The Blind and Sight Impaired Society known as BASIS helps people living with sight loss and visual impairment across South Essex. With 500 beneficiaries, we provide several varied services with the aim of reducing loneliness and isolation as well as increasing confidence to live more independently.

BASIS does this by offering a home visiting service where our fully trained eye clinic liaison officer talks to individuals about everything from coming to terms with sight loss, providing advice on modifications around the home, delivering information on all the services out there to involve and support them in the local community and encourage them to take what are often the first steps out into the world following sight loss.

We have a dedicated resource centre in Basildon where our members can call in to try out assistive technologies such as magnifiers, talking watches and an array of equipment. It is here that we also host social activities for our members including craft group, guide dog group, quizzes, braille and computer lessons.

BASIS has recently embarked on a new befriending project where we carefully match volunteers with our members that have expressed a need for companionship and help with day to day tasks in and out of the home.

From the very first contact we make with our members either at low vision clinics, home visits or through referrals from other health care professionals, the impact we have is enormous. We are the only charity providing information and advice specifically to those with visual impairments in our area and therefore without our services hundreds of beneficiaries would be left unsupported and isolated. We are passionate about building relationships with our members, growing, learning and adapting our services to meet their needs.