The Royal Society for Blind Children appoints new CEO
July 24, 2023
The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) announces the appointment of Julie Davis as CEO.
Julie will join RSBC, which supports blind and partially sighted children, young people and their families across England and Wales, on 17th October. She will succeed the Society’s current CEO, Sue Sharp, who is retiring.
Julie commented:
“I am delighted to be appointed as the new CEO of RSBC. It is such a privilege to lead a charity with such a treasured history and outstanding credentials. I am excited to be working with such a talented Council, staff team, volunteers and, of course, amazing children and young people and impatient to learn more about the organisation and its people.”
“I am extremely grateful to Sue, the CEO, for building such a dynamic and forward-thinking charity; I am so keen to join the team!”
Julie brings with her a wealth of skills and experience, and a track record of growth and development from several reputable charities and Government agencies working with children, young people and families. She is currently the CEO of Hope for Children, an international development children’s charity which under Julie’s leadership funded a school for blind children in Sri Lanka.
She also has personal experience of vision impairment following the extremely premature birth of her daughter who has severe retinopathy of prematurity. Julie has described what followed as “a turbulent journey of learning – navigating health, education along with social and emotional life needs” which she says has been “both challenging and joyful”. Julie wants her life experiences to positively contribute to the further development of RSBC as the national leader in all services for vision impaired children and young people.
Patrick Plant, Chair of RSBC, says:
“We are delighted to appoint Julie as the next CEO. We had a strong field of candidates and Julie demonstrated to us that she has the skills, commitment, and vision to be an exceptional leader of RSBC.”
“We are grateful to Sue for her contribution to the Society over the last 12 years, and for the last two as CEO. We wish her well in her retirement.”
“Julie follows in the steps of a strong line of CEOs and we are confident that she will forge her own path to ensuring that RSBC continues to flourish. Our key aims are to develop and grow the breadth and reach of our services and support many more blind and partially sighted children and young people over the coming years. We are excited for the future of the Society under her leadership.”
You may also like
![Hannah, an RSBC volunteer. She is standing in a lush green field with trees and grass all around her. The sky is a summery bright blue with just a few white clouds. She is smiling wearing a white tube top, denim dungarees and a necklace with a black neck chain and white circle jewel piece.]](https://www.rsbc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Hannahs-volunteer-story-FBLI-e1748622370356.png)
No categories June 2, 2025
Hannah’s volunteer story
We’re proud to have so many, dedicated, passionate and skilled volunteers who make an incredible contribution to RSBC. They’re vital to the work we do, and without them we couldn’t deliver the breadth of services we currently provide. From helping out at events and trips to supporting us in our day-to-day operations, they help our […]
No categories May 23, 2025
Elodie and Belle’s Story
Jessica and Tim have built a loving home in Kent, where they’re raising their two daughters, Belle, 6, and Elodie, 2. Their journey as parents has been filled with joy, but it’s also brought unexpected challenges – particularly when Elodie was born with a severe vision impairment. Despite the uncertainty and emotional toll, Elodie has […]
No categories May 15, 2025
National Children’s Day: why it can be harder for VI children to flourish
Sunday 18th May is a day dedicated to children. National Children’s Day – 24 hours of celebration – is focused on the importance of a healthy childhood, and protecting the rights and freedoms of young people so that they can thrive.
No categories May 14, 2025
A life without limits: my journey back to RSBC
Dr Tom Pey, Honorary President of RSBC, is the founder of Waymap, the world’s most accurate indoor and outdoor navigation system. This Global Accessibility Day, he talks about his long standing relationship with our charity, and how with Waymap’s step-based location technology he plans to make every city in the world more accessible.
No categories May 8, 2025
Nathan’s story: running for Alfie
Nathan’s taking on three running challenges to fundraise for RSBC – the Tatton 10k, the Manchester Half Marathon, and the Chester Marathon. Nathan and his wife, Jessica, have a son, Alfie, who was born with albinism. It’s a genetic condition which causes a lack of pigment and, like many people with albinism, Alfie has difficulties […]
No categories April 30, 2025
A marathon to remember!
The London Marathon 2025 saw 56,000 runners take to the streets of London to challenge themselves and raise money for a huge range of good causes. And amongst the thousands who took part were 68 athletes who were supporting RSBC.
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.