Have you ever tried pouring a cup of tea with a blindfold on? It’s surprisingly difficult, as I discovered when I went along to the Lauriston Hotel on the seafront last Friday to support World Sight Day.

Most people say their sight is the sense they’d find it hardest to manage without. If you’re in any doubt about the everyday courage blind people need, just try walking across your kitchen or making a sandwich with your eyes shut and you’ll see what I mean.

The Lauriston allows blind people and their families to enjoy the kind of seaside family holiday that the rest of us take for granted. They’re strongly supported by Woodspring Action for Blind People, so there was a large crowd of people who came to last Friday’s event to hear how blind people are holding down responsible jobs, getting around town safely and living normal lives.

So I was feeling inspired the next day, when I went to Somewhere For Us. They’re a club which provides support and friendship for elderly people in Weston. They’ve only been going a few months, but they’ve already got plenty of regulars who come for a meal and a gossip each week. It gives elderly people a reason for getting out and about, so they don’t get isolated and cut off, and the food’s great too!

The best example of active elderly people has to be Weston’s Senior Citizen’s Forum, who I met immediately after leaving Somewhere For Us. Along with Winscombe’s Forum, they’ve collected over 2,000 signatures on a petition against the Council Tax. I’m aiming to present it to Parliament in a few weeks, so the Government understands the impact their policies are having hereabouts.

That’s three impressive local organisations I met in just 24 hours, but there are dozens more. Don’t let anyone say there’s nothing going on Weston!