SIGHTLINE
Summer2013
Summer but not as we know it! A cold, damp spring seems to be followed by a cold, damp summer, with the exception of two sunny days over the Bank Holiday. It’s not worth buying charcoal for the barbeque, just come along to our coffee mornings and join the adventures planned by Vanessa instead.
Sightline Contents
News from Support 4 Sight
Membership Renewal
Appreciation Awards
Fire Walk
Support 4 Sight Exhibition
Outreach
Focus on Lighting
Support 4 Sight Events and Activities
Support 4 Sight Past Outings and Events
Jokes
National Update
Useful Information
Numbers You Might Find Useful
Spotlight on New Equipment
Low Vision Aids
Donated Items for Sale or Loan
Contact us
Return Slip – We Would Like To Hear From You
News from Support 4 Sight
Membership Renewal
We are so grateful that you support us by being a member of our charity. It’s your membership subscription which helps to keep our charity going and offering services to local blind people.
Just a gentle reminder that membership renewals are due for 2013-14.Please let us know if you have misplaced your membership form or if you need help completing it.
Appreciation Awards
So many of our members say that shops in their local community simply don’t understand what it is like to be blind. Examples our members have highlighted include being refused a guide dog in shops to having change put down on the counter rather than in their hand.
But it is so important that we acknowledge when businesses get it right. Would you like to thank a local business for good customer service you have received? If so, enclosed with this sightline is a nomination form, so that you can nominate any local business you feel provided service which really stood out above the rest.
Whether it’s staff who helped you with shopping, a taxi company which gave a service better than you normally receive or any other organisation that you could nominate, we would like to hear from you!
It is simple and straight forward to nominate. Either fill in the form or ring us and we will fill it in for you. The winning business will be awarded with a certificate at our awards ceremony this summer. The entry date was originally set for 28th June but we are extending it for our members until 12th July. So please get your entries in as soon as possible!
Fire Walk
Imagine walking over burning hot embers for charity. That is what our Director, Madeleine Cassidy and our Support Co-ordinator, Sarah Henson is going to do to raise funds for Support 4 Sight.
Unfortunately our Charity Dance has had to be cancelled this year due to poor ticket sales. So the team decided to re-invigorate its fundraising and has chosen to host a sponsored firewalk, all in aid of Support 4 Sight.
We wondered if you are brave enough or daft enough to join them in a Fire Walk for Charity this autumn on Wednesday 6th November? If you are up for it, this could be your opportunity to raise some much needed funds for our charity.
The event is being arranged through a professional fire walking company with full training and a motivational workshop before undertaking the challenge.
Participants need to commit to raising £100 in sponsorship but with such an interesting challenge, we think anyone taking part would gain lots of sponsors to walk on hot embers!
If it is not for you, we would like to suggest that you sponsor Madeleine or Sarah for undertaking this daredevil challenge. Please call us on 01799 523700 to pledge your support for either or call into the centre. Alternatively you can sponsor online by going to to sponsor Madeleine or 4 Sight to sponsorSarah.
Every pledge is welcome, no matter how large or small, and all money raised will go towards the many services Support 4 Sight provides to blind and partially sighted people.
For more information or to sign up to take the challenge, please contact Michael on 01799 523700.
Support 4 Sight’s Young People’s Project
Support4Sight has just launched an exciting new project aimed at young people which is being funded by Essex County Council’s Family Innovation Fund.
The project focusses on bringing together young people through social media, to give them a forum to share ideas and experiences, to meet other VIPs and to provide peer support, as well giving access to information and support for themselves and their families.
Aimed at 11-19 year olds, The project is headed by Sarah Henson who will work to ensure all young blind and partially sighted people have the opportunity to live independently and to have the confidence to access, and be a part of, their community.
Sarah is currently putting together a steering group of VIPs aged 18-25years, to assist with the planning of the project and the new web site. If you know any young people who would like to take part in this, please ask them to call Sarah on 01799 523700 or email
You can also support us on Facebook, a link for which can be found on the Support4Sight pageand follow us on Twitter (YoungVips1)
Lasting Gifts to Future Generations
If you are considering putting your affairs in order, a will is the best way of ensuring your wishes are respected. Once you've made provision for your family and your friends in your will, please consider leaving Support 4 Sight a small gift. In this way you will help us to continue supporting blind and partially sighted people for many years to come. Plus it prevents the tax man taking a sizeable amount of your estate in inheritance tax as there are tax advantages in leaving a legacy to charity.
Support 4 Sight Book Stall
The bookstall will now be held bi-weekly on Tuesdays, the next one is set for 25th June. Please spread the word for people to come on down to the centre and check out what we have available!
We are also still looking for donations of books - please drop off any bookswhich you no longer need into the centre. If you would like to make a larger donation of books, please check with Margaret beforehand on 01799 523700 to ensure we will be able to take them.
Support 4 Sight Exhibition
A useful date for your diary! Support 4 Sight’s Annual Exhibition will be on Saturday 12th October between 10am and 3pm, in the Saffron Walden Town Hall. This will be a great opportunity to come along and experience the latest technology and equipment available. We will have more information following in the next edition of Sightline.
Outreach
If you are unable to get to Support4Sight’s Resource Centre in Saffron Walden, then help is on hand for you if you live in Harlow, Braintree, Dunmow or Stansted. Support 4 Sight will be holdingOutreach information Points where you can speak to trained staff and volunteers, who can inform you about the many services that we provide as well as supply you with information, support and advice.
The planned dates for our outreach information mornings are:
Harlow Library, Fridays 10:30am – 1:00pm:
12th July9th Aug13th Sept
Braintree Community Hospital, Thursdays 2:00pm – 4:00pm
4th July1st Aug
15th Aug5th Sept19th Sept3rd Oct
17th Oct31st Oct21st Nov5th Dec
19th Dec
For information about Great Dunmow and Stansted Outreach dates, please contact Support 4 Sight’s resource centre.
Support 4 Sight Feature
Focus on Lighting
Everyone needs good levels of light for activities in the house and as we get older we all need more. If you have a visual impairment good lighting becomes more important to have and can be more difficult to achieve. Here is some information which has been created to give visually impaired people help with considerations to help with the problem of lighting and to prevent the possibility for expensive mistakes.
Do you have clear or light lampshades?
Round or ‘ball’ type shades are often made of paper and are popular, cheap to buy and easy to fit. They cover the whole bulb which diffuses the light, providing an even distribution of light, without any glare. Using a round shade is often more effective and comfortable than an angle shade.
Do you have the best light bulb you can get?
Tungsten bulbs are being phased out and are very inefficient. However many people feel they gave out a better light than energy saving bulbs. Energy saving bulbs are more energy efficient, can be low cost and do not get very hot. However the length of time they take to reach their optimum brightness can take some time and the light they give out can be slightly yellow.
Fluorescent strip lighting is mostly used in kitchens, does not get hot, is energy efficient and are long lasting. However many people have a problem when they flicker, they can be difficult to replace and most people would not choose to have them in any other area than the kitchen.
There are several different types of daylight light bulbs but one thing that they all have in common is that they appear far “whiter” than ordinary light bulbs. Ordinary (incandescent) light bulbs give off a very yellow light and although your eyes easily become accustomed to this. You do not see colours in the same way as you do in natural daylight.
Another benefit of being able to see things more clearly with these type of bulbs is that some users also find they suffer less from eye strain and generally feel better when living or working in a more naturally-lit environment.
All daylight bulbs give a much whiter light than standard bulbs and depending upon the type, can also give a well-balanced spectrum of light. There are bulbs that are reasonably priced to very expensive.
Are your main lights wall mounted or central pendant, uplighters or down lighters?
Wall mounted lighting fittings are lower and closer to the eye and can cause glare, especially when they have clear glass shades. The light bulbs tend to be a low wattage so can be a problem when more efficient light is required.
Uplighters will push the light up towards the ceiling. This is not helpful for the times when you need a good light source for reading etc. It can also leave the lower part of the room in relative darkness.
Multi-arm central pendant light; This fitting hangs from the ceiling with a number of bulbs fitted with glass shades. Use of opal or frosted glass hides the bulbs and cuts down glare so that light is then spread evenly around the room.
Task lighting is useful for those times when you need lighting for reading or other close up tasks then a lamp will be beneficial.
There are many lamps on the market and some are very expensive but are surprisingly less than useful. A longer horizontal bulb will give a better spread of light, it is best to have the light shining directly over the task.
During daylight hours if possible, sit with your back to the window so natural light will shine over your shoulder onto what you are doing.
Daylight bulbs can be purchased from Support 4 Sight as we believe these bulbs provide the best source of light for household use.
Please contact Support 4 Sight if further advice is required.
Support 4 Sight Events and Activities
Professional Vision Services Focus Day
Professional Vision Services will be visiting Support 4 Sight’s centre again this year on 23rd July 2013, bringing along a wide range of electronic video magnifiers for demonstration. PVS expert, Ross Lacey will be attending and available to answer questions and demonstrate equipment throughout the day from 10am to 3pm.
As a special offer to Sightline readers, Professional Vision Services are offering 10% discount on any product purchased when you mention Support 4 Sight.
Action for Blind People Mobile Unit
The Action for Blind People Mobile Unit is coming to town! The bus will be visiting from 10am until 4pm at the Market Square, Saffron Walden on 23rd July, in the Museum Lay-by, Braintree on 24th July and The Market, Harlow on 25th July.
Action for Blind People will be there to show a wide range of equipment kept on the bus as well as provide support and information. Anyone is welcome to come along, just drop by and they will be happy to help!
Coffee Mornings
Support 4 Sight’s coffee mornings in Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow are very well attended and much appreciated by our members. If you haven’t yet attended one, do come along to join in for coffee and a chat.Everyone is welcome and for more information, please call Vanessa on 01799 523700.
Coffee mornings will be held monthly in Saffron Waldenon Tuesdays at the Bowls Club, Abbey Lane, 10:30amtill noon.
25th June-Strawberries and cream, 30th July, 27th August, 24th September, 29th October, 26th November, 10th December - Christmas special.
Coffee mornings will be held monthly in Great Dunmowon Thursdays at Banks Court, Chequers Lane, 10:30am till noon.
11th July,8th August, 12th September,10th October,14th November,12th December - Christmas special
Social Trips
We like to arrange a wide range of trips for the benefit of our members as we find socialising is very important to them.In order to get the best deals possible, we usually have to pay up-front so we shall have to ask for a deposit to secure your place at the time of booking.
Vanessa has planned an exciting programme. If you would liketo come along to any of these events, we recommend you book as soon as possible by calling us on 01799 523700.
Wednesday 10th July 2013
This is a very popular trip to Frinton-On-Sea, to Essex Blind Charity’s day centre on the coast. Most years the weather has been beautiful and this social trip allows time to stroll along the promenade, after a delicious fish and chips lunch and then a sit in Read House’s garden or on the cliff top, a paddle in the sea or shopping.
Minibuses will leave Swan Meadow Coach Park at 9.15 a.m. and will arrive back in Saffron Walden about 5.30 p.m. The trip includes Fish and chips and cream tea in the afternoon but alternatives are available on request and must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited and the ticket cost is £30.00 per person. If you want to take part, contact Vanessa to book your space.
Monday 12th August 2013
Lunch trip to The Moorhen, Harlow. This popular venue is situated on the outskirts of Harlow, with lovely views of the river which is opposite. You can select your own lunch and the cost for transport is only £8.00. Again, enquiries to Vanessa.
Blake House Craft Centre 10th September 2013
Enjoy lunch in Timbers Restaurant. Set in a renovated 17th century timbered barn that was originally part of the old working farm.
A unique range of shops can be found in the original farmyard buildings at Blake House Farm. Enjoy the rustic charm of the buildings while you browse the eclectic mix of goods on sale here, from Handmade jewellery and knitware to faux flowers, candles and original art. The cost for transport is only £6.00 and all enquiries should go to Vanessa.
If there is anywhere else you would like to go, please let us have your ideas!
Free Loan of Computers from Support 4 Sight
Our charity can offer you free loans of computers.
Essex County Council operates a scheme to recycle their older computer systems. They have kindly passed two of these on to Support 4 Sight and they are available to members on long term loan.
For the technically minded the specifications of them are: HP Compaqs with 2 gigabytes of RAM running Windows XP Home Edition. Each has a 17” screen and separate keyboard and mouse.
If you think that you might be interested, please call Paul at the Resource Centre for information. First come, first served!
Support 4 Sight PastOutings and Events
Associated Optical Focus Day
Associated Optical joined us on Tuesday 18th June, for a focus day at Support 4 Sight’s Resource Centre. Stuart Baldwin from Associated Optical was on hand to demonstrate a wide range of low vision aids, including handheld and pocket illuminated magnifiers. Stuart was also demonstrating the best ways to use the magnifiers to get the greatest results when trying to read.
If you would like more information, please call Paul on 01799 523700
Harlow Exhibition
Support 4 Sight hosted an exciting exhibition on Thursday 23rd May with experts in low vision aids and services for visually impaired people invited along to demonstrate some of their latest and best information, support and technology available. Guide Dogs, Optelec, Dolphin Computer Access, British Wireless for the Blind and Harlow Talking Newspaper. The exhibition was open to everyone and was very well attended, raising our profile in the town.
Street Collection
We held a street collection in Saffron Walden town on 30th April which raised £353.If you would like further information about helping with any of our collections please contact the Centre.
Guide Dog Open Day
Support 4 Sight held an Open Day with Guide Dogs for the Blind Association at our resource centre in Saffron Walden on Wednesday 27th March 2013. The day was open to everyone and was very well attended by people interested in the work of the Association.
Visit to Thaxted
On Monday 8th April 2013 a group of members had lunch at The Farmhouse Inn, Thaxted. It was a fabulous day with everyone enjoying good food and company.
Book Stall
On 9th April the book stall was up and running again with lots of new books which had been donated during the winter months, so there was something for everyone. Following bookstalls will be held the 2nd Tuesday of every month.