About us
Providing support for Blind and Partially-Sighted people across Gloucestershire
Who we are
Our Aims
Insight Gloucestershire provides timely and appropriate support services for all people affected by sight loss in Gloucestershire, along with their families and friends. Our aim is to ensure people with sight loss in the county are able to lead active, independent and fulfilled lives.
Our aims are:
- To ensure all people with sight loss in our geographic area (and their family and friends) know where they can find support relevant to their personal situation.
- To provide a range of good quality, high impact services driven by the voice and needs of our clients.
- To build a strong and sustainable organisation which adds real value, can demonstrate its impact and has the confidence of the people and organisations we work with.
Our history
For more than 165 years we have been supporting local blind and partially sighted people.
Our charity was initially founded in 1858 as Cheltenham Workshops for the Blind. We changed our name to Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Society for the Blind in 1896. And in 1925 we merged to become Gloucestershire County Association for the Blind.
We have been in our current building, 81 Albion Street since 1996.
We changed our name again to Insight Gloucestershire in 2013. This change includes our work with all people affected by sight loss in the county.
Working across Gloucestershire
As a charity, we work across the county of Gloucestershire. We have a low vision resource centre in Cheltenham. We also regularly run local hubs in towns across the county where clients can access information, advice and guidance. Find your nearest location on our What’s On page.
Why we exist
Did you know that every 6 minutes someone in the UK is told they are losing their sight? And current figures suggest that by 2030, 1 in 25 people living in the UK will be sight impaired. In Gloucestershire, we estimate over 24,000 people are currently living with sight loss.
Losing your sight can be devastating. It can restrict social interaction, cause isolation and remove your independence. This can then lead to low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence or depression.
And so that is why we exist.
We want people with visual impairments to be fully supported to live their lives independently and to the full. Whether you have been blind since birth or are just experiencing the onset of a visual impairment, we are here to help.
We offer a range of services, tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Please contact us to find out more about how we could help.
Our partnership with Sight Support West of England
In 2023 we began our partnership with Sight Support West of England. Together with Wiltshire Sight, our three organisations work to ensure consistent and high-quality services are available to everyone across the Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North-East Somerset and Wiltshire region.
Insight Gloucestershire remains an independent charity serving the people of Gloucestershire. We have our own Trustees, and if you donate to Insight Gloucestershire, your money will be spent in Gloucestershire. But working together means we benefit from reduced central costs and can offer a much wider range of services.
Annual Report and Accounts
We always aim to be open and transparent about how we are run. You can find our annual report and accounts for the past three years here:
Annual Report & Accounts 2022-23
Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22
Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21