Metro Blind Sport 50th Golden Anniversary Panel Discussion

Season 2, Episode 284,   Dec 22, 2023, 04:00 PM

Metro Blind Sport is a London based charity creating fun, accessible sport and social activity opportunities for people who are blind or partially sighted, of all ages and abilities. Established in 1973 by a group of passionate blind and partially sighted individuals keen to break down barriers to sports participation.

On Friday 21st April 2023 Metro Blind Sport celebrated their 50th Golden Anniversary with a gala dinner at Queen’s Club in London.

To celebrate 50 golden years of Metro Blind Sport RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey felt that it would be a good time to look back at the history of Metro Blind Sport, talk about some of the club’s achievements over the years and how sport has helped blind and partially sighted people both on and off the playing field, track slopes and pitch.

For this Metro Blind Sport 50th Golden Anniversary round table panel discussion Toby was joined by  - 

Mike Brace CBE DL, one of the three founding members of Metro, a decorated Paralympian and part of the committee behind the very successful London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Roy Smith MBE another decorated Paralympian, Chair of Metro for 30 years and also their first Chief Executive

Odette Batteral a Metro Member and one of the first visually impaired Blind or Sound Tennis Coaches in the UK who has worked within the VI sector for a number of years.

Mike, Roy and Odette began by telling Toby how they got into sport, with Mike and Roy explaining how Metro first started following a conversation in a London pub back in 1973, then to the achievements of the club and it’s members over the last 50 years and then to the future of Metro for the next 50 years. 

To find out more about Metro Blind Sport and how to become a member do visit the club’s website - https://www.metroblindsport.org 


Image: RNIB Connect Radio Bright Green 20th Anniversary Logo