InSight Magazine – Autumn 2023

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

 

Click here or the image above to read the latest edition of our InSight Magazine

Congratulations Will Jubb!

We caught up with our Club Wilber Ambassador, and York City Knights player, Will Jubb, on his recent graduation from the University of Hull for his PHD!

 

Congratulations on your recent graduation and receiving your Doctorate of Philosophy in Fisheries Studies. How long was your course? 

Thank you very much, it took me 4 and a half years to complete my phd.

In easy language, what was the course about?  

So I was looking at a conservation fish species called river lamprey. They are protected in the river Humber so I was looking at whether a historic fishery for them was sustainable, I.e., they can catch them to sell and still leave a lot of the population in the river to continue their lifecycle, and the impacts of all the weirs and barriers throughout the Humber catchment on their spawning migration.

What was your favourite part of the course/ best day? 

I really enjoyed every part of my studies but the fieldwork was always really fun. On one day the fisherman caught over 1 tonne of lamprey and we had to process all of them! It was like lamprey Armageddon there was that many of them, they were absolutely everywhere but they are really tough and we managed to sort through them all and re-release them into the river after putting little tags in them and moving them upstream of the weirs.

Being a student with a visual impairment, did you have any challenges in your education? Can you share an example and explain how you overcame them?

I was brought up to never let my eye hold me back from anything and this was the same here during my phd. I have always treated myself the same as everyone else and I hope that everyone else does the same with me as well. I would obviously just make sure I was extra careful when doing fieldwork or working around dangerous machines on the river banks by wearing protective glasses etc but I have always been able to overcome any challenges throughout my life which I definitely believe is down to my upbringing.

If any of our club Wilber members are currently struggling at school/ college, or dislike going,  what would your advice be?  

I would say that all the hard work that you put in now at school, college or wherever you are is 100% worth it. No one can ever take that piece of paper with your grades on away from you and putting in the effort now sets you up for your future successes. It allows you to enjoy whatever you want to do in life if you work hard now and believe me, it is the best feeling in the world. I wish all the club Wilber children and families all the best with their education and hope that you are able to take enjoyment from the hard work that you put in now which will reap rewards in the years to come.

 

Thank you for chatting to us Will!

The return of Yorkshire Day’s Club Wilber Raffle!
This year saw the return of our popular Yorkshire Day Raffle, in aid of Club Wilber, the children’s arm of our charity. The raffle was drawn live on social media and one of our tenants, Lee, drew the tickets for us! We wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who bought a ticket for the draw on the 1st August. We raised over £1500 for Club Wilber, which will go towards enabling us to put on more inclusive activities and events for the children, and their families. 
 
A big thank you too to all of the people and businesses who kindly donated a Yorkshire themed prize-
John Wrights Electricals, Simon Patterson, Assetiam, Delta by Marriott Hotel York, Masons of Yorkshire Gin, The York Roast Co, Flamingoland Resort, York Dungeon, The Deep, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Pizza Express, Markinton Hall, Cross Fishmongers, Grant Young, Whittakers Gin, York Terrariums, LNER, Waste Management Co., North York Moors Railway, York City FC, Yorvik Viking Centre
Club Wilber turns 4!

A few weeks ago we returned to the Delta Marriott Hotel on Tadcaster Road to celebrate Club Wilber’s 4th Birthday! Originally planned as a garden party, like many we had to bring the fun indoors, but we were still able to play with all of the giant, garden games and enjoy our party food in the warm and dry!

Our annual birthday party is the perfect excuse to get our Club Wilber families together to catch up, and enjoy a selection of games for a few hours. This year we welcomed Richard from Limelight Hire with their photobooth and we all had the best time putting on the props and standing in front of the selfie mirror! The Activities and Events Team also made sure they got a couple of snaps!

 

We were treated to a party feast for lunch and afterwards we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed a slice of the delicious traybake. Our Club Wilber children and young people left a with a summer themed party bag each, and a stack of photos from the photobooth!

Club Wilber started in 2019 and was the brainchild of our Operations Director, Samantha Scholey,  as a way of creating a club for children and young people with a visual impairment, and their families. We arrange accessible activities and events that the whole family can enjoy, regardless of vision and a welcoming place for children and parents to bond over common experiences.

York Pride

Following a brilliant York Pride last June, we were eager to sign up to be part of the festival again, and this year was even better than the last. Sarah and Lucy from the Events Team arrived early doors at York’s Knavesmire with their fundraising and information stall, amongst other the charities, organisations and traders. York Pride is the largest Pride event in the North of England and is part of Pride Month, recognised across the world.

The morning had a gentle buzz, with families and residents who prefere to avoid the crowds of the afternoon wandering around, and excitement building for the parade’s arrival. When the parade arrived, in all its noisy, colourful and joyful glory the crowds and atmosphere on The Knavesmire trebled and the party really started.

Having a presence at York Pride gives us a great opportunity to meet members of the public from all different communities, to advertise the services we offer; such as YorSensory and Club Wilber. This year we brought the popular Lucky Lolli- stick game from last summer’s events and it was a roaring success as ever! While people gave their 50ps to have a turn to win some sweets, it’s a perfect opportunity to start a conversation about the trust.

What hits you most about Pride, and what most passers- by comment on, is the amazing atmosphere; inclusive and welcoming to all. Its an opportunity for everyone to be themselves, to wear what they want and be with whoever they want. As a charity, it gives us a chance to interact and chat to people who may not have heard of us before, or know of the services available to them. It’s a long day, but it’s a happy and fulfilling one, and one we look forward to each year.

We attend the summer fundraisers to raise money for Club Wilber, the children’s arm of the charity, where we organise activities and events for children and young people with sight loss, and their families. The money we raise helps us continue to facilitate activities ranging from pizza parties and forest school, all the way to our recent Harry Potter Studio trip! As Club Wilber is Yorkshire wide, and not just for York residents, it gives us an opportunity to meet families across the county.

Our next event is our Summer Fete here at Wilberforce House, come down and see us and enjoy a host of stalls, games and summer fun!

Club Wilber visit Harry Potter World

Last week, our Club Wilber families set off on our biggest trip yet, to London and the Harry Potter Studio Tour! Accompanied by Ellen and Jenny from Activities and Events, and armed with a magical themed goody- bag, the coach full of excited Potter fans made their way down to Watford for an overnight stay, before embarking on a day of magic.

On the Saturday morning the group arrived at the studio to be greeted by the dragon from Gringotts bank flying above them. On a big screen, the stars of the films introduced the magical tour in the auditorium before the children got to push open the doors of Hogwarts to walk into the Main Hall open where we were welcomed to the Magical world of Harry Potter

With the aid of guides, who the families have described as ‘truly wonderful’ and ‘fantastic’, the children were able to explore the museum with audio description and touch. Being able to feel the props and costumes really helped to bring the films and stories to life and was a real VIP touch.

The group were able to explore sets such as Diagon Alley and The Great Hall, and sets like Gringotts Bank could be imagined further by the ability to feel the hands from the costume of one of the goblins. The amazing experience of touching the real props used by the actors, alongside music and audio from the film being played, made every room a magical, sensory experience.

For fans of any film, being able to get up close to see and touch the real set and props is a magical experience and for Club Wilber, to see the model of Hogwarts and to meet some of the character models, was no exception. Favourite experiences from the visit were climbing on board the Night Bus and sitting in Ron Weasley’s flying car! They even faced their fear of spiders in the Forbidden Forest!

After a busy day immersing in all things magic, the group headed off for an early tea before making their way back up the motorway to York. A trip like this is a big milestone for Club Wilber and it meant the world to see the smiles on the faces of our young people and families.

We couldn’t provide our Club Wilber activities and events, from Pizza Parties at Wilberforce House, to exciting trips away from home, without the help from our supporters and donors. A huge thank you to Happy Days Children’s Charity who helped make this magical trip happen!

Beeping Easter Egg Hunt

The Beeping Easter Egg hunt was the brainchild of our Operations Director Samantha Scholey and launched Club Wilber back in 2019.

The event uses specially made eggs with a sound mechanism inside so they can be found by using hearing rather than sight! Tasty treats were hidden along the way in baskets and hay on little picnic mat stations. At the end of the course the children get to exchange their beeping eggs for a chocolate one, and plenty managed more than one go! Sighted siblings joined in the fun by donning an eye mask, so they too were relying on their hearing to experience this unique, seasonal activity. The egg hunt is one of the biggest on our Club Wilber calendar and has always been hugely popular. On its first year, the event won the Silver Award in the Charity Event category at the Minster FM People’s Choice Awards. This year we were thrilled to be able to host in the grounds of our beautiful new build, Wilberforce House.

For the first time we also held an additional egg hunt for the residents who live in the supported housing apartments within Wilberforce House and, although they weren’t quite as energetic as the children, they collected just as many eggs and went home with plenty of Easter treats!

For both the Club Wilber families, and the residents, the egg hunt isn’t just a chance for a chocolate haul, but also an opportunity to socialise and spend time with people that share experiences. We also opened Weston’s Café for the day, giving everyone the chance to enjoy a hot cross bun and a cornflake nest bun around the activity.

The Easter Egg Hunt is the perfect way to kick off the spring and summer months at The Wilberforce Trust and we cant wait to invite the public here for our Summer Fete in June.

 

 

Club Wilber’s Christmas Party

Last weekend we gathered together with lots of our families at the annual Club Wilber Christmas Party. With various crafts and activities, a festive buffet and a visit from the Santa himself, there was plenty on offer to make this the best party yet.

Our guests moved between a range of Christmas crafts and festive foodie activities, including card making, stocking decorating and ‘fill a bauble’. The best thing about these activities was the children being able to take home what they had made, and enjoy them again and again. Cards were made for parents and teachers and the baubles were filled to the brim with fake snow and trinkets.

Needless to say the most popular place to hang out was the biscuit and Rudolph teacake table! With icing, chocolates and edible bun toppers the children could decorate biscuits and a chocolate mallow teacake was provided with everything edible needed to make a Rudolph head.

At lunchtime we enjoyed a sandwich buffet and nibbles and as everyone was finishing their plates there was a ringing of sleigh bells! The children queued up and took their turns to visit Santa in his grotto, having an opportunity to share their wishes verbally, as well as touching his outfit and big beard to create a picture in their mind of the Big Man himself.

It was fantastic to see so many families, new and old, and to see everyone enjoying the opportunity to catch up before Christmas.

There’s one more festive activity to go for Club Wilber and then we’ll be wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2023!

InSight Magazine – Q4 2022 Edition

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

 

 

Click here or the image above to read the latest edition of our InSight Magazine

Axe Throwing

A couple of weeks ago, on a very wet Thursday, we invited some valued Club Wilber sponsors to meet us in York City centre, to kick off a Viking themed afternoon. We met at the award- winning Viking bar, Valhalla, famous for its craft beer and mead on the menu, rock music and dark and atmospheric décor. After introductions and drinks were ordered we took part in a challenging Viking quiz, expectedly put together and delivered by Samantha! Despite reservations, both teams scored pretty well!

 

After the quiz, our aspiring Vikings moved onto The Hilt, York’s very own, indoor Axe Throwing venue. Voted the number one fun activity to do in York on Trip Advisor, the venue boasts eight ‘cages’ for groups and every group is given a coach to help you get throwing like a true warrior!

Competing against each other individually, with our coach Jade on hand, we were a mixed bag to say the least; with some acing the throws and some lucky to even get the axe to the wall! As well as standard Viking axe technique throws we were also shown trick throws and extra points could be gained with them.

 

 

It was a close fight at the top of the leader board and a lot of fun was had. The general agreement amongst those that hadn’t done it before, was that axe throwing was far harder than it looked! We finished our afternoon off with an early dinner and cocktails at Las Iguanas and we’re looking forward to welcoming our sponsors back to our next event.

As always we want to thank our Club Wilber sponsors for continually supporting us through their membership and extra support that they always give.