Bletchingdon Park Hosts Charity Event

Dr Michael Pegram was joined by The Rt. Hon The Countess Of Macclesfield at Bletchingdon Park on Tuesday 10th May for a drinks reception in aid of Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB).

Guests from Oxfordshire businesses including Wadham College, Kingerlee Ltd, Benfield and Loxley, Critchley’s and the Dragon School joined the charity’s official appeal sponsor, the Oxford Round Table, to support OAB’s Future Vision appeal.

OAB’s headquarters are situated at Gordon Woodward Way, at the end of Oxford’s Abingdon Road. While the location is easily accessible for visitors unfortunately, the building is far from ideal with all services for local visually impaired people having been delivered from a small on-site portakabin, based in the car park.

John Hewitt, OAB Trustee, has already pledged financial support to the appeal and encouraged guests at the event to do the same: “Future Vision will mean that more visually impaired people can be supported in a range of new ways, including a face to face counselling and emotional support service, courses in computing, cooking, and kitchen skills, and new services for visually impaired children from the age of four. There are an estimated 10,000 visually impaired people in Oxfordshire and being able to access local services is vital if we are going maximise their independence and help change lives.

Our portakabin facility was removed recently as it was only ever meant to be a temporary structure. It was cramped, cold, inefficient, and expensive to run. There simply wasn’t enough space to provide everything the thousands of Oxfordshire-based visually impaired people desperately need and want.”

The Future Vision Appeal will raise funds to create a two story annex to the OAB’s existing Bradbury Lodge and will give local visually impaired people around Oxfordshire improved access and resources to services they desperately need.

The appeal has already been well supported and is now seeking the final £250,000 required to complete this exciting and very worthwhile local project.”