The vast majority of our work is dependent on local fundraising every year by volunteers, members and staff. Many of our volunteer fundraisers are themselves visually impaired. If you would like to help or make a donation towards our work, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Membership of the Association
Membership fees, at £10 a year, make an important contribution to our work. We can also claim Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer and sign a Gift Aid form. Download the Membership and Donation Forms

Donations/Standing Orders
We often receive donations from our members and supporters which are always much appreciated. Standing orders have also been set up in some cases which are particularly valuable in providing regular income. Download the Membership and Donation Forms

Gift Aid
Donations and membership fees from UK tax payers can be worth an extra 25p in the £1 if a Gift Aid declaration is signed. Download the Membership and Donation Forms

Legacies
Legacies have in the past helped the Association to expand its services and set up its well equipped Resource Centre. Please contact us if you would like to receive further information. Download the Membership and Donation Forms

Grand Draw
A major raffle takes place each year, drawn at the AGM, which receives exceptional support from our members, volunteers and supporters.

Street Collections
Many of our 15 social groups carry out street collections to support their group. We are grateful to the volunteers who help with this.

Yellow Boxes
Many local shops and businesses display an East Sussex Association for the Blind yellow collection box and some people like to keep them in their own home or work place too.

Sponsorship
Some of our supporters go to great lengths to raise sponsorship money on our behalf. Recent efforts have included a sponsored paraglide, sponsored slim, runners in the London and local Marathons, and sponsored bowling. 

Events
A variety of events are organised by local volunteers and staff to raise funds, including garden parties, boot sales, jazz and opera evenings, auction of promises, selling cards and coffee mornings.   The Association has also benefited on a number of occasions from the Win A Car Raffle at the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne and from the Beckett newspapers Charity Concert.

Charitable Trusts and Grants
We receive regular, and much appreciated, support from a small number of Trusts with applications being made to other Trusts and to local grant making bodies throughout the year.  Such funding enabled us, for example, to start in July 2005 a new three year project to bring aids and equipment advice to people in their homes and to help more people to access our Resource Centre.  Funding for new cookery courses was also secured in 2005/6.

Lottery Funding

We have been fortunate to secure three year funding (from October 2005) from the Big Lottery Fund in partnership with 4-SIGHT in West Sussex to develop our capacity and skills, and share experience with our very successful counterparts across the border.  ESAB is the main beneficiary and lead organisation for this important new initiative.

Awards for All National Lottery Funding

In April 2007 a grant of £5,000 was received from Awards for All.  This will enable us to purchase more aids and equipment for visually impaired people to display in the Resource Centre and computers for use by volunteer co-ordinators and outreach workers.  It will also cover the expenses of a volunteer advertising campaign in local newspapers and a volunteer survey.

Contracts

We carry out work under contracts with Social Services in both Brighton and Hove and East Sussex and local Primary Care Trusts to deliver essential work such as our rehabilitation/independent living skills courses and the home visiting/befriending scheme.   Contracts and grants with local statutory agencies also contribute to our vision awareness training, health promotion and reducing social isolation.