Each week, on RNIB Connect Radio we sit down with Matt Stringer, CEO of RNIB, to look at some of the big stories coming from the UK sight loss charity.

This week Matt reflects on two major political events, the passing of the Welfare Reform Bill in the commons on Tuesday evening (1 July 2025) with some last minute major changes to the bill and the publication on Thursday (3 July 2025) of the NHS 10 year Health plan for England.

If you, or someone you know, would like information on the support and services available from RNIB, go to www.rnib.org.uk

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Image shows a smiling Matt Stringer, CEO of RNIB, wearing glasses and a grey Jacket.

Would you like to learn about Wymondham Players which is a theatre group? Jennifer Murray chats to Georgette Vale to find out more.

If you would like to contact Wymondham Players, you can email them on:

[email protected] 

You can also visit their website at the following link:

Wymondham Players

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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 the next of his regular audio described theatre reviews for 2025

This week we have ‘Spitfire Girls’ at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with description by Professional Audio Describer Carolyn Smith.

About ‘Spitfire Girls’

New Year’s Eve, 1959. Decades after answering the call, two women separated by the war meet again as the rain hammers down on the windows of The Spitfire pub. As we hear their story, we’re transported back to a time when female pioneers defied expectations and soared through the skies.

Spitfire Girls is inspired by the extraordinary true stories of the women who dared to fly during WWII and the incredible bond that tied them together. Funny and heart-warming, this is an untold story of strength, courage and loss. But above all else, hope.

Written by Katherine Senior, Directed by Seán Aydon, Designed by Sarah Beaton.

To find out more about access at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre do visit - https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility/

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NHS England has published its 10 Year Health Plan for England.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Allan Russell spoke to Vivienne Francis, from RNIB, to discuss what this could mean for blind and partially sighted people.

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Fulham Reach Boat Club, a fairly new rowing club on the River Thames in London, very close to Hammersmith Bridge have been running the ‘Row the Rhythm’ sessions for blind and partially sighted people to give them an introduction to the sport of rowing and the opportunity to get out rowing on the Thames too.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey made his way down to the banks of the River Thames to find out more about the ‘Row the Rhythm’ sessions at Fulham Reach Boat Club firstly chatting with Julia Philipson, Chief of Community Development at Fulham Reach for a bit of background to the Club and why they wanted to put on the ‘Row the Rhythm’ sessions for blind and partially sighted people.

After chatting with Julia Toby caught up with Ollie one of the Coaches at Fulham Reach Boat Club to find out how he found it coaching someone who is visually impaired in rowing for the first time and how his coaching techniques had developed over the sessions with feedback from the visually impaired people taking part in the ‘Row the Rhythm’ sessions. 

Charlotte another of the Coaches at Fulham Reach Boat Club who is also visually impaired explained to Toby about how she got in to rowing, coaching at the club, coping with her own sight loss and how she can still carry on coaching but in a slightly different way. 

Finally Toby caught up with Ashley and Angel, two of the visually impaired people who have been taking part in the Row the Rhythm sessions, to find out why they decided to come down to Fulham Reach Boat Club and give rowing a go. Ashley and Angel explained to Toby what it is like rowing on the Thames as a visually impaired person, the freedom rowing gives them and what they would say to encourage other blind and partially sighted people to take up the sport of rowing.

To find out more about Fulham Reach Boat Club do visit their website - https://www.fulhamreachboatclub.co.uk

There is much more about the sport of rowing along with details of where to find a rowing club near you on the British Rowing website - https://www.britishrowing.org

(Image shows Toby with mic, headphones and life jacket in the sunshine on the bank of the river Thames with the pontoon, Hammersmith bridge and some of the boats and rowers in the background)

The UK Government’s welfare bill passed its first vote in the Parliament on Tuesday, but what do blind and partially sighted people think of it?

Hubert Pawelkiewicz spoke with Simon Hart to find out what he thought.

And to hear RNIB's response to the bill, hear our interview with Sophie Dudgeon, RNIB’s Head of Campaigns & Public Affairs: LINK

Want to share your thoughts on the bill? Drop us an email: [email protected]

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On Tuesday 1st of July, following a significant last-minute concession, the Welfare Reform Bill passed through its first vote in the House of Commons.

But how does the blind and partially sighted community feel about the result of the vote? Robert Kirkwood spoke with Selina Mills to hear her thoughts on the matter.

And to hear RNIB's response to the bill, hear our interview with Sophie Dudgeon, RNIB’s Head of Campaigns & Public Affairs: LINK

Want to share your thoughts on the bill? Drop us an email: [email protected]

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

On Tuesday 1st of July, following a significant last-minute concession, the Welfare Reform Bill passed through its first vote in the House of Commons.

But how does the blind and partially sighted community feel about the result of the vote? We spoke with Harry Georgiou to hear what he thinks about the result of the vote.

And to hear RNIB's response to the bill, hear our interview with Sophie Dudgeon, RNIB’s Head of Campaigns & Public Affairs: LINK

Want to share your thoughts on the bill? Drop us an email: [email protected]

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

On Tuesday 1st of July, following a significant last-minute concession, the Welfare Reform Bill passed through its first vote in the House of Commons.

But how does the blind and partially sighted community feel about the result of the vote? Amelia spoke with Yahya Pandor.

And to hear RNIB's response to the bill, hear our interview with Sophie Dudgeon, RNIB’s Head of Campaigns & Public Affairs: LINK

Want to share your thoughts on the bill? Drop us an email: [email protected]

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

Disabled people in the UK are being put under more financial pressure than ever, but what’s the true ‘price tag’? Hywel Davies has been speaking to UK charity Scope.

For more information on Scop and the Disability Price Tag 2025, visit their website - Home | Disability charity Scope UK