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RNIB looking at whether it should continue in current form 3

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 16 Jun 2011

Lesley Anne-Alexander, chief executive of RNIB, has indicated that the charity could make major changes to its structure, and suggested it is actively considering further mergers and collaborations.

She also implied that fellow disability charity Guide Dogs for the Blind had rejected the idea of a merger with RNIB.

RNIB has already gone through a series of big restructures over the past two years. It has been augmenting its core organisation by adding other blindness charities and building the ‘RNIB Group’. Action for Blind was the first – it retained its own brand, but some RNIB trustees have joined the Action for Blind People board and visa-versa.

Alexander, who was speaking at a Knowledge Peers event on collaboration, said RNIB’s trustees were currently making "brave decisions" about the charity and were looking at whether RNIB needed to exist in its current form any longer.

“Trustees will be making the decision with integrity,” she said.

But Alexander ruled out a merger with Guide Dogs for the Blind, after being asked by a member of the audience whether it was on the cards, saying Guide Dogs was very "insular".

“Guide Dogs would be lovely,” she said. “Our trustees are open to any suggestions for bringing together the sight loss world to make it a better place for blind people. Guide Dogs do a fantastic job, but they are very insular and put up thinking which is not true as reasons for not getting together such as damaging its fundraising.”

On collaboration, Alexander said shared ambition was the secret to success. She also said that some had asked why RNIB bothered to collaborate when it was such a "big beast in the blindness jungle":

"Some people ask us why we bother to collaborate, and not continue as we are, when it’s so hard and gritty.

"Our RNIB board is made up of 18 trustees, 16 of whom are registered blind and partially-sighted people. Because they are victims of systems around sight loss they want to make the UK a better place for other blind and partially-sighted people.

"So we get over our ego. We are not here to protect RNIB, but to make the UK a better place for blind people and we will do whatever it takes."

Alexander said it was wrong for there to be 733 registered charities in the sight loss sector, saying it was confusing for blind people.

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Directory: Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
Who's Who: Lesley-Anne Alexander