Looking forward to seeing you, Ma’am!
Trustees, staff and volunteers are delighted that Her Royal Highness Sophie, Countess of Wessex GCVO will visit N-Vision, the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind, in October – and it’s great news for residents and clients at the charity’s Bosworth Place, Squires Gate, base too.
CEO Ruth Lambert said: “We feel very honoured to host a Royal visit, and in such good company too, the Grand Theatre and Blackpool Tower, both of which are celebrating milestone 125th birthdays this year.
“We’re only a little younger ourselves – the charity’s roots date back to 1910.
“Residents of our Princess Alexandra Home are thrilled to bits at the thought of The Countess’s visit and we hope that we get the chance to show off our Talking Newspaper studio and our Low Vision Centre.
“The Royal visit comes just as National Eye Health Week ends – which is a lovely boost for us and builds on the awareness raised.”
Residents of the home waved union flags in delight when staff broke the news of Her Royal Highness’s visit on October 1.
The message from royalists Walter White, 95, Alma Sheedy, 90, Margaret Barnes, 96, Marjorie Leaver, 94 and Harry Wilkinson, who’s in his late 80s, came loud and clear …
“Looking forward to seeing you, Ma’am.”
The Countess of Wessex is known to be passionate about eradicating avoidable sight loss globally, as patron of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight and as global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Earlier this year she helped Orbis UK begin the See My Future appeal in support of the blindness prevention charity’s sight saving work across the world. She has memorably remarked: “There is no smile quite like the one that is returned from eyes that once more can see.”
N-Vision has, in the past, received visits from both Princess Alexandra and Princess Diana, and each occasion has provided a very special opportunity to raise awareness and demonstrate the latest services and support available to visually impaired clients and carers and highlight the outstanding care and commitment of the staff and volunteers.
The Princess Alexandra Home has had not one but two visits from namesake Royal HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent GCVO who officially opened the then-Blackpool and Fylde Society for the Blind’s residential home for visually impaired people over the age of 60, at Bosworth Place, Squires Gate, in April 1962, before returning in May 2002, almost 40 years to the day, to open the new look home, which had been developed with Lottery funding.
In 1991 Diana, Princess of Wales, visited the society’s Industrial Centre at Clifton Road, Marton, which has since closed.
N-Vision offers support to up to 2500 clients living with sight loss across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.