Phil was told how Spoon's investment had been the spark to encourage further investment into much needed refurbishment of the existing facilities.

Trusts officer Karen Yates was particularly impressed with Phil's interaction with so many of the young people who use the charity's services. "It was clear that Phil wanted to understand the difficulties our young people face and how we were supporting them," explained Karen. "The time he spent chatting with everyone was really appreciated." She went on to say that the visit had given staff at the centre a huge boost.



Phil then popped literally next door to Queen Alexandra College, a national charity for blind, sight impaired and those with other disabilities. There the sports students had devised a series of exercises designed to demonstrate what it's like to be a blind sportsperson. Wearing specially adapted glasses to simulate total blindness, peripheral and tunnel vision, Phil experienced a number of different sports where communication is the key.

"From participating I learned that having a deficiency in one of your senses means that you have to adapt in other areas," said Phil. "My technique in catching a rugby ball failed to live up to my own expectations when I couldn't see but when taught to increase the target area I fared much better. Most rugby players like myself take our senses for granted take one away and the level of difficulty increases immensely."

Armed with his new knowledge Phil ran a small coaching session which everyone agreed was a great way to end such an enjoyable afternoon.