Tag: royal blind school

England Women’s Blind Football Captain credits Royal Blind School for helping her score an MBE 

Samantha Gough, an inspirational visually impaired athlete from Edinburgh, has been awarded an MBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for services to sport and to the visually impaired community.

Sam’s journey to becoming one of Britain’s most accomplished visually impaired athletes, excelling across multiple disciplines including blind football, goalball and rowing, has not been an easy one and it was only a few years ago she believed her sporting ambitions were over.

Born with cerebral visual impairment (CVI), Sam’s condition means that while her eyes are healthy, her brain cannot fully process visual information. Her sight deteriorated significantly in 2014, requiring her to relearn essential life skills, including mobility and independent navigation. She describes attending Sight Scotland’s Royal Blind School in Edinburgh as a real turning point in her life.

Sam, who will be 23 next week, explains: “This is a huge honour. I want to use it to highlight blind football and visually impaired sport, and to show others what can be achieved if you follow your dreams.

“I have struggled with my mental health and sport truly saved me, so I am determined to show others what can be achieved. I would never have believed this was possible, and to be recognised in this way is incredible. There is still so much more we can do to make sport accessible and inclusive, and I hope this helps raise awareness and open doors for more visually impaired athletes.

“It wasn’t very long ago that I didn’t think I could take part in sport at all. I went from being registered partially sighted to severely sight impaired and was basically excluded from all sport. Instead of asking how they could support me, I was seen as a problem. If you had told me then what I’d be doing now, I would never have believed you. It shows what can be achieved if you are given the right support.

“The Royal Blind School was a real turning point for me. I was given tailored support and the opportunity to learn vital independent living skills, which really helped rebuild my confidence.

“It also helped me accept myself and my disability, which was such an important part of my journey. Before I came to the school, I did not fully understand my visual impairment or how to explain it.

“Learning braille was another huge moment for me. I had lost the ability to read and write as my sight deteriorated, and braille helped me reconnect with that. It felt like I had found a part of myself again. The school also helped me develop everyday skills like cooking, going to the shops, and speaking up about the support I need.

2They also showed me how to use my white cane, which was a complete game changer. I then got my wonderful guide dog, Helga, last year, which again transformed my life and gave me even more confidence to get out and about.

“All the amazing things that have happened to me through sport and my advocacy work would not have been possible without the incredible teachers at the Royal Blind School. They believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself and gave me the skills and confidence to move forward. It quite literally changed my life.”

In 2022, Sam made history as the first-ever captain of the England Women’s Blind Football team, a landmark achievement that established her as a pioneer of the women’s game. She went on to lead the national side at the inaugural IBSA Women’s World Championships in 2023, guiding England in their first appearance on the global stage and helping to mark a defining moment for the sport.

Her success extends beyond football. In goalball, she became one of the UK’s top female goal scorers and represented Great Britain at the 2022 European Para Youth Games, where she secured a bronze medal. In rowing, she claimed gold at the 2023 British Rowing Indoor Championships and was selected for the Great Britain Para Rowing performance pathway.

Beyond her sporting success, Sam has also been recognised for her advocacy work. In 2023, she won a Midlothian Young People’s Award and was also commended in the UK Parliament for her achievements. She is also an ambassador for Sight Scotland, using her platform to promote inclusion and inspire others with disabilities to take part in sport.

Sam adds: “One of my life goals is to raise awareness of visual impairment and encourage people to embrace and accept it. I want to use my platform, whether through sport, social media, visiting schools to talk about my disability, or working with organisations like Sight Scotland, to show what is possible and help influence positive change.

“The support I received changed my life, and I would encourage anyone to reach out. There are people who understand and want to help, and it really can make such a difference.”

For more information visit sightscotland.org.uk.

More than Meets The Eye: Music and song inspire Freya to start speaking

THERE’s more to six year old Freya Reily than meets the eye. Freya, from Tranent, who was born very prematurely and has severe vision impairment, has been inspired by music and song to start speaking, something that her parents did not think was possible just a few short months ago.

Sight Scotland’s newly launched ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ campaign shows people what life with sight loss can look like when they have the right support. It aims to dispel the negative perceptions of people living with sight loss across Scotland and show that vision impairment isn’t a barrier to living a happy and fulfilling life.

Freya’s parents, Eilidh and Keir, have been amazed at her progress since she started at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh in 2022, and say they are so happy that they are able to give Freya the best possible education and the best possible start in life.

Her teacher’s say the progression in Freya’s development has been remarkable, and music and signing has played a huge part in this.

Eilidh explains: “There has been such a big change in Freya since she started at the Royal Blind School, and she is communicating so much more now. It is almost unbelievable, we tried so hard to get her to communicate before school, but all she could really say was ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’, but now her speaking has really taken off.

“The signing she does at the school has also made a big difference, at first, we were not sure what she was doing, but when the school explained what all the signs meant it was incredible to see what she had picked up in such a short period of time. She does the double fist bump for school every morning with a huge smile on her face.”

Freya’s class teacher, Louise Buggy, says Freya has amazed everyone from the first day she started at school.

Louise says: “Freya’s language development since she started has been amazing, in fact I would describe it as almost overwhelming. She loves the On Body Sign System that we use, and on day one she was reaching out for the staff’s hands showing that she wanted to join in and connect and interact.

“She then started to guide our hands showing that she understood what the signs were meaning as we were speaking and singing, and then she started signing for herself. Incredibly, just a short time after this she started to say the key words in the sentences or songs; her first new word was school. She then started to learn new key words every couple of days based on our predictable routines. To see the progression in this little girl is just astounding.

“Singing and music is just massive for Freya and is a huge motivation for her. She has learned many of the words she can now say from songs. We used to keep a list of all her new words, but we are now struggling to keep up as her communication is developing at such a fast rate.”

Freya has also become much stronger, and her movement has increased dramatically, since she started at the Royal Blind School.

Eilidh says: “She is just so much stronger and independent, she is crawling around by herself and pulling herself up. I still can’t quite believe it when I am seeing it. Everything they do at the school is designed to help Freya, she just adores the soft play, and the sensory story time. She loves the swimming in the hydrotherapy pool, and this is really helping with the strength in her legs. She is developing in every single way.”

Eilidh adds: “Freya’s journey since a very young age to now has been amazing, and she has developed so much. We could not have imagined back then how much she would have progressed, and that she would now be communicating with us and crawling and standing. We wanted to give Freya the best possible start in life, and the best possible education, and we know the Royal Blind School is doing exactly this.”

Sight Scotland, which is Scotland’s largest vision impairment organisation, and runs the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, wants to reach and help more of the 180,000 people living in Scotland with sight loss.

For more information, visit sightscotland.org.uk 

Cala Homes donates whiteboards to help pupils at Royal Blind School

Homebuilder Cala Homes (East) has donated £3,130 to Sight Scotland for the purchase of two white boards to aid teaching at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

The new large white boards will allow pupils with a Vision Impairment to view materials that would otherwise be too small or inaccessible in a group setting.

The screens contain specialist software which makes the structure of lessons more convenient, flexible and interactive. The screens also enhances the level of engagement between teachers and students as it can be controlled by a specialist device called a ‘switch’ which allows pupils with physical disabilities to control the software on screen.

The large screen element is also very motivating for pupils with VI, plus it allows pairs or groups to work together on programmes to support their learning and encourage peer support.

The Royal Blind School in Edinburgh provides unique, specialist education and support to young people with sight loss, many of whom also have other complex additional support needs.

The school provides an environment in which all can participate, learn, explore and develop their skills. This includes employing specialist staff, investing in specialist equipment and providing a programme of interactive and stimulating activities.

Depute Head Teacher at the Royal Blind School, Karen Boyd, comments: “We are so appreciative of this kind donation from Cala Homes.

“The white boards will really help with the education of all our pupils, these screens are used daily in classes and the existing screens we had were old and out-of-date so they could no longer run the updated software required to support the pupils learning.“

Cala Homes (East) has refurbished and reimagined the former site of the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh into an impressive new housing development, comprising of 21 spacious contemporary apartments and a selection of new build townhouses, named Newington Residences.

Phillip Hogg, sales and marketing director for Cala Homes (East), said: “We are delighted to support the ongoing work of the former custodians of this historic Edinburgh site.

“We hope that the new white boards will enhance not only the learning experience for pupils but also the fantastic work the teachers and staff do every day.”

Cala Homes (East) has recently unveiled two brand-new showhomes at its Newington Residences development. The three-bedroom townhouse showhome comes complete with a city garden and private carport.

The stunning three-bedroom show apartment, situated within the Victorian Clocktower and former Royal Blind School building, showcases how contemporary interiors and character can blend seamlessly. Both showhomes are open daily for viewing by appointment. 

For more information, please visit sightscotland.org.uk  or www.cala.co.uk/edinburgh

European experts work with Royal Blind School on 3D printing project

Vision impairment education experts from Germany, Holland and Spain visited the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh this week to create a catalogue of objects that can be 3D printed. 

The 3D-printing project, which began in 2020, will create objects that are specially designed for learners with vision impairment. The database of designs will be shared on a website with vision impairment professionals across the world.

Lauren Lockhart, the Royal Blind School’s Depute Head Teacher, explains: “We’ve come up with 25 objects that are specially designed for learners with vision impairment.

“Being able to touch and feel a 3D model helps a learner with vision impairment to understand an object and fill in those conceptual gaps. This is part of the future of vision impairment education, we are at the forefront of this, which is very exciting.

“We’ve focused on objects that someone who has been blind from birth might never be able to touch; objects that are too large, too small, too dangerous or too fragile for someone to handle. For example, a monument like the Arc De Triomph is too large. A microorganism or a human cell is too small, a porcupine or a snake is too dangerous, and an object like a human body organ – a heart or a lung air sac – is too fragile to handle. 

“The idea is any vision impairment professional can go to the website and use a 3D printer to print the object directly from there. They don’t have to do any designing because we’ve already done that work. All the designs are being tested with learners with vision impairment.” 

The European partners on the 3D4VIP project include two schools in Germany, a Dutch vision impairment organisation, and a Spanish vision impairment organisation. Representatives from these schools were working at the Royal Blind School in Morningside on Wednesday and Thursday this week. 

The website of 3D-printable designs will be launched at the project’s final meeting in Holland in June 2023. 

Lauren adds: “We’ve done lots of EU-funded projects in the past and have been part of a huge network of vision impairment professionals. This project has been hugely beneficial for everyone because although we’re working in such a specialist area, we can draw on the expertise of other organisations. 

“The website will also have advice on how to 3D print, and how to present a 3D-printed object to a learner with vision impairment. For example, one hand should be at the base of the object as a reference point, while the other hand explores the object. That gives the learner dual feedback because they’re using both hands.”

The Royal Blind School is a specialist education school run by Sight Scotland, Scotland’s largest visual impairment charity. 

For more information please visit https://sightscotland.org.uk

Moderator embarks on first presbytery visit in Edinburgh

The Moderator of the General Assembly Lord Jim Wallace has embarked on a ten-day schedule to learn more about the life and work of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Lord Wallace said he is looking forward to attending events organised by the Presbytery of Edinburgh which will see him meet people from all walks of life and learn how they have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presbytery visits provide Moderators with an opportunity to offer encouragement and support to church members and the communities they serve.

Due to the lockdown, this is the first fully in-person visit to take place since 2019.

Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly
Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly

Lord Wallace, a QC and former MP and MSP, said the city is close to his heart. “I am very much looking forward to my first presbytery visit, not least because it is Edinburgh where I went to university, trained as a lawyer, practiced as a lawyer, sat in the Scottish Parliament and where I met my wife, Rosie,” he said.

“I am very grateful to the presbytery for putting together a very comprehensive programme, which will allow me to engage with a whole range of people who reflect my interests and background.”

Candidates

The programme will see Lord Wallace visit churches, hospitals, universities and a prison and meet ordinary church members, politicians, senior figures in the judiciary, ministers, chaplains and interfaith and ecumenical leaders.

Lord Wallace was ordained as an elder at what was St Bernard’s Church in Stockbridge in 1981. It is now called Stockbridge Parish Church and Lord Wallace joined the congregation there yesterday (above).

In the evening, the Moderator led worship at Holy Trinity Church in Wester Hailes.

Lord Wallace will meet with Councillor Frank Ross, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, at the City Chambers today and will later attend an event at New College to mark their 175th Anniversary and meet candidates for the ministry.

This evening, the Moderator will attend a civic event at the City Chambers for members of the Edinburgh Area Children’s Panel who make sure that a young person is at the heart of legal decisions that affect them.

Many church members are involved in this work and Lady Wallace, who will be accompanying her husband, was a panel member for many years until recently.

Courts and prison

On Tuesday, Lord Wallace, who is currently sitting on the non-affiliated benches in the House of Lords, is visiting the Charteris Centre run by Greyfriars Kirk, which is based in a refurbished church building at The Pleasance which is nearing completion.

It is a social enterprise initiative which seeks to provide a place for connection with communities of all kinds.

Afterwards he will visit Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Courts to hear more about the administration of justice, especially during the pandemic.

Lord Wallace will then travel to HMP Edinburgh in the Saughton area of the city where he will be given a tour and introduced to staff, prisoners and the chaplains who support them.

On Wednesday, he will visit Napier University’s Sighthill campus where he will meet Principal Andrea Nolan and be given a tour of the Clinical Centre in School of Health and Social Care.

He will meet staff, students, members of the university’s chaplaincy team and Professor Gary Hutchinson and Liz Aston from the School of Applied Sciences to discuss work with Scottish Institute For Policing Research.

In the afternoon, the Moderator will visit the Granton Goes Greener project at Granton Parish Church to learn more about an innovative clothes upcycling project which is part of work to reduce consumption as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

He will later attend a special Presbytery service in St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, which will be attended by the church’s ecumenical and interfaith partners, as well as national and civic leaders, and will be followed by a reception in Parliament Hall which will bring people from the worlds of religion, politics and legal profession together.

On Thursday, the Moderator is visiting Edinburgh Airport with Rev Moira MacDonald, minister of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Workplace Chaplain, Esther Elliot, to hear about the work of workplace chaplains.

He will later meet with the Principal of the University of Edinburgh and visit the law school – the place where he studied – to speak with students and staff.

Frontline chaplains

In the evening, the Moderator will attend a Presbyterial Guild event in Craiglockhart Parish Church, speaking on the theme of “Look forward in Faith”.

On Friday, he is visiting the Royal Blind School, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and will attend an evening reception at Edinburgh Castle for chaplains who serve in a wide variety of contexts – hospitals, the military, universities and the workplace.

Lord Wallace said: “I am looking forward to meeting people engaged in chaplaincy, many of whom have been at the front line during the COViD-19 crisis.

“I will be very much in listening mode and hope to provide them with encouragement.”

Polwarth Parish Church is the Moderator’s next stop where, on Saturday, he will visit the new All Aboard canal boat that the congregation jointly own with a charity called People Know How.

It is used for spiritual and educational pursuits on the Union Canal, which links Edinburgh and Falkirk.

The Moderator will take part in worship at Tron, Moredun and Gilmerton Church on Sunday and join members of Leith Churches for a special service in the evening.

He will visit the Richmond’s Hope bereavement project for children and young people at Richmond Craigmillar Church the following day.

Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator of Edinburgh Presbytery, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Lord Wallace.

“Presbytery visits allow Moderators to meet local Christians and gain a wider perspective of how the Church, and the communities we support, engage.”

Green light for redevelopment of historic capital school

PLANNING permission has been approved for the sensitive re-development of one of south Edinburgh’s best-known buildings and site of a former school for the blind.

Proposals from premium homebuilder CALA Homes will breathe new life into what was once Edinburgh’s Royal Blind School at Craigmillar Park. Continue reading Green light for redevelopment of historic capital school

Leonardo apprentices adapt sensor technology to aid blind pupils

A futuristic piece of technology has been adapted by a leading aerospace company to help young blind pupils find their way to class. Apprentices working at Crewe Toll-based company, Leonardo, have adapted sensor technology to help Royal Blind School pupils who are wheelchair users to navigate around the school more easily. Continue reading Leonardo apprentices adapt sensor technology to aid blind pupils