On Tuesday 6 October, Sandwell Visually Impaired (SVI) joined more than 40 organisations at West Bromwich Town Hall for Celebrate Sandwell 2026. Following the sad and sudden passing of Richard Flatley, leader of Sandwell Networkers, SVI’s former Vice-Chair and the founder of Celebrate …
Together we can make a difference.
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About us
For 22 years, Sandwell Visually Impaired, a user-led charity, has supported blind and visually impaired people across Sandwell. Today, its very existence is under threat.
Read an Open Letter from our Chair.
SVI is managed and run by blind and visually impaired (VI) people. We give information and support to anyone in Sandwell with an interest in visual impairment. Our services enable VI people to be as independent as possible and help overcome the challenges of sight loss. We make sure that the needs and concerns of VI people in Sandwell are embedded in local service planning and delivery.
Secondment staff arrangement will end on 31 March 2028
I am writing to update SVI members, supporters, partners and elected representatives following July’s 2025 announcement from Sandwell Council to remove our seconded staff arrangement. In July 2025, we were informed that council funding would taper and that, while core running costs …
Baggies surprise us at Showdown
On Tuesday, 18 August we had a wonderful surprise at our weekly Showdown session at Portway Lifestyle Centre, Oldbury. We were playing Showdown when four players from West Bromwich Albion joined us. The players were Connor Townsend, Max O’Leary, Matt Ingram and Jimmy J. Morgan. They were really …
