RNIB Connect

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S2 Ep1732: Sight Village Leeds Preview May 08, 2026

Show notes

Sight Village exhibitions are a great way to learn more about products and services designed for blind and partially sighted people in your area. Hywel Davies has been hearing all about plans for this year’s Sight Village Leeds.

For more information, visit the Sight Village website - Sight Village Leeds 2026 - Queen Alexandra College

S2 Ep1731: Vidar Hjardeng MBE - Barnum, AD Theatre Review May 08, 2026

Show notes

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for another audio described theatre review.

This week it was all about the greatest show on earth as Vidar reviewed the current touring production of ‘Barnum’ as it visited the Birmingham Hippodrome with description by Professional audio Describer Jonathan Nash.

About ‘Barnum’.

Step right up and enter the dazzling world of P.T. Barnum, where imagination and ambition know no bounds.

Hand in hand with wife Charity, Barnum’s life and career twists and turns as he schemes and dreams his way to headier heights.

West End favourite and TV star Lee Mead took centre stage as the legendary 19th century showman P.T. Barnum. Lee shot to stardom with his breakout win on Any Dream Will Do and acclaimed performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked and Legally Blonde.

This spectacular new staging featured an extraordinary ensemble cast of over 20 actor-musicians playing 150 instruments, acrobats and amazing circus acts. Audiences are certain to delight at every sight, wonder and miracle that the name Barnum stands for.

Barnum first took the UK by storm when it played the London Palladium, with Michael Crawford making theatrical history with a death-defying nightly tightrope walk across the stage. And now, Lee Mead steps into Barnum’s shoes and on to the tightrope!

Come follow the band with the glorious music of multi-award-winner Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart’s lyrics and Mark Bramble’s book. Barnum features a whole host of classic show tunes including Join the Circus, Colours of My Life, Come Follow the Band and Love Makes Such Fools of Us All.

To find out more about the current UK tour of ‘Barnum’ do visit - https://www.kenwright.com/productions/barnum-2026-uk-tour/

(Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB’ written in bold black capital letters and underlined with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio’ is written in black in a smaller font)

S2 Ep1713: Postcode Lottery RNIB £15m Milestone - Laura Chow, Head of Charities, Postcode Lottery May 08, 2026

Show notes

We are celebrating the power of people helping other people and an incredible £15 million in flexible funding raised by players of the Postcode Lottery supporting the work that the RNIB does to help blind and partially sighted people live more independently and with greater confidence too.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Laura Chow, Head of Charities at the Postcode Lottery to find out more about the history of the Postcode Lottery, the long standing partnership with the RNIB and the incredible support that players have made to many areas of the RNIB’s work which has made a real difference to the lives of many visually impaired people.

Thanks to funding raised by players and awarded by Postcode Care Trust, RNIB has received an amazing £15 million in flexible funding since 2018.

To find out more about the Postcode Lottery do visit -
https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk

S2 Ep1712: Postcode Lottery RNIB £15m Milestone Supporting RNIB’s Libraries Engagement Manager May 08, 2026

Show notes

One such area of the RNIB’s work is through Lara Marshall’s role as RNIB’s Libraries Engagement Manager and working closely with Fiona Tarn, Head of London Libraries to make a real difference to blind and partially sighted library visitors in London.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Lara and Fiona at Holborn Library in central London to find out how the funding has been helping to make library services more accessible to visually impaired people.

Thanks to funding raised by players and awarded by Postcode Care Trust, RNIB has received an amazing £15 million in flexible funding since 2018.

To find out more about making services more accessible like those at the London Libraries do either call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit the RNIB website - https://www.rnib.org.uk

And for more about the Postcode Lottery do go to - https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk

S2 Ep1730: Actor Victoria Smurfit Becomes RNIB’s New President May 07, 2026

Show notes

The RNIB has announced today (7 May 2026) that actor, and star of Disney+ UK’s ‘Rivals,’ Victoria Smurfit has been appointed as the charity’s new President. Victoria takes on the role as Dame Gail Ronson DBE steps down after 14 years of dedicated service.

Victoria brings a personal connection to RNIB as mum to Evie age 21, who was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy as a child. Victoria also has a longstanding family connection to RNIB through her father, Dr Dermot Smurfit, an RNIB Vice-President, who has supported the charity for decades.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Victoria to find out how she feels taking up the role of President of the RNIB following on from Dame Gail Ronson DBE, more about her family’s long-standing connection with the RNIB, a couple of areas of work around sight loss that Victoria would like to champion as President plus reflecting on watching her daughter Evie grow up with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy.

Image shows Victoria and Toby with guide dog Boston behind the mixing desk in the Connect Radio studio in London

S2 Ep1729: Dame Gail Ronson DBE Looks Back on 14 Years as RNIB President May 07, 2026

Show notes

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Dame Gail Ronson DBE for a bit of a look back over her 14 years as RNIB President as she passes on the baton to Actor Victoria Smurfit.

RNIB has recognised Dame Gail Ronson DBE’s contribution to the organisation by awarding her the title of Honorary President, which means she will continue to have a close connection with the charity and its work.

Image Shows Dame Gail Ronson DBE and Victoria Smurfit stood outside the entrance of the RNIB's Grimaldi building in London

S2 Ep1728: Tam Gilbert - Second Extant Trainee Artistic Director May 06, 2026

Show notes

Bournemouth-based writer, theatre-maker and Audio Description Consultant Tam Gilbert is almost coming to the end of her time as the second Trainee Artistic Director at Extant the UK”s leading professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists and theatre practitioners.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Tam to find out more about her writing and theatre background, how her time as the second Trainee Artistic Director at Extant came about, what Tam has been doing as TAD so far, the “marking Time’ project looking into the prison experience from a visually impaired persons point of view, what Tam will take from her time as TAD at Extant and what might be next for her when her time at Extant comes to an end this summer.

You can follow Tam on social media by searching for Tam Gilbert theatre Maker.

To find out more about Extant do go to - https://extant.org.uk

S2 Ep1727: RNIB Voice of the Customer Research Programme Focusing on Community Eye Care May 06, 2026

Show notes

There are many ways in which you can help the RNIB in making a more inclusive society for blind and partially sighted people and one way is through the regular RNIB Voice of the Customer Focus Group meetings.

The most recent Focus Group meeting was all about the RNIB’s research around Primary Eye Care with the focus group looking into community eye care.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Robin Kaye, Research and Insight Officer from the RNIB’s Insight team, Lucille who is visually impaired and took part in the recent Voice of the Customer Focus Group plus Rob Cooper, RNIB Director of Strategic Engagement and Implementation to find out more about the research and how the focus group meeting went too.

To find out more about the RNIB research programme and to get involved in future voice of the Customer Focus Groups do email community.insight@rnib.org.uk or call the RNIB helpline on 0303 123 9999.

S2 Ep1726: Collective Climate Repair - Free Tree Touch Tour May 06, 2026

Show notes

Collective Climate Repair is a UK initiative showing how simple, nature-based actions with plants and water can tackle climate change in practical, accessible ways lead by the Sensory Trust.

As part of the project the Sensory Trust in partnership with Trees for Cities are running a free tree touch tour in London’s Victoria park on Saturday 16 May from 2pm to 3.30pm for blind and partially sighted people.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Lynsey Robinson, Project Manager, Sensory Trust and Jessica Pereira Wawrzyniak, Engagement Manager, Trees for Cities to find out more about the free tree touch tour in London’s Victoria Park, the Collective Climate Repair project and how we can all play are part in tackling climate change.

To book your place and find out more about the free tree touch tour on Saturday 16 May from 2pm to 3.30pm in Victoria Park in London as well as more about the Collective Climate Repair project do visit the Trees for Cities website - https://www.treesforcities.org/collective-climate-repair

S2 Ep1725: Hable Speechlabels Available in the RNIB Online Shop… May 06, 2026

Show notes

Time to browse through some of the products that are available in the RNIB’s online shop as Charlee Jarvis, RNIB Shop buying administrator gives RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey a walk through some of the items that are currently on display including the Hable Speechlabels.

Designed for blind and partially sighted people, the Hable Speechlabels are QR labels scanned by your smartphone allowing you to quickly and clearly identify everyday items through recorded labels and messages.

To find out more about the Hable Speechlabels that are available in the RNIB online shop and many more products do visit - https://shop.rnib.org.uk/connect

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