Community has been supporting disabled people since 1899, with the formation of the National League of the Blind and Disabled trade union, which became part of Community in 2000.
Community’s Scotland and Northern Ireland Regional Charity Fund Committee was therefore pleased to donate to member Terry Robinson’s fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK, in memory of his friend Jeremy Browne who died of cancer in October 2022.
Terry set himself the challenge of walking 73 laps – around 100 miles – of an area of Queen’s Park in Glasgow in the week of his 73rd birthday in October. This would be an impressive feat for anybody, but Terry is totally blind and completed this challenge unassisted, using just his long cane.
Each lap of a familiar loop of paths in Queen’s Park was around 1.4 miles, with about 200 feet of ascent, so the whole walk was around 100 miles, including over 14,000 feet of ascent.
Terry is an active part of Community’s In your community regional and branch campaign to improve accessibility for blind people in Glasgow. He explained:
“I was only able to complete this walk as it is in a space where I know that it is safe for me to walk.
“I would be unable to do this walk unassisted in almost any other area of Glasgow due to dangers that would be presented to me as a blind person.”
Further information
Community’s Regional charity fund forms part of the union’s In your community initiative, which brings people together to find solutions to important local issues, and helps members become pillars of their communities by giving them support and resources. Find out more, or get involved, here.
Equalities: Learn more about how Community helps disabled workers.
Terry (left) and Steven McGurk, NLBD Glasgow Branch Secretary and NEC disabled members’ representative.
If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
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