Fundraising
Motorcycle Club Raises Over £1000 for Useful Vision!
Useful Vision were thrilled to welcome members of Caliburnus Motorcycle Club to our headquarters last week, where they presented the charity with a giant cheque for £1115!
Caliburnus MCC raised this incredible figure throughout 2022 by hosting a variety fundraising events, including a sponsored pool afternoon and seasonal open nights at the Support 81 Diner. One Caliburnus member even donated a PlayStation 5 as the grand prize for a football card, where each participant donated £20 for the chance to win. Alongside regular fundraising events, members of Caliburnus who own local businesses across the region also collected donations from the public within their shops.
Founding member, Neil, told us: ‘When we started Caliburnus MCC, we wanted to support a local charity that does great work – it was actually one of our founder members, Katie, who suggested Useful Vision as her son is visually impaired and part of the Useful Vision family already, so there’s very much a personal connection for us.’
Caliburnus MCC was established around 2 years ago and aimed to be a family-oriented club from the outset. The name, Caliburnus, comes from the Legend of King Arthur. Depending on which tale you follow, Caliburnus is either the latin name for Excalibur, or an entirely different sword altogether!
Useful Vision’s founding Trustee, Rebecca Wilson, accepted the cheque on behalf of the charity and said: ‘We’re so grateful for the tireless fundraising efforts of Caliburnus MCC throughout 2022. At Useful Vision, we provide the opportunity for visually impaired children to make friends, learn new skills, and have fun in a safe and supportive environment, while also offering advice, resources, and wellbeing events for parents and carers. This donation will fund around 6 weeks’ worth of events, activities, and skills workshops for visually impaired children and their families across the region. Without the kindness and generosity of our supporters we simply wouldn’t be able to continue our mission. Thank you again to Caliburnus for their fantastic work and dedication!’
In addition to their fantastic fundraising efforts, Caliburnus have also lent their time and support at events and awareness days. Last Summer, members of Caliburnus attended the South Shields Armed Forces day to spread the word about Useful Vision’s services. They connected with families and were able to share information and resources which led to a new registration! Caliburnus also attended our Family Fun Day in June and hosted a display of classic bikes, which the children were able to pose with. Neil said: ‘It was an absolute joy to see the kids sitting on the bikes and asking us questions about them!’
A huge thank you to Caliburnus MCC for everything they have done for us so far and we look forward to continuing our partnership in 2023!