Have you ever thought what it might be like to be blind? You should because one person goes blind every hour in the UK – Sobering thought isn’t it.

Shut your eyes for a minute and think how difficult it would be to put the kettle on! A simple task when sighted but very complex if you are unable to see.

Just getting from where you are now to the kitchen would prove beyond many people, never mind finding the tea bags!

Our eyes are something most of us take for granted but for many millions of our fellow human beings around the world, seeing isn’t an option.

It is an interesting fact that most people are not born blind,they become blind or visually challenged during their lifetime. A frightening prospect made more palatable by the existence of charities like Beacon Centre For The Blind In Wolverhampton.

Being asked to speak at the 140th birthday of this wonderful and caring organisation on October 9th 2015 is an honour and an invitation that took a microsecond to accept.

For me reading has been a huge part of my life so the thought of not being able to pick up a book whenever I feel like it fills me with horror.

Thankfully people who are visually challenged have many options today, largely because of charities like Beacon and the dedicated people who work tirelessly for them.

I enclose a video here which shows how some blind people are living their lives to the full…Wayne Rooney eat your heart out!

I didn’t mean it Wayne, but even you would find scoring that difficult!

It is essential to remember that provision of the necessary services associated with helping visually challenged people live lives to the full is expensive.

Training and providing one guide dog for its working life costs around £50,000.

Nearly 800 dogs were provided in the UK last year and almost 5000 are working with their owners every day.

Housing providers like Bromford go out of their way to install Braille rails and other aids which help people with sight loss get around their homes. They also do a lot to make sure occupants of their properties do not become isolated.

It isn’t just about providing physical support there’s a psychological support requirement too.

Loneliness and isolation is something that can affect the most able person so anything that might isolate an individual from his or her community needs addressing.

If you live in The West Midlands, or come to that anywhere in the UK, why not join us for the 140th birthday of an organisation which does so much for very vulnerable members of our society.

You will experience something over dinner which will stay with you for the rest of your life and is so profound that missing it will do your own life a disservice if you miss it. It will surprise you but afterwards you will feel enlightened and leave with a skip in your step so make sure you’re there.

Go online and book a seat or even better a table or two. All the proceeds are used properly in an effort to improve the lives of a great number of people.

I doubt that Wayne can make it but you never know!

I’m sure my friends at Beacon will welcome you should you wish to come Wayne. Many blind people attend Premiership and other football matches around the country every week.

Come and ‘see’ for yourself how this powerful Beacon has shined on so many lives for 140 years.

Help me help Beacon to help the people who deserve it most and have a brilliant night with friends as a bonus.

Book your table or seat by clicking here and I look forward to seeing you on the 9th.