e-Newsletter July 2026

We’re excited to announce that Professor Robin Ali, Director of the Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London, will be speaking at our Annual Conference.

Professor Ali will present “Latest developments in stem cell derived therapies”, sharing exciting updates from the world of stem cell-based therapies and the latest progress in this area of research.

Don’t miss the chance to hear and register for the conference today.

Dreaming of an amazing summer holiday? For just £1 a line, you could be in with the chance of winning up to £25,000 every Friday through our Retina UK Lottery! We’ve created 51 winners so far and you could be next! What would you spend your life-changing winnings on? Sign up today and support our vital work in 2026.

If you would like to chat to Maria before signing up, please call 07736 968158 or email [email protected].

A master’s student from Northumbria University has asked us to share an opportunity to take part in their study that aims to understand the accessibility of mental health services for people with visual impairments.
What’s involved:

• A brief pre-interview questionnaire
• A one-hour online interview to discuss your experiences accessing mental health support.

Who can participate:

• Anyone aged 18+
• Anyone who is blind, low vision, or partially sighted with or without a registered visual impairment.
• Anyone who has experience symptoms of poor mental health (no formal diagnosis needed)

The online questionnaire is screen reader friendly and can be completed verbally if preferred. The link to the survey can be found here.
For more information, please do get in contact with the researcher directly via email on [email protected].

Our friends at Calibre Audio, in partnership with the National Year of Reading 2026 and EmpathyLab, are inviting people of all ages to take part in their Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition.

Entries can be submitted in written, audio or video format, with stories of up to 550 words based on an empathy-led theme.

The competition is free to enter, open to everyone, and entries will be reviewed by a panel of expert writers. Prizes will be awarded across a range of age categories.

For all the details and to submit your entry visit: https://www.calibreaudio.org.uk/news/inclusive-voices.

The competition is open until 13 September 2026.

Thomas Pocklington Trust is inviting blind and partially sighted people across the UK to take part in its Listening Month 2026 survey.

The charity wants to hear directly from people with sight loss about the issues that matter most to them, the barriers they face, and the changes that would make the biggest difference to their everyday lives. The feedback will help shape Thomas Pocklington Trust’s future policy, campaigning and influencing work.

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete.

If you are blind or partially sighted, or support someone who is, please take part by completing the survey via this link.

Lots is happening behind the scenes as we continue to strengthen volunteering at Retina UK.

Help test our new volunteer platform
We’re exploring new systems to improve access to volunteering opportunities, training, communications and support. We’d love volunteers to help test potential platforms and share feedback. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to get involved.

Other updates:

• Volunteer survey: Thank you to everyone who took part. We’re now reviewing the results to help shape future improvements.
• Volunteer journey review: We’re reviewing the volunteer experience, from onboarding and training through to support and recognition, and exploring new opportunities.
• Volunteer Training Event: We’re looking forward to welcoming volunteers to this Sunday’s training event to share updates, discuss future plans and celebrate your contribution.
• Have your say: We always welcome feedback and suggestions. Contact [email protected] with your ideas.

We are trying to grow our brand awareness and income across the UK and a quick way to support us is by displaying a Retina UK collection tin in your local pub, restaurant, salon or community venue. To order a tin, please call Michelle on 01280 815900 or email [email protected].

Would you be prepared to share your thoughts and experiences through a survey?

In new research which RNIB are conducting around the rising cost of living, they are running a survey to gain the feedback of blind and partially sighted people to inform this work and allow them to speak to decision makers.

The survey covers important topics such as heating and energy, food and essentials and the additional costs of having sight loss. The survey should take around 20 minutes to complete, though you can take as long as you need, and answers are optional.

Take part in the survey via this link.

The survey closes on the 15 August 2026.

Young Adults Peer Support Group
Wednesday 22 July – 7pm to 8.30pm – Online
Come and join Martik and the group for our latest Young Adults online social catch up.

‘Talking’ Travel Peer Support Group
Thursday 23 July – 7pm to 8pm – Online
Come and join facilitators Richard & Rachael for our latest meeting to hear from our guest speaker Laura Cross, Operations Manager for the Vision Rehabilitation Specialist team at Guide Dogs.

West Midlands Local Peer Support Group
Saturday 25 July – 12pm to 4pm – In-person
Please come and join facilitator Perm Bhachu and the group for their latest in-person social catch up over lunch at The Old House at Home pub in Harborne.

Berkshire Local Peer Support Group
Saturday 25 July – 12.30pm to 4.30pm – In-person
Come and join facilitator James Birtley and the Berkshire group for their in-person Summer social catch up over lunch at Bill’s restaurant in Reading.

Women’s Peer Support Group
Tuesday 28 July – 7pm to 8pm – Online
Please come and join Perm & Danielle for their latest meet up where we are delighted to welcome our inspirational guest speaker Emma Jayne Basudev who will be talking to us about mindfulness.

Men’s Peer Support Group
Wednesday 5 August – 7pm to 8.30pm – Online
Come and join Mark Baxter and the group for our latest Men’s Peer Support Group online social catch up.

*Save the Date* Manchester Local Peer Support Group
Saturday 8 August – 12.30pm to 6.30pm – In-person
Please come and join Rachael and the group for their latest in-person meet up at the Waldorf pub in Manchester, where they will be joined by a local ECLO who will be giving a talk to the group.

*Save the Date* ‘Talking’ Books Peer Support Group
Wednesday 12 August – 7pm to 8pm – Online
Please join facilitators Cindy and Jane for our latest audiobooks meeting where we will be reviewing the groups’ current book choice as well as opening the discussion to suggestions for our next read.

Tyne & Wear / Northern Alliance Peer Support Group
Saturday 22 August – 1pm to 7pm – In-person
Come and join Colin and the group at the Tyneside Irish Centre for their latest in-person event in Newcastle.

For more information and to be kept up to date with peer support group activity please visit the Events page on our website – https://retinauk.org.uk/information-and-support/services/local-peer-support-groups/
 

Stay connected… Join a WhatsApp Group!
If you are unable to make one of our many Peer Support Groups either online or in-person, then why not join one of our WhatsApp group chats? We currently have chats for the following groups: –

• ‘Talking’ Tech
• ‘Talking’ Books
• Men’s
• Women’s
• Young Adults
• Scotland
• London & Southeast
• Belfast
• Manchester
• Berkshire
• Dorset & Southwest
• South Wales

For more information on how to join a group, please contact [email protected] or call our Helpline on 0300 111 4000.

Can you do a bake sale at your local village fetes this summer? A coffee morning at your local group? We can provide you with a Retina UK T Shirt and lots of merchandise for your table etc! Contact Maria Seymour at [email protected]