Home / Health / 168-Year-Old Charity Faces Closure After Funding Shortfall
168-Year-Old Charity Faces Closure After Funding Shortfall
10 Apr
Summary
- Vista charity needs £2m to secure long-term future but fails to meet goal.
- A third of services will transfer to another organization, impacting sight loss register.
- Non-statutory services for children, young people, and community support are under threat.
Vista, a sight loss charity with a 168-year history, has announced it is "devastated" after failing to secure its long-term future due to an inability to raise sufficient funds. The organization launched a campaign in February seeking £2 million to address financial difficulties, citing rising costs and increased demand. Despite the public's "remarkable efforts" in donating, the charity stated it cannot continue in its current form.
A significant portion of Vista's work, which is a statutory requirement, will be transferred to BID Services, a Birmingham-based charity. This includes the sight loss register, support for newly diagnosed individuals, and cane training, effective May 6. However, Vista's non-statutory services, such as peer-to-peer meetups for children and young people, family inclusion events, tech support, community meet-ups, and its three charity shops, are now under threat as the charity explores "options" to safeguard them.
Steve Payne, director of care and services at Vista, described the charity's financial situation as "very fragile." He expressed hope that "something will be left for people," acknowledging the need to secure services either independently or with partners. He indicated that it is too early to definitively state Vista's future but assured that efforts are underway to preserve some level of service.
