From gin to running laps - a summer of fun events
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Living Paintings, we held a summer of fun fundraising with three charity events and a fabulous prize draw.
Thanks to everybody's help we raised £22,000 for our Touch to See library for blind and partially sighted people.
Summer Prize Draw
Our prize winners have been found!
We were delighted to run a special Prize Draw with the winning tickets being drawn on 19 July 2019.
- Luxury trip to Marrakesh for 2 people – 02121 KC
- iPhone 8, 64GB – 06148 JW
- 2 nights in London with hotel and theatre tickets – 06071 PD
- Case of Champagne – 00357 TH
Thanks to everybody who bought tickets, we raised £4,200 for Living Paintings.
The Botanics Lounge
A fusion of gin and live music!
On June 1st to kick off our summer events, we transformed the Fieldgate Centre, Kingsclere into a gin bar like no other. With huge support from The43Club whose team donated, prepared and served sumptious gin cocktails and live music from Emma Lawrence & Fully Funked, 150 guests had a fabulous evening.
A gift tree was loaded with amazing prizes donated by local businesses and together with fun fundraising games a massive £11,200 was raised on this special evening.
Endure24 Reading
We're running laps around Wasing Park!
We returned to Wasing Park as Endure24’s official charity partner.
From 14-16 June we entertained 400 children of akk ages with free crafting, reading, games, face-painting and activities and much more. Living Paintings World in the Race Village hosted an ultra-fun weekend for the little ones and we promoted our work with blind and partially sighted children at the same time.
Take a look at what we got up to last year!
Midsummer Music
An uplifting summer evening
On July 6th, we held a celebratory concert with the Cromwell Singers of Newbury and guest artistes Forty Thieves. 230 guests enjoyed a variety of music and delicious refreshments as well as a fun raffle.
More than £1,200 was raised – thank you to everybody who attended.
Why we need your help…
"Tots used to love reading before she lost her sight, and I thought her love of reading had gone. Living Paintings has given that back to her." Kali, Tot's mum
“Tayen, aged 7, (known to everyone as Tots) lost her sight at 22 months old as a result of tumours on her optic nerves, caused by the condition neurofibromatosis or NF1.
Reading had been central to our children’s lives from very early on – Tots has 3 big, loving brothers. But for a long time, through illness, hospitalisation and then total blindness, Tots was simply too unwell to even enjoy any kind of book.
However, thanks to Living Paintings Tots has genuinely re-discovered her love of books. She often chats back at the audio description and talks about her own feelings in response to the image she’s reading with her fingers. It’s absolutely beautiful to watch Lucas, her older brother, reading to Tots, whilst she feels the pictures and asks him about the story and the illustrations.” – Kali, Tot’s mum
Celebrities Support Living Paintings
How Living Paintings Changes Lives
Cameron's Story
"Cameron’s big sister Morgan loves to read to him and guide his hand through the books. It’s so lovely to watch them enjoy something together and Living Paintings’ library service certainly helps promote interaction between them." Parent
Isobel's Story
"Finding Living Paintings has been a complete revelation for myself and Isobel. It gives her vital access to free books, with clear images and fantastic, engaging audio descriptions, which can support her learning at school. The fun books, which are arguably more important, increase her ever growing love of reading!" Parent
Nikhil's Story
"Inspired by your Touch to See book about Weather, Nikhil made his own four seasons picture and was able to describe what was happening in each drawing. As well as benefiting Nikhil, our only visually impaired pupil, your tactile books are a great resource for his classmates to share with him. The sighted children enjoy talking about the pictures with Nikhil, so it helps his interaction with his peers. What a wonderful free resource! We are so thankful for this!" Teacher
Ted's Story
We also change the lives of blind and partially sighted young people and adults at home, in school and in the community.
Stats Speak Volumes
Bringing pictures to life!
Listen to some of our famous volunteers describe best-loved picture book characters for blind children.
Lauren Laverne describes The Gruffalo
David Walliams describes The Slightly Annoying Elephant
Hugh Bonneville describes Lost and Found
What We Do
We bring the visual world to life and share it with people with sight loss. We are the only charity in the UK who design, create and publish tactile and audio books for blind and partially sighted people of all ages. We call them Touch to See books and distribute them throughout the UK via our free, postal library.
Our Free Library
Our library of Touch to See books caters for all ages and we’ve got a wide range of subjects including The Gruffalo, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Wallace and Gromit, The International Space Station and much more. Our unique books provide relaxation and reading for pleasure, support education and lifelong learning, enhance lifestyle and inspire leisure interests.
Stay In Touch
We’d like to stay in touch with you. Enter your email to sign up to our newsletter and to receive other information about what we do and how you can support us.
Contact Us
- +44 (0) 1635 299 771
- Unit 8, Kingsclere Park, Kingsclere, Newbury, Berks, RG20 4SW
- info@livingpaintings.org