Penny Dane

Penny has over 25 years of experience working with visually impaired people. She has worked on contracts in local authorities and education and for national and local charities. For several years she ran her own rehabilitation and training company that was nominated for several awards.

During her career, she has worked closely with several special education needs departments within the North East and has assisted many children and young people to learn essential life skills such as mobility, independent travel, and kitchen/life skills. She has also worked with young visually impaired adults looking for employment and has a wealth of knowledge and a professional network of contacts in the visual impairment field. 

Penny has a passion to create innovative programmes to support children and young people grow in confidence and realise their potential. 

Being part of North East Sight Matters Ltd gives Penny and the team the opportunity to utilise their skills and experience and to offer the children and young people of the North East a great chance to learn and have fun along the way.

Caroline began her career working within Social Services, from this role she developed an interest in working with and supporting people with visual impairments. Consequently, she trained and successfully qualified as a Vision Rehabilitation Officer in 1989. 

For several years, Caroline then worked in Cleveland. She worked within a specialist office undertaking assessments and providing rehabilitation training for individuals with visual impairments. 

In 1996 she took the opportunity to join Henshaws Society for the Blind as a lecturer delivering modules on the Diploma in Rehabilitation Studies. At this time she also formed NEVIS (North East Vision Impairment Services).

She has undertaken rehabilitation/habilitation training with visually impaired people of all ages and has delivered vision impairment awareness training to a variety of staff including social workers, occupational therapists, teachers, lecturers and care staff. 

She now solely runs NEVIS and has been involved in contract work for a number of Social Services and Education Departments across the North East.

Emma began her career working in Health and Social Care where she worked for both the Private and Local Authority Sector for many years. Throughout this time, Emma continued with her personal development and studied in Care, Education and Management.

Emma has worked for both National and Local Charities within the North East and has an abundance of experience delivering life skills, enterprising and government employability programmes. She has worked with individuals of all ages and a range of disabilities. 

Over the past five years Emma has worked with visually impaired children/young people and their families, delivering skills workshops, activities and events.

Emma is living with a visual impairment and is familiar with the challenges people living with sight loss deal with on a daily basis. She is passionate in supporting people achieve their goals and is committed to making a difference working for North East Sight Matters.