Supporting people with sight loss in Essex
Registered charity number: 1074812
SIGHTLINE
Autumn 2015
Welcome to our Autumn edition of sightline. We’ve had lots of great
events over the summer and there are still many exciting things
coming up. We have the Chocolate Extravaganza, our 21st Party with
music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s as well as another focus day.
For more information about any of these events, check out this edition
of sightline.
Table of contents
News from Support 4 Sight ......................................................... - 2 Support 4 Sight Events and Activities ........................................ - 3 Social Trips ................................................................................... - 5 Coffee Mornings ........................................................................... - 5 Support Group .............................................................................. - 6 Support 4 Sight Past Outings and Events ................................. - 7 National Update ............................................................................ - 8 Spotlight on Equipment ............................................................. - 10 Low Vision Aids .......................................................................... - 11 Audio Described Experiences ................................................... - 14 Noticeboard ................................................................................. - 18 Useful Information ...................................................................... - 19 Contact us ................................................................................... - 20 --1--
News from Support 4 Sight
Donations
Many thanks to the U3A Harmony Choir who
performed the “Let Us Entertain You” concert
at the Baptist Church in Saffron Walden on
Saturday 25th July in aid of Support 4 Sight.
Pictured on the left is Sue Barton of the U3A,
with choir members Penny and Ian Lawson,
presenting a cheque for £600.
A huge thank you also to the Stansted
Cricket Club who held a match against
the President’s XI on July 19th in aid of
Support 4 Sight raising £200. Pictured
on the right are David Hedge and
Support 4 Sight member Bob Stoddart
presenting the cheque to Paul.
Support 4 Sight’s Building Appeal
The Building Appeal is making steady progress and we would like to
thank everyone who has supported us with a donation. We still have a
long, long way to go to reach our goal but every day we take another
step in the right direction.
If you would like to make a donation to help us find a new home,
please contact Natalie or send it direct to our resource centre in
Saffron Walden.
--2--
Support 4 Sight Events and Activities
Sight and Sound Focus Day 15th September
Would you like to find out more about accessible software and other
computer related information? If so, on 15th September we will be
holding a focus day with Sight and Sound Technology who will bring
along a selection of equipment and low vision aids for demonstration.
No appointments are needed - just drop into our centre in George
Street anytime between 10am and 2pm. If you are unable to make it
on the day, a selection of equipment will be available for you to try for
one month after the event.
Chocolate Extravaganza 16th September
Be sure to buy your tickets for our fund-raising Chocolate
Extravaganza on Wednesday 16th September 6:30pm at the Masonic
Hall, Bateman Street, Cambridge. This is a gigantic chocolate tasting
event run by Chocolat, Chocolat - the Cambridge School of Chocolate
Making - to raise funds for Support 4 Sight. Tickets cost £15 and are
available from the centre. There will be a prize quiz and raffle with
free parking and bar available.
National Eye Health Week 21st-27th September
Every day 100 people in the UK begin to lose their sight. This means
that individuals as well as their families and loved ones start the
emotional journey of struggling to cope with the inevitable impact of
sight loss. But prevention is better than cure and the key to spotting
the warning signs of sight loss is early detection. This means making
sure you have a regular eye test.
This year Support 4 Sight is backing National Eye Health Week by
opening its doors at its centre in George Street, Saffron Walden and
for the first time, operating a pop-up shop at 22 Market Road,
Chelmsford CM1 1LU from 9.30am to 4.30pm. We want to encourage
local people to realise the importance of eye health and regular eye
testing. Everyone is welcome to pop in, to try out equipment, and to
talk to both staff and volunteers.
--3--
As part of National Eye Health Week, Essex Vision will be launching
its new website on the 21st and 22nd September outside the library in
County Hall. Essex Vision is an umbrella organisation consisting of
Support 4 Sight, Essex Sight and BASIS. They will be providing
information on the various services on offer and there will also be a
sensory tunnel that people can walk through to experience sight loss
for a short time and the many different surfaces, smells and sounds
that can inhibit or enhance mobility.
Support 4 Sight AGM 7th October
Our Annual General Meeting this year will be help on 7th October,
details of our AGM are enclosed with this edition of sightline. If you
would like to come along please contact Michael at the centre.
Dinner Dance at Saffron Walden Golf Club 3rd October
It’s Support 4 Sight’s 21st
birthday celebration!!
Come and dance the night
away to music of the 60’s,
70’s, 80’s and 90’s at the
newly refurbished Saffron
Walden Golf Club. Tickets
are £35 and include a 3
course meal.
Please contact Natalie on
01799 523700 if you
would like to reserve a
ticket.
--4--
Social Trips
Many people come along on our social trips and we are really pleased
to have you all join us! If there are any trips you’re interested in, or to
make a trip suggestion, please contact us on 01799 523700.
Please do drop into the centre or give us a call to find out about our
future trips. Currently our planned trips are:
Scotsdales Garden Centre – Tuesday 22nd September
We have been invited to attend a free talk and tour from Peter
Jackson, their Horticultural Advisor. Lunch will be available to order at
the Sunflower Café. If you would like to attend please let Natalie know
by 10th September.
The Farmhouse Inn, Thaxted – Friday 16th October
A social lunch trip to this popular venue. Main courses cost a
maximum of £7.65 and desserts are £4.25. Please call us if you
would like to come along and join us.
Coffee Mornings
Come along to one of our many coffee mornings in Saffron Walden,
Dunmow or Braintree. If you have any questions about the coffee
mornings or for information on how to get to the venues, contact us.
Saffron Walden
Coffee mornings will be held monthly on the last Tuesday of every
month at the Bowls Club, Abbey Lane, 10:30am till noon.
29th September, 27th October, 24th November, 15th December
(Christmas Special)
--5--
Great Dunmow
Coffee mornings will be held monthly on the second Thursday of
every month at Banks Court, Chequers Lane, 10:30am till noon.
10th September, 8th October, 12th November, 10th December
(Christmas Special)
Braintree
Coffee mornings will be held the fourth Thursday of every month at
Church House, St Michaels Lane, 10:30am till noon.
24th September, 29th October, 26th November, 17th December
(Christmas Special)
Support Group
We hold support group meetings at the Baptist Church, Blyths
Meadow, Coggeshall Road, Braintree, CM7 3DA on the following
Wednesdays from 2pm – 3:30pm.
8th July
12th August
14th October 11th November
9th September
9th December
Outreach
Help is on hand for you. Support 4 Sight will be holding Outreach
information Points where you can speak to trained people, who can
inform you about the many services that we provide as well as supply
you with information, support and advice. The current list of dates are:
Harlow Central Library, 3rd Friday of the month 10:30am – 1:00pm:
18th September
20th November
16th October
18th December
If you are making a special trip to the outreach points, please contact
us on 01799 523700 to be sure the dates and times are still correct.
--6--
Support 4 Sight Past Outings and Events
Chelmsford Exhibition 24th June
We had a very successful day at our first exhibition in Chelmsford.
Among those joining us for the day were The British Wireless for the
Blind Fund, Ultra Cane and Optelec Low Vision Services. Many
people were able to try out a variety of visual aids and equipment
designed to make day to day life with sight loss a bit easier.
Cake Stall in Saffron Walden 11th July
A huge thank you to all those who baked such wonderful cakes for us
and helped out on the day. We raised £149.56!!!
--7--
Chelmsford Fun Day 31st July
We were blessed with beautiful weather for our very successful Fun
Day in Chelmsford. We were able to offer people of all ages the
chance to experience the latest technology, magnifiers and computer
games to assist those in education and also for leisure.
Many thanks to British Blind Sport for organizing the tennis and the
football, showing that visual impairment is no barrier to taking part in
sport.
To add to the excitement there were also lots of sensory activities –
such as holding a tarantula, snake, lizard, owl or even cockroach!
--8--
National Update
Recycling
If you have any old jewellery, mobile phones, stamps or printer
cartridges that you are looking to dispose of, consider passing them
to us to recycle. Everything we recycle helps to raise funds for
Support 4 Sight and goes towards the many services we provide.
Any of the items above you have for recycling can be dropped off at
our Resource Centre in Saffron Walden.
TV Licensing
Have you claimed your TV Licensing concession? TV Licensing is
working with Support 4 Sight to help remind people that if you are
registered blind, or severely sight impaired, you are entitled to a 50%
reduction on your licence fee. Live-in carers or family members can
also benefit from the concession.
A blind concession TV Licence costs £72.75 for colour and £24.50 for
a black and white TV Licence. There are many ways to pay: online
with a debit or card, monthly or quarterly direct debit, over-the-counter
and by phone or post.
Those over the age of 75 are also entitled to a free TV Licence. If you
live with someone that is over the age of 75, you too can benefit from
this discount by transferring your licence to the name of this person.
Anyone with sight problems can get TV Licensing information by
email or in braille, large print or audio by calling 0300 555 0300. An
audio podcast about the concession is available online at
audioboo.com/tvlicensing.
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Spotlight on Equipment
Breville Hot Water Cup Dispenser
This handy dispenser can take the place of your
kettle and reduce the likelihood of any accidental
scalding. Simply pop the lid open, add water to
the reservoir, and then select the cup size. The
water then heats up and pours into the cup that
you place under the nozzle. No more having to
worry about filling up kettles and then trying to
pour the boiling water from the kettle spout into
the cup without spilling it or burning yourself, and it’s 4 times faster
than using a conventional kettle and by boiling what you need you
can save energy too.
We currently have the Breville Dispenser at the centre so please do
come in and try it out if you think it might be of interest to you. The
price is £55.54.
Rechargeable Hot Water Bottle
Do you like to use a hot water bottle but find the traditional ones hard
to use? The De Vielle Electric Hot Water Bottle is a new generation
rechargeable hot water bottle that works simply
and effectively to provide hours of heat without
the risk of scalding. Simply charge the hot
water bottle using the detachable power lead. It
only takes 15 minutes to warm up and features
a thermostat for added safety. Heating is
provided by an element inside the bottle.
It can be used to warm the stomach or back,
and has a pouch to enable it to be used as a hand warmer. It is ideal
for cold winter nights and for soothing muscle aches and pains.
We currently have this product at the centre so if you feel this may be
of interest to you please do pop in and have a go. The price is
£17.96.
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Low Vision Aids
Pamtrad Miniguide
This handy device is a silent obstacle detector for people with severe
sight difficulties. It helps you to navigate around buildings, shopping
centres and complicated internal and external areas with renewed
confidence. The MiniGuide is a secondary navigational aid to help
locate doorways, trees, lamp-posts, people and unexpected obstacles
with accuracy. Small and discrete it is easily concealed in the palm of
the hand and doesn’t attract attention.
It has five distance settings ranging from half
a meter to 8 metres. The nearer the obstacle
is the faster it will vibrate. Primarily designed
as a secondary navigation aid, the MiniGuide
is a perfect companion to a white cane or dog.
The Miniguide is switched on using a single large red button – just
press it once and it is ready to use. You can carry it in your pocket
and it gives far more information than a cane can alone. Its extended
range means that buildings, stairs and badly parked cars can be
detected long before they are encountered.
There is a choice of two audio feedback options. For the chirp option,
an audio pulse is produced and the pulse frequency varies with the
vibrator. The other setting is a sweep audio option which emits a
continuous tone. The nearer the object, the higher the pitch. The
sweep feedback is very responsive and it is very easy to detect small
changes in distance. Initially the sweep feedback can take some
getting used to, but with practice the extra information it provides can
be very valuable. Sweep feedback could be useful for helping children
gain spatial awareness or it could be used by advanced users who
like to receive as much information as possible about their
surroundings.
For more information call Pamtrad on 01155 9816636 or visit
www.pamtrad.co.uk.
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In Support 4 Sight’s Resource Centre we can demonstrate a wide
range of low vision aids for everyday use, including:
Lighting
 Floor / Table Standing Lamp – with a flexible arm so whether using
the table or floor version they can be positioned to provide the light
where it is needed most.
 Freedom Battery Task Lamp – This rechargeable, portable daylight
lamp is good for everyday tasks where you need just that little bit
more light.
 Twist Lamp – Daylight lamp which can be twisted to provide light
from various angles, allowing you to aim the light wherever it is
needed.
Magnifiers
We have a wide range of magnifiers in a variety of styles and
strengths. We also have a selection of electronic video magnifiers
both desktop and handheld which are available for demonstration.
Telephones
The BT Big Button 200 comes with
many useful features to make calling
much easier:
Key features
• Easy grip handset and large buttons
• Easy to control call and ringtone volume
• Hearing aid compatible
• Call someone back quickly with last number redial
• 1571 message indicator
• Built-in microphone for speaking hands-free
• See when someone's calling with call and message indicator lights
• Store up to 13 names and numbers for quick calling
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The BT4500 Big Button has large, well-spaced buttons, light and easy
to use, two way record feature and a Slow Play facility for listening to
recordings.
Key Features
•
•
•
•
•
50 name and number phonebook
Three-line display
1571 message indicator
Hands free
Hearing aid compatible
Tinted Glasses
In the Centre there is a range of glasses to try with different tinted
lenses and styles. If you would like to try a pair to see if they could be
helpful to you, please call to make an appointment with Paul.
This is just a selection of the low vision aids available at Support 4
Sight’s Resource Centre. To arrange a demonstration please call on
01799 523700
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Audio Described Experiences
Films at the Cinema
“It is liberating to be able to watch films independently without having
to wait for someone to be available to watch with you and without the
frustration of missing so much if you are forced to watch alone...and
then talk about them afterwards!” (Judith Furse, RNIB member)
There are now many films available both at the cinema, and on DVD,
that have audio description. Audio description is special service for
the blind and visually impaired. For selected films, a narration track is
available which (through headphones if at the cinema) which fills the
gaps between the dialogue. The narration describes what is
happening on screen and doesn't affect other spectators' experience.
Here is what’s on offer at some popular local cinemas:
Saffron Screen
An audio description facility is available for most of the digitally
projected films. . Audio described films are marked in the Full Diary
section of the website at www.saffronscreen.com. Ten AD headsets
are available for use within the cinema. Please reserve a headset in
advance by emailing: info@saffronscreen.com or telephone 01799
500 238.
To receive the latest audio described film listings, please email:
mailinglist@saffronscreen.com and include ‘audio description’ in the
subject line. Large print film programmes are also available on
request.
Guide dogs are welcome. If you wish to take your dog into a
performance, please let them know when booking so that they can
arrange an aisle seat by emailing: info@saffronscreen.com or
telephone 01799 500238. Alternatively, your dog can be cared for by
a member of staff for the duration of the performance. Please give 24
hours’ notice if possible.
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Empire Cinemas (Bishops Stortford)
Go to www.empirecinemas.co.uk
Select your local Cinema – such as Bishops Stortford
Click on Assisted Screenings and the list of audio described films will
appear
Cineworld (Harlow, Braintree, Cambridge)
Go to www.cineworld.co.uk/audio-described/
Then select your cinema and film
Odeon (Chelmsford)
Go to www.odeon.co.uk
Select you cinema
Select your film and click ‘audio described’ in the right panel
Films on DVD
Many new films are now being released on DVD and Blu-ray with an
audio description track included on the disk. Online DVD rental
websites such as Prime Instant Film (formerly LoveFilm), MyVue, and
Odeon Direct have a search facility to select audio described titles
available to rent. If you like to buy your DVDs then you can search for
‘Amazon Audio Described DVD’ and you will find a list of films
available to buy on Amazon.
To check whether a film has audio description you will need to check
the information box on the back of the packaging. It will be listed as
an optional audio or language track as one of the following:




Audio Described English
Audio Description
Audio Descriptive Track
AD logo
Audio described soundtracks have to be turned on using an
on-screen menu. DVD players may have a button on the remote
control that will allow you to cycle through the different sound tracks
available on the DVD, until you reach the audio description sound
track. This button can be labelled as “audio”, “language” or as a row
of three circles intersecting each other.
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Audio Described Theatre Performances
The Cambridge Arts Theatre offers the following audio described
performances:
Horrible Histories
Saturday 31st October 2pm
The Odyssey
Saturday 21st November 2.30pm
Cinderella
Saturday 9th January 2016 1pm
Pre-performance touch tours of costumes and sets may be available,
subject to safety regulations, before audio described performances.
Please confirm with the Box Office when you make your booking on
01223 503333.
E-mail access@cambridgeartstheatre.com for more information.
Audio Described Visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum in
Cambridge:
The museum offers verbal description & touch tours. These are led
by a member of the Museum's Education department and combine
the opportunity to touch selected objects on display with visual
description. The tours can also include audio description of
paintings. If there are specific objects or paintings that you would
like to find out about, this can be discussed when arranging your
tour. To find out more please contact the Outreach and Access
Officer on 01223 764392 or email jkh42@cam.ac.uk.
Audio Books at your Local Library
With Essex Libraries you can access hundreds of e-books and
e-audio for adults, children and teenagers, completely free of
charge. Essex Libraries use 2 suppliers: OverDrive and BorrowBox.
To login to these services you will need your library membership card
number and PIN. For more information on using Essex Libraries
e-books or e-audiobooks contact The Answers People on 0845 603
7628.
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The Calibre Audio Library
The Calibre Audio Library charity provides audio books for anyone
unable to read print because of sight loss, disability or dyslexia. They
have 8,000 fiction and non-fiction titles (with more being added every
month) in 60 different categories available on MP3CD, USB memory
stick and via streaming. They have the latest best sellers such as
Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman, a wide range of biographies
including Mary Berry’s Recipe for Life, neurosurgeon Henry Marsh’s
Do No Harm and George ‘Johnny’ Johnson’s The Last British
Dambuster, as well as a wealth of crime writers ranging from Margery
Allingham and Val McDermid to Ian Rankin, Lee Child and Kathy
Reichs. You can search for your favourite authors and books via the
free online catalogue at www.calibre.org.uk
You can join Calibre Audio Library for a one-off membership fee of
£35 or take advantage of the player package for under £70 which
includes a choice of either the Boombox or Sovereign USB players.
Calibre also offers a free 12 week period for people who want to find
out if audio books are right for them. For more information please call
the friendly Membership Team on 01296 432 339, email
membershipservices@calibre.org.uk.
Local Audio Book Clubs:
An audio book club is held at the Chelmsford Library on the first
Thursday of each month 10.30am-11.30am.
Audio Comics
If you enjoy comics then you may be interested in
www.comicsempower.com. This website offers comic books in audio
form. The comics are translated to audio in a way that gives the
listeners the feeling of reading a comic book, with descriptions that do
not stop the flow of the story. Each 22-24 page issue is translated
into a 25-35 minutes of audio with a new issue every month. The
authors aim to empower their readers by portraying visually impaired
characters as the heroes.
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Noticeboard
Give As You Live
Donate money to Support 4 Sight through your online shopping at no
extra cost to you.
Give as you Live is partnered with well-known retailers to give
donations to charity every time you shop online. This is at NO extra
cost to you and can raise funds for Support 4 Sight.
You can shop for products from thousands of leading online retailers;
use their price comparison tool to ensure you get the best price and
even save money by using the exclusive offers and deals available on
the site.
You need to register with
www.giveasyoulive.com and choose Support 4
Sight as your charity, then follow the online links
and start shopping.
You can also install a "shopping toolbar" which will pop-up
automatically when you visit a participating retailer's website (please
note - the toolbar is not supported by Amazon, but you can still
donate by accessing Amazon from the Give as you Live website).
If you shop online please consider doing it through Give as you Live,
and tell your friends and family about it too! Although individual
donations may be small, they will add up to something much bigger.
Your Christmas shopping can generate a Christmas donation to
Support 4 Sight!
Clear Reader for Sale
We have a Clear Reader by Optelec for sale. Priced at £900 ono. It
does require an upgrade for it to work correctly - this upgrade would
cost £150 from Optelec. Sold as seen. Please contact the centre for
any further information.
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Useful Information
Numbers You Might Find Useful
Big print TV Guide - To receive a weekly copy of the TV guide and
news in large print, contact 0303 123 9999.
BT 195 - If you are registered blind or partially sighted, you can
register for free directory enquiries on 0800 587 0195.
Uttlesford Community Travel - For door to door travel at reasonable
rates, call 01371 875787.
RNIB Talking Book Service – 01799 523178
You can choose the categories of books you would like to receive.
The books will come as a CD and will be posted to you. When you
have listened to it, put it into the prepaid wallet provided and pop it
into the post. You can borrow up to six at a time and each time you
send one back another one will be sent out to you.
If you would like to sign up for this service you should contact Saffron
Walden Library, who will register you and Essex County Council
should pay the cost.
Talking Newspapers Contact Numbers





Andrew Taylor (Saffron Walden) 07774 652505
Richard Barnett (Bishop’s Stortford) – 01279 651270
John Wickens (Loughton) – 020 8508 1820
Ray Hardisty (Braintree) – 01206 545062
For Harlow talking newspaper contact Harlow Central library – 01279
446655 or Harlow Advice Centre – 01279 446622
- - 19 - -
Contact us
If you have any concerns and want to speak to someone at Support 4
Sight, you can contact us at the Centre from 9.30am to 2.30pm on
01799 523700.
You are welcome to drop into the Centre, without an appointment, for
a chat and a coffee. It’s a good opportunity to meet the staff, our
volunteers and other members.
Here is the list of staff at Support 4 Sight:
Madeleine Cassidy – Director
Paul Atkins – Resource Centre and Volunteer Manager
Linda Pollard & Michael Lovell – Paul’s Support Workers
Vanessa Cowell – Community Support Worker
Natalie Emuss – Administrator
Joan Hohnen – Development Coordinator
Gemma Golab – Essex Vision Coordinator
Stephanie Emberson – Community Support Worker (Carers)
We are here to help and if you do need us, please do not hesitate to
call or pop in.
Produced by Support 4 Sight (Essex)
2 & 4 George Street
Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1EQ
Telephone 01799 523700
Registered Charity No. 1074812
With support from:
All information in this Newsletter is checked and believed to be correct at the time of
- - 20
- - 4 Sight shall not be liable for any
publication, but cannot be so guaranteed.
Support
loss suffered directly or indirectly as a result of its use.