SHEFFIELD VISUALLY IMPAIRED WALKING GROUP

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Group news and views and other items of interest

GROUP PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEWS ITEMS WANTED!
Please send any photos to us and we will put them on the website - sviwg_webmaster@proton.me.
Please send articles for Newsletter to Gail Fagan (tel: 0114 2667764 / email: gail.fagan@guidemail.co.uk)

POSTS

COMMITTEE VACANCY

We have a vacancy on our Committee for a Minutes secretary.
Pauline who has served on our committee for around 15 years for whom we are very grateful would like to hand it over to someone else now.
She would be on hand to advise if anyone is not familiar with this role so please contact Sue Hill if interested (contact details here).

OUR HISTORY - PART THREE

Mike Jackson MBE joined our group in 2000 not long after it had started.

He soon became a popular character, and as well as our bi-monthly walks with the Peak Park Rangers he arranged the alternative walk on Thursdays. This ensured we now had a walk each week in our schedule.

Mike certainly pushed the envelope, taking blind members with guides to places we could only imagine as blind people. These walks were not for the faint hearted.
He received his MBE for services in the community, showcasing his garden in Dore each year, mountain rescue, and also a member of the Rotary club.

The star of our group must be Betsy Wilson however who is no longer with us, who when the group began was instrumental in helping the Committee get started, becoming our first Chair, starting the newsletter, and pushing the group by telling everyone who would listen when out walking about the SVIWG.

OUR HISTORY - PART TWO

Further to my first history memories I have been asked if I can think of any other.

We have had many wonderful guides and still have passing through our group.
Some names which left their mark are Jean and Gordon Worthington who joined around one year after the group started. They encouraged the fourth Sunday walk and also helped to get the committee rolling. Also they took the group on their first three holidays all on public transport. The first being the Isle of Wight and the next two to Teignmouth on the train.

Another memorable holiday was to Austria on a walking trip - this was arranged by a VI member.

After that Hilary Myers, a VI, took on the role and arranged many holidays with great precision leaving no stone unturned. By now the holiday group had grown to around 30 or so, which was no mean feat.

Other memorable guides were Peter and Brenda Sunderland and Jack Burling who were amongst the first guides with the Ramblers to step up and come out with our group.

John Bater, a VI, came along and was a great addition as he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of our countryside and further, and as his sight was not too bad he could also lead walks.

Not forgetting Eric Andrews, a VI, but also an adventurer who arranged many fundraising events; Walking up Ben Nevis, Snowdon, and Scafell Pike, and also Tandem riding at the Manchester Velodrome.

Steve Brown also arranged to cross the sands at Morecambe Bay.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

The Friends of Whirlow Brook Park are looking for volunteers for two upcoming work days.
On Saturday 15 February they will be hedge-laying, and on Saturday 15 March Orchard-planting.
If anyone is free on either of those days and fancies a bit of exercise, please contact Nicola Gilbert at nicolaanngilbert@gmail.com.
They have offered to do a guided tour of the park for our group in spring, it would be nice to be able to reciprocate .
Older News
Peak Park Rangers Walk 22/7/21

VOLUNTEER GUIDES NEEDED

If you are interested, please click here for more information.
Some of our walkers describe their experience in this "Walk and Talk".

You can also look at this brilliant short documentary film, developed by Sheffield Hallam University Students, featuring members of our group.