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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
Be inspired. My Gifted Green World
By Sonal Sumaria, VICTA Young Ambassador (2020/21) Sea green, olive, dark green, forest green, lime, mint, pear, shamrock, emerald, seaweed, parakeet, sage, jade and viridian are a few of many of shades of green – the colour of nature, peace, life, renewal, energy and safety, I’ve seen and worked with. It’s a colour I’ll never be fed up of, it’s in my everyday life and most importantly it’s about my personality as a horticulturist. ‘Green renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of wellbeing’ [...]
Be inspired. Meet the England Women’s Blind Football Team
On Saturday 21 May, VICTA was privileged to attend the England Women’s Blind Team's first official training camp at the home of England football, St. George’s Park. VICTA's exclusive access granted us front row seats to witness this inspiring team of girls in action, showcasing their talent and teamwork. The team made great use of the Tony Larkin Pitch – a bespoke pitch for blind football and one of only two in existence in the UK. We not only got to see them show off their ability, but also interviewed some of the team and coaches, getting a [...]
