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 [...]
Beauty for the Visually Impaired
By Mahalia Creft My journey with makeup has been somewhat of a rocky one. As a young child, makeup seemed to be that thing that I would just never pick up or get good at. In fact, I began renouncing makeup, in the name of defiance. To learn to do makeup always seemed like such a hard feat. One of the ways in which my visual impairment affects me, is that I am unable to move my right eye outwards, so when applying makeup, I am unable to see a large portion of the right side of my face. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Meet our new young ambassadors for 2022!
Introducing the new young ambassadors for STRIVE 2022 Each individual brings something unique and insightful to share about how they don’t let their vision impairment stop them from doing what others can and how they manage life with no limits! Meet… Monique Richards Hey, my name is Monique. I’m an intern at VICTA helping to support and coordinate the ambassador team with their articles that will be going up on the student portal. I also do volunteering for VICTA activities. I am interested in quite a variety of creative activities such as art, which [...]
Hair care workshop with Anna Cofone
(Picture: Variety of styling combs and brushes along with hair pins and hair doughnut placed on a table) Anna Cofone is a freelance hairstylist working with celebrities such as Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey and alongside brands such as Adidas and Topshop, so we were all very excited to have access to her expertise for the day! Anna started her workshop for blind and partially sighted people demonstrating how to care for and style hair, as growing up with a family member who is blind, it's something that really meant a lot to her. During [...]
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 [...]
InFocus share tips on laying out your garden
Thanks to Dylan Cheshire, Horticultural Manager at InFocus (WESC at time of writing) for sharing this helpful guide on laying out your garden! InFocus is a specialist day and residential centre in Devon offering a unique experience for young people and adults with visual impairment including complex needs. Their Discovery Garden is an onsite outdoor facility for the students to use and enjoy at the centre. Dylan Cheshire manages the garden and shares his tips here for setting up your own... Edges to identify paths, prickly plants and other pointy things We want everyone to be able to [...]
