Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted

01/06/2026

A very Happy Volunteers' Week from all of us at Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted! On behalf of everyone at the society, we'd like to extend a huge thank you to all our fabulous volunteers, without whose help the charity simply couldn't run.

This week, we'll be shining the spotlight on five of our volunteers here at Ashville Lodge. First up is Paula Cartwright, one of our longest-serving volunteers, who has been part of our team since 1999. Paula's a familiar face to many on reception whilst also running a social group on Tuesday mornings and helping out at Wednesday's craft group. Paula's always willing to help us at short notice too in covering reception and our events.

"Hi, my name is Paula and I have been a volunteer at Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted since 1999. I have really enjoyed my time at Ashville Lodge.

"Whilst here, I have volunteered for a range of roles including running the Tuesday morning social group and working on reception on Tuesday afternoons. I also help Norma at the craft group on Wednesday afternoons and cover reception and various groups when needed.”

Thanks so much for all your help, Paula!

29/05/2026

Just a quick reminder that we're having another Low Vision Aid Demonstration Day on Tuesday 23rd June, starting at 10.00am. Please feel free to drop in to discuss all the latest assistive technology products from industry specialists Optelec.

📍 Ashville Lodge, Ashville Road, Birkenhead, CH41 8AU
📆 Tuesday 23rd June 2026
⏰ 10.00am - 2.00pm

Everyone's welcome to pop in for a chat about their latest electronic magnifiers, talking devices and other equipment supporting people with sight loss to maintain independence in their homes and when going out into the community.

[Image below shows the event flyer for the event with dates, times and a brief overview.]

29/05/2026

We're hiring!

Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted is looking for an Office Administrative Assistant to join the team at Ashville Lodge.

This role involves supporting the staff team by providing administrative duties including maintaining records and databases, and assisting with correspondence with clients and volunteers.

• National Living Wage
• 25 hours per week
• Suggested working days are Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays but this is flexible
• Reports to Centre Supervisor

For a full description of the role or to apply, please see our Indeed job page linked below. If you would like to discuss the role before applying or require any accessibility support to apply, please call our centre on 0151 652 8877 and ask for James or drop an e-mail to [email protected].

Suitable candidates will receive a response within 7 days of the application deadline. Closing date for applications is Monday 15th June at 9.00am.

Interviews will take place on Monday 29th June in person at our Ashville Lodge Resource Centre in Birkenhead.

20/04/2026

Help us shape the next chapter of our charity’s journey!

We’re looking for a Director/Trustee who can bring independent judgment, strategic insight, and a passion for supporting people with sight loss.

This is a voluntary position.

Our directors play a vital role in making sure that WSBPS achieves its core purpose. They oversee the management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that the charity has a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the staff team, who sit under the board of Directors, to enable growth and development, and through this, achieve our mission.

To learn more about the Director/Trustee position, email [email protected] and we’ll send you the full role description.
If the role feels like a good fit and you are able to commit your time, you can then email us again to express your interest.

16/04/2026

We worked with Roy, as well as Emma on their team, when attaining our Visibly Better Employer standard and they were supportive and informative throughout the process.

Here is some more information from Roy about what it means to be a Visibly Better Employer through RNIB.

16/04/2026

We just wanted to share that in the past year WSBPS have attained the Visibly Better Employer standard!

We are proud to display our plaque, provided to us by RNIB, to advertise our commitment to inclusive recruitment and employment practices, ensuring that people with visual impairments receive our support to thrive in our workplace.

RNIB offers this free support service to all employers, and we encourage other local businesses to enquire as to how their service could help you adapt your workplaces to support employees with accessibility needs.

01/04/2026

Today is the day!

Sarah from HumanWare and Jason from VisionAid Technologies Ltd are here to demonstrate their low vision equipment.

They will be in our Resource Centre between 10am and 2pm to answer your questions and support you in finding the right aids for your needs. This includes:

• Magnifiers
• Talking Devices
• Lighting
• Wearable Aids
• AI readers

Anybody is welcome to drop in, so please come along!

01/04/2026

We were lucky to have Martin, a representative from HumanWare, in our centre yesterday to demonstrate the new BrailleNote Evolve to our volunteer George.

Staff joined in the presentation to see the developments made to the BrailleNote Touch Plus in order to serve the needs of the sight loss community. The BrailleNote Evolve uses Windows 11 allowing the user better support in education and working environments. Accessing Microsoft platforms such as Outlook, Teams and Word helps remove barriers for people with visual impairments, in particular braille readers, excelling in employment.

We have Humanware in again today, as well as VisionAid, to showcase some more technology they have available to support independence.
Drop in to Ashville Lodge today between 10am and 2pm to find out what is on offer!

31/03/2026

Don't forget we're having a Low Vision Aid Demonstration Day tomorrow, starting at 10.00am. Please feel free to drop in to discuss all the latest assistive technology products from both HumanWare and VisionAid Technologies Ltd.

📍 Ashville Lodge, Ashville Road, Birkenhead, CH41 8AU
📆 Wednesday 1st April 2026
⏰ 10.00am - 2.00pm

Everyone's welcome to pop in for a chat with Sarah and Jason about their latest electronic magnifiers, talking devices and other equipment supporting people with sight loss to maintain independence in their homes and when going out into the community.

[Image below shows the event flyer for tomorrow's event with dates, times and a brief overview.]

28/03/2026

Our Easter Fair has began! We hope to see many of you here today 😁

Come and join us here at Ashville Lodge on 28th March for a family-friendly Easter day with afternoon tea, an Easter Egg Hunt featuring the Easter Bunny, face painting, a raffle and a craft stall with items for sale created by our group members! 🐣🐥🐇

📍 Ashville Lodge, Ashville Road, Birkenhead, CH41 8AU
📆 Saturday 28th March 2026
⏰ 12.00pm - 2.30pm

Everyone's welcome so please spread the word!

[The image below shows the Easter Fair poster including the date and time, a brief summary of the activities as detailed above, with pictures of bunting, a rabbit and an egg.]