A CHARITY which supports blind people across Basingstoke has thanked Hampshire County Council for providing them a new base.

Helping Hands for the Blind were faced with the position of not having a premises earlier this month after rent at their former Chute House base was set to be increased which would have put strain on the charity.

However, just three weeks before they were due to move out of the their former base, Hampshire County Council agreed to let the charity use the Royal Navy Association Club in New Road.

The building was given to the charity for six months.

David Chatten Smith, who is the founder of the charity and has been blind for the past 10 years due to meningitis, said: “We thank the council for helping us out with the use of an empty building for our charity and our support centre for the sight loss community of Basingstoke. This will enable us to keep all of our services in one place, from social coffee mornings, to computer training, and our emotional therapy services can also run from here.”

To help the charity find a new long-term premise email David at info@helpinghands fortheblind.org.uk or call 01256 463966.