This year marks a very special milestone for our charity partners, British Blind Sport (BBS) – an incredible 50 years of empowering people with vision impairments through sport! We’ve been thrilled to join in many of the celebrations, and we’re even more delighted to share that Clive Spencer, our former Head of PE, received the prestigious Legacy Award at the BBS 50th Anniversary Awards Dinner.
Clive was nominated for this award by Jane Price, our current Head of PE, who proudly attended the event as his guest. Her nomination highlighted Clive’s lifelong dedication to creating opportunities for people with vision impairments to participate and excel in sport.
Clive’s story is truly inspiring. He joined New College Worcester (NCW) in 1967 and remained a driving force in PE until his retirement in 2008. His impact didn’t stop there – Clive has continued to volunteer and support VI sport well into his retirement. From being present at the very first British Blind Sport meeting in 1975 to shaping the development of Goalball in Great Britain, his contribution has been immense. He coached the men’s Goalball team for many years, officiated competitions, and helped establish club-level play.
Beyond Goalball, Clive played a key role in countless sporting opportunities:
- Over 42 years of involvement in the BBS Swimming Gala
- Organising early ski trips for VI students in the 1970s
- Coaching and umpiring Blind Cricket teams
- Supporting track and field athletes
As one colleague put it:
“Clive’s aim in life has been to teach people as best he could and help them achieve as much as possible in their sport – always in a quiet, unassuming manner.”
We are proud to see Clive’s incredible legacy recognised on such a significant occasion. His knowledge and passion for VI sport have shaped generations of athletes and inspired countless achievements.
To mark the 50th anniversary, BBS also commissioned a powerful poem, “50 Years of Strength”, written and performed by Dave Steele, The Blind Poet – a fitting tribute to the resilience and community spirit that defines VI sport.
Fifty Years of Strength By Dave Steele The Blind Poet
For fifty years the torch has shone,
A beacon built through love and fight,
It started small, a dream to share,
And grew into this hall tonight.
They opened doors where none had been,
Inviting hands to reach, to play,
For those who thought that sport had gone,
New hope was found in joy that day.
A child who’d never kicked a ball,
Was told “you can, come join, explore,”
And laughter rose as goals were made,
The fear replaced with something more.
A runner found a guiding hand,
A swimmer learned the lanes by sound,
Each simple step became a leap,
Where freedom, strength, and hope were found.
It wasn’t only champions made,
But confidence in hearts once shy,
A place where strangers soon felt home,
A chance to spread their wings and fly.
For fitness builds far more than health,
It mends the soul, it lifts the mind,
It teaches all who take that step,
Together no one’s left behind.
From cricket fields to goalball courts,
From tandem bikes to tracks of red,
Each sport a language all can speak,
Each moment words could not have said.
They taught the world to truly see,
Through understanding, hearts align,
For knowledge shared brings brighter days,
And helps each hidden star to shine.
Through partnerships the pathway grew,
Together dreams were made anew,
Each coach, each guide, each volunteer,
Each hand that lifts, each voice that cheers.
For talent, too, the pathway grew,
From grassroots dreams to medals worn,
Paralympic fires were lit,
From seeds of courage once forlorn.
Yet still the heart beats just the same,
Not trophies held, but lives made whole,
For BBS has always known,
That sport restores and lifts the soul.
For every age, for every voice,
In every place, we share the choice,
To move, to try, to take our part,
And feel the flame within the heart.
And now we stand together here,
To honour all that’s come before,
To pledge that in the years ahead,
We’ll build on this, and still do more.
So rise with pride, all gathered now,
For history’s written by our song,
British Blind Sport has shown the world,
That courage makes the weak grow strong.
The flame still burns its light will guide,
Each path we tread, each dream we chase,
For fifty years we’ve changed the game,
And now the future takes its place.
So lift your hearts for all who’ve played,
For every mark their courage made,
For all who’ve shaped this noble cause
Let’s fill this room with proud applause
