Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) chief executive Matthew Stringer will leave the charity this month after facing a plethora of complex challenges over the almost seven years of his tenure.
From his “most difficult” career moment in dealing with a statutory inquiry into the RNIB when he started, to getting the charity back on its feet after the Covid pandemic, Stringer ends his term just after completing an organisation-wide restructure, which involved significant redundancies.
But as a result of the tough decisions his team has made, Stringer says the incoming chief executive and current Children in Need boss Simon Antrobus will inherit a charity in a healthier position.
“The good news is that we’re not in that position now so the new CEO has got a very different, real opportunity to take the organisation forwards very positively,” says Stringer.
Following his last day later this month, three weeks in Australia to watch the fifth cricket test match after Christmas will be how Stringer, who joined RNIB in 2019 after a career in retail, unwinds.
Inheriting a charity ‘in crisis’
Stringer inherited a charity subject to a Charity Commission investigation in 2019 and buffeted again by the Covid pandemic the following year.
The soon-to-be-departing chief executive, who spent more than 30 years working at companies such as Mothercare, Marks and Spencer and Carphone Warehouse, said he had to get RNIB out of a “tight spot.”
Safeguarding, governance and financial challenges all needed to be addressed during the statutory inquiry which presented a “multifaceted” problem.
“The first couple of years were getting the organisation out of a bit of a crisis and back on its feet and I think that that was a big achievement, because it took a lot of work on a number of fronts,” he says.
“That was, in retrospect, probably the biggest thing I’ve done at the RNIB if I’m honest.
“We really got a good plan together, brought in some good new trustees, brought in some new members of the executive team, and then we were on a trajectory to get out of that, which we ultimately did.”
Reflecting on the inquiry, he says: “If any organisation was to find itself in a similar tight spot, I think you’ve just got to not deny the challenge facing it because if you deny, everybody gets to the bottom of addressing what the issues.
“It’s not an instant fix - and if you want to make deep-rooted change that’s meaningful, realise it’s going to take a bit of time.
“Don’t deny it, face into it, bring the resources in and also, finally, communicate effectively.
“One of the good things we did through that time, which I led the charge on with some critical external partners, was just being really honest in the communication, and actually that stood us in good stead in the later part of my time at the RNIB.
“Many people who might have been funders or corporate partners earlier on have really stuck with us because we built a relationship and were honest about the challenges when we were managing our way out of the statutory inquiry.”
Successful campaigns
After the inquiry closed in June 2020, Stringer says that he was able to affect positive change in the second half of his tenure at RNIB.
RNIB played a leading role in reversing the government’s decision in November 2023 to close ticket offices at railway stations, a move that Stringer says would have left visually impaired people “high and dry”.
“It was the biggest campaign the government’s had on any item so that was a big win for us,” Stringer said. “We want to try and affect societal improvement for everyone to benefit, whether you’re engaged with RNIB individually or as a visually impaired person.”
Another transport-related victory in Stringer’s time was getting Network Rail to put tactile edges on platforms five years quicker than they were scheduled.
In 2020, Cleveland Gervais, a 53-year-old blind man, died after falling from a train platform which did not have tactile paving to warn him of its edge.
“Because of the campaign that we started in about 2020 that work got done earlier this year, and it was slated to finish in 2029, so that’s putting safety into the infrastructure which everyone will benefit from.”
Stringer also says putting together the Eye Care Support Pathway – a framework for eye patient care launched in 2024 – by working with charity partners, the NHS and professional bodies, had been a “really proud” achievement.
“We’re starting to see now in various geographies across the UK tens of thousands of patients getting a much better eye health experience because of the work that we’ve driven at the RNIB.”
Restructure to ‘set RNIB up for future’
Earlier this year, RNIB confirmed it had made 15% of the charity’s staff redundant in an effort to save £10m in annual costs, a decision which Stringer did not take lightly when plans were formed in July last year.
“We realised 18 months ago that we needed to make a shift,” Stringer says – referring to the need for structural change at the sight loss charity.
The 197 staff cuts were “not an easy time to go through”, Stringer says, adding that it was impossible to please everyone in terms of how you go about a restructure.
“Lots of charities have been going through the same sort of challenges as we’ve had. We’re not unique or immune from similar pressures.
“It’s challenging for organisations to change, because I think people want you to get on with it, or want to take time, and you can’t satisfy all people all the time, so we try to communicate as effectively as possible.
“I wouldn’t want to say it was easy and I think all organisations will embark on change in a very thoughtful way and very sensitive way, but ultimately we needed to do the right thing for the organisation to set it up for the future.”
Managing 3,000 volunteers
Stringer says he will remain “heavily connected” to the social care sector after he steps down from RNIB, including by continuing as a trustee at hearing loss charity RNID.
Charities will still need to be “very vigilant” about their costs, Stringer says, calling for them to be exempted from this year’s national insurance contributions rise.
He acknowledges that charities are in a “challenging situation”, but there was a lot to be positive about. Stringer singles out RNIB’s just under 3,000 volunteers – some sighted, some visually impaired – as a source of strength in his time there.
“The visually impaired volunteers we have bring brilliant insight and authenticity to the work they do for us, so they’re a very important part of our organisation.”
At a time when many charities are struggling to attract and retain volunteers, Stringer says: “We’re very mindful of supporting volunteers by recognition, through communication from me and from the chair.
“We are organising, communicating and training volunteers, and also trying to listen to their feedback. We’ve got some mandatory training for the course staff.”
‘Good time to hand the baton over’
As Stringer prepares to move on, he imparts some words of advice for the incoming Antrobus.
Antrobus should “follow through and exploit” the opportunity afforded to RNIB after its reorganisation, he says, including the ongoing implementation of existing initiatives.
Despite Christmas coming soon and his test match holiday shortly after, working with the NHS to roll out the Eye Care Support Pathway nationally remains high on Stringer’s list of priorities.
“The work never ends, so for Simon coming into the role, it’s really about picking up those positive threads and driving them on.”
Stringer added that socio-politically, it is a difficult time in which to operate and warned against complacency.
“You can’t take anything for granted at the moment, so you have to be ever vigilant about keeping the RNIB in good shape so you can then focus your resources on all those externally facing, strategic priorities.
“It’s a good time to hand the baton over to someone else, when we’re in a position of good shape and strength. It’s time for someone else to come in and have the pleasure of taking us through the next cycle.”
