Newsletter for Summer 2008: Issue 22

This information is also available in Braille, on tape or, if you prefer, by e-mail. If you wish to receive your newsletter in any of these formats, give us a call on 01495 763650 and speak to Sam.

Newsletter Contents

Clicking one of the content links below will take you to the relevant section if you do not wish to read the entire newsletter.

Your Views

Hot on the heels of our successful abseil event, we hope you enjoy this newsletter, and look forward to receiving your comments – and any items you’d like to submit.

If you would prefer it in another format – Braille, audio disk, audio tape, talking book, or email, please let us know. Also let us know if we have your name or address wrong.

To sum up what’s in this edition – we have some recipes submitted by readers, news on making the most of your remaining sight, we report on Pam Dennis, our previous Chief Executive, receiving an MBE, let you know how the Lucentis treatments are going, and bring you up to date on Talking Books. Don’t forget – this is YOUR magazine, so please let us have your stories, your recipes and your experiences.

Regarding the anual raffle - books of tickets were enclosed with the printed newsletters - only take part if you want to. (Don’t forget, we don’t get any statutory or government funding, so everything we spend we have to raise ourselves). You stand a chance of winning our £300 first prize. Return any completed stubs plus the accompanying £1 per ticket (£5 per book) back to us by 15 October. The prize will be drawn on 1 November in time for us to notify winners in our Christmas edition. Good luck!

Sharon Beckett
Chief Executive

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RNIB Talking Books

Most of our local authorities sponsor a Talking Book scheme and several currently have spare slots. If you don’t know about Talking Books, you are missing out big time!

Most people who lose their sight say they miss reading more than anything else, and the RNIB Talking Book scheme helps you carry on enjoying your favourite authors and books without sight. The scheme is especially designed for blind and partially sighted people so the book player is really easy to use, and the books come straight to your home. You can choose types of book, authors or individual books.

" I couldn’t be without my Talking Book machine – I am ploughing through all the Harry Potter books at the moment " says one service user from Newport.

There is NO CHARGE to you all the while there are spaces under your local authority’s scheme, so if you would like more information give us a call on 01495 763650 and we’ll get you started. Please note we do not run the Talking Book service for Blaenau Gwent – see below:

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Blaenau Gwent Libraries - information for the visually impaired

From 1st April 2008 Blaenau Gwent Libraries are managing the Blaenau Gwent subscriptions for the RNIB Talking Book Service. Their libraries offer a variety of services that local residents can access including: Books on tape/CD/MP3 formats. They currently hold a stock of 5,000 items with plans to increase these resources over the next few years.

There is currently a pilot project offering books on MP3 player at Brynmawr Library and this can be accessed through the Home Visiting Scheme. This is a new scheme which supports people from their own home.

The Blaenau Gwent Library Service also plans to organise Reading groups in some of their libraries. Transport will be provided free of charge to the participating library for anyone who wish to join one of these groups.

All 6 libraries within the borough also have suitable IT equipment and Jaws/Magic software installed which you can access. You do not need to arrange an appointment to use these resources although at busy periods this may be advisable. If you require assistance in using these resources staff will be happy to help you.

For further information, please contact:

Julie Barnard,
Information Librarian,
Ebbw Vale Library,
21 Bethcar Street,
Ebbw Vale
NP23 6HH.

Telephone number: 01495 301122

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What's up Doc? Do Carrots really help you see in the dark?

Any truth in the old wives saying that carrots help you to see in the dark? Perhaps so!

Research shows that a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is good for your eye health. In various studies and clinical trials, antioxidant vitamins found in certain foods have been linked with good eye health especially ‘carotenoids’, Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Plenty of these antioxidants can lower your risk of developing macular degeneration.

Particularly good carotenoid-rich vegetables include carrots, kale, spinach and spring greens.

Eating a diet low in saturated fats but rich in Omega 3 fats and micronutrients derived from green leafy vegetables, fruit, fish and nuts may help prevent and slow down the progression of AMD and age-related cataracts. So carry on eating the carrots but also eat your greens, particularly kale and spinach!

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Recipe...

Carrot & Chilli soup – serves 1, but double it and keep a portion for the next day as it improves with a day or so in the fridge!

Peel & chop three carrots, put in a pan with about 2 mugs of stock. Add a small chopped peeled carrot, and a chopped yellow pepper. You can also use red peppers but the green ones make the soup a funny colour! Finally, de-seed and chop a chilli and add to the mix. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat and leave to cool before zapping through a blender. If you don’t use a blender, use a potato masher to mash the vegetables and then season to taste. Wash your hands after handling chilli and don’t rub those eyes!

To serve – heat either in a pan or in the microwave and use some crusty bread to mop it up. Lovely!

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If you are struggling with cooking those vegetables

Perhaps you used to enjoy cooking and food preparation but since you lost your sight, you have lost your confidence? If this sounds like you, we may be able to help.

Firstly, you may be able to learn how to use cooking utensils safely again and start enjoying cooking by having some help from a rehabilitation worker. Rehab isn’t just something Amy Winehouse hits the newspaper headlines with, but in this case is a highly trained specialist who can help with keeping you safe in the kitchen, helping you with getting out and about, and generally regaining your confidence after you’ve lost your sight. If you think this might be helpful, you can either telephone your local authority or telephone 01495 763650 and speak to us.

Secondly, you may think about coming on one of our short courses where we teach you all sorts of things such as what benefits you may be entitled to, what your sight condition actually means, how you can use other aids and equipment and much more. Each course is 6 sessions, usually spread over about 3 weeks, and ….. we provide lunch! This course is usually best for those who have only recently lost their sight or have had a recent serious deterioration in their sight. If you would like to go on it, ring 01495 736560 and speak to Emma Kirby.

Thirdly, how about one of our clubs? We are thinking about a cookery club again but need to know enough people would like to take part. It will be a small group of around 8 or 10 people and will meet monthly to agree a menu, shop for it and cook it (and of course eat it too!). If you used to be a fine cook, or even a pretty mediocre one, we’d like to hear from you. Similarly if anyone knows of a relative or a friend who might help volunteer at such a club please get them to get in touch – 01495 763650.

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Building Bridges with the BME Communities in Newport

We have found it hard to reach the BME communities in Gwent and in June we had a stall at the Pill Community Day in Newport. This day was organized by Newport City Council and BME Communities First to raise awareness on health and social care services and activities.

We were able to speak to many people from different ethnic backgrounds and inform them about the help and support GAB can provide for people with sight loss and took the opportunity to tell people about eating more healthily to prevent sight loss. The emphasis was on eating a healthy diet, letting people know how harmful smoking and excess alcohol is for the eyes and encouraging people to protect their eyes from sunlight.

We also let people from different ethnic backgrounds know that certain groups are more prone to certain eye conditions. For example

• Glaucoma is more common in people of Asian and African-Caribbean descent
• Cataracts are more common in Asians
• There are raised levels of diabetes among African-Caribbean and Asian groups
• There is a possible association between hypertension and glaucoma among African-Caribbean groups

Everyone should have their eyes tested regularly and know about the Welsh Low Vision Scheme. If you don’t, please phone us on 01495 763650 as you may be putting your eyes at risk.

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British Wireless for the Blind - free music/talking book players

With much fanfare, British Wireless for the Blind (BWfB) have launched their new Concerto set. This machine has been long awaited, as it includes the ability to bookmark so if you are reading a book you can remember the last played position (like with a Talking Book machine). It includes CD, DAB radio, MP3 and stereo cassette player.

We are not allowed to exchange old players for new ones, but if you don’t currently have a free Wireless for the Blind, Cassette player or CD player, we can see whether you qualify. Please contact us on 01495 763650.

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Coconut Cake Recipe (thanks to Susan Hughes)

A simple cake that is easy to make and stores well - enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 ozs/300 g Self-Raising flour
Pinch of salt
6 ozs/150 g margarine
8 ozs/200 g cherries (quartered, I halve mine and always put in more!) – optional
2 ozs/50 g desiccated coconut
6 ozs/150 g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
Approximately ¼-? pint milk

Method:

1.   Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or 180 degrees electric
2.   Grease and line with greaseproof paper a 2lbs loaf tin or 7” round cake tin
3.   Sieve the flour and salt
4.   Rub the margarine in until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, lifting your hands
     high above the bowl to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture
5.   Add the sugar to the mix, distributing evenly
6.   Toss the cherries in the coconut and add to the mix
7.   Mix lightly
8.   Add the beaten eggs with a little of the milk and beat well
9.   Add sufficient milk to make a very soft dropping consistency
10.  Fill the tin and make a well in the centre, this cake rises very well and
     should be moist (at this stage I pop a few extra cherries on the top for
     decoration but this is only because I love cherries!)
11.  Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 1½ hours. (Halfway
     through the cooking time I always turn mine around to ensure the colour is
     even). Test with a cocktail stick or fine skewer, it is cooked when it comes out clean
12.  Allow to cool a little and turn out onto a wired tray

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Assembly proposals on re-structuring the NHS in Wales

The Welsh Assembly Government has put forward a series of proposals to re-structure the NHS in Wales. Some of the main proposals are

• Abolishing the Internal Market in Wales, by providing funding from the Welsh Ministers or a National Board directly to NHS trusts
• A reduction from 22 to 8 Local Health Boards in Wales.
• A Special Health Authority. This would be a body corporate directly accountable to Welsh Ministers

You can get more information from the Welsh Assembly website

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Would you like to be a GAB Trustee?

Gwent Association for the Blind is looking for new Trustees, particularly those with any experience of fundraising, the law, technology, Human Resources (what used to be called Personnel) and marketing.

We expect Trustees to attend a monthly meeting on the second Tuesday evening of each month, and to help with occasional events and support us with advice, enthusiasm and assistance. If you would like to be a Trustee and help take the Association into the next phase of its development please contact the Nominations Committee via the office, 01495 763650.

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British Gas customers look this way

British Gas is offering FREE insulation to British Gas customers over 70 who own their homes or rent from a private landlord, and those on qualifying benefits. British Gas will install the insulation for free, which includes the survey, all the labour and materials. The work will be done with a minimum of fuss and usually takes no longer than a day to install.

As well as offering this to British Gas customers over 70, the deal is also available to customers on the following benefits; Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Pension Credit, Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credits or Working Tax Credits (income £15,592 or less) and Income-based Job Seekers Allowance.

If your home is suitable for additional insulation, you can also receive a range of free products, such as a big button telephone, a reading lamp and a talking watch or clock. Not all homes are suitable for additional insulation.

For further advice on this please ring 01495 763650.

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Turn your Trash to Cash!

Do you have any bits and bobs around the home that you no longer want. GAB is looking for items such as old costume jewellery, glasses, mobile phones, foreign coins, old British coins or notes, watches and keys.

These items are then sent for recycling and we get paid by weight for these items, raising much needed funds for GAB. So have a rummage !!! De-clutter that house – we know everyone has a ‘bits drawer’ full of long-forgotten bits and pieces, and if yours needs emptying, think about helping us at the same time!

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Traveleyes – a heavenly holiday by Hilary Lester

As someone who has had very poor sight for most of my life, I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in Cuba, travelling with a company called Traveleyes. They were set up originally to provide holidays for blind/visually impaired people but also encourage sighted people to travel with them.

We had three days in Havana, staying at Ernest Hemingway’s old stomping ground, and enjoyed a city tour and visits to a rum factory and a tobacco factory. There was also plenty of free time to soak the atmosphere of the many bars and restaurants and Cuban music which was everywhere.

Our next stop was a resort on the coast near to Trinidad where we enjoyed the busy city atmosphere. As the resort was all-inclusive free time was spent eating, drinking and soaking up the sun either at the beach or in the grounds of the complex.

For those who wanted a little more excitement, our next stop offered sky diving and swimming with dolphins, thankfully not both at the same time.

With everyone determined to have a good time, and an age range of from 27 to 77 there was something for everyone. The group consisted of as many sighted people as vision impaired so you could be guided by a different guide every day.

Traveleyes have a small selection of holidays but they are well researched and good value for money. Information about them can be found on their website or by telephone on 08709 220221. Their holidays for next year will include Peru South Africa and Sicilly. I certainly will travel with them again.

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Pam Dennis MBE- Recognition of a lifetime's achievements!

We are thrilled and excited that previous Chief Executive, Mrs Pam Dennis has been honoured in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2008 Birthday Honours. Mrs Dennis has been nominated a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Mrs Dennis continues to work voluntarily in a range of capacities, including for Gwent Visually Impaired Education, looking after the needs of very young blind and partially sighted children. She runs a local and very popular club for blind people in Newport and continues to work as a volunteer co-ordinator at Gwent Association for the Blind.

Pam Dennis was Chief Executive of Gwent Association for the Blind for over 17 years, in which time she transformed the organisation from a small unit working from a residential front-room to the dynamic and successful charity it now is, operating to help over 3500 blind and partially sighted people throughout South East Wales. Pam was instrumental in helping establish the refurbished building in which the Association is now housed.

Her award comes on top of having recently been recognised as one of the WCVA’s most hard-working and motivated volunteers, and is both extremely well deserved and a recognition of the extraordinary work she has done to make life better for blind and partially sighted people in the area.

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Switching to Digital TV

Digital television is coming and will deliver a clearer picture and wider choice of channels. Sooner or later we will all have to convert our existing televisions to receive digital television if we want to continue watching out favourite shows as the analogue signals will gradually be switched off round the country. Wales is one of the first areas to be switched, and switchover will take place in 2009.

Digital television also enables Audio description to be delivered with more programmes. Audio Description describes what’s happening on screen including action sequences, facial expressions or body language.

There are three main methods of receiving digital TV, including Digital Satellite (Sky), Digital Cable (Virgin) and Digital Terrestial (Freeview).

There is help to make the switchover be as painless as possible and where you are registered blind or partially sighted, or over 75 you will be eligible for a government help scheme.

The scheme will be free if the eligible person is in receipt of pension credit, income support or jobseekers allowance. Others will pay a small fee.

The scheme will give people an accessible digital TV receiver to convert one television set in their house to digital before switchover as well as help with installation of the equipment and practical advice on how to use the receiver.

The receivers delivered through the scheme will all be very accessible, having at the very least the capability to receive audio description. The assistance will probably not be available more than a year before switchover happens in the region the person lives in. If you want more information about the help scheme, contact Digital UK on 0800 519 2021.

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Summer is here - despite the weather!

If you’re thinking of a little getaway, you might consider the Century Hotel in Blackpool which is an award winning specialist hotel for people with disabilities.

This relaxing and friendly hotel is situated on the promenade, close to all amenities, and offers good home cooking with a home from home atmosphere.

For further information please call: 01253 354598

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Gwent Police - consultation event

Gwent police are organising a consultation and briefing event on 17th September at 1.00pm at the YMCA in Pillgwenlly, Newport. If you would like to attend please contact:

Susanne Maddox
GAVO
Ty Derwyn
Church Road
Newport. NP19 7EJ

Phone: 01633 241550 or Maria Chapman on 01633 647005
Fax: 01633 241551

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Caerphilly - a message from the Adult Social Services Team

If you live in Caerphilly and are experiencing difficulty reading large print books and need further information or help to explore your individual options for continuing to enjoy the pleasure of reading contact:

Caerphilly Adult Social Services on telephone number 0808 1002500 and leave your details for one of our Rehabilitation Officer for People with Visual Impairment to contact you.

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Raffle

Please think about supporting Gwent Association for the Blind in its annual raffle. The first prize will be £300 and raffle tickets are £5 per book or £1 per ticket.

Please complete the ticket stub and return with the appropriate money to Gwent Association for the Blind, Bradbury House, Park Buildings, Pontypool NP4 6JH. The draw will be held on 1st November 2008 and we hope to notify you of the winners in our Christmas Newsletter.

If you don’t want to take part please simply throw away the tickets – there is no obligation to take up our offer.

All monies raised go towards supporting all the services we offer including our clubs, our minibus, providing aids and equipment, computer training and all our local services. For more information please call 01495 763650.

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And the 2007 Winners are...

1st Prize Mrs Shoebridge, Newport - £300 cash
2nd Prize Mrs Levi of Newport
3rd Prize Staff at Magor Post Office

Other prizes were won by Mr Hill of Caerphilly, Mr Williams of Ebbw Vale and P Murphy.

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Sponsored Walk

Our annual sponsored walk will be starting from the Bradbury House offices as we will be walking in and around Pontypool Park and (for the longer walk) beyond. The date is Sunday 28th September and we’ve ordered good weather. Start time will be 10.00am.

There are three different lengths of walk – and we have taken on board your concerns that last time the shortest walk was too strenuous. This time we have a short, flat, paved walk suitable for anyone – including children, older people, those with mobility problems or simply those who would prefer a shorter walk. There will be activities en route for this walk.

Our middle length walk is around 3.5 miles and will include some uphill work. It will be on generally good ground but may not all be on paved ground. This will include many of the sights and specialities of the Park including some of the history.

For those with a more adventurous spirit, there is the 10 mile walk which will include difficult terrain, plenty of steep hills and is likely to be around 4 hours in duration.

Last year we successfully raised over £3000, and we would very much like to break that record. If you or anyone you know would like to take part please ask for a sponsor pack on 01495 763640.

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Newport (and other inaccessible areas)

If you are struggling with some of the new crossings and or road layouts in Newport, we are currently co-ordinating an effort to make sure they are more user friendly. There was a recent article in the South Wales Argus, with Diana Evans and guide dog Hannah together with several Newport residents who felt that risking their lives to cross to the train station was not appropriate. If you have any comments about Newport’s current road system or indeed about any of our roads, crossings or pavements in the rest of the Gwent area, please give us a call on 01495 763650.

Rosemary Butler was very alarmed to find how difficult and dangerous Newport was becoming, and we’re hoping that the safety of those with little or no sight will be flagged up to the city’s planners and highways departments.

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Lucentis Treatment for those with Wet Macular Disease

There has been a lot of recent press about how blindness can be cured with some improvements in certain treatments. As is often the case, there has been quite a lot of over-egging the pudding, and it must be made clear that this treatment cannot cure blindness but certainly for some people with an eye condition known as Wet Macular Disease there have been some exciting improvements in clinical treatment.

Age Related Macular Disease (ARMD or sometimes AMD) is an eye condition that affects central vision, and effectively destroys the ability to see detail and clarity. There are two types of ARMD – dry and wet. For dry ARMD there are currently only experimental treatments that haven’t yet reached the stage of testing in any great numbers on humans.

For wet ARMD, however, there has been a treatment with excellent results – a drug injected into the eye, called Lucentis. The big problem has been getting health boards to pay for the treatment, which is not cheap. Because of cost, and because it met the N.I.C.E. guidelines, it has been available on a ‘second eye’ basis. This means that if you have already lost sight in one eye, when the second eye fails you may be eligible for treatment. This is most unfair, and means that people can miss the boat (the treatment needs to be given quite quickly after sight loss in order to be effective) but also that they tend to lose their confidence and independence.

Many of the sight loss organisations, including Gwent Association for the Blind, feel this is very wrong and that where treatment would help save sight it should be given regardless and immediately. There are issues regarding capacity, unfortunately, although in Gwent we are lucky to have the specialists at the Royal Gwent hospital who are, in this capacity, led by retinal specialist Mr Chris Blyth.

Edwina Hart, Minister for Health, has agreed a further £5million should be available to provide treatment for wet macular disease regardless of whether it is first or second eye that has failed. We celebrate this announcement and look forward to its implementation.

Where we know about people who have wet macular disease who have been told there is no treatment, no funding or no capacity, we have often been able to successfully push for treatment. We can’t guarantee treatments will be successful, but we do believe you are absolutely entitled to the best possible chance of keeping your sight. If you feel we can help please phone 01495 763650.

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