Mental health support schemes launched to help the blind community in Milton Keynes

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has launched a new range of mental health guides for blind and partially sighted people in Milton Keynes' region.

This new project which has been launched across the South East is coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week which started on Monday (May 10).

Within the guides provided will be information on loneliness, sleep difficulties, resilience and mindfulness. This information is downloadable from the Mental Health hub on RNIB’s website and also accessible via RNIB’s Helpline.

Data provided by the charity shows that there are an estimated 323,000 people living with sight loss across the South East and says that many of these will be facing unique wellbeing challenges as a result of lockdown easing.

Amanda Hawkins, strategic lead for counselling and mental health at RNIB, said: “Lockdown is slowly easing in stages and lots of us are finding this time challenging, so it's vital to continue to look after our mental health.

“Whether you’re struggling with feelings of isolation and need to speak to someone, or you just want some tips on how to maintain your mental health – our mental health hub has all of the information and advice you might need.”

Other services currently available to the blind include free telephone ‘Wellbeing Check In’ sessions with a specialist counsellor. These sessions, launched with funding from Mind last year, give people with sight loss the opportunity to talk to someone for up to hour about however they are feeling and any problems that are on their mind.

The RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 is available for those in need, further information for people after help is available on the charity's website here.