Trustees Report
1st April 2005 - 31st March 2006
This has been something of a roller coaster ride, with the very exciting move to the new premises in the heart of Pontypool. Our previous offices were a modified windowless warehouse in the middle of a trading estate with the nearest bus stop being nearly a mile and three main roads away. Our new offices give us immediate access onto the high street, are close to a local secondary school (think of the future volunteers!) and are accessible by bus.
It is gratifying that even in this, our first few months in the new premises, people actually call in off the street, independently, and at last we feel part of a community.
There are over 3000 registered blind and partially sighted people living in the five unitary authorities this Association covers, and the services we provide continue to expand. For every person who is registered, we believe there may be another 3 who are not, but who still experience considerable sight loss that affect their daily lives. Very few people who have cataracts, for example, are registered, and yet their sight can in some cases be limited to little more than a hazy recognition of light and dark.
In the spirit of encouraging social inclusion, we support several social clubs for people with a visual impairment. People are able to meet others with very similar difficulties to themselves, go out and about and enjoy themselves at events like a Strawberry Tea, Canal trip, and a shopping trip to Weston Super Mare. They also have speakers in, on subjects as diverse as keeping warm in winter to how to plant up hanging baskets.
On a more energetic front, several people enjoy our Rambling Club, our swimming group or our yoga meetings. At our annual sports taster day, this year we introduced Line Dancing and we are grateful to Lynne for her valued help with this. Over 50 people enjoyed archery (although no-one wanted to be the target), swimming, bowls and massage.
We held an Alternative Therapy Day on 26th October. Six therapists from the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) at Hereford attended this year and helped with Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Body Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology and there was a Body Shop makeover.
Technology Day on 17th May allowed us to see aids and equipment designed to solve everyday problems, and we were able to see equipment such as talking computers, talking microwaves and reading machines.
We continue to provide one to one help via our befriending schemes - both our Ringaround system and our home visiting services. This year we have been able to continue visiting a terminally ill service user although they have moved to a nursing home outside of our catchment area. Many of our volunteers are themselves experiencing severe sight loss, so they have a particular empathy with those they telephone or visit.
We began a new initiative in March by starting weekly Braille classes at the Resource Centre. Again, our tutors are people who have little or no sight themselves, and this is crucial in encouraging people to see the real benefits Braille can give someone with no sight. The courses aren't all dry and dusty, however, and can offer the uninitiated real insight into the true purpose of a Pringle tin! Those of you who have never sent a Braille letter can only imagine!
Our Newsletter, sent out three times a year, continues to inform and entertain, and we welcome contributions to this free publication. We remain indebted to our lady-of-the-tapes, who reads so beautifully, allowing this medium to reach a good many individuals who would otherwise not be able to read the Newsletter.
As Trustees we welcome the views of service users and are encouraging debate about the role of GAB in service provision. As a charity we are over 140 years old, so it's important to make sure we continue to listen to the needs of those we are constituted to assist.
Our Annual General Meeting is always the second Tuesday in July, and we welcome the public to this event. In order that we can ensure safety, appropriate refreshment and communicate in an accessible way, we do ask that you let us know if you intend coming. The meeting starts at 6.30pm and if you would like to come please telephone 01495 763650.
I must also mention that we work in partnership with many organisations like RNIB, Guide Dogs, British Wireless for the Blind, all the Unitary Authority Local Authorities that GAB covers and many others.
Finally, as Trustees we need to thank not only our very dedicated and hard working staff, who always run that extra mile for GAB, but the enormous number of volunteers who help day in, day out and make it possible for us to provide services to so many people with a visual impairment. Some volunteers run our clubs, some read our newsletters, some make phone calls or answer our switchboard and some help as drivers. You are all superstars, and we thank you.
Yvonne Williams
Chair of Trustees
July 2006