Sight Support Calderdale

20/10/2026

What an achievement for Paul Iannelli, who completed his final fundraising race for Sight Support Calderdale on Sunday, finishing the Yorkshire 10 Mile in a fantastic 1 hour, 47 minutes and 43 seconds!

Paul once described himself as a 'couch potato'. After meeting guide runner Sarah Hodkinson through one of our Inbetweeners groups, he decided to give running a go. Fast forward to today, and Paul, who has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), has completed five 10K races and a 10-mile finale, all while raising money for a charity close to his heart.

From taking those first steps into running to crossing the finish line in York, Paul has shown incredible commitment and determination. Everyone at Sight Support Calderdale is immensely proud of what he has achieved!

A huge thank you also goes to Sarah Hodkinson for encouraging and supporting Paul throughout his journey.

Now, let's give Paul's fundraising one final push!

Paul has already smashed his original £1,000 target, but we'd love to see that total climb even higher! Every donation makes a difference, and sharing his fundraising page is another fantastic way to show your support.

Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-iannelli-1

Feeling inspired by Paul's achievement? If you'd like to take on your own fundraising challenge for Sight Support Calderdale, find out more at https://www.sightsupportcalderdale.org.uk/fundraising

Congratulations, Paul! What an incredible achievement, and thank you for everything you've done for Sight Support Calderdale!

15/10/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight – Meet Damian! 🌟

My name is Damian, and I’ve been the Engagement Officer at Sight Support Calderdale since April 2024. I’ve loved every minute of it!

My role involves engaging with the local community, delivering talks, attending events and building relationships with other organisations to help promote our services. When I’m not out and about across Calderdale, you’ll usually find me at 7 Southgate, planning future talks or chatting with members in the café.

My journey with the charity began as a member, before becoming a volunteer and helping to develop our now-famous Inbetweeners group. Seeing first-hand the difference the charity makes inspired me to get more involved.

When the Engagement Officer position became available, I spoke with Faye, our Chief Officer. Her passion for growing the charity and developing new services and activities inspired me to apply.

When I joined, we only had a few groups and activities. Since then, we've worked together as a team to create a much more varied and inclusive programme, giving people more opportunities to socialise, try new activities and access support.

Being visually impaired myself, I understand the challenges of sight loss and how it can affect everyday life, confidence and independence.

Before joining the team, I faced the possibility of giving up work because of my sight loss. Instead, the support and encouragement I've received have allowed me to continue working and help others facing similar challenges.

That's what I love most about my role. I'm not just promoting services – I'm part of a community that understands sight loss and works together to make sure nobody faces those challenges alone.

12/10/2026

Your chance to win a diamond worth £8,500! 💎

As one of the Mayor of Calderdale's chosen charities of the year, we're excited to share a very special fundraising opportunity!

Thanks to the generosity of the Garnett family and Lister Horsfall of Halifax, one lucky winner will receive a stunning diamond worth £8,500!

Raffle tickets cost just £20 each, with proceeds supporting Sight Support Calderdale and Invictus Wellbeing.

By purchasing a ticket, you'll be helping us continue our work supporting people with sight loss across Calderdale, while also having the chance to win an incredible prize!

Tickets are available until 31 January 2027.

Find out more and enter the raffle here:

This year the Mayor and Mayoress of Calderdale has chosen to support two local and independent charities in Calderdale. Their focus is on supporting young…

08/10/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight – Meet Brittany! 🌟

It's time for another Staff Spotlight! This week, we're introducing Brittany Herbert, our Office Support Assistant at Sight Support Calderdale.

Brittany shares a little about her role, her involvement with our walking group and what she enjoys doing outside of work:

"Hi, I'm Brittany Herbert, Office Support Assistant at Sight Support Calderdale.

My role is to help keep the office running smoothly day to day, which involves a bit of everything! From managing invoices, ordering supplies and maintaining our member and volunteer database to preparing publications, organising maintenance checks and keeping the premises clean, there's always something to do!

Although much of my work happens behind the scenes, I love spending time with members in the café on Mondays and Thursdays. I also have experience with our Sight Centre equipment, so if you ever need a hand, please don't hesitate to ask!

You might also recognise me from our Walkie-Talkies walking group, which I've facilitated for the past two years. We explore different locations across West Yorkshire once a month between March and October. It's a lovely, welcoming group, and anyone interested in joining can contact the office on 01422 352383.

Outside of work, I enjoy going out with my partner for coffee (or cocktails!) and food. I also love hiking, wild swimming and spotting wildlife. Although, nothing quite beats a Sunday morning lie-in with a coffee in bed!"

We're very grateful to have Brittany as part of our team. Thank you for all the work you do to keep things running smoothly, both behind the scenes and with our members! 💙

07/10/2026

RNIB wants to hear from blind and partially sighted people in England 📢

RNIB is carrying out a survey looking at people’s experiences of accessing healthcare information and communications.

This could include things like appointment letters, test results, medication information, communication from healthcare services and using digital services such as the NHS App.

If you are blind or partially sighted and live in England, this is an opportunity to share your experiences and help inform RNIB’s future policy, campaigning and influencing work.

The survey takes around 10–15 minutes to complete and closes on Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Take part here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDXKMXF

If you need support to complete the survey, you can contact Nicola Stanley-Dickinson at [email protected] or call 07736 462071.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

02/10/2026

Our Walkie Talkies enjoyed their final walk of the year on Tuesday, heading to Centre Vale Park in Todmorden before finishing the day with a lovely lunch at the Hare and Hounds.

A big thank you to everyone who has joined us on our walks throughout 2026. It’s been great to see the group out exploring different places together over the year.

Although the walking boots are being put away for now, we’ll be getting together again on 27th October to talk about ideas and plans for next year’s walks.

More details about the meeting will follow closer to the time.

02/10/2026

Our September Bonus Ball winner is in! 🎉

We had 53 numbers taken this month, making the prize pot £26.50.

The winning number was 45, which means this month’s winner is Muriel Sandford!

Congratulations Muriel, and thank you to everyone who took part and supported us!

01/10/2026

What a brilliant turnout we had for our AGM last night!

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the evening such a positive one. It was lovely to see so many members, supporters, volunteers and friends of Sight Support Calderdale together in one room.

We were also delighted to welcome the Mayor of Calderdale, who spoke about Sight Support Calderdale being one of his chosen charities of the year and the work we do across Calderdale.

During the evening, we also shared a special video recognising just some of the fantastic people who have fundraised for us throughout 2026. We know not everyone could be there last night, so we’re sharing the video here too for everyone to watch.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us, and to everyone who continues to support Sight Support Calderdale throughout the year. 💙

23/09/2026

A huge thank you to Emma from Hebask Yorkshire!

Emma joined us at 7 Southgate yesterday, offering therapeutic massages in return for donations to support our work.

The feedback was fantastic, with everyone coming out feeling relaxed and full of praise for their treatment. Thanks to Emma’s generosity, she raised a brilliant £135 for Sight Support Calderdale in just one day!

We are so grateful to Emma for giving her time, skills and support to help raise funds for us.

Thank you, Emma! 💙

22/09/2026

🚨 STAFF SPOTLIGHT 🚨

Tina works 25 hours per week and provides all the information within the Eye Alert and Newsletter in relation to the Coffee and Chat, SocialEyes, and MaterialEyes Groups. For any further information or to book a place at any of our groups, please
contact Tina on 01422 352383.

Hi, my name is Tina Twibill, and I have worked for Sight Support Calderdale for five years. My role is Activities Coordinator, and within this role I plan, organise and deliver a range of sessions and activities that encourage members to get involved, socialise and try new experiences. I work closely with members to understand what they enjoy, what support they may need, and how we can make each activity accessible, welcoming and meaningful. The aim of the activities is to help people build confidence, reduce isolation, develop friendships and take part in opportunities that support their wellbeing and independence.

I enjoy creating a varied programme that gives members something to look forward to, whether that is a social group, a creative session, a wellbeing activity, an outing, or an opportunity to learn something new. When planning activities, I think carefully about accessibility, confidence, communication needs and the different levels of sight loss our members may experience. It is important to me that everyone feels included, listened to and able to take part in a way that suits them. Seeing members grow in confidence, make new friendships and enjoy themselves is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.