Metro Sports and Social Club of Vision Impaired People, more commonly known as Metro Blind Sport is in its 50th year and recently won the Kings Award for Voluntary Service. This is the equivalent of an MBE for charities and is the highest honour that a charity can be awarded. We are a member-led organisation – both our employees and the majority of our Trustees are visually impaired and long-term Metro members.
Metro is the main blind and visually impaired sports and social charity in London, with over 500 members. There is a sharp increase in the demand for our services, with our membership nearly doubling post COVID. Our membership comes from every borough of London, with no more than 5.5% of our current membership coming from any one borough.
Metro organises and funds visually impaired sports, including cricket, bowls, football, tennis and goalball (a specific blind sport). We run an annual athletics event that is the last remaining athletics event focussing on blind and partially sighted people, which attracts athletes from around the country. We also have a ‘low intensity, high impact’ programme, which targets the most isolated blind and partially sighted people and includes a series of walks and social events for visually impaired people. Social get togethers often occur following a sports session and Metro aim to expand this to offer stand-alone social activities but need more support to continue running.
After Metro’s last event, where members helped to plant trees, some participant feedback was:
“Thank you to you all for today’s event. I was having second thoughts about coming, but OMG what an event and the new people I met; everyone was so amazing – the trees will remain there for the rest of my life, as will this experience!”
“It was a wonderful day out for both the trees and talks. I really love Metro as people are genuinely supportive of each other.”
Metro provide inclusive sports and active social activities to improve self-esteem, and limit isolation of visually impaired people. Research from Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) states that only 1 in 4 registered blind people are employed, and 50% say they are always or frequently limited in the activities they would like to take part in. Also, 80% of blind and partially sighted people state that participation in sport and activity will help them feel less lonely. Our offering helps to break barriers down and provide opportunities for blind and visually impaired people to be more active, confident, and involved in society.
Whilst Metro is a grassroots organisation, we believe in providing pathways as opportunities. We participate in competitive sport, which provides a way for our members to grow and express themselves. We also have members who take part in the Paralympics and represent England in a variety of sports.
Visit the MetroBlindSport website if you’d like to find out more.
To join our membership as a member, volunteer or professional, you can fill out our form, here.
Or if you are able to support us with a donation or would be interested in funding us, you can donate here.