Brief history of Vision Support

1876 Chester Society for Supplying Home Teaching for the Blind was founded following a report on the problems of blindness in Chester. The Society’s teachers visited a large number of vision impaired adults and children to teach them practical skills and help them to survive in a world with few public services.

1907 A new scheme of work for the Society was adopted emphasising the teaching of practical skills and assisting vision impaired people in “any manual work they may be able to do”.

1932 To reflect the growing importance of the Society’s workshops which provided employment for vision impaired people, the Society’s name was changed to Chester and District Blind Welfare Society.

A significant part of the work of the Society at this time was the manufacture of knitted garments, brushes and willow and cane baskets. In 1933 the Society employed 56 people working on these products.

1955 The Society purchased new premises at 67 Liverpool Road, Chester.

1958 The Right Honourable Viscount Leverhulme became the Society’s President.

1960s Home Teachers, visiting many vision impaired people from their base in Liverpool Road, had their salaries met by local authorities.

1970s Local Authority Social Services Departments began to directly administer a greater part of the support offered to vision impaired people. The Society concentrated on providing additional services such as sheltered employment, provision of equipment, talking books and holidays.

1986 Viscount Lord Leverhulme opened a Vision Resource Centre at 67 Liverpool Road.

1990 The Charity changed its name to Chester, Cheshire and Clwyd Society for the Blind to reflect its increasing geographical coverage.

1997 The Charity changed its name to Cheshire and North East Wales Society for the Blind in line with local government reorganisation.

2001 Cheshire and North East Wales Society for the Blind merged with Vision Enhancement Services. The new Charity took the name of Vision Enhancement Services, with a working name of Vision Support.

2001 Vision Support established a trading company, Vision Support Trading, which covenanted all profits to the work of the Charity.

2002 Vision Support introduced the first of its new, innovative Mobile Resource Centres covering North Wales.

2005 Vision Support’s Head Office moved to its present address at the Ropeworks in Chester. A second Mobile Resource Centre purchased for Cheshire and Halton.

2009 Sir William Bromley-Davenport retired as Vision Support’s President.

2010 David Briggs, Lord Leiutentant of Cheshire, became Vision Support’s President. A new office opened in Gwersyllt, located within a community resource centre.