Stephanie Nala delights blind young Londoners at City Hall event with surprise visit

Stephanie, who has been a contestant on this year's X-Factor, last Saturday performed to a 100-strong crowd to close the Royal London Society for Blind People's annual youth conference, Future Exchange.

Stephanie, who performed at the same event last year with her ex-band members The Luminites, wanted to show her support again.

The event, which took place at City Hall, offered a unique opportunity for blind young people to discuss key issues they continue to face including unemployment, dealing with negative public pre-conceptions and how to make the most out of living in London when you have a sight condition.

Within London and the South East, there are 7,000 children and young people under 25-years-old who are blind or partially sighted.

Nine out of 10 people who lose their sight in their youth will never work more than six months in their lives.

Future Exchange 2014 has been supported by a number of big companies including Barclays, digital design studio ustwo, Transport for London, the Department of Work and Pensions and graduate recruitment portal Plotr.

This year the event forms part of the first ever London without Limits festival - a series of surprising, sensory and sociable blindfold events taking part across London from September to November.

19-year-old Lauren Richardson from Reading said of the event: "It was such a nice surprise when Stephanie came on stage and sang. Today has been all about making new friends and learning new things with other young people who have a sight condition. Having Stephanie there was a great end to a great day."

RLSB will take feedback from Future Exchange to improve the services it runs to support blind young Londoners to take control of their life and fulfil their potential.

ENDS.