300 BLIND IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31195, 20 October 1966, Page 7

300 BLIND IN CHRISTCHURCH

It was a very startling thought that in New Zealand nine people lost their sight every week, the president of the Auxiliary to the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (Mr T. E. Turner) told members attending the annual meeting. At present there were 3339 blind people in New Zealand he said.

The manager of the Christchurch branch of the foundation (Mr F. F. C. Ashdowne) said that there were 150 blind people in the branch’s district when it was established in 1948.

Today there were over 300 blind people in Christchurch, he said. In region three of the foundation—Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast—there were 750 blind people. In his annual report Mr

Turner said that the work of the foundation was increasing and expanding rapidly. In the last 16 months, there had been a steady growth in facilities for the blind, new hostels and schools had been built, and new equipment bought. The deputy-chairman of the auxiliary (Mr R. H. Harris) who is a member of the New Zealand executive of the foundation, thanked members for the effort they were making.

For the first time in Christchurch, certificates bearing the seal of the foundation, were presented to 24 people who had given 10 or more years of outstanding service for sustained voluntary aid to the foundation. Mr Turner was re-elected president, and Mr R. H. Harris was re-elected deputychairman.