Haggeye Jnr is RNIB Scotland’s project for children with sight loss aged 5 to 12 years old. Haggeye Jnrs will organise fun activities and events for members, their siblings, parents and carers.

Issue 7 Spring 2018

Knowyour

rights

haggeye jnrand friends

Welcome!In this edition we’ll discuss your rights as a child; what you are entitled to as a young person with a visual impairment, and how to make your voice heard. We also have a new section designed to make you feel more confident.

Please do get in touch and tell us what you like about Haggeye Jnr and Friends, what topics you would like to read about and where or what you would like Haggeye Jnr to do next.

We would love to hear from you! Meanwhile, happy reading!

Haggeye Jnr, Eilidh, Finlay, Jill and Rae.

Contents3 News and Views.5 Fun Facts on Your Rights! 6 Funzine.12 Jnr's Journal and Top Tips.15 Friend’s Focus: Confidence building!20 Contact Us.

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News and ViewsHave you wondered what has been happening since the last issue? Well... as you probably know Haggeye Tots has been born and as all parts of Haggeye have mascots Haggeye Tots does too!

Tot is a smaller Haggeye than Jnr, dressed in a white top, and yellow dungarees with a Haggeye tartan T on them; Tot’s shoes are red with laces. Tot has a little Haggis tie on top of their head, like a little curl!

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We will let you know how Haggeye Tot is getting on, but meanwhile we thought we should introduce you to Nicola who will be helping Haggeye Tot.

“Hi, I’m Nicola Pick. Some of you might have met me before as I was part of RNIB’s IRISS team.

I am now the new Children and Families Engagement officer for Haggeye Tots! Haggeye Tots will provide lots of opportunities for children aged from birth to five years and their families to come together, and have fun!

I’m really excited to be part of the Haggeye family and can’t wait to meet our Tot members!”

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Fun Facts on Your Rights!

• UN (United Nations) Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) charter is an international law that recognises that children and young people have rights.

• The UNCRC has 54 articles to describe the rights of the child.

• Rights make sure people are treated well. Everyone should respect the rights of other people.

• Children’s rights include: the right to a name at birth and to belong to your country, the right to play, as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child’s civil rights, and freedom.

You have the right to know your rights!

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Funzine

Funzine Jnr puzzle

Follow the flow chart answering Yes with a star or No with a square, what will be your choice?

Your choice

your voice

Do you like milk chocolate?

Do you like white chocolate?

Do you like dark chocolate?

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Funzine

Dot to dotFollow the dots and colour in Haggeye Jnr. Can you think of a campaign motto?

1

2

3

4

5 67 8 9

10

11

12

131415

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Funzine

Our new feature: Can I?… Of Course you can. I’m Jill. When I started to lose my sight I was still at school and I was not allowed to do any sports. I always enjoyed sport so this made me feel as though I was different from everyone else. I thought that I would never be able to do the things that I wanted to do.

I have since discovered that this doesn’t have to be true. I was introduced to Scottish Disability Sport which took me along to a swimming session. Through swimming I’ve gained confidence and realised that, with

determination, hard work, and a little help, you can do almost anything that you want. I’m not going to let being blind get me down and I’m confident that I will achieve my goal.

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Funzine

Swimming helps to build up confidence. At first it is a scary thing to do but as you start to realise that you are in control it is great fun and good exercise as well.

With the help and advice of the coaches I slowly got used to swimming on my own. I found it hard staying in a straight line, but the more I trained the better I got.

At first I was happy just swimming for leisure as it kept my mind off my failing sight and eye condition. My swimming coach then suggested that I take part in swimming competitions, and since then I’ve been swimming in competitions all over Scotland and represented Stirling University at a major tournament in Sheffield swimming alongside Olympic swimmers.

I never felt more scared as at my first competition- the noise and buzz in the pool with all the experienced swimmers, and knowing that everyone would be watching. I start in the pool rather

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Funzine

than dive in, because of my sight loss condition. I’ve tried to dive previously but it is really hard to stay in a straight line.

As I waited in the water for the buzzer to go it was frightening but after I finished it was a great feeling of achievement. Even though I didn’t win, I had taken part in a competition with able bodied swimmers.

It took time to get used to competing and learning all the rules, the more I have competed the more I have enjoyed it and the faster and fitter I have become. Getting a personal best is a great feeling, but getting a medal means you have won and you have something to keep and remind you of your achievements.

Never let anyone tell you that can’t do something because, with a little help and support, if you really want to, you can.

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Funzine

Jnr’s ‘Your Right’s’ quiz

1. What does UN stand for?

2. What is a right?

3. What is the United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child?

4. How many articles are in the Charter?

5. Name three rights that children have.

Answers can be found in Fun Facts!

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Jnr's Journal

Jnr's Journal and Top Tips Jnr’s football focus!I decided that I would like to join a local football team as part of my New Year resolutions, to get a bit fitter and to learn something new.

I phoned the local leisure centre to see if they could advise me of such an activity and thankfully they did.

For preparation I looked out suitable clothing: a t-shirt, shorts and dusted down my trainers ready for some football action!

At the training session, the staff were very helpful and friendly. They had laid out colour coordinated cones that were easy to see and feel. They also explained everything in great detail and gave me a tour of the place so I knew where toilets were and where I could top up my water should I need to.

As a team we all helped each other. It was a great feeling to feel included.

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Jnr's Journal

I enjoyed the first session that much that it’s now a weekly event, giving me exercise and something to look forward to. Within a few sessions I am now able to hit the target and managed to score my first ever goal! When that happened I felt like Haggeye Jnr the super hero; I also felt very proud and a valued member of the team.

I was quite surprised to discover that before the actual game we had lots to learn. We had to learn the rules, tactics and to drill and not forgetting health and safety.

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Jnr's Journal

I had to learn about exercises and most importantly how to stretch, so that we didn’t damage any muscles and warmed up correctly.

We had smart bright bibs that were easy to put on and bright yellow and orange footballs with bells, that were soft textured.

My first session was really challenging and I was worried it might not be possible to participate. However I did it!

I’m getting fitter and having fun so I think I may need to take this further and start up my own team The Haggeye Wonderers one day!

Top Tips! You can find out more about your rights by visiting the children and young person’s commissioner Scotland website: www.cypcs.org.uk/rights

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Friend’s Focus

Friend’s FocusIn this issue of ‘Friend’s Focus’ Kady Byrne tells us about how she has become more confident.

Confidence building!My name is Kady, I am 14 years old and I am from Glasgow. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I have had problems with my speech and balance and as I have got older and become a teenager my hearing and eyesight has deteriorated.

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Friend’s Focus

In 2017 I was diagnosed with Cognitive Visual Impairment (CVI). I was so scared and so was my family as we did not know what this would mean for me and how I would cope in school with CVI. I already needed a lot of support in school which I got from my Pupil Support Assistant.

The school helped us a lot and when we met Mr Kearney he was able to help me even more. He attended some hospital appointments with me and my sister to find out what was wrong with my eyesight and how much help I would need in school. Once he knew, he was able to get me some equipment to help me with my school work. I received a zoom extra item of technology and a laptop. At first we had a few problems getting the equipment up and running, but once it was it helped me a lot with my school work.

More recently, I have been introduced to Sharon who went round the school with me to see what I could do on my own and what I needed help with. Once she had done that, the school put yellow tape on the stairs and on some doors so I was safe, as I kept on walking into doors and walls.

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Friend's Focus

I also got some special kitchen equipment for Home Economics. The school has been really good with all the help they have given me.

When I first met Sharon she was talking to me about having a cane to use in school for the walls, but I told her I did not want to use one as I was scared people would laugh and look at me. I did not want to get picked on, so she did an assessment with me and said at this time I don’t need one but in the future I might. I was scared about that, but it also gave me time to prepare for it.

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Friend's Focus

Sharon has been taking me out on the bus and on the train so that I could learn how to be more independent and use my bus pass on my own without other people having to do it for me, and to go and buy things from a shop so that I can learn how to look after my own money and bus pass. Doing this work has given me a lot more confidence to try and do stuff by myself.

At one of my hospital appointments I was given leaflets for Visibility and RNIB IRISS groups. My sister got in touch with them. We went to a thing that Visibility organised where I met a lot of people, and we met Nicola from IRISS.

The next thing I went to was the Glasgow bus tour and then we went to the Virgin money lounge where they had a group where you could get to know new people and find out about how they had lost their eyesight and how they have coped with using a cane.

In January, I went to Aberdeen with Haggeye. I really enjoyed it; I loved getting to know everyone. Since I have started going to these groups it has made me more confident and it has made me realise that having sight loss

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Friend's Focus

means you can still do things you want to do. Finding out how people in the groups have learnt to use a cane and told me their stories has made me realise that if I need to use a cane in the future then I would be ok with it. I know it would be hard, but I would be able to accept it better now that I understand more about it.

I can’t wait to go to more of the groups and get to know everyone better!

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If you want to tell us what you think or just get in touch use the contact details below.Haggeye JnrRNIB Scotland 12-14 Hillside Crescent EdinburghEH7 5EA

0303 123 9999

cypfscotland@rnib.org.uk

rnib.org.uk/scotland

facebook.com/RNIBScotland

twitter.com/RNIBScotland

© April 2018 RNIB registered charity number SC039316

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