When Billy talks to pupils he encourages their participation and actively helps them understand how a blind person copes with the world. Neil Toplass, Deputy Head of The Harbour School sums it up perfectly when he says, “Billy is a natural orator. He uses humour well and presents a picture of his disability that fascinates both adults and children alike. His message is one which has clear links to the citizenship curriculum and develops an ethos of team work and support through his own experiences and circumstances.” You can read full details of our schools programme here If you know of a school that may like to take advantage of this unique presentation, just let us know. |
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At High Firs School, Swanley, pupils got the chance to learn more about where their fundraising went during an assembly attended by Fiona Fountain our Fundraiser (pictured with some of the children).
Topics covered include understanding blindness, how the idea of radios for blind people came about, the changes in technology and how the Fund helps make such a difference to the lives of visually impaired and blind people. Presenting this programme is our very good friend and ambassador, Billy ‘The Whizz’ Baxter. After losing his sight and leaving the Royal Horse Artillery, Billy has an amazing list of achievements under his belt – including driving the Top Gear car around the track faster than sighted celebrities, and becoming holder of the Blind Solo World Land Speed record, doing 164.87 mph on a motor cycle – hence the nickname, ‘Billy The Whizz’. |
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How BWBF is spreading the word amongst young people in schools... It’s important for our charity that as many people as possible know about us and what we do. That’s simply because we rely on donations to carry out our work. Without donations we could not provide our much-needed radios. We currently have a special programme that is aimed specifically at schoolchildren – particularly the younger Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 pupils. It’s a fascinating one-hour presentation that includes demonstrations of modern gadgets such as talking watches, bar code readers and other special equipment. Humour is a strong element, as is pupil-participation – including answering any questions they may have. |
