A Birmingham school has celebrated its 10th anniversary of providing guides at an international event for blind and visually impaired people.

Pupils from Lordswood Girls School, in Harborne

Pupils from Lordswood Girls School, in Harborne, volunteered to act as ‘sighted guides’ at the Queen Alexandra College (QAC) Sight Village Exhibition, which took place last month at the New Bingley Hall.

Volunteers are needed on site to assist any visually impaired or blind people to navigate their way around the event and advise them as to the services and equipment on show.

Lordswood Girls School has provided girls (and a few boys, from its mixed sixth form) to assist as ‘sighted guides’ for the Birmingham exhibition for the past 10 years, with 47 volunteers taking part this year.

The Exhibition Organiser, Karen Easthope, said: “We are extremely grateful to Lordswood Girls School for providing volunteers year after year. We receive many positive comments and compliments about the sighted guides from both visitors and exhibitors. The work that they do is invaluable and contributes to the success of the show.”

Lordswoods Girls School Achievement Co-ordinator, Ruth Bird, added: “Our sixth formers always come back from the event full of the experience and humbled by how well people with visual disabilities cope with everyday life.”

This was the 18th year of Sight Village, and the exhibition played host to over 1700 people over three days.

QAC’s Sight Village Exhibitions are held at various locations throughout the UK, and are some of Europe’s leading events showcasing technology and services for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Exhibitors and visitors come from around the world to take part and network with each other. The Birmingham exhibition is the flagship show, with others held in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester.

The next Sight Village will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Manchester, on 27th September.

For more information, please visit www.qac.ac.uk/sightvillage/index.html.