MEMBERS of the Mount Gambier and District Club for the Visually Impaired celebrated the group’s 40th birthday on Wednesday.
Founded in August 1978, the club has helped vision impaired children and adults across the region for four decades.
Members meet regularly to make craft items to sell at the Rotary Community Market twice a year – they open the stall four weeks before Christmas and four weeks before Mother’s Day.
Funds raised at the stall and through various raffles are donated to visually impaired locals or used to buy equipment for visually impaired children.
Joy Axleby has been president of the club for 22 years.
“We have had a number of donations from generous people and service clubs over the years, which has been very helpful to us,” she said.
“The club has been active for 40 years – we started on August 17 in 1978 – but not many people are aware of what we do.
“The money we raise remains in the South East and we do help people right across the region.”
Vice president Margaret Button – Ms Axleby’s “right hand” – said the club had recently donated iPads to visually impaired children.
“We bought an iPad for a girl at Yahl Primary School and an iPad for a young boy in Tantanoola and iPads for a few more vision impaired children in Mount Gambier,” she said.
“They can load audio books on to them and they get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”
Through its fundraising efforts, the club recently paid for children’s riding lessons at Riding for the Disabled, supplied a braille watch and presented a cheque to Gordon Education Centre.
The club celebrated its 40th birthday with a lunch for past and present members at the South Eastern Hotel on Wednesday.
