Sighted guiding service
An Important Update on My Sighted Guide
My Sighted Guide has been part of the services we have provided alongside our dedicated volunteers for several years and has delivered significant benefits to many people. However, as we look to the future, we have found it increasingly difficult to deliver this service in a fair and consistent way, and to establish and support new partnerships. Therefore, we have taken the difficult decision to close the My Sighted Guide service over the course of this year.
Guide Dogs remains committed to providing Sighted Guiding - we know how valuable it is and the improvement it brings to people’s lives. Our aim is to make Sighted Guiding as familiar as first aid knowledge: well understood, well known and available from members of the community. So that when our service users go out to the shops, the library, on public transport, they can reasonably expect that someone will be there with the skills to help them.
To achieve this, we need to focus our resources on training groups of people, and raising awareness on the benefits to everyone of being able to provide Sighted Guiding support. We will be more than doubling the size of the team which delivers training to the friends and families of people with sight loss, and to companies and the wider community so that as many people as possible are equipped to provide sighted guide support. Our other services such as our Friends and Family Sighted Guide Training and Introduction to Sighted Guide Training are still available, and we’d love to talk to you about how we can help in these areas.
We have reached out to all My Sighted Guide volunteers and service users to update them. If you are a currently a My Sighted Guide service user or volunteer, please continue as usual for now. We will be in touch to discuss individual circumstances and next steps.
We are so grateful to our volunteers and staff for the dedication, time and commitment they have given to helping to provide the My Sighted Guide service.
If you have any questions you can reach the GuideLine on 0800 781 1444, or by emailing information@guidedogs.org.uk.
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We also offer training options for anyone who is interested in learning how to confidently guide a person with sight loss - from introductory training on the basic principles of sighted guiding to how to guide and support a loved one.
From safely navigating doorways to climbing stairs, our series of videos offer a quick introduction to sighted guiding skills.
We now offer tailored, in-person or virtual sighted guide training for workplaces, community groups, universities and charities that provide services to the public.
We have a range of services to help you live actively, independently and well with sight loss. Complete our short form to find out which service is right for you.