The women of Laois are being urged to get their feet on the street for this years’ Women’s Mini Marathon and raise funds for almost 1,000 people with impaired vision in the county.
The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is the national charity working for the rising number of people affected by sight loss in Ireland. Every day the charity helps people to change their lives by giving them the tools they need to either regain or maintain their independence. The majority of people using NCBI services have some remaining vision.
There are currently 54,810 people with impaired vision in Ireland with 954 in Co Laois.
32 year old Roslyn Allman from Portarlington says she would not have had the confidence or skills to live on her own only for the help of the NCBI.
Skills
The Legal and Business graduate, who has Optic Atrophy, says the mobility training and independent living skills she learned with the sight loss charity gave her the ability and the confidence to move out of her parents and into her own home.
“I may have sight loss but I am just like any other person who values her independence, self sufficiency and privacy,” she said.
“The NCBI facilitated me to make the leap into independent living and it is great. I couldn’t have done it without them. They do tremendous work with people here in Laois and Offaly and need to fundraise a lot to provide the services they do. I would really encourage women in the area to get their runners on and take part in the Women’s Mini Marathon for the NCBI. They have made such a positive difference to my life and to the lives of so many others in this area and they deserve all the help they can get with their fundraising efforts”.
NCBI’s services include emotional support and counselling for people struggling to come to terms with sight loss. Rehabilitation training, which includes independent living skills and mobility training (using a long cane). Advice and information services, employment advice and low vision solutions, such as magnifiers and other aids to help people to read standard print. Assistive technology advice and training to either magnify or read aloud what is on screen. NCBI also has a Library which produces large-print and audio books and Braille.
As a charity, NCBI must raise €3 million annually to ensure that we can continue to offer essential services to people who are blind or vision impaired. We do this through our network of over 90 charity shops nationwide and our fundraising events such as the VHI Women’s Mini marathon.
Runners are being urged to join Team NCBI at the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon 2018 on Sunday 3rd June (Bank Holiday weekend). The total distance is 10km with no time limit.
All NCBI participants will receive, training guidelines for all walkers, joggers and runners, sponsorship cards and fundraising advice before the marathon. There will be an NCBI base to hold all your belongings, a pamper zone with hair styling, a make-up and nail service to relax after the marathon with yummy refreshments to refuel you! NCBI will also have a family area with fun activities, such as banner making, glasses decoration designing and learning about sight loss zone with games.
Anyone interested in getting involved can register online at www.ncbi.ie or contact NCBI on 01 882 1970.
NCBI has 98 charity shops nationwide with one in Portarlington.
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