Sight Matters

🎶It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!🎶 🎄 A HUGE thank you to the ladies of Douglas Floral Art Club for getting us into the festive spirit by decorating our treess! 🌟 The trees look absolutely magical and will bring so much joy to our members, staff, and visitors. 🎅✨ Thank you for spreading some holiday joy!

The decision to close the VIP Store has been a difficult one. Though, ultimately, economic conditions took it for us. Marketing and Fundraising Lead Peter Marshall has been speaking about the closure of the shop on Manx Radio. https://lnkd.in/eensTb8G

A huge thank you to the Lon Vane Ladies' Choir for raising an incredible £200 for Sight Matters! 🎶 Your beautiful voices have truly hit all the right notes for our members living with sight loss. Thank you for your amazing support! 🎵

🌟 Exciting News! Sight Matters and SQR are Finalists for a Digital Isle of Man Tech Award! We’re delighted to share that our collaboration with SQR has been recognised as a finalist for the Digital Isle of Man Tech Awards in the category Tech Supporter of the Year! 🎉 Through a series of accessibility focus groups, Sight Matters members - accessibility experts by virtue of experience - tested SQR’s digital identity app and provided real-time feedback. Their insights helped SQR identify and prioritise the most significant accessibility issues. SQR’s positive and forward-thinking approach ensured that accessibility wasn’t treated as an afterthought or a box-ticking exercise. Instead, our members’ expertise guided their development, focusing on practical and impactful solutions. A huge THANK YOU to our members for their invaluable contributions and to SQR for their commitment to creating a more accessible digital future. 🙌 We’re excited about the potential to roll out this pilot scheme to the wider business community, demonstrating how inclusive design can benefit everyone. 🏆 Now, we need your support! Public voting is open, and we’d be honoured to have your vote. Click the link below and help us celebrate this incredible achievement: 👉 Vote here - https://lnkd.in/eyhnqWYY Let’s put accessibility and innovation in the spotlight! ✨

📢 Important Update We’re saddened to announce the closure of our charity shop, The VIP Store, due to rising costs. 💔 Thank you to everyone who has supported the shop over the years - your kindness and generosity have meant the world to us. 🌟 Read more about this decision and our plans moving forward on our website: https://lnkd.in/eCYddeT9

🎙️ Sight Matters on Air! 🎙️ Remember, you can now catch up on our regular Manx Radio feature, "Sight Matters Matters", online! 😄 Each month, Bob Harrison — former Manx Radio presenter and Sight Matters volunteer — brings you insights and stories from the Sight Matters community, showcasing how we support blind and visually impaired individuals on the Isle of Man 🇮🇲. In this episode, Bob sits down with Marc Furness, Partner at Callin Wild, to discuss Will Writing Month, which is happening throughout November. They explore the importance of planning for the future and how making or updating a will can support both loved ones and Sight Matters, as well as save you money.🎧 👉 Tune in to Manx Radio every third Tuesday of the month at 2:30 PM or catch up online at your convenience. https://lnkd.in/e6fby_Ci

🌟 Celebrating Talent at Sight Matters! 🌟 Jean, one of our members with only 5% vision, painted an incredible autumnal tree that won our recent competition! 🍂🍁 We were so proud, we just had to get it framed! 🖼️ Here’s Jean with her painting, joined by Belinda and Julie. Thanks to everyone who took part! And well done Jean!

📚🎉 Huge congratulations to Freddie Phillips! Freddie has read all of the kids' and young people's books in the Sight Matters audio library! This is a fantastic achievement, and we’re so proud of his dedication and love for reading. Freddie’s commitment was celebrated with his well-deserved Top Reader certificate today. Way to go, Freddie! 🌟 For those who may not know, the Sight Matters audio library provides a wonderful selection of audiobooks, including titles for kids and young people. It’s a valuable resource for our members who are blind or visually impaired, inspiring joy and discovery through reading - and can be posted out free of charge.

🎄✨ A heartfelt thank you to our talented member Jackie Harrison for designing two beautiful Christmas cards this year! 🎅💌 Available at reception in Corrin Court for just £1 each, with all proceeds going directly to Sight Matters. In the photo, staff members Kerry Healey and Clare Goldie are proudly holding Jackie’s festive creations – perfect for spreading a little holiday cheer!

📸✨ The Younger Members Group had an amazing behind-the-scenes tour at Tesco Isle of Man! 🛒 They got an exclusive look at how the store operates, from stocking the shelves to the journey of our favorite groceries 🍞🥫🧃. This hands-on experience gave them a chance to see (and feel!) the action in retail, and they even had a go at some tasks themselves! 💪👏 Huge thanks to the Tesco team for their warm welcome. A fantastic day was had by all! 🎉😊