Visiting Services
Our Visiting Officers go to the homes of those who are less mobile or housebound. They offer a befriending service and practical help with all aspects of maintaining an independent life. They work in close association with members of Social Services and the Visual Impairment Team. Contact with them can be made through the office at Walford Hall.

We have three part-time Visiting Officers who cover Caversham, Tilehurst and Central and South Reading. Although the Visitors are not Social Workers their wealth of knowledge is found invaluable by members and their families. They maintain contact with members on a regular basis, either by telephone or by visiting in their own home, even if at a nursing home, at sheltered housing or in hospital.

The visits can be requested directly by the registered person, a family member, a friend, District Nurse, the Visual Impairment Team at Wokingham Community Services or Reading Community Services.


IT Suite
The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Gul Khan, officially opened our IT Suite on 25 March 2011. The IT Suite comprises computer terminals and workstations for visually impaired people to sit at and attempt to use current technology. They are assisted with the aid of Visual Enhancement software and Audio aids such as Screen Reader software. A 4-week introduction to computing is available by waiting list and the IT Suite may also be used by visually impaired members as an Internet Cafe by appointment.

The IT Suite and Audio Resources Centre is funded by kind donations from Foster Wheeler Fund (which is managed by Berkshire Community Foundation) and The Sobell Trust. The carpentry was carried out splendidly by local carpenter Tom Miller of Lower Earley (tomiller1@yahoo.co.uk) and the decoration was again splendidly carried out by Steve Faulkner of Mortimer (07712 383826).



Hall Hire
Walford Hall is available for hire when it is not being used by the Association. Bookings can take place between 9.00 and 21.30 and the minimum hire period is 2 hours on 6 or more dates.
Charges are:- Mon - Thu £10.50 per hour + VAT and Fri - Sun £11.50 per hour + VAT

We request that all booking charges are paid in advance. A deposit of £100 is payable (refundable subject to terms of contract). Generous discounts apply to quantity bookings e.g. Quarterly block bookings receive a 20% discount on the total charge.