What we do

VICTA is a national charity that provides support to children and young adults from 0 to 29 who are blind or partially sighted and their families. VICTA believes that everyone has the right to an independent and fulfilling life. VICTA’s support, advice, grants and activities enable young people and their families to build skills, develop confidence and help each other toward a more positive future.

Confidence

Independence

Accessibility

At VICTA, we believe wellbeing, social connectedness, confidence and self-esteem help counter the physical, mental and emotional problems faced within the VI community. As such we provide:

Student engagement

Young Achievers (0-10) an award scheme to encourage learning through participation, not instruction
Pre-Teen Activities (10-13) to support the transition into secondary education with a programme that builds confidence, self-belief and self-advocacy including WWF Green Ambassadors 4 Youth Award
Youth Activities (14-17) to support personal growth, good life choices and the transition into further/higher education including the Arts Award
Youth Summer Camp (14-17) an eight-day residential camp to increase self-reliance, independence, and develop new understandings of individual potential reflected through the themes of empowerment, self-advocacy and resilience
Youth Expeditions Programme (14-17) including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and John Muir Award
Young Adult Activities (18-29) to support the development of life skills, wellbeing and the transition into adulthood and the workplace
Young Ambassadors Programme (18-29) shaped around employability with projects designed to strengthen key skills and build workplace knowledge
Volunteering Opportunities (18-29) creating opportunities for young adults with sight loss inspire, lead and support younger children with a vision impairment
Student Portal (10-29) a one stop information hub designed to help VI students and young adults inform their emotional wellbeing and take control of their educational and employment experiences
VICTA Science Fair (0-29) a range of online activities, challenges and competitions to encourage engagement with STEM and the CREST Awards
Virtual Connections (0-29) a series of online activities, challenges and competitions with a focus on self-advocacy, academic curiosity, emotional awareness and employability skills
International Collaborations (0-29) with organisations such as CNIB in Canada, ONCE in Spain and the International Camp on Communications and Computers
Travel grants (0-29) to encourage VI children and young adults to get active by providing funding towards travel to participate in inclusive sporting events

Family support

Family Activities (0-17) opportunities for families with children with sight loss and their siblings to come together to connect, enjoy, build friendships and share experiences
Family Weekends (0-17) flagship events that bring families and young people with sight loss and their siblings together from across the UK to connect, learn, celebrate, enjoy and share experiences
Early Years (0-4) a Sensory Discovery Pack that provides a starting point to empower and educate parents of the benefits of sensory play for their vision impaired child
Sleep Service (2-17) offers practical support and advice for the parents of children with sight loss who are experiencing disturbances with sleep and/or their bedtime routine
Parent Workshops designed and delivered by leading experts and professional to help equip parents with the tools, knowledge and emotional confidence to support their children through the challenges of living with sight loss
Parent Network that connects parents offering a forum for discussion, problem sharing, information and emotional support
Parent Portal a one-stop information and signposting hub for parents
A legal Q&A to better explain Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and how they are used to support visual impairment in the school setting
Family Services including Parent Workshops and a Parent Network to help parents overcome the challenges of living with a VI child
A directory of charities and organisations that may be able to offer additional support

Grants

Grants (0-29) for assistive technologies to help VI youth interact and connect to the world
We welcome grant applications from other small VI charities to help them deliver locally