Our Mission
Our story
A local charity helping people with sight loss in Hastings and Rother since 1921.
Independent, local and here for over 100 years
Hastings & Rother Voluntary Association for the Blind, known as HRVAB, was set up in 1921 to support local people living with sight loss. More than a century later, we are still an independent charity, run in and for our local community.
Our work has grown over the years, but our purpose has stayed the same: to help people with sight loss stay independent, connected and confident, and to make sure no one has to face changing sight on their own.
You do not need to be registered as sight impaired to use our services. We welcome anyone with an eye condition, and we are happy to give advice to anyone who is worried about their vision.
Practical help, friendship and specialist care
Healey House
Our residential care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, with specialist sight loss expertise and a welcome for adults with a range of care needs. Visit Healey House
Clubs and day centre
Weekly clubs at the John Taplin Centre in St Leonards-on-Sea and in Bexhill, with activities, outings and lunch. See the clubs
Advice and support
Information, home visits and low vision support for people whose sight is changing, including services for East Sussex County Council. Get support
Aids and resources
Our Try Before You Buy scheme lets people test magnifiers, lighting and other aids at home. Find out more
Sighted Guide training
Practical training that helps care teams guide people with sight loss safely and confidently. Request training
Our charity shop
Our shop in St Leonards-on-Sea and our eBay store raise money for our work. Visit the shop
Independence, friendship and confidence
Sight loss can make everyday life harder and can leave people feeling cut off. Everything we do aims to change that.
Independence
Helping people keep doing the things that matter to them, safely and at home.
Friendship
Bringing people together so that no one feels alone with their sight loss.
Confidence
Practical advice and support from people who understand, one conversation at a time.
Run by local people, for local people
HRVAB is a registered charity (no. 1102016) and a charitable company (no. 03636957). We are governed by a board of volunteer trustees, and our day-to-day work is carried out by a small staff team and around 80 volunteers.
Healey House is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission. We are recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid, and every donation is spent here in Hastings and Rother.
Be part of the next 100 years
Volunteer, fundraise or donate, and help local people with sight loss for years to come.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam.