A CHARITY in Berkshire has hailed a recent event as a “resounding success” as it offered taster sessions of a range of sports to people with visual impairments.
Berkshire Vision, which supports those with sight loss, held its first Beyond Sight Games, inviting people to take part in sports adapted for those with vision impairment.
Attendees were given a hands-on introduction to a variety of accessible and adapted sports such as tandem cycling, blind football, swimming, archery, and athletics.
The event welcomed Commonwealth Para-athlete and gold medallist Katie Crowhurst, who officially opened the games, as well as the mayor of Reading, Cllr Glenn Dennis.
Cllr Dennis was among those who took part in some of the sports and took the opportunity to hear first-hand about how the charity had helped those attending directly from the beneficiaries.
Clare Matthews, Berkshire Vision’s Marketing and Communications Officer, said: “The event far exceeded our expectations, and we had around 40 attendees from across Berkshire taking part.
“Many of them hadn’t done any of the sports, or any sport at all.
“So some of them were quite anxious about whether they would actually take part.
“But then everyone just threw themselves into every sport– one person said to me they were not going to have a go at archery as they didn’t think they could do it.
She explained that, after encouragement, however: “They found out they were actually really good at it, and they were hitting the bullseye.
“Seeing the smile on their face that they could do something they didn’t think they could achieve was just fantastic.
“As a charity, we are there to support blind and visually impaired people you know, in their day to day lives.
“But the other part of our work is challenging perceptions, and I think that’s what that day did– not only of the people who attended, but to others too.”
As to whether the charity would be seeking to hold similar events, she said: “We always have some sporting activities going on throughout the month– whether that’s tandem cycling, rambles, blind football, or dance classes.
“But archery was a particularly popular one from the day, so that’s something we’re looking at running more of in the future
“It’s helped us understand what sports are popular and what people really want to have a go at.”
Berkshire Vision offers a range of support services and events for those living with sight loss and visual impairment in Berkshire.
More information about the charity and its range of support is available via: berkshirevision.org.uk
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