East Sussex Associated for the Blind

The East Sussex Association of Blind and Partially Sighted People (ESAB) was established in 1921. We are a registered charity (charity number: 209535). Our Patron is the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, who is himself severely sight impaired.

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• To enhance the lives of people with sight loss
• To promote independence
• To reduce social isolation and increase opportunities for inclusion
• To raise awareness with communities and policy makers

The change we hope to see in our clients is that they are more confident and knowledgeable and thus can make informed choices about their lifestyle and care.

Where we Work

ESAB works across East Sussex with the exception of the towns of Eastbourne and Hastings, who have their own organisations of the blind with whom we work closely under the umbrella of East Sussex Vision Care. We also work in Hove and Portslade and offer a home visiting service in Brighton, Hove and Portslade only.

Staff and volunteers

ESAB has two full time and nine part time staff and over 300 volunteers dedicated to supporting our clients.

Governance

ESAB has a Chief Executive, Mary Colato, who reports to a Board of Trustees. Our Chair of Trustees is William Stephenson and our Trustees have a broad mix of skills. Four of our Trustees are visually impaired. We have a User Reference Group composed of 16 members, all of whom are blind or partially sighted. They support ESAB’s planning processes by ensuring we know what the needs and concerns of our clients are and are actively involved in campaigning and awareness raising work.