Essex Blind Charity
Spotlight
October 2015
ISSUE 68
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CONTACTS:
Please send your articles for inclusion in Spotlight to:
The Editor, Susan Mann:
70 Harts Grove, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 0BN
020 8559 7379
[email protected]
For information, advice and support for people with sight loss, contact
Essex Sight Office
40 Osborne Street
Colchester
CO2 7DB
01206 548196
[email protected]
For information about permanent or respite residential care, contact:
General Manager at Read House, Janet Plant:
23 The Esplanade,
Frinton-on-Sea,
Essex CO13 9AU
01255 673654
[email protected]
Items for the next issue should reach the Editor by Monday 23rd
November 2015
Essex Blind Charity produces and distributes Spotlight free of charge.
However donations in time or money are always welcome. Please
contact any of the above. Our Gift Aid form is available at the end. If you
are a UK taxpayer this enables us to claim back the tax paid on your
donation, thereby allowing us to make even better use of your donation.
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The Editor writes:
Hello!
Welcome to the latest edition of Spotlight brought to you by Essex Blind
Charity.
We hope you will find articles that are informative and of interest to you
and that you will share these with other visually impaired people and their
carers. Everyone who is newly registered in Essex will receive a copy of
Spotlight and they can then request their own copy either in large print
format, on tape or on memory stick. Unfortunately we are unable to
provide Braille copies.
I continue to receive articles from Clubs and individuals and various
Companies – all helping to make this a lively forum for visually impaired
people in the County and the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Havering,
Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham.
I hope that you enjoy this Spotlight in its new format designed by the staff
at Colchester. It will be easier to read and to find separate articles under
different headings. I haven’t had any articles from you, the readers,
recently – I am sure you have all been very busy doing new and
interesting things – so how about penning something for the December
edition? I am also looking forward to your short story entries, which
should be with me by Thursday 5th November.
As I write this the sun is shining and everywhere still looks very summery
– but I noticed yesterday that the leaves are beginning to fall from the
trees in my front garden so winter isn’t far away. How lucky we are to
have changing seasons and not have every day the same as they do in
some parts of the world.
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Essex Sight Office News
Change to our Helpline Number
BT have recently increased significantly their charges for callers to nongeographic numbers (i.e. those starting with 08). So we have decided to
change our helpline number to the local office number – 01206 548196.
The Helpline will still be available 24/7 and messages can be left on our
answerphone. Essex Sight staff will return your call as soon as possible.
News from the Midwest
by Jill Shakespear
Braintree
Chelmsford
Brentwood
Maldon
I am writing this in September just before I go off on holiday to Spain. Now it is
beginning to feel autumnal here with cold nights and shorter days, I am really
looking forward to what I hope will be more sunshine on the Costa de Luz and of
course sampling the sherry!
I am ready for my break after all the excitement of our annual exhibition last month.
It was lovely to see so many familiar faces from around my Sight Centres there, I
hope you all enjoyed it. It was also a chance for me to catch up with the latest
equipment. This year I found a couple of new items on the Cobolt stall, a large A4
sized calculator and a small folding magnifier which can fit in a pocket but also
extends on a little stand. We have now ordered demonstration models of both which
we can bring out to your local centre on request.
In November we are celebrating 10 years of our Chelmsford Sight Centre in the
library. I can’t believe how the time has flown. When the centre was first set up in
2005 I was working for the library as a Service Development Officer covering social
inclusion. Sue Barrell the Development Officer for Essex Blind Charity approached
us about setting up a new centre and the perfect partnership was born. The centre
was opened by Councillor Iris Pummell on 18th November. We clocked up 391 visits
in that first year and this level has remained steady over the 10 years so we have
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had about 3500 visitors over this time. We have also had a lot of brilliant volunteers
without whom we couldn’t run the centre. Special thanks go to Dorothy, Melvyn, Pat
and Felicity who have been with us almost from the start and are still going strong.
To celebrate we are having a tea party for the volunteers on 6th November.
Upcoming dates for the Sight Centres are:
Braintree: 21st October and 18th November
Brentwood: 12th October and 9th November
Maldon: 6th October and 3rd November
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Tendring Tittle Tattle by Libby Turner
Brightlingsea Clacton
Harwich Manningtree
My very first words of this edition have to go to the wonderful staff at Read House
who looked after my Mother, who sadly passed away after a very short illness at the
end of August. I could not have got through the last few months without their
professional and caring support, not only to my Mother but to all the family and from
myself and my three children Charlotte, Annabel and George - thank you so very
much.
However, onwards and upwards. Christmas will be upon us before we know it! Do
make sure all your lighting is good before the dark nights and dull days. Our new
diaries are in stock so let us know if you need one and we can make sure we have
plenty in.
Clacton
My thanks must also go to Chris, Agnes and John who have manned Clacton Sight
Centre for me when I have been unable to attend, I am so grateful, thank you. Also
to all of my friends and visitors to the Clacton Sight Centre for their support and kind
words. Although we have had a few quiet days with the VIP Cream Tea and the Air
Show we seem to always be quite busy – may be it’s Chris’s cakes that are so
popular!
The new art group will be starting on 5th November (see details below) so please let
me know if you are interested. A fireworks theme perhaps!
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Manningtree - Next visit Tuesday 4th November 9.30 – 12.30
Harwich - I will be in Harwich on Tuesday 13th October, do let me know if there is
anything you need.
Brightlingsea - Looking forward to being in the library on Wednesday 21st October
and 18th November.
CADOWS Thursday 22nd October 1.00 - 3.30pm
Sight and Sound Technology and Optima Low Vision Services
Will be visiting us with a range of electronic equipment, magnifiers and
lighting
Appointments not necessary
Events
Art Group
We are delighted that Annie Fennymore of Blind Alley Art has kindly agreed to take
this over for us. It will be run as a member led group with volunteers on hand to
help!
We are running sessions in Colchester and Clacton once a month and are hoping to
also organise group visits to Garden Centres, Museums and Galleries etc. in
conjunction with this.
Dates for Art Sessions:
CADOWS - 24, Old Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1HX
1st Thursday every month 10am – 12.30pm Commencing 5th Nov 2015
Colchester Sight Centre - 40 Osborne Street, Colchester, CO2 7DB
2nd Wednesday every month 10am – 12.30pm Commencing 11th Nov 2015
All classes will be £5.00 per session
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Theatre Group
If you are interested in joining our theatre group for the
following performance please contact Clare (on a
Wednesday morning) or Carol at Colchester Sight Centre
– 01206 548196. Ticket price is £12 to include sandwiches
and coffee which I am sure you will agree is very
competitive and well worth it.
9th January 2016 –Aladdin.
Touch Tour 12.30pm; Audio Described Performance 2pm
ADVANCED NOTICE
Save the Date!
Spotlight at Colchester Castle Saturday 11th June 2016
We are delighted that we are able to hold a fundraising event at this
amazing venue, I am still in the planning stage but we are absolutely
thrilled that the Colchester Military Wives will be joining us to sing. I am
sure this will be a great evening and I look forward to you being able to
join us for this.
If you have any queries regarding any of the above events please contact
Libby Turner on 01206 548196 or by e-mail at [email protected]
I hope everyone has a great summer. I am off to France next week, lots
of wine and good food, I hope, and some swimming and canoeing to wear
off the excesses!
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Colchester Sight Centre – Carol Massey
So here we are in October. The children are back at school, the weather has got
colder and autumn is definitely here. Today it is pouring with rain outside and I am
happy to be sitting in the warm and dry.
Our Tuesday coffee morning is getting busier and we have welcomed some new
faces. To those of you that have brought us in supplies (e.g. biscuits), thank you. It
is very much appreciated.
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Calibre Audio Library visited one of our recent coffee mornings in September to
exhibit their services. Quite a few people came in especially to see them which was
nice. Our next “demo day” is 20th October when Optelec will be here to show their
latest aids and equipment.
We also had representatives from the Essex Sound Archive Project. They are
recording everyday sounds for an archive for future generations. They particularly
wanted to talk to visually impaired people, so asked if we could help them which we
were, of course, happy to do.
Can anybody knit or crochet? I would very much like to set up a knitting group so
we can get together once a month to knit and crochet and have a chat, maybe even
making items that can help others ( for example blankets for the homeless). If this is
something you would be interested in, please contact me. This would take place on
the first Thursday of each month from 10am until 12 noon, starting on Thursday 5th
November. This will replace the games morning which took place that day and has
now come to an end.
Large print 2016 diaries and calendars are now in stock. Please come in and have
a look or telephone me if you want to purchase any of them.
I have had quite a few enquiries recently about the second-hand and donated
screen readers/video magnifiers and as a result, several of these have now gone. If
you are interested, please contact the Sight Centre for an up-to-date list of what is
available.
I am happy to demonstrate this equipment, but would ask that you contact me first if
at all possible so that we can arrange a time when it is not too busy in the Sight
Centre and I am better able to help you.
That’s it for now. Please do contact me if you would like any information or any
clarification re the above.
Carol Massey Tel 01206 548196 Email: [email protected]
Regular Activities at Colchester Sight Centre
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
10am-12noon
Coffee morning
10am until 12noon Correspondence reading
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News from Read House, Frinton on Sea
Janet Plant, General Manager, writes:
We have had a very busy summer at Read House, with lots of people
coming to us for a short stay – some who have been in hospital and need
our care for a time before returning home, some who come to us while
their family are on holiday. We have also had some new permanent
residents.
Our Day Centre has also been busy with a number of clubs coming for
their summer outing and of course our new Day Care service, which
continues to be popular.
Unfortunately our Activities Co-ordinator Mary has been unwell for some
time but we have made sure our activities programme has continued with
the help of our carers. Our residents have also had a number of outings
this summer. They were invited to our local school for tea to celebrate
the anniversary of VE Day; they were also invited to the renowned Frinton
Summer Theatre for a performance of ‘Cole’ – the story of Cole Porter’s
life story, which they very much enjoyed. Then on one particularly wet
day in September some of our residents went out for lunch to a pub in
Wivenhoe – I am not so sure this was a particularly enjoyable event in
view of the weather, but I think they enjoyed the change of scene!
To finish on a very sad note, some of you may remember our chef Peter
Young who, having worked here for over 30 years, retired a couple of
years ago. Sadly we were all shocked to learn that Peter died suddenly a
few weeks ago after a short illness. We send our condolences and our
love and best wishes to Peter’s wife Linda, who also works at Read
House, and to his two daughters Natalie and Deanna.
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Essex News
National Paralympian Day – Colchester Rifle Club
John Walters, one of our long standing volunteers who is blind, sent me
this report from his day of trying rifle-shooting. Sounds really interesting –
and exciting as well!
“On the 25th July I was able to attend the disability day at Colchester Rifle
Club. Ken Nash, a representative from the British Blind Sport
Association, had brought special Laser/Sound equipment which attached
to the rifle. When I aimed the gun at the target, the equipment gave out a
sound through the headphones. When this sound was at its highest pitch
it indicated the centre of the target and I pressed the trigger.
I was able to have two sets of five shots and I am pleased to say all hit
the targets which were 6 inches in diameter.
It is hoped that BBSA will be able to return to the club again, and maybe
more visually impaired people will be able to try the equipment. If enough
interest was shown, Colchester Rifle Club might consider installing some
of this equipment.”
What does Essex sound like?
What sounds are distinctively ‘Essex’ for you? The Essex Sound and
Video Archive wants your suggestions for the Heritage Lottery Funded
‘You Are Hear: sound and a sense of place’ project. The project team will
be running public survey events across the county in the forthcoming
months to find out what sounds remind you of home. Which sounds are
important to you, or which sounds represent twenty-first century Essex?
Events will be held at Grays Shopping Centre (29-31 October); the ecdp
office, Chelmsford (12 November); and High Chelmer Shopping Centre,
Chelmsford (19-21 November). Alternatively, suggestions of what to
record can be sent to the Project Officer at
[email protected].
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Inspired by this feedback, a Sound Recordist will then record places and
events, to capture the sounds of Essex in 2015 for permanent
preservation in the Essex Record Office. These new recordings will also
be uploaded to an online map of Essex Sounds. The survey events will
give an opportunity to try a prototype of this map, and to learn more about
the project. We are also looking for users to test our audio map from
home. Please get in touch if you are interested.
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National News
RP Fighting Blindness (RPFB) Seminar
RP Fighting Blindness would like to invite you to a seminar focusing on
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), related retinal dystrophies and syndromes. It
will take place on Tuesday 3rd November 2015 from 10.30 am – 1.00pm
in Kensington Town Hall.
The seminar will be held in conjunction with Sight Village London. It is a
great opportunity to visit this important exhibition in the morning before
attending the seminar.
There will be presentations on a number of subjects including:
Medical research, RPFB information and support services, the family
perspective – diagnosis, genetic counselling & access to testing and RP
research projects, including the RP Genome project.
This is a great opportunity to find out more about RP and related
conditions, including Usher syndrome, to hear about research, meet other
people and to connect with the charity.
This event is free of charge, and is open to anyone affected by RP or
related syndromes; their families and friends; health and social care
professionals and anyone else interested in learning more about this
important group of eye conditions.
If you would like to attend the event or you have any questions, please
contact Sue Drew at RPFB for further details. Her phone number is 01280
821334 or you can contact her by Email at
[email protected] or by post at Sue Drew, RPFB, P.O Box
350, Buckingham MK18 1GZ
Smile app from Listerine
This sounded fascinating and I was pleasantly surprised by the short
video clip of visually impaired people trying out the new app.
LISTERINE Smile Detector mobile app has been developed working
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closely with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and is
available now for Apple iOS and Android phones.
The new Smile Detector mobile app uses a phone’s camera to detect a
smile up to several metres away and then notifies the user with noises
and vibrations.
Johnson & Johnson commissioned the app and Feel Every Smile short
film to support the launch of a new mouthwash because of the brand’s
belief that many of us have forgotten just how truly powerful a smile can
be.
In the short film, which showcases the new Smile Detector mobile app,
blind participants express their own experience and understanding of
what a smile means to them, and are given another way to help them feel
a smile.
Award winning film Director, Lucy Walker, had previously directed
Blindsight about a blind mountaineer and was thrilled to work with a blind
cast for the film. “It is fascinating to ask blind people how they experience
smiling, if not by sight. Smiling is a universal human expression employed
by people who were born blind. Even if they can’t see a face, blind people
are very aware of the ‘feeling’ that smiling gives them, and they are often
able to pick up when someone is smiling by listening to the quality of their
voice.”
Johnson & Johnson hopes the heartwarming film will bring a smile to its
viewers and remind them of just how powerful their own smile can be.
Please visit; www.listerine.co.uk or www.youtube.com/user/listerineuk for
further information and to download links.
LOOK Confident!
Calling all young people with a vision impairment from the ages of 16 18. You are invited to take part in a brilliant LOOK weekend in association
with Touchdown Dance. It will take place from Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th
November 2015 at the Royal National College in Hereford.
In a fun and supportive environment we’ll explore issues around identity
and understanding others, body confidence and how to develop trust and
move more freely. You don’t have to be physically fit or have any dance
experience to join in. It’s a great way to make new friends and find out
more about LOOK. The
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cost is £30 per person to include accommodation and food. You may
come independently or with one adult over 18.
To find out more and register for a place, please contact
[email protected] or phone 079395 08485 or 0121 4507754.
Barbican Art Gallery
There will be an audio-described tour of The World of Charles and Ray
Eames Exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery on Tuesday 8 December,
2015 from 18:30 - 20:00.
Tickets are £5 + free ticket for companion if required and a guide is
available to meet visitors requiring assistance at either Barbican or
Moorgate London Underground Station.
This is a tour of the The World of Charles and Ray Eames exhibition,
suitable for blind and partially-sighted visitors, led by an expert tour guide
who will describe key artworks on display in the exhibition.
The World of Charles and Ray Eames is an extensive exhibition
celebrating the work of two of the most important designers of the 20th
Century, Charles and Ray Eames; the exhibition will encompass objects
and projects produced during their lifetime including film, multi-channel
slideshows, photography, furniture, products, drawings, sculpture,
painting, graphic design, models, props, and exhibition and installation
artefacts. A wealth of documentation and contextual material from the
professional archive of the Eames Office as well as artefacts from
Charles and Ray Eames’ personal collections will also be shown.
The tour guide will provide fascinating background information about the
life, philosophy and working processes of these important designers.
No specialist knowledge is required. This friendly and informal tour will
last approximately an hour and a half with time for questions and
answers.
Booking in advance is essential for this tour and can be done either in
person or contact the Barbican Centre Box Office 020 7638 8891 (10am8pm daily).
A booking fee applies for telephone bookings.
There is no booking fee when tickets are purchased in person from the
Box Office.
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PHONE NUMBERS
Helpline
Jill Shakespear, Libby Turner, Patricia Marshall
Janet Plant, General Manager, Read House
Vanda Watling, Fundraiser
Essex Libraries
RNIB together with
Action for Blind People helpline
01206 548196
01206 548196
01255 673654
01255 673654
0845 603 7628
0303 123 9999
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Gift Aid Declaration
On behalf of Essex Blind Charity
Registered Charity No. 1103732
The Gift Aid Scheme enables charities to make more of your donation by
reclaiming the tax you have already paid. In order for us to make this
claim on your donation(s) please complete this form and return it as soon
as possible
Thank you!
Please treat the enclosed gift of £..................as a Gift Aid donation.
I confirm that I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or
Capital Gains Tax for the current tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at
least equal to the amount of tax that all charities and Community Amateur
Sports Clubs that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for the current tax
year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not
qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I
have given.
Title……Forename(s)…………………………Surname……………..............
.
Address……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
………………..……………………………………………………………………
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Post Code………………………………..
I would like Essex Blind Charity to treat all donations I have made
since 1 July 2012 as Gift Aid donations until I notify them otherwise.
Signature……………………………………… Date.................................
Please return your completed form to:
Essex Blind Charity
Read House, 23 The Esplanade
Frinton on Sea, Essex CO13 9AU.
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If you are not already on our mailing list for ‘Spotlight’ and would like to
receive a regular copy, please complete the form below and return it to
Sandra Edwards at Read House, 23 The Esplanade, Frinton on Sea,
Essex CO13 9AU.
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Address……………………………………………………………….…………
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We would like to add your contact details to our database so that we may
from time to time send you details of developments to our services,
events taking place in your area and other information we feel may be of
interest to you.
If you would prefer us not to do so, please tick here…………………
We will not pass your details to anyone else without your permission.
You may request us to remove your details from our database at any
time.
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Essex Sight Centres
Braintree
Braintree Library, Fairfield Road
Braintree CM7 3YL
3rd Wednesday of each month
10 am to 1pm
Colchester
40 Osborne Street
Colchester CO2 7ND
Open Monday to Friday
10 am to 2 pm
Brentwood
Brentwood Library, New Road
Brentwood CM14 4BP
2nd Monday of each month
10 am to 1 pm
Frinton on Sea
Read House, 23 The Esplanade
Frinton on Sea, CO13 9AU
Mon-Fri. 1pm to 4.30 pm
(by appointment – tel. 01255 673654)
Chelmsford
Chelmsford Library, Market Road
Chelmsford CM1 1LH
Every Friday
10 am to 2 pm
Clacton-on-Sea
CADOWs, Old Road
Clacton on Sea CO15 1HX
Every Thursday
1 pm to 3.30 pm
Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea Library
New Street, Brightlingsea
CO7 0BZ
3rd Wednesday of each month
10 am to 12.30 pm
Maldon
Maldon Library
Carmelite House, White Horse Lane
Maldon, CM9 5FW
1st Tuesday of each month
10am to 1pm
We also hold regular sessions in Manningtree and Harwich libraries
on alternate months, as well as other ad hoc sessions in other
locations. Please contact the Essex Sight Office for details.
For more information contact Essex Sight Office on 01206 548196.
SPOTLIGHT CIRCULATION: 1000+
Readership: Anyone with a visual impairment or anyone involved with the
visually impaired of Essex and the London Boroughs of Barking and
Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.
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