West Cumbria Society for the Blind

27/03/2026

27/03/2026

Yesterday we attended the Cumberland Council's Social Prescribing Day at Maryport Library.

Events like this are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the wide range of local services available to support you and your community.

We really enjoyed chatting with everyone about what we do and the support we can offer. It was also a brilliant chance to connect with other organisations and services we can refer our clients to — helping ensure they receive all available support 😊

24/03/2026

Join us at the Social Prescribing Day on the 26th of March at the Maryport Library.

Come along for information and advice, demonstration of low-vision aids and much more.

Use the following link to find out more about the event at cumberland.gov.uk

09/03/2026

Ever come across those bumpy things on the pavement and wondered what they actually mean.

They’re tactile markers, which can be found at roadsides, stairs and railway platforms to help blind and partially sighted people navigate safely. And while we’re at it… we thought we’d put together a mini manual to explain what each one means.

[Image Description: Four cards arranged left to right. The first card is titled “Blister paving (the ‘spotty’ one).” with text explaining it “Feels like: Rows of round bumps. Where: At crossings and platform edges. Means: ‘Careful! You’re at the edge.’” Beneath the text is a photo of pale tactile paving dotted with small round bumps at the start of a pedestrian crossing. The second card reads “Corduroy paving (the ribbed one). Feels like: Long raised bars, like ribs. Where: Near hazards. Means: ‘Slow down! Something tricky ahead.’” and is paired with a photo of bright yellow paving made of long, raised ridges arranged in neat parallel lines. The third card, “Directional paving (the ‘follow me’ lines),” explains it “Feels like: Long straight raised lines. Where: Big open spaces. Means: ‘This is a safe route.’” and includes a photo of tidy grey tactile strips running forward in straight, clear lanes. The fourth card, “Platform edge (off‑street platforms),” describes how it “Feels like: Regular, flat‑topped bumps. Where: Railway stations and platforms. Means: ‘Platform edge. Stay back.’” and is shown with a photo of a train‑station platform edged with yellow tactile paving running along the track side.]

05/03/2026

Many thanks to PCSO Clare for joining our Cockermouth Social Group today. She led a really interesting talk about the issues affecting local people with visual impairments, which our group members found really helpful😊

Our Cockermouth Social Group takes place on the first Thursday of each month. They are filled with friendly chats, refreshments and guest speakers.

If you would like to find out more about our social groups, or know of someone who might benefit from coming along, please contact us on 01946 592474 or email sightloss.lifeline@hotmail.com

12/02/2026

Many thanks to Jo from Lakeland Lights for joining our Cockermouth Social Group. Our group members really enjoyed the session and Jo's wonderful scented products 🕯️🌄

Click the link if you would like more information about Lakeland Lights: https://www.lakelandlights.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOopq70fLfYPYp5CIrq6jbD5igqQjF3fKm5Vm2h8M5PyUUkwFCJhe

Something a little bit different today. We were invited to visit the lovely people at the Cockermouth Social Group for the West Cumbria Society for the Blind.

We discussed all things candle making and what scents spark memories in us all and take us to a different point in our lives. 🕯️

Thank you so much for the invite and it was lovely to meet you all and share some stories.

We’re always happy to come and give talks to social groups like these if we’re able to😊

10/02/2026

We would like to say a big thank you to the clients of Ann Morgan Opticians, Cleator Moor, for the generous donation of £300.😊

Donations such as this enable us to continue providing services to people living with sight loss across West Cumbria. We really value the local support!

16/01/2026

Find out more about Gerard's fundraising journey 🌌🚴‍♂️

When 86-year-old Gerard McCarten finished his latest challenge – cycling the equivalent height of the tallest mountain in the solar system – he went to lift his bike above his head. His legs trembled with exhaustion. His body, worn down by 40 days of riding, cried for him to stop, and he toppled over forwards.

Undeterred, he tried again to lift the bike. He raised it up to his shoulders – “that was as high as I could get it” – and smiling through the triangle of the frame, declared his challenge finished.

It was a small test, really, compared to the one he had just undergone. Throughout October and November last year, McCarten climbed 23,000m – the elevation of Olympus Mons, an extinct volcano on Mars.

He did so by riding up and down the 70-metre-long hill he lives on in Cumbria. In total, McCarten completed 3,915 laps, for a distance of 658km.

“Most people seem to want to climb [the 8,848m equivalent of] Mount Everest,” he told Cycling Weekly. “Well, I did that last year, so I went out of this world, and found Olympus Mons on Mars, which is 13 miles high.”

Read the full interview through the link in the comments.

📸 Gerard McCarten

13/01/2026

Well done, Gerard, on reaching your goal and completing your out-of-this-world-challenge!

Once again, thank you for choosing to support West Cumbria Society for the Blind through your amazing fundraising 🚴‍♂️

What an achievement, congratulations Gerard 👏

08/01/2026

Our service users who live in Cockermouth, and who wish to visit our Resource Centre, can now travel directly by bus to Whitehaven!🚌

Stagecoach has started a new direct bus service, service 600, running between Cockermouth and Whitehaven.

The bus departs from Cockermouth Main Street, on the hour, on an hourly basis between 7:00 and 19:00 and also at 21:00, Monday to Saturday.

On Sundays, it departs on the hour, every hour, between 8:00 and 17:00.

We look forward to welcoming you in our centre at 22 Lowther Street, Whitehaven!

Click the link to view the route's timetable:https://tis-kml-stagecoach.s3.amazonaws.com/.../XNCO600.pdf

New bus services to launch in north and West Cumbria next week: https://cumbriacrack.com/2025/11/28/new-bus-services-to-launch-in-north-and-west-cumbria-next-week/

07/01/2026

We would like to give a big thank you to Gerard McCarten for choosing to support West Cumbria Society for the Blind and for raising an amazing £700!

Much-valued fundraising efforts like Gerard's enable us to continue providing services to people living with sight loss across West Cumbria.

Once again, thank you so much for your kind support – we couldn’t do it without fundraising efforts like yours Gerard! 🚴‍♂️🌌