SIGHTLINESpring 2017

Welcome to the Spring Edition of

Support 4 Sight’s Newsletter

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Supporting people with sight loss in EssexRegistered Charity number: 1169324

WelcomeWelcome to an exciting 2017. There are lots of events and activities taking place this year for everyone to get involved with.

If you have any ideas of features for our Sightline newsletter that you would like to see included, please contact the office on 01799 523700 and we will do our best to insert them into future editions.

MembershipA membership renewal form is included with this issue - please let us know if you need help completing the form. This year our membership fee is £15 for single and £16 for joint membership. Please note the £1 increase.

Just to let you know that membership renewals are due by 1st April. We would be grateful if you could forward it to us as soon as you can. If you are unsure about whether or not you have paid your membership, please call the Centre and we can look this up for you.

You can be sure that your membership really helps us to continue providing our many services.

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News from Support 4 Sight

Fundraising Activities

Volunteers braved the cold on 20th December at Tesco Saffron Walden and collected an amazing £261.50! We also collected at Audley End Miniature Railway and listened to the beautiful voices from Cavell Community Choir, Saffron Building Society Choir and Saffron Harmony U3A Choir who kindly donated their time to create a lovely festive atmosphere on the day, raising £78.01. Donations have also been received from Mullucks Wells (Bishops Stortford) who raised £500 at their Charity Christmas Lunch and the Saffron Walden Golf Club Seniors have raised £2,300 for Support 4 Sight. We really appreciate all your efforts in helping us raise money in these ways.

Sponsored Dog Walkies!We are looking forward to our Sponsored Dog Walk for Support 4 Sight Event on Sunday 19th March. It starts at 10.00am, finishing at Audley End Miniature Railway.  It is a 2.5 mile walk around Audley End Park and it is £10 per dog that is registered in advance.  Participating dogs will get a fundraising pack and goody bag.  Their owners will get a complimentary hot drink.  There will also be a dog show and refreshment stalls at the venue.  Please come along and join the fun!

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Support 4 Sight Events and Activities

Coffee Mornings Do come and join us for a cup of tea or coffee at your local group. If you have any questions about the coffee mornings, or need information on how to get to the venues, contact us on 01799 523700.

Do you live in the Great Dunmow area? Why not join us once a month at our great Dunmow coffee morning? We meet every second Thursday of the month at Banks Court, Chequers Lane, Great Dunmow, from 10.30am until 12 noon. Support 4 Sight coffee mornings are a great way to meet other people with sight loss to share tips, as well as having a laugh and feeling part of a community. Members of the group also attend regular lunches and trips out and family members or assistants are always welcome to join us.

HarlowSecond Tuesday of each month at the Potter Street Baptist Church ‘Coffee Stop‘, 98 Potter Street, Harlow CM17 9AW from 10.30am until noon.Dates: 14th March, 11th April, 9th May and 13th June (a strawberries and cream special).

ChelmsfordLast Wednesday of each month at Broomfield Village Hall, 158 Main Road, Broomfield, CM1 7AH, from 1.30pm to 3pm. Please note the afternoon time.Dates: 29th March, 26th April, May 31st and June 28th - a strawberries and cream special)

Saffron Walden Last Tuesday of every month at the Bowls Club, Abbey Lane from 10:30am till noon. Dates: 28th March, 25th April, 30th May and 27th June (a strawberries and cream special).

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Great Dunmow Second Thursday of every month at Banks Court, Chequers Lane, Great Dunmow from 10.30am till noon. Dates: 9th March, 13th April, 11th May and 8th June (a strawberries and cream special).

Braintree Last Thursday of every month at Church House, St Michaels Lane, Braintree from 10:30 to noon. Dates: 30th March, 27th April, 25th May and 29th June (a strawberries and cream special).

Braintree Support GroupOur Braintree support group meetings are always held on the second Wednesday of the month, from 2pm to 3.30pm, at Braintree Baptist Church, Blyth's Meadow, Coggeshall Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 3DA. We have speakers from many different organisations and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. We are very lucky to have great support from the Rotary Club who transport some of the members and who also put on wonderful teas for us at different times of the year.

Dates: 11th January, 8th February, 8th March, 12th April.

Focus DaySupport 4 Sight is holding a focus day with Professional Vision Services, Dolphin and Calibre Audio Library on Tuesday 21st March, 10am to 2:30pm

Come along to look at the latest screen reading and magnification software, alongside the most up to date electronic video magnifiers. If you enjoy listening to the latest novels on USB, CDs or streaming audio, why not chat to Calibre Audio Library who will also be present on the day.

All welcome, no appointments needed.

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Harlow ExhibitionOn Thursday 25th May, 10am to 2:30pm, Support 4 Sight will be holding its annual exhibition at Harlow Central Library, Cross Street, Harlow, CM20 1HA.

This popular event will be supported by a range of suppliers and local organisations demonstrating the latest low vision equipment and technology. Attending so far are the RNIB, Optelec, Pamtrad and Paul Pemberton from Essex Fire and Rescue. This is a worthwhile exhibition to attend. Come along to talk to staff and volunteers from Support 4 Sight for information and advice.

Social TripsWednesday 22nd March Saffron Walden Social Lunch Thursday 23rd March Dunmow Social LunchWednesday 19th April Guildhall Museum, Finchingfield and lunch

Make a Will WeekHeckford Norton Solicitors have very kindly agreed to waive their fees in exchange for a minimum donation to Support 4 Sight of £100 for an Individual Will or £150 for Mirror Wills.

You can take advantage of this opportunity during the week beginning 20th March by contacting Heckford Norton Solicitors’ Saffron Walden Office at 18 Hill Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1JD.

For more details, or to make an appointment, please contact Yvonne Rains at Heckford Norton on 01799 581090 or by Email at YR@heckfordnorton.co.uk

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What’s On Further Afield

The Fitzwilliam MuseumUp close & personal: Degas & Rodin bronze sculptures Wednesday 26 April, 2.30 to 4.15pm. A unique opportunity to handle some beautiful bronze sculptures of horses, dancers and other figures by famous French Impressionist artists Degas and Rodin. Learn how and why they were made, with Dr Vicky Avery, Keeper of Applied Arts.Entrance is free, but booking is essential.This is a touch tour with audio description, including a tea and coffee break. Guide dogs and companions are welcome to all sessions. Please contact education@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk or telephone 01223 332904.

The Outlook TrustThe Outlook Trust is the only charity for blind and visually impaired children that organises and provides activity and residential breaks for blind, partially sighted children and young people with other disabilities.A regular programme of fantastic fun activities give children the opportunities that other organisations cannot provide. The children love experiencing the same activities that fully sighted children take for granted, develop independent living and mobility skills, form long term friendships and most of all have FUN!

Activities include:Sailing, Kayaking, Gorge Walking, Cycling & Tandem Cycling, Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Zip Wire & High Ropes, Horse Riding, Canyoning, White Water Rafting and Skiing.

More information can be found at www.outlooktrust.org.

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Concert for CharityThe Manuden Singers are organising a concert to raise money for Support 4 Sight. They will be performing Brahms German Requiem on Sunday 9th April at 7:30pm in St Mary’s Church, Manuden.  Tickets will be on sale at Support 4 Sight or by calling 01279 812157. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 children.

Support 4 Sight Recent Outings and Events

Christmas CelebrationsWe certainly had fun at our various Christmas Coffee mornings and afternoons. Our members from Chelmsford certainly had the Christmas spirit as is shown in the photograph below!

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NoticeboardWe have in the centre a Humanware Prodigi electronic video magnifier for sale at £500 ono. This is for sale from one of our members who no longer finds it useful, so we cannot offer any guarantees on the machine. If you are interested, please call the centre to arrange to come in and try this out for yourself.

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Also for Sale is a Humanware Prodigi Connect 12 advanced digital magnifier with access to Google.

Bought in November 2016. Hardly used, in excellent condition. Cost £2,000 looking for £1,200 or near offer.

Phone Caroline 07790 234 126

Focus On

Sainsbury's Telephone Shopping ServiceAre you housebound and unable to travel to the shops? Or is online shopping just not your ‘thing’? Sainsbury’s have good news. Their Assisted Shopping Scheme enables you to make shopping orders over the telephone. Orders placed before 6:00pm can even be delivered the next day.

You must first register via the telephone before you can use the service. Call 0800 328 1700 then press option 1, then option 3 followed by option 1 to finish.

Call 0800 328 1700 again and Customer Services will create an account and give you a Customer Number. There is a £25 minimum order, a charge for delivery and also a £2.95 telephone charge. Your orders will be taken by Customer Services and we understand that they are really helpful.

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The New 12-Sided £1 Coin

The pound won’t be round for much longer and the current £1 coin is being replaced for the first time in over thirty years because of its vulnerability to sophisticated counterfeiters. Approximately one in thirty £1 coins in circulation is a counterfeit. The new coin has a number of features that make it much more difficult to counterfeit.

It’s 12-sided – its distinctive shape makes it instantly recognisable, even by touch.

It’s bimetallic – it is made of two metals. The outer ring is gold coloured (nickel-brass) and the inner ring is silver coloured (nickel-plated alloy).

Latent image – it has an image like a hologram that changes from a ‘£’ symbol to the number '1' when the coin is seen from different angles.

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It has micro-lettering – it has very small lettering on the lower inside rim on both sides of the coin. “One pound” on the obverse (heads) side and the year of production on the reverse (tails) side, for example 2017.

It has milled edges – it has grooves on alternate sides.

It has a hidden high security feature – a high security feature is built into the coin to protect it from counterfeiting in the future.

So how will it affect me?The new 12-sided £1 coin is being introduced into circulation on 28th March 2017. You will start to see the new 12-sided coin in the days and weeks following this. Businesses across the UK who handle cash have been informed of the need to prepare for the introduction. Many will have upgraded their machines to accept the new £1 coin, however, not all machines will work with the new coin from the date of introduction. The legal tender status of the round £1 coin will be withdrawn on 15th October 2017. From this date shops will no longer accept these coins, but you will still be able to take them to your bank. We would encourage you to use your coins or return them to your bank before 15th October.

Cards and Games for the Visually ImpairedStill waiting for the days to lengthen and get warmer? In the meantime if you are looking for activities to do in the evening then how about some of these? All are available from the RNIB:

Sudoku £10.20Packed with 225 Sudoku puzzles to solve, ranging from easy to hard. Each level is marked on the top of each page by a star rating from one to three stars.

Printed on high quality paper with bold black print in 47pt font, featuring one puzzle on the page. You can check your answers to the

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solutions by flicking to the back of the book where you'll find them in a clear print 24pt font.

Large print playing cards £9.59Playing cards can provide hours of entertainment with family and friends of all ages. This pack of large print playing cards are embossed in braille with the denomination and suit at the top left and bottom right hand corners. 

Bingo £8.39Large print bingo cards guarantee that you won't miss a number! Each set contains 100 cards with one game to each card.The card is approximately the size of an A5 sheet of paper and the numbers are printed in easy-to-see 12mm font.

Chess £35.94The large raised black squares make it easy to feel your way across the board and each black chess piece has a tactile pin in the top. The board has drilled holes in each square so the pieces slot into the hole to prevent them from falling over. The board is 33cm.

Crossword and Puzzle books £3.33 We also have a selection crossword, Sudoku and Word Search books for sale in the Support 4 Sight centre.

Messages Under Your Feet There is a whole world of pavement messages to help you get around. Perhaps the most familiar is ‘bubble paving’ - a section of pavement covered in dimples. There are many other types of messages embedded in the surfaces of pavements and streets.

But many of these textured pavements are also passing messages to sighted people as well – without them necessarily realising it. This subtle form of communication is not just confined to the pavement, either: increasingly, motorists and cyclists are also unknowingly ‘getting the message’.

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A good example is the ladder and tramline patterns that mark the start of shared cycleways and footpaths. A horizontal pattern of raised lines going across the pavement tells blind and visually impaired pedestrians that they are on the footpath side; raised lines running along the direction of travel indicate the side designated for cycles. A wide, raised line divides the two.

But something else happens here, too. Because the raised bumps are unpleasant to ride across, cyclists instinctively are drawn toward the tramline pattern which runs in the same direction as they are traveling. It ensures that the cyclists stay on their side of the path.

For those who know where to look, another secret message lies hidden around pelican crossings – the pedestrian crossings where someone pushes a button, then waits for the signal to walk. Tucked on the underside of the box with the push-button is a small, innocuous cylinder. When the lights change to show the green man, this cylinder spins to indicate it is safe to cross.

Elsewhere, it is possible to find raised, rounded ribs running across a pavement, creating a corduroy pattern. They look like they might be there to provide additional grip; in fact, they are sending a warning to anyone who stands on them about what is ahead. These indicate you are standing in front of a hazard, like a set of stairs or a level crossing.

There are also information surfaces – for example a change in texture that is sometimes placed in front of key amenities like telephone kiosks, ATMs, ticket offices or post boxes. In pedestrianised areas, some local authorities have installed textured pathways with flat-topped bars running in the direction of travel. The idea is to guide people through busy areas and around objects by drawing them along these raised lines. For visually impaired pedestrians, they are invaluable.

This is a shortened version of an article from the BBC website’s ‘BBC Future’ page. For the full piece by Richard Gray go to: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170206-the-tricks-being-played-on-you-by-uk-roads

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Springtime Poem

Child's Song In Spring by Edith Nesbit

The Silver Birch is a dainty lady, She wears a satin gown; The elm tree makes the old churchyard shady, She will not live in town.

The English oak is a sturdy fellow, He gets his green coat late; The willow is smart in a suit of yellowWhile brown the beech trees wait.

Such a gay green gown God gives the larches-As green as he is good! The hazels hold up their arms for arches, When spring rides through the wood.

The chestnut’s proud, and the lilac’s pretty, The poplar’s gentle and tall, But the plane tree’s kind to the poor dull city-I love him best of all!

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Contact us

If you want to speak to us at Support 4 Sight, our Centre is open from 9.30am to 2.30pm; telephone 01799 523700. You’re welcome to drop in 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 – Chief ExecutivePaul Atkins – Resource Centre and Volunteer ManagerLinda Pollard & Michael Lovell – Paul’s Support WorkersVanessa Cowell – Community Support WorkerNatalie Emuss – Community FundraiserGemma Golab – Financial ControllerJane Myers – Volunteer CoordinatorAmanda Jarvis – Assistant to the Chief ExecutiveAlison Pilkington – Resource Centre Administrator

With support from:

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All information in this Newsletter is checked and believed to be correct at the time of publication, but cannot be so guaranteed. Support 4 Sight shall not be liable for any

loss suffered directly or indirectly as a result of its use.

Produced by Support 4 Sight (Essex)2 & 4 George Street, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1EQ

Telephone 01799 523700Registered Charity No. 1169324