SIGHT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Alison joined the team in 2019 having worked in the charity sector with wounded, injured and sick serving armed forces, veterans and their families. After 20 years of being on the move Alison has now settled in South Wiltshire and enjoys anything to do with the outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Optometrist
- Chairman of the Avon Local Optical Committee
Amar Shah is an Optometrist with his own practice as a Boots Opticians franchise in Keynsham, Bristol. He has worked with visually impaired clients for all of his professional career. Amar also works one day a week in the eye department at Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Amar is chair of the Avon Local Optical Committee, and works nationally with the Local Optical Committee Support Unit as an Optical lead. He has been a trustee of two children's charities and has always had an active volunteering role.
Outside of work Amar enjoys spending time with his young family and when not with them getting out on his bike or running.
Anna joined the retail team in 2022 and has worked in charity retail for 4 years. She loves that no two days are the same and is passionate about giving great customer service. When not at work, Anna can be found either baking or with a crochet hook in hand whilst enjoying a good podcast.
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Anthea joined the team in January 2022. She qualified as a dispensing optician in 1991 and has worked in the optical sector since then, the last 15 years as a low vision therapist. Anthea lives in South Wiltshire and enjoys walking and gardening.
Job Titles:
- Retail Manager
- Shop Manager
Our new shop manager in Salisbury, Becca is a retail manager with over 30 years retail experience, including 5 years managing charity shops. "Running a charity shop means that every day is fun and unique - I love meeting new people and learning new skills, so this job is perfect for me." Outside of work, Becca's passions are art, design and reading.
Carl is the Operational Director at Gloucestershire Newmedica, a company providing acute and community ophthalmology services in Gloucestershire and Wilsthire. He lives in Malmesbury and is also a trustee of Wiltshire Sight.
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Charlie joined the sight loss sector having previously worked in customer services, and was incredibly excited to be joining our team! He loves working with people. A few years ago he helped set up a new youth group in his local community and still enjoys volunteering there. Charlie has lived in Wiltshire all his life and plans to move to Bristol. In his free time, Charlie enjoys taking the dog for a walk and playing board games with friends.
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Before joining Wiltshire Sight, Claire worked in the IT profession for many years, most recently in Computing careers outreach work with children and teachers. She has informally supported family and friends with their sight-loss issues and visual impairments and has encouraged the use of visual aids and assistive technology to improve their day-to-day living conditions. Claire volunteers for "Every Cloud" arts and crafts collective in Swindon and is a Pet Portrait artist.
Elena joined the Devizes shop team when it opened in October 2022. Her background has been varied, which has included working and managing a charity shop in somerset. Elena finds working in charity retail is rewarding, working alongside volunteers, seeing customers happy with their purchases and raising money for the charity. Outside of work, Elena enjoys the outdoors, dance and running her therapy business.
Glenda joined the team in November 2018, having worked in the charity sector for over 20 years in a range of service delivery, fundraising and volunteer management roles. Glenda lives in North Wiltshire with her husband and their three children.
Job Titles:
- Retired Chartered Physiotherapist
Heather is a retired Chartered Physiotherapist, her Clinical specialty being Pain Management. She has been a Senior Manager in both Professional and General Management in Provider and Commissioning Organisations within the NHS. She has considerable experience in change management in both professional practice and in NHS service delivery.
Heather has been visually impaired since the age of 21. Prior to this, she had trained and practiced as a Psychiatric Nurse. She is also a Trustee of Pain Concern, a charity for people with long term pain, and is a volunteer speaker for Guide Dogs.
Heather is interested in promoting and ensuring the involvement of visually impaired people in decision-making and delivery of relevant services as well as the attainment of equal partnership with sighted people in general.
Heather's other interests include dancing, travel and reading.
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Ivy first joined the team in Bristol in Spring 2022 as a Reception and Services Support volunteer.
Previously she worked at her local city farm Café, passionate about its mission to meet the health and social care needs of its
community and to be an eco-friendly role model for hospitality businesses. Outside of work, she can be found playing dungeons and dragons, and probably befriending the dragons
Job Titles:
- Corporate and Community Fundraiser
Originally from East London, Jane has lived and worked in Bristol for the past 10 years. For the majority of her career, Jane has been employed as a voluntary sector fundraiser for health and environmental charities. After losing her sight over 18 years ago, Jane has had a greater focus on inclusivity and accessibility. When not working, her guilty pleasure is musical theatre, having seen Joseph eight times - great songs to sing in the shower she says!
Jen joined the team in November 2020. She has over 18 years of fundraising experience working with national and local charities. She has volunteer experience as a Trustee, grant writer, advisor and fundraiser. Jen lives in Swindon, and outside of work loves walking on the Ridgeway.
Jo joined the team in March 2021. She has over 8 years Charity Retail and E-commerce experience with both national and local charities, opening and developing charity shops. Outside work, Jo is kept busy with her Dogue De Bordeaux Winnie and renovating her home with her partner. She also loves the occasional Netflix Duvet-Day!
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Communications Officer
Karen and her guide dog Molly joined the team in 2021. Her background includes running her own retail and online businesses and working in administration for several organisations. She is passionate that vision loss doesn't have to mean an end to enjoying life. She has many leisure pursuits including visually impaired tennis, crochet, art, walking, Pilates and two book clubs!
Originally from Iran, Kayvan moved to the UK early in life and trained as an Actuary. Having been blind since birth, Kayvan has faced numerous obstacles, but recently retired from a career spanning over 3 decades in the Financial Services industry (mostly in Life insurance and Pensions). More recently he has been working as a Non-Legal Member of the Employment Tribunal judging panel. Kayvan joined the Sight Support Board in June 2022.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Neighbouring Sight Loss Charity Vision North Somerset
Lauren is CEO of neighbouring sight loss charity Vision North Somerset. She most recently managed a nationwide service supporting people with arthritis for the charity Versus Arthritis. Previous experience includes nearly 10 years with vision impairment charities in roles ranging from fundraising and service marketing to programme management.
Lauren's prior role as England Vision Strategy Regional Manager gave her a working understanding of the NHS, Public Health, social services and the wider charity sector. As well as being a trustee for Sight Support, Lauren also volunteers as a mentor with the Small Charities Coalition.
Lauren lives in Bristol with her young family and loves gardening and reading.
Job Titles:
- Loss Advisor Team Manager
Having lost his sight aged 19 due to Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Marc was forced to change his career path and started working for Insight Gloucestershire aged 22. Ten years on and now in Bristol working for Sight Support, Marc is determined to ensure visually impaired people get the chance to access sports & social opportunities which he didn't have when he lost his sight. A keen sportsman Marc founded and ran the Gloucestershire Growlers Blind Cricket Team who after six years of playing won their league in 2017. Also, a keen 8 ball pool player, you can often find Marc competing against sighted opposition in the Bristol pool league.
Mike lives in Bath and joined the Sight Support team in September 2018. Although a newcomer to the sight loss sector at that point, Mike has a long history leading teams and organisations within the charity sector, from working on rehabilitation of ex-offenders across the UK, to managing education and disability programmes in Cambodia and Rwanda. Outside of work, his twins keep him busy, and the regular bike ride from Bath to our Bristol office keeps him fit!
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Trustees
- Retired Business Leader
Nick is a retired business leader who has lived in North Wiltshire for most of his life. He has extensive experience in leading large and diverse teams across the world. He has worked in the retail, publishing and oil and gas sectors, holding senior leadership positions in Human Resources, business strategy and transformation and Information Technology.
Throughout his career Nick has promoted and passionately advocated for inclusion in all forms in the workplace. Nick's hobbies include travel, walking and sports (especially football and cricket). He is married with two adult daughters.
Paula is originally from East London. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Officer in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire area for over 23 years with BRSB, Action for Blind People, the RNIB and now with us at Sight Support West. When not working she enjoys weekends away visiting friends and family all over the country and lots of walking along the coast and in the countryside.
Rachel is a CIM qualified marketer who has always enjoyed living and working in Wiltshire. In her current role as Marketing and PR Officer for Marlborough College Enterprises, Rachel oversees the advertising, direct marketing, offline and digital communication, branding, engagement and public relations activities for the College's successful multigenerational Summer School.
Rachel has been a Trustee of Wiltshire Sight since 2015 and in April 2021 joined the board of Sight Support West of England too. Her interest for eye care and experience of the optical sector came about during her seven years at Wiltshire-based independent Opticians, Haine & Smith. She also has a first class degree in English Language and Literature from the Open University and her husband Michael is relieved that renovating their home in Woodborough has distracted her from any notions of taking a Masters!
Roger is retired after more than forty years of working in international development, specialising in the development of education and health infrastructure delivery systems.
In 2003 whilst working in Egypt, Roger had the misfortune to lose most of his sight. Thanks to advances in technology, he was able to continue operating at the highest professional levels, highlighting that an impairment does not stop a person from contributing to society. In 1996 Roger was awarded the OBE for services to international development.
Since retirement Roger has been a volunteer with Sight Support, assisting clients to better understand how technology can assist them to lead full and interesting lives.
Roger enjoys reading, photography, walking, and genealogy.
Job Titles:
- Community Sight Loss Advisor
Sarah joined Wiltshire Sight in 2015, and has done various roles during her time, including Assistive Technology and Resource Coordinator, Family Support Worker, and now Community Sight Loss Advisor. Sarah also leads on our support for children with sight loss and their families, including organising regular events and linking families for peer support. Outside of work Sarah enjoys spending time with her family, socialising and relaxing with friends.
Simon is a specialist in communication and engagement. Both in-house and running a consultancy he has supported the communication needs of different organisations. This includes media relations, public affairs, stakeholder engagement and social media management.
For several years Simon has worked with Goalball UK, the national governing body for the sport specifically developed for people that are blind or that have a visual impairment.
Simon is keenly interested in current affairs and is also an enthusiastic sports fan. An unremarkable playing career is now largely replaced by coaching football as he is convinced of the great value that can follow from participation in sport (as a participant, volunteer, or coach). Simon is married with two adult sons.
Zoë has worked as a Rehabilitation Officer in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire area for over 24 years with Bristol Royal Society for the Blind, Action for Blind People, RNIB and now with Sight Support West of England.