Success – A poem by Mahalia Creft
By Mahalia Creft Success The tedious wait for the payoff of hard work to finally fall through. Accessed only from a path of constant failure, winding round and round on itself. This path is long, with rocks and stones that jut from the earth, Digging their teeth into the soles of your feet. You stumble, then you fall onto the dirty, dusty floor, Hands above your head, legs sprawled out on the ground. You get up, even though the constant fear of rejection and failure hangs over you like a cloak, dragging you down, wanting you to settle [...]
I Can and I Will – A poem by Grace Hill
By Grace Hill I Can and I Will I can and I willClimb that hillI might be scaredBut I will get thereWith my courage and prideAnd a guide by my sideI can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI fear the heightBut I'll be alrightGripping onto my caneI will push through the rainBecause I can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI'm frightened to fallBut I can still have it allWe all can flyIf we spread our wings and tryI can and I will. About Grace... [...]
Flying above the limits: My first solo trip!
By Natalia Foster If you had told 14-year-old Natalia, that in six years’ time she would be flying 3,500 miles to meet an internet friend, I think she would have stared at you with fear in her eyes and shaken her head as if to say, ‘No way.’ But, in those six years so much has changed, and I have (somehow) found myself on a transatlantic flight heading towards Toronto. As it is, this isn’t an easy thing to do; but doing something this big with a lack of sight creates a whole array of things to consider [...]
No limits lifestyle – White water kayaking blind
By Sam Roberts Hi everyone, my name is Sam Roberts and I am a Young Ambassador for VICTA. I live what I call a 'no limits lifestyle' where I tell myself every day that there is nothing we can’t achieve, the only person that is stopping you from reaching your goals is yourself. Over the last six months I have been working hard on progressing my white water kayaking skills, with the ambition of taking on the white water of the River Dee. No limits means pushing your boundaries, reaching further than you’ve ever reached before and never [...]
Unstoppable – Clubs & activities for VI young people, By Erin Wynne
(Picture: Black and white action shot of Erin show jumping) By Erin Wynne, age 16 Do you believe that being visually impaired means a fabulous and fulfilling life is off the table? That visual impairment stops us from having fun and being active? Well, I can tell you for a fact it doesn’t. Here’s what I’ve learnt. Misconceptions So many parents believe/are told that their visually impaired (VI) and blind babies won’t have a good life; that they won’t be able to do a lot of activities or have independence. My parents were devastated when they [...]
Opportunity focus – Work Placement Opportunities
RNIB has new opportunities available on their See Work Differently work placement scheme. RNIB’s See Work Differently employment initiative is for blind and partially sighted people to secure that first rung on the career ladder or who are returning to work following a career break. RNIB services and teams are able to host placements for up to a maximum of 12 weeks they can be full time or part time. You'll find their latest opportunities below, please follow the links for all the information and details of how to apply on the RNIB website. Seeing Work [...]
Be inspired. Meet the England Men’s Partially Sighted Futsal Team
We were lucky enough to meet the England Men's Partially Sighted Futsal team at their training session and chat to them about the game, their experiences and ambitions! It was clear from seeing the team train that they're going from strength to strength and are on track for big things in the IBSA World Games in Birmingham in 2023. Talking to the players about their journeys into Futsal and how being part of the team has helped them to grow not only as players but also off the pitch, has been truly inspirational. In terms of having a [...]
Opportunity focus – See Work Differently
See Work Differently is RNIB’s employment initiative for blind and partially sighted people to secure that first rung on the career ladder or who are returning to work following a career break. The first of these opportunities is now live. Please see their information below and follow the link at the bottom of the page for all the information and details of how to apply on the RNIB website. Seeing Work Differently placement scheme x3 Salary: National living wage Contract type: 9 weeks fixed term paid work experience Hours: Two days per week RNIB is proud to announce [...]
Be inspired. Who am I, who do I volunteer for, and what is my role there?
By Natalia Foster, VICTA Young Ambassador (2022) Hello! My name is Natalia and during my first semester at University, I was presented with the opportunity to volunteer for a charity called CoachBright. CoachBright is a wonderful charity that aims to improve social mobility for children, students and young professionals who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity works closely with the University of Birmingham, and in my case, the job was promoted to psychology undergraduates. During my time with CoachBright I volunteered as an English literature tutor providing additional learning to GCSE students who wished to improve their current grade. [...]
Get involved. National Children’s Gardening Week
National Children's Gardening Week runs from 28th May – 5th June 2022 To celebrate, we've done some digging and rounded up some great articles and activities to plant a seed of inspiration! Things to do on the National Children's Gardening Week website They have lots of exciting activities that you can try at home - make a mini pond, a homemade suncatcher, or a pinecone bird feeder. If you give any of their activities a try, we'd love to see your photos, you can send them to students@victa.org.uk. Visit the National Children's Gardening Week's list of activities [...]
