A ‘blind’ football tournament held in memory of an Ipswich teacher’s grandparents has raised hundreds of pounds for a good cause – and has given the participants firsthand experience of what it is like to lose their sight.
About 40 people put on their blindfolds for the tournament, which was played with a football with a bell inside, at Copleston High School last week.
The event was organised by Copleston teacher Jack Goodrich and it is hoped that it will eventually raise up to £1,000 for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Mr Goodrich, 25, said: “It was a success.
“Everyone who took part seemed to realise how difficult it is [to be visually impaired], which was one of the points of the day.
“You can do a lot of things for charity but to experience what the people you are raising the money for go through is a bit different.”
Mr Goodrich, a business studies and economics teacher, chose to put on the event as two of his grandparents, Joe and Hazel Carlyle, were blind.
He spent a lot of time with his grandparents and he said that gave him an insight into the needs that they had during their day to day lives.
Mr Goodrich added: “For people who were both blind and bringing up three children, it was quite a difficult experience, but not one that they complained about.”
The RNIB works with and offers emotional and practical support for people who have been affected by sight loss.
Following the success of the tournament, Mr Goodrich is hoping to put on more fundraising events for the charity.
“The reaction seems to suggest that this could be an annual thing, and we will probably try to do it.”
The teams in the tournament were representing different nations and the eventual winners were the group representing Italy.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here