Fundraisers have smashed their target of raising £24,000 in 24 hours on July 24 for blind and visually-impaired families in Greenwich. SARAH TROTTER discovers more about the Great Greenwich Give campaign.

AFTER weeks of anticipation, July 24 finally arrived and the epic fundraising challenge began.
Blind 60-year-old Dr Tom Pey kicked-off proceedings by bravely scaling the colossal O2 to kickstart a 24-hour fundraising marathon for visually impaired families in Greenwich.

The Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB) chief executive put his faith in just a harness to scale the North Greenwich-based music dome for his 90-minute climb.

The daredevil act was part of a host of community charity events including pop-up shops, market stalls, a dance off and collections around Greenwich.

Speaking of the challenge, former investment banker Dr Pey, who went blind aged 39, said:
"The hardest part was putting my foot on the first rung.

"But what spurred me on is that blind people should be able to live life beyond sight loss.
"We impose limits on ourselves, so every step I took was really about me breaking those limits down.
"I’m no longer afraid of heights, and ready for my next challenge."

Source: Thisislocallondon.co.uk