Barrow teen's dreams come true thanks to group's donation

Last week, The Mail reported on Reece Laing, an 18-year-old boy with visual impairment who volunteers at Vision Support Barrow and District (VSBD).

A fundraiser was set up by his fellow team members so that he could join the crew of the TS Pelican, a Tall Ship coming into Barrow for the Festival of the Seas in August.

Vision Support had already managed to raise £420 towards the experience before Graham Postlethwaite, the secretary of the Rotary Club, spotted the article in the paper.

He said: "I took the issue to our rotary club meeting and we agreed to fund the outstanding £400.

"Then, on Tuesday [July 30], our President Nigel Johnson, Treasurer David Salt and myself handed over the cheque to Andrew McIntosh at Vision Support's Cavendish Street base."

Reece, 18, will now be hopping aboard the TS Pelican for six days (Image: Vision Support)

Reece, a youth leader at VSBD's Younger Generations group, is hoping that he can serve as an inspiration to other people with sight loss that nothing is out of their reach, including conquering the sea.

The six-day long voyage aboard the TS Pelican is designed to help Reece develop vital practical and leadership skills which will help him work more effectively in his role as a youth leader.

After the rotary club's recent visit, Vision Support commented: "We'd like to give a huge thank you to them for generously donating towards our fundraiser for Reece to set sail on the TS Pelican next.

"Thanks to everyone's support we've now raised over our initial target towards this trip."

Caleb Staples, an Engagement Officer at VSBD, was the one who put the fundraiser together in the first place.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Reece as he's never had the chance to do anything like this before," he explained.

"Reece is sure that these challenges will help him grow and develop to become a better role model to the young people he works with."