Our Mission

Our legal structure is that we are a not-for-profit company (a Social Enterprise) with charitable aims. We do not have a board of trustees or committee like a charity as we wanted to utilize the experience and skills of our directors who meticulously plan and develop our services. We believe that this structure is best placed to carry out our work because the team has a significant understanding and experience of the people we work with.  

Being a Social Enterprise means that we do not automatically receive funding and have to work hard to receive any grants as a lot of funders will only fund charities. We can sell services and commit to reinvesting any profits into achieving our social objectives. Ours are to support children, young people and their families, especially through not exclusively those with sight impairment issues to improve their quality of life through the provision of valuable skills training, activities and events in order that they can become more independent and self-aware on their life’s journey.

We are accountable to any funder who gives us money and to any contractor or person who may buy our services. All directors have an extemporary track record in the field of visual impairment, and all carry an Enhanced DBS and receive up-to-date training in vital topics such as Safeguarding. We have professional body status and are very much part of national networks promoting ‘good governance and practices’. 

We engage with sight-impaired children and young people and their families who live in the North East. The areas we cover include Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Co. Durham, and Tees Valley. 

North East Sight Matters objectives are charitable and combine a level of independent and life skills training, to visually impaired children and young people, whilst encouraging social interaction and exciting activities to promote independence, challenges, and confidence-building. 

We organise family events and activities to encourage support networks and friendships plus  opportunities that may not otherwise be accessible or available to this group. 

We are committed to:

• Work primarily with visually impaired children and young people 
• Offer a range of exciting activities to children and families affected by sight loss 
• Develop ongoing programmes of skills and social activities to improve self-confidence, increase support networks, form friendships and provide opportunities for young vision impaired people 
• Plan, develop and deliver informative and practical competence training so that children and young people can learn appropriate, safe, and adapted methods of valuable life skills 
• Arranging social and informative events for parents/carers and professionals
• Provide training and web-based learning platforms to a range of organisations and individuals