iSightCornwall turns 170, a charity that began with blinded miners

On 17 September 1856, at a meeting held during the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society’s annual exhibition, a vicar from St Erth stood up with a proposal. Blind people in Cornwall, he argued, should be given support and an education.

Exactly 170 years later, to the day, more than 120 people sat down together in St Erme to celebrate what came of that idea.

Sight loss charity iSightCornwall marked its 170th anniversary with a special event for members and volunteers at St Erme Community Centre, joined by staff and trustees.

A charity born in Cornwall’s mines

The charity was founded in 1856 to help miners who had lost their sight in blasting accidents, and it has been a lifeline for people with sight loss in the county ever since.

It began life with a rather longer name: The Society for the Itinerant Teaching of the Blind in the County of Cornwall to Read the Sacred Scriptures and to Write. The proposal came from the Reverend John Punnett, Vicar of St Erth.

It was Cornwall’s first organised attempt to support people with sight loss, and it came more than a decade before the creation of the National Institute for the Blind, known today as the RNIB.

The name has changed several times since. It became the Cornwall County Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted in 1925 and the Cornwall Blind Association in 1997, before the rebrand to iSightCornwall in 2015. That last change reflected the views of the people it supports, many of whom did not identify as “blind”. You can read more on the charity’s heritage page.

The services have evolved over the years too. But the mission has stayed much the same: helping people with sight loss to live independently, stay connected and thrive within their communities.

Chief executive Carole Theobald said: “I feel incredibly proud that 170 years after iSightCornwall began, the spirit of the charity has not changed. Celebrating such a remarkable milestone with members and volunteers was a lovely reminder of the people, friendships and shared commitment that have shaped iSightCornwall over so many years.”

Toasts, trustees and sea shanties

The celebration doubled as the charity’s annual general meeting, held earlier than usual so it would fall on the anniversary itself.

Carole opened the day with a look back at the charity’s history and led a toast. Chair of trustees Mel Richardson then ran the formal business, with members voting on the accounts and trustee appointments. Kerry Eldridge and Beatrix Love were reappointed, and Nick Buckland and Kate Claridge joined as new trustees.

Awards went to volunteers marking 10, 15 and 20 years of service, along with recognition for extra effort this year and nominations from members. iSightCornwall now has a team of 150 volunteers.

Newquay-based singing group Oll an Gwella performed sea shanties and Cornish classics, finishing with “Cornwall my Home”. A quiz followed, won by a team from Saltash BAPS.

Local businesses lend a hand

The event also brought local businesses together. Staff from Reynolds and Slater Opticians, along with Newham-based businesses Cornish Mutual, Kartha and WorldWide Financial Planning, gave up their time to help on the day, as did St Austell Brewery. Cabin Fever Audio looked after the sound.

The volunteers were kept busy topping up refreshments, serving lunch and making sure everyone attending was well looked after.

Carole added: “Every year we hold an event to bring members together, but this year was particularly special. With so many people attending we couldn’t have done it without the help of these wonderful volunteers. Thank you to everyone who donated their time to help make the event such a success.”