Based in Greater Manchester Henshaws helps people of all ages, providing specialist services for children and young people, and wide-ranging services including Friendship Matters groups, support with technology, counselling, visual impairment awareness training, and enablement services, for adults.
Preventing loneliness and isolation has always been a part of the charity’s work, and the organisation’s approach has changed in line with changes in our society and our communities. But the work of the organisation is as relevant today as it was 200 years ago when it was founded.
Fight for Sight has awarded Henshaws with one year of funding to create a portfolio of accessible social and hobby groups for visually impaired people in Greater Manchester.
Through Visual Impairment Awareness Training (VIAT) engagement officers train members of staff at facilities which offer a range of sport and leisure activities. A recent session was held at Salford University with Cycling UK. The session was delivered to four members of staff, one of the attendees said: “What a day it was yesterday! Thanks again for coming, we all learnt a lot and I'm feeling way more equipped to run sessions for people with visual impairments.” Each training session is practical and tailored to the facility and its activities on offer.
The charity’s approach is person centred, and the pathway to independence model begins with the simplest of questions; ‘how can we help you?’ Support is tailored to individual needs and aims to improve confidence and independence, helping people to achieve the goals they set themselves.
The funding was awarded to Henshaws as part of an application round specifically funding projects aimed at preventing loneliness and isolation across the country. As an evidence-based funder our rounds are guided by research that we have commissioned to understand what life is like for someone with a visual impairment. This round, and two previous rounds, have been guided by the findings from our research which found that 1 in 3 vision impaired people experience loneliness and isolation.
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