Your Our Hero

From Evening Gazette saturday July 14 2001 By Michelle Ruane A Blind group founder has earned praise from the youngsters he helps bring together. Keith Craddy set up the Cleveland Youth Club For The Sight Impaired nearly nine years ago. Young members are encouraged to bring there sighted friends and relatives along to the club's weekly social and activity meetings. Now Keith's tireless work with the club has earned him a nomination in the Gazette's community Champion awards. Middlesbrough brothers Robert and Peter Bowstead nominated Keith in the Champion for Youth category. Robert, 13, who is visually impaired and attends a special unit at Coulby Newham school, said: He makes kids with disabilities feel they don't have a disability. "He's our hero." Peter, 15, of Brackenhoe School, praised Keith for bringing together blind and sighted youths. "Keith makes everyone feel really special and really involves those who come to the club with ther brothers or sisters," he said. Keith, of South Bank, was "thrilled and surprised" to hear the news he has been nominated. He said, I used to do voluntary work for the local social services such as delivering talking books to the visually impaired. While doing the work, I never saw any visually impaired kids, which made me ask what was available for them. Inspired, he approached the council about launching a youth club for visually impaired youngsters and after a year of hard work, it was created. Around 25 visually impaired youngsters, aged from 5 to 18, regularly meet at the club based at the Teesside Society for the Blind, Stockton Road, Middlesbrough. Outings, parties and holidays are organised by the club, which relies on fundraising to run the club.