The Southern Daily Echo have featured the OpenSight Centenary Celebration in Marwell.
Here’s the text of the article written by Lorelei Reddin Community Content Editor
Sight loss charity celebrates 100 years of helping people
MORE than 150 volunteers and supporters marked 100 years of a Hampshire sight loss charity.
OpenSight Hampshire, based in Eastleigh, was established in 1922 as the Hampshire Association for the Care of the Blind and provides a variety of services to help adults and children who have a range of sight conditions.
To celebrate the centenary, a special event was held at Marwell Hall & Zoo to showcase the charity’s services as well as pay tribute to the legions of volunteers who have kindly given their time to the charity over the years.
It was also a chance for service users of all ages to come together and socialise.
Guests enjoyed a celebratory lunch in the beautiful gardens of Marwell Hall, complete with a glass of bubbly and listened to the live music of local visually impaired pianist, Jimmy Alderson.
There were also activities for children and a chance to meet dinosaur Spike – the zoo’s mascot.
David McKeigue, Chief Executive of OpenSight Hampshire, said: “We were delighted to welcome our guests to the special celebration lunch, especially our service users and the volunteers who have supported us over the years.
To reach a milestone such as a centenary is a remarkable achievement and testament to our dedicated staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to help our visually impaired clients. Living with a sight condition can be very isolating. Even day-to-day tasks can feel daunting. We are incredibly proud to have helped thousands of people of all ages across the county who have a sight loss condition continue to have a fulfilling life.
OpenSight Hampshire offer a range of services for all ages including community-based Sight Hubs offering technology support and independent living advice; an eye health awareness and sight loss prevention scheme in schools and the ‘This VI (Visually Impaired) Girl Can’ project.
You can read the article by clicking here.
