Taunton schoolgirl to go blind this bonfire night

An eight-year-old schoolgirl from Taunton is sacrificing her eye-sight this November 5 to raise money for charity.

North Town Primary School pupil, Iris Baker, was inspired by watching blind Paralympians in the London 2012 games and will miss out on the visual delights  of bonfire night to raise funds for Somerset Sight.

Iris said: "During the school holidays I watched the swimming and followed Rebecca Adlington and Tom Daly as I love swimming.

"Then when the Paralympics started I thought wow, when I saw the blind swimmers, they are so fast and very clever.  

"I thought how much I like swimming and how hard it would be to do it if you couldn't see everything," she added, "so I said to mummy and daddy that I would like to know how hard it would be to be blind."  

Iris is a keen swimmer herself and has recently started swimming for Taunton Deane Swimming Club.  

After discussing the idea with her parents, eight-year-old Iris decided a local charity for the blind would be a great way to help and raise awareness about people with visual impairments.

"I went to visit them and decided to raise money for them as they help lots of people who can't see and the work they do is awesome," she said.

"I really hope I can raise a lot of money for them."

Iris added: "I don't mind missing seeing the fireworks properly as I think this is how lots of children and adults see them every year and I want to know what it is like."

Justine Baker, Iris' mother, said: "This was all her idea during the school holidays and she really wanted to do it at school so her friends could see how it would be to be partially sighted.

"We are very proud of her wanting to do this and her determination to raise a lot of money."

To sponsor Iris and help raise money for Somerset Sight, you can visit her Virgin Money Fundraising page.