THE MAGPIE NEWS
The Quarterly Newsletter from
The Norfolk & Norwich Association
for the Blind
Contact Details:
NNAB Magpie Road Norwich NR3 1JH
Telephone: 01603 629558
Email:
Website: www.nnab.org.uk
Issue 71 / April 2012Welcome to the spring 2012 issue of the Magpie News. As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter, the NNAB looks forward to an exciting season of continued progress, innovative opportunities and promising developments.
If you would prefer to receive your Magpie News in a different format please let us know.We can supply it in the following: Large Print, CD, email,
Braille or memory stick
Contents
1 / Message from John Child / 16 / Great Yarmouth Activities
2 / NNAB Holidays 2012 / 17 / Sports Activities
3 / Exhibitions in May / 18 / Sports Programme
4 / Product News / 19 / Fundraising – Jeremy Goss
5 / NNAB and Social Services Sensory Support / 20 / Fundraising Department News
6 / Residential Learning Holiday to Cromer / 21 / Home Fire Safety Checks
7 / YoungEyes@NNAB / 22 / New Tax Advice Service
8 / The ‘Cool Club’ / 23 / Braille Classes
9 / Two exciting YoungEyes Events in the Bradbury Centre / 24 / New Members for Clubs
10 / Leisure Activities / 25 / Gorleston Bowls Club
11 / Photography Group / 26 / Norwich Macular Disease Support Group
12 / Gardeneyes / 27 / Wanted Items
13 / Thursford Christmas Spectacular 2012 / 28 / Items for Sale
14 / Heritage Group / 29 / Thomas Tawell House
15 / Mobile Equipment & Information Centre / 30
Every effort is made to ensure that the content of this newsletter is correct, however we cannot be held responsible for errors and omissions. Goods and services featured do not carry any recommendation from The Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind.
If you should inadvertently receive more than one copy of this newsletter please pass it on to friends, doctors surgeries etc.
The Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind, Magpie Road, Norwich NR3 1JH
Tel: 01603 629558 Fax: 01603 766682 Email:
Website: www.nnab.org.uk
Also at: King’s Lynn Tel: 01553 660808 and Great Yarmouth Tel: 01493 745973
Charity Number 207060
1. Message from John Child, retiring Director of the NNABBy the time you receive this edition of the Magpie News I will be starting my handover programme and am due to retire on the 27th May, the day before my 71st birthday.
I joined the NNAB on the 18th August 1992; over these nearly 20 years I have had the honour and privilege of leading the Association forward to help blind and partially sighted people in Norfolk. It has been a truly humbling experience.
I thank all our Trustees, staff, volunteers and those we help for all their encouragement and support. I will miss you all - Thank you.
2. NNAB Holidays 2012
If you are thinking of joining us on one of our holidays, rooms are filling up fast. If you are interested please contact Donna Hewitt on: 01603 629558 for availability.
3. Exhibitions in May
On the 8th May NNAB will host of Professional Vision Services at our base in Watton. This Low Vision Day will be held on Wednesday 9th May 2012 10am - 3 pm at Wayland Business Centre, Wayland House, High Street, Watton.
This company sell and manufacture low vision aids for the partially sighted. On show will be a variety of CCTVs and their latest products. The ‘VISION’ allows the user to choose the size of screen + type of camera + choice of control panel. Just released - The ‘VISION TTS’ now with a touch screen reading module.
The ‘ZIP’ is a 17" colour autofocus CCTV that folds down and weighs only 8kgs.
The ‘READ’ is a new OCR scanning system.
The ‘IZOOM’ latest computer screen magnification software enlarges your computer screen up to 16x.
Additionally in May NNAB is organising a week of exhibitions covering all the Equipment Centres, plus a one-off exhibition in Watton, from Monday 21st May to Friday 25th May. The suppliers are Enhanced Vision and SW Retail. In Norwich there will also be a representative from Age UK, anyone wishing to find out about their services are warmly invited to chat with Terry at the Bradbury Activity Centre on 21st May.
For dates, times and venues of these exhibitions please see flyer enclosed.
4. Product News
Now on display in the Norwich centre:
A portable adjustable bookstand with its own LED lighting
Price £29.95.
From Optelec
The Compact 5 HD – A new HD handheld video magnifier with a high definition camera. Enjoy magnification from 1.5 to 18 times continuous zoom in high definition on a 5” screen. Price £695.
The ClearView One desktop video magnifier offers a 19" full colour TFT flat screen with simple adjustment controls. Price £1195.
From Pamtrad
The new TV-Eye - it can be used for reading and writing and it plugs into the mains and into the TV via the AV or SCART socket images are displayed on the TV screen, displays colour, greyscale, enhanced black on white and white on black. Price £300 plus £7 post and packing.
From Enhanced Vision
The Acrobat LCD 22” – auto focus camera with up to 82x magnification, ideal for hobbies, reading and writing. 28 viewing modes including full colour, includes portable X/Y table. Price £1895.
5. NNAB and Social Services Sensory Support
On the 25th April there will be an advice and support day in the Bradbury Activity Centre for those who have been newly registered/diagnosed with a visual impairment. Further events will be held around the county. If you are interested then please contact Dorothy Bowen on 01603 629558 or email
6. Residential Learning Holiday to Cromer
The NNAB is planning a residential learning holiday at the Virginia Court Hotel, Cromer from October 16th to 18th 2012. Our previous holidays here have been very successful and we look forward to welcoming guests again this year.
This mini-break will include sessions addressing issues surrounding sight loss. An evening of local entertainment will be included, as well as two breakfasts, two evening meals and one lunch. We would like to invite applications from visually impaired people and their partners who wish to learn more about life as a VIP. The total cost (inclusive) will be £210 per person.
Please contact Dorothy Bowen on 01603 629558 or email
7. News from YoungEyes@NNAB
YoungEyes was born 6 years ago and NNAB has currently 102 children and young people aged less than 16 years on its database. Our aim is to support families with relevant advice re services that are available, friendship and social events, it is not a one way street – we learn from them as well. Social events are arranged to ameliorate the isolation that some families feel, especially if the child is in mainstream education. A Quarterly Newsletter is sent to all the families and we believe that parents appreciate having somewhere independent to visit for advice.
Links with the Education Service
We are very excited about our developing links with the Education Serbvice and with their team of Teachers of the Visually Impaired, who work with children and young people from
birth upwards. We share information regularly and NNAB is now represented on the Board of Governors of the new Virtual School Sensory Support with a Community Governor. This summer we are combining with the Virtual School to deliver a series of evening sessions entitled, ‘Parents as Partners’.
8. The ‘Cool Club’Recently NNAB has begun to host the club which is organised by the Norfolk Virtual School Sensory Support, it is for 10-14 year olds. The club meets termly the in Bradbury Activity Centre. Vision impaired pupils are brought together from schools around the county to work with each other and to take part in specialist activities e.g. Braille, IT, Touch Typing, mobility and life skills, goal ball. Each child is accompanied by their learning support assistant.
The latest meeting of the Cool Club involved ten young ladies. The day included cooking scones which they ate during the afternoon as part of a proper afternoon tea, with tea from a proper teapot, china cups and saucers and a table cloth. They also enjoyed talks from two visitors, a Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist from the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital and a young local Councillor who is herself blind and had a guide dog. While the young people had their activities, the support assistants took part in training with teachers of the visually impaired.
The days are a joy for us to host and to be involved in, being together is very powerful for the children. In July we have a trip planned to an audio described performance of ‘Oliver’ at the Norwich Theatre Royal, preceded by a Touch Tour. We are really looking forward to the occasion.
Have you heard of Living Paintings?
A FREE library of Touch to See books. Their newest pack is one about the Olympics. It is especially designed for Key Stage 2 and is very good. We have one in the Norwich Equipment Centre if you wish to see it. Visit their website www.livingpaintings.org to
see the fantastic work that they do and to see all the publications that they have available on free loan.
9. Two exciting YoungEyes Events in the Bradbury CentreGood News for all families with vision impaired little ones under 5. Our new Rainbow Tots Group is starting on May 10th 10.30am to 12 noon. Come along to a morning of Fun and Games, with coffee and cakes for Mums!
Saturday May 12th 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Dance and Donuts Morning for all over 8 years old. An expert dancer will be on hand to lead the session and then you can replenish your energy with a donut and hot chocolate! No need to book, just come along. For further details contact Dorothy Bowen on 01603 629558 or email
10. Leisure Activities for Spring 2012
For information on the below please contact Mark or Simon on: 01603 629558 or email . Our Leisure and Education link on the NNABwebsite also contains a lot more information and is kept updated.
Over the last few months our Leisure groups have been very busy, taking in 3 shows at the Theatre Royal, attending a described talk on the Diana and Actaeon painting by Titian and discussing a huge variety of audio books at the book clubs.
11. Photography Group
We are thrilled to also announce that the NNAB Photography group has now got off to a flying start, with cameras clicking away and sighted staff and volunteers helping to advise and set up cameras for indoor macro shots. Members have been working at individual work stations in the hall, trying out a variety of different lighting, tripods and digital cameras. We are also pleased to have received a donation of some camera equipment, and along with lap tops and a large projector, members are enjoying being able to view their digital photographs. The group meets fortnightly on a Friday from 2pm – 4pm in the NNAB Bradbury Centre Activity Hall, and all are very welcome.
12. Growing Success for Gardeneyes
In February a commercial bee keeper explained to them the process of bee keeping and many other interesting facts relating to bees. Members had an opportunity to handle the different sections of a hive and ate different types of cake made with the honey from his bees. March saw the group successfully trying their hands at willow weaving, constructing a plant support suitable for growing sweet peas or other climbing plants in their gardens. On Tuesday April 17th the group are off to visit Sprowston Garden centre in Norwich to stock up on things for the forthcoming season.
On Wednesday May 16th there is a coach trip to Barnsdale gardens, the nationally renowned garden of the late Geoff Hamilton. A few spaces are still available on the coach, so do come along and join us.
On June 19th members are visiting How Hill and on July 18th Hindringham Hall in North Norfolk.
For more details or to book a place contact Jenny Beer on: 01508 495457 or email
13. Thursford Christmas Spectacular 2012
We are thrilled to announce that the NNAB are again running a trip for this year’s Thursford Christmas show, on Tuesday 27th November for the 2pm performance. Tickets cost £45, to include minibus transport from Norwich and West Norfolk.
Come and join us for the largest and most popular show in England which is set in the magical surroundings of our mechanical organs and carousels with the whole area a riot of twinkling lights, trees and animation. A cast of 130, with non -stop seasonal singing, dancing, music, humour and variety will entertain you and to help get your Christmas experience off to a flying start.
14. Handling the Past 100 Years with the Heritage Group
Access to museums can often pose quite a challenge when you are visually impaired, but with the NNAB Heritage group we’ve managed to find several solutions to overcome potential barriers.
In conjunction with staff at the Shirehall Costumes and Textiles museums, we have been able to find ways of accessing the vast collections. Through a number of specially arranged study mornings we have been looking at their items from the 20th century starting with the Edwardian era.