RSBC appoints entrepreneur Simon Ward as Trustee

April 26, 2024
London: Friday 26th April 2024: The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), a UK charity which supports blind and partially sighted children and young people and their families, has appointed technology entrepreneur Simon Ward as a Board Trustee.
Ward, who founded global marketing technology company Inspired Thinking Group (ITG), will work with Julie Davis, CEO and the board to further expand the services that the RSBC offers, as well as provide strategic guidance on its expansion. ITG currently works with some of the world’s most recognisable brands including PUMA, Boots, KFC, Heineken, M&S and Audi.
It is estimated that there are just under 37,000 blind and partially sighted children and young people in England and Wales, many of whom are in urgent need of support. Around four children every day are diagnosed with sight loss.
Although many vision impaired children and young people frequently live fulfilling and happy lives, statistically they are at a disadvantage. For example, the charity estimates that only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment. Additionally, two-thirds of blind people are living below the poverty line.
The charity offers a comprehensive suite of key services including family support, accessible technology, events, and community services.
Simon Ward, Board Trustee, Royal Society for Blind Children said:
“RSBC has a proud history of supporting blind and partially sighted children and young people across England and Wales, whatever their circumstances or level of need. CEO Julie and her team have built and grown an incredible organisation that has a huge impact on young individuals and their families, offering the support they need to help them live their lives without limits.”
Julie Davis, CEO, Royal Society for Blind Children said:
“It is a true pleasure to welcome Simon to the Royal Society for Blind Children’s Board of Trustees. As an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and global pioneer in marketing technology, he brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, and we’re honoured that he has chosen to dedicate his time to us as a trustee. Through his expertise and guidance, we know that he will play a pivotal role that will be of immense value to RSBC as we further develop our services to reach and support more blind and partially sighted children, young people and their families throughout the UK.”
You may also like

No categories April 22, 2025
Running for Sharn and Maya
With the London Marathon fast approaching, we spoke to runner Hannah to find out why she wanted to raise funds for RSBC.

No categories April 14, 2025
Nick’s path to the London Marathon
This April, Nick will be running the London Marathon for RSBC. We sat down with him to find out why he wanted to run for us, and learn a little bit more about his journey so far.

No categories April 9, 2025
Running for Albie
Albie was born with severe sight impairment, having been diagnosed when he was 4 months old. His mum and dad, Abbie and Lewis, are both running the 2025 London Marathon to raise funds for RSBC – the first time that two parents of a child supported by the charity have run together at this famous […]

No categories March 28, 2025
Mother’s Day: our CEO shares her story
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating! In recognition of this special day, we sat down with our CEO, Julie, to hear about her relationship with her daughter, Saime, who is registered blind.

No categories March 20, 2025
What our young poets have to say this World Poetry Day
We were delighted to host two workshop sessions with renowned poet Dave Steele recently, and they certainly fired up the imaginations of the young people who attended! We’re pleased to be able to showcase the incredible talent that came out of the workshops in the beautiful poems written by those attending below.

No categories March 10, 2025
RSBC’s 5 key reforms to support young people into work
The government has just announced plans for a major shakeup of the welfare system, with £6bn of proposed cuts. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are a lifeline for many people in our community. We understand the system needs reform, and that tough times can call for tough measures. But cutting back on PIP without making it […]

No categories March 7, 2025
Dorton College careers day: giving our students the confidence to shine
Too often, young people living with a vision impairment aren’t given the career opportunities they deserve. That’s why RSBC’s Dorton College hosted a careers day recently, inviting external speakers to inspire our students and help provide them with the tools they need to enter the world of work.

No categories March 5, 2025
Gary O’Donoghue’s win at the RTS Television Journalism Awards
Each year, the Royal Television Society hosts the Television Journalism Awards, celebrating the most prestigious change-makers in the British journalism space.

No categories March 4, 2025
Young people unlock their imagination at The Blind Poet’s workshops
Dave Steele, popularly known as The Blind Poet, is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning poet, author, speaker and singer – and an advocate for people with vision impairment.

No categories March 3, 2025
Helping young people be heard: RSBC’s Youth Voice Strategy Day
Recently, RSBC’s Youth Forum, Young Ambassadors and members of the RSBC team came together for a Youth Voice Strategy Day at our Life Without Limits Centre in London. The mission was simple: young people were tasked with coming up with their own objectives and create a roadmap for the future, which would help RSBC identify […]