Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having a good level of sight and hearing is something which many of us take for granted on a daily basis and it is sometimes easy to forget that not everyone has this full ability.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 93.75pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some, something as simple as making a cup of tea or washing the dishes can become a huge challenge whilst activities such as walking down the street can become a near impossibility over fear, anxiety and lack of confidence.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">North East Sensory Services (NESS) works to deal with the vast range of issues that hearing and sight based impairment can create. </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">This ranges from giving access to specialist household items for impaired people to providing extensive support with befriending services and even provision of fitness equipment, all of which help toward increasing the independence and general quality of life for impaired people in the north east of Scotland.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From September 1st to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">September 13th 2011</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">, together with my guide Elizabeth Griffiths, I will complete a blindfolded walk across the 192 mile coast to coast trail to raise money for </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NESS</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> so they can continue providing these vital services. Whilst certainly an epic journey to walk, let alone without the use of sight, I hope it will really make people reflect on the difficulty that can be associated with impairment.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">The walk will be completed on the following schedule:</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">30 August: Bees-Ennerdale (14 miles)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">31 </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">August: Ennerdale-Rosthwaite (14 miles)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">1</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"> September: Rosthwaite-Patterdale (18.5 miles)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">2 September: Patterdale-Shap (15.5 miles)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">3 </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">September: Shap-Kirby Stephen (21 miles)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">4 September: Kirby Stephen-Keld (12 miles)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">5 September: Keld-Reeth (11.5 miles)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">6 September: Reeth-Richmond (10.5 miles)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">7</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"> September: Richmond-Ingleby Cross (23 miles)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">8</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"> September: Ingleby cross-Clay bank top (12 miles)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">9 September: Clay bank top-Glaisdale (23 miles)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: small;">·</span><span style="font: 7pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">10 September: Glaisdale-Robin hoods bay (20 miles)</span></span></p>
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