A CLUB for blind and partially sighted people in Saltash has held a celebration in honour of its volunteers to mark their incredible contributions.
Saltash Blind and Partially Sighted (BAPS) Club welcomed special guests, entertainment and unique tributes for their volunteer team who are soon set to step down and pass the baton onto a new group of volunteers.
The club has been led by Shirley Evans for more than 25 years and in that time Saltash BAPS has gone from strength to strength but after so long at the helm, Shirley recently made the decision to step down.
At the helm for 25 years
Joining her will be outgoing treasurer, Maurice Hocking, outgoing secretary Tins Dodd and Shirley’s partner Gordon Vigg who also volunteers.
Shirley said: “I’m very sad to be giving it up after 25 years but the time has come. I have a wonderful family behind me who have always supported me, in fact I remember the first fundraising event I ran was just before my granddaughter was born and she is here celebrating with me today.
“Over 200 members have come through these doors whilst I’ve been running the club, but only one of them, Dennis Packham, has been here since the beginning and is still coming here today so it was wonderful to be able to celebrate with him.”
Guests to the celebration event enjoyed a cream tea as well as entertainment from the Burraton Boys and then Hilary and Jack ‘HiJack’.
Special Guests
There was also a surprise for Shirley with a special tribute from the Three Tina Turners – Gwen Furniss, Shirley Pyle and Marjorie Jane – who sang Simply the Best, dedicated to Shirley.
Some of the special guests who attended included iSightCornwall’s Chief Executive, Carole Theobald, Sue Hooper MBE, the former mayor of Saltash and Vivienne and Paul Askew who were former volunteer drivers for the club.
Delighted to be invited
Carole said: “We were delighted to be invited to attend the celebration to mark Shirley and her team’s incredible contribution to Saltash BAPS. We are so grateful for all of her hard work and dedication to the members.”
Shirley said: “I’ve been given some very special memories during my time at the club. One of my most memorable moments was being invited to a tea party at Buckingham Palace. I received the invitation after being nominated by the club’s secretary at the time, Gill Long. It’s a wonderful memory that I will treasure forever.
“Thank you to everyone for such a lovely day. Thank you to Pam who has been my right-hand woman, all of the volunteers who have helped me over the years and last but not least, I must thank Gordon. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
For more information on iSightCornwall’s clubs, or to register an interest in volunteering, call us on 01872 261110 .
