Wilberforce Trust

25/04/2026

If you fancy making the most of the glorious weather forecast this weekend, but you need to make your walk or trip out accessible, check out the Yorkshire section of the Accessible Countryside website.

Gentle exercise and getting out in nature is highly beneficial to our physical and mental health, and many of these places have on site shops and cafe's so you can really make a day of it.

Disabled Access, Wheelchair walks, Easy Access, Access for All, Mobility, Walks on Wheels, Miles without Stiles - whatever the term the following is all about accessibility to the countryside and green spaces of Yorkshire.

24/04/2026

A new support group has started in York for those living with Macular conditions. The meetings are held at St Sampson's Centre on Church Street and run monthly. The group is run by InSight 2 Wellbeing in association with The Macular Society.

The next meeting is Thursday 7th May, 10.30 til 12pm.

For more information you can email insight2.wellbeing@gmail.com

22/04/2026

Mark Baggott, of the Earth Heritage Trust, brought us a special delivery today- a braille and large print version of their free fossil boxes!

These boxes are given to schools, charities, and community organisations across the UK to further education around fossils. We were given our first box last year when the project was still developing their braille boxes, and were delighted to swap this for the braille update.

We cant wait to share this with our Club Wilber families!

20/04/2026

Last year we sat down with a few of our tenants to find out about their hobbies and interests, what they like about living here, and what does a day in their life look like...

In case you missed it the first time, here's the wonderful Shaun-

19/04/2026

We are in the fortunate position to be able to offer funded places for our well-regarded Sensory Impairment Awareness training. 2 million people in the UK live with some form of visual impairment and up to 12 million with hearing impairment. This half day, in person training is designed to raise awareness of sensory impairment and give you the tools you need to effectively support people with sensory impairments

Together, we’ll explore the main eye conditions which cause visual impairment and the subsequent impact. You will have an opportunity to use visual impairment simulation glasses, learn the correct method of guiding and experience what it is like to guide and be guided. We will also look at the causes of hearing impairment, alternative methods of communication and complete an exercise in lip reading.

The training is enjoyable and interactive and receives consistently positive feedback from attendees across a wide range of businesses. It is delivered by a skilled and experienced trainer who is a qualified Vision Rehabilitation Specialist with over 20 years of experience in her field.

Operations Manager (Vangarde Shopping Park) and sensory impairment trainee Carl Bailey said:

“The training gave me a real insight into how difficult it can be operating with very little or no sight. I think this is an amazing initiative and it’s very gratifying to be able to offer our customers this important service.”

Book your place now to avoid disappointment as places are limited! The dates available are: 19th May, 16th June and 30th June 2026. 09:30-13:30 * 4 hours

This event is in person at the Wilberforce Trust, Wilberforce House, The Grove, York, YO24 1AN. Call 01904 2002292 or email enquiry@yorsensory.org.uk

17/04/2026

Our volunteers carry out a wide range of activities; from setting up an event, helping in the cafe to crafting with the Club Wilber children. Some of our volunteers stick to one thing, and are dedicated to the group that they help. Others 'micro'volunteer', staying behind the scenes helping in the garden or getting us ready for a fundraising activity.

If volunteering with a charity is on your radar for this summer, get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator, Emily, on volunteering@wilberforcetrust.org.uk or 01904 760037.

You can make a huge difference to those living wth sensory loss and your local community.

16/04/2026

Our Club Wilber Coordinator, Megan, attended the Annual Stakeholder Meeting this week, invited as we were a beneficiary of the Easter Egg donations. The theme was mental health and the diverse group, from across the city, listened to speakers from York Monkgate JobCentre and Converge, to discuss what they're doing for mental health in the community.

15/04/2026

Did you know we have a function room and meeting room available to hire?

With the holidays coming to a close, if you are planning your next away-day, meeting or event, get in touch with us to discuss what we have available and how we can help. Both our Rainbow Room and Discovery Room look over our grounds and the countryside beyond and we also have Weston's Cafe on-site to provide catering.

For more information contact our friendly reception team on 01904 760037 and visit our website https://www.wilberforcetrust.org.uk/what-we-offer/room-hire/

14/04/2026

The brilliant Move Mates are back, giving opportunities for people who may be nervous about walking alone, or feel walking isnt for them, to get out there and try it. They have trained volunteers to match up for 1:1 walks in the area.

City of York Council website also has resources for finding local walking groups and parkrun York meets every Saturday on the racecourse, providing a wheelchair accessible route with no pressure to actually run!

We all know the benefits of exercise for general physical and mental health, but exercise is important for good eye health as well, improving circulation and reducing risks of some eye conditions.

Our one-to-one walking buddies support people in York to get out of their homes and improve their wellbeing through walking.

11/04/2026

We were delighted to hand out more Staff Anniversary certificates for milestone anniversaries this week.

Here's Finance Director, Andrea, and Community Sensory Officer, Hannah, with their one year certificates! Thank you for all of your hard work so far and we are so happy to have you here on the Wilberforce Trust team!

09/04/2026

A team member recently visited for their new 'Making Waves' exhibition featuring Japanese woodblock print and the iconic 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' one of the most recognisable and celebrated artworks in the world.

We were pleased to see the option to touch items that make up the woodblock printing process, alongside accessibility features such as large print descriptions and subtitles. Being able to feel the wood and the image on it, and the texture of the paper used in this traditional art form really brought the exhibition to life.

The exhibition is on until the end of August and there are a variety of activities for Easter, families and special talks about the works. Visit the website for more information on exhibitions and accessibility features-

https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/exhibition/making-waves-the-art-of-japanese-woodblock-print/

08/04/2026

A throw back to the end of March, and a HUGE thank you to Jo from Tesco Askham Bar for the generous donation of Easter Eggs before Club Wilber's hunt AND for surprising our families on the day!

Jo arrived dressed as the Easter Bunny and gave eggs to all of the children as they crafted and enjoyed Weston's Cafe.

Thank you Jo!