Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind

At a glance

Causes

  • Physical disabilities

Other details

Organisation type: 
Charity
Geographical remit: 
Local

Objectives

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind (CRCB) provides practical and social support to people with visual impairments from across the city of Coventry and the surrounding areas. Through our wide range of accessible, volunteer-supported activities, we aim to help those living with sight loss lead full, active, independent lives and make meaningful connections. 

Visual impairment affects the older generation disproportionately and strongly exacerbates any other factors that tend towards people becoming isolated. We have people starting with us every week whose sight loss has led to loss of confidence in going out for fear of falling, getting lost or finding themselves in dangerous situations for example. More insidious is a sense that they can no longer do anything much for themselves and rely on others, often only family, to support them, which can be suffocating in itself. Our activities allow people to learn new skills that help them manage their sight loss better and helps people realise how much they are capable of, reducing their reliance on others. Simply being in contact with others who have been through similar experiences helps people improve their independence and often inspires them to do more.

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind was proud to be awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in June 2018 which recognises the extraordinary difference our extraordinary volunteers make in the lives of our beneficiaries.

Activities

We offer a wide range of activities each week that fit broadly into three categories: skills, hobbies and social. Our programme of skills activities includes computing & IT, smartphones & tablets, cooking and braille. Hobbies include creative writing, music, craft, allotment and T’ai Chi. Social groups are Monday Club and a Thursday lunch club, alongside frequent outings and excursions. We offer a minibus service that allows people to attend the centre, who may not have the confidence or ability to use public transport. However, all our activities and services are in some way social groups, with our beneficiaries enjoying contact and making friends with each other and with our volunteers. We also advise on and sell a broad selection of daily living aids from high tech readers to adhesive dots that people can try before they buy. 

Current opportunities

Supporting visually impaired people, CRCB is looking for an active trustee to lead a marketing & comms strategy as we try to reach more people...