Bright for Sight 2014

Wear Bright, Bake Bright, Create Bright!

It's October 9th which marks the start of Bright for Sight 2014!

Bright for Sight is Henshaws Society for Blind People's biggest and brightest annual fundraising campaign, helping to raise vital funds in order to support people affected by sight loss and other disabilities. Bright for Sight is taking place on October 9th, 2014, which is World Sight Day. I would urge anyone and everyone to get involved with Bright for Sight to raise as much money as possible for Henshaws and to help make a difference to the lives of people like me.

There are lots of ways to get involved with Bright for Sight! Whether you decide to Wear Bright or Bake Bright, the fundraising part is really simple. Bright for Sight can be done at school, work or with friends - it's entirely up to you! To register your interest and to order your BFS fundraising pack, please click here.

Send pictures of your activities to brightforsight@henshaws.org.uk or share them through Henshaws' social media websites at Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #BFS. The best ones will be shared with the Henshaws online community!

My Fundraising Project!

Over the past few months, I have been very busy working on my secret Bright for Sight fundraising project. I can now finally reveal that I have been creating Bright for Sight Bunnies and Bright for Sight Bracelets, to be sold at the Manchester Resource Centre over the course of the next week.

The bunnies are available in 7 colours; green, yellow, baby pink, hot pink, red, purple and blue, and retail at £5 each. The bracelets are of a fishtail design, made from various loom bands, in combinations such as pink and purple, green and yellow, orange and blue, red and yellow, pink and blue - and even rainbow gradients!

The idea for my project was constructed last year during the previous Bright for Sight event. Service users, volunteers and staff were wearing bright and baking bright - but I noticed a lack of crafted items to help raise money and provide a commemorative, keep-sake item to remind people of the money they donated to Henshaws.

I wanted my items to be very colourful, to tie in with the Bright For Sight theme and I conducted a survey earlier this year to service users who partake in the groups that I attend to determine the most popular colours, price and animal shape. Aftter the initial research was carried out, it was time to construct a prototype to use as the foundation for all of my crocheted creations!

The bracelets were created over the summer, after I fell in love with the looming craze and discovered how tactile a craft it can be when they are made on the fingers. It's easy to keep track of the bands being used and fun to play with all kinds of colour combinations; from pastel, to neon, to mis-matched! These retail at 50p each.

Bright for Sight Film: #NoMirrorMakeUp Challenge!

I was very kindly asked to take part in a #NoMirrorMakeUp Challenge earlier this September to raise awareness of visual impairment and the barriers that are faced on a day-to-day basis with simple tasks, such as applying make-up, where sight is taken for granted.

As I only have 10% central vision in my left eye, and a little bit of light perception in the other, I cannot see my own reflection clearly enough in a mirror and have to apply my make-up in the tactile way of just using my hands and feeling around to make sure I've covered all of the main areas. I label my make-up using the RNIB PENfriend, an electronic voice-lebelling device, and arrange my products on a flat surface in the order that they will be used so I can keep track.

The challenge is designed to draw attention to how vision can be taken for granted and how difficult a barrier it can be when you can't see your own progress in a task that relies heavily on sight.

You can view the finished result of my video below!

You too can take part in the #NoMirrorMakeUp Challenge!

Simply grab your camera and set to record, apply your make-up without using a mirror, upload to your social media websites with the hashtag #NoMirrorMakeUp and then donate either online or via text by texting HSBP14 with the amount you wish to donate to 70070.

You can read more about the Bright for Sight campaign, as well as stories from the service users who have benefitted from the fundraising event, by visiting the official website here!