There couldn’t be a better year to resolve to ‘see’ what local sight loss support charity N-Vision has to offer – the clue’s in the name, Twenty Twenty!
While some of us enjoy 20-20 vision many simply need prescription glasses or contact lenses to correct short or long sightedness or other issues.
We can get out and about, drive, see the smile on a loved one’s face or meet the new grandchild.
N-Vision, the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind, supports 2500 people living with sight loss severe enough to significantly affect the kind of things the rest of us take for granted.
Maintaining an active social life, and a circle of friends, is hugely important to quality of life.
The charity already runs a weekly social group every Wednesday on site at its social hub Sharples Hall at its Squires Gate HQ, also the base of the Princess Alexandra residential care home, Talking Newspaper, Low Vision Centre and other facilities.
The charity, which covers all three local boroughs, is now about to extend its popular network of monthly café clubs into Garstang, within Wyre, this month (February).
The new café club will meet at Garstang’s Booths Café Thursday February 13 for the very first time. It will be held the second Thursday of every month from 11am to noon. (PS – don’t forget your shopping bags!)
Our café clubs play a huge role as satellite social centres for the charity with members of the Low Vision/Community Service team attending along with volunteers – several of them sight impaired – and those all-important clients.
Coordinator Phil Richardson (pictured with one of our café club regulars Brian Pilgrim) says: ‘We think it’s important we meet at places in the heart of the community – it’s all about inclusion. There’s a risk of increased social isolation with sight loss and the clubs are a great way of getting people out and about, into their town centres, meeting and making new friends, catching up with us, too, if they have any concerns, or need updates. It’s relaxed and informal, you’re among friends and people who get what sight loss is all about.”
Charity CEO Ruth Lambert, who lives over Wyre, has been keen to establish a group further afield. “We have clients in Garstang and over Wyre area and we know it can be hard for them to get into our centre – or the other café clubs. The new club will make it so much easier for them to keep in touch with us and enjoy a good cuppa and a chat.”
N-Vision’s five café clubs meet every month in various town centres. There’s one at the Pavilion Café, at Ashton Gardens, St Annes, the magnificent Mazzei Café at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, the historic North Euston Hotel at Fleetwood, the Tramway Pub at Cleveleys and Booths Café at Poulton.
Ruth adds: “I’m delighted we’re adding Booths Café at Garstang to the café club circuit – and some of our café club members try to get to as many of the clubs as possible! We have clients in the Garstang and over Wyre area – and the new club will make it so much easier for them to keep in touch with us and enjoy a good cuppa and a chat.”
For more information call the Low Vision team on 01253 362696 or follow the charity on social media @N_Vision_NW (Twitter) and nvisionnw Facebook for regular updates. The café clubs, times and locations, are also featured every week on our Talking Newspaper’s society news.