The Manx Blind Welfare Society has been able to invest in the latest assistive reading technology, thanks to a fundraising initiative by the Hilton Hotel and Casino.
Eighteen months ago, the hotel's charity committee launched a campaign to raise funds for the MBWS, holding a series of events that included two black-tie balls, a Hop tu Naa party, snail race night and a bed push along Douglas promenade.
In addition, the LivingWell leisure and fitness club manager Ken Hedley organised first a sponsored ‘Swim the Channel’ challenge, then a Three Legs of Man challenge where entrants, using the club’s exercise equipment, ‘rowed’ around the Island, ‘walked’ the Parish Walk and ‘cycled’ three laps of the TT course.
In total, the Hilton Hotel and Casino has raised in excess of ?6000, which will be used to purchase a range of specialist equipment, including an Intel® Reader, a mobile device that takes pictures of printed material, converts it to digital form and allows magnification and/or audio playback.
Presenting the cheque to MBWS principal officer Doreen Smith, the Hilton Hotel and Casino’s Managing Director Adrian Brockhouse said, "We are delighted to have been able to fund the purchase of this Intel® Reader for the Manx Blind Welfare Society, a charity providing invaluable services to those with visual impairment.
"Raising the money has been very much a community effort and I should like to thank the charity committee, our staff, customers and local suppliers, as well as members of the public for their generous support."
Mrs Smith said, "We are extremely grateful to the Hilton Hotel and Casino for their support these past 18 months as the society relies solely on fundraising, donations and legacies to carry out its work. This generous donation means we’re able to purchase specialist equipment which can make a very real difference to a client’s life, restoring to them a level of independence they might not otherwise be able to enjoy."
Pictured: Hilton Hotel and Casino Managing Director Adrian Brockhouse presents the hotel’s cheque for ?6000 to Manx Blind Welfare Society Executive Committee Member Liz Johnson with her dog, Alma. Also pictured are the society’s Doreen Smith (second right) and Dave Wilson (back row, right), together with the Hilton’s charity committee members (l-r): Grant Norris, Rochelle D’Souza, Mark Kneen, Naomi Finch and Julia Lawrence.
