Front Cover Story: Rugby Runs for WAB

Front Cover

WAB Mag Summer 2014

Front Cover Story: Rugby Runs for WAB

Strap Line: Your Local Charity for Local People

WAB Mag Information 2

Acknowledgements 2

Editorial 3

INSIDE WAB 4

WAB Forum 4

Admin Assistant 6

Stratford Town Trust supports WAB Services 7

IT Service goes from strengthtostrength 7

‘Awards for All’ supports Magnifier Sessions 9

The Clue is in the Name 9

WAB Services andActivities 10

First Contact 10

Local Hero 11

Playing the Game 12

Advocacy Group 14

Long Service 15

Passing the Baton 17

Kay Shaw 17

Rugby Runs for WAB 18

Medical 19

Personal Safety 19

Dementia and Sight Loss 20

Cataracts 21

Vitreomacular Traction 23

Events and Places to Visit 23

Exhibition of ProductsforVIPs 23

VocalEyes 23

Visit the Supreme Court 24

London Beyond Sight 24

Easier Travelling 24

Services and Advice 26

Safe in your Home 26

Torch 27

Hospital Transport 28

Benefits for Registered VIPs 29

Living with Sight Loss 29

Technology Update 31

Lighting 32

Equipment 34

Daylight Table Light 34

Minisun Flexi Neck EnergySaving Table Lamp 34

Minisun Flexi Neck Energy Saving Floor Lamp 34

Talking Thermometer 35

Talking Ear and Forehead Thermometer 36

Features 37

A Tale from the Past 37

Anywhere on the Ship 38

For Sale 39

22” Visio Desktop Magnifier 39

WAB Mag Information

WAB Mag is distributed FREE to Subscribing Members of Warwickshire Association for the Blind

This publication is also available in digital audio, Braille and by email

For more information, please contact us on

01926 411331

Email:

Website: www.wa4b.org.uk

Registered Charity Number: 1123220

Registered Company Number: 6511954

Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks are expressed to Kenilworth Talking News for producing the digital audio version of WAB Mag and to PhilArkel for the layout of the printed version.

We acknowledge the use of information from Daily Telegraph, NB, Oculus and Vision.

Views expressed in WAB Mag are not necessarily those of the management of WAB.

Editorial

After the excessively wet Winter, Spring seemed to come earlier than usual this year, and the weather varied quite a lot from day-to-day. Last year researchers from University College London found that most people over the age of 65 walked more slowly than the estimate of 4 feet per second. The crossing time given to pedestrians at traffic light controlled pedestrian crossings has been based on this estimated walking time since the 1950’s - when it was last reviewed - and this country has an ageing population.

There are government plans to phase out pelican crossings next year and replace them with puffin crossings. These crossings have sensors that detect if someone is taking longer than average to cross the road. This should improve road safety.

Commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the World War 2 D-Day Landings in France have taken place. This year is also the 100th anniversary of the First World War and this too will be commemorated.

If braille is your preferred format for communications, WAB Mag can now be transcribed for you (but it will be pretty bulky). In this issue we feature what’s happening in Rugby, another staff job is described, there’s a story that links with WW2, equipment and much more.

Although it seems far too early to be thinking about Christmas, events and magazines have to be planned in advance, so articles for the Christmas issue are needed by 19th September.

We wish you a pleasant summer.

Rosemary Went (Editor), Rosalie Visick (Co-Editor)

INSIDE WAB

WAB Forum

Friday 6th March 2014

There were 20 people at this Forum for Clubs; representatives from Alcester, Coleshill, Nuneaton, Rugby, Leamington Bowls Club, also Leamington Reader/Visitor Service and South Warwickshire Committee. There were also a number of Directors and Staff present.

Peter Soles, Chairman, welcomed everyone and after introductions the Representatives spoke about their Clubs. Numbers and club members’ interests varied - some preferring speakers and others just chatting. The new Luncheon Club replacing Henley Club was going well.

Steve Plumpton spoke about the first Advocacy meeting, held at the Nuneaton Drop-In Centre for Members in the North Warwickshire and Nuneaton area. Groups would also be formed in Mid and South Warwickshire.

The Shoppa-Hoppa Service that had been started in the Warwick and Leamington area was receiving poor support, despite initial interest being expressed by 18 people. For the service to continue it would be thrown open to other disability groups.

Volunteer events were to be held in June.

E-mail addresses were requested, so that communications could be sent more cheaply than by post.

Tracey Paxton, Finance Officer, offered her assistance to anyone who needed help with club accounts.

John Davis reported that he and Peter Soles had negotiated a 12month extension to the Service Level Agreement that WAB has with Warwickshire County Council to provide the Rehabilitation Service (double the previous extension length).

The new WCC Commissioner wanted to meet Service Users to hear their views on the services offered to Visually Impaired People. VIPs were invited to meet the Commissioner, Michelle Cresswell, at a local Drop-In Centre in March, or send their views. Services were likely to be affected by the £92m saving that WCC would be making over the next 3 years.

WAB would be holding a mini-version of Sight Village at four of the Drop-In Centres and circulars giving details had been sent to Members. It was hoped that the Hospital Advice Service at Warwick Hospital would be able to expand to other hospitals in Warwickshire.

Phil Arkell reported on Fundraising. Fundraising had been going well at the last Forum, but since then income had decreased (which was in common with other charities). A set of leaflets describing WAB’s services had been produced and these were being used both to support Grant Applications and for Service Users. The lead-time for most applications was 4-5 months. A pack of leaflets would be sent to every Club, so the Leader could hand them out to interested Members. If Clubs needed funds they should let Phil know so he could make applications.

Street and Store collections had been arranged for the Clubs that had requested them.

Copies of a Legacy leaflet were available (WAB depends heavily on legacies.)

Feedback from the Consultation Events was given and John handed out copies of the ‘Executive Summary’ from the Strategic Plan, which Members could request.

Melanie Pritchard gave a brief summary of the services she offers under the IT Project. Sue Morris asked for Club Programmes to be sent to her so the website could be updated and good speakers shared.

Howard Burgess said that information from Warwickshire County Council could be made available on CD if requested. John asked for the office to be notified of any deaths of Club Members so that the Register could be kept up to date.

Admin Assistant

Jade England

As Admin Assistant, my working day is split between assisting the Administration Officer and the Finance Officer.

In the admin department I am one of the first points of contact at WAB as I often take WAB’s incoming phone calls.

I assist Barbara Main, who is the Administration Officer, with various tasks such as posting out equipment, filing and generally just helping her to keep the office running as smoothly as possible. This includes updating client files, computer records and Volunteer records.

Within my role in the finance office I assist Tracey Paxton, who is the Finance Officer. I am responsible for checking and entering invoice and Volunteer expense claims onto the Sage accounting system. I prepare any banking that needs to be done: this can mean counting buckets of coins that people have kindly donated to WAB.

I go to college on Fridays to study for an Association of Accounting Technicians, Level 2 Certificate in Accounting, which will help me to increase my knowledge of the finance system. I have already passed four of the five exams, with my last one being in May.

I enjoy the variety that comes with my job role. I have certain set tasks that I must get done each week, but a lot of the time I am there to assist with whatever may need doing within the WAB office.

Stratford Town Trust supports WAB Services

We are extremely happy to report that the Trustees of Stratford upon Avon Town Trust have pledged £22,500 over the next 2 years in support of our Services in Stratford.

The funding will be used to support the Drop-In Centre at the Christadelphian Church on Rother Street (every Tuesday 10 am to 12noon) the ‘As You Like It’ Club in Shottery (alternate Thursday afternoons 2 pm-4 pm) and the Stratford Home Visitor Service.

Perhaps most excitingly, the donation will support an extension of the Interactive Technology service to Stratford with weekly IT sessions available at the Drop-In Centre. If you would like to learn about using a smart phone or tablet, if you want to do your shopping or banking online or simply want to make video calls to your friends and family, then this is the service for you.

For more information about our services in Stratford upon Avon please call WAB on 01926 411331

IT Service goes from strengthtostrength

The Interactive Technology Service is now one year old. Having started with a £50,000 grant from the Health & Social Care Volunteering Fund, the IT service has worked with more than 130 people and has had a lasting effect on many peoples’ lives.

The service has proved so popular that we can now report that it has been officially extended to Warwick (with the support of the Warwick Provident Dispensary who donated £5,052) and Stratford (with the support of Stratford Town Trust) and we expect to further extend the service to include Leamington Drop-In Centre in the coming months.

Here are just a few comments about the service:

‘I was always scared of using a touch screen phone because I thought I would not know what I was doing. Now I realise that my new smart phone is easier and faster than the old phone and I can do so much more!’

‘My smart phone tells me where I am when I get lost and how to get home – who would have thought that possible?’

‘My tablet has opened up the world of reading once more. The magnification enables me to use my vision and if my eyes are tired the tablet will read it for me.’

‘Using Skype on my tablet and smart phone helps me keep in touch with the grandchildren – we talk for so much longer than on the phone and it’s lovely to see their faces.’

‘I can save so much money by managing my gas and electricity bill online.’

‘I love going to the Drop-In Centre to try out the different phones and tablets. I got support and advice from Melanie and her wonderful Volunteers and when I was ready to buy a smart phone, she knew exactly which one was best for me.’

If you are interested in the IT Service, then please call WAB on 01926411331

‘Awards for All’ supports Magnifier Sessions

At the end of 2013 we received a donation of £7,580 from the National Lottery ‘Awards For All’ programme to replace our outdated magnifiers with a brand new range of optical and digital magnifiers.

This grant means that we can now demonstrate a comprehensive range of equipment at the Drop-In Centre magnifier sessions, thus ensuring that you get the best possible advice and support from our Rehabilitation Officers.

If you are struggling with your magnifier, why not pop into your local Drop-In Centre for an assessment. The magnifier sessions are held every 2-3 months in each location and if you need a change you can either be referred to the low vision clinic for a new magnifier or purchase your own.

The Clue is in the Name

Your Editor was surprised to be asked if WAB is the same as RNIB. The answer is that they are separate charities with different aims.

The Royal National Institute of the Blind Group includes RNIB, Action for Blind People and Cardiff Institute for the Blind.

It is a large national organisation that has national campaigns on issues to improve the lives of visually impaired people. It also has a catalogue of aids for VIPs, as well as being involved in other areas.

Warwickshire Association for the Blind is a local charity working for the people of Warwickshire.

WAB’s services include local clubs, local Drop-in Centres and local Reader/Visitor services. WAB is an independent local charity that has been working for the people of Warwickshire since 2nd June 1911 - over 100 years.

Please don’t forget that Warwickshire Association for the Blind is working for you - it is YourLocal Charity for Local People.

WAB Services andActivities

First Contact

Warwickshire Association for the Blind Support Desk is based in the Machen Eye Unit at Warwick Hospital. It is there to offer help and advice to all visually impaired people, their families and carers.

WAB knows how important it is to have someone available when people are first diagnosed with sight loss, which can be a life changing experience.

The Support Desk is situated in the Machen Eye Unit waiting room and has a wealth of information leaflets and a small display of everyday equipment and the friendly face of WAB to speak to. Information can be obtained on all our Drop-In Centres and details of how to access WAB services.

When someone has been told ‘there is nothing more can be done’, WAB is there to bridge the gap. The Support Desk can offer advice and information at a time that can be very emotional and difficult for a person to understand. It can often feel like a bereavement. The Support Desk is there to allay some of these fears.