How you can make a difference

Proceeds from the event will be shared between Action for Blind People, Hilton in the Community Foundation and St. Josephs Services for the Visually Impaired.

Hilton in the Community Foundation
Hilton in the Community is dedicated to making a real difference to young people in need of support. We distribute our funds to worthy causes, large and small, that have a positive impact on the lives of young people in the UK & Ireland, as well as disaster relief. Hilton International funds the core administration costs of the Foundation, meaning that every net £1 raised goes directly to charity. In 2006, 1.3milion was given to 226 Charities in the UK & Ireland. Our role is, and always has been, to give the wider public a place to donate money, safe in the knowledge that it will be used to do good in a number of ways. We want to be able to make even more grants to those needing our help, so please help us to reach even more young people in need.

Action for Blind People’s Actionaires Project
(50% of all funds raised in the UK will be donated to Action for Blind People’s Actionaires Project)
2007 marks the 150th anniversary of Action for Blind People, a dynamic national charity which is transforming the lives of blind and partially sighted people of all ages. One of our main services is the provision of a national network of Actionnaires sports clubs for visually impaired children.
Opportunities for blind children to take part in mainstream sport are restricted; and in some places non existent. Actionnaires clubs therefore provide visually impaired children with an opportunity they would otherwise not get - to enjoy sport in a safe, structured and fun environment. Supervised by specially trained coaches, the children try everything from judo and swimming to football and archery!
Many kids learn to run, jump and throw for the first time; and just as importantly they meet other children, make new friends and keep fit. Taking part and interacting with sighted children boosts their self esteem and helps to develop their social skills, and the confidence they gain is invaluable as they enter adulthood and face the challenges of living with sight loss.

For more information about Action for Blind People work please logo onto our website  www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk

St. Josephs Services for the Visually Impaired
(50% of all funds raised in the Republic of Ireland will be donated to St. Josephs Services for the Visually Impaired) All Euros raised in Ireland will stay in the Republic.
St. Josephs, Preschool & Early Intervention Service opened in 1998, offering a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment for the visually impaired child. Initially catering for eight children, the school currently has over eighty on their register, many of whom have additional learning and/or physical disabilities. It is the only service of its kind in Ireland and provides specialised support and skills to children from birth to five years in partnership with their families
It has long been recognised that visually impaired children who receive early intervention have the best chance of reaching their potential and leading fulfilled lives. That is our aim at St. Josephs.
Currently the Preschool receives no state funding and relies on private donations and fundraising initiatives such as ’Around the World in a Day’ for its continued existence.  This pays teachers wages, for specialist toys and equipment, activity outings, and the daily bus service. As the numbers attending the school increase yearly it is an ongoing challenge to meet running costs and provide the best possible service for the children.

For more information about St. Josephs Services for the Visually Impaired work visit www.stjosephsvi.ie