Social Groups

Activities

Bournemouth Blind Society offers a programme of social events. Each Monday and Thursday members enjoy chatting over a cup of tea or coffee during the morning, followed by a cooked lunch and occasional popular afternoon activities.

Our activities can include:

Music, Quizzes, Talks and Memory Box.

In the past we have also run Arts & Crafts, Bingo and Exercise sessions.

 

 

 

Bournemouth Blind Society owns a minibus and this is used to collect members from their homes and bring them to the Centre.  Seating is limited and is dependent on the routes running on any given day.

The current standard charge for Monday or Thursday events is £17 including Lunch and Transport or £11 without Transport. Payment is made on arrival at the Centre. Outings away from the Centre may cost more and are payable in advance. Lunch and Transport are pre-booked. Please contact  Jo  or  Gemma to book your place or telephone the office on 01202 546644.  

Drop in Café

Bournemouth Blind Society runs a Drop in Café every Tuesday morning from 10am to 12 noon which is open to any visually impaired person in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole area who would like to call in. The Café regulars are a friendly group of people and anyone new is always given a warm welcome.

A Breakfast Menu is available.

Minibus transport may be available, at a cost of £6.

Please contact  Jo or Gemma on 01202 546644 to arrange transport, if available.

 

Archery – activity currently suspended due to lack of outdoor venue

Thanks to the generosity of the Steve Bernard Foundation in providing the equipment and the Wimborne  Sagittarii Archery Club  providing the tutors, a VI Archery group ran most Tuesday evenings of the year.

During the dark evenings, the group previously met in the Rooper Hall from 6pm.  In the lighter summer months, the group met outside near Knighton Farm, Canford Magna and shot arrows over a longer distance.  However, this venue has been sold and is now a housing development, so until an alternative venue can be found we are unable to offer Archery.

If you would be interested in joining the Archery group, when/if it re-opens, please contact the office on 01202 546644 as we need to ensure that sufficient helpers are present for the number of archers.  Transport may be available at a cost of £6.

 

Tandems

Bournemouth Blind Society owns a fleet of six tandems for use by blind and partially sighted people during the summer months. Two brand new tandems were donated by the Steve Bernard Foundation in 2013.

The tandem group is totally reliant on volunteer ‘pilots’ to ride on the front. Trips have ranged from ‘easy’ along Bournemouth seafront  to ‘extreme’ for one or two who took part in the ‘Dorset Knobbler’ (100km through the Purbecks.)

To have a trial ride, or to make a regular commitment as a ‘stoker’ (the person on the back), please contact the office on 01202 546644 so that we can arrange a suitable pilot for you.

Walking Group

The Bournemouth Blind Society Walking Group meet on the last Friday of each month from April to October.  Walks are gentle to moderate, usually on hard paths and end at a café.  Guides are available for blind members and there are usually optional ‘shorter’ and a ‘longer’ routes planned.  The guides will describe the scenery/architecture throughout the walk and often have little gems of local knowledge to make the walk even more interesting!

Previous walks have included Poole Park, Upton Country Park, Bournemouth Chines, Christchurch, Poole Quay, Moors Valley Country Park and the New Forest.  Transport may be provided from your front door (£6).

Unfortunately, we are unable to take wheelchair users or anyone who relies on walking aids other than a walking stick. Booking is essential, since numbers are limited by guide availability. Please phone the office on 01202 546644 for further details.

 

Dorset VI Cricket Team

Bournemouth Blind Society supports the  Dorset VI Cricket Team.  

The team was formed in September 2013.  They are a mixed gender team with a wide age range of players in their squad.  They currently play in BCEW’s Southern Regional League.

The Bournemouth Blind Society minibus is often used by the team to travel to away fixtures.

If you are interested in joining the team or want to find out more information, please check out their website or phone our office on 01202 546644 and we will pass your details onto Captain Steve Bailey.