hours = 720 hours
Ayr Weekend - 15 YP - 24 carers x 24 hours = 576 hours
Complex Needs/VI day (Glasgow ) - 6 YP - 15 carers x 5 hours = 75 hours
Complex Needs/VI Day (Kirkcaldy) - 11 YP - 18 carers x 6 = 108 hours
Lanarkshire Family Day - 22 YP - 60 carers x 6 hours = 360 hours
After-school Clubs - 120 carers x 16 hours = 1920 hours

We recruited 3 new volunteers

Activities were advertised through our newsletter, and via professionals contact list (teachers of visual impairment,, social work, local societies for the blind)

At residential weekends and Family Days carers received a combination of respite (children off-site),, fun activities, training and peer support opportunities. Where CYP were away from home (eg: sailing, camp), respite was delivered for the whole family.

What RNIB Scotland has learned

We have learned to be more organised and reflexive in the way we deliver our events programme. The package delivered to parents is designed to be responsive to parental and family needs. We have also learned that using volunteers can bring challenges as the nature of our programme is that it is spread throughout the year in different parts of Scotland. We recognise that we need to have a larger pool of skilled volunteers to draw upon for the future.

We have broadened our reach through the events delivered by Activate and able to influence national policy and service delivery by engagement with parents at events through informal consultation at family weekends.