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Chair: Diane de Jersey, Vice Chair: Jim Cantle, Secretary: Jim Finch, Treasurer: Malik Javed, Members: Lisa Berry, Keith de Jersey, Dee Jethwa, Umran Rauf
Enfield Vision full membership is free for visually impaired people. Enfield Vision honorary membership is free for supporters, carers and family members of visually impaired people.
Enfield Vision welcomes donations, no matter how small, as these help fund its activities for visually impaired people.
Dear Colleagues,
This newsletter has come to you after a gap of several months. The last few months have been very tumultuous for Enfield Vision. I highlight some of the issues which we faced for last few months.
First, Enfield Council terminated Enfield Vision's traditional analogue landline number 020 8373 6260 in the first week of April 2025 as it is moving from traditional analogue landlines to digital landlines. We quickly managed to have a contract with British Telecom (BT) for a digital landline with phone number 020 8807 7704 which is operational now. We informed all our members who have provided us with their email contacts; we updated our website as well. For future contact to Enfield Vision, please note this number in your diary: 020 8807 7704.
I told you in the previous newsletter, Volume 49, that we decided to apply to join the hot–desking in Community House due to proposed rent increase of 59% which we could not afford.
However, with the joint efforts of Community House resident voluntary groups under the leadership of Jo Ikhelef, Chief Executive, Enfield Voluntary Action (EVA) we managed to resolve the rent issue with Enfield Council with a renewed office lease with 12% rent increase, which we have accepted. Enfield Council has as well agreed to a rent increase for next six years by CPI capped by 5% annually.
Therefore, I am pleased to update you that we have reviewed our previous decision made in October 2024 about moving to hot–desking and we will continue to work at our current office premises. I take this opportunity to thank everyone including our Members of Parliament for supporting the voluntary group's struggle for getting a fair resolution to the rent increase, which is finally settled now. Enfield Vision does not get statutory or local authority funding for its work and all the expenditure is paid by our fundraising activities.
Another big change to report to you is that Park Avenue Resource Centre management has notified us that the Resource Centre will be closing from 1st August 2025, and all the activities for service users will be moved to Community House. Malik Javed has written a detailed report about this change. Please note that Thursday 17th July 2025 will be the last Drop–in morning at Park Avenue Resource Centre.
Please also note that from August 2025, future Thursday Drop–ins will be held at Community House. I believe that you would continue to attend the Thursday Drop–ins at Community House as you did at Park Avenue Resource Centre. For information David Marke Senior Rehab Officer Enfield Council, Patricia Tanner and Dee Churchill will join us as they did at Park Avenue Resource Centre.
Last but not least, this newsletter has information about Enfield Vision's Focus Day, which will be held on 16th October 2025 at Community House between the hours of 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Please note 16th October 2025 in your diary. I hope that you will attend the event and make it a success.
I finish my message by thanking Barbara M Govey who retired from Enfield Vision's management committee in April 2025. Barbara joined Enfield Vision as a trustee at the Annual General Meeting 2014. She always provided good consultation, support, and proof reading of our newsletter before it was printed. Thank you, Barbara, for your contributions to Enfield Vision, you will be missed by everyone.
Diane de Jersey
Enfield Vision's research project, "The Needs of Visually Impaired People Resident in the London Borough of Enfield January 1999 to May 2002", was undertaken by Middlesex University on behalf of Enfield Vision. The project provided a comprehensive account of the needs of visually impaired people in Enfield. The research indicated the need for setting up a monthly Drop–in for visually impaired people to support them, particularly newly registered visually impaired people with London Borough of Enfield.
To cater for the needs of the visually impaired people as highlighted in the research report, Enfield Vision set up monthly Drop–in Mornings from 2002 on the third Thursday of each month at Park Avenue Resource Centre. Enfield Sensory Impairment Team as well joined hands with Enfield Vision to make the Thursday Drop–ins a success. A member of Enfield Sensory Impaired Team always attended the Drop–ins to provide specialist advice and an urgent response to visually impaired people's queries and further assessment.
From 17th July 2025 Enfield Vision's Thursday Drop–in is moving from Park Avenue Resource Centre, 65c Park Avenue, Bush Hill Park, Enfield, EN1 2HL to Community House, 311 Fore Street, Edmonton, N9 0PZ.
Rosemary Mann Manager Park Avenue Resource Centre has updated us that Enfield Council has decided closing all the services from Park Avenue Resource Centre from August 2025 and moving it to Community House. Therefore, Enfield Vision will not be able to hold its Thursday Drop–ins at Park Avenue Resource Centre from August 2025.
We were made aware of the possibility of closing Park Avenue Resource Centre in mid–2023 as Enfield Council was planning to close it. However, we had no prior knowledge that all the activities for people with disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health link services as well will be moving to Community House.
Enfield Council has recently notified that Community House will be made a hub for services to all the disabilities which we cautiously welcome as long as it is well planned, funded and monitored.
Knowing well that Enfield Vision will no longer be able to hold its Thursday Drop–ins at Park Avenue Resource Centre from August 2025, after careful considerations to the options available to Enfield Vision, we have decided to move its Thursday Drop–ins at Community House with its current format, seated keep fit exercise by a qualified fitness reflexologist. A member of the London Borough of Enfield Sensory Impaired Team presents to provide specialist advice and an urgent response to visually impaired people's queries and further assessment.
Although Enfield Vision's office is based at Community House, and we hold our annual Focus Day at Community House, we do understand that some of our members who live in the Western part of the borough may feel uncomfortable travelling to Community House.
Enfield Vision held its Thursday Drop–ins at Park Avenue Resource Centre for the last twenty–two years. We also held our annual Christmas Parties at Park Avenue Resource Centre. On behalf of Enfield Vision's management committee and its members, we thank the Park Avenue Resource Centre's management for their cooperation with Enfield Vision for making our Drop–ins and Christmas Parties successful.
We appreciate your cooperation in assisting us to update our database in the year 2024. We update your email contacts every year to keep our database updated. We only use your email contacts for providing you an electronic copy of Enfield Vision's newsletter and other various pieces of information which we receive from external sources for the welfare of visually impaired people.
Therefore, we request you to provide Enfield Vision with an email contact, provided you have one, to communicate with you. If you wish, you can use your carer or a family member's email contact to receive information from Enfield Vision. Please send a message with your name to information at enfieldvision dot org dot uk. We will add your email contact to our email contact database which is not shared with third parties.
We regularly forward useful information to our members via email contacts, it is a quick and easy mode of communication to keep you updated about Enfield Vision's activities. We appreciate your response in this matter
Enfield Vision is planning to arrange Summer Day Trips for its members for the year 2025. Every trip will be charged at £10.00 per person per trip to cover the partial cost of hiring the mini bus from the private sector on the market hiring rates for the Day Trip.
Please note that the places are offered on a first come first served basis. The day trips details are as follows:
If you want to join the day trip outlined above, please contact our office at 020 8807 7704 and leave your name and contact number or send us an email at information at enfieldvision dot org dot uk as early as possible.
London Borough of Enfield is moving towards the "digital switchover", which refers to the UK's transition from traditional, analogue landlines to digital landlines using internet–based technology, with the deadline for completion being January 31st 2027.
For that purpose, Enfield Council has switched off Enfield Vision's office analogue landline number 0208 373 6260 from 30th March 2025.
Please delete 0208 373 6260 from your diary and note Enfield Vision's new contact phone number 020 8807 7704
Please note in your diary Enfield Vision new contact phone number 020 8807 7704
Enfield Vision have organised a Focus Day for Visually Impaired People to provide them with a chance to access information on equipment, gadgets and services which are available in the London Borough of Enfield. The Day will be held on Thursday 16th October 2025, at Community House, 311 Fore Street, Edmonton, N9 0PZ between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. The Day will be opened by the Chair of Enfield Vision, Diane de Jersey, and the Mayor London Borough of Enfield, Cllr. Margaret Greer.
The focus day is open to anyone with a visual impairment, their relatives, friends and carers.
This is a unique chance to meet with service and specialist equipment providers and the voluntary sector organisations helping Visually Impaired People. The organisations and exhibitors listed below have been invited to attend the Focus Day:
We will be providing refreshments and a light buffet, so to help us with catering, please let us know contacting our office on 020 8807 7704 or email on information at enfieldvision dot org dot uk if you intend to come.
Held at Community House,
311 Fore Street, Edmonton, N9 0PZ
Drop–ins run from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
For more information on these meetings or for any other enquiries, please contact us on 020 8807 7704.
We are a self–help group run by volunteers who are blind or partially sighted.
The group aims to promote awareness and understanding of the needs of visually impaired people resident in London Borough of Enfield.
Please call us at the Enfield Vision office if you want:
