Dorset Blind Association

We talked to Jonathan Holyhead, Chief Executive Officer at the Dorset Blind Association, to find out how the charity supports blind and partially sighted people.

Tell us about Dorset Blind Association

A disproportionately large percentage of blind and partially sighted people are in the lower brackets of wealth in this country, which is often because their sight loss has limited their working and earning opportunities.

Research has found that amongst our service users, a large number struggled to make ends meet, and often because of the communication difficulties caused by their sight loss, they did not realise that they had a financial issue until it was too late to stop.

How will our grant support your work?

We received a grant of £2,000 to help us provide advice and support to the charity’s service users on financial management.

This will help them manage their finances more effectively, preventing them from getting into debt or to establish realistic plans to address existing debt issues.

Are there other benefits that people experience?

Improving the financial circumstances of service users and better equipping them to manage their finances may help improve their mental health and wellbeing by addressing their worries and concerns over money.