Fight for Sight and the Vision Foundation will merge

Charities Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation will merge and work as one organisation from 1 April 2023, it has been announced.

Together, they will become the only UK grant-maker that changes lives through funding both scientific research and innovative services, a joint release sharing the news stated.

The boards of both charities voted unanimously to merge the organisations, which will be led by Fight for Sight CEO Keith Valentine. The joining aims to expand reach and increase impact.

The charities highlighted that every six minutes someone in the UK is told they are losing their sight, adding that sight loss in the UK is on the rise at a time of spiralling living costs, when health and social care services are struggling with demand. They emphasised that “the amount of public money spent on the problem is nowhere near adequate – only 1.5% of UK medical research is invested into finding new ways to prevent, diagnose or treat sight loss. This equates to just £9.60 for each person whose life has been turned on its head by sight loss.”

Speaking about the merger, Valentine said: “I’m a long-standing supporter of Vision Foundation and have immense respect for all it achieves. Taking that incredible work – as well as our mission at Fight for Sight – onto the national stage is a very big deal. The impact we will deliver for people and families affected by sight loss across the country is immeasurable. This merger will also enable us to grow our funding, which means a stronger, more impactful organisation for the years to come.”

CEO of Vision Foundation, Olivia Curno, will be stepping away from the charity. Regarding her departure, she said: “I am incredibly proud of what the Vision Foundation has achieved in recent years and can’t think of a better next chapter than joining forces with Fight for Sight and taking our impact to a national stage. Through this merger, we will have the expertise, talent and scale to go on to incredible things, all under the visionary leadership of Keith Valentine.”