A SIGHT loss awareness day is being hosted by The Royal National Institute of Blind People on Saturday, March 23, in Newport.

Several local and national charities and organisations within the sight loss sector will be attending the event to give support and advice to residents who suffer with, or who care for someone who suffers with, sight loss.

These include RNIB, Sight for Wight (formerly the IW Society for the Blind), Guide Dogs, International Glaucoma Association and Retina UK.

Laura Gooljar and Anne Stotesbury are both based at the Eye Clinic at St Mary’s Hospital and have jointly organised the day at the Riverside Centre in Newport which will take place between 10am and 4pm.

Laura said: “Sight loss can affect anyone at any time, and it can be a frightening and uncertain time in your life.

“However, there is lots of advice and support available, so I would encourage anybody interested to come along to the sight loss awareness day and find out more.”

James Beston, marketing lead from Calibre Audio Library, said: “We’re thrilled to be returning to the Isle of Wight for the sight loss awareness day.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to meet members old and new, as well as demonstrate our audiobook service to help more people to regain the freedom to read after sight loss.”

RNIB statistics show that 250 people start to lose their sight everyday in the UK.

As of 2015, more than 2 million people within the UK are impacted in their daily lives, such as being unable to drive due to their sight loss.

The number of people with sight loss is estimated to rise to more than 2.7 million by 2030 and then to be doubled to nearly four million by 2050.