Opportunity focus – See Work Differently
See Work Differently is RNIB’s employment initiative for blind and partially sighted people to secure that first rung on the career ladder or who are returning to work following a career break. The first of these opportunities is now live. Please see their information below and follow the link at the bottom of the page for all the information and details of how to apply on the RNIB website. Seeing Work Differently placement scheme x3 Salary: National living wage Contract type: 9 weeks fixed term paid work experience Hours: Two days per week RNIB is proud to announce [...]
Hair care workshop with Anna Cofone
(Picture: Variety of styling combs and brushes along with hair pins and hair doughnut placed on a table) Anna Cofone is a freelance hairstylist working with celebrities such as Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey and alongside brands such as Adidas and Topshop, so we were all very excited to have access to her expertise for the day! Anna started her workshop for blind and partially sighted people demonstrating how to care for and style hair, as growing up with a family member who is blind, it's something that really meant a lot to her. During [...]
Be inspired. Who am I, who do I volunteer for, and what is my role there?
By Natalia Foster, VICTA Young Ambassador (2022) Hello! My name is Natalia and during my first semester at University, I was presented with the opportunity to volunteer for a charity called CoachBright. CoachBright is a wonderful charity that aims to improve social mobility for children, students and young professionals who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity works closely with the University of Birmingham, and in my case, the job was promoted to psychology undergraduates. During my time with CoachBright I volunteered as an English literature tutor providing additional learning to GCSE students who wished to improve their current grade. [...]
InFocus share tips on laying out your garden
Thanks to Dylan Cheshire, Horticultural Manager at InFocus (WESC at time of writing) for sharing this helpful guide on laying out your garden! InFocus is a specialist day and residential centre in Devon offering a unique experience for young people and adults with visual impairment including complex needs. Their Discovery Garden is an onsite outdoor facility for the students to use and enjoy at the centre. Dylan Cheshire manages the garden and shares his tips here for setting up your own... Edges to identify paths, prickly plants and other pointy things We want everyone to be able to [...]
Be inspired. My Gifted Green World
By Sonal Sumaria, VICTA Young Ambassador (2020/21) Sea green, olive, dark green, forest green, lime, mint, pear, shamrock, emerald, seaweed, parakeet, sage, jade and viridian are a few of many of shades of green – the colour of nature, peace, life, renewal, energy and safety, I’ve seen and worked with. It’s a colour I’ll never be fed up of, it’s in my everyday life and most importantly it’s about my personality as a horticulturist. ‘Green renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of wellbeing’ [...]
Be inspired. Meet the England Women’s Blind Football Team
On Saturday 21 May, VICTA was privileged to attend the England Women’s Blind Team's first official training camp at the home of England football, St. George’s Park. VICTA's exclusive access granted us front row seats to witness this inspiring team of girls in action, showcasing their talent and teamwork. The team made great use of the Tony Larkin Pitch – a bespoke pitch for blind football and one of only two in existence in the UK. We not only got to see them show off their ability, but also interviewed some of the team and coaches, getting a [...]
Stress Awareness Month
April is Stress Awareness Month, the perfect reminder to look after your wellbeing. The Stress Management Society has put together lots of useful resources to help you. See how many of their stress management activities you can tick off, they have 30 in total! Grow your own food Keep hydrated Go for a walk Have a digital detox Discover the full list here > They have also put together a document sharing helpful tips to support your stress awareness. View the document here > Explore the Student Portal for extra support and guidance Our wellbeing pages share [...]
New opportunity – Get Set Progress – TPT Internship Programme
Get Set Progress provides paid internships for blind and partially sighted people to secure that first rung on the career ladder or who are returning to work following a career break. Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) has run a programme of paid internships since 2015 with 85% of interns going on to gain paid employment within six months. In March 2022 TPT extended the programme to five other sight loss charities. Partner organisations in the programme are British Blind Sport, My Sight Nottinghamshire, MySight York, Oxfordshire Association for the Blind and Sight Support West of England. These [...]
Get involved – Earth Hour
WWF - Earth Hour 8:30pm on Saturday 26 March 2022 is #EarthHour A global movement that reminds us that even small actions can make a big difference. Change is possible, but only if we act together. Find out how to get involved with The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Before Earth Hour… Download the WWF My Footprint app and take on a challenge. You can use the app to calculate your impact then choose and track challenges to help reduce your environmental footprint with WWF’s My Footprint App. Let us know what you find out in the comments below! Click here [...]
New opportunity – Make Our Move – Climate Change
Make Our Move - Are you ready to take climate action? Hubbub have shared this opportunity with the Student Portal, perfect for anyone passionate about making a positive impact on climate change. Applications close on 20 March, so if you are interested, get your applications in quickly! Information from Hubbub: Calling all young people to take part in a free, year-long programme to run an environmental campaign in your own city. Are you 18-24 years old and based in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester or Glasgow? Want to make a positive difference for the environment but not had [...]
