Becoming Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society (LLBS) has been one of the most meaningful ways I’ve been able to give back. This isn’t just any organisation - it’s one that has supported my family for generations through visual impairment. My grandad, my mum, and now me. So leading its board feels deeply personal and purposeful.
A Charity at the Heart of Greater Lincolnshire
LLBS has been part of the Greater Lincolnshire community for over a century. It supports more than 1,700 people living with visual impairment through a team of 12 dedicated staff and over 120 incredible volunteers. Five sight impairment officers provide home visits and practical advice, while volunteers deliver Talking News, BeFriending, and community activities that reduce isolation and build confidence.
Together, they form a vital network of support that helps people stay connected, independent, and included - often at the moments when life feels most uncertain.
Shaping the Future of LLBS
This year, we began reviewing the society’s long-term strategy. The Annual General Meeting marked the start of that process, bringing together more than 100 members to share what matters most — what’s working well, where we need greater support, and how we can strengthen our services for the years ahead.
As Chair, I’m helping to guide this work by combining my commercial experience with lived experience of visual impairment. It’s about ensuring LLBS remains sustainable and able to raise the funds needed to support and expand the vital services we provide.
We’re looking at how to make LLBS more resilient, build stronger partnerships, and expand our reach across Greater Lincolnshire. Technology and collaboration will be key, but the foundation will always be community engagement and trust.
Giving My Skills Back to the Community
I’m grateful that Intertek UK provides every employee with a paid day each year to volunteer with a charity of their choice. Having that support makes a real difference. I used my volunteering day to help cover the AGM and the member engagement sessions that followed - a key part of our strategy review.
Those sessions were powerful reminders of why listening matters. Too often, I’ve seen large national charities drift away from the communities they’re meant to serve. I’m determined that LLBS takes a different path - one led by the voices and experiences of our members, ensuring that the direction we take and the services we deliver truly reflect the needs of the people we serve.
Learning Through Leadership
Being a trustee has challenged and developed me in new ways. It’s taught me to listen to a broader spectrum of society, to engage with trustees who bring expertise from diverse sectors, and to influence people in a non-commercial environment. The experience has stretched my leadership skills beyond the corporate world and shown me the power of empathy, patience, and shared purpose.
Why It Matters
LLBS isn’t just a charity I chair - it’s a part of my family’s story and a cornerstone of the community I care deeply about. I want to ensure it continues to stand beside others facing visual impairment, and that it’s still here for generations to come - perhaps even for my own children one day.
Leadership here isn’t about titles or formalities. It’s about people, perspective, and progress — ensuring that a 100-year-old charity continues to evolve while staying rooted in the community that built it.
Takeaway
When we give our time and experience to the communities that support us, we grow alongside them. I’m proud to help shape the future of a charity that empowers people with visual impairment across Greater Lincolnshire — and to keep listening, learning, and leading through lived experience.
Having Intertek’s support makes a real difference — it enables me to use my time and experience to give back to the community that’s given so much to me.
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