We would like to thank all our supporters for donating over the past year - your generosity has allowed us to achieve so much.

Below you will find updates on some of the projects that we featured in our appeals – these have changed the lives of hundreds of blind and visually impaired people.

We could not have done this without your support, and for that I am very grateful.  You, and generous others like you, gave nearly £100,000 to our appeals during the year, which has allowed us to do so much.

Without your continuing kindness many blind people would be living much more difficult, isolated and lonely lives.

I hope the stories below will inspire you and make you feel proud of what you have achieved.  At the same time, I hope you will give again to help blind people in 2012. If you haven't donated to us before, or it has been a while since we've had your support, I hope these stories will inspire you to action.

Jenny continues to help blind children and their families

“Raising a blind child is an experience filled with adventure!” explained one parent of a blind child.One of the children who benefits

They described in detail the ups and downs that they faced: “Some days are hectic, others are peaceful. Some days you are surprised at how far you and your child have come, and other days you are surprised by how far you still have left to go.

“Some days you celebrate your child's achievements, and other days you cope with bad news concerning your child's medical condition.”

You may remember that before Christmas, I told you the story of Jenny Holder, a Family Support Worker who is funded by the GLFB.

She is still hard at work. Over the festive period she helped families cope with the emotional rollercoaster of looking after a blind child.

With her help, many families overcame tough challenges to have a very happy Christmas, filled with love and hope.

I also wanted to let you know that Jenny and her colleagues have recently introduced a new way of helping families cope: “A few families have expressed an interest in meeting with other families to reduce isolation and share their experiences, with a view of helping them to cope with life in general.”

I am happy to report that this new project has begun, with informal meetings in the London office being attended by local families who find support and comfort in one another.

Jenny's amazing work continues thanks to your generosity.

Thanks to so many kind donations in 2011 we have been able to support thousands of people like Claire, who kindly wrote the poem below.

When asked recently about the support she receives from her local blind association she said:

'I don't know what we would do if we didn't have this place to come to. The staff are so wonderful and kind – they're like angels.'

We featured Claire's poem in our Christmas card this year, and we wanted to share it with you here as well...

Bank of BluesOn Tuesday 29th November a band named 'Bank of Blues' held a fundraising gig for the GLFB at Bluu in Moorgate. Fronted by Eden Riche, from Investec, the band played a host of blues and R&B covers to a lively audience of corporate supporters and friends.

The evening commenced with a welcoming address by our CEO Cass Edwards who paid tribute to the cultural enrichment of our lives and made possible by the talents of so many leading blind musicians from the original 20's bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson thru Ray Charles and more recently Steve Wonder and the classical crossover Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli to name but a few!

Children have a brighter future thanks to our donors

The birth of your child should be one of the happiest moments of your life.  As a caring parent you will do anything to keep your baby safe from harm. As she grows she starts to roll over, sit up on her own and learn to crawl. But, when you look into her eyes they don’t seem to be looking back at you.

You go to hospital.  They confirm your worst fears. Your child is blind.

Your world is turned upside down.  The life you had imagined for your child will never be the same. There is so much now to consider, where do you even begin? Everything is different now.

On 26th of July 2011 the Lanesborough hosted a very special 90th anniversary dinner, attended by Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex, Hayley Mills, Sir Donald Gosling, Sir Rocco Forte and Sir John Major, among others. On the night, Vice President Sir John Major gave a moving speech, printed below...