Wakefield District Sight Aid

08/06/2026

A big thank you to our amazing supporters who raise free funds for us on .

If you're not signed up yet, please join today and you can raise free donations for Wakefield District Sight Aid every time you shop online this summer. All the big names like eBay, John Lewis & Partners, Argos, Just Eat and many more are ready to make a free donation at no extra cost to you.

Plus, when you reach your first £5 in donations, easyfundraising will match it:

Help us when you shop with 7,000+ brands. Join now.

03/06/2026

We couldn't agree more, well said Iain.

Sight loss groups are concerned about new-style bus stops in places including Leeds and Cleckheaton.

03/06/2026

It's !

We'd like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to all our volunteers, without whom it simply wouldn't be possible to have provided support to the blind and partially sighted community across Wakefield District since 1869.

Our volunteers are true heroes. They help us with:

1. Governance - as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, we are governed by a Board of Trustees, all of whom are volunteers. Our Board sets our strategic direction, ensures that we are adhering to our mission and spending charitable funds responsibly. We are always looking for people with relevant skills, particularly those with lived experience of sight loss, to join our Board, so please get in touch if you are interested in finding out more!

2. Sighted support - without volunteer helpers, many of whom are qualified sighted guides, we would not be able to run our regular outreach events or go on trips out.

3. Fundraising - our volunteers pick up and replace collection boxes around the district, and count and log the contents.

4. Individual member support - volunteers often visit people at home to replace faulty equipment and also give one-to-one support with assistive technology. Our telephone befriending service is entirely volunteer run, and we are always looking for more people to help deliver this vital service, so if this is something you would be interested in finding out more about, please do contact us. Our volunteers also meet people at the bus station to help them find their way to events, via pre-arrangement.

5. Administrative support - every quarter we send out around 1,500 newsletters in several accessible formats. With only three of us in the staff team, this would never get done if it weren't for volunteer support! Our volunteers do all sorts of other things for us, including trips to the tip and representing the charity at partner events.

The group photograph below was taken at our King's Award for Voluntary Service ceremony in 2024. Our volunteers are pictured smiling at the camera, standing with former Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson CBE. The award recognises the outstanding contribution made by volunteers to Wakefield District Sight Aid and remains the accolade of which we are most proud.

Thank you to every one of our wonderful volunteers for everything you do for us! We are so grateful.

01/06/2026

**Sharing on behalf of West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), in partnership with Bradford Association for Visually Impaired People (BAVIP)**

WYCA, in partnership with BAVIP, is hosting a Visually Impaired Accessibility Travel Drop In Surgery on Tuesday 23 June at Fountains Church, Bradford, BD5 0BQ.

The session has been designed with and for visually impaired people and will bring together accessibility specialists, transport operators, and digital teams to provide practical support with public transport.

The drop in session will include:
• One to one guidance on barriers to travel and building confidence when using public transport
• Demonstrations of current and future accessible travel tools, including journey planners and real time information
• Information on bus and rail travel options and concessionary travel
• Support with bus pass enrolment or renewal
• Opportunities to share feedback to help inform future accessibility improvements

Attendees will be able to meet:
• BAVIP representatives
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority accessibility and travel teams
• Bus and rail operators
• Passenger assistance teams
• Digital and accessibility specialists

The event is informal and accessible. People can drop in at any point during the session and stay for as long as they wish.
📍 Location: Fountains Church, Bradford, BD5 0BQ
📅 Date: Tuesday 23 June – 10:00 – 15:00

Booking is essential and free via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/travel-surgery-tickets-1984867910351?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

We encourage anyone interested in learning more on accessible travel to attend.

Get ready to explore the coolest travel surgery tips and hacks live – pack your bags and skills!

01/06/2026

**Pontefract evening social group cancelled - 4th June**

Hi everyone,

We are really sorry to let you know that our Pontefract evening social group at The Iron Dram this Thursday is cancelled due to volunteer illness.

We will be back at The Iron Dram on Thursday 2nd July.

We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Best wishes,

Team WDSA

22/05/2026

Great news for people registered as sight impaired who use a disabled bus pass! Please share!

A new scheme to allow Disabled Person’s Pass holders to travel for FREE before 9:30am on buses in the Wakefield district will launch from 26 May.

For more information and to check if this applies to your service check https://ow.ly/Kt9S50Z2zkg

22/05/2026

Fabulous 😍 Wakefield Museum Ruth Fones Art

21/05/2026

A huge thank you to our volunteer Michael, who treated our Cuppa & Connect group to a fantastic quiz yesterday! I think it's safe to say we all learnt something, and had great fun at the same time! We can't wait for your next quiz, Michael!

Cuppa & Connect runs on the third Wednesday of every month, at the St. Swithun's Community Centre. Do join us next month, when we will be playing bingo!

[Photo description: a group of people sit round a table, enjoying warm drinks and biscuits. The room is bright and welcoming, with colourful bunting strung round the room. Michael stands, reading out the quiz questions. Staff and volunteers observe nearby. Everyone is smiling and laughing.]

21/05/2026

Our friends at Outlookers are also looking for an Eye Care Liaison Officer in Huddersfield! This is a fantastic opportunity to work for an amazing organisation!

We’re Outlookers, and we support people living with, or at risk of sight loss, in Kirklees. We’re run by and for people with sight loss. We’ve grown, and now offer information, advice, guidance, peer and technology support. Join us, and help people affected by sight loss get the right support,...