Victoria Smurfit has been announced as the President of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
The Rivals actress takes the reins from Dame Gail Ronson DBE, who stood down after ‘an incredible 14 years of tireless service’.
Victoria has a deeply personal connection to RNIB. Her daughter, Evie, was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy as a child, and the proud mum has always been very open about her ‘phenomenal’ not-so-little girl.
Watching her daughter deal with her diagnosis has fuelled Victoria’s ‘determination to help create a world without limits for blind and partially sighted people, with a special passion for improving opportunities in education and employment’.
In her new role as President of RNIB, the Rivals actress will ‘strengthen relationships with supporters and senior volunteers, help shape the charity’s strategy, thank and engage key partners, and champion RNIB’s campaigns and services’.
Dame Gail Ronson said of her successor, Victoria: ‘When it was decided she would become the president, I was really, really happy as I felt that Victoria would be the best person to take over for me because she’s been involved with it and understands it. So she would also feel from the heart.
‘And today, it was a day that we could spend together going around and seeing all the work and all the different things that you do and we could share it.’
‘My daughter Evie, when she was 12, she’s now 21, was diagnosed with Stargardt’s macular dystrophy and we’d never heard of it before,’ Victoria said of her new role.
‘I find it quite emotional to talk about the liaison officers that RNIB provide.
‘There wasn’t one when Evie was diagnosed in America. And that’s like the hug and the hand and the knowledge that you need to go from diagnosis to out into the world.
‘This is the machine that Evie, my daughter, has to use. So what inspires me most about RNIB’s work is their desire for change, to push forward for more accessibility and support people in the sight loss community. Not only practically with the talking books and the low vision aids, but also emotionally.’
