Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted

A few months ago we had Ellis from BBC Radio Merseyside visit our volunteers with sight loss about their experience with pavement parking and other issues that affect them in Wirral. Give it a listen to hear some of the concerns our visually impaired community want to share.

However, “Lost Sight doesn’t mean Lost Vision”! At WSBPS we can support you with peer support, our ECLO who can support you at the hospital, our advocate who can support you with accessing benefits, and our Low Vision Aids officer who can help you with daily living equipment.

Today is World Sight Day. World Sight Day is a global initiative highlighting the importance of taking care of our eyes and vision, raising awareness of visual impairments, and promoting eye and vision care. #WorldSightDay #SightLoss #Charity #WSBPS #wirral

It is currently estimated that in the WHO European Region, on average less than 40% of those who would benefit from cataract surgery have received it and achieved good outcomes. These figures illustrate the barriers that are faced by people with sight loss accessing healthcare.

Whilst there is support available for those living with sight loss, it is not accessible to all. There are over 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss and only around 340,000 are registered, this means over 1.5 million people live with sight loss and are unregistered.

Other health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can also be detected during a sight test. This is why getting regular eye health and sight tests is so important.

In the United Kingdom, 2 million people suffer from severe sight loss that interferes with their daily activities. Half of the vision loss is avoidable. A sight test can detect early signs of conditions such as glaucoma, which can be treated if discovered early enough.

Happy National Eye Health Week! Our young work experience volunteer Steven, who himself has a visual impairment, has been researching this week and has prepared these slides/images to raise awareness. #NationalEyeHealthWeek #SightLoss #WSBPS #charity #Wirral

Thank you to our sighted guide volunteers who make trips like this possible and accessible! There is so much History in Wirral, as our local history discussion group enjoy uncovering, and we are excited for more trips in the future. #BirkenheadPriory #Wirral #SightLoss

Our wonderful guide Samantha was knowledgeable, engaging and ensured the visit was accessible and safe for all our members with sight loss. This is definitely a place to visit if you have not been already, and our art class are already planning their return to do more artwork.

Despite the weather, members from our history and art groups had a wonderful time learning the rich history of Birkenhead Priory and planning architecture to sketch. Birkenhead Priory offer an audible and tactile experience when visiting their historical sight #TactileTours

We have another celebration in October for our 35 year anniversary, which we will be posting more about soon so check our social media for further information. #WSBPS #Wirral #Charity

Thank you to our volunteers who helped us run, not only this event, but all events and day to day activities we run. Your dedication, commitment, and feedback is what enables us to support as many people with sight loss as we do, and we could not be more thankful to you all.

Wow! 35 years as a charity, but most importantly, 35 years being guided in our work by people with lived experience of sight loss. Last month, we were privileged to host a garden party at our Ashville Lodge resource centre to celebrate our 35 years as a charity. #35years #WSBPS

New website coming We're saying goodbye to outdated information and inaccessible design. Our new site will be a hub of current events, volunteering opportunities, and easy ways to support our community’s suggestions? Share them with us at hello@wirralsociety.org.uk.

Please come along to celebrate with us and learn more about the history of our charity and how it has led to where we are now. We will have some of our old photographs and documents from 1989 to 2024. There will be drinks, cakes and a raffle so please drop by! #Wirral

We are turning 35! This year marks our 35th year as a registered sight loss charity in Wirral and we want to celebrate with you. On Friday the 23rd August, we will be hosting a garden party at our Ashville Lodge resource centre from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. All are welcome!