Activities at the Resource Centre

Members of Visibly Sound singing at a concert

There’s something for everyone going on at the Resource Centre. We run over 36 hours of activities Monday to Friday, all supported by our wonderful volunteers.

We help people learn new skills, including how to use PCs in new or different ways. A lot of the modern world relies on smart phones, which can be really useful if your sight is poor: we have experts who can help you get up to speed. We can help you learn to cook, too, or for those who really need it, learn Braille.

There are lots of fun hobby activities as well from creative writing to music, to craft, to allotmenteering, with more being added.

To keep yourself healthy you need exercise, so we offer a range of options from walking to bowls to T’ai Chi to yoga and because we know how important it is, we are always looking for new ideas.

Sometimes just talking to others is all you need, so we have a great social group on Mondays, plus theatre trips and monthly groups.

We make a small charge for all our activity sessions: £5 per regular activity, with trips and outings at cost. 

Have a look at our programme to see the full range and times. It will not always be possible to get you into a particular activity straight away, but we will do our best.

Regular Activities at CRCB

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Monday Club

Monday 10am to 12pm

A friendly, lively social club where you are welcome to join in the activities and make new friends. The club regularly invites speakers and musicians, and once a month there is an armchair exercise session.

A woman leading members of the Monday Club in armchair exercises

IT Sessions

Monday 10am to 12pm

Tuesday 12pm to 3pm

Thursday 10am to 12pm

One-to-one support from volunteers in our well-equipped and accessible computer suite. Do your own thing or learn how to use a computer with specialist software packages, text-to-speech and screen magnification.

A partially sighted woman being supported by a volunteer to use a PC with a large button keyboard

Creative Writing

Monday 1pm to 3pm

Get your stories and ideas down on paper with help from a tutor and plenty of volunteers. A real chance to express yourself.

Centre users and volunteer scribes seated in pairs around a table

Devices Workshop

Monday 10am to 12pm

Tuesday 9am to 10.30am and 10.30am to 12pm

This workshop, led by and designed for people with visual impairments, offers one-to-one support to help you learn to navigate and get up to speed with your smartphone or tablet.

A woman seated at a desk using an iPad

Music Group

Monday 1.00pm to 2.45pm

Whatever your experience, CRCB’s Visibly Sound brings people together to make music. The group rehearses on Tuesdays and regularly performs at concerts and fundraising events around Coventry and Warwickshire

Members of Visibly Sound performing at a concert

Walking Group

Tuesday 11am to 1pm

Wednesday 10am to 12pm

Lots of volunteers are on hand to help you go for a good walk around a local park.

A group of 15 visually impaired people and sighted guides with two guide dogs setting off on a walk

Craft Club

Wednesday 1pm to 3pm

A chatty, friendly group where you can make away to your heart’s content. There are volunteers on hand to help with tricky bits and a lot of what is made is sold to raise money for the Resource Centre.

Eight members of Craft group holding handmade letters spelling out Thank You

Cook and Eat Well

Wednesday 1pm to 3pm

Small groups learn to prepare and cook good food safely in our own teaching kitchen. Get your cooking confidence back.

A man and a woman wearing aprons at the stove cooking veggie burgers

T’ai Chi

Thursday 2pm to 3pm

T’ai Chi is a slow-moving martial art that offers good but gentle exercise to improve muscle tone and balance. This class is specially adapted for people with low vision.

Showdown

Thursday 1pm to 3pm

Showdown is fast and furious game designed specifically with visually impaired people in mind but can be played by everyone. A cross between table tennis and air hockey, players try to get the audible ball into their opponent’s goal. If you get good, you can join the Coventry Comets team and take part in UK league and maybe international matches.

Allotment Club

Thursday 1pm to 4pm

Our dedicated allotmenteers love the fresh air at our specially designed organic plot near the centre. If you love gardening or want to get in touch with the soil, this group will give you a warm welcome.

A seated woman in a hijab at the allotment holding up a cucumber and courgette

Bowls

Friday 10.30 am to 12.30pm

Highly competitive and a lot of fun, this group meets at a local crown green in the summer at a community centre in the winter.

Visually impaired players and sighted volunteers playing bowls on grass

Braille Classes

Friday 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 2pm

Learning Braille could unlock a new world of communication, no matter how old you are. These small classes for beginners and intermediate learners are led by our experienced tutors.

A visually impaired Braille learner using a Perkins brailler with her tutor looking on

Yoga

Friday 1.30pm to 2.30pm

Good, strenuous exercise with meditation for people of all ages and experience. This class is specially adapted for people with low vision.

Six people lying on yoga mats

Creative Reading

First Thursday of the Month

6.30pm to 8.30pm

An offshoot of Creative Writing, the Creative Reading group see actors from the Criterion read and perform selected pieces of literature for discussion.

Members of the Creative Reading Group listening to an actor reading

Theatre Trips, Outings And Events

Arranged Ad-Hoc

Every month (mostly) we organise a trip to the Criterion Theatre to include a Touch Tour, fish and chips and a good night out. We also arrange occasional outings and trips to local sites of interest, walks or events.

Visually impaired people seated in a theatre with actors demonstrating props and costumes