City aid for visually impaired children
A CHARITY formed in Milton Keynes is fighting for a brighter future for blind and partially sighted children everywhere.
VICTA Children, based in Woolstone, was set up by a group of city parents disillusioned by the lack of provision for their own offspring.
After several years operating as a support group, VICTA became a registered charity, complete with a grants scheme to help other families.
A spokesman said: “In the early days it was a time to share, laugh and cry with each other about the highs and lows of living with a visually impaired child. So often as a parent you feel alone and the ‘system’ seems very daunting to tackle alone.”
Now VICTA deals with parents all over the country to encourage visually impaired youngsters to take action and make the most of their lives.
It gives grants to help fund activity and life skills days, specialist IT equipment, stimulation toys, weekends away for families and even gap year adventures.
The charity is also constantly raising money for medical research into sight problems.
This year it has been allocated a number of spaces for the Virgin London Marathon – a main source of its annual fundraising,
Fundraiser Samantha Hemming said: “We currently have five Milton Keynes residents who are running and we still have some spaces available.”
She is appealing for anybody willing to run the marathon for VICTA to contact the charity by February 4.
For more information call 01908 240831 or view www.victa.org.uk. You can also follow the charity on Twitter or Facebook.
Meanwhile, a £5 donation can be made towards VICTA’s work by texting VICT40 £5 to 70070. Further support can be given by buying goods from the VICTA Fairtrade shop at www.victa.ethictrade.com.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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Cloudy
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