The Darlington Social
Club for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DSCBVI)
The Darlington Social Club for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DSCBVI)
is a Club which has been set up to run various social activities and events for
blind and visually impaired people of all ages, who live in Darlington and the
immediately-surrounding area. The Club has its own Premises at the
address shown below and has been running as a Registered Charity for almost 60
years. The Premises of the DSCBVI were extensively refurbished in late
2007 and the Club was relaunched in early 2008, following this refurbishment
work, creating a platform from which it has been able to attract new members in
increase the range of activities and events that it runs. The DSCBVI is
still going strong, in spite of having to cut back on running some activities
and events, due to cuts in local transport provision. The Club is always
on the lookout for new people from any age group to join as Members, so as to
increase the range of activities and events on offer. Any offers from
anyone wishing to volunteer for the Club would also be most welcome, as would
any ideas for raising vital funds to keep the DSCBVI going now and in the
future.
The Club’s address is:
Darlington Social Club for the Blind
and Visually Impaired (DSCBVI)
Hampton House
73 Corporation Road
Darlington
Co Durham
DL3 6AD
For
enquiries about the DSCBVI, please contact the Chairperson of the current
Committee, Mrs Susan Tarrant, by telephone on 01325 484539 or Mr Jonathan
Wilkinson, who is the Secretary of the Club’s current Committee, by telephone
on 01325 384649 or by email at jrw1969@talktalk.net
Latest Information
The Club will be going to Redcar on Thursday the 30th of June this year and to Whitby on Thursday the 8th of September for our main day trips. Please contact the organisation for details of the departure times from the Club Premises and for more information.
Activities and Events Currently Run by
the DSCBVI
The Club holds a Coffee
Morning every Tuesday between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon and also has a Knitting
Group which runs every fortnight on a Wednesday morning from 10.00 am until
12.00 noon. The DSCBVI also occasionally runs Events at the Club’s
Premises on a Thursday afternoon, from 12.00 noon until 3.00 pm, such as visits
by local poetry groups, the Club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), buffet meals
to celebrate Events such as St Patrick’s Day, V E Day, any milestones to do
with the Queen, etc.
In the warmer months of each year,
usually between May and September, the Club also organises day trips once a
month on a Thursday, which run from around 10.00 am until 6.00
pm. These include day trips to Redcar in June of each year, Whitby
in September of each year and occasional visits to places like Barnard Castle,
Middleton-in-Teesdale, Reeth and Hartlepool.
The Club will also organise visits to
performances at “Darlington Civic Theatre” in the cooler months of the year, as
well as meals out to a local pub in Darlington. They have a
Christmas Dinner each year in late November or early December. All of
these extra Events take place during the day on a Thursday, except the
Christmas Dinner, which can either be on a Wednesday lunch time or a Saturday
lunch time.
Members of the Club also go
out for a meal at lunch time on the fourth Tuesday of each month, in a local
Church Hall which is situated close to the Club’s own
Premises. These meals are provided by the local branch of “Age UK”
and “Darlington Memorial Hospital”.
Fundraising Activities
The DSCVBI Club also
holds a number of Fundraising Events during the year, the most regular of these
include having a stall at the “Darlington Carnival” which takes place on the
last Saturday of June each year, and they also run a stall in the Outdoor
Market in Darlington Town Centre each year in either late November or early
December.
At both of these stalls
they sell any items that the Club’s Knitting Group has made and also run a
Tombola and sell items, such as dressed-up dolls, and give away small prizes to
anyone who wins in the Tombola. They
also run competitions such as “Hook-a-Duck” at these stalls and and give prizes
to anyone who wins in these competitions. Members of the Club, as well as their friends and/or family members volunteer to help out on both of these stalls.
For more information about the DSCBVI,
please contact either the Chairperson of the Club’s current Committee or the
Secretary of the Club’s current Committee. Their contact details appear
above, directly underneath the address for the Club’s Premises.