British Blind Sport
British Blind Sport (BBS) is a national registered charity based in Leamington Spa. Since its beginnings as a registered charity in 1976, British Blind Sport has become the leading voice for visually impaired people (VI) in the world of sport and leisure, both at home and internationally.
The work of the charity enables visually impaired people to have the same opportunities as sighted people to access and enjoy sport and recreational activities in the UK.
BBS is a membership organisation open to all visually impaired children and adults. The activities are run by the members themselves, as volunteers, through Sports Sections which include: archery, athletics, bowls, cricket, football, goalball (a sport devised for the blind and for which BBS is the National Governing Body), shooting, swimming and ten-pin bowling. Additionally, we link to information about VI judo, chess, golf, riding, sailing, skiing and water sports. There is active encouragement of those VI people who wish to pursue their chosen sport through mainstream sports clubs too.
Sport offers many benefits to VI people including: improved health and mobility, broadening horizons, new friendships, plus greater confidence and independence. BBS encourages as many blind and partially sighted children and adults as possible - there are over 1 million registered blind people currently in the UK - to participate in sport at all levels, from 'grassroots' to Paralympic representation.
Within the East Region there is a Development Officer in place, Steve Snelling, funded by Big Lottery money. He is responsible for raising the awareness of British Blind Sport, working with partner organisations to deliver and coordinate activities and offering support and advice to visually impaired people.
For more information about British Blind Sport go to www.britishblindsport.org.uk
To contact the East Region Development Officer Steve Snelling email on steve@britishblindsport.org.uk or call on 01487 843344