Matthew's story

Hello - I am Matthew and I will be 51 years old at the end of June.  I have never had sight.  I've lived at Hammond Court for 6 years; it's a happy home with happy people.

I am doing the Broads Walk Challenge as it will make me feel like an athlete! It's going to be a classic and a laugh, I've never walked around the course before but I am ready for any challenge, no worries!

Gina is going to guide me, I like to be guided by my left arm.  I have everything ready to take and I will be wearing my Adidas gear, top and proper trackie bottoms. We can take all day to do this event and we probably will and I hope the weather brightens up.  The first thing I will do when we've finished will be to have a mug of tea and a naughty-naughty Snickers bar (Gina will have the same).

Doing this walk will help me to get out and feel like life is normal again.  I hope everyone, including those with sight loss,  can start to go back to a bit more normality.  This walk will help us to spread the word that everything is possible with the right attitude.  We also want to spread the word about Vision Norfolk and all the work the charity does to help visually impaired people in Norfolk.

I want everyone to know I am a proud Arsenal Fan and season ticket holder.  I love going to the matches and arriving home at all hours of the day and night.  I haven't been able to go for 15 months now and I miss it so much. I hope I'll be able to start going again in August.  I've been supporting Arsenal for 31 years and have been to hundreds of games. Gina has been with me twice.

Gina's story

I have known Matthew for four years now and he is an amazing man with energy and enthusiasm for all things, especially his beloved football team, Arsenal. His visual impairment does not stop him from doing the things he loves to do including having adventures with me!  We have not had much time to walk together and we know that it will be a challenge but it will be one that we enjoy.  We will make sure that we take our time, pace ourselves, get to the finishing line (eventually) but most importantly, have lots of fun along the way.

I know times are hard for everyone and you may not be able to give much or give anything at all but anything you can donate will be very much appreciated.  Our charity relies heavily upon the kindness of others and we thank you for any support you are able to give.  We would like any money we raise to go directly towards activities, for young people and their families and also activities for our many clients who have missed out on so much in the past year.

At Vision Norfolk we have been working for over 216 years, providing life-changing support for local blind and partially-sighted people. We offer a one-stop service which caters for all ages and conditions. From our sight-loss toddlers group Rainbow Sparks, to our residential care home and supported housing. We provide help with simple tasks (like reading mail) and more high-tech solutions. Sometimes that is just a cup of tea and a chat, but someone living alone, with a recent diagnosis might require more intensive support. Our longest-serving client has been with us for 30 years! In an age of big-brand charities with corporate funding, smaller local charities like us have to compete for survival. In addition, technology has made amazing leaps forward in terms of support, but much of this equipment is expensive to buy and repair. Help us to continue to be there for the next 200 years.