WHEN Carol Entwistle lost her sight 18 months ago, the change in lifestyle and loss of independence came as great shock to her.

Mrs Entwistle (40), from Bury, was told she would lose her sight in October 2003 after having treatment on her eye.

She said: "Three years ago I lost my sight in my right eye, and a year later the sight in my left eye started to go. I had gone to hospital for photodynamic treatment when the specialist said that my sight had deteriorated to such a point that I could have to be registered blind."

But now, thanks to a £1,000 donation from computer firm PC World, Carol and other blind and visually impaired people in Bury can become more active members of society.

The money has been donated by the Dixons Group Foundation, the charitable arm of PC World to Skillstep, a training programme for unemployed, visually impaired adults to help them acquire a job, further training opportunities and volunteer work.

Carol is the 80th student to have completed Skillstep's free 12-week course, run by the Trafford-based Henshaws Society for Blind People. She says that the course has helped her mobility and empowered her to get out and about on her own.

She said: "For the first time recently, I managed to catch a bus into Bury. I've really missed not being able to get into town and have a chat and a brew with people I know. I took simple things like that for granted before I lost my sight.

"When I first started Skillstep, Henshaws provided me with a taxi to the tram station in Bury, where I'd travel to their care centre in Old Trafford. Someone from Henshaws would meet me at the station and bring me to the centre. And 12 weeks later I could get to Henshaws under my own steam without any help of my own."

The IT aspect of Skillstep was of particular interest to PC World.

Malcolm Edis, of PC World in Bury, said: "IT is very close to our hearts and we were happy to support the work of a local charity which provides such valuable services to visually impaired people."

Before she joined Skillstep, the only time Carol had used a computer was for basic stock-taking in her catering job. But now she is computer literate and has no problem using different software packages.