Les is one of SRSB’s clients, who is an inspiration to many others because of his enthusiasm and can-do attitude. He runs the Archery Group for visually impaired people, which takes place every Wednesday at the Northern General Hospital in the Spinal Injuries Sports Hall. The group came about as a result of Les attending one of SRSB’s trips to a ‘Have a Go Day’ event. He tried archery and took to it immediately, then eventually decided to start a group.

They obtained a grant and he went on a coaching course with British Blind Sports to achieve his goal to get the group up and running. Pete Stancill, who is a Community Advice Officer at SRSB helped Les to source the Sports Hall and once they had their venue, they began. Now, eight years later, Les and his wife Janet are still there running the group every week. They have gone on to have four National Champions, including Les! Their next outdoor championship is in September 2012.

Les is completely blind in one eye as a result of diabetes, and has on-going issues with the sight in his other eye, but has always adapted to accommodate these challenges. He used to work in Sheffield’s Steel Industry as a furnace man and then went on to design and build milling machines.

When asked if he had a message for other visually impaired people, his reply was, “There is no such thing as ‘can’t’ and there is no ‘impossible’, it is just about finding a way around it.”

People who know Les describe him as a positive, enthusiastic person who wants everyone to enjoy the sport as much as he does. If you are visually impaired and interested in having a go at archery, please contact Les on 0114 246 5515.