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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£7.9K
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Spending
£9.8K
Public benefits
Statement of Public Benefit The Charity’s activities mitigate the isolation and lack of social contact which frequently accompany sight loss. The charity offers peer support, information exchange and confidence building amongst its members. By organising bespoke tours of places of interest and visits to audio described theatre and cinema
performances for example, the charity promotes social inclusion and provides a richer appreciation of culture and history amongst its members than would otherwise be available to them. By organising recreational activities such as tandem cycling and walking, the charity offers an opportunity for physical exercise and fresh air which might otherwise not be available through mainstream activities. By arranging bespoke classes, for example dancing classes, the charity provides learning opportunities that would not be easily available to a blind or partially sighted person in a mainstream context. By exerting influence on the providers of social, cultural, commercial and recreational facilities, the charity also ensures in a more general way that facilities and services in the area of benefit are run in a more inclusive manner. In this way, all blind and partially sighted people in the area of benefit, and not merely the charity’s own members, are accorded a more inclusive experience when accessing these facilities. Sighted people who are members of the charity or who volunteer with it learn guiding and describing skills and gain a greater awareness of the challenges and barriers faced by people who are blind or partially sighted.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
We; Organise visits to places of interest and to special events within or within reach of the area of benefit. These are bespoke visits specially tailored to our members’ needs, affording adequate opportunity to touch or handle items as well as to enjoy the general experience of the visit. Visits to audio described theatre and cinema
performances. Audio description conveys information not contained in the dialogue and thus helps a blind or partially sighted person enjoy the play or film more on a par with their sighted counterparts. With this in mind, we urge local arts and entertainment providers to offer audio description more comprehensively. Coffee mornings offer the opportunity for peer support and information exchange. They also offer participants the opportunity to try out venues they might not have the knowledge or confidence to try on their own. A by-product of these coffee mornings is the spread of awareness amongst café and restaurant owners in the area of benefit. Classes are set up where a blind or partially sighted person requires individual or small group tuition. For example, we are currently running a series of ballroom dancing lessons. We are assuming responsibility for a walking group and for a tandem cycling groups. These afford an opportunity for physical exercise and a chance to get out and meet people. We are assuming responsibility for a newsletter which aims to keep blind and partially sighted people within the area of benefit not only aware of our own activities but of other local events and developments which may be of interest. Fully sighted people, who are either members or occasional volunteers, act as guides, describers or tandem pilots. Volunteers benefit from the opportunity to become more aware of sight loss and also gain new skills.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
- The advancement of citizenship or community development
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- General public
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory disabilities
- Voluntary and community sector
How the charity works
- Community development
- Cultural
- Disability
- Education/training
- General charitable purposes
- Sport/recreation
- Volunteer development
