Newsletter Worthing Society for the Blind - Newsletter - August 2011 Front Cover … Index / Open Forum Page 2,3 & 4 … CEO’s Report Page 4 … Focus Group Page 5 & 6 … Fundraiser’s Report Page 6 … Drop-in Café / Mystery Tours Page 7 … What’s in a Name / Resource News Page 8 … Transport Costs / Club spaces Page 9 … Questionnaire Summary Page 10 … Suggestion Box / Did you know? Page 11 … NHS Foundation Trust Page 12 … Glaucoma Support / Reminders! Page 13 … Taxi Scam / Just for Fun Page 14 … Switching to Digital TV Page 15 … Goodmans Smart Talk TV Set Top Box Page 16 & 17 … Taster Sessions Page 18 & 19 … Charlie Update Page 19 … Remembering Friends / Piano Plea! Back Cover … Diary Dates / Contact Information Don’t forget the ** Open Forum ** At our new HQ, 48 Rowlands Road. Monday 12th September 10.30am We would love to see as many members there as possible. Remember this is your Society and what you think really does matter! 1 Chief Executive’s Report – July 2011 Today is the official start of the summer holidays and my first ice cream of the year is very tasty! The Headquarters is up and running successfully; and this major building project drew to a very successful close when the Mayor officially opened the building last month. Now we have to consider how best to develop and exploit the facilities. Many questions will need answering over the next few months and Frances and I will be speaking to members through our different activity groups to determine programmes for the future. There are four key channels for members to pass on their views, wishes and aspirations for the Society: the Open Forum, Members Panel, Focus Group or by direct contact. Open Forum: The first is through an Open Forum and one is planned for next month – 12 Sep. Our Open Forums offer members the chance to pop in to the Headquarters for a cup of tea and a biscuit and, meet the staff team. You can voice your opinions and quiz us on anything and everything to do with the Society. The whole concept is for informal discussions and to promote a free flow of ideas: we will try to answer all your questions. More importantly, it gives you the opportunity to suggest new and varied activities that you may wish to try. The onus then passes over to us to try and effect your wishes. It’s not quite “Jim’ll fix it” but we will endeavour to make things happen. In any case at least you get a drink and a biscuit – I might even break out the chocolate selection! Members Panel: The method of passing on your views is via the Members Panel and they can be contacted by writing directly to 2 (Chief Executive’s Report – July 2011 continued) me, as the Secretary of the Panel, or Frances and we will raise the matter at the next meeting: this is scheduled for Thursday 18 August at 10.30am. The Panel discusses anything and everything to do with how the Society supports you as members. They will consider any views impartially and, because the Panel consists of members with vision impairment, they deal with matters from a very different perspective and have unique experiences of sight loss. The Panel links directly into the Board of Trustees and they have the power to make changes in the way we operate. Focus Group: The third way you can tell us what you think is through the Focus Group. They are a very different band of your fellow members and readily and actively campaign on issues that affect you. Primarily they cover problems generated in the built environment and the most important subject is the relocation of the Ophthalmic Services to Southlands from Worthing. So, if you have any problems with making your way to the HQ, such as blocked pavements or dangerous roads to cross, let the Focus Group know and they will challenge the Borough or County Councils on your behalf. Direct Contact: The final avenue you can follow to keep tabs on the Society is the most enjoyable way and, that is by being active within the Society. Attending groups, clubs, activity sessions and just speaking directly to a member of staff. We hold weekly and quarterly staff meetings to discuss operational problems that have arisen; so, this is a fast way for you to get your ideas and points across. You 3 (Chief Executive’s Report – July 2011 continued) have a very professional and supportive staff team who do listen to your problems: use them and we will see programmes evolve. Earlier I mentioned the re-location of the Eye Clinic; later in this newsletter (page 11) you will read a letter about Foundation status for our hospital. One important way you can get your voice heard is to apply to become a Member of the Foundation. I urge you to do this and go to meetings and make your feelings known. Several of us have applied to become members and if you value the Eye Clinic at Worthing, become a Member of the Foundation too. I hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer and I look forward to meeting with you through one of the above routes in the months to come. Your HQ is the envy of many organisations in the Borough. The project is a massive show of intent and financial investment in the organisation as the Society’s 100th anniversary draws to close. Now is the time to help us make sure it is used effectively With best wishes John Baker, Chief Executive Officer Focus Group The Focus Group who deal with issues effecting vision impaired people in daily life, are looking for new members. They meet on the last Friday of each month to discuss matters that impact on your daily life, such as the move of the Eye Clinic to Southlands, and Free Bus Passes. If you would like to be involved or to find out more about the Focus Group, please contact Frances on the usual office number – 235782. 4 WSftB Fundraising July 2011 – Chris Gaskell With the summer holidays upon us I hope that you are making the most of the sunshine we are getting either side of the rain clouds. The first event of the summer went up, up and away with great success. Over 200 balloons raising £700.00 were released by the Mayor during the grand opening of the new HQ. The winners of the balloon race will be announced in the next couple of weeks. With the return slips coming in from as far away as Germany, it looks like Worthing Society for the Blind has reached mainland Europe. One bit of slightly bad news is that the SUMMER SEASIDE STROLL has been postponed until the 2nd of October. Those who are already signed up will not need to fill in another registration form but I encourage those who haven’t yet signed up to come and get a form and get involved! Upcoming Events On the 20th August the wonderful Victor Munro will be supporting the Society by performing at the South Street Square in the town centre. It would be great to see you there. On the 23rd September we will be having the first WSftB Race night here at the HQ. Tickets are £5.00 and available from the 15th August. This event is for the whole family so bring along the children and grandchildren! We need your help! - I am still also looking for people to come forward and offer their support to the Society. I would like to set up a community fundraising committee that will help organise and run some of the smaller events throughout the year. Do you, or your son or daughter have a couple of spare hours a week or are any of your grandchildren looking for charity experience to help with their further education applications, if so please get in touch. YOUR SOCIETY NEEDS YOU! 5 (WSftB Fundraising July 2011 continued) Home Collection Boxes - Would you, your friends or family like a home collection box for your loose change? We have a number of boxes here and it would be great if you could help us raise those extra pennies. For all things fundraising please feel free to contact me, Chris Gaskell on 01903 235782 or email me on fundraising@wsftb.org.uk Drop-in Café From Monday 5th September we will be trialling a small drop-in café here at our headquarters in Rowlands Road. The ‘café’ will be manned by volunteers and registered members and will enable you to pop in between 10am & 12noon every Monday for a cuppa and a chat. For 50p you can have tea or coffee AND a cake – it doesn’t get much better than that!! Please note that transport is NOT available for the drop-in MYSTERY TOUR DATES (by David!) Telephone caller, “Hello, My name is Mr Notsoclever, and I was wondering about trips out on your minibus.” Tracy, “Well, we have a mystery tour coming up soon” Mr Notsoclever, “Oh yes. So where does that go then?” Here are a couple of MYSTERY TOUR dates for the summer: - Tues 16th August and Fri 30th September (ok, so that’s more like autumn!) Leave mid-morning, back late afternoon, bring sandwiches for lunch if you like, coffee shop stop about 3 o’clock-ish. Call us on 01903 235782 if you’re interested…….but don’t do ‘a Mr Notsoclever’!!! 6 WHAT’S IN A NAME? Last year we approached members and asked you for your ideas and names for the new Headquarters. The building project was well underway and there was a view that a new brand name for the building might help raise the profile of the Society. The informal competition yielded a range of names from “Primrose House” to Norfolk House”. When the results were discussed by the Board it was considered that, unfortunately, none of the contenders actually enhanced the standing of the Society in the local community. In some cases the names proved to be a little confusing when considering existing trademarks, trading names and other services and charities operating within Worthing and the local area. Therefore, it was decided that the building would not be named and the Society would remain as Worthing Society for the Blind. People know our name, they know we are based at 48 Rowlands Road, and they recognise us as an organisation that provides good and professional advice and support to those in need. Thanks for your support with the competition. 2012 Diaries Jayne is now taking orders for next year’s diaries. A wide variety is available from RNIB, Partially Sighted Society, Macular Disease Society and other suppliers. Please contact Jayne with your request, or to discuss your needs further. Resource room reviews Many of you have visited the resource area at least once and many more have bought items and had equipment demonstrations. We would be grateful to receive a review from you if you have purchased an item that you have found particularly useful or indeed life changing – your reviews can then be published in future newsletters, and will be of great help and interest to fellow WSftB members. If you would like to find out more or submit a review please contact Jayne. 7 Transport costs explained As most of you know by now, the standard contribution towards transport is £3 per group meeting or outing (depending on distance travelled for group outings this contribution may vary). With many of you now attending 2 groups/classes in one day we understand that to pay this twice would be expensive, especially if it applied to more than one day per week, therefore after much discussion we have come up with the following plan!! If you attend one event in a day and we provide transport whether it is one way or both, your contribution will be £3 If you attend two events in a day, that is a morning and an afternoon session and you don’t go home in between the charge will be £3 If you attend two events in a day, that is a morning and an afternoon session but you do go home in between using our transport the charge will be 2 x £3 Exercise classes There are a couple of spaces available for our fortnightly exercise classes. These take place on a Tuesday morning for an hour, 10.30 to 11.30, followed by tea and biscuits. A course of five classes costs £10.00 and you can have a one-off taster session for £2.00, there is an additional £3.00 each time, if you require transport. The classes are taken by a qualified teacher and comprise of gentle, seated exercise to music. Line Dancing We have a couple of spaces left in Line Dancing class so if you want to learn some new moves, have a bit of exercise and lots of fun why not come along? The class meets the 3rd Wednesday afternoon of the month except August and December at WSB Headquarters. Transport is available should you need it. Please ring Lynne on the office number for further details. 8 Summary of the Non-Active Questionnaire Firstly, we would like to thank everybody who took the time to return their questionnaire. 33% of the 335 we sent out were returned. We are currently looking into the results and points raised, for example the suggestion of holding clubs or groups out of normal office hours for members who work. Several areas had a marked difference from the ‘Active Members’ questionnaire, i.e. we noticed that a much higher percentage of our ‘Non-Active’ members live alone, almost half have at some point visited the Resource Room and again almost half regularly use public transport. You were able to suggest a wide range of activities that the Society could try – Memory Training, Chess, Quiz Nights, Local History and Concerts to name just a few. Please check your next and subsequent newsletters for anything which may have come as a result of your help with completing the questionnaire, for example the Drop-in Café which starts on Monday 5th September, this was a popular suggestion from both ‘Active’ and ‘NON-Active’ members. 9 Suggestions Box The suggestion box which was requested by you, our members and is kept in the conservatory, has so far proved very popular. There have been both positive and negative points raised but rest assured we read and discuss them all with the aim of constantly improving all that we offer you. If you have submitted a suggestion/comment and included your name, we will respond directly to you in due course. Did you know… During the Second World War some aircrew suffered injuries to the eyes from shattered pilot and turret canopies. These structures were made of perspex (polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA) and in some cases tiny fragments penetrated and remained within the eye. It was then observed that this material caused very little reaction within the eye and remained stable over many years. It was deduced that perspex would be a good material from which to make intra ocular lens implants. It remained the principle material used until the mid 1990's and is only now being superseded by more modern plastics. The British ophthalmologist Harold Ridley is credited as the first eye surgeon to place an artificial lens into the eye following removal of a cataract. This was around 1949 - 1950. At the time he was considered to be a bit of a maverick by his colleagues. In the face of opposition from the rest of the medical profession he initially abandoned the technique though continued to pursue the concept with lens manufacturers. In 2000, aged 93 and just before his death, he was knighted for his pioneering work. 10 Worthing Hospital Lyndhurst Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 2DH Tel: 01903 205111 June 2011 Dear We’re writing to you to let you know that the Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust is bidding to become a Foundation Trust by the end of this year. Foundation Trusts are still part of the NHS, but are allowed greater freedom in deciding how public money is spent. We need your help to gain this freedom. To become a successful Foundation Trust we must demonstrate that we have a strong membership – a pool of local people we are accountable to, who want to make local services better. We would love you to become a member, and help us to spread the word about membership. Membership is free, and you can get involved as much or as little as you like. Membership means that you’ll have Opportunities to play an active role in shaping local health services. Invitations to exclusive, themed Member events, including talks from Consultants. Eligibility to vote for a Governor to represent your area as well as stand for election as a Governor yourself. Becoming a member is simple. You can either complete the enclosed form, call us on 01903 205111 ext 4258, or visit our website www.westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk/membership to apply and find out more about the Trust. Should you wish to become a member you’ll take part in our first elections in the early autumn. Governors will represent the views of the membership to the Trust Board, and will also hold the Board to account for delivery against plans and targets. We hope to welcome you to our membership soon! Yours sincerely Marianne Griffiths, Chief Executive 11 New Glaucoma Support Group Two nurses are setting up a new support group for people with glaucoma and anyone with the condition along with their family and friends are invited to go along to the clinic for information, advice and support. One of the nurses, Annette Brampton writes; the group is being set up by myself and my colleague Julie State, both of us are Senior Staff Nurses based at Worthing Hospital Eye Clinic. We hope to hold these meetings three or four times a year, and are receiving support with this from the charity "The International Glaucoma Association (IGA)". Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the UK. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can prevent blindness, but it is a lifelong condition that requires careful monitoring. The first meeting was held on 24th June from 2pm-4pm and took place in the Eye Clinic at Worthing Hospital. There were 2 speakers, Sue McGilvery, from the IGA, and Glaucoma specialist Dr Mak. An informal question and answer session followed, and there were stalls present with information booklets on glaucoma and associated eye conditions, examples of eye drop aids, and current treatment information. They also provided free refreshments for all attending. Annette and Julie can be contacted at The Eye Clinic, Worthing Hospital on 01903 205111 ext 5658. Reminders If you could avoid calling the office before 10.30am on Wednesday mornings when we hold important staff meetings, it would be very much appreciated! And… If you receive your newsletter on tape, please try to rewind it before you send it back to us. 12 Taxi Scam Warning It was recently reported to Sussex Police that an elderly lady may have been victim to a taxi scam. She was waiting in the porch of her house for a WRVS driver to pick her up & take her to Worthing Hospital. A car arrived, and the driver asked if she was going to Worthing Hospital. The lady got in the vehicle & was indeed taken to Worthing Hospital; she paid the driver £10. When the original driver from WRVS arrived at the house to pick up his client there was no one there. This brought about an investigation and the ‘scam’ was uncovered. Although the fee was not excessive, it is not known if the car was an official taxi that a neighbour had ordered or someone who had possibly been driving around the area looking for an opportunity. If you know elderly service users, relatives or neighbours, please ensure they always check for ID when they don’t know the person they are dealing with. If they are not sure, always call the service provider to check. If you have any further information please contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If you witness any suspicious behaviour please report this to us immediately by calling 999. Just for Fun!!! Only adults have difficulty with childproof caps. Light travels faster than sound... which is why most people appear brilliant until you hear them speak. When tempted to fight fire with fire, keep in mind that the Fire Service usually uses water. Why is lemonade made with artificial flavouring, while dishwasher soap is made with real lemons? Never put off till tomorrow what you can avoid all together. No one is perfect, but some of us are closer than others. 13 Switching to Digital TV (Anna Jones, Media & Culture Officer, RNIB) Sooner or later we will all have to convert our existing televisions to receive digital television if we want to continue watching our favourite television shows. Why Digital TV? Digital television is inevitable. The current analogue signal that our televisions receive will be gradually switched off around the country in a rolling programme. Therefore every household will need to switchover to digital TV over the coming few years. The benefits of digital television include better sound and picture quality, more radio and TV channels to choose from but another benefit for viewers with a serious sight problem is that audio description is available for many mainstream programmes. Audio description is an additional commentary inserted between the programme dialogue that describes what’s happening on screen. It describes the action sequences, facial expressions, costumes, scenery and body language. Audio description is available on digital satellite TV (Sky), digital cable TV (Virgin Media) and certain digital terrestrial TV (Freeview) devices. All sorts of programmes are now described, everything from films to soaps, dramas to documentaries, comedy to children’s’ shows. When? The process of digital switchover across the UK is now taking place and is scheduled to finish in 2013. The current regional switchover start dates are: Central, Yorkshire, Anglia: 2011 Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster: 2012 Channel Islands: 2013. We will be hosting a talk all about the Digital Change Over by Peter Atkin of the RNIB on Monday 21st November at 10.30 at 48 Rowlands Roads. If you are interested in attending please let us know. 14 Goodmans Smart Talk® TV set top box This revolutionary TV set top box announces all on-screen information, including programme guides and menus, using synthetic speech. Designed and developed in conjunction with RNIB to provide full access to Freeview® digital TV and radio services for blind and partially sighted people. fully talking Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) access programmes with audio description (AD) talking menus enable you to customise all settings easy-to-see menus and programme guides ergonomic remote control with raised and well-spaced buttons remote control button presses are spoken to confirm your choice dedicated button to stop the speech once you have the information you need easy to set up with your existing TV with the supplied SCART cable. Talking EPG and menu increase or decrease the speech speed choose the level of detail you want to be read out when using the talking features. High contrast EPG and menu large on-screen font sizes choice of three contrasting colours. Easy-to-use remote control simple layout raised buttons in different shapes to help identification dedicated buttons for talking features and audio description. Audio Description TV narration for people with sight problems Audio description (AD) is a free service that can transform TV viewing for people who have difficulty seeing what’s happening on the screen. Like a narrator telling a story, an additional commentary describes body language, expressions and movements, making the story clear through sound. Price: £85.10 ex VAT, £102.12 inc VAT Call RNIB on 0303 123 9999 - Shop online at rnib.org.uk/shop Or visit your local resource centre 15 Taster sessions for Members Would you like to look and feel good? Well now is the time to experience a range of complementary therapy and image consultancy at Rowlands Road. Mobile Massage Therapist and Image Consultant, Ann is a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists and is CRB checked. She offers deep tissue full or part body Swedish massage, Indian Head, a non-aggressive Thai massage for hands, feet and arms; Hopi Ear Candling and personal styling. Swedish massage was developed from ancient techniques and knowledge of physiology. This is accepted in the medical world as an effective treatment for people of all ages. Ann’s oldest client is 96! Massage therapy is a physical muscle tension reliever from head to toe and it aids sleep. Hopi Ear Candling helps with Ear, Nose and Throat conditions such as sinusitis, tinnitus, ear pressure and excessive ear wax. It is non-invasive and is a less traumatic option than syringing. Her feet pampering treatment involves softening the skin, removing hard skin and finishing with a relaxing foot massage. She is also a qualified personal stylist and she identifies what colours look good according to eye, skin and natural hair colour using seasonal palettes. She explains body shapes and what styles will accentuate the body’s features so that compliments start arriving! This is for men and women. Ann will save you time, money and wardrobe space as well as helping you to look and feel fabulous! Craniosacral Therapy Craniosacral therapy is a hands-on therapy which assists the body’s natural capacity for self-repair. It evolved from discoveries about the body’s subtle physiology, which show that 16 our cells express rhythmic movements that are fundamental to life. Craniosacral Therapists are trained to feel this subtle motion and notice where there are areas of restriction. Then, using gentle touch without manipulation, the therapist helps to relieve pain or tension. This can have profound physical and psychological benefits. In a session, you lie fully clothed, on a treatment table while the therapist makes light contact with their hands and listens to what is going on in your body. You may become aware of heat, tingling, pulsations or other sensations and you are likely to feel a deep sense of relaxation. Craniosacral therapy is intended to complement, not replace, the relationship you have with your medical practitioner. It is suitable for people of all ages, from babies to the elderly and it owes its popularity to the effectiveness of its gentle approach. You don’t have to be ill or have any particular symptoms to benefit from craniosacral therapy. The easing of life’s stresses and increased vitality and wellbeing a treatment can bring are welcome at any time. Pamela Jack is registered with the Craniosacral Therapy Association (CSTA), which upholds standards of practice. She is also a healer and member of the NFSH Healing Trust www.thehealingtrust.org.uk Contact: 07946 444899 or pamela_jack@hotmail.com Ann and Pam will be offering taster sessions during the Drop-In Café morning on Monday 26th Sept between 10am and 12noon. If you would like to know more why not come along and have a chat (and a cuppa at the Drop-In Café!) or try a 20 minute taster session for just £5! 17 Charlie News (from Patricia) May 2011 By the time this newsletter reaches you, Charlie will have been living with us in Steyning for just over a year. He has been a delight and we have enjoyed watching his development, gaining a more relaxed demeanour. We did have a concern during the late spring when he appeared to be unwell. He seemed very listless and although he came to the kitchen at meal times he didn’t eat his food and seemed to be drinking much more water than usual. His coat began to look rather unkempt and he was very lethargic. His normal loud cry was almost non-existent. After a couple of days we decided a visit to the vets was needed, the drama of putting a cat in the travel box loomed large. As it turned out he actually didn’t make a fuss, so that made things much easier rather than needing to apply the usual physical coercion. After examining Charlie the vet decided he may be suffering from an infection as he had a temperature of 103 degrees. He was given an injection to help reduce his temperature and prescribed a course of antibiotics. We felt rather daunted by the prospect of administering a daily tablet to the fussiest cat in the world; however on the first morning, John tried to disguise it sandwiched between a ‘cat treat’ only for it to drop to the floor. Charlie promptly chewed it up with a ‘thank you I enjoyed that’ look on his face. The vet had asked John to return with Charlie the next day to check his temperature and note any improvement in his condition. Fortunately his temperature was lower than on the previous day. A lack of improvement would have suggested a more serious problem. X-rays and overnight stays were a possibility and we saw visions of enormous vet’s bills, as well as a concern for Charlie’s well-being, of course! This became the pattern for the week. Each morning we placed Charlie’s bright pink tablet on the floor which he happily consumed before going on to eat his breakfast course. 18 Charlie News continued… We were so grateful that we didn’t have to prize his jaw open and force the tablet into his mouth! Fortunately the medication worked, and after a few days Charlie became his old self, much to our relief. As the weather became warmer Charlie enjoyed exploring the garden, however he drove the blackbirds to distraction. As he relaxed sniffing the air and watching the insects, the birds screeched their disapproval. It didn’t help create a peaceful environment for our gardening activities of weeding, pottering or just plain sitting in the garden. When all is said and done though, we really enjoy sharing our home with Charlie despite rejected food, screeching birds and vet visits. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Remembering members and friends Deceased GRANSDEN Raymond HARTLAND Marguerite ORME Phyllis RIXON Leonard WELLER Ellen Post Returned ‘Gone Away’ BLACK Miss G ROSE Annemarie TINKLER Edward And Finally… Piano urgently required We are looking for a second hand, upright piano to be used at our future social events in the conservatory at 48 Rowlands Road. If you or anyone you know can help please let us know. 19 Dates for your Diaries 13th & 14th August Mon 12th September Fri 23rd September Sun 2nd October Thurs 20th October Fri 4th November Sun 4th December Thurs 15th … … … … … … … Birdman Rally Open Forum Race Night Summer Stroll AGM Pamper Evening!! Worthing Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Exhibition December … Christmas Party Don’t forget we have moved to our new premises Worthing Society for the Blind 48 Rowlands Road Worthing BN11 3JT Tel. 01903 235782 Office hours Monday to Friday 9.30am – 12.30pm (answer phone in operation out of hours) Website: www.wsftb.org.uk Email: info@wsftb.org.uk Next newsletter due November 2011 Due to space and resources some items in this newsletter may have been edited accordingly. The information it contains was accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to print. 20