May 2013
Registered Charity No. 1075388
www.mertonvision.org.uk
Guardian Gazette
Providing services, information and activities to residents of Merton
who have a visual impairment.
Hello again, we have quite a lot in this newsletter so here goes. You will
find items on 100 Club Winners, Forthcoming Events, CCTVs for loan,
Something to give away, Computer Help, RIP, Talking Newspaper message
and Dates for your diary.
The Gazette is produced in large print, braille, audiotape, e-mail and audio
on memory stick or CD for members, friends, supporters and volunteers of
MertonVision. If you require further information on any of the items in the
newsletter, or if you no longer wish to receive newsletters, please let us
know.
100 Club Winners
Congratulations to the following winners;
April
1st prize No 15 Doris Dean
£27.00
nd
2 Prize No 68 Nancy Miles
£10.80
Bonus prize: No 81 Mary Shaw £50.00
May
1st prize No 87 Stan Penfare £27.00
2nd Prize No 6 Paula Stevens £10.80
The cost is £12 per year, there is a draw every month and the more
members we have the bigger the prizes. There is also a chance of winning
a bonus prize of £50 twice a year, and a Christmas bonus of £100. If you
would like to join, just give us a ring on 020 8540 5446.
Forthcoming Events
MertonVision Community Advisory Group – Tuesday 4 June at 7:30
p.m.
This is your opportunity to express your views about visually impaired
related subjects, make suggestions and share information. Please feel free
to come along, you will be made very welcome. A new Chairman will be
elected at the meeting, so if you are interested in that position make sure
you are there. We need more people who have a visual impairment to
attend the meetings in order to get a wider opinion on different issues.
Resource Room – Monday 10 June from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The Resource Room will be open on Monday 10 June for you to see the
range of specialist equipment that may help you if you have a visual
impairment. Kevin Gregory (our rehabilitation worker) will be on hand to
answer any questions you may have. Just come along when it is
convenient for you.
Grenfell Housing – Monday 10 June from 3 pm
This organisation has a good track record of supporting people to get ready
for and find work. We are sending letters to all who might be interested, if
we have forgotten you please come along anyway!
Synapptic – Tuesday 9 July - 10 until 2 p.m.
This company use the latest Android technology to develop easy to
see/speech Smartphones and Tablet computers for people who are partially
sighted or severely sight impaired. Ken will be demonstrating these so if
you are looking for a new mobile phone do come and have a look.
Humanware Technology – Tuesday 9 July – 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
Chris from Humanware will also be coming along to discuss talking books.
This may be of interest to lots of you, so do come along to hear the latest
news.
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Macular Society Group (MD) - Monday 15 July - 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
We have been able to arrange for a very special guest to come along to talk
about her ‘adventure’. Pam Goodall will speak about her 'solo bike ride
around the world'.
If you would like to come along, even if you don’t have MD, you would be
made most welcome.
This will also be an ideal opportunity for those with MD and their
families/friends to get together to have a chat, have a cup of coffee/tea and
discuss MD and how it affects them.
BBQ – Wednesday 17 July from 4 p.m. until 8 pm - £7.50 per head
Hopefully summer will have arrived and we will be able to sit out and enjoy a
tasty BBQ. Please let us know if you would like to join us so that we can
get enough food in for everyone and if you are a vegetarian, be sure to let
us know that too.
Open Day – Tuesday 30 July from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
We haven’t had an open day for a few years so we thought this would be a
good opportunity to meet some of you we don’t see much of and also for
you to visit us to see who we are. A number of companies will be here to
exhibit a wide range of items i.e. mobile phones, video magnifiers,
scanners, screen readers and lots, lots more. Do come along to see what is
on offer to make your life easier.
Some of the companies who will be attending are, Optelec, Sight and
Sound, Pamtrad, Synapptic, Dolphin and Professional Vision Services.
We will also be having workshops on a few eye conditions:
Retinitis Pigmentosa – Sue Drew from RP Fighting Blindness will be coming
to talk about RP and inform us of what research is going on
Diabetic eye conditions – to be confirmed
Glaucoma – to be confirmed
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There will be a question and answer session after each workshop. More
details will follow at the beginning of July with times of workshops.
Light refreshments will be on sale and the bar will be open. We would love
to see as many of you as possible, either to meet again or to meet for the
first time.
CCTVs for loan
We have a number of CCTVs for loan at a cost of £25 for a 3 month period.
If you would be interested in finding out more about this service, please
contact us on 020 8540 5446. (CCTV’s look like TV sets with a space
underneath for the items you want magnified onto the screen such as
correspondence or newspapers).
Summer Outings
This year we are teaming up with Wimbledon Guild and Merton and Morden
Guild for the summer outings. We will do our best to provide a volunteer to
go with you if this is required, so if you would like to take part in any of the
outings and need a volunteer, please be sure to tell us.
What’s on offer from Wimbledon Guild:Brighton - Coach Trip on Wednesday 31 July
Cost £15 per person leaving Guild House, Wimbledon, at 10 a.m. and
returning home at approximately 5 p.m.
Eastbourne Holiday – 2-6 September
Cost £200 half board accommodation
4 days but 5 Nights leaving from Guild House
Merton and Morden Guild are offering a variety of outings but we are unable
to publicise these at present as they have not yet gone to press. More
details will follow in our July newsletter, but if you would like to know what
they are offering you can either call them direct on 8640 1640 or phone us
on 8540 5446 any time from mid June.
Please call us on 8540 5446 in the first instance to arrange.
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Something to give away
Would you like a braille version of the Collins Scrabble Dictionary? It is in
25 volumes. Please contact Sandy direct on 8543 9022 if you are
interested.
We need you!
We are looking for volunteers who are visually impaired, is that you? Are
you a friendly person who is able to travel and shop, and do many of the
things that people who are newly diagnosed with sight loss might not think
possible? Would you like to help people to gain confidence and ‘get their
life back’? We want to help people during the first few months of losing their
vision, and we think that often the best person to talk to is another person
who has had that experience. If you are interested in knowing more about
this then contact Fran who is waiting to hear from you.
Computer Helpline
It can be a challenge knowing where to start once you get your latest bit of
technology home. Whether it be a new computer for opening up a world of
information through the internet, audio description on your television for
never missing that vital subtle look between your favourite soap characters,
an eBook for whiling away a few hours with a good story or a mobile phone
for staying connected with friends and family.
The Technology Support Squad is a team of hundreds of volunteers
throughout the UK ready to help by phone or with a home visit.
To find out more or to get support from the Technology Support Squad:
 call the Helpline 0303 123 9999
 email helpline@rnib.org.uk
 go online rnib.org.uk/techsupport
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IT Can Help - More Computer Assistance
Free computer help for people with disabilities from a network of skilled
volunteers. They can diagnose and fix most computer related problems.
Install and set up hardware, software, internet, emails and accessible
settings. If you need help with your computer a volunteer will visit you in
your home.
All you need to do is contact them by phone on 0800 269 545 or email
info@itcanhelp.org.uk or visit their website at www.itcanhelp.org.uk
R.I.P.
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Maris and Michael
McTernan, Irene Munford, Derek Cann, Peter Buckle and Sean O’Brien.
To their family and friends we offer our sincere condolences and thank you
for your donations in lieu of funeral flowers.
Sean O’Brien MBE
Sean had poor vision as a child and soon lost his vision completely. He
attended schools and college for ‘the blind’. He worked at the Ministry in
London and became an Executive Officer, before retiring due to ill health.
Sean was a determined man and decided that he needed to learn to cook
following the death of his beloved wife Pat in 1998
Previously Sean had been a Trustee and Honorary Secretary of
MertonVision, and over the last 10 years made several large donations to
MertonVision to help us continue our work in supporting local people who
are blind or partially sighted. He was an active member of the Braille Chess
Association and one of their honorary officers. Sean also helped to set up
other organizations such as Metro Sports, and had been a member of the
committee and magazine presenter for our local Talking Newspaper.
He had many interests, and was good company, we are sure he will be
mourned by everyone he knew
Talking Newspaper (MTN)
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Merton Talking Newspaper is ‘going digital’. Final trials are being carried out
in the MTN Studio before the launch of new weekly News and Magazine
recordings on memory sticks.
MTN's weekly cassette tape recordings have been circulated free to local
residents since the service started in the 1970s. However, recognising
the many benefits of digital technology, MTN is about to offer listeners the
option of weekly recordings on USB memory sticks.
Whether you are new to MTN or an existing listener wishing to switch
from cassette to memory stick, if you do not have a computer, a Wireless
for the Blind Concerto2 or other form of USB player you should contact
MTN to arrange for a free lifetime loan of a Sovereign USB player. Over the
coming months, MTN volunteers will be carrying out a visiting programme
to deliver and demonstrate the use of the Sovereign players in your
home. Alternatively, arrangements can be made for demonstrations at the
Guardian Centre. Meanwhile, cassette tape recordings will continue to be
distributed at least until the digital service has been rolled out.
For more information please ring the MTN Studio on 020 8544 0551 or
email Peter Walker, one of the MTN Magazine presenters, on
prwobe@yahoo.co.uk.
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Dates for 2013
Tuesday 4 June
Friday 5 July
Tuesday 9 July
Tuesday 9 July
Tuesday 9 July
Monday 15 July
Wednesday 17 July
Tuesday 30 July
MertonVision Community Advisory Group
(Election of Chairman)
Term ends
Humanware – talk on talking book machines
Synapptic demonstration of mobile phones
Executive Committee Meeting
Macular Society Group
BBQ 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Open Day
Tuesday 3 September
Monday 16 September
MertonVision Community Advisory Group
Macular Society Group
Friday 18 October
Social Evening
Thursday 7 November
Monday 18 November
Tuesday 19 November
MertonVision AGM
Macular Society Group
MertonVision Community Advisory Group
Thursday 12 December Christmas Lunch
Low Vision Clinic is held on the first Tuesday of the month by appointment
only.
Our Counselling Service now takes place on Wednesdays, rather than
Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. by appointment only. There is a charge for
this service depending on personal circumstances. To make an appointment
please contact Beccy direct on 07984 948 408.
MertonVision, The Guardian Centre, 67 Clarendon Road, Colliers Wood,
London SW19 2DX Telephone No 020 8540 5446 or visit our website at
www.mertonvision.org.uk
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