Our Impact in 2024-25

SeeAbility (formerly The Royal School for the Blind, founded 1799) is a specialist charity providing support, accommodation and eye care for people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss. In its 225th anniversary year (2024/25), SeeAbility reached 73,843 people, delivered 3,483 sight tests in special schools, and secured a government commitment of £12 million to roll out the special schools eye care service nationally. Income was £36.5 million with expenditure of £35.9 million, generating a small surplus.

Report snapshot
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📋About

Specialist residential and supported living care; special schools eye care service; Eye Care Champions programme; Ready Willing and Able supported employment; Listen Up! self-advocacy team; outreach and day services

📊Key Metrics

73,843 lives changed by SeeAbility's support teams, specialist programmes and resources in 2024/25 Key Metric 1
3,483 sight tests delivered to children in special schools; 4,769 people trained by Eye Care Champion teams Key Metric 2
34 people supported along their employment journey by Ready, Willing and Able; 7 secured paid employment earning over £130,000 in total Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • NHS England allocated £12 million to roll out special schools eye care service to all special schools — a landmark policy win directly secured by SeeAbility's campaigning
  • 94% of people supported and 91% of family and friends rated SeeAbility's support as good or very good; 100% of homes rated Good by CQC
  • 6,812 people influenced by Listen Up! team; 68 people supported to vote in the General Election, many for the first time

📍Geography

South East

2024 Enhanced

Impact Report 2024

Work with over 650 schools reaching over 350,000 children and young people
Key Metric 1
78% of children aged 5-11 and 91% of children aged 11-18 showed improved mental health after one-to-one counselling
Key Metric 2
40,000+ pupils accessed Place2Talk self-referral service — the highest since 2020
Key Metric 3
9,355 participants completed the Mental Health Champions Foundation programme; nearly 90,000 people have taken part since launch
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report and Financial Statements 2024-25

Over 66,000 people reached through support services in 2024/25
Key Metric 1
Nearly 38,000 people received personalised support from local Stroke Support Coordinators
Key Metric 2
£31.4 million raised in fundraised income — the charity's best-ever fundraising year
Key Metric 3
434 active Stroke Support Groups helping around 13,000 stroke survivors and families
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

71,703 support activities delivered for bereaved people in 2024/25
Key Metric 1
Over 28,000 calls and emails answered by the national Cruse Helpline
Key Metric 2
Over 24,000 adults, children and young people supported through one-to-one sessions
Key Metric 3
Over 3,000 people supported through Cruse Bereavement Groups, with evidence of improved wellbeing and reduced isolation