The impact of our funding

How do we make a difference?

When someone faces a diagnosis of vision loss, they face two urgent, profound questions. Can this be stopped? How do I live my life? You want the answers. Solutions. Breakthroughs. So that's what we fund.

It’s our north star; it guides and drives us.

Those four simple words, “Save Sight. Change Lives,” speak to our core beliefs. We’re optimistic we will better understand, prevent, diagnose and treat vision loss, and we believe those living with vision loss deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.

Read stories of impact

Multiplying our impact

We work hard to ensure every penny we grant has the maximum impact. As an organisation that funds multiple grants annually, we're uniquely placed to gain a deeper understanding of what does and doesn't work, and we actively share our insights. 

Within the grant we award, we focus on three areas of impact, specifically:

1. Discover
2. Accelerate 
3. Connect

1. Innovating in vision loss research

We fund grants from small grants to larger project grants.

Our small grants enable scientists to deliver proof of concept - and there's robust evidence that often, they're the first step in providing a significant impact. For example, Professor Robert MacLaren's work, which began with us, continues today. 

Likewise, the grants we design around social change focus on discovering what works - and what doesn't. We've funded multiple approaches to reducing loneliness and isolation for people who are blind and vision impaired, for example, including walking groups. 

Before awarding the grants, we commissioned an academic report to map the landscape, which informed our funding. 

Loneliness and Isolation Report

2. Accelerating research and social change

The work we do is putting change in sight. Evidence shows that by funding early-stage research, we deliver proof of hypotheses and enable them to unlock future funding.

That helps drive research from the bench (lab) to delivering real-world changes for patients through clinical trials and beyond. 

3. Bringing experts together

Each year, we fund multiple grants in social change and scientific research, enabling us to gather insights about what works and what doesn't in both areas. 

Through our grants, we also bring people together. Take, for example, the UK Vision Research Network - a first for the UK vision research sector, which we launched recently. Institutions across all four nations will collaborate to advance our understanding of inherited retinal disease. 

Scientific research impact

We want to create a world where everyone has the best possible eye health. Our research takes a patient-focused approach, and we fund research across all stages of the vision loss journey.

Specifically, scientific research funding helps us better:

• Understand eye diseases
• Diagnose vision loss conditions
• Prevent vision loss
• Deliver treatments for vision loss

For example, we're funding researchers who are conducting research that helps us better understand the genes responsible for inherited retinal disease, to diagnose vision loss sooner, to prevent vision loss and to develop treatments for eye diseases. 

Delivering social change impact

We're also funding bright ideas throughout the UK that are changing lives for people who are blind and vision impaired. For example, Metro Sport supports people in engaging in sporting activities. 

Scientific research and social change impact stories

More impact stories