Fundraisers to don blindfolds for Black Country sight loss charity
Fundraisers are set to don their blindfolds as they stroll along the streets for the region's visually impaired.
Sight charity Beacon Centre for the Blind has announced it will host its first Blindfold Mile Walk to raise cash for its cause.
The one-mile challenge will also highlight the daily battles faced by people suffering with eyesight problems.
Event organiser Gurinder Atwal said: “We want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in this new exciting event. Our eye sight is something we often take for granted.
"Our Beacon Blindfold Walk will be a really fun event, but it is also an opportunity for people to experience just a little of what it’s like to walk a mile if you are visually impaired.
"I’d like to encourage everybody, young or old to join us and encourage their friends and family to be part of the Beacon Blindfold Mile.
"So, get yourself, family and friends signed up for this unique experience.”
People across the region are being called on to pledge their support for the inaugural event, which is set to take place on July 7.
Residents taking part will tackle the route in pairs, leaving from the Beacon Centre's base, from 10am.
One participant will be blindfolded and guided by their partner before switching roles halfway through the route to experience walking from a visually impaired person’s perspective.
The team at the Beacon Centre, based in Wolverhampton Road, hopes the event will raise awareness of the challenges blind and visually impaired people face.
Fundraisers, who can enter alone or in pairs, are asked to gather 'as much sponsorship money as possible to help make a visible difference for people living with sight loss' in the Black Country.
The charity first launched in 1875 as the Wolverhampton Society for the Blind and has since supported countless people across the region.
In the Black Country, there are more than 36,000 people living with sight loss and this figure is set to double to 72,000 by 2050.
Entry fee if £10 for adults and £5 for children aged between 12 and 16, who must be supervised by an adult.
For more information visit beaconvision.org/event/beacon-blindfold-mile-walk/ or contact Ms Atwal on 01902 880 111.
