Cam Sight, the Cambridge-based charity supporting people with sight loss, will be this year’s benefitting charity from A Festival of Carols at Ely Cathedral, organised by The Cambridgeshire Freemasons and Ely Cathedral, on Friday 7 December at 7.30pm.
The event will be launched on Tuesday 9 October at 12 noon, with Cam Sight joining the newly formed Cambridge Blind Tennis Club based at the Sports and Tennis Centre on Purbeck Road, Cambridge. Initiated by Cam Sight volunteer and client Marion Mansfield, together with Alex Wheen who established a similar group in Letchworth, the Tennis Group offers coaching to a group of visually impaired members, many of whom are Cam Sight clients.
The idea came after Marion found it difficult to find a sport to enable her to keep fit which was suitable for someone with sight loss. Members now have the opportunity to experience a sport they would not previously have considered before losing their sight. They all stress the role Cam Sight has played in giving them the confidence to embark on a new experience.
The Festival of Carols at Ely Cathedral is organised by The Cambridgeshire Freemasons and Ely Cathedral and will benefit both Cam Sight and the Ely Cathedral Trust. Cam Sight will direct the proceeds to their Centenary Appeal to raise £500,000 to develop an Information Technology Centre for Visually Impaired people at their office in Cambridge. All the Cam Sight clients in the Blind Tennis Group have benefitted from IT training with Cam Sight and will continue to do so in the new centre.
The evening will be a celebration of Christmas with music performed by the Ely Cathedral Choir plus seasonal readings from local celebrities and Cam Sight clients.
Centenary Co-Ordinator for Cam Sight, Sally Nott says, “We are delighted to have been chosen by the Cambridgeshire Freemasons as their charity in our Centenary year. This promises to be a very festive event in a beautiful setting and we are most grateful for their support and the support of Ely Cathedral”
Tickets are available from Ely Cathedral Box Office on 01353 660349 or www.elycathedral.org priced from £10, £15, £22, £30 with Champagne Reception tickets an additional £17.50
Further details from Sally Nott, Cam Sight. 167 Green End Road, Cambridge CB4 1RW 01223 420033 sally.n@camsight.org.uk www.camsight.org.uk