History

Formed by four local men in 1935, the Society was first known as the Scarborough Society for the Welfare of the Blind. In 1992 the name was changed to the Scarborough Blind and Partially Sighted Society. The need for such a society was seen by four local men, Mr J Catchpole, Mr H Leadbeater, Mr F Horton and Mr A Wood, and its broad aim was to help local blind and partially sighted people.

Over the years the Society has given assistance to the client group in the form of help to pay for gas and electricity, furniture, prescription charges and spectacles, together with interest free loans, transport, free coal, grants towards holidays, outing and the supply of various items which help towards normal daily living and associated tasks. For a number of years a gift of £10 was given at Christmas, but the introduction of new Charity Commission regulations meant that this was no longer possible.

In 1954 the Blind Social Club was formed, meeting twice a month at South Cliff Methodist Hall where blind and partially sighted members met socially, being entertained by local choirs, bands and musicians. The Club was disbanded in 1991, due to lack of support.

In 1983 it was felt that there was a need for a Talking Newspaper in Scarborough and a Committee of interested volunteers was formed. The equipment needed to set up the newspaper was purchased by the Society, who also provided the necessary funding for the first few years, until the Scarborough Talking Newspaper could stand on its own feet and become a charity in its own right.

Over the years the Society operated on a part-time basis in various rented rooms, until 1988 when plans were formulated to set up a permanent Resource Centre. With the help of donations from the Yorkshire Telethon Trust and the National Telethon Trust, the premises at 33a Scalby Road were purchased and adapted.

In 1991 Mrs Viv Wright was appointed to the position of part-time Co-ordinator, to extend the facilities at the Center, and in the summer of 1992 an extension was added to the existing building and the interior re-designed and refurbished. The Co-ordinator’s working hours increased to full-time in the following year, and an Information Assistant was appointed. Society News, the monthly magazine produced by the Society was introduced at this time, and over 600 copies a month are now distributed in large print, tape, Braille and email.

In 1993 an Information Point was set up at the Eye Clinic at Scarborough Hospital, manned by volunteers who gave advice and assistance to patients, as well as showing a small range of the equipment available at the Centre.

At this time computer tuition was introduced, with visually impaired members having access to computers fitted with speech synthesisers, enabling them to learn to touch-type, and then to progress to word processing etc.

Over the next few years demand for services and facilities increased, and in 1996 the Society took on the added responsibility of offering services to visually impaired people in the Whitby and Ryedale areas, and a Resource Day was held at Church House, Whitby on the last Friday of each month.

In 1998 the Society bought premises on Dean Road, Scarborough, with a view to developing a much bigger, modern Resource Centre. An application for National Lottery Funding was made, and in March 1999 the news came that a grant of £150,000 had been awarded to refurbish the premises at Dean Road. The work on converting the building was completed in October 1999, when the new Resource Centre opened. The extended facilities now include a large resource demonstration area, an activity room and training kitchen, disabled toilet facilities, a talking lift, mini-gym, computer suite and a recording studio. The Centre was officially opened on 27th January 2000, by actress Honor Blackman.

Mrs Wright is now the Society’s Chief Officer, assisted by three members of staff at the Centre which is now a recognised part of life for many sight impaired people throughout the whole area who use the facilities on a regular basis. The gym and computer facilities are very popular with people of all ages. The Society receives many accolades in recognition of its work, and in 2006 its IT Tutor David Dartnall-Smith was the runner-up UK Silver Surfer of the Year.