British Blind Sport is the UK's only national charity that supports blind and partially sighted children and adults to get active and play sport, working to create an inclusive and accessible sporting environment for people with sight loss throughout the UK.

Over 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss. It is predicted that by 2050 the number of people with sight loss will double to nearly 4 million. Less than 11% of visually impaired people currently take part in sport regularly yet 33% of inactive visual impaired people want to do more physical activity.

Founded in 1975, British Blind Sport has helped more than 100,000 visually impaired (VI) people participate in quality sport and recreational experiences and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits that an active lifestyle brings.

British Blind Sport’s vision is to make a visible difference through sport and to give blind and partially sighted children and adults the same opportunities and access as sighted people to sport and recreational activities.

The charity provides support for VI people through specialist projects, literature, research and events including: First Steps – a free pack with an audible ball and booklet to introduce babies and children to physical activity at home, Have A Go days - multi-sport activity days for all ages and abilities, National Sports Competitions, free Sight Classification for VI athletes, Guide Running in partnership with England Athletics and services including signposting and advocacy.

British Blind Sport supports children like Eilidh:

Eilidh’s Story (in her Mum’s words):

“Eilidh is completely blind with no light perception. Life with Eilidh is a joy and she makes me happy every day, however, daily life does need a lot more thought than with a sighted child and you have to explain things in detail to ensure she feels safe with what is happening and what is around her.

Elidh loves being able to undertake sport independently and the feeling of achieving something that others think she can’t do. In Skiing, she loves the feeling of going fast, the wind in her hair and the cold in her eyes. She absolutely loved the Swimming Gala arranged by British Blind Sport and the recent sports day where she tried lots of different sports.

Eildih wants to be a Paralympian in Cycling, Horse-riding and Skiing!”

British Blind Sport needs to help more visually impaired children like Eilidh to achieve their dreams and support them in their sporting journey. This year, BWCF has awarded a grant to support British Blind Sport’s work with blind and partially sighted children for the next three years.