World Sight Day tech donation

Hubert Pawelkiewicz, technology volunteer, with Joanna Clark, volunteer coordinator at Sight Concern Bedfordshire

In honour of World Sight Day (Thursday 8 October 2020), Shamir UK has donated 10 Samsung Tab A tablets and cases to local charity, Sight Concern Bedfordshire.

The donation will enable more service users to access online activities organised by the charity as part of its Virtual Social Groups project; for example, weekly befriending visits at home that are now held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We all hope that through this amazing project, we will break down the growing isolation that the coronavirus has brought – and debunk some of the assumptions around the inaccessibility of technology for elderly, blind and partially sighted people,” said a spokesperson from Shamir UK.

An estimated 6,500 people in Bedfordshire and Luton are affected by moderate or severe sight loss. Founded in 1999, Sight Concern Bedfordshire is an independent charity that work closely with the visually impaired, their families and carers throughout Bedfordshire and Luton – providing services to enable them to live full, active and independent lives.

Through the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund, it has set up Virtual Social Groups to ensure people living with sight loss stay connected throughout the lockdown restrictions. An accompanying Tech Buddy scheme ensures that those with barriers to grappling with technology can overcome them and get online.