About nab
northamptonshire association for the blind (nab) is a totally independent charity working exclusively in Northamptonshire to help visually impaired people. We were formed in 1896 and since then have developed a whole range of vitally important services which improve the lives of the 12,000 visually impaired people who live in the county.In essence our mission is:" To identify, promote and respond to the needs of Visually Impaired People (VIP’s) within Northamptonshire."And we do this by offering practical help wherever and whenever it is needed. Through:
- Personal support and care
- Encouragement of active participation in a range of activities
- Removal of obstacles to social isolation Providing access to other support systems
- Offering information and advice in dealing with sight deficiency
- Residential and respite care
- Raising awareness of issues affecting visually impaired people amongst the general public and business community
HISTORY
The Mayor, Frederick Ellen, founded northamptonshire association for the blind in 1896; with the express intention of helping local blind people achieve a level of independence through work. At the time there were 56 blind people living in the town; it was felt that 40 of these could have been earning their own living. To put those figures into perspective, today there are an estimated 10,000 visually impaired people living in the county most of whom (as a result of improvements in eye care and general welfare) are over retirement age.
nab continues to help visually impaired people with a wide range of services, in 1896 this would have been classed as “benevolent work”, this has become our main focus and is because we have responded to the changing needs of the visually impaired population.
From the outset fundraising was a key issue, it was estimated that £1000 would be needed to set up the first workshop. By 1898 this target had been exceeded – enough it was felt to make a start with the workshop.
The workshop, which trained and employed some 15 local blind people manufacturing a range of cane, basket and mat products, went from strength to strength and in 1903 they were able to move to larger premises and open their own factory shop. Northamptonshire’s first charity shop.
In 1908 a new workshop was opened in Gray Street, Northampton and continued in use right up until 1973. The workshop expanded rapidly with sales of over £3000 reported in 1926 and in the following year the nab was able to purchase the Gray Street site and to help the 430 people who were registered blind in the county.
As a result of the increasing income new services were developed. A Home Workers’ scheme was introduced, the first Home Teachers were appointed, and Braille and handicraft classes were introduced at Gray Street. The Benevolent Fund increased and the number of applications for help doubled.
By 1931 nab was using a percentage of its legacy income to introduce services in line with the development of new technologies, e.g. the wireless and motor car.
The workshop continued to prosper and with the opening of another shop in Rushden, the appointment of a van salesman and continued support from the community the association was able to continue to meet the needs of visually impaired people in the county.
During the Second World War many blind evacuees were posted to Northampton and the association did its best to find homes for them. Records for this period are rather limited.
After the War, despite financial difficulties but recognising the need for a specialised care for the blind in the county, the association set about launching two major appeals.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester opened Darsdale Home in May 1949. With a staff including a matron, cook, two maids and a gardener, Darsdale Home provided much needed specialist care for 18 female residents. Two years later, and made possible by an anonymous donation, and another special appeal launched by Alderman C A Chown,Wardington Court (the family’s former home) was purchased and opened for male residents.
By 1955 the association needed to raise £4000 annually in order to continue with its work. An extension to the workshop “with every modern convenience” was soon completed including a new staff dining room.
In the early 1950’s the association began to look for alternative products to manufacture. After lengthy consideration, plans were laid to purchase the necessary plant to manufacture high-grade toilet soap. This was a bold and brave decision for the nab as many doubted the capability of blind workers to learn new trades. Indeed, the association was the first sheltered workshop to break away from the traditional trades and to launch itself as a fully-fledged factory unit in direct competition with “normal companies”.
Service provision continued to expand and closer links forged with other organisations concerned for the well being of visually impaired people.
Extensive rebuilding had occurred at Gray Street over the years and by 1971 it was apparent a move to larger premises was needed if the employment of visually impaired people was to continue.
In 1974 a brand new purpose built factory, Nimbus Laboratories, was opened on Moulton Park and the following year turnover rose by 28% to almost £1.5 million. Regrettably commercial pressures resulted in the closure of the factory in 2004.
1976 saw the introduction of another new service, Talking Newspapers, an innovative way of helping the visually impaired keep abreast of local affairs was set in motion in 1976 and thanks to the very generous support of the Nene Foundation and the Kingsthorpe Manor Trust a purpose built recording suite was opened the following year. That year over 300 people received weekly bulletins of up-to-date news.
Today two weekly editions of Talking Newspapers are produced, one for Northampton and one for Kettering/Corby districts. There is a close working relationship with the independent Wellingborough Talking Newspaper team. Currently over 62,000 tapes are distributed free of charge every year to any visually impaired person who requests the service.
In the late 1970’s Wardington Court closed as a residential home for blind men and in 1980 was developed as one of the country’s very first Activity Centres for the Blind. A minibus had been purchased in 1980 and this meant that people from across the county could be brought to the Centre to enjoy the facilities, socialist with friends, learn new skills and take part in a variety of activities.
By 1982, thanks mainly to BBC Radio Northampton’s marathon broadcast another minibus was purchased and even more people could take advantage of the Wardington Court facilities. Today over 6,500 registered blind and partially sighted visitors come to the Centre each year.
In 1984, thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Northampton Junior Chamber six specially designed flats were built, specifically to help visually impaired people develop independent living skills. As a result of the careful planning of the accommodation, the association enjoyed the great honour of welcoming Princess Anne to open the completed flats.
The continuing expansion of Nimbus, Darsdale and the Wardington Court facilities (a hall was built in 1986) complete with stage, dressing rooms and new lighting equipment) involved increasingly heavy demands being made upon nab’s reserves. Fortunately, income from legacies continued to increase reflecting both the generosity of the local community and the value put upon the association’s efforts.
As the association’s work diversified, so the number of people needed to run the Administration office increased. An investment was made in new technology, which meant that for the first time visually impaired people could be employed in the main office.
It may seem strange now that such a short time ago even we, as a charity working with visually impaired people, did not encourage “clients” to take an active role in deciding how the nab was run. Happily, all that has now changed and our committees, who oversee the work of the association, have substantial visually impaired representation.
1992 saw a further expansion of services; the association developed a full-scale Home Visiting service and new volunteers were soon recruited. Each was (and is) thoroughly checked, matched with a like-minded client and trained to ensure that all those visited receive the best possible care and that friendships flourish.
In 1995, we were pioneers in developing a new service aimed at helping individuals to gain the help they need. So many people with failing sight either through “not wanting to be a trouble”, or simply accepting that losing one’s sight is an inevitable consequence of old age do not realise that help is available. Similarly many believe that if they can see anything at all then nab dedicated to helping the blind would not be interested. None of these assumptions are the case! We do care and we can help. If any individual would like a personal assessment of their needs then our Guidelines Officer would be glad to help.
Centenary Year, 1996, was a year of celebration and we were honoured when Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester agreed to become our Patron for that year and visited us twice.
nab had launched more vital services which aimed to help those with failing sight gain access to all the information, help and advice which both we and other sister organisations provide. These included a Mobile Information Unit, used by staff to display a wide range of aids and resources available to visually impaired people. The unit visits all areas of the county on a regular basis.
A number of local support clubs have been set up which offer people whose sight is failing or perhaps who are unable to travel to Kingsthorpe the opportunity to meet up and enjoy the company of others suffering similar conditions.
Darsdale Home has become fully accredited by DeafBlind UK and now offers both residential and respite care for those suffering dual sensory loss.
Various services are offered to businesses – training to help employees deal with visually impaired customers, access audits to help companies and other establishments provide safe access to blind customers, transcription services where we translate material into Braille, tape or large print, to name but a few.
These services assist local companies meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, which came into force in October 1999.
All this has been achieved through the support of local people, companies and organisations. Without your continuing help our much-needed services would be severely curtailed and the development of new services reflecting the changing needs of the visually impaired of Northamptonshire, stopped altogether.
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