Sandwell Visually Impaired
Newsletter Issue 11
Summer 2009
SVI aims to make living and/or working in Sandwell better for people coping with sight loss.
In this issue
Great news, SVI becomes a Registered Charitypage 1
SVI Development Workerpage 2
New office for SVIpage 2
Your health matterspage 3
DLA successpage 3
It’s 5 x 30page 4
Catch it, Bin it, Kill itpage 4
Stop Press! Swine flu meeting at the Publicpage 5
What a story teller!page 5
You don't have to see it to enjoy it!page 6
A diary date; our Annual Forumpage 6
Direct payment movie starspage 6
Is your home safe from fire?page 7
Lifestyle change at the Portway Centrepage 8
Your newsletter; your voicepage 8
Briefings Round-uppage 9
Recipe – Sumptuous chilled cucumber souppage 9
Great news, SVI becomes a Registered Charity
60+ members joined us at our special open member meeting on 17 June to help us alter our constitution so we could become a charity.
The good news is that we have now been registered and can seek even more funds to do more work for you.
We can now also support any of our members who would like to set up a business to do things for us. We believe this is very important as it lets us pay a member to produce the tapes and CDs that some of you have asked us to send to you; like this newsletter. It’s called a Social Enterprise Business.
Blind people serving blind people; what a great result!
SVI Development Worker
We are delighted to introduce Sandra Troth who has beenappointed as the SVIDevelopment Worker. This is apart-time role (18.5 hrs per week)in which Sandra will help SVImore speedily develop ourservices to you.
As a visuallyimpaired person herself, Sandravalues an approach that isgenuinely user led and aims toensure that SVI together with
Sandwell Vision Services meetyour needs.
A founder SVI committeemember, West Bromwich residentSandra brings a lot of valuableexperience to this new job, havingworked for organisations seekingto help disabled people for manyyears, most recently for theBirmingham Centre for InclusiveLiving.
Welcome Sandra; we’re sopleased you’ve chosen to workwith and amongst us. We hope itwill be a happy time for you.
New office for SVI
We are moving up in the world!SVI now have an office at the
Deaf Resource Centre, Dagger Lane, West Bromwich.
It’s a home we are sharing withour good friends, the SandwellDeaf Community Association(SDCA). In time we shall be
agreeing a new name for the centre to reflect that it will serveboth hearing and sight losscommunities.
Our office is now fitted out toprovide a base for Sandra whomay be contacted there onMonday and Tuesday 9am–5pmand Wednesday afternoon eachweek. The contact phone numberis 0121 525 4810.
You can email us at
Your health matters
SVI staged an exciting ‘KeepingWell, Keeping Healthy day on 16March. Judging from thecomments from many of the 152members and service providersattending, it was given thethumbs up for pleasure andsharing information on how tokeep healthy.
As well as having health checkson the day we embarked on ahealth survey of 100 members.
The Primary Care Trust has generously funded theprofessional analysis of this. Weshould have the results in theAutumn. We will share with youwhat difficulty or discrimination weall typically face when seeking ahealth care service such as froma doctor, dentist or hospital.
In the Autumn the Council’sWellbeing Group are launching apublic consultation into theGovernment’s health paper on‘Right Care, Right Here’. SVIhas invited them to exhibit at ourforum on 30 October; so here’s atimely opportunity for us to sayhow we would like to see the localhealth service delivered.
Sandra on 0121 525 4810 canhelp with more info, or visit ourwebsite
DLA success
It’s great news. From 1 April 2011many people with severe sightloss will be able to claim thehigher rate mobility component ofDisability Living Allowance (DLA).That’s an increase of close on£30 per week.
On 17 March the passing of theWelfare Reform Bill made it law.
Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for Disabled People, together withfellow supporting MPs wereglowing in their tribute to us onthe skill and support thecampaign had achieved. Thanksif you were part of the campaign.
The Department of Work andPensions will be letting us knowthe rules and how to apply soon.
It’s a happy ending to a longstruggle for fairness.
It’s 5 x 30
Yes, it’s time to ‘Get Active and Take Part’; that’s Sandwell’s message tous all to keep trim, healthy and wellso we can enjoy livingindependently for longer. And toencourage us to meet the target of
30 minutes exercise for 5 days a week, the Council have awardedSVI £15,000 over the next two yearsto organise, for its members,exercise sessions such asswimming, walking, line dancing andlight exercise for less active people(or those giving it a go for the firsttime).
We aim to start these thisSeptember, with all but theswimming at our new home inDagger Lane. And like the verysuccessful ‘Slimwell’ sessions, travelcosts can be met. Details and invites will be sent out soon. Or call Sandraon 0121 525 4810 for more info.
Catch it, Bin it, Kill it
Lots of people are worried aboutswine flu but it appears that themost important thing is to maintaingood hygiene. Medical guidance is ifyou think you have swine flu, stay athome and seek advice.
Phone your GP rather than going along to the surgery
Phone the swine flu information lineon 0800 1513 513
Speak to NHS Direct on 0845 4647
Visit their website
Be prepared
Buy over-the-counter remedies yourpharmacist advises.
Find a ‘flu friend’ who can be calledon if you feel unwell.
If you are over 65 check if you havehad the pneumococcal vaccinewhich helps against secondaryillnesses – if you don’t think youhave, speak to your GP.
Ring the SVI office on 0121 5254810 for your swine flu leaflet inlarge print, braille or on CD.
Above all try not to worry.
Stop Press! Swine flumeeting at the Public
For more information visit TheSwine Flu event at the Public, WestBromwich, on 24 August between10.30am and 12.30pm.
Refreshments; and, if needed, travelcosts met for people with severesight loss. All welcome but booking necessary; Lesley or Marie on 0121612 1481.
What a story teller!
Clive our Assistant Secretaryintroduced us to his niece Katrice, an internationally acclaimed storyteller and consultant to the BBC.And what a story telling feast washad by the 60+ members at ouropen member meeting in June.
Katrice entertained us magnificentlywith tall stories about King Arthur’sKnights. At times we were spellboundand at others just a littlefrightened.
She finished with aninspiring account of the childhooddisability and relative hardship sheovercame to achieve such an exalted international reputation.
What a star; thanks Katrice (andClive) for a great afternoon.
You don't have to see it toenjoy it!
Art Speaking highlights speciallychosen pieces for an interpreter tobring to life by describing, colour,subject matter and mood. Thecurator provides the context and weget supervised close access toeach exhibit. It’s a stimulatingexperience and a great way ofmeeting people.
Funded by Arts Council, WestMidlands, Art Speaking is achallenging project which will helpvisually impaired people to gainaccess to art in; WolverhamptonMuseum and ArtGallery; HerbertArtGallery and Museum, Coventry;The New Art Gallery Walsall; andLeamingtonSpaArtGallery andMuseum.
Wolverhampton begins newsessions each month from the lastSaturday in September.
Information about other ArtSpeaking events can be found onSVI's website; visit the Art Speaking website on
A diary date; our Annual Forum
This year our annual get together isplanned for Friday 30 October. Asusual it will be at the Training andDevelopment Centre (TDC), Popes
Lane, Oldbury between 10am and 3pm.
It promises to be a memorableevent with story teller Giles Abbottentertaining us, great talks, friendlychatter, interesting side displays,good food and help with transport ifyou require this.
All in all this happyevent is not to be missed; hope tomeet you there!
Direct payment moviestars
The following article was submittedby two SVI members, Stuart and
Liz.
My name is Liz and I was asked tohelp make a DVD on behalf ofSandwell Primary Care Trust(SPCT) to enable people to seehow care can be accessed andwhat this means for differentpeople.
My husband Stuart and I receivedirect payments. We were asked toshow a day in the life of ourselvesand our Personal Assistants (PAs);we have two, Leanne and Warren.
The filming was an experience initself. A sound man, camera manand producer, all in my home! Wedemonstrated one of our PAshelping us by using the pressurewasher on our patio, which hadbecome dangerously slippery overthe Winter. Warren also retrievedvarious boxes from the loft for us.
Stuart was seen going to the gymwith Warren. I was filmed goinground ASDA with Leanne. She wasalso filmed painting my nails andhelping Stuart with reading mail.
I think that in all, we covered areasonable variety of jobs that avisually impaired person mightneed help with and had aninteresting day into the bargain.
Is your home safe fromfire?
Did you know, last year WestMidlands Fire Service attended1867 accidental fires in the home.
Free advice is available to keepyou safe. Fire fighters from WestMidlands Fire Service can visit yourhome and carry out a FREE homefire safety check, install smokealarms where required. And provide you with essential fire preventionadvice and vital information aboutwhat to do in the event of fire.
To arrange an appointment for yourHome Fire Safety Check call 0800389 5525; it could save your life.
Lifestyle change at thePortway Centre
Sandwell now have the go-aheadto build a £15 million, state of theart, practically unique, combinedhealth, leisure and recreation centre on Newbury Lane, Oldbury.Many agencies have provided themoney. Building starts in Spring2010 and the doors will open in late Summer 2011.
This integratedcentre houses the Tividale familydoctors’ practice and will include ahydrotherapy pool, an accessibleclimbing wall and floodlit allweather football pitches. Nowhere’s a chance to shed a fewpounds!
SVI asked for a model and a tactileplan of the project. This will be on display at our forum on 30 Octoberand Stephen will be able todescribe the development.
A reference group has been set upto gain the views of people with aninterest in the centre. This willensure the provision of the bestpossible facilities and services attimes to meet different needs.
Would you like to be a member of a wider group? To find out more
speak to Sara Whitehouse on 0121 569 5411.
Your newsletter; yourvoice
Have you an article you might liketo share with us?It could be on any topic, maybe apoem and it needn’t be long; 50 to190 words would be great. Don’tworry about spelling or grammar;the editor will help with that. Whynot speak to Sandra on 0121 5254810 or email to
Briefings Round-up
Stop press
It’s great to be still growing. The Winter newsletter attracted moremembers; now standing at 450.That’s close to one third of the 1,400people registered with sight loss inSandwell. Thanks for your support.
We’ve a lot to offer so SVI wouldwelcome more members. Yoursupport enables us to seek a betterservice for you.
Membership
Have any of your contact detailschanged since becoming a memberof SVI; or have you not yet joined us?If you’re not sure and you would liketo join SVI please fill in the enclosedmembership form and return it in theself-addressed envelope.
Pleaseinclude the envelope in which youreceived this newsletter. This willallow us to be sure who is returningthe forms.
If you need help tocomplete the form, please phoneBernard on 0121 525 2119.
Feedback please
Are we meeting your needs? Theeditor would love to hear from you.
Contact details below. Or pop your suggestions or questions in theenclosed envelope.
Recipe – Sumptuous chilledcucumber soup
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, 1 onion; garlic, your preference; cornflower forthickening; 3 heaped teaspoons ofbouillon vegetable granules or 3vegetable stock cubes; low fatfromage frais, yoghurt or Quark;
1 heaped teaspoon of driedtarragon; 2 pints of water; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
To make:Skin and chop the cucumber. Choponion and garlic. Put all theingredients into a large saucepan,except the fromagefrais, bring to the boiland then simmer for20 minutes. Add thefromage frais and stirin.
Leave to cool andthen blend. Then put into a sealedcontainer and place in the fridge.
Serve direct from the fridge. If kept inthe fridge, this soup will keep for twoto three days.
Editor’s note: Bernard ourMembership Secretary has sharedthis recipe with us. Have you oneyou would also like to share?
This issue – thanks to:
The editorial team, Sandwell Council Adult & Community Services; andReach Project Printing, Tipton.
Editor: Sandra; Tel: 0121 525 4810;
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