A VISUALLY impaired boy from Basingstoke has been celebrated for helping to show other children with sight loss they can still join in fun activities.

Bob Clarke, nine, was given the Andrew Thorburn Award for Outstanding Achievement by Open Sight Hampshire.

A keen dancer since the age of three, Bob was diagnosed with Optic nerve atrophy and ataxia at six-years-old. However, the loss of sight has not stopped Bob from dancing and carrying out other activities such as martial arts where he is a green belt.

Bob's mum Rebecca Clarke said: “Bob is so happy to receive this award from Open Sight Hampshire. He has always loved life and likes to show that he is more than his disabilities and that visually impaired children can still join in all the fun and activities that his sighted friends do and can be amazing at them as well.”

Bob was given the award alongside two other visually impaired people, Josh McCreery and Janice Eastlake, both from Southampton.

This is the first year, the sight charity based in Eastleigh, has presented the award, which was created in memory of our former trustee, Andrew Thorburn. It aims to celebrate the successes and achievements of the whole visually impaired community in Hampshire.

Nominations were invited from across the community during the summer, and then Open Sight Hampshire trustees had the onerous task of choosing the winners in the three age categories. The winners were presented with their awards by the Mayor of Eastleigh, Cllr Adam Manning, at a special event to mark World Sight Day (October 13).

Jane Beesley, of Open Sight Hampshire, said: “We’d like to congratulate all the winners for their achievements, they are all truly inspirational. We are delighted to give these awards, which is a wonderful way to start to see out our celebrations of our centenary year.”