beacon centre for the blind

Beacon Centre for the Blind delivers a wide range of services to over 3000 people living with sight loss in the Black Country and Staffordshire. We have 71 two bedroom apartments where people can live independently but with full access to the Centres facilities. We deliver care through the Extracare system to those that need it. 400 people visit our Activity Centre each week to take part in a variety of recreational workshops and social activities. Each service-user is assigned a key worker, and a tailor made programme developed. Our outreach service provides practical information and support to adults and children in their homes. We put on special events at Christmas and other important dates and deliver Christmas hampers to our older service-users. We operate social groups in the community and arrange escorted holidays and outings for visually-impaired adults and children. We provide a comprehensive range of equipment to help with daily tasks which can be ordered and purchased through the Centre. The Centre has the only youth club for visually impaired children and young people in the Black Country. It offers a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities both on and off site. Our Multi-Sensory room, containing bubble tubes, fibre optics etc, provides creative and enjoyable activities and experiences to increase awareness and stimulation in visually-impaired individuals of all ages but most especially in young children. Our Talking Newspaper goes out to around 600 people each week. Beacon Centre for the Blind relies heavily on funds raised in the community to maintain and develop its services. Sound partnerships with local companies and other organizations are essential if we are to meet the needs of people living with sight loss in the West Midlands.