Bladon Low Vision Centre

sponsored by

Staffordshire Blind Summer 2009 Newsletter

As you may have seen in the local papers or heard

on the talking newspaper, Staffordshire Blind are

going to be closed on Mondays from the beginning ol

July as a direct result of the economic downturn.

Closing on a Monday is necessary in order to safeguard the continuation of support services.

The centre will remain open Tuesday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm.

The Social Clubs and Eye Clinics will not be affected,

If you feel able to financially support

Staffordshire Blind

in anyway please contact the office on

01785254572

Alan Fernandez

I escorted my wife Eileen to the Christmas lunch for the Staffordshire Moorlands Blind social club at the Rudyard Lake Hotel in January 2005, whilst I was waiting at the bar to order my meal and drinks I was approached by George Beckett and Les Allman and invited to join the members for lunch. After enjoying a good meal and seeing how the volunteers worked I felt that I could offer my services to the club. I joined the committee that year, later becoming acting treasurer. I have held this post since that time and also hold the post of Vice Chairman for the club.

In 2006 I wrote a constitution for the club with the help of the Chief Executive of Staffordshire Blind, Robert Sharp. In 2008 I was elected to the Board of Directors of Staffordshire Blind and later that year was elected to chair the User Consultative Committee.

It's both a pleasure and a privilege to work with our blind and partially sighted members, their courage and cheerfulness is an inspiration in these gloomy times. My hardworking team of colleagues deserve a word of thanks for their work, whether it be arranging a programme of events or doing the washing up. I hope to be able to continue for many more years since the need for voluntary helpers will always be there.

Driving Activity Day May 4th 2009

'Bank Holiday Monday' was a

cold and windy day, but 20

members of Staffordshire Blind

turned out for an exciting day

at Seighford Airfield, Stafford.

Volunteers from the (Stafford

Group) Institute of Advanced Motorists kindly

supplied us with vehicles and instruction. Members

of all ages who wouldn't normally be able to drive,

experienced being behind the wheel of a Mini or

riding pillion on a Honda Goldwing motorcycle. This

year there was the addition of riding in the sidecar of

a motorcycle combination, provided by Andrew

Rankin of Weeping Cross, Stafford.

Quotes from thank you letters include:

"to be deaf blind and experience the feel of driving a

car, and being on the back of a motorbike was such a

thrill"

"heartfelt thanks, truly memorable with much

laughter, everyone worked tirelessly to ensure we all

derived much pleasure"

Staffordshire Blind would like to thank everyone who gave or raised sponsorship money for this event, which amounted to a fantastic amount of just over £1,100 (divided between the two charities).

Moving Forward into First Class Travel by Andy Laws

After many years of struggling, I

finally admitted that I would benefit

from owning a Guide Dog. I was

accepted onto a Guide Dog training

course and after an initial matching

visit at home, I was told on the day,

that a dog, called Foster, was a

good match for my needs and

circumstances. The course started a

few weeks later. After some

apprehension at being taken out of the "comfort zone" of my home

environment, and leaving my pet German Shepherd with my

parents, I began to get very excited about starting the course on

January 12^th

Along with 2 other trainees, Tina and Michael, I was put up in a

nice hotel in Shrewsbury for 11 nights. The hotel staff were

extremely helpful and aware of visually impaired needs.

Our instructor was Denise Pope, she had had Foster and the 2

other dogs, Lotti and Uffa, for the last 13 weeks of their advanced

harness training and it was clear she knew the dogs characters

inside out.

We didn't meet our dogs until the 2^nd day of class but from then on

we were with our dogs 24-7 to build a strong bond between dog

and handler.

The training is a lot more involved than the general public would

realise. Voice commands, foot positions and arm signals are all

used to direct the dog. We did various walks around narrow

streets and shopping areas, general obedience training, grooming

and welfare. There were times when I wondered whether

everything would gel together as there was a lot to learn, but

Denise made it enjoyable and we had plenty of laughs.

On returning from the hotel we spent a further two weeks training

around my regular routes after which I'm, pleased to say I qualified

as a guide dog owner on 6^th February. My only regret being I

hadn't done the course 15 years early.

As a previous long cane user I feel I have definitely moved forward

into first class travel. I now totally trust Foster to take me

everywhere safely and am extremely proud of him when we are

travelling around.

Low Vision Assessments and Eccentric Viewing.

In October 2008, three members of staff, Philippa, Wendy, from the centre, and David, from North Staffs Hospital information desk, undertook Low Vision Training. This is useful for teaching Visually Impaired people to develop "Eccentric Viewing Techniques" and the most effective way of using hand magnifiers.

The training course lasted three weeks and was held at the Centre in North Walls, Stafford. During the final week, 24 members of Staffordshire Blind kindly volunteered to have a "Low Vision Assessment" with Philippa, Wendy or David whilst they were assessed by trainer, John Collins of Optima Low Vision Services. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the members who let us practice on them.

It was pleasing to note that as a result of undertaking the assessment and using appropriate low vision aids, some members were able to complete tasks or read material that had been previously impossible.

"Eccentric Viewing Techniques" were taught whereby the Visually Impaired Person makes the best use of what vision they have by adjusting head and eye position to see things more effectively.

This assessment is available at hospitals if you are already seeing a consultant or if you ask your GP to refer you for a Low Vision Assessment. Any low vision aids that you need may be provided free of charge from the hospital. However if you would like to have an assessment at Staffordshire Blind, Philippa or Wendy would be happy to see you. As we are a charity, any low vision aids needed could be ordered for you to purchase.

To make an appointment for a Low Vision Assessment olease call Staffordshire Blind 01785 254572

Free insulation for British Gas customers who are 70 or over or on benefits

Great news for British Gas customers who are 70 or over or on qualifying benefits, you could get FREE insulation to help keep your home warmer this winter. It's all part of the British Gas Here to Help programme which since 2007 has installed loft and cavity wall insulation in more than half a million homes.

The Here to Help programme offers free loft and cavity wall insulation to British Gas customers who are homeowners or rent privately, who are over 70, or are receiving a qualifying benefit.

Under the initiative, British Gas will pay for further insulation to be installed in homes where the original insulation is very old or not up to modem standards. This is subject to a survey.

Even if you already have loft insulation, it may be worth having a free survey from British Gas as if it's less than three inches thick the chances are you will need a top up. If you live in a house or flat with a loft space, then you should be able to install loft insulation.

Why not find out if you qualify for Here to Help?

Simply call RNIB on 0845 330 4897 who can help you to apply. If you qualify, British Gas will make an appointment with the approved installer to come round and assess your walls and loft. British Gas will install the insulation for free and that includes the survey, labour and materials. The work can be done at a time that suits you and it normally takes no longer than half a day.

The free insulation offer is subject to survey. Not all homes are suitable for cavity wall and/or loft insulation. Other terms and conditions apply

A New Hobby

By Eileen Fernandez

Last year I took up a new hobby - making beaded jewellery, Beads have been used for personal adornment since early times and are as popular as ever today. They are available in an extensive range of materials, colours and shapes and can be obtained from many sources i.e. craft shops, charity shops, car boot sales and on the internet. I prefer to work with glass or semi-precious stones. Glass beads come from places as far apart as Czechoslovakia, India, Italy and Japan and may be manufactured in quantity or individually made by artists. They are available in every colour of the rainbow, and may be clear or opaque, frosted or sparkling, striped, spotted or marbled, single colours or multi-coloured.

Traditional round beads are the most common, but beads come in many different shapes - square, rectangular, tear drop, diamond, tubes and coins and vary in size from tiny seed beads to large pendants.

Semi-precious stones also come from all over the world from Australia to Greenland, Russia to Brazil and are available in the same shapes as glass beads except that there are no very small ones. The variety of colours is amazing; many of the beads have beautiful markings. Their names are fascinating - flamingo jasper, Chinese leopard skin, tiger eye, prosperity jasper, snowflake obsidian, peace jade, sodalite and well known names such as amethyst and turquoise.

Necklaces are finished with different sorts of clasps, magnetic ones being very popular for people with stiff fingers or who are unable to see. Creating a necklace by mixing together different colours and shapes is very enjoyable and if the finished article gives pleasure to someone, I have achieved my aim.

Ann Sullivan Talks about Golf

I always wanted to play golf when our 3 lads had grown up, and I had some time on my hands. When I lost my sight in 1980 I thought that was the end of that dream. A few years later I heard Jane Bagnall on our local tape asking if anyone was interested in joining the English Blind Golf of which Jane was an active member. I contacted her immediately and joined. After being taught the rudiments of golf by the English Blind Golf I was all set to play the competitions. Most of the events were in the south of the country which meant a lot of travelling. After a few years Jane decided to start the Midland Blind Golf Society so we could play nearer home. She managed to get us a base at Ingestre Park Golf Club.

The management and members made us very welcome and made us the success we are today. With the help of Mr Danny Scullion the Professional at the club giving us lessons, we all managed to improve our game, and he made it all feel so easy and enjoyable. We also have putting competitions, and in the summer visit Broughton Heath Golf club who have also made us feel very welcome, which we are all most grateful.

The most important part of the game is to have a good guide. A guide is someone who sets you up to play your shot and points you in the right direction. You don't have to have played golf to be a guide, as lessons are straight forward and easier than you think. We meet every Tuesday at 11.30am on the car park of Ingestre Park Golf club for 3 hours to play. If it rains we turn it into a social event and enjoy the exquisite cuisine in the club house.

Anyone interested in joining, playing golf or becoming a guide can contact: Jane Bagnall on 01889 562079 or Ann Sullivan on 01889 583510

Calibre audio library

the freedom to read

Do you love books?

If so you might like to try books from Calibre Audio Library. Calibre offers a free nationwide service of unabridged books. Our Young Calibre collection has 1,400 titles for under-16s, and we have another 6,000 books in the main library. As it is a postal service, you can exchange your books as often as you like. And with over 8,000 titles in the library you'll never run out of new books to read. The choice includes the latest bestsellers, classic fiction, detective stories, romances, and popular non-fiction like biography and travel and best of all, there's nothing to pay- no subscription, no fines, and no charge for lost or damaged books.

The library is very easy to use. Our members can set up a personal reading list, either on-line or by phone. Favourite authors or titles can be found in our on-line catalogue on the website and there are also complete key stage lists online on the Young Calibre site. Alternatively we can send large print or CD-R catalogues and we also post articles on reading ideas and new book lists regularly on our website. But if you prefer, you can ten us what sort of books you like and we will choose for you, based on your preferences.

Our books are available in two formats, cassette and MP3 format CD. The disks give better sound quality than cassettes, and most books fit onto just one disk. However, we are committed to maintaining the cassette service for as long as possible. Members can choose cassette, disk or both, to suit themselves.

Phone 01296 432 339, email enquiries@calibre.orq.uk

What are LINKS

Run by local individuals and groups, a LINk will:

• Ask local people what they think about local
healthcare services and provide a chance to
suggest ideas to help improve services

• Investigate specific issues of concern to the
community

• Use it's powers to hold services to account and
get results

• Ask for information and get an answer in a
specified amount of time

• Be able to carry out spot-checks to see if
services are working well (carried out under
safeguards)

• Make reports and recommendations and receive
a response

• Refer issues to local "Overview and Scrutiny
Committee"

Anyone can be part of a LINk

A LINk will ask the community what they think. It's up to you how and when you get involved - you can just comment on issues when contacted or you can get more involved for example, helping raise awareness of an issue or helping to find solutions (for example, meeting providers, being part of a working group).

For further information contact Julie Thompson-Edwards 01785 223121