LOOK

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYEDAJALAL

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYEDACALAG

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks

Education/Early Childhood Education/Parent Education & Family Engagement Programs

Keywords

• Visually impaired mentoring
• Sight loss charity
• Peer mentoring services
• Parent carer support
• Accessible youth programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Jamie's FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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 CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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 TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK partners with Blatchington Court Trust to deliver the LOOK UK Sussex Mentoring programme, extending the reach of LOOK's peer mentoring services into Sussex.
• VICTAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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.
• RNIBsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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.
• ChildnetsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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 ZoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent 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 FestivalsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerLOOK 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 AthleticminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLOOK 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 & StaysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLOOK 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 WorcesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOOK 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/LOOK_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/LOOKnational
• Instagraminstagram.com/lookukcharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/look-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LOOK