HUNDREDS more blind and partially sighted people will be given practical help and support thanks to Worcestershire Freemasons.

A £15,000 grant to Sight Concern by the freemasons which will help the rising numbers of people facing a diagnosis of sight loss to turn to Sight Concern for advice, reassurance and assistance in rebuilding their lives.

They also help with digital technology.

Digital technology can help people with sight loss overcome some of their daily challenges and enable people to remain independent and lead more active lives as part of their local community.

There are an estimated 7,520 blind and partially-sighted people in Worcestershire. Last year Sight Concern supported over 1,500 of them directly them with professional advice.

Among the other services the charity provides are Sight Loss Advisors who assist people to adapt to sight loss, Low Vision Clinics to help make the most of any remaining sight, Sight Loss Awareness practical training on how to assist visually impaired people, Sight Loss Support Groups, and befriending services.

Recently Sight Concern were contacted by a client Jill who was struggling with accessing bills and reading the small print. They helped her set up a smartphone, showed her how to install specialist applications, like “Be My Eyes” and “Seeing AI”, and she was thrilled to be able to perform daily tasks, like online shopping. Another client Mike was given special assistance to use email.

There are an estimated 7,520 blind and partially-sighted people in Worcestershire. Last year Sight Concern supported over 1,500 of them.

The grant from Worcestershire Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by freemasons and their friends and families.

Jenny Gage, Sight Concern’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re very grateful to Worcester Freemasons for their generous grant, which will provide crucial support for Sight Concern’s work with blind and partially sighted people.”

Jonathan Swift, Worcestershire Freemasons, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to support Sight Concern’s hugely important work with blind and partially sighted people. There are thousands of people in Worcestershire alone who live with sight loss.They can benefit greatly from Sight Concern’s help and support to overcome the challenges they face.”