InSight Magazine- Spring 2026

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

Front page of Spring InSight.

You can listen to InSight here-

Letter from the CEO-

Welcome Emily and Chidinma-

Welcome to our new Trustees-

Club Wilber Easter Egg Hunt-

Weston’s Cafe-

International Women’s Day-

Charity Cook-off and Thank Yous-

InSight Magazine- Autumn 2025

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

The front cover of autumn InSight magazine

You can listen to InSight here-

Letter from the CEO

Connecting with the sector- YorSensory

Judi Dench

Club Wilber’s summer adventures

Club Wilber turns 6

Tenant’s Bridlington trip

Tinnitus Support Group

YOPA Fair

Visionary Award nomination

Stronger Starts fundraiser

Club Wilber Lush Party
At the end of May, our Club Wilber families took part in a bath bomb making workshop with the brilliant Lush!
Wilberforce House was filled with the amazing smells from the products and materials that Leona and Alysha brought with them.
The families got to try out lip scrubs, learnt how to make bath bombs and feel all of the materials and then had a chance to win some products during a game of Musical Statues. They were able to feel and smell lots of products and enjoy all of the different textures.
Thank you Leona and Alysha, we loved our morning with you!
Club Wilber Easter Egg Hunt!
The end of April saw the return of our flagship event; our accessible Easter Egg Hunt! This event launched Club Wilber back in 2019 and uses specially made eggs with a sound mechanism inside so they can be found by using hearing rather than sight.
Continuing the success of last year, the event was spread across the inside of Wilberforce House, and the grounds. Inside our community space, families could take part in different, free Easter themed crafts and face painting, with the amazing Alex from Face Paint York, and enjoy treats from Weston’s Café.
Outside, the bleeping eggs, and little eggs containing treats, were hidden in baskets, on little picnic mat stations to draw the children in. At the end of the course, and after eating what was inside, the children were able to exchange the little eggs for a larger chocolate one, and plenty managed more than one go round the course!
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.
For both the Club Wilber families and the staff and volunteers, the egg hunt isn’t just a chance for a chocolate haul, but also an opportunity to catch up and spend time with people that share experiences. A huge thank you to our volunteers on the day, some new and some who return to help at this event every year, as they love it so much. And also to our Easter Bunny, who gives his time to us every year!
Things come in 4s- putting our senses to the test!

A couple of week’s ago, on the 29th February, we gathered a room full of Club Wilber sponsors and asked them to leap in and put four of their senses to the test!

After some time spent mingling and catching up over coffee, Operations Director, Samantha Scholey, introduced Club Wilber, and gave an update on recent activities and plans for the coming year. Then the eye masks were handed out and the fun began…

Our first sense to be tested was our hearing, with a ‘guess the intro’ round and ‘guess the voice. In particular, guessing the voice of a well known person was hard without the context that your sight gives you. You knew that you knew it, but it became unfamiliar without seeing their face or surroundings.

We then moved onto testing our senses of smell and taste, with half the team sniffing and half the team tasting! Citrus aromas of grapefruit, orange and lemon merged into one and eucalyptus, tea tree and other essential oils became very similar. Some people were better at the task than others and I’m pretty sure winter colds and blocked up noses didn’t help!

At the start of the taste test, the ‘willing’ volunteers looked like they were embarking on a bush-tucker trial, nervous with the anticipation of what they would be putting into their mouths. Samantha, and Club Wilber administrator Sarah, really came up with some concoctions to test the tastebuds; Rosemary and Lime chocolate, pickle, cheese cracker and popcorn and date and honey.

Our final sense to be put to the test was touch, with two large boxes per team filled with a both a variety of dry materials, and one with wet. The task was to feel around and find pieces of an alphabet puzzle, and complete it. The wet box was first; full of rice pudding and bubble bath followed by straw, cereal and wrapped up lollies! The word disgusting was an understatement and, again, without your sight to aid you your brain went into overdrive trying to recognise what you touched.

 

We finished our afternoon with a round of applause for the winning team and a round of delicious canapes.  The experiences of the last few hours were a real conversational piece and everyone took something away, in particular, how much your sight aids you and your other senses.

A big thank you, as always, to the Delta by Marriott hotel in York for their room hire and refreshments and a thank you to our sponsors who continue to support the work we do with Club Wilber.

 

Club Wilber went on Safari!
Club Wilber had fun on Safari last week!
Helen and Ava from Sam’s Safaris came to tell us all about the animals in their care. We learnt some cool facts and enjoyed having a feel of all the animals; running our fingers along lizard scales, feeling sticky snail feet and patting the blanket soft fur of a chinchilla. We even had a noisy duck piping up to greet us. Afterwards, we had a game of hungry hippos, played with some rain sticks, had a go on the African drum, and enjoyed some safari themed refreshments!
Thank you to the Sylvia and Colin Shepherd Charitable Trust and LNER who helped fund this activity.
InSight Magazine – Winter 2024

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

Our tenants celebrate with a Christmas Party!

Last Friday we held the first ever tenant’s Christmas Party here at Wilberforce House. With the open plan space of the Living and Learning Zone and a buffet provided by on site Weston’s Café, it’s the perfect venue for our tenants to meet together, and kick off the festive season.

Alongside the buffet, full of party and festive favourites, there was a disco in the Rainbow Room and even a visit from Santa, much to the delight of a number of the tenants. He arrived to a flurry of bells and worked round the room, chatting with people and handing out a little gift. He even posed for some photos by the Christmas Tree!

Superstar of the party was our tenant, Lee, who DJ’d for the whole party, pulling together a brilliant playlist of Christmas hits, disco classics and modern floor fillers. Tenants and staff alike were singing, dancing and shaking the maracas!

We are well into the Christmas season here at Wilberforce House, with a dinner and carols left to look forward to, before the big day itself.

Club Wilber’s Christmas Party

Last weekend, and for the first time, we were delighted to open the doors of Wilberforce House for the Club Wilber Christmas Party! Across the open plan Living & Learning Zone, we had craft activities, a sensory space, a disco area and a chocolate fountain.

As our families arrived late morning, they dived straight into the festive fun; making snowmen, decorating and filling their own crackers. As soon as the smell of chocolate filled the air, children, and adults, jumped to the fountain to dip festive kebabs of fruit and sweet treats. The sensory area, with lights, textures and sounds, was popular with the littlest Club Wilber members, and it was the perfect place to escape the busyness of the café area.

After a buffet lunch of sandwiches, pizza and nibbles, the children were excited when the Big Man himself, Santa Claus, walked through the door to the jingle of bells and took a seat by our huge Christmas Tree. The families took it in turns to meet Santa and say a few words and receive a present. The expressions on the children’s faces at this special moment at the party make all the hard work worth it for the team!#

We were delighted to welcome Club Wilber Ambassador and York City Knight’s player, Will Jubb to the party, along with his partner Jess. They spent time making snowmen with the children and chatting to the families, who are always really excited to see Will. We also gave him a congratulation present for his recent graduation, with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Fisheries Studies from The University of Hull.

Like the Birthday Party and at Halloween, these parties are the perfect time for the families to catch up. We waved everyone off and wished them a Merry Christmas and we’re already excited for our Panto trip together in January!

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