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The Insight Magazine – issue 14 Article List 1. Welcome 2. Equipment and Information Day 3. Thank you 4. New club: Touch to see book club 5. Leaving a gift in your will 6. Thrive in the garden 7. Introducing Lydia! 8. The A-Z of eye condition’s: Iritis 9. Farewell - Susan Gregory retires 10. Residential educational courses - From AddVenture in Learning 11. Roadshow 2016 - Coming to a town near you! 12. Low Vision Centre news 13. SPRING 2016 SALE! 14. Sporting news from around the Shire 15. Useful contacts 16. Meet the team 1. Welcome to the spring issue of Insight. This magazine is produced twice a year with our Insight Xtra supplement coming to you in between. I do hope that you find the information contained within interesting. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your views and opinions on the subjects we cover. Our article featuring AddVenture in Learning was suggested by a client who enjoys the courses. This year we will be holding an Equipment and Information day on Tuesday 12th April in Gloucester at the Brunswick Baptist Church, Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2DR. The doors will be open 10am– 3pm. I do hope you can come along and see the wide variety of exhibitors that will be joining us. As you will all know, we are an independent local charity and we receive no funds from Local Government or the National Charities such as RNIB. So a very special and sincere Thank You to all of you who have made a donation in the past year. Without your support we would not be able to continue our work. Steve Martin General Manager 2. Equipment and Information Day To be held on Tuesday 12th April 2016. 10 am – 3pm. The venue is Brunswick Baptist Church, Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2DR. Exhibitors will included: Dolphin Accessible Computers, Enhanced Vision, PVS, Synapptic, Optelec, Optima, Village Agents, Sound and Vision, and Humanware. 3. Thank you Thank you to those of you who have set up a standing order or have given a donation in response to our appeal at the end of 2015. It costs around £250,000 to run Insight’s services at our current level each year. All of your contributions help us to provide services to yourself and others. At the end of last year we were lucky enough to be awarded a grant of £500 from Starbucks UK through their Red Cup Cheer promotion. This was mainly down to people sharing our tweets on Twitter. It may seem like a drop in the ocean but all these amounts add up. Initiatives like this help to promote what we do, bring in funds without Insight having to commit too much of our own resources to raise money to keep our doors and Helpline open. We try and operate as efficiently as possible, but like every other charity, the environment that we are raising money in is getting tougher as demand grows. We are keeping a close eye on the changes around fundraising regulation and already follow the Institute of Fundraising Code of Practice. Are you able to help Insight? In the coming months, retailers and other organisations will be accepting nominations for charity of the month / year / green token schemes. Please nominate us for these schemes as Tesco says, ‘every little helps’. Last year these schemes alone brought in on average £300 per entry for us. Thank you for supporting Insight, your local charity for people living with sight loss. Monica Farthing Communications Officer 4. New club: Touch to see book club The group enjoys art activities and explores interesting and fascinating subjects. Living Paintings is looking for new members to join its new club in Charlton Kings. This Club will be meeting 10:30am - 12:15pm once a month in Charlton Kings Library, Church Street, Cheltenham, GL58 8AR. Membership is free and open to adults of all ages – to find out contact Maria Storesund; T 01635 29 97 71 E. [email protected] 5. Leaving a gift in your will Gifts left to Insight in wills are a major proportion of Insight’s income and provide a valuable boost to Insights funds. Here, Mrs Wearing who is totally blind in one eye and losing her vision in the other talks about why she is leaving a gift to Insight once she has passed on. “I feel that they deserve it. Over several years they have helped me. I am glad there is someone there to talk to, on the phone, and somewhere to go to look and try any items before I buy them. Each morning I look at my large print calendar. I use my talking clock and watch throughout the day along with many other items around my home that allow me to live independently. I am aware that there are people worse than me and I want to make sure they can get support when they want it. Until you have gone through losing your own sight you can’t fully understand its impact.” For more information about writing a will please speak to your solicitor. If you are considering leaving a gift in your will please take a look at our website www.insightglos.org.uk for more information and thank you in advance. 6. Thrive in the garden Thrive is a national charity that has worked with visually impaired gardeners for more than 30 years. We have during this time collected a wealth of gardening hints, tips and stories, from blind and partially sighted people. The charity is the largest in the UK using gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people who are living with disabilities or ill health, or who feel isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable. Sharing this knowledge with others is an important part of the charity’s work, so to help you start or continue gardening at home on your own, or with family and friends, or in gardening groups and clubs, we publish a range of leaflets, fact sheets and books which are available on the Thrive website (details are at the end of this article) Hints and tips Here are a few hints and tips to help you in the garden. • Taking a bit of time to get ready can really make a difference. Some of the stresses and strains of gardening happen when we begin a job on impulse. Think about what you want to do and how you will achieve it. • If you are just starting to garden with sight loss, you might find it useful to get to know your garden better by walking around it at different times of day, until you are familiar with it. • Always manage your part of the garden yourself. If you need some help, ask for it for that job, then carry on working alone. This way, you’ll become a much more confident gardener. • Visually impaired people can sometimes find it difficult to find their way back to where they were in the garden. One idea is to take a small radio with you and leave it on while you are working. • A washing line can also provide a point of reference in the garden and you can use it as a guide to help you know where you are. • Think about the job you’re going to do and plan what will make it easier for you. It might be as simple as making sure you have a kneeler with you, or a stool or seat to work from or take breaks. • Get all the tools you’ll need together to save trips back and forth to the shed or garage. Try to keep your storage area tidy and you’ll be able to find your tools more easily. • On cold days it might be worth taking time to warm up first with some simple bending and stretching exercises to loosen up your muscles and you will be less likely to strain yourself. • Stick to one job at a time, and have breaks - with a warm or cold drink according to the weather. Stop work before you get too tired. Thrive has a lot more information on its Carry on Gardening website for gardening when you have a visual impairment including details on how to tackle specific jobs like seed sowing, pruning, watering, growing in containers and tips on garden design - www.carryongardening.org.uk 7. Introducing Lydia! Hi everyone! My name is Lydia, I’m 21 and I am the volunteer events co-ordinator running the Insight Outlook Group. I organise a range of events for the group to be a part of. I’m from Gloucester and have moved home following my graduation with a BA Hons History and Politics from Keele University. We recently held a shopping event run by our own Ines Higgins showing an Aloe Vera based brand called Forever Living. For our Christmas lunch the group headed to Prezzo in Cheltenham. The event was well attended and everyone had a good time with lots of laughter! We are planning lots more exciting events in 2016 so if you are interested in joining the outlook group and taking part in our wonderful events, please do get in touch with Marc Gulwell at Insight Gloucestershire to find out more. 8. The A-Z of eye condition’s: Iritis What is Iritis Iritis is the inflammation of the iris, the coloured portion of the eye. It has been known to cause extreme pain, light sensitivity and sight loss, which is often the result of a disease in another part of the body. Most cases of iritis are recurring, in what are small attacks. Once treated, the attack will usually respond to various medications. However, the condition may become sight threatening when left untreated. Medication for iritis varies; treatment that works for one will not always work with another. What causes iritis In many cases, iritis is related to a disease or infection in another part of the body. Diseases such as arthritis, tuberculosis, or syphilis can contribute to the development of iritis. Infection of some parts of the body (tonsils, sinus, kidney, gallbladder and teeth) can also cause inflammation of the iris. In other cases, iritis may follow injury to the eye or accompany an ulcer or foreign body on the cornea. Often, the exact cause of the disorder remains unknown. Symptoms The symptoms of iritis usually appear suddenly and develop rapidly over a few hours or days. Iritis commonly causes pain, tearing, light sensitivity and blurred vision. A red eye often occurs as a result of iritis. Some patients may experience floaters, small specks or dots moving in the field of vision. In addition, the pupil may become smaller in the eye affected by iritis. How is iritis diagnosed A careful eye exam is extremely important when the symptoms of iritis occur, as inflammation inside the eye can affect sight and could lead to blindness. A slit lamp, which illuminates and magnifies the structures of the eye, is commonly used to detect any signs of inflammation. A diagnosis is often made on the basis of an eye examination. Since iritis can be associated with another disease, an evaluation of the patient’s overall health is sometimes necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment. In some cases blood tests and other tests may be conducted and additional specialists may be consulted to determine the cause of the inflammation. Treatment Treatment of iritis is often directed at finding and removing the cause of the inflammation. In addition, eye drops and ointments are used to relieve pain, quiet the inflammation, dilate the pupil, and reduce any scarring which may occur. Both steroids and antibiotics may be used. The application of hot packs may also provide relief from the symptoms of iritis. In severe cases, oral medications and injections may be necessary to treat the condition. A case of iritis usually lasts 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, the patient must be observed carefully to monitor potential side effects from medications and any complications which may occur. Cataracts, glaucoma, corneal changes, and secondary inflammation of the retina may occur as a result of iritis and the medications used to treat the disorder. Acknowledgment: Information from the Eyecare Trust. 9. Farewell - Susan Gregory retires After 5 years of working at Insight Susan has retired from her role as Volunteer Coordinator. During her time with us she has upgraded our systems, dealt with changes in legislation as well as making the recruiting and matching process smoother for all. We wish her well in her retirement and hope she remembers to put her feet up occasionally. If any current volunteers have any queries or concerns they can contact Steve Martin on 01242 22 11 70 or email him, [email protected]. For people wishing to have a befriending volunteer or wanting to volunteer in this worthwhile role, please get in touch with Friends for You, a countywide scheme that is being led by the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council. Contact Sue on 07810 63 01 67 or email, [email protected] 10. Residential educational courses - From AddVenture in Learning AddVenture in Learning is a registered charity which organises residential courses for sight impaired adults. The courses are usually, but not always, led by a professional tutor and held in different parts of the country. Each sight-impaired person is assisted by a sighted guide and guide dogs are always welcome. Accommodation varies from hotels to outdoor educational centres or even university halls of residence. Participants must make their own way to the venue but these are not usually far from a railway station. Courses are not just lectures but include outings and the chance to socialise. The price varies according to the course. Plans for 2016 are; an Ecology course in Pembrokeshire 2nd - 6th May, Cheltenham Science Festival and nearby places of interest 6th - 10th June, and Social history in Derbyshire 8th - 12th August. If you are interested in joining any courses as a sight impaired person or a volunteer guide, please do look at the website www.add-ventureinlearning.org.uk for more details. You can also ring Isobell (course administrator) on 07731 86 79 31 or Barbara (publicity) on 01460 28 12 26. We would love to hear from you but please remember that the committee are all volunteers and not always readily available. 11. Roadshow 2016 - Coming to a town near you! Following the success of working with the International Glaucoma Association and Gloucestershire Clinical Commission Group (GCCG) last year we are going to trial taking our outreach service around the county on a mobile stand. Please keep an eye on our website for further dates and locations to be announced, as we continue to confirm other stops along the bus’s countywide journey. Friday 11th March The Cross, Gloucester Tuesday 10th May King Street, Stroud Those manning the bus will have a small selection of equipment with them, as they would at any of our outreach offices. They will be able to help you with a wide range of information and advice. So if you are in town, please pop in and say hello to us. By using the bus we are hoping to let more people know we are here to help people living with sight loss, and raise more awareness of what we offer. Many of you already share your copy of the magazine and let others know that Insight is here to help. Please keep doing this, and thank you for your efforts. 12. Low Vision Centre news New products MAGnificent floor table lamp Code: 436 Price: £60 The MAGnificent lamp is ideal for all types of detailed work. This lamp is cleverly designed to be used in 3 different positions to suit your working environment. The daylight LEDs provide high contrast, making it easier and less tiring to read, work and see detail clearly, and they never need replacing. Mighty Mug Code: 425 Price: £15 The Mighty Mug has a suction base, making it difficult to tip over if knocked by accident. Use on all flat and nonporous surfaces, such as desks or tables, knowing that the clever grip pad at the base will help reduce spillage. The product comes with a removable lid. Big print watches Code: 431/432 Price: £18 In our last Insight magazine we had a sale on the Lifemax large print watches. These watches were so popular we decided to stock them on a permanent basis. They have large clear black numbers on a white watch face with large black hands, making them easier to read. Available in large or small, they are fitted with a leather strap. 10x illuminated magnifying mirror Code: 439 Price: £45 A satin nickel, illuminated mirror, with 1x and 10x magnification. Ideal for applying makeup. Large print & tactile measuring jug Code: 426 Price: £15 This large clear jug with easy grip handle has a tactile gauge which measures in fluid ounces, or millilitres. The gauge clips inside the jug, so you can feel when the ingredients reach the desired level. The printed measurements on the jug are also in large print and in good colour contrast, making them easier to read. Large enough to use as a mixing bowl. Cane tips Price: From £6 If you use a long cane you will know the importance of having a good tip on it. If the tip is worn out it can get stuck in the cracks of pavements. There are many different types of tips available and usually they are quite simple to replace. We stock a number of different cane tips and if purchased from us we are able to replace your tip for you. If you need to replace yours call us on 01242 22 11 70. Talking Button Clock Code: 437 Price: £15 This clock simply features a single button on top which when pressed will announce the time and the date in a clear male English voice. The clock also has an alarm. Portable electronic magnifiers Portable electronic magnifiers are a great way to read if you have low vision, when you are out and about. They are small devices that you can carry in a bag or in a pocket. As well as magnifying text you can view in a range of false colours or in full colour modes. They all have varying levels of magnification to suit most needs, and you can use an image capture facility to take a snapshot of some print and bring it closer to you to read. This feature is good for the times when you are trying to read a price on a shelf when shopping. All of the portable magnifiers we recommend are great for when you are in a restaurant and can’t read the print on the menu. All you need do is place the magnifier on the menu and change the magnification and the colours to suit your needs. These types of magnifiers come in various sizes and with varying capabilities. We have 6 different portable electronic magnifiers to view in our Low Vision Centre. Please come along and take a look and see if we have something that may help you. Text To Speech Readers or TTS readers are devices that will take a photograph of any printed text and turn that text into speech. There are various different versions available and we have several on display at our Low Vision Centre which you can come and try out for yourself. The SmartReader has proven to be very popular, due to its effectiveness and ease of use. All you have to do with the SmartReader is place your document under the machine’s camera. Press one button and then the text is processed and read aloud to you within seconds, in a very clear synthetic voice. You may have also heard about our range of Synapptic devices. These include smart phones and tablet computers that have great accessibility features built in that allow you to use a smart phone or tablet with ease, keeping you even more independent. Synapptic devices also have a very good feature which will take a photograph of printed text and translate it into speech and clear text on the device’s screen. As these devices are portable, they are a great way of reading difficult print on the go. This feature is in addition to all of the other brilliant features that are built into Synapptic smart devices. TTS Readers really are an excellent way to ensure you can still stay independent with print whether at home or on the go. If you would like to see one in action, come along to our Low Vision Centre for a demo. 13. SPRING 2016 SALE! Grab yourself a bargain with these 3 fantastic spring offers. Kitchen bundle sale Our kitchen bundle offer is a great way to carry on cooking all the things you love whilst remaining independent. The bundle includes – 1 Liquid Level Indicator, 10 Orange Bump Ons, 1 MagiCan Can Opener, 1 Topster and 1 Non Slip Mat. The individual retail price for these items is £32! With our very special offer, the bundle is yours for just £22! A massive £10 saving! Writing bundle offer - Do you love to write but need a helping hand? Look no further. Our writing bundle is just what you need. The bundle contains 1 book of A4 wide lined writing paper, 1 A4 & 1 A5 Writing Frame, 2 thick or thin black pens, and 1 Address guide. The retail price individually for these products is £21. Our bundle sale price is JUST £10. That’s less than half price! UV shield offer It’s that time of year again when the sun is going to be at its most harmful to our eyes. With that in mind we have a special offer to help alleviate the issue of glare, both when you are out and about walking, or trying to read in the garden. If you purchase one of our NoIR Comfort UV Shields you get one of our Classic UV shields absolutely free. So you pay £30 for 2 pairs of our anti-glare UV shields available in a range of different colours and sizes. Please note these offers are while stocks last and for a limited time only so be quick. 14. Sporting news from around the Shire Goalball team update Worcester tournament - The Insight Goalball Team have won their first silverware! Insight’s Goalball team is really starting to take shape. We are holding training sessions on a regular basis in the Sports Hall at the Oxstalls University Campus in Longlevens, Gloucester. We were happy with our first tournament of the season in Birmingham but by the end of the second we were delighted. We were medallists for the very first time. After only playing in two previous tournaments you will forgive us for not expecting to reach the finals. After all, we were playing against some teams and players with a lot more experience than us. Worcester’s tournament was our finest so far in our team’s short history. We went into the day hoping to do better than the 5th place achieved last time out. We played Beacon Bullets B in the first game and were almost shocked when we ended up going 7–0 ahead. The game ended 10–3 and this was the start of our unbeaten run in the group section of the tournament. We went on to beat Worcester and RNC Academy. After a brilliant run in which we won our group, we went on to the final. Sitting around for nearly 2 hours whilst all of the other games were being finished it was safe to say that one or two nerves had crept in to our players. But we had a plan. Unfortunately despite our best efforts we lost the final 3–2 against RNC Hereford. Well done to Joe Bentley, Laura Brooks and Joe Keeble who were silver medallists at the Worcester novice tournament 2015. Group games Insight Glos 10–3 Beacon Bullets Insight Glos 6–4 New College Worcester Insight Glos 4–3 RNC Hereford 1st and 2nd place playoff game Insight Glos 2–3 RNC Academy Insight Glos finish in second place and received silver medals. Editor’s note: Congratulations team! Report by player/coach Marc Gulwell Birmingham tournament In September of last year we took part in the first tournament of the 2015–16 season and finished a respectable fifth place. The tournament saw us winning our first competitive games. The results were as follows. Insight Glos 3–4 Winchester Insight Glos 3–6 Beacon Bullets Insight Glos 7–5 New College Worcester Insight Glos 2–5 Cambridge Dons Insight Glos 4–3 Croysutt Warriors Insight Glos 1–3 RNC Hereford Insight finished in 5th place overall. Report by player/coach Marc Gulwell Gloucestershire Growlers VI wake up for the season ahead After hibernating all winter, the team is looking forward to getting started with the 2016 cricket season. By the time this reaches you we will have gone through our indoor training sessions and getting ready for our pre-season friendly against the team from Hatherley and Reddings Cricket Club. This season we are playing home and away fixtures against Hereford, Staffordshire and Lancashire as well as our various cup competitions. 15. Useful contacts Insight information offices - Open every week: 10am - 1pm Monday – Moreton-in-Marsh, Council Offices / Tourist Information Centre, High Street, GL56 0AZ Wednesday – Gloucester, Brunswick Baptist Church, Southgate Street, GL1 2DR Head office and Low Vision Centre Insight Gloucestershire 81 Albion Street, Cheltenham, GL52 2RZ Helpline Tel: 01242 22 11 70 Email: [email protected] Web: www.insight-glos.org.uk Monday - Friday: 9am - 1pm Attendance Allowance Helpline Tel: 0345 605 6055 Textphone: 0345 604 5312 Personal Independence Payment claims Tel: 0800 917 2222 Textphone: 0800 917 7777 Calibre Audio Library New Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 5XQ. Tel: 01296 43 23 39 Email: [email protected] Web: www.calibre.org.uk Talking Newspapers Contact Insight for your nearest one or visit the Talking Newspaper Federation website. Web: www.tnf.org.uk Gloucestershire Deaf Association Colin Road, Barnwood, Gloucester GL4 7JN Tel: 01452 37 29 99 Minicom: 01452 37 26 00 Fax: 01452 37 22 88 Web: www.glosdeaf.org.uk RNIB Tel: 0303 123 99 99 Web: www.rnib.org.uk Gloucestershire County Council Adult Helpdesk: 01452 42 68 68 Web: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk Guide Dogs for the Blind Tel: 0845 372 7499 Web: www.guidedogs.org.uk Blind Children UK Helpline: 0800 781 1444 Web: www.blindchildrenuk.org Sense – for Deafblind people Tel: 0300 330 9256 Textphone: 0300 330 9256 Fax: 0300 330 9251 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sense.org.uk Village Agents Tel: 01452 52 84 91 Web: www.villageagents.org.uk Age UK Gloucestershire Tel: 01452 42 26 60 Web: www.ageuk.org.uk/ gloucestershire/ Blind Veterans Tel: 020 77 23 50 21 Web: www.blindveterans.org NHS 111 When it’s less urgent than 999 Web: www.nhs.uk 16. Meet the team Steve Martin General Manager [email protected] Chrissie Dutson PA to the General Manager [email protected] Stephanie McKeever Sight Loss Advisor [email protected] John Balfry Sight Loss Advisor [email protected] Mark Bailey Sight Loss Advisor [email protected] Marc Gulwell Low Vision Technology Advisor [email protected] Monica Farthing Communications Officer [email protected]