We will email you our Torch News magazine four times a year, full of encouraging stories, updates and information on how you can get involved. Our quarterly prayer diary is included to give you a daily guide to how you can be praying for the ministry of Torch. By receiving these digitally you help us save costs and help the planet!
By completing this form, you agree to our privacy policies.
We are only able to continue our work supporting those with sight loss thanks to the generosity of our supporters. Please consider if you can support the ministry financially.
Consider DonatingOffice hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday.
From outside UK: +44 1858 438260
If you don’t get a response please use our online form or email us at: info@torchtrust.org
Send us a message using our online form and a member of our friendly staff will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact us formWrite us an email and one of our friendly team members will get back to as soon as possible.
If you like to contact us directly, please use this phone number: 01858 438260
Office hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday.
From outside UK: +44 1858 438260
Send us a message using our online form and a member of our friendly staff will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact us formIt’s free and easy to become a client. Once you get in touch, one of our staff will help you complete the sign-up process.
By completing this form, you agree to our privacy policies.
We have a dedicated form for registering yourself and the client.
Client supporter formIt’s free and easy to become a client supporter. You can do this online or over the telephone. This will give you access to most items that a client would have access to.
By completing this form, you agree to our privacy policies.
We’ve got a dedicated form to register yourself as a client.
Client sign-up formBy completing this form, you agree to our privacy policies.
PUBLISHED - 7th November 2025
As you may know, Torch is governed by a board of elected trustees who are responsible for making sure the charity is run effectively and in accordance with its purposes and goals. Our trustees are a lovely and varied team – some have served for many years, others are newer to Torch – and we thought you might like to get to know each of them a bit better!
I have been involved with Torch since 2009, initially as part of the leadership of the Daventry Torch group and then as a trustee since July 2014. I have spoken at several holidays and Torch groups throughout the UK. My career background is in technology and business but I’ve also been in church leadership for many years, including currently at Southam Community Church. I have been involved in preaching internationally and numerous trusteeships of Christian enterprises.
I have been part of Torch for many years, first as a new Christian attending their houseparties and now as a trustee and presenter of the Reflections radio programme. I love writing Christian songs to communicate my faith, and Torch’s library books have often inspired me with ideas for lyrics. I live in Kent, sharing a house with my friend Tracy and my lovely guide dog, Arlo, and I enjoy going to the seaside, cooking and being with friends.
My name is Ifeolu Omoniyi Akintunde, but you can call me Ife. I grew up in Nigeria but came to Lancaster University, first for my masters as a Chevening Scholar, then for my doctorate. I still live in Lancaster and now run a consultancy. I’ve known about Torch since primary school, when I used to receive The Torch and Searchlight magazines. Now, I am also a trustee in my local church and the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians. In addition, I lead worship and serve as access officer for both organisations, which are registered as Sight Loss Friendly Churches.
I was brought up in a loving Christian family. I worked for some time in the civil service before going to university to study computing. I got involved with Torch, helping out during my long holidays. There I met my late husband, Mike, and together we set up a training scheme to train young blind people to live as independently as they could. I became a trustee of Torch in 2024.
I first heard of Torch at boarding school in Edinburgh, where Christian staff had left Braille Torch magazines lying around. I was curious, so went along to the Edinburgh Torch fellowship group, where I was delighted to f ind that I could serve the Lord by giving out their literature. I went on to work for Torch from 1976 to 2021, doing several challenging jobs, the last of which was producing its Christian radio programme, Reflections.
I am a retired academic and doctor, married to Rachel, who runs her own gardening business. We both enjoy grandparenting our current set of 7 grandchildren with an age range of 7 months to 8 years. In 2010, I lost my sight suddenly and was completely blind for just over a month and partially sighted for 7 months after several operations at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Torch Trust was a great help at that time.
My first real involvement with Torch began after Covid, when I started attending Torch House Coffee Mornings, where I now help with the music. I then volunteered to help at Torch Together holidays, and I’m currently looking forward to my 10th holiday. I feel very much at home as part of the Torch family. It’s a privilege to have been appointed as a trustee, and I bring several years’ experience as an Information Systems Consultant to the role.
I’ve been a trustee since 2023 and a Christian for 25 years. I live in Southampton with my wife, Sue, and have 2 adult children. I am a partner at Christchurch Southampton with a wonderfully active and supportive church family. I understand sight loss as I was born with cataracts and am partially sighted, and my wife has no vision. I have experience in education and related fields. I feel blessed to be able to support Torch Trust.
You can find photos on the Meet the Team page.
Each year on the Sunday following World Sight Day, we invite churches to join with us to celebrate Sight Loss Sunday to promote awareness of sight loss in churches and to celebrate the gifts and skills of those who are blind and partially sighted and all that they offer to our church families. Even if […]
Read moreWe’re very pleased to say that Janette Sturgis, our Resource Curator, has been hard at work making some wonderful improvements to our online eShop. Janette shares all below: Client Services received a phone call the other day saying that: “the Christian Living section on the eShop has far too many books to wade through, we […]
Read moreOur partnership with Torch Malawi is one of our longest-standing and most valued relationships, reaching back over the years with a shared desire to support the blind and partially sighted people of Malawi. That’s why, this year, three of our leaders travelled there to spend time with the people of Torch Malawi. CEO Sarah Dawkins […]
Read more