Viewpoint A Quarterly Newsletter August 2013
Barnet Borough Sight Impaired (BBSI)
Telephone/Answerphone: 020 8200 5462
E-mail: Website: www.barnetbsi.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 1058045
Welcome to the August 2013 issue. I started to write this in June, just before the midsummer equinox. At that point it seemed as if we were moving straight onto winter. Six weeks later, we had thunder storms after the hottest day of the year! In 2012, apparently we only had 12 hours of this kind of heat, now known as Level 3 i.e. very hot but just about bearable. For those who have been suffering from it and if we should have another period of extreme heat, a member has suggested running very cold water over the wrists.
To inform you in advance of the next Newsletter in November: it will be produced by our guest editor, Mr Michael Henriques, a newcomer to our committee who is passionate about improving circumstances for the visually impaired. I will be away on a study trip to Japan for three months from September and will be back for an early 2014 edition of Viewpoint which should then be produced in January, April, July and October if things go to plan.
Future Meetings:
Tuesday 20th August. Outing to Strawberry Hill, Twickenham.
Tuesday 3rd September – Tai Chi talk from Robert Goodliffe.
Tuesday 1st October – Lighting in the home: A talk by Peter Hodgson.
Tuesday 5th November – Wine tasting with Mr Janata
Tuesday 3rd December – Choir from St Mary’s School TBC
To get to our meeting by bus, the best one is the 125; alternatively, there are the buses 143, 326, 82 or 460, all of which stop a short walk from the St Mary’s Church Hall, 30-32 Hendon Lane, Finchley. The nearest post code is N3 1TR. The closest tube station is Finchley Central. For further travel enquiries or further information about BBSI, please phone 020 8200 5462
Time for a smile: A true story.
News Headline: 100 year-old man has foot amputated.
Conversation with the consultant prior to the operation;
‘Will I be able to play the piano after the operation?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Oh. Great! Because I can’t now!’
Dealing with Visual Impairment
Action for Blind People are organising a six week course starting on Wednesday 4th September. It will cover the following: emotional well-being, practical skills for everyday life, making the most of your leisure time, getting out and about, looking after your eyes and using technology.
Contact details: Telephone: 020 7391 2151
e-mail: actionlondon& website:www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/london
General Meetings
Tuesday 7th May 2013
The day after an unbelievably sunny, warm May Bank holiday, the members gathered for a trip down ‘Memory Lane’. Barbara, our event’s organiser, had arranged for our local singing club, Memory Lane Singing Club, based in St Mary’s Church Hall, to entertain us for the afternoon.
The ‘Memory Lane Singing Club’ was founded in 1993 and became a charity in 2003. Their aims include teaching singing skills in a professional, friendly and supportive environment and to entertain in the community, especially the isolated elderly, sick and disabled.
The club meets every Friday from 11.30am – 1.30pm. New members are always welcome and a free taster session is available, otherwise the fee is £10 per session although the termly subscription is equivalent to £7.70 per session. There are no auditions and you don’t have to read music. If you are interested please contact:
Valerie tel. 020 8458 4508 or email
The ensemble of nine women and three men were under the direction of Linda Perillo, a soprano with an illustrious musical career. Accompanying them was Philip Davies on piano. He has played for them since 2006 and really enjoys entertaining those who appreciate what they do.
Their programme of 12 songs was performed with enthusiasm and lots of expression. Songs included old favourites such as; You Make me Feel so Young, Let’s face the Music and Dance, Love and Marriage, Sentimental Journey, We’ll Gather Lilacs in the Spring followed by some sing-along tunes such as ‘When I’m 64’ and ‘Ob la-di, Ob-la-da’ by the Beatles.
The members really enjoyed hearing the songs and would have loved an encore but that will have to be another time…
Tuesday 4th June
Today’s guest speaker was Sharon Schaffer of the Thomas Pocklington Trust who came along to give us an outline of the Barnet Vision Strategy. This had been discussed at a meeting attended by over sixty different groups and associations such as ours, with an interest in Low Vision, at the end of January this year.
It is a complex subject but Sharon broke it down into various points and asked for comments which she received towards the end. First of all, she identified eight action areas relating to the eye problems in the Borough of Barnet and their effect on the well-being of those with these problems.
These areas were:
a) Health and general well-being,
b) The importance of eye health and prevention of vision impairment. A shocking statistic; 50% of all eye problems can be prevented!
c) Data to be collected and shared with all sectors of care in the community so that people are not missed out.
d) All services to be linked together, starting with the optometrist at the opticians.
e) Local funding if possible and every social group to be included.
f) Children with visual impairment to be included and there should be transitional care of them when they become adults as they are often forgotten about when they become eighteen years old.
g) Care to be taken of VI adults who have other needs. For example, thirty per cent of those with learning difficulties also have sight loss.
h) Local groups such as BBSI and Middlesex Association for the Blind to be involved.
Then Sharon highlighted the four main priorities which are:
1) GPs leading a strategy (the Clinical Commissioning Group) which decides what is most important. It is, of course, vitally important that eye problems are included.
2) An Eye Clinic Liaison Officer should be available for those who have an eye problem from their first meeting with an optometrist to provide emotional support and to guide them
through each step, hopefully to treatment which will ameliorate the problem.
3) Groups to be set up which provide emotional help. The group, ‘Action for Blind People’ has this kind of service. Middlesex Association for the Blind also does something similar but it is a voluntary service. It offers up to seven telephone advice sessions to one individual where needed.
4) A ‘folder’ should be given to all with visual impairment giving advice/help for each stage if an eye problem is worsening. It would recommend GPs who specialise in ophthalmology and list sensory services which are available.
As well as this, the strategy intends to make the public aware of visual impairment and how to prevent it. Borough of Barnet Sight Impaired has started with a monthly table which can be freely visited every second Saturday of the month at Friern Barnet Community Library from 2-4pm.
I have tried to summarise Sharon’s talk, using as few acronyms as possible so perhaps it is clearer to our listeners. If not, please let me know.
Tuesday 2nd July.
Sunethra introduced the meeting by giving us information about the annual outing to Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. It is one of England’s most elegant and eccentric Gothic houses and we will have a guide, trained to lead the visually impaired (VI), to take us around the house and gardens. This takes place on Tuesday 20th August, meeting at St Mary’s Church Hall at 9.45am to leave at 10am. We would return about 5pm. VI members and carers enter free of charge and others would pay £13 entrance fee. If you are interested, please call BBSI office on 020 8200 5462.
Today’s entertainment was given by friends of Barbara, our vice chairman. As her 90th Birthday was on the 14th July, the meeting slanted towards a celebration for her by all members and helpers. A delicious cake was baked and decorated by our treasurer Mike Dawson and Barbara did the honours of blowing out the candles - fewer than 90 so she didn’t take long about it!
An audience of 17 members plus helpers were entertained by an amateur quintet aptly called ‘Pentamateur’; Joan Cohen, voice and ‘cello, Liz Hart, voice, violin and viola; Andrew King, oboe; David King voice, flute, ‘cello; and Oliver Walter, violin and viola. The first tune was, appropriately, ‘Happy Birthday’! This was followed by a selection of popular music by artistes such as Bernstein and Gershwin as well as classical music from the pens of Handel, Haydn and Mozart. The vocalists sang ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ by Foster, and ‘By Strauss’ from ‘The Show is on’ by Gershwin. The finale left the audience wishing they would go on longer as the mood was buoyant as the final number was the ‘Mexican Hat Dance’, a traditional foot-tapping extravaganza.
A History of Blindness
In January 2014, a new book will be released called ‘Life Unseen: The Story of Blindness.’ It is written by Selena Mills who was born with no sight in one eye and is now faced with losing the sight in the other eye. She is a broadcaster and journalist for the BBC and has worked as a reporter for Reuters and The Daily Telegraph.
Her book tells the story of blindness from antiquity to the present day. It investigates how the physical state of not seeing has shaped our history and civilisation and shows that sightlessness has been an ‘active’ force in history rather than being the assumed ‘passive’ condition. It takes into account her own visual impairment and how she is dealing with it. The book’s ISBN No is: 9781848856905 and the price for a hard back is £18.99.
Friern Barnet Community Library.
As from 11th May 2013, the BBSI Committee began its monthly information table in the library for the visually impaired, their friends and families, as well as passers-by who may be interested. It is open from 2-4pm on the second Saturday of every month and will be able to provide information and pamphlets with regard to the following: Preventing Sight Loss, Registering and Obtaining Benefits, Leisure Activities, Access and Transport, Organisations for the Visually Impaired as well as other aspects of visual impairment. Anything you wish to share with us is also very welcome.
Our contact details:
Ollie Natelson Tel: 020 8361 2496 BBSI details: Tel: 020 8200 5462
Buses to the Library: 221,382, 43 (the terminus is a 100 yards walk from the library.)
At the June meeting, Dr Ollie Natelson prepared an interesting presentation based on the importance of nutrition and how it can prevent sight loss. He has also prepared a draft of Nine Top Tips to help preserve one’s sight. There is so much we can do to limit the risk and this information is invaluable to share with your family and friends.
Tip one is about our nutrition. We are recommended to eat;
Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, meat, wheat germ and pumpkin
seeds. 100g per day is advised.
Foods rich in orange carotenoids including egg-yolk, sweet-corn, green and yellow peppers and other brightly coloured vegetables: tomatoes, oranges, grapes, kale, spinach and broccoli. These are rich in anti-oxidants and should be eaten every day.
Fish oil from fish such as pilchards, tuna, trout, herring, mackerel, sardines or salmon. One portion, at least two or three times a week, is beneficial.
Tip Two: Avoid obesity as it is considered to be a major contributing factor to sight loss. A report published by the RNIB identified a direct link between obesity and some of the eye conditions that cause blindness including Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and cataracts.
Tip Three. Avoid too much alcohol.
Tip Four. Maintain a good heart and as good blood circulation to the eyes is important.
Tip Five. No Smoking! Smokers are more likely to develop AMD and cataracts.
Tip Six. Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing good quality sunglasses carrying the ‘CE’ mark and the British Standard EN 1836:1997 which ensures that the sunglasses offer a safer level of ultraviolet protection.
Tip Seven. Check your lamps. Some types of domestic lamps emit UV light that could damage your eyes.
Tip Eight. Have regular eye examinations - at least every two years.
Tip Nine. Find out if you are in a higher risk group. For example, if a blood relative has an eye problem, you may be more vulnerable too.
For more details see: www.sightsupport.org.uk/preventing-sight-loss
2014!! Join us and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of BBSI!
On March 4th 2014, BBSI will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a special AGM at The Trinity Church Centre, Nether Street, North Finchley. There will be an exhibition of the many aspects of partial sight and blindness, such as technology, books, sport, art, music etc. We would like to invite all members who wish to, to produce an art or craft item which we can display. There will be a lovely prize for the winners and it will contribute to making this day, a day for the members of BBSI to remember.
Departure of Jo Adams from MAB.
For those of you who may have met Jo Adams, I am sorry to let you know that she will be leaving Middlesex Association for the Blind at the end of August for personal reasons. Jo worked cheerfully and brought happiness to the many clients she met during her ten years working there. We wish her good luck and success with her future plans.