Liz meets South Coast Blind Week participants

11.03.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 9th Jul 2007

Liz Leffman meets members of the Gwennili Trust

Liz Leffman, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Meon Valley, joined a group of visually impaired sailors in Southampton last weekend, at the end of South Coast Blind Week. This is a unique event that takes place every June, during which blind sailors, partnered by sighted crew, spend a week on board cruising yachts.

Liz visited Outreach, a yacht chartered for the week by The Gwennili Trust, whose Chairman, Chris Williams, lives in Bishop's Waltham. The Gwennili Trust exists to give disabled people the experience of sailing on a cruising yacht. The Trust also provides Blind Week with equipment, including clothing and special navigation equipment that operates with sound to aid blind navigators.

Outreach had three visually impaired and three sighted crew plus skipper during Blind Week, and sailed in and around the Solent. Although when Liz visited the yacht on Saturday, the weather was very calm, the crew had come through force 8 and 9 storms. In spite of that, or perhaps because of it, the crew all had a fantastic week.

Liz has been invited to join The Gwennili Trust and the Not Forgotten Association, which supports disabled servicemen and women, on a day sail in September.

Gwennili Trust Chairman, Chris Williams, said "I am delighted that Liz was able to join us on Saturday to learn about the work of The Gwennili Trust, and I am really pleased that she will be coming out with us in September."

Liz said "This is a wonderful organisation, and I am very proud to be able to support their work."

Notes for Editors:

The Gwennili Trust was founded in 1995, and is a registered charity. The Trust works in association with other organisations to provide opportunities for disabled people to sail in cruising yachts throughout the summer, and is run entirely by volunteers who give their services without charge. For more information see the website, www.gwtrust.org.uk