Members of Saltash Blind and Partially Sighted lunch club (Saltash BAPS) met last week to enjoy an afternoon of fun and good food to celebrate the group’s 60th anniversary.
Saltash BAPS was formed in May 1961 by the local TOC H group and the Cornwall County Association for the Blind, now known as iSightCornwall. Decades later and the group has gone from strength to strength and members regularly meet to enjoy a good meal and a social catch up.
Although they were unable to meet in May to celebrate the exact anniversary due to Covid-19 restrictions, the group remained in contact and thanks to its dedicated team of volunteers the members were supported and had regular check ups.
Shirley Evans has been at the helm of Saltash BAPs for more than 20 years and is assisted by Gordon Vigg; Maurice and Lyn Hocking; Tina Dodd and a team of volunteer drivers. It was thanks to their hard work and dedication that the club was able to meet recently for the first time in 18 months.
.jpg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
To celebrate the landmark anniversary and to mark the triumphant return of face-to-face meetings, the club members and volunteers were joined by iSightCornwall Volunteer Manager, Jodi Strick for a meal at the Windy Ridge Eating House in Trerulefoot.
To thank the volunteers and to help the members celebrate the 60th anniversary, iSightCornwall funded the meal using a grant from Cornwall Council Funding which was awarded to the charity to help them support public health during the coronavirus pandemic.
Jodi said: “It was wonderful to get everyone back together again and see the members and volunteers face-to-face. Saltash BAPS is such a friendly and welcoming group and we had a lovely time.
“I would like to give a huge thank you to Shirley and her team of volunteers for all that they do and I offer my biggest congratulations to everyone who has been involved with Saltash BAPs over the years on an amazing 60th anniversary!”
If you are interested in joining Saltash BAPS or would like more information on any iSightCornwall clubs or services, please contact Jodi Strick on 01872 261110.