Chief Officer’s Message
At last, we’re starting to see signs of Spring! It’s been a long time coming and I’m sure we are all looking forward to some warmer weather.
Many thanks for your feedback from the consultation regarding the Centre. One of the key areas was that over 35% people said they would love to come to the Centre but found transport a problem. This, along with the comments of better chairs and tables, has now been fed back to the Fundraising Group, who are busy coming up with some new ideas to raise the funds to meet these suggestions. We are delighted to say that, already one of the wishes has been met – thanks to a kind donation, we have a nice new table in the Lounge.
Reviewing the Consultation results, and discussing this with a number of members, it occurred to me, we need to come up with other ways for you to give us feedback. The Society needs to know if it is meeting your needs, not just socially but also in its support capacity. To this end, this year, we are setting up a User Open Forum – and this means everyone who uses the Centre is welcome i.e. volunteers, clients and family members. During this year the Open Forum event will be held quarterly, at varying times to ensure accessibility. It will be an informal opportunity to meet with myself and staff so we can let you know what the aims are of the Society and how we are meeting those, and for you to ask questions. More importantly it is also another way for you to let us know your views on where we can improve and develop. The first session will be held on Wednesday 22nd May 1.30pm-3pm in the Lounge – don’t forget, as always with the Blind Society, we’ll make sure there is a nice cup of tea and maybe even some cake!!
Enjoy the newsletter, there are some really interesting items coming up – and I do hope I will meet some of you on 22nd May but if you can’t make it and would still like to ask a question, don’t worry - just leave the details with a member of staff or a volunteer and we’ll get back to you.
Jill Logan
News
Next Newsletter
Do you like surprises? For instance, suddenly the latest Newsletter pops through your letterbox. Or do you like to know what’s going on, when the next issue will be?
Now, you have the choice! If you like surprises, don’t read the next paragraph!
The next Newsletter will be at the end of July, then the next at the end of October, then the end of January 2014. Can you wait?!
Financial Help - The Bury Relief-in-Sickness Fund
This is a local charity which gives grants to people who are in poor health, convalescent or who have a disability.
Contact details:
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, PO Box 26, 40 The Rock, Bury BL90NX Telephone 0161 797 8040
Help!
Have you got something that you find useful? Have you tried something that wasn’t useful? Have you had a good experience of service somewhere? Please tell us so we can share it with others in the Newsletter. Phone or email or visit us!
For hire
Car roof pod. It fixes to your car roof and holds lots of stuff. Contact the office.
We need items for the Newsletter!
There are several interesting articles in this Newsletter written by members but we need more! Serious or silly, short or sumptuous, but preferably about issues, equipment or experiences that are relevant to people who have a visual impairment.
Upcoming Events
Regular Events
Grundy Social – Tuesdays 7pm, 28 May, 25 June, 23 July
Walshaw Social – Tuesdays 2pm 14 May, 11 June, 9 July
Friday Coffee Mornings – 10.00-1.00pm at the Blind Society
Fridays 1-3pm Music Group
For musical fun – no experience necessary! Bring your own instrument, use one of ours, or use your personal instrument, your voice! £2 per session inc refreshments
Pamper your feet: podiatrist – last Wednesday of the month (24thApril, 29th May, 26th June and 31st July ) More info below.
Table Top Sale – 2nd Thursday of the month 10-4pm (9th May, 13thJune, 11th July)
Macular Degeneration Group – third Wednesday of the month (15th May, 19th June, 17th July, 21st August) More info below.
Special Events!
For all events book by calling in, phoning or emailing the Blind Society (unless it says otherwise). Tel: 0161-763-7014
Email:
Friday 17th May – Quiz Night,
7pm at the Mosses Community Centre, Cecil Street, Bury, BL9 0SB
Time to test your brains! Teams of 4 people battle against each other for the title of Brains of Bury! Only £5 – bar, and meat and potato pie included. It’s time to register your team NOW!
Wednesday 22nd May - User Forum NEW! See Jill’s message on the first page
Wednesday 22nd May – the Action for Blind bus10-4pm.
We shall be on the bus at Kay Gardens helping out with information, support and the latest equipment. Do come along and join us!
Sunday 26th May – Great Manchester Run - Cheer us on!
We hope you’re going to wish us well, cheer us on, raise the roof, and sponsor us! But in particular, get your friends to sponsor us!
The four J’s: Jill, Jane, Jenny and John are flying the flag for the Society, hoping to raise money, make people aware of the Society, and show you what we’re made of!
We’ll be wearing the Society’s yellow T-Shirts so you can easily spot us on the route or on BBC2. Where is it? The route starts in central Manchester and goes out along Bridgewater Way towards Manchester United football ground, down to the Lowry Theatre and then back the same way.
We promise you an astounding photo of us in the next Newsletter but we need encouragement! We’ll be starting at 12.30pm so give us a cheer, stamp and shout, or just think of us and get your friends to sponsor us
Telephone or in person - contact the Blind Society
Internet - www.buryblindsociety.org and click on Virgin Moneygiving
Saturday 1st June Radcliffe Carnival
This is the first of our Summer Shows! As usual we’d love to see you there. We need volunteers for the tombola and puppy game stalls, and to dress up in our wonderful mascot costume – Miss Charity. Please contact us!
Saturday 1st June – Morecambe Bay Walk
Fancy a challenge? Why not book yourself a place on the Morecambe Bay Walk, which covers 8 miles of varied terrain and is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for the Society while completing one of the country’s most popular and scenic walks? Entry just £15.
Tuesday 11th June – O’Marleys Red Lion Pub, Blackburn
Visit this historic inn and enjoy a delicious 3 course meal. £6 members £12 non-members. Mini-bus leaves the Blind Society at 6.30 or get there yourself for 7.15pm
We need volunteers for all the following events to run stalls etc.
Saturday 29th June Hawkshaw Gala
Sunday 30th June – Bury Show
Sunday 7th July – Tottington Music in the Park
Sunday 14th July – Bury FC Family Fun Day
Saturday 27th July – Ainsworth Village Day
Sunday 11th August – Pets in Need Open Day
Pamper your feet
Jane is our regular visiting podiatrist from Valley Foot Clinic who has been coming to the Society for two months. Everyone who has had a treatment with her has come out smiling.
Now she’s changing her time to 3pm to 5pm on the last Wednesday of the month – 24thApril, 29th May, 26th June and 31st July.
She cleans your feet, cuts the nails, removes hard skin or callouses and then gives you a foot massage!
Fancy giving your feet a treat? It only costs £20 so phone the Society 0161-763-7014 and make an appointment before they all go!
Wolstenholme House Macular Degeneration Group
This is a group for anyone with macular degeneration to come for a chat with people with the same condition and to find out how to handle their condition more effectively.
Every month we have a guest speaker. In March Jane told us about two techniques called Eccentric Viewing and Steady Eye Reading, and in May the Society will be starting a clinic for these techniques. (See separate article – “Skills for Seeing” on page 7.)
Members also share their ideas and experience of living with macular. It’s surprising how someone else can have had a very simple idea about how to sort a problem that the rest of us have.
We also chat, have tea and biscuits, have a laugh but not necessarily in that order! The group meets 1pm to 3pm on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, on the following dates: 15th May, 19th June, 17th July and 21st August. For more information contact Sue Morris at the Society.
The Society and the Internet
Help the Society While You Shop Online
Do you know that you could help the Society raise funds while shopping online? It’s so easy all that is required from you is to set up an account on www.easyfundraising.org.uk and choose Bury Blind Society as your nominated good cause. So when you shop online a percentage of whatever you spend could be donated to The Society?
Online stores such as Amazon, M&S, eBay, and Argos are all registered with Easyfundraising.org.uk and have agreed to donate a percentage of any sale to the nominated charity of your choice, as long as you visit their website through the Easyfundraising site. Then whenever you fancy doing some shopping online, just go to Easyfundraising and search for the shop you want to visit. When you click on the link, you will be taken to that shop’s website and any purchases you make will track back to your Easyfundraising account and a donation to the Society will be registered!
What a good excuse to do some shopping online!
Facebook and Twitter
While online do you check in on your Facebook or Twitter account? You may not know that the Society has a Facebook page and are looking into creating a Twitter account as a way of keeping our volunteers and members up to date. So to this end we would appreciate your help in a little survey. Please send us an email with the subject line of Facebook, Twitter or Both to stating which would be of interest to you.
Just for fun
· You can tell Monopoly is an old game - the banker can still go to jail.
· I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.
“Skills For Seeing” help people remain independent
Bury Society for Blind & Partially Sighted People is offering people affected by macular degeneration in the Bury area the chance to learn new skills for seeing that can help maintain their independence.
The organisation has partnered with national charity the Macular Society to offer free ‘Skills For Seeing’ training. Techniques are taught which can help people to make better use of their remaining peripheral vision.
Age-related macular degeneration affects the central vision and is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK. There are many other forms of macular disease, including juvenile macular dystrophies.
Those affected by macular degeneration can find everyday tasks such as cooking, walking, reading, watching television and even recognising the faces of others very difficult if not impossible.
The practical skills are taught on a one to one basis free of charge and can help people make the most of their remaining peripheral vision, enabling them to complete tasks which they previously found extremely difficult.
Staff trainer Jane Deakin said: “Skills For Seeing training offers great potential to help those with macular degeneration maintain their independence. People who have benefited from the techniques report improvements in everyday tasks such as mobility, sewing, food preparation as well as reading and recognising faces.”
Cleon Hutton, Macular Society Re:vision ProgrammeManager, said: “I’m so pleased that by partnering with the Bury Society for Blind & Partially Sighted People we can offer this training to people living in Bury.”
“Skills For Seeing training has the ability to be of real benefit for those affected by macular degeneration. This is a great chance for people to learn new skills that can help. We want people to know that losing central vision needn’t mean losing control of their life.
“We need people to get in contact with us and then we can provide more information on how they can receive the free tuition.”
Jill Logan, CEO from Bury Society for Blind and Partially Sighted People said: “Offering Skills for Seeing training represents an excellent opportunity for us to be able to help local people with central vision loss.”
“We recognise the potential of Skills For Seeing techniques and are keen to discover the positive impact learning them will have on the lives of people from Bury.”
The free training will be available to people affected by macular degeneration in the Bury area.
The Macular Society was set up more than 25 years ago to support people with central vision loss, offering information, advice and funding research to find a cure.
If you are interested in receiving training in Skills For Seeing, contact the Bury Blind Society office on 0161 763 7014. Training lasts approximately 1.5 hours and will take place on Monday afternoons fortnightly, beginning May 13th 2013.
All sessions are free of charge, but must be booked in advance.
Hanging Baskets
As last year we are selling lovely hanging baskets of flowers – just right for cheering someone up after this long winter!
They’re available from mid-May and cost just £15, or £12 if you have your own basket. Order from the Office.
Interactive Garden
Can you help with a Community Garden at the new fire station? There will be a path which goes round in a loop, bee hives at one end, and possibly an area for growing vegetables. But what would make it particularly enjoyable for someone with a visual impairment?