# Two sight loss charities complete their merger

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/01/09/two-sight-loss-charities-complete-merger/
- Published: 2017-01-09T22:08:22+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Royal London Society for Blind People and Royal Society for Blind Children
merged on 1 January 2017, having worked in close partnership since 2014. **

The single entity will continue to expand its services nationally with the aim of
ensuring that “no child should grow up to be poor or lonely just because they are
blind.”

Both charities were two of the oldest sight-loss charities in the UK, with RSBC 
having supported blind and partially sighted children, young people, and their families
for nearly 200 years.

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The merged charity will continue to focus on childhood sight loss and its negative
impact on life chances. It estimates that 90% of the 22,000 or so blind and partially
sighted children and young people in England and Wales who are diagnosed with sight
loss in youth will not work for more than six months of their lives.

 

![Life Without Limits for Blind Children](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2017/
01/life-without-limits-for-blind-children-1.jpg)

Dr Tom Pey, [RSBC](http://www.rsbc.org.uk)’s Chief Executive said:

> “This merger has been successful because our staff, volunteers and supporters,
> share a determination to radically improve the life chances for blind and partially
> sighted young people. By putting the family at the centre of what we do, we can
> put an end to the downward trajectory that blind and partially sighted young people
> so typically find themselves on.”

 

> RSBC & RLSB have merged to create a leading charity to ensure no blind child will
> grow up to be poor or lonely just because they are blind
> — RSBC (@RSBCcharity) [January 6, 2017](https://twitter.com/RSBCcharity/status/817353218409824256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

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