28th March 2012
18 in 1 golf charity event
On June 20th Larry Davis, Mike Purnell, Ian Irving and Gavin Grey will attempt to play 18 holes on 18 separate golf courses in one day. Playing one hole on each course including Muirfield, Gullane, Musselburgh and Longniddry they hope to raise £10,000 for the Vision Sports Legacy Fund.
You can support them at www.justgiving.com/18inone or by texting VAGS72 followed by the amount to 70070. Follow Larry on Twitter @skeffingtond and on the vision_charity Facebook page.
10th February 2012
Jack Roughan 2012 up-date
Jack has now completed his first term at Birmingham University and has settled in well. He is managing to balance work, training and a social life! He is also working part-time in the University Gym. He is keeping up his training and will soon be starting to compete in Indoor sprinting events against able-bodied athletes where he will be aiming to improve his P.B.s up to Paralympic Qualifying Times.
In addition to his involvement with Vision, Jack has recently been invited to become a Patron of VICTA Charity, which also helps Blind and Visually impaired Children and was very honoured to accept.
As Youth Ambassador for Vision Charity Sports Legacy, he will be taking part in the Olympic Stadium test event on April 1st in front of 20,000 people!!! He will be in the Opening Ceremony Parade and also run in a special Vision Charity 100m Invitation Race on the Olympic track.
Jack has just been selected to represent the West Midlands in The Sainsbury's UKSG (UK Schools Games) at The Olympic Park, in May, and has been invited by UKA (UK Athletics) to take part in the full test event for The 2012 Paralympic Games in May and will run 100m Race in his classification.
Both of Jack's charities support Blind and Visually Impaired children and in supporting them he aims to demonstrate what it is possible to achieve through hard work, determination and belief in yourself and be a positive example to the children and young people they strive to help.
2nd November 2011
Gold Challenge announce Test event at Olympic Stadium
On April 1st 2012 20,000 spectators will witness over 150 charities parading and running at the Olympic Stadium as London 2012 builds towards the opening Ceremony in July.
Vision Charity will have 9 lanes for their own 100m race with the majority of places allocated to top fundraisers for Vision. There will also be races for universities, companies and schools. Also on show will be team GB along with many celebrities and sporting legends to really give the day a very special experience for everyone.
27th October 2011
Paralympic hopeful becomes Junior Ambassador
Paralympic hopeful Jack Roughan accepts invitation to become Junior Ambassador for Vision Sports Legacy.
29th July 2011
Paralympic hopeful
Jack Roughan, Paralympic hopeful, talks to Sport magazine about his 2012 ambitions.
Jack is pictured here with Vision Patron David Ginola at the World sight day launch of the Sports Legacy Fund in October 2010.
14th June 2011
Sony's Gold Challenge
For more Sony Gold Challenge photos click here
1st May 2011
Noel Thatcher MBE joins the Vision team as an ambassador for the Sports Legacy Fund
DOB. 23/01/1966.
Noel joined the Vision team in 2010 as an ambassador for the Sports Legacy Fund.
He says "I don't see barriers, (literally, hence the scars!) and want to help blind and VI children and adults reach their goals whatever they may be, through giving them the opportunity to, if not win medals in sport, then win them in life."
Noel was born with Optic Atrophy, a degenerative condition affecting the optic nerve affecting all areas of the visual field, close and distant. A bit like looking at a snowy old TV signal, I think (difficult to explain when you have never known any different).
He attended regular infants school where he had to carry a specially made desk between lessons which really helped him fit right in!
Between the ages of 10-18 he attended Exhall Grange School in Coventry, a school for VI and blind children.
Forced to run as part of school system, he hated it! He was caught smoking age 12 and forced to run 5 miles a night for 1 month. This "training" led him to finish 3rd in school cross country and the rest is a matter of public record.
Noel made his International debut at 17, winning a silver medal in the European championships 400m. Since then he has spent 21 years running around in circles all over the world, taking part in 6 Paralympic Games, winning a total of Five Gold medals including a "double" of 5000m/10,000m in Atlanta in 1996. This led to being awarded an MBE by the Queen in the 1997 New Years honours list.
In total, Noel has won 42 International Gold medals over 6 distances. Set around 10 World Records and was honoured to be selected, by my teammates, to carry the Union flag in the Opening Ceremony in Athens 2004. Noel ran his last International in 2005 "taking a lazy bronze in the European 10,000m".
"I was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 which is still a bit unreal given I stand alongside Seb Coe, Steve Cram and Roger Bannister, to name but a few."
Noel currently works as a full-time musculo-skeletal Physiotherapist at Holly House Hospital in Buckhurst Hill and is working towards Masters degree.
He is very happily married to Yumi for 11 years, who he met when studying Japanese at the London University School of African and Asian Studies. They are now expecting their first child in August.
Noel Thatcher MBE.
14th October 2010
Vision Sports Legacy Initiative Launched
Vision launched their new sports legacy initiative on World Sight Day, 14th October.
We took over the London Eye for two rotations where key guests were invited to join our team to launch this long term legacy initiative.
Guests were treated to a flight on the London Eye followed by a reception at the Movieium County Hall hosted by Vision Patrons David and Coraline Ginola.
For event press release click here
For more event photos click here
