Kingsclere charity's milestone anniversary
Chief executive visits special little girl
A Kingsclere charity recently celebrated a milestone anniversary with a party for a special little girl.
National award-winning charity Living Paintings reached a milestone 10,000 library members this year.
The charity also celebrates 25 years of publishing in 2015 and lending its Touch to See books, free of charge, to blind and partially-sighted people of all ages across the UK.
To mark the occasion, the charity’s chief executive, Camilla Oldland, visited three-year-old Tayen Gilbert at her home in Bridgwater, Somerset, as she became the 10,000th member of the Living Paintings library, which includes specially-adapted versions of popular children’s books The Gruffalo, Lost and Found and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Ms Oldland presented Tayen with three framed tactile pictures taken from the Living Paintings’ Peppa Pig book, two books signed by celebrity David Walliams, a giant Peppa Pig toy and a large box of her favourite treat, Jaffa Cake rolls.
There was also a celebratory chocolate cake and balloons for Tayen, who has a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 1, is suffering from a large brain tumour and has lost her sight due to tumours on both optic nerves.
Living Paintings has provided a lifeline to the family and Tayen’s mother, Kali, said it had allowed her to rediscover her love of books.
She said: “Before her full vision loss, Tayen loved to look at books and I thought that love had gone with her sight, but Living Paintings has given her a new way to explore and discover. She is able to sit with a Living Paintings book with her brothers so that’s something they can share.”
The charity adds the story in Braille and also creates colourful, tactile images of characters and scenes for the child to feel, while an audio soundtrack describes the illustrations.
Ms Oldland, who has been leading the charity for 25 years, said: “I look forward to reaching thousands more people like little Tayen in the years to come.”
The Living Paintings library also offers books for adults, accompanied by audio guides read by actors and presenters covering art, architecture, leisure interests, the natural world and gallery collections.
Topics of Touch to See resources for teachers range from Anglo Saxons to the Second World War.
For more information about Living Paintings, which is reliant on donations, visit www.livingpaintings.org
