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HISTORY |
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HISTORY |
Founded in 1911 BSVI is the oldest established charity in Bournemouth.
Formerly known as the Bournemouth Blind Aid Society it came into being in 1911, following the launch of a nation-wide campaign by the National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) to raise funds for its new buildings in Great Portland Street. Public records show that at this time there was already talk of unrest within Europe and this may well have been the catalyst for the RNIB raising the profile of blindness. Three public spirited local sisters, the Misses Rooper, together with a blind solicitor, Mr L C V Homer, felt that they would respond to the request but before sending donations away from the Borough they would address the needs of blind people known to them locally in the first instance. There was obviously a need locally as the old records show how the formation of the Society brought the problem of local blind people to the fore. The founders initially knew of ten blind people in the area who they felt would benefit directly from assistance and within three months a further seventy had been identified. The current building was built in 1927 with the purpose of it being used as a social hall and residential home for blind women – the recession of early 1930’s put a halt on progress, until finally in 1937 the home and hall was opened in memory of the founders. The building and services offered became so popular that in 1950 another storey was added, in addition to a second social centre being opened (Hannington Hall) By the late 1980’s the establishment was obviously changing - primarily through the Community Care Act where changes in Social Services meant that more and more people were being cared for in their own homes. The Bournemouth Blind Aid Society closed as a residential home and a new direction had to be sought. After a short period of closure for refurbishment Max Bygraves reopened the Bournemouth Blind Aid Society in October 1998 as the new activity and social centre for visually impaired people. The response from the local community was overwhelming and membership rocketed to six hundred registered blind and partially sighted people living within the Borough of Bournemouth coming forward to be part of the society. Restyled name of Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired
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