Nestled in the beautiful Dee Valley, the Royal International Pavilion was the stunning location for ‘Together with Vision Support’ the annual event day for the Cheshire and North-Wales based charity ‘Vision Support’. Held on Saturday 13th June from 10am to 4pm this was a bustling, family event that was both fun filled and informative.
The event was well attended with hundreds of visitors including those who have sight loss, their families, friends and careers, as well as many volunteers who gave up their time to make the event run smoothly. Upon arriving at the Royal International Pavilion I was struck by how beautifully the venue had been decorated. Giant banners, helium balloons, posters and leaflets adorned the building and combined with the smiling faces of the volunteers and staff to create a warm welcome for visitors.
In the main hall many exhibition stalls had been set up to provide information on products and services for people with sight loss. The ladies and gentlemen running these stands were not only friendly and well informed but happy to give up their time to answer any questions. The Guide Dogs stand was particularly popular and the dogs seemed to be revelling in the attention!
Even with such interesting exhibition stalls it was impossible to stay inside on such a gloriously sunny day, luckily several outdoor activities had been arranged including Live Music and Archery. I’ve often fancied myself as a bit of a ‘Maid Marion’ type and paid up my one pound for six arrows, confident that I’d be a natural at Archery. I am proud to say that under the careful instruction of the professionals I did hit one bulls-eye; however this was the only time I actually managed to hit the target and my other five arrows sailed off into the distance at bizarre angles! It was fantastic to discover that a sport such as Archery need not be off-limits to those who are partially sighted and with the help of qualified instructors anyone of any age can attempt this fun yet challenging sport.
Back inside there where many other enjoyable activities to try such as learning to crochet, having a go on a potter’s wheel, perusing the book and plant stalls or simply sitting back and relaxing with a lovely cup of tea and home-made cake. A regular bus service was provided to take visitors into the idyllic town of Llangollen, which has a variety of independent shops, restaurants and cafes as well as a number of local attractions and activities to compliment the stunning natural environment. There were also several opportunities to win some fabulous prizes including the ‘guess the weight of the cake’ competition and the final event of the day ‘the grand raffle’. I was honoured to draw the winning tickets for the raffle and there was a fantastic range of prizes all kindly donated by local restaurants, hotels and businesses.
Throughout the day I met a variety of lovely people who where more than willing to describe their experiences to me and their involvement with Vision Support. Everyone I met had the same opinion that Vision Support was a valuable service which as a profound and positive effect on the lives of those coping with visual impairment. Most importantly everyone I spoke to told me they were having a wonderful day!
I had a fabulous time at ‘Together with Vision Support’; the event was well organised, informative and good fun for everyone. I would like to say a big thank you to all those who gave up their time to make this day so successful and I look forward to next year’s event!
About the author
Catriona Cameron is Miss Cheshire 2009, and placed fourth in Miss UK 2009. She became patron of Vision Support in May 2009.
