Thomas Henshaw (1731–1810), a businessman and philanthropist who founded a large and successful hatting business in Oldham, died in 1810 and bequeathed £20,000 (equivalent to roughly £1.4 million in 2017) to establish an institution of the blind in Manchester.
[1] Henshaw's will was contested by family members for 26 years, but was eventually upheld by the Court of Chancery in favour of the scheme.
"[2] In September 1834, the Board of Management of Henshaw's Blind Asylum and Deaf and Dumb schools, jointly purchased a plot of land adjoining the botanical gardens at Old Trafford Manchester.
In 1902, Manchester and Salford Blind Aid Society started a brush department, which it transferred to Henshaws twenty years later.
Illingworth, Head Master for twenty years and author of History of the Education of the Blind (1910), was appointed Superintendent.
[7] In 1905, the asylum received £10,000 from the trustees of the late James Holden, of Rochdale, providing fifty-five weekly grants to blind people in the area.
In 1908 Manchester and Salford Blind Aid Society moved their women to a larger home, The Elms, Eccles Old Road, Pendleton, with accommodation for thirty-five.
One of the country's largest private institutions, the asylum occupied a plot of land beside Boyer Street in Old Trafford.
Today, the former asylum is occupied by the Greater Manchester Police Headquarters and dominated by its multi-story office block called Chester House.
In 1966, The Society's plans to build a new school at Astle Park were turned down, following complaints by Sir Bernard Lovell at Jodrell Bank that the expansion of computers would eventually interfere with the operation of his radar dish.
In 1972 the Society opened a holiday home in Llandudno, the Belmont Hotel, and a few years later a special care centre was built at Rhyl to accommodate frail elderly residents.
In 1986/7, the Society developed a Community Housing Scheme in Harrogate for students about to leave the college who wished to remain in the area, but needed support in order to achieve independence.
In 1992, the community services delivered from Warwick Road for several years were expanded to create a regional resource centre.
In 1992/1993, The Society became a founder member of Opsis, the National Association for the Education, Training and Support of Blind and Partially Sighted People.
In March 1995, Henshaws Head Office and Greater Manchester Resource Centre moved to new premises in Talbot Road, Old Trafford.
Its School of Visual Impairment Studies based at Henshaw's College opened to provide training for Rehabilitation Officers.
The Arts and Crafts Centre opened to the general public on April 25, 1999, with a carnival parade involving clients, staff and the local community with facilities for visitors including a café, exhibition gallery and shop.
The Crown Green Road housing scheme opened on October 23 to provide supported community accommodation for visually impaired people in their 20s to 50s, some with additional disabilities.
[8] The independent report on behalf of the Department for Education found "None of the investigations [at different organisations] have been able to reach firm conclusions about whether the alleged abuse took place or not.
Henshaws College in Harrogate provides vocational education and training opportunities for one hundred visually impaired students living both on and off campus, many of whom also have additional physical and learning disabilities.
Yew Tree Lane in Northenden is the only residential home for young visually impaired people in the Greater Manchester area.
Crown Green Road is a block of self-contained flats, specially adapted for visually impaired people in their 20s to 50s.
In Liverpool and Manchester, popular information technology and pre-vocational guidance courses meet the needs of visually impaired people.
The Greater Manchester Resource Centre offers outreach services providing information, advice and support.
Henshaws Children and Family Services offers a range of support, social and training activities throughout the year with young people up to age 18.
Following recent takeovers of Bolton, Oldham and Tameside societies for blind people, Henshaws now offers a small amount of services from each of these areas, including assessments & benefits support.
The rehabilitation officers provide training in daily living skills to help visually impaired people achieve greater independence.
The Visual Impairment Awareness Training scheme has been undertaken by many health and social services personnel, schools and colleges, voluntary agencies and commercial organisations.
In August 2018, the charity wrote to 14 families informing them that their child would not be able to attend the college for the new term, due to begin in September 2018.