SeeAbility scoops top charity award

Dispensing optician Martyn Howlett, with Eli

SeeAbility has won the Overall Award for Excellence at this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector.

As well as winning the top prize in the healthcare and medical research category, SeeAbility was chosen as the Overall Winner for Excellence for its work to convince the NHS to roll out sight testing for children in all special schools across England.

Su Sayer, chair of the Charity Awards judges, said: “SeeAbility created a brilliantly thought through programme, which has already transformed the lives of many children with both a learning disability and sight loss. The charity’s attention to detail, training almost 800 staff and ensuring that each individual would have the support they needed, was exemplary. They understood how important it was for eye testing for children to take place in familiar surroundings at school, rather than in hospital. As a result, many more children were tested and were able to have glasses where necessary.

“We can all appreciate what a huge difference being able to see clearly can make to anyone’s ability to engage in everyday life. This is an outstanding project which, by influencing the NHS, will make a lasting difference to many people with a learning disability across the UK.”

SeeAbility paid a special tribute to ABDO for its support with the special schools project.

Donna O’Brien, SeeAbility policy, public affairs and policy manager, said: “We owe ABDO colleagues a great deal of gratitude for all their advice and support with the special schools programme; and while the award is for everyone we have worked with and continue to work with these past eight years, we especially thank ABDO for being behind this project from the start.”

ABDO head of policy and public affairs, Debbie McGill, responded: ““Firstly, I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate SeeAbility personally and on behalf of ABDO on its award. The services the charity delivers in special schools is invaluable – and it is good to see their hard work and dedication being recognised.

“The team at ABDO appreciate Donna’s comments in relation to the advice and support we have provided to date, and we look forward to continuing to work with SeeAbility in the future to achieve shared objectives in relation to delivering comprehensive eyecare to all people with learning disabilities,” Debbie added.

Alongside the nine other category winners, three winners of the Rathbones Covid-19 Response Awards and the recipient of the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, SeeAbility was presented with its two trophies in an online ceremony broadcast live on Thursday 10 June, hosted by writer, comedian and political commentator Ayesha Hazarika.

Lisa Hopkins, chief executive at SeeAbility, said: “We are so humbled to receive not one but two unexpected awards for the work of our brilliant and totally dedicated special schools team. It’s also recognition of the schools, parents and children who we have partnered with – and who have supported us so much over the past few years to evidence the huge injustice of avoidable sight loss in so many children with learning disabilities.”

Read more about this story on the SeeAbility website.