Inspiring athlete Laura takes on night run over Forth Road Bridge to raise funds for sensory loss charity
Forth Valley Sensory Centre logo.
A Team Scotland Commonwealth athlete raised more than £1000 for the charity that gave her back her independence after she lost her sight by running over the Forth Road Bridge at night.
Laura Cluxton took on the Supernova 5K run to raise funds for Forth Valley Sensory Centre. Laura, who is the centre’s sight loss ambassador, completed the race with her husband Joe, raising £1,601.67 to support the charity’s life-changing work. She joined hundreds of runners on the route, overcoming the challenge of running in the dark and with lots of people to complete the race.
She trained with her husband through early morning runs on quiet cycle paths to avoid traffic and people.
FVSC, based in Camelon, supports thousands of people who are blind, partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire. Laura, who competed for Team Scotland as a cyclist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has been involved with FVSC for more than a decade.
She was initially supported by the charity after developing Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that causes loss of vision. At the centre, Laura learned Braille and cooking skills, allowing her to build her confidence and increase her independence. She was also encouraged by new friends to get a guide dog, and currently owns black Labrador Sadie. The 44-year-old then started volunteering at the centre and started in her role as sight loss ambassador in 2022, a position funded by the charity, Blindcraft Trust.
FVSC has supported people with sensory loss and their families who live in central Scotland, including Stirling and Clackmannanshire, for more than 15 years. It acts as a community hub, offering support, advice, practical help, and social opportunities. The centre has around 20,000 visitors every year and is funded by a mix of statutory funding and donations.
Joe with his arm around Laura standing on the Forth Bridge at night, wearing yellow sweatshirts that say “Blind Runner” and wearing medals around their necks.
Laura Cluxton, Forth Valley Sensory Centre sight loss ambassador“The centre is a huge part of my life, and we wanted to give back some of the support it has given me over the years. The biggest challenge on the night was definitely the darkness - along with the amount of people. Although I have a very tiny amount of vision left, in the dark it disappears which makes the world seem a very different place, especially when I am on a suspended bridge over the river Forth. The whole experience on the night was amazing. I felt all our training had paid off and I actually enjoyed the run. I felt really proud of myself and Joe to get to the point we could work flawlessly as a team to complete the run."
“Other people taking part didn’t know that I am blind, so it was difficult to expect them to give me and Joe extra space. To help with this we bought Hi Viz tops that say Blind Runner and Guide Runner to try to create some awareness. I think they definitely helped as I never felt uncomfortable or squashed in.”
Jacquie Winning MBE, Forth Valley Sensory Centre chief executive“We want to say thank you to Laura for taking on this challenge to support our work. We are really proud of her and Joe for taking on this challenge. Laura is a really important person at FVSC and inspires everyone with her positive attitude. She shows every day what is possible for people who lose their sight if they get the right support. We are hugely grateful to everyone who donated. We are grateful to Blindcraft Trust for funding Laura's post.”
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