LOOK
LOOK is a UK registered charity (founded 1998) headquartered in Hereford that supports visually impaired young people aged 11-29 and their families through peer mentoring, the LOOKFest festival, parent programmes, and an accessible holiday flat, with 140 trained VI volunteer mentors and national reach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersHereford, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LOOK does
LOOK (legal name: LOOK National Federation of Families with Visually Impaired Children) is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1140471) founded in 1998 by three parents who wanted to spare other families the struggle of navigating visual impairment alone. Headquartered in Hereford, the organisation supports visually impaired young people aged 11-29 and their families across the United Kingdom, operating a portfolio of programmes including the LOOK Mentor Project (the flagship service connecting VI young people with 140 trained VI volunteer mentors via a secure online platform), the LOOKFest VI-accessible family festival, the Parent Support Group, the Healthy Parent Carer Programme (12-week course), the Student Hub, the LOOK Holiday Flat in Scarborough, and the #iWILL regional engagement programme.
The charity's service delivery model is community-led and direct-to-beneficiary. LOOK runs its own secure online mentoring platform to facilitate monitored mentor-mentee pairings, supplemented by online forums, monthly parent support sessions, residential programmes in partnership with Jamie's Farm, and a content engine (Media Mob collective of 9 mentors and the 'Media Mob Unfiltered' podcast). Marketing and beneficiary acquisition run through the website, social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram), newsletters, JustGiving for donations, and presence at external events including HAY Festival and the Visionary Conference. 80% of paid staff are visually impaired and all mentors are VI, making lived-experience authenticity a defining operational feature.
LOOK's revenue model is a multi-stream charity funding structure with no commercial product revenue. Income sources comprise public donations and online fundraising (JustGiving), challenge-event fundraising (London Marathon, Manchester Marathon, CARTEN100), legacy giving, corporate partnerships (including Google Accessibility Discovery Centre), ticketed event revenue (LOOKFest), and rental income from the Scarborough holiday flat (managed by Host & Stay at £290–£625 per stay). Most beneficiary services are free, with only the holiday flat generating direct service income. The organisation is governed by a board of six trustees under President Peter Mimpriss CVO and is supported by patrons including Sir James Galway, Prof. Michael Tobin, Peter White, and Jennifer Bowen.
LOOK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LOOK
- Legal name
- LOOK National Federation of Families with Visually Impaired Children
- Website
- https://look-uk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- LOOK is a UK registered charity (founded 1998) headquartered in Hereford that supports visually impaired young people aged 11-29 and their families through peer mentoring, the LOOKFest festival, parent programmes, and an accessible holiday flat, with 140 trained VI volunteer mentors and national reach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LOOK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability and sight loss charitable services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG)
Keywords
Where LOOK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hereford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
LOOK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: LOOK relies on public donations and fundraising activities including marathon runners (London Marathon, Manchester Marathon), the CARTEN100 cycling challenge, community fundraising events, and the Big Give matched giving campaigns.
- Holiday Flat Rental Income: LOOK owns a VI-accessible holiday flat in Scarborough, Yorkshire, managed by Host & Stay. Families can book stays at discounted rates for 3-7 nights, generating rental income while supporting the charity's mission.
- Legacy Giving: LOOK encourages supporters to leave gifts in their Wills, which can reduce Inheritance Tax from 40% to 36% for estates. Legacy gifts are a significant long-term funding source for the charity.
- Corporate Partnerships: LOOK partners with corporations for fundraising support, volunteer engagement, and donations. Corporate partners include organisations that host family days (e.g., Google Accessibility Discovery Centre) and businesses that provide fundraising opportunities.
- Event Revenue: LOOKFest is described as a paid ticketed event where families purchase tickets to attend the VI-accessible festival. Some events are free while others may have associated costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LOOK Holiday Flat - 3 Night Stay |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LOOK Holiday Flat - 4 Night Stay |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LOOK Holiday Flat - 5 Night Stay |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LOOK Holiday Flat - 7 Night Stay |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Healthy Parent Carer Programme |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LOOKFest Family Festival Tickets |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Look Hereford Singing Group Sessions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
LOOK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LOOK is a UK charity that provides peer mentoring, events, parent support, and accessible holiday accommodation to visually impaired young people aged 11-29 and their families. Its flagship Mentor Project connects VI young people with 140 trained volunteer VI mentors through a secure online platform, supplemented by LOOKFest, the Parent Support Group, the Healthy Parent Carer Programme, the Student Hub, and the LOOK Media Mob content collective.
Product overview
LOOK UK is a charitable organization that operates a portfolio of interconnected support services for visually impaired young people rather than a traditional software product. The core offerings include the LOOK Mentor Project (peer mentoring programme connecting VI young people aged 11-29 with trained VI volunteer mentors), LOOKFest (annual VI-accessible family festival), Parent Support Group (monthly online meetings for parent carers), the Healthy Parent Carer Programme (twelve-week wellbeing course), the Student Hub (resource library for VI students), and the LOOK Holiday Flat (accessible accommodation in Scarborough). Additional programmes include the LOOK Podcast, LOOK Media Mob content collective, LOOK Hereford Singing Group, Jamie’s Farm residential experiences, and the #iWILL engagement programme. These services are delivered through a website-based information platform complemented by online mentoring, events, workshops, and in-person activities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LOOK Mentor Project Flagship peer mentoring programme connecting visually impaired young people aged 11-29 with trained VI volunteer mentors through a secure online platform, monitored by experienced staff.
- LOOKFest Annual award-winning VI-accessible family weekend festival held in the Herefordshire countryside, designed by and for VI young people, with activities including forest school, animal encounters, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, campfire evenings, games, sport, and talent shows.
- Parent Support Group Monthly online support meetings for parent carers of visually impaired children, featuring panel events with professionals and LOOK Mentors, peer-led discussions, and resources covering education, wellbeing, and independence topics.
- LOOK Holiday Flat VI-accessible seaside holiday flat in Scarborough, Yorkshire, with two bedrooms sleeping up to six guests, available for families living with visual impairment at discounted rates.
- Healthy Parent Carer Programme Free twelve-week course for parents and carers of visually impaired children and young people, delivered via Zoom (max 12 parents per cohort), focused on wellbeing, stress management, confidence building, and practical family support.
- LOOK Student Hub Resource hub for visually impaired students covering topics including transitions to further education, CV writing, interview skills, technology readiness, and exam revision tips.
- LOOK Hereford Singing Group Weekly singing group for blind and partially sighted children and young people aged 8-30, led by experienced singing mentors Robbie Toner and Carmella.
- Jamie's Farm Residential Programme Week-long farm-based residential experiences for VI young people aged 13-17, offering farm adventures, independence skills, and team building activities at locations around the country, delivered in partnership with Jamie's Farm.
- #iWILL Programme Mentoring and engagement programme for young visually impaired people living in Herefordshire and surrounding areas, focused on developing skills and increasing participation in local communities through workshops on goalball, storytelling, music, and outdoor activities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 140 trained VI volunteer mentors serving young people aged 11-29
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use LOOK
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
LOOK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
LOOK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- Jamie's FarmcoreLOOK partners with Jamie's Farm to deliver residential programmes for VI young people aged 13-17 and mentor training weekends. Multiple residentials take place at Jamie Farms around the country (Hereford, Bath), combining farming, family, and therapy with youth wellbeing days. LOOK mentors also receive VI awareness training from JF staff.
- Google Accessibility Discovery CentrecoreLOOK has taken groups of VI young people and families to visit the Google Accessibility Discovery Centre in London for immersive technology experiences. LOOK mentors have also visited Google's ADC for accessibility learning and exploration. This partnership provides technology education and inspiration for VI young people.
- Blatchington Court TrustcoreLOOK partners with Blatchington Court Trust to deliver the LOOK UK Sussex Mentoring programme, extending the reach of LOOK's peer mentoring services into Sussex.
- VICTAsecondaryLOOK partnered with VICTA (Visual Impairment Clyde and Tayside / national VI charity) to host parent advice workshops on early years and managing challenges following diagnosis, and on single-parenting a VI child.
- RNIBsecondaryLOOK collaborates with RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) on events, parent support resources, and hiring initiatives. The organisations co-deliver training and resources including the Insightful Futures event and exam provision workshops.
- VIEW (Visual Impairment Education and Work)secondaryLOOK partners with VIEW on parent support resources and exam provision for VI young people, co-hosting panel events with RNIB and other sight loss organisations.
- Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT)secondaryLOOK collaborates with TPT on hiring initiatives and communications, working with organisations from the sight loss and wider charity sector to create employment opportunities and cross-sector partnerships.
- ChildnetsecondaryLOOK partnered with Childnet (a Digital Literacy Specialist) for the AI, Accessibility, Safety and Independence panel discussion. Childnet's Education Officer Rosie Bromley served on the expert panel providing online safety guidance for parents of VI children.
- Parent ZoneminorParent Zone collaborated with Google and LOOK on Family Safety Guides for Safer Internet Day, providing practical support for families on parental controls and AI safety. LOOK Trustee Sara was involved in promoting these resources.
- HAY FestivalsecondaryLOOK partnered with HAY Festival to host the Children's Accessible Reading Tent, bringing braille, tactile books, and accessible storytelling to curious young readers. LOOK also engaged with HAY's accessibility programme for the wider festival.
- Charlton AthleticminorLOOK families visited Charlton Athletic for a behind-the-scenes stadium tour and audio-described match, providing an inclusive sporting experience for VI young people and their families.
- Host & StaysecondaryLOOK partnered with Host & Stay, a local property management company in Scarborough, to manage and run the LOOK Holiday Flat year-round, providing on-the-ground support, availability management, and booking handling for families.
- University of WorcesterminorLOOK participated in the University of Worcester VI Students Day, helping prospective students explore the transition to higher education and learn about support available at university.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LOOK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): The largest UK sight-loss charity, offering a broad portfolio of services across the VI community. Comparable to LOOK in mission and named partner, but operates at a much larger scale and across all ages, not specialising in youth mentoring.
- Guide Dogs UK: Large UK charity supporting blind and partially sighted people primarily through mobility services. Comparable in mission (serving VI people) but a broad incumbent with a different core service (guide dog training) rather than youth mentoring.
Direct peers
- VICTA: National UK charity supporting visually impaired children and young people (0-25) through leisure activities, education grants, and family support. Directly comparable to LOOK in both mission and beneficiary segment already named as a partner.
- Blatchington Court Trust: UK charity providing financial and mentoring support to young visually impaired people, particularly in Sussex. Comparable mentoring-for-VI-youth model and an active delivery partner with LOOK.
- Royal Society for Blind Children: UK charity serving blind and partially sighted children, young people, and their families. Highly comparable to LOOK because it targets the same population (VI youth + parents) with similar services including family support, youth engagement, and residential events.
- Thomas Pocklington Trust: UK charity focused on supporting blind and partially sighted people, with a strong emphasis on employment and inclusion. Already a LOOK partner; directly comparable on the employment/mentoring strand LOOK runs via Eye on Work.
- VIEW (Visual Impairment Education and Work): Specialist UK charity supporting young people with visual impairment through education-to-employment pathways. Closely comparable to LOOK's Student Hub and University Mentoring programmes; already a named partner.
Others
- Macular Society: UK charity specifically focused on macular disease, supporting patients and families across ages. Comparable in mission and sight-loss sector membership but focused on research and a specific condition rather than youth mentoring.
- Blind Veterans UK: UK charity supporting vision-impaired ex-service personnel. Thematically comparable in the sight-loss sector but addresses a different demographic (veterans), with no overlap in youth mentoring.
Emerging players
- Sense (UK): National UK charity supporting people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities. Comparable in the broader disability support space but with a different core population (deafblind/multiple disabilities) rather than VI-only youth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LOOK social profiles
Digital presenceLOOK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LOOK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
LOOK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LOOK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LOOK
What does LOOK do?
LOOK is a UK charity that provides peer mentoring, events, parent support, and accessible holiday accommodation to visually impaired young people aged 11-29 and their families. Its flagship Mentor Project connects VI young people with 140 trained volunteer VI mentors through a secure online platform, supplemented by LOOKFest, the Parent Support Group, the Healthy Parent Carer Programme, the Student Hub, and the LOOK Media Mob content collective.
Is LOOK a public or private company?
LOOK is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LOOK founded?
LOOK was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is LOOK based?
LOOK is headquartered in Hereford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does LOOK make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are holiday Flat Rental Income, legacy Giving, corporate Partnerships and event Revenue.
Who are LOOK's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) and Guide Dogs UK. Direct peers are VICTA, Blatchington Court Trust, Royal Society for Blind Children, Thomas Pocklington Trust and VIEW (Visual Impairment Education and Work). Others are Macular Society and Blind Veterans UK. Sense (UK) is listed as an emerging player.
Does LOOK have an API?
No public API is recorded for LOOK.
What industry is LOOK in?
LOOK's product category is Disability and sight loss charitable services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs, with a secondary code of EDACALAG, Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.