Did you know that Sight Support Worthing is one of the Co-op’s local causes and has been nominated to receive a donation from their community fund? The donation depends on the amount of support we receive from Co-op members so if you haven’t already, please consider registering as a Co-op member and voting for us. You can do that here, or get in touch if you need help setting it up.

To raise awareness of this, we are planning a 10km sponsored walk on the 4th of April, linking five local stores around Worthing. Starting and finishing at SSW, the walk will take approximately four hours, including a small challenge at each store; you can see a map of the route below. If you or anyone you know is up for the challenge, please contact James for more information. You can also check out our JustGiving fundraising page where you can either register to fundraise yourself (as a walker) or sponsor the walkers taking part! Here’s our JustGiving fundraising page. We also have resources available to those who are taking part, so you can share your news on your social media profiles. You can find those here.

Taking part in our April Amble on Thursday 4th April? Tell your friends and family about it on your social media channels with our graphics and suggested copy. You could also use the copy in an email.

We’d like to make it as easy as possible for you to fundraise, so if there’s anything else you need please do get in touch.

SOCIAL MEDIA (or email) COPY

Here is some copy for you to use with your graphic or however you wish, perhaps in an email out to your friends and family.

Facebook

I’m taking part in a 10k April Amble for @ssworg on Thursday 4th April! 

SSW provides services and support to the low vision and blind community in Worthing and beyond, with the aim of enabling independence and improved well-being. If you’d like to support me on the April Amble, you can sponsor me on JustGiving: 

All donations are hugely appreciated!

#Worthing #SightSupport #AprilAmble #VisionImpaired #AccessibleWorthing

Instagram

I’m taking part in a 10k April Amble for @sightsupportworthing on Thursday 4th April! 

SSW provides services and support to the low vision and blind community in Worthing and beyond, with the aim of enabling independence and improved well-being. If you’d like to support me on the April Amble, you can sponsor me on JustGiving: 

All donations are hugely appreciated!

#Worthing #SightSupport #AprilAmble #VisionImpaired #AccessibleWorthing

Twitter

I’m taking part in a 10k April Amble for @sswcharity on Thursday 4th April!

SSW provides services and support to the low vision and blind community in Worthing and beyond with the aim of enabling independence and improved well-being. You can sponsor me: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/sswaprilamble2024

#Worthing #SightSupport #AprilAmble #VisionImpaired #AccessibleWorthing

We are super excited to have been chosen to be the Charity Partner for this year’s Worthing Scout and Guide Gang Show!

Gang Shows have taken place in Worthing since the 1960s so many of you may have either been involved or been to see one. This year’s show takes place at the fabulous Worthing Pavilion Theatre with a choice of shows taking place between the 10th-13th April. You can buy tickets to the show here.

The 2024 show is set to be the biggest cast yet, with almost 100 young people aged from 7 to 25 years performing! This light-hearted, family-friendly production is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

SSW will be there at each show with a stand featuring information on all our services and the chance to speak with volunteers and staff members. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are collecting your used printer cartridges (not laser), so that they can be recycled. As a charity, we can earn money per cartridge so this is a simple and effective way of fundraising. You can either give them to us, or send them direct.

To send them direct you will need to register and print your free postage label which you can do here.

As many of you will be aware, our wonderful charity has run for many years funded by the generous donations of members past and present. We do not receive and have never received any money from the Government or the RNIB or any other larger sight loss charities. It won’t be any surprise that the economic crisis has impacted us financially, similarly to many other charities and public services. Therefore, we will be increasing our fundraising efforts as well as regularly reviewing areas of expenditure.

There are no plans to stop any events or services, but we are obligated to manage our finances in a way that means we can continue providing them for many years into the future. So, from time to time, we may make further increases to amounts we charge for some things.

As of 1st April, clubs, classes, and events will increase in cost.
Our regular art classes will increase from £3 per class to £5.
We will ask for £1 for a hot drink at drop-in mornings.

Thank you for your continued support!

We’ve been chosen by British Blind Sport to launch our own showdown club.

Showdown, a dynamic sport originally designed for those with visual impairment, is open to everyone. Players use flat, paddle-type bats on a specially designed table, aiming to score points by hitting the ball off the side wall, along the table, under the centre screen, and into the opponent’s goal. The first to reach eleven points, leading by two or more, wins. Each player serves twice in a row, and scoring involves goals and penalties. Join us for an inclusive and thrilling showdown experience!

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our Showdown table, funded by British Blind Sport. If you are interested in finding out more contact James at the Centre. 

We would be very grateful if you could click this link and nominate Sight Support Worthing to potentially win a £1,000 donation from the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good programme.

Movement for Good is Benefact’s annual programme of giving that anyone can get involved in, and this year they’ll be donating over £1 million to charities and good causes nominated by you.

Obviously you can nominate any charity of your choosing but we would love it if you could nominate us!

Movement for Good also has £5,000 special draws for specific categories of charity. Later this year (in April) the category is ‘health’ so we’ll be back in touch to ask you to nominate us for an even bigger potential donation!

Thank you from all of us here at SSW.

A password manager is like a virtual vault for your online credentials. It’s a secure and convenient solution designed to alleviate the hassle of remembering multiple complex passwords for different websites and services. Instead of juggling countless passwords, a password manager helps you store and organize them all in one encrypted space. 

How Does It Work? 

When you use a password manager, you create one strong master password that unlocks access to your vault. The manager generates and stores complex, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. These passwords are typically a string of random characters, making them far more secure than the average person could create and remember. You no longer need to rely on easily guessable passwords or reuse them across multiple sites, reducing the risk of a security breach. 

Benefits of Using a Password Manager: 

Many devices have inbuilt password managers, if you are interested in finding out more then contact Ali or Tom in the tech team. 

In an era where cybersecurity threats loom large, adopting a password manager is a simple yet powerful step towards safeguarding your digital identity. It’s the key to a more secure and stress-free online experience, allowing you to navigate the digital landscape with confidence. 

Here’s a list of some popular Password Managers:

Nordpass: Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS 

Dashlane: Supported platforms: Android, iOS, Apple Watch 

Bitwarden: Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple Watch, F-Droid 

1Password: Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple Watch 

SSW has been lucky enough to be awarded a special grant from the Rampion Community Benefit Fund and Sussex Community Foundation to enable us to improve our sustainability. We know that this journey is a long and continuous one, but we hope that 2024 will see us implementing significant changes that will give our sustainability credentials an ongoing boost. 

Why is sustainability important for charities? 

Sustainability is not just about the environment, it is also consideration as to how a charity can continue to provide services long term in a way that is operationally efficient, responsible and resilient. Reducing reliance on environmental resources leads to savings on overhead costs which ultimately better serves its beneficiaries longer term. 

In most cases – whether personally or as an organisation – we are all aware of general improvements we can make to minimise our impact on the environment and here at SSW we’ve made some small changes in recent years. However, having been awarded a dedicated grant, we have been able to undertake a comprehensive audit of our sustainability situation which has given us some short-, medium- and long-term goals. 

Where we began 

Over the last few years, we’ve significantly increased our digital operations while reducing paper-based processes. It has been important to balance this with the accessibility needs of our visually impaired service users. That’s why we’ve committed to improving digital inclusion and supporting our members with technology and online resources. 

In November 2023, the Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative – a local not-for-profit service – undertook a sustainable energy feasibility study of SSW, and the Centre. The aim of the audit was to investigate energy efficiency improvements, as well as the possibility of installing solar PV at the Centre, to lower carbon emissions as well as reduce annual energy bills. 

Fortunately, the audit highlighted various positive features, which is encouraging. For example, the Centre has a well-insulated loft, motion-sensor controlled lighting and underfloor heating in our conservatory. 

As you can imagine, the audit also picked up on lots of aspects for improvement. We hope, over time, to tick everything off the list but our initial priorities are: 

In addition to the above targets, some of you may be aware that we have been given a grant by Worthing Borough Council and its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Neighbourhood Fund to put towards our sustainable transport plan.  

In our case, it is helping towards our transition to electric powered vehicles, such as our minibus and pool car. Our vehicles are crucial to our members in situations when public transport isn’t an option, and we are pleased we can ensure their sustainability for years to come. 

Keep an eye on our blog, newsletter (you can sign up here) and socials for updates on our sustainability journey. Alternative feel free to have a chat with staff members who are all committed to making SSW as environmentally sustainable as possible. 

Success goes beyond profit margins and market shares in today’s dynamic business environment. Private companies are increasingly recognising the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – an approach to business that integrates philanthropy, ethics and activism into your practices.

Supporting local charities making a difference in their communities is perhaps the most straightforward and accessible way for companies to achieve this. But did you know that there are a whole bunch of financial and social benefits that come with these corporate donations?

Let’s delve into some indirect benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and find out how it makes business sense to give back to the community.

Corporation Tax Relief:

When your business makes donations to UK charities registered with HMRC, you’re eligible to pay less corporation tax at the end of the financial year. This means the amount your company donates can be deducted from your profits before calculating your tax.

These donations can range from:
Donating money to help fund a charity;
Giving equipment or stock to help with their operations;
Donating land, property, or shares in another company;
Lending employees on secondment;
And sponsorship payments to regularly support the work they do.

Many businesses already incorporate charitable donations into their yearly financial plans as it’s an easy victory for both profits and public perception.

Effective Local Advertising of your services and brand:

When donating to a local charity you’re not only helping keep them afloat and achieve their goals but also raising awareness of your own business in a public and respectable way at the same time. Consider using the donation as an opportunity to promote your brand to a wider audience. This is especially effective if the charity has a strong online presence or receives a lot of media coverage.

You can also display the charity’s logo or name on your website, social media pages and marketing materials to show customers and potential clients that you care about the community and are willing to support a good cause. Not only that but by enhancing your reputation and credibility, you’ll attract valuable new customers and employees who share your values.

Employee Wellbeing and Respect:

Charitable donations can also have a positive impact on your employees’ well-being and respect. By involving them in choosing the charities you support, or organising fundraising events or volunteering opportunities for them, you can boost morale, motivation, and camaraderie amongst your staff as they work together for a common goal.

Additionally, you can demonstrate your appreciation and recognition of their efforts, by matching their donations or rewarding their participation. This can increase their loyalty, retention, and productivity, as well as attract new talent who want to work for a socially responsible company.

Payroll Giving and Gift Aid:

It’s also good to note that businesses are not the only ones who can financially benefit from charitable donations, employees can also harness donations for their own tax breaks through Gift Aid and Payroll Giving.

Payroll Giving allows employees who pay income tax in the UK to give on a regular, tax-free basis to the charities of their choice. This money gets taken directly from an employee’s pay before income tax is deducted, meaning that the charities receive the full amount whilst the employee pays less income tax even at the highest rates.

On the other hand, Gift Aid is a much simpler scheme that allows charities to claim back the basic rate of income tax that donors have paid on their donations. The donations are made from net pay after income tax is deducted, and donors have to declare that they’re eligible as part of the process.

On top of this, donors who pay higher or additional rate tax can also claim extra tax relief of up to 25% on top of gift-aided charity donations. This means that for every £100 donated, you could claim back up to £31.20 in relief.

The Benefits of Corporate Charitable Donations

In summary, when your business contributes to charities registered in the UK, you’ll become eligible for reduced corporation tax by deducting the donations from your overall profit before calculating tax at the end of the financial year. Donations take various forms, such as money, equipment, or temporary employees and can lead to greater profit overall by lowering your tax band and your outgoing payments.

Supporting local charities not only helps them achieve their goals but also serves as an extremely positive way to advertise your company’s brand. By promoting your business through charity sponsorships, displaying the charity’s logo on your website and social media, and participating in community initiatives, you enhance your reputation and attract customers and employees who share your values. Additionally, involving employees in charity choices and the organisation of fundraiser events can foster well-being, motivation, and a sense of camaraderie within your staff.

by David Best, SSW Counsellor

The 1st of February is Time to Talk day, an annual awareness day designed to encourage us all to start a conversation about mental health.

Having lived with a visual impairment for most of my life, I understand and have experienced many of the issues caused by and related to sight loss.

Many people feel alone and isolated, partly because it is difficult for those around them to understand what they are going through.

Loss of any kind can be a difficult process and although there are common factors, it is a unique experience for each individual person.

With all loss comes change and for those experiencing sight loss there are many practical adjustments to make. These can be extremely challenging and exhausting, made more difficult and complicated by the emotional impact.

It can feel difficult to share thoughts and feelings with the people we are closest to including family members, friends, and colleagues. People often worry that others will feel burdened by their problems or that they might not understand. Often people experience feelings of frustration and anger and don’t want those around them to witness these for fear of being judged.

At Sight Support Worthing we recognise the importance of providing services that address and can support members with all aspects of their sight loss experience.

As part of our holistic approach, we provide a high quality, professional, confidential counselling service to support the emotional needs of our members.

The main aims are to encourage and enable members to explore, understand and express their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour by providing a confidential therapeutic relationship based on genuineness, acceptance, and trust.  The counselling relationship provides the key to empowering members to develop and enhance skills, strategies, self-awareness, confidence, and resilience. Over time members will become better equipped to respond to, cope with and manage the issues and challenges that affect their lives therefore enhancing their self-esteem.

If you would like to find out more about this service and how you or a family member could benefit from our wellbeing service please contact either Kate Confrey, Wellbeing Services Coordinator or David Best, Counsellor on 01903 385025

According to World Health Organisation figures there are an estimated 285 million people in the world who are visually impaired, of which 39 million are medically blind. For these people, everyday tasks like reading, working, or even socialising can be both challenging and isolating.

But what if there was a way to restore their sight and improve their quality of life?

In this blog, we’ll introduce you to eSight. A breakthrough device that assists people with vision impairment and legal blindness to see clearer than ever before.

The eSight Device

Developed by Canadian-based, eSight Corp, the eSight device uses advanced technology to provide enhanced vision to people with various eye conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Stargardt disease, and more. The device can assist users with visual acuity ranging from 20/60 to 20/800 to reach 20/20 vision, with individuals outside of this zone still benefitting from measurable visual improvement.

The device is made up of three main components: a headset, a controller, and a battery. Worn like a pair of glasses, the headset contains high-resolution cameras that capture the wearer’s environment in real-time as the handheld controller allows them to adjust the settings of the device with features in real-time like zoom, contrast, focus, and colour.

How Does it Work?

Footage recorded by the device is then processed and enhanced by a clinically validated algorithm to enhance them based on the user’s needs. Next, the images are projected onto two high-resolution OLED screens in front of the user’s eyes creating a binocular view that preserves their peripheral vision and depth perception – with the added option of tilting the screens up or down depending on if they wish to use their natural or enhanced vision.

According to the eSight team, the device is the only one on the market that enables the user to move around without causing issues of imbalance or nausea that can be common with other immersive options. Achieved by providing sight with zero latency (the time it takes the image to move from the camera to the screens) and a light, compact headset with minimal cabling, reviews confirm the products are a comfortable fit for all-day use.

The Cost

As you’d probably expect, the eSight device has one rather expensive catch. Each pair of glasses are priced at around £5,500 for a one-off purchase or £232 per month on their rental scheme. Whilst this may be prohibitively expensive, it’s good to remember that the technology is still in its early days and as it becomes more established, the price may lower too.

Medical Trials and Effectiveness

The eSight glasses are a Class 1 medical device registered with the FDA designed to improve the user’s ability to recognise small details at a distance, enhance reading performance, balance contrast sensitivity, and help with facial recognition. These claims were backed up in their 2018 clinical trials where patients showed a 7-line gain in distance acuity, 100% mobility retention, 12-letter contrast improvement and improved quality of life through more ease of daily living.

However, it should also be reiterated that the eSight device is not a cure for blindness, but it can significantly improve some users’ ability to perform everyday tasks such as reading or socialising; allowing them to take back some agency for themselves.

Conclusion

eSight is a remarkable innovation that can really help people with vision impairment and legal blindness see the world better than ever before whilst maintaining mobility and independence. It offers a huge range of benefits to its users, but its high cost and variable effectiveness depending on the users’ eye conditions confirms the fact that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a personalised option that requires much consideration and professional consultation.

If you’re interested in learning more about the eSight device or are interested in trying it for yourself, you can find more information on the eSight website here or by consulting your eye care professional.

Earlier this month we acknowledged World Diabetes Day here at the Centre and its connection to an aspect of health we have a vested interest in: our eyes.. As we strive to raise awareness about diabetes, Kate – our Wellbeing Co-ordinator – shares her own experience with her recent Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis: “Receiving a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis was a seismic shift in my life. Overnight, every mouthful of food I ate and every step I took became intertwined with insulin calculations and blood sugar monitoring”.

With a diagnosis of diabetes taking care of your eyes is crucial; high blood sugar levels can lead to various eye complications which can result in some sight loss or blindness.

To maintain overall good health, we recommend the following:

With this in mind we are highlighting the LibreLink app, which is designed to work with FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring systems. The app allows you to scan a sensor on your body using your smart phone, giving you instant access to your blood glucose levels without the need for traditional finger stick tests. The app tracks your glucose levels over time helping you to better manage the condition. It is customisable to allow audible alerts if glucose levels go out of range, text-to-speech (so low vision is not a barrier for using the app) and your medical professional has access to the results immediately.

For any of our members new to monitoring their blood glucose with the app our tech team are on hand to support you.

For more information about diabetes – including how to prevent and manage it – check out the Diabetes UK website: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/

Blind football – also known as 5-a-side or Paralympic football – is a modified version of football designed for visually impaired athletes. Played on a smaller pitch enclosed by boards, two teams of five players each, including a sighted goalkeeper, compete. Players wear blindfolds to ensure a level playing field, and the ball contains rattles for auditory cues.

Through verbal communication and echolocation, players navigate the pitch, aiming to score goals. The goalkeeper guides the team, emphasising teamwork and trust. Blind football promotes inclusivity, with players categorised by their level of visual impairment. It has gained international recognition, even featuring in the Paralympic games.

Some SSW staff and members recently participated in a Have a Go day organized by British Blind Sport, Member Sam and Tech Team member Ali have since signed up with Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation to learn blind football with the hopes of joining a development team and competing in the future. If blind football is something you’d like find out more about or try, head over to the Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation’s website.

Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation Logo

The Aira Explorer app is a visual interpreting service that connects people with blindness and visual impairment with professionally-trained advisors to assist them with tasks and activities that would benefit from some extra visual information.

The key feature that makes the app so useful for the visually impaired is its real-time video streaming that gives advisors an immersive view of the user’s surroundings. This allows advisors to provide highly detailed descriptions and navigation guidance tailored to the user’s immediate environment. The app also reads screen text aloud and has adjustable colour contrast and text sizing options to further aid accessibility. 

Once installed from your app store, you’ll be credited with a free 5-minute call to help you test if Aira is the right product for you. Simply tap the call button and you’ll be connected with one of their advisors ready to assist or simply answer your questions about the service.

Whilst free to download, users must set up a subscription to become an “Explorer,” and receive monthly minutes based on their plan’s tier. Prices range from 15 monthly minutes for £54.00, all the way to 800 monthly minutes for £2,407.

Explorers can also purchase additional minutes if they are close to exhausting their monthly allowance, with prices stretching from 25 minutes for £83 to 100 minutes for £313.

In your first call after subscribing, the advisor will go through some physical training with the app, learn about your preferences and needs, and then go about conducting their first task. This can be anything from reading, describing the contents of a cupboard, or even helping you find somewhere new. If it can be captured on your phone’s camera, Aira’s Advisors can help.

You can find more information about the onboarding process here in module six of their audio training series.

Reviews of the app on both Apple and Andriod are glowing, featuring a majority of five-star reviews with some users calling it, “visual interpreting at its best.” We thought the high price point might be a bit more of an issue here, but the overwhelmingly positive reviews seldom even mention the cost.

Despite this high price, Aira offers a range of free calls as part of their mission to get more people with sight loss back into work and take back some agency over their own lives. These calls cover tasks related to searching for a new job such as updating resumes, submitting applications on inaccessible websites, checking appearances, and even free interview practice.

Not only that, but small business owners are also eligible for 150 free minutes a month to use on eligible tasks related to their work as someone self-employed.

In summary, Aira Explorer is a powerful tool that provides invaluable assistance to those with visual impairments through on-demand access to professional advisors. The concept of live-streaming video and GPS to connect users with a pair of eyes whenever needed is groundbreaking and already helping many people the world over.

Reviews make clear this can be transformative, giving independence, confidence and quality of life back to many of its users and the sheer breadth of tasks covered, from reading mail to navigating new places, offers support in almost any situation imaginable.

The subscription pricing may be prohibitively expensive for some, especially when used more regularly. The free call options help offset this, but won’t meet all your needs. Whereas apps like Be My Eyes provide a more affordable, volunteer-based alternative, albeit without the same depth of training and availability.

Overall, for those who can afford the subscription, Aira Explorer stands out as a best-in-class solution for assisting the visually impaired; but more budget-friendly competition is growing fast.

No it’s not new and you’re all probably using it already but did you know that Google Maps has improved its accessible navigation including stair free routes (including ramp routes for wheelchair users) and updated live view experiences for those that are blind? To find out more about the new features of Google Maps as well as some improvements to Google’s general accessiblilty tools, take a read of this article.

We’re thrilled to announce Sight Support Worthing has been chosen to be part of the Co-op Local Community Fund.

Our round started on the 22nd October and will run for 12 months until 19th October 2024. During this time, Co-op Members will be able to choose us as their local cause to donate points to.

If you are a Co-op member or would like to be, and need helping to set it up, please let us know. If you have an online account with the Co-op you can nominate SSW as your chosen charity by logging into your account here.

Purple Tuesday is an annual celebration and awareness event focusing on improving businesses’ accessbility and customer service for those with a disability. 

Here at Sight Support Worthing we are proud to be participating in Purple Tuesday on 7th November 2023, as part of our commitment to creating an inclusive community. We are proud to once again to be part of this international initiative which inspires leadership and staff of organisations from all sectors and sizes to foster awareness, deepen understanding, and implement solutions for enhanced accessibility in their customer environments. Participating organisations are dedicated to making public commitments each year to improve accessibility and practices, ensuring that disabled customers have a more inclusive and positive experience.

Over the past year we have delivered many visual impairment awareness sessions to local community groups and businesses. For example, we delivered sighted guide training to staff at Waitrose which, based on feedback from our members who shop there, has been hugely beneficial to them. The feedback from the staff themselves has also been overwhelmingly positive.

Over the next year we are committed to improving inclusion for our members and local community. One of our current projects is our website which is a work in progress and we will be regularly auditing to ensure we are fully accessible. We welcome feedback from our users.

If you are part of an organisation, community group or business that would benefit from visual impairment training or sighted guide training, do get in touch!


You can find out more about Purple Tuesday in the video below or on their website.

Our board of trustees has recently welcomed two new members: Lindsey Tunbridge-Adams and Kelly O’Haire.

Lindsey is a qualified social worker with twenty years experience of working in child protection with the local authority. She was also the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) managing allegations against staff/ volunteers working with children. For the last five years she has been Director of Safeguarding at a large local secondary school and is also a Safeguarding Advisor for Fulham FC and Sussex County Cricket. In her spare time she loves horse riding with her daughter (she has two horses), as well as walking her dog Teddy and reading. 

Of her new appointment, Lindsey says: “I’m really looking forward to working with SSW as a trustee. Through a close friend whose daughter is visually impaired, I have heard lots about the brilliant work the charity does. I have some experience of working with the charity CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Association) as a parent mentor, as my daughter was born with a cleft. I can’t wait to meet the team and service users and I’m keen to get stuck in with some of the amazing activities SSW provides and learning more about how the charity works.”

Alongside Lindsey is Kelly O’Haire. Kelly is the director of local marketing agency Constructive Marketing. Having worked in PR and marketing for around 30 years, Kelly’s business has recently taken a new direction and now offers specialist services to the construction, highways and building services sectors. In her spare time, Kelly is a keen runner and an adventurous baker. She is also known to get behind the microphone and show off her vocal talents as part of the duo Sisstory.

Kelly is also pleased to be starting a new role as trustee: “I’m excited to be working with SSW as a new trustee and I’m looking forward to using my marketing experience to make sure as many people as possible learn about the brilliant work that goes on to benefit visually impaired people around Worthing and beyond!” 

Access to Work is a government-funded employment support programme that aims to help a greater number of disabled people start work, stay in work, and even begin their own businesses. 

The scheme has proven fantastically helpful in providing practical and financial support for people with disabilities – whether physical or mental – that affect their ability to work or to transport into a place of work.

Who can apply for Access to Work?

Access to Work is open to people with a whole range of needs and disabilities. You can apply for Access to Work if you:

It’s good to note that you don’t need to have a formal diagnosis of your condition to qualify, but it does help strengthen your claim if you do. Access to Work is also available for those working from home both part-time and full-time and can be applied for up to 6 weeks before starting work if you have a confirmed job offer.

How can Access to Work help you?

Access to Work can help pay for a range of support you may need for your disability or health condition, such as:

The Access to Work scheme does not provide the support directly but rather provides a grant to reimburse the agreed cost of the support that is required. The amount of the grant will depend on your circumstances and the type of support you require but does not need to be repaid and will not affect your other benefits.

How can Access to Work help employers?

Access to Work can support employers to:

However, employers are also responsible for some of the costs of the support that their employees need. For example, employers are expected to pay for reasonable adjustments under the UK Government’s Equality Act; such as alterations to buildings, policies, and staff training to ensure their place of work services everyone equally. 

Access to Work can also give free practical advice and guidance to employers to help them understand the physical and mental health of their employees in order to better support them.

How to apply for Access to Work?

You can apply for the Access to Work scheme either online or over the phone. All you’ll need is to provide some details about yourself, your disability or condition, the work you do, and the type of support you need. 

You may also need to give some proof of costs (receipts or invoices) for some types of support, as well as an assessment from an Access to Work advisor or partner organisation who would contact you after your application.

If you’re still unsure about your eligibility, contact the Access to Work helpline by Telephone on 0800 121 7479  (9 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday).

How long does Access to Work last?

Access to Work grants usually last up to 3 years and should be reapplied for before the grant ends if the employee wishes to continue receiving support. You will need to reapply before your grant ends if you wish to continue receiving support.

You should also contact Access to Work if:

After contacting them, Access to Work will review your grant and may adjust it accordingly to the new information provided to them.

Where can I find more information about Access to Work?

Access to Work is a fantastic scheme that really goes a long way to helping many of us with disabilities feel safe, secure and productive in our workplaces. 

If you might qualify for the grant or simply want to find out about the scheme in more detail, you can find the GOV.UK article here with all the information you need to get started. You can also find the Access to Work factsheet in the form of British Sign Language at the link here.

As some of you know, we hold birdsong events once a year which are always popular. Did you know you can use your phone to identify birds in your garden or when out and about? Merlin Bird ID app listens to the birds around you and tells you what they are by the song! If you’d like help setting up this app on your phone, give one of our tech advisors a call or email and enjoy impressing your friends and family with your superior bird recognition!

Download the app for Apple iPhones and iPads here.
Download the app for Android devices here (Android 6 or newer).

In more fantastic funding news, we have been given a grant by the Safer in Sussex community fund. Over the next 12 months we will be actively raising awareness of scams that can impact our members.

We will deliver this in many ways including:

All resources will be available in formats suitable for each member.

We are aware that, as part of our mission to get many of our members online, this comes with the responsibility of keeping them safe. Our aim is to ensure that our members are protected from potential scams, whatever the approach, by educating them to be able to recognise a scam and have the confidence to challlenge and report suspected scams. We would also hope that our members can then share their knowledge and experiences to help keep their families, friends and communities safe. 

During October we are focusing on scam calls so do keep an eye out for information relating to these.

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded funding from Worthing Community Infrastructure Levy to put towards electric powered transport for our members. This will give our members greater access to our community, reduce isolation and enable us to increase the number of outings we offer. The funding will also help reduce SSW’s environmental impact and carbon footprint.

We are so pleased to see that our friends at Cycall Adapted Cycling have also received funding; we look forward to many more trips to their newly funded hub and sensory space.

It was a brilliant day. The sun shone. The bees buzzed. And SSW members got free hot drinks and doughnuts. Bob Smytherman, Worthing Town Crier and SSW President, dressed smartly in black hat and blue satin tunic, began official proceedings by ringing his town crier’s bell. ‘Oyez. Oyez,’ he cried. ‘Mr Mayor. Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Welcome to sunny Worthing for our amazing Sight Support Worthing’s Sensory Garden official launch.’ The Mayor, Jon Roser, dutifully cut the inaugural blue-ribbon to heartfelt applause.

The summer weather and a rainy July made sure the Sensory Garden, opposite the seafront, had bloomed. The kitchen herbs, like feisty cat mint, thyme, Jerusalem sage, rosemary, green ginger, and fennel grow vibrantly among household names like fuchsias, lavender, geraniums, poppies, and petunias. There’s plenty of exotic plants too, like amazon mist grass, mountain sandwort, and Babiana-Stricta, which you’re likely to know only if you’re green fingered. For those of you selecting the Sensory Garden as your Mastermind subject (or are just curious), we’ve included a comprehensive list of the featured plants below. One of the most sensory is the lemon balm mint (try rubbing it between your fingers), which bursts with a pungent zesty citrus. The herb has made a spirited second home for itself among the white stones around the fountain. The abundance of plants suggests replanting was easy but, as our before and after photos show, there was an awful lot for the team, spearheaded by SSW Chair of Trustees Cherry Ward, and Adur & Worthing Council to do.

A photo of some read flowers growing in one of the sensory garden beds

In receipt of only basic maintenance for more than a decade, there were only a few shrubs growing back in 2019, when they began. The team retained some of the old plants, like the hebes in the rockery, the blue sea holly and two myrtle bushes, but the vast majority are new. The exposed location of the garden made planting a challenge. Some plants were chosen specifically, with an eye on the climate, because they’re drought tolerant. That’s not to say there weren’t a few surprise success stories. Some plants strongly expected to perish proved their mettle and thrived, like the foxgloves and hollyhocks. A bigger surprise was discovering that each plant needed a UK passport to prove it had lived in the UK for at least two years and didn’t harbour disease. So, all told, it was far from straightforward. And then there was a pandemic.


As a community garden the team are keen for people to take cuttings to use in their own green spaces. The bronze fountain at the garden’s centre takes the form of the Greek god Triton. Featuring the body of a man and the tail of a fish, he stands upright holding a fish wriggling in each hand. The fountain has been fitted by the Council with new pumps, which provide the tranquil sound of trickling water. One SSW member said it reminded them of children playing in the summer. Radiating outwards from the fountain towards the protective fence are railway sleepers imbedded in shards of slate, representing the hands of a clock. Each tip is labelled with a golden number for the appropriate hour. “The colour contrast,” remarked one SSW member, “marks out the different zones. It’s enclosed, but accessible, with no steps. It’s not just a green canvas, it has texture.” Cultivating variety has been the goal to create, said Cherry, “a place of interest and intrigue”. Playful and interactive elements are included, like the concealed cast stone snails in the rockery and the red spotted illuminating mushroom sculptures.

A photo of some dark reddy pink surfinias.

A spirit of collaboration has flourished with the plants. From the children on the first spring planting day running riot with handfuls of seeds, to the graft of SSW volunteers like Andrew, Jane and Barry, as well as the rangers, The Camps Coffee Co. who kindly donated our launch day refreshments, and the Rampion community grant won by our ace fundraiser, Jackie Brownlee; all have had a crucial part to play. The grant is commemorated by the eye-catching circular shaped and multicoloured ‘Wind Spinner’ windmill twirling in the breeze. If everything on display suggests the job is done, well you’re in for a surprise. The park benches are soon to be updated, more bulbs set to be planted, a new sound feature installed and areas are to be textured with bark from materials shredded by the rangers in other public gardens.

Photo of Cherry Ward, Chair of SSW's Board of Trustees, and volunteer Andrew, holding a piece of paper which explains the background of the sensory garden.

There’s plenty for wildlife too. Six willow, salix and acer trees have been planted in the raised brick outer borders as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project. Add to that bird feeders for the winter, two wooden insect hotels (dubbed Buggingham Palace and Wingsor Castle), plants to attract butterflies and ‘beebombs’ for bees and you have a truly multidimensional garden. “Green spaces are so important for everyone at the moment,” said the mayor, casting a handful of seeds. ‘’It’s nice to see people working on it.’’ Work that is set to continue apace.

a close up of a flower bed in the sensory garden, with red flowers and white lillies. The Chatsworth Hotel is visible in the background


The Sensory Garden is permanently open. If you would like help visiting the garden, please call us on 01903 235782. We’d also love you to get involved with the maintenance of the garden. If you’d like to, please call us on the same number.

Further information

the Rampion Offshore Wind Community BEnefit Fund logo





You may be aware of the Royal Mail’s Articles for the Blind scheme which allows accessible documents and assistive equipment to be sent by post, free of charge, to people registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired.

It is a fantastic scheme which allows SSW’s 500 service users (who are visually impaired) to remain informed and updated with our services and activities by post, at a reduced cost to the charity. This, in turn, helps us to continue to resource our services and activities.

Although we are wholly supportive of the scheme, SSW believes that the wording ‘Articles for the Blind’ should be modernised.

Letters and parcels sent under the terms of the scheme must be clearly marked as ‘Articles for the Blind’. The primary concern is that this wording reveals personal information about the recipient, which they may not want shared with others. This is at odds with the Data Protection Act 2018 and is particularly relevant for people living in accommodation with a communal entrance, or where their mail is left somewhere visible to others. Our members have the right not to disclose their disability and some prefer not to, particularly if they are vulnerable. The current wording effectively removes that privacy if they want to benefit from the scheme.

A further issue is related to the terminology. Our position is that describing people who have visual impairments as a group, namely ‘the Blind’, is outdated and discriminatory. We are experiencing an increasing number of service users asking if they can opt out. ‘Blind’ is no longer used as a classification and when registered as such, people are now legally and medically referred to as severely sight impaired.

The three most common perceptions held on the scheme by our members are:

1. The wording is humiliating to be highlighted on their mail.

2. They are not totally blind, which then insinuates that they are either not eligible, or they are ‘cheating’ it.

3. They do not want to be defined by their disability in this way.

Sight Support Worthing respectfully request that the name of the scheme be updated to better reflect modern terminology and comply with privacy laws.

We will be writing to our local MPs, Royal Mail and other stakeholders to request that changes are made to the wording used within the scheme. Keep an eye on our blog, emails, and social media for updates.

Many people assume charities rely mostly on government funding to operate. Though in reality, this just isn’t the case. Whilst charities in the UK can receive some grants from the government, most charitable organisations get the bulk of their funding from three main sources: individuals, corporate giving, and foundation grants.

Statistics show that despite the perception that government support keeps charities afloat, the vast majority of nonprofit funding is generated through charitable giving from individuals, businesses, and foundations. According to CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) data, individual donations make up the largest slice of the pie, providing billions of pounds per year to charities across the country. Whilst corporate giving and foundation grants make up smaller portions, they also supply vital funding that allows charities to serve communities, advance their causes and provide assistance to those in need. 

So, whilst state funding offers useful supplementary income, it’s private philanthropy from engaged citizens, companies and foundations that enables most charities to continue their good work.

Individual Donations

Individual donations are the lifeblood of non-profit organisations. These can range from small gifts from average people to large donations from wealthy individuals. Many charities seek these donations through appeals, social media campaigns, and fundraising events with some individuals taking it upon themselves to perform a sponsored activity or start a giving campaign independently.

Even though the number of people giving to charity has decreased by almost a quarter in the last decade, UK citizens still donated a whopping £11.3 billion to charity in 2020. No matter how small, individual donations really do make a difference to these non-profits, and without them, many charities that we rely on would no longer be able to function.

Corporate Giving

Corporate giving is another significant source of revenue for nonprofits. Companies often have philanthropic budgets to donate to causes aligned with their values and interests. The benefits of these donations are mutual, as by assisting these charities in staying afloat, the company becomes eligible for corporate gift aid and demonstrates its community values to potential customers. They may also sponsor events, match employee donations, or donate products and services as part of this.

Whilst corporate giving has traditionally been a major lifeline in the upkeep of charitable services, a report by the Charities Aid Foundation found that these donations are on the decline – shrinking by over a quarter compared to figures in 2013.

Trusts and Foundations

Trusts and foundations are the third major source of funding for UK charities, with over 8,000 charitable foundations and grant-making trusts in Britain providing vital monetary donations to non-profit causes. In 2020, UK foundations gave approximately £3.7 billion in grants to charities and non-government organisations working on specific issues or within particular regions.

When deciding where to direct their philanthropic grants, trusts and foundations often have precise criteria that charitable causes must meet to be eligible. Larger national foundations may provide grants upwards of £500,000 to charities running impactful projects nationwide, while local foundations tend to grant smaller amounts focused on causes within a particular city or region. Though the application process is highly competitive, securing foundation grants provides an important income stream for some UK charities doing vital work for their communities.

Conclusion

Charities in the UK rely primarily on generous donations from caring individuals, corporate philanthropy, and grants from charitable foundations and trusts. While government funding provides some assistance, the bulk of charity income comes from these three main sources.

Even in times of economic uncertainty, it’s crucial that those who can, continue to donate to causes close to their hearts. Finding ways to give back and support impactful nonprofits is one of the most effective ways we can create positive change in society, and donations make a difference no matter how small.

If you’re thinking about contributing to charity and making your mark, a good place to start is by looking up reputable organisations working on causes that you care about and consider setting up a monthly direct debit or making a one-off gift. By donating money, volunteering time, and spreading awareness, we all have the power to keep these critical organisations alive.

Are you a blind or partially sighted person in West Sussex who wants to change things? West Sussex Sight Loss Council is recruiting new members in your area.

Sight Loss Councils (SLCs), funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, are regional groups led by blind and partially sighted volunteer members. Together, they use our lived experience to work with businesses and service providers to increase the accessibility of their services.

You will work with policy makers and local service providers to improve access for blind and partially sighted people in your local community.

You will also get the opportunity to come together with other blind and partially sighted people in your area, have a voice and develop new skills.

SLC volunteer, Clinton said: ”As a VI person myself, I am passionate in empowering blind and partially sighted people to be active within their communities through real community mindset change.”

West Sussex SLC members meet in person each month, currently in Worthing (although subject to change as membership grows). All SLC related travel expenses are paid for. For people unable to attend the in person meetings, a hybrid option can be made available.

To find out more and how to join Sight Loss Councils, visit www.sightlosscouncils.org.uk, email info@sightlosscouncils.org.uk or telephone 020 7031 6376.

View short videos from our volunteers about why you should join us.

Made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund, bLink is a matching service that covers the area of Worthing and connects adults living with sight loss/ vision impairment (VI) to like-minded volunteers, to participate in activities and go to events together that they both love.

The idea behind bLink is to enable people living with sight loss or vision impairment to engage in doing the things they enjoy and access all the great things going on in their community.

How it works

We carefully match each member to a volunteer, and pairs are matched based on their common interests and preferences. Once paired, they meet and collaborate on planning activities they can enjoy together at least once a month. These activities can range from leisurely walks and coffee outings to visiting galleries or playing games.

Accessible volunteering

bLink makes volunteering more accessible for people in Worthing by encouraging people to engage in activities they already love, while actively supporting someone with sight loss/VI. Our matched pairs can share their passions with one another, and volunteers can accommodate their commitments alongside other responsibilities.

To be a volunteer, no specific experience or skills are required, apart from being friendly and having a good sense of humour! We provide training, support, and conduct DBS checks on all volunteers to ensure the safety and well-being of our members.

Get in touch with Kate, our Wellbeing Coordinator, if you would like to be involved, whether as a vision impaired adult or as a volunteer. She can be reached at kate@sswcharity.org.uk or call her on 01903 235 782.

the National Lottery Community Fund logo
This project has been funded by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund

Whilst living with visual impairment can be both challenging and isolating, technology has come a long way towards making it easier for us all to navigate the world. With such a range of accessibility apps on the market, it’s never been more achievable for the blind or partially sighted to regain some of their independence. 

We’ll run you through five of the most popular accessibility apps to support visual impairment and help you find the right tool to match your needs. From cutting-edge AI that can read the emotion on someone’s face, to a community of volunteers on standby to help visualise the world around you, there’s something right for everyone.

What are accessibility apps?

Accessibility apps are designed to help people with disabilities interact with their devices and the world around them more effectively. They provide features like text-to-speech, magnification and voice control, but also more complex tasks like identifying objects and facial expressions.

For example, a person with a visual impairment might use an app with computer visioning to read the label on a product when out shopping or to help them navigate around a new area, completely negating the need for outside help and putting the power back in their hands.

Read on to explore our top picks for accessibility apps for the blind and partially sighted.

Tap Tap See

Tap Tap See is a smartphone application designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users to identify objects around them by utilising CloudSight’s cutting-edge image recognition technology.

Designed for spur-of-the-moment use in everyday life, Tap Tap See is controlled by tapping anywhere on the screen to take a picture that gets analysed in-app and its description spoken back to you within moments. The app supports pictures of any object at any angle, removing the need for precise camera work.

Boasting awards from the American Foundation for the Blind, the RNIB, and having been inducted into the AppleVis Hall of Fame, this well-decorated app is a favourite amongst its users with everyday applications such as searching the fridge or browsing the shops.

Find the app totally free on the Apple or Google app store, or visit their website for more in-depth information.

Seeing AI

Microsoft’s Seeing AI is a powerful tool that uses computer vision, image and speech recognition, language processing and machine learning to help describe a person’s surroundings, read text, answer questions and even identify the emotions on people’s faces.

To use the app, the user first chooses a ‘channel’ they want to see such as documents, products, scenes or currency, used to instruct the app on what it is supposed to be identifying. Next, simply point your phone’s camera at the object or scene and Seeing AI will provide an audio description whilst guiding the user through the process with audio cues.

This can be of great help to people who are blind or have low vision, giving them the agency to identify objects, read text, and stay connected to the world around them at just the touch of a button. 

The app is free and ready for download on iOS and Android devices, with Microsoft still releasing semi-regular updates to improve the user experience.

Be My Eyes

New technology like the above isn’t always for everyone and many of us can feel put off when confronted with unfamiliar tools. If you’d prefer a more personable touch, then Be My Eyes might just be the app for you!

Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that connects blind or partially sighted users with a huge community of volunteers who can assist them over a video call. The one-way video (two-way audio) call then allows the volunteer to see what the user needs help with so they can solve the task together.

This unique solution entirely removes the need for the partially sighted or blind to wait for physical help and empowers them in their day-to-day routines.

Find their website here for more information or download the app from the Apple or Android App Stores.

Clew

Clew is an AR indoor navigation app designed for blind and visually impaired users to help them independently return to a desired location. For example, if leaving your seat in a restaurant users can set their waypoint before standing up and then use that marker to navigate back to the same spot they left from.

The app uses software from Apple’s iOS 11 to record a precise path and guide the user back to their starting location with either a choice of voice direction, sound effects or haptic feedback. Whilst the technology is great, unfortunately, this means that the full experience is only available on iPhone 7’s or later.

Aside from that, this unique app is available for download from the Apple App Store and won’t cost you a penny.

If you’d like to find out more about Clew, find their website here.

Blind Square

Similar to Clew, BlindSquare is a navigation app designed for blind and visually impaired users to be able to move around freely without external assistance from others. Unlike Clew, however, BlindSquare is created for both indoor and outdoor use, making it a fantastic all-in-one app for getting around in your day-to-day life.

Using your GPS and compass on your smartphone to locate you, Blindsquare then gathers information about your surroundings and utilises its algorithms to discern what information to feed back to you via audio. This could include passing shops or places of interest, or even reporting disturbances up ahead.

As well as the range of typical voice commands for navigating the app itself, users can ask questions like: “What’s the most popular place for lunch within 300 meters?” to discover new locations with ease. From here, select the option that takes your fancy and choose from a range of options such as getting contact info, making a phone call, or tracking the place’s location.

Unlike the other apps mentioned here, BlindSquare comes with a hefty price tag of £39.99 – although the range of cleverly thought-out features goes a long way to justifying the cost. It’s also important to remember that whilst Blindsquare can be controlled entirely by voice commands, this feature also requires in-app purchases of credits for continuous use.

BlindSquare is available to download from the Apple App Store where you can also find a range of reviews to see what users think for themselves, or find more information here on their website.

Conclusion

In recent years technology has made it far easier for people with visual impairments to live much more independent and fulfilling lives. Of course, the apps mentioned in this article are just a few examples of the many tools available to help people with visual impairments navigate the world around them – so don’t be put off if nothing jumped out at you! 

If you or someone you know is living with a visual impairment, it’s never been simpler to help them regain some of their independence. If you’d like more support and guidance on what app might be right for you, you can find a helpful guide on the RNIB’s website alongside their six-part podcast on the issue.

Many of you will have either been aware of the work being undertaken on our sensory garden in Steyne Gardens or, perhaps, even been along to help us with a bit of weeding or planting.

We have been working in partnership with Adur and Worthing Councils Parks department to create a new sensory garden for you our members, local community and visitors to Worthing. A wonderful team of volunteers and members led by Cherry Ward have spent the past two years transforming the garden

We are excited to have an ‘official opening’ event on Tuesday 1st August, from 11am – 1pm.

All are welcome to come along, join in the celebrations and enjoy the experience the sensory garden offers. If you need transport, please get in touch to book.

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A few words from our Chairperson Cherry…

Our intention was to create a space that would delight all the senses: sight, smell, touch, and even taste, albeit with caution. However, we have yet to produce any sounds besides the soothing water flowing from Neptune’s fountain. Countless tears of both pain and laughter were shed but, through perseverance, we successfully prepared the ground to plant new bulbs. The assistance of our young ones and a diverse array of plants made this possible. Creating a safe and inviting garden for both creatures and people. To further captivate visitors, we strategically placed Wingsor Castle, Bugingham Palace, and an enchanting wooded area.

Our project has been made possible thanks to a grant from Rampion.

the Ramption Offshore Wind Community Benefit Fund logo

In September 2018, the UK government introduced new accessibility regulations for websites in the public sector such as charities, local government organisations, and other non-government websites. Even if your website doesn’t fall into the public sector there are over 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK alone. That’s a huge market that potentially can’t access your content and services.

But where do you start?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an internationally recognised set of recommendations for improving web accessibility. They explain point by point how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who are blind, deaf, or have cognitive impairments.

Designed around four basic principles of content being perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR), these guidelines strive to make the web a friendlier place for those with disabilities. Each of these principles is supported by guidelines and success criteria that provide specific requirements and testable standards for content accessibility.

Perceivable information and user interface:

This means that the information presented on the website should be accessible to all people and all levels of disability.

This can be achieved by providing text alternatives for non-text content such as pictures or promotional videos, as well as making use of Alt Text, captions, and transcripts in plain text.

Users should also be able to change how the content is presented, such as different colour schemes for those with colourblindness or resizable text, whilst also ensuring the content is easy to see and hear in the first place.

Operable user interface and navigation:

To ensure your website and content are operable by people of all abilities, WCAG suggests making sure users can interact with the user interface (UI) from their keyboard as well as making adjustments for different input modalities beyond that. For this to work effectively, it’s important that users can easily navigate, find content, and determine where on the website they are.

The guidelines also suggest making sure users have enough time to read and use time-sensitive content, as well as ensuring that the content shouldn’t cause seizures or physical reactions by disabling flashing imagery and colours.

Understandable information and user interface:

Text and UI must be readable by both user and e-reader to maximise the accessibility of your site, whilst also operating in predictable and standardised ways to prevent confusion when navigating.

People using the site must also be helped to avoid, and to correct, mistakes with the use of detailed instructions and error messages built into the site.

Robust content with reliable interpretation:

Robustness of content means the assurance that it’s compatible with a wide range of user agents, such as a variety of browsers, screen readers, and assistive technologies. 

Using valid markup is one of the most important ways to ensure this is true by being able to accurately signpost content for these alternative user agents to function correctly.

For a free and easy way to check if your website has valid markup, simply enter your website address in the Web Consortiums Markup Validation service here.

For more info on the principles of the WCAG, you can find their website here. Or, for a handy graphic detailing the core principles of POUR, find the UX Hints website here.

We’ve all enjoyed shedding the winter layers over recent weeks, and now it’s time to reach for the sun cream to protect our skin from UVA and UVB rays from the sun. 

One thing we may not consider is the damage those same rays can do to our eyes. It is important to start wearing proper eye protection at an early age to shield your eyes from years of ultraviolet exposure. The damage caused can take years to materialise and, by the time we notice the damage, it is often too late to reverse the effects. 

Some of the conditions caused by UVA and UVB rays are: 

The best way to protect your eyes in the sun would be to avoid direct exposure although, even in this country, this can be quite difficult. You can wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays; any reputable company will have this as standard. Prescription glasses can include a polarising tint that offers protection too. Hats with a good sized brim will provide shade for your eyes and the skin around them. Being aware of your surroundings and weather changes is great too as with cloud cover we often forget that harmful rays can still get through. Crucially bear in mind that, even if it is not hot in the sun, damage can still happen. 

SSW has Cocoon branded sunglasses available in the centre for £45 (RRP £59.99). Get in touch if you’d like to know more.

This month we have two thank yous to make, to both the Co-op and the residents of Offington Drive in Worthing.

The £300 donation from the Co-op is being used to support two group life coaching sessions. One session will focus on overcoming our own barriers to employment. The second session will focus on transition points in education. If you’re interested in attending those sessions, get in touch so we can let you know dates when planned. 

We were delighted to be the unexpected recipients of a generous donation made by the residents of Offington Drive. They held a street party to celebrate the King’s coronation, and raised £250! Thank you very much to everyone who donated; we are always appreciative as it helps us to provide more activities and services for our members.

Did you know we have a local hospital radio station? Seaside Hospital Radio broadcasts to the patients, staff and visitors of Worthing Hospital and Southlands in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, on the South Coast of England.  But you don’t have to be in hospital to hear us!

​You can listen for free within Worthing & Southlands Hospitals on the Hospital’s free WiFi network using your Smartphone, iPad/Tablet or Laptop, just follow these steps:​

Look out for our QR code on display around the hospitals and in brochures and magazines. just scan it using your Smartphone or iPad/Tablet!

You can also listen live from here; just click here. If you’re at home and have a Smart Speaker, simply ask it to ‘Play Seaside Hospital Radio’.

If you’ve got a request that you’d like played on the radio, you can email: requests@seasidehr.com

If you’re on Twitter you can find them using the handle www.twitter.com/SeasideHR

On Facebook they’re here: www.facebook.com/seasidehr

You can take a read of the current Seaside Hospital Radio magazine here:  www.worthing.smilepublishing.com

 

We’re thrilled to have been granted BACP Organisational Membership for our counselling service. This demonstrates that we’re committed to providing safe, ethical and professional counselling, highlights our credibility as committed and qualified counselling professionals, while at the same time helping to spread the message that counselling changes lives.

Made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund, our counselling service is available to people diagnosed with a sight condition who live in East or West Sussex, is free of charge, and completely confidential.

To find out more about the service or to book an appointment, email our Wellbeing Services Coordinator, Kate at wellbeing@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or telephone her on 01903 385025.The National Lottery Community Fund logo.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an ideal time for us all to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that both prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.

At SSW, we’re proud to be doing our bit, via our Wellbeing Service (made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund), which is designed to support individuals with sight loss and vision impairment in leading fulfilling and independent lives.

We understand that sight loss and vision impairment can present significant challenges, impacting physical and emotional wellbeing. That’s why we offer a range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of those living with these conditions, including counselling, coaching, information signposting, and wellbeing check-ins.

Get in touch to find out more about our services, or to book an appointment. You can email our Wellbeing Services Coordinator, Kate, at wellbeing@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or telephone her on 01903 385025.

The National Lottery Community Fund logo.

Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for making our wellbeing service possible.

 

Hello: my name is Jodie. In this article I would like to share with you my journey of becoming a cane user, drawing upon how I felt when I did not use a cane, the day that changed my whole outlook about using a cane and finally the impact it has had on my life today. 

Growing up I remember not wanting to be seen as different to those around me. I would always ask my teachers if I could join in with whatever the other children were doing, whether I found it a challenge or not.  I guess this is one of the reasons why I was so reluctant to use any aids that would make me stand out.  I just wanted to be treated as an equal. 

 

If I’m honest, as a child, I found it hard to accept the fact that I could not see that well, and thought that if I gave in to the idea of using a cane then it was like admitting that I was different to everyone else.  I felt scared, angry, sad… all sorts of different emotions.  In my mind I was a failure.  I had been bullied throughout school and college; surely this would give the bullies more of a reason to target me? How wrong I was! 

One incident that sticks in my mind was one Winter evening whilst walking to my Gran’s, as I did often.  I somehow lost my bearings and ended up falling over someone’s garden fence, losing my shopping in the process.  Even this did not faze me and make me reconsider using a cane; all I was concerned about was my lost shopping (which I never did find)!

The turning point for me was when I was out shopping in my local town with a good friend of mine.  All was going well until I accidently walked into a young mother pushing a pushchair, as I did not see her coming towards me.  I immediately apologized and explained to her that I was visually impaired and registered blind. Unfortunately, her reaction was to become aggravated and she began shouting and hurling abuse at me.  At this point my friend stepped in and said “look, there is no need to treat her like that. She told you why it had happened”.  The woman then turned on my friend, grabbing hold of her, pushing her into a shop window and winding her.  I felt awful that this had happened to her because of something I had done.  That was the day my whole attitude changed.  I needed something to make others around me aware of my visual impairment, so I began my journey of becoming a cane user. 

Initially I was apprehensive about getting a cane. However, after a little bit of training my confidence grew and, for the first time ever, I did not feel scared about going out. Most importantly I did not care about what others thought of me. 

On a personal level the impact of using a cane has been life changing. It has given me even more independence and I can honestly say that, if did not have it, I would feel totally lost and extremely vulnerable without it. My friends call me Speedy Gonzales as they struggle to keep up with me!

Like most things, using a cane does have its downfalls. One day, whilst out, a member of the public ran over my cane with her mobility aid which resulted in her ripping off the roller ball completely breaking the whole cane.  Also, with my miles of walking, I have a tendency to wear out the roller balls meaning they have to be replaced regularly. This process can sometimes be lengthy, leaving me for periods of time without a fully functioning cane. I have now invested in a higher mileage ball but even this is wearing thin now.

The overall outcome is that the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. So my message for anyone who is unsure whether or not using a white cane will help them: just go for it! It is one of the best decisions I ever made.  My late gran’s motto was “always say I can instead of I can’t” and this is something I like to live by.

Hello! My name’s Kate, and I’ve just joined SSW as the new Wellbeing Services Coordinator. Everyone’s made me feel very welcome, and I’m looking forward to meeting lots of our lovely members over the coming weeks.

In my previous career in hospitality management I always enjoyed bringing people together and fostering a sense of community but, like many other people, I found myself questioning my priorities and direction in life during the pandemic. Having had very positive personal experiences of therapy and counselling, I wanted to facilitate similar experiences for others, and utilise my strong people skills to do work that had more meaning. I took the plunge and have returned to university, where I’m studying part-time towards a Master’s degree in the Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing. For the past two years I’ve been working with adults living with low to moderate mental health challenges, delivering a buddy scheme in the Brighton and Hove area.

The projects I’ll be initially focusing on in my new role are working with our counsellor, David, to deliver our free counselling service for members, as well as working with Katie on creating and launching a matching scheme, where we’ll be pairing members and volunteers who share similar interests, to facilitate both fun and friendship!

Beyond this, I hope to establish a cohesive and holistic wider wellbeing service, to support our members to be able to live their best lives. I’m delighted to be part of the team, and am excited to see what the future holds.

A siren-like alert will be sent to smartphone users across the UK next month to test a new government public warning system. It allows the government and emergency services to send urgent messages warning the public of life-threatening situations like flooding or wildfires.

The test is expected to take place in the early evening of 23 April. Phone users will have to acknowledge the alert before they can use other features on their devices.

A message will appear on the home screens of people’s devices during the test, with vibration and a loud warning sound that will ring for about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent. The video below shows what the siren will sound like.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLd2AjGzYI&feature=youtu.be

Following the departure of our previous Chair, Barry Ward, we are pleased to welcome Cherry Ward into the role. Cherry has been a Trustee for several years, and was a volunteer before that, so has an excellent understanding of how the charity works and the needs and expectations of our members.

Please join us in welcoming Cherry to her new role at SSW!

The recently launched West Sussex Sight Loss Council is looking for volunteers to be members. Volunteers will work with policy makers and local service providers to improve access for blind and partially sighted people in their local community. It is also a great opportunity to come together with other blind and partially sighted people in the area. This is your chance to gain advocacy skills and influence positive change.

David Smith, Engagement Manager (South East), says: “We’re excited to have launched our Sight Loss Council in West Sussex.

“Like the other SLCs, we will be working across the county and engaging with organisations from both the public and private sector. We will be working with service providers to raise their awareness of the daily challenges and barriers blind and partially sighted people face.

“If you have a vision impairment, live in West Sussex and are passionate about improving services for blind and partially sighted people, then please consider becoming a Sight Loss Council volunteer.”

You can find out more about the West Sussex Sight Loss Council on their website, including how to apply to join. SSW team member James is a member of the West Sussex Sight Loss Council and would be happy to answer any questions you have about his role. Contact him at the Centre on 01903 235782 or email james@sightsupportworthing.org.uk

If you’ve got the old style stamps that look like the one below, they are no longer valid. However, it is possible to swap them for their equivalent in the new format.

photo of a UK 1st class stamp from pre-2023

Old, now invalid, UK stamp

You can use Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out Scheme which exchanges the old non-barcoded stamps for barcoded ones.

Royal Mail opened this scheme on 31 March 2022. The Stamp Swap Out Scheme will remain open after 31 January 2023 so you can continue to swap out any old non-barcoded stamps.

How to use Royal Mail’s Stamp Swap Out Scheme:

Please note that is it not possible to directly swap stamps at the Post Office. You must complete and return the ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form along with any unused stamps to the Royal Mail freepost address provided on the for (Freepost SWAP OUT).

If you need help with this, please do ask a member of the SSW team to help you either next time you are in the Centre, or give us a call.

West Sussex has a higher-than-average percentage of people aged over 50, with this figure set to increase further in the coming years.

As we get older, many of us will need additional support to continue to live fulfilling, independent lives in our own homes for as long possible.

To help you plan ahead, there’s plenty of local guidance, help and advice available:

If you’re aware of another organisation or service we should add to this list, please do get in touch.

From 4 May 2023, voters in England will need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in some elections.

This will apply to:

From October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections. If you don’t have accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. There is more information on the Electoral Commission website, where you can also apply for the Voter Authority Certificate. If you would like help with your application please get in touch with us here at the Centre.

The NHS is committed to ensuring that anybody who has a stroke, day or night, anywhere across West Sussex, and more widely across Sussex, has the best chances of survival and recovery with a return to living an independent fulfilling life.

NHS Sussex and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust are proposing improvements to hospital-based stroke services that people use when they are experiencing a stroke. This consultation is focused on changes to the emergency stroke services provided in hospitals in the coastal area of West Sussex. The coastal area covers the populations of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Worthing, and south of Horsham. 

For information about the programme, please read the document that accompanies this questionnaire and/or go online to:
www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/improving-stroke-services-in-west-sussex

To give your feedback, complete this questionnaire and return it to the FREEPOST address on the back page of this questionnaire to arrive by Friday 21 April 2023; or answer the questions online via the webpage (click here to go directly to the questionnaire) above by the same date.

The NHS has appointed Opinion Research Services (ORS), an independent social research company, to manage and report the consultation responses. In the report, the views of individual members of the public in a personal capacity will be anonymous. However, where feedback is from representatives of organisations or someone acting in an official capacity, it
may be attributed.

All the questions are optional, and all information you provide will be processed by ORS in accordance with latest Data Protection legislation. Information will only be used to inform this consultation and any personal information that could identify you will be kept by ORS for no more than one year after any decisions have been finalised. For further information, please see www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/privacy-policy or www.ors.org.uk/privacy

You can stay in the loop with all of Sight Support’s news and events with Alexa! Just tell your voice assistant device to ‘enable SSW Event Reader’ and it will set up a special application. Then, next time you want to know what’s happening at Sight Support, simply say ‘Alexa, open Sight Support Events’ and you’ll get all the info you need!

If you’d like help setting this up, contact our Tech Support team on 01903 235782.

We’re pleased to have launched our wellbeing service including counselling and coaching. For a confidential chat about how we can support you, please get in touch with our dedicated Wellbeing Services Coordinator Kate.

You can email Kate – wellbeing@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or telephone her on 01903 385025.

A Safe and Well Visit is a free service carried out by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. It involves a pre-arranged visit to your home to offer advice on how to make it safer and, where appropriate, fit smoke alarms or other specialist fire detection equipment free of charge. 

Visits are tailored to the specific needs of the household – they normally last between 30-45 minutes. 

Find out more and book your Visit on the West Sussex County Council website.

Join us on Tuesday 7th March from 6.30-8pm as experienced coach Sydney May leads a free session for people experiencing sight loss or who have been diagnosed with a vision impairment or degenerative vision.

In a relaxed group setting with others in similar circumstances, we’ll discuss techniques to support and deal with the trauma and uncertainty that comes with sight loss as you start your next chapter. We’ll cover topics such as:

To register either call 01903 235782 or do it online here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adjusting-to-sight-loss-tickets-523596720887

This month we’ve welcomed a new member to the SSW team: Asriel, who joins us as part of the intern scheme supported by Thomas Pocklington Trust and RNIB. Asriel will be with us for 9 months in this role. Welcome Asriel….

“Hello, I’m Asriel (he/him). A lot of people just call me Az. You can’t miss me, with my white hair and alternative clothing choice. I work up in the office doing administration work. However, I can often be found helping out with activities downstairs and sometimes out on trips. I was hired by SSW as part of an internship scheme with Thomas Pocklington Trust. I am here for nine months and very much enjoy my job.

“If you ever need any help over the phone or just a general chat when times are hard, feel free to ask for me. I have personal experience with mental illness as well as mental health first aid training and trauma training so am always happy to help. I also work with several of the other lovely members of staff as we are hoping to start a youth club and broaden our mental health services. A huge thanks to everyone for making my first two weeks so great!”

A few fun facts about me:

It’s hard to visit your local supermarket these days without coming across aisles upon aisles of eye-catching multivitamins, protein powders and food supplements that each promise results far beyond the powers of ordinary food and drink.

Together, these products make up a multi-million-pound industry that’s promoted by everyone from sports stars to morally dubious health professionals. But do they really work?

It’s common knowledge that our bodies require a balanced mix of different vitamins, minerals, and proteins to perform at our best – but pricey supplements aren’t necessarily the best way to achieve this.

Michael Gannon, president of the Australian Medical Association, was quoted in one interview stating that supplements provide “no benefit” to the majority of people and simply helped in the production of very expensive urine.

The fact is, if you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, then you’re likely already consuming all the nutrients your body needs in order to maintain itself and assist recovery from illness or injury. But that doesn’t mean you should be throwing away those supplements just yet.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) in the United States has conducted two major studies into age-related eye diseases that focused on two of the most common eye diseases in older Americans: age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. During these studies, researchers found that ‘lutein’ – an antioxidant made by plants – seemed to neutralise light-induced damage to the eye and reduce risks of progressing into late-stage AMD.

Since this discovery, lutein has been regularly prescribed as part of an AMD prevention regimen and shows real promise in even reversing some of the disease’s early effects such as the disappearance of crystalline deposit build-ups in the eye. Lutein doesn’t have to come from a supplement, however, with a study held by the University of Utah suggesting that a diet naturally rich in lutein is just as effective as taking it in pill form.

Lutein is found in abundance in dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, peas and lettuce. For example, 100g of shredded lettuce alone contains around 4 mg of lutein and makes up almost half of the NEI’s recommended dose of 10 mg per day for maintained eye health.

Whilst these findings are fantastic for those at risk with age-related eye problems, the unfortunate side is that there have been very few studies done on the effectiveness of supplements for those suffering from non-age-related issues.

However, some research does suggest that long-term multivitamin use can decrease cataract risk in men, although this only adds up to a total decrease of 9%. The study also suggested that in those who already had a low risk of cataracts, the decrease was next to negligible.

It seems that there’s just not enough research to say for sure whether food supplements can truly provide a real benefit to your eye health, and most health professionals including the NHS agree that those of us eating a regular healthy diet shouldn’t need any supplementation. Instead, that money could be put to better use by making sure to include a healthy amount of whole grains, healthy fats such as omega-3, and leafy green vegetables in our diets.

As always, your GP should always be your first point of call for health-related issues and you should always check with them before taking any new supplements or medication. If you’d like to learn more about eye health and supplementation, you can find NHS’s brilliantly informative online leaflet by following the link here – or by enquiring with your GP.

“I have decided, after more than 10 years as Chairman of SSW’s Board of Trustees, that the time is right to stand down – both as Chairman and as a Trustee. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in those roles during which SSW has extended the range of services it offers. Everything the Board has done has been aimed at supporting our members in their daily lives. In so doing, working with the members has certainly opened my eyes (no pun intended) and given me some memorable moments.

My thanks to all my fellow Trustees and to all the staff and volunteers who have been so supportive during my time as Chairman.

I hope to remain as a volunteer with SSW, initially supporting the 1:1 driver service but also helping wherever Katie Simmons (SSW Volunteer Co-ordinator) feels I could be helpful.

The SSW Trustees have elected Cherry Ward to replace me. I will stand down as Chairman from 31st January but will remain a “silent” Trustee until a number of admin changes (eg signatories for banking) can be implemented.”

As part of a Cost-of-Living response, all 36 libraries in West Sussex are offering Essential Toiletries Kits for residents who might benefit from them. These kits contain shampoo, body wash, roll on deodorant and toothpaste, which will be distributed in a readymade kit in a brown paper bag. Adults and children’s toothbrushes will also be available for people to add to the kits themselves, depending on their needs and will be on display for anyone to pick up and take away if they would like one. Last week, Worthing Library took delivery of enough supplies to make 2000 kits (that’s 12,000 single items) and with the help of the amazing library staff and van drivers they have been unpacked, repacked and distributed to all the West Sussex libraries. The kits are in libraries now and will be available while stocks last.  All customers have to do is to visit their local library and find the display of the toiletry kits and they can help themselves to one and select their toothbrush of choice. They then need to tick a sheet for our data records to say which group best represents their household (families with children/people with disabilities/older people/other).

Other than public holidays we are generally open over the Christmas and New Year break. These are our opening days in the run up to Christmas and until the New Year.

Monday 19th-Friday 23rd December – open

Saturday 24th-Tuesday 27th December – closed

Wednesday 28th-Friday 30th December – open

Saturday 31st December-Tuesday 3rd January – closed

Wednesday 4th January – open

 

Call us on 01903 235782 if you need any assistance.

 

 

As part of our monthly Golden Balls lottery draw we’re launching a new big prize draw to take place in January. Drawn on the third Monday of January – typically known as ‘Blue Monday’ – we are offering a guaranteed 1st prize of £200, four 2nd prizes of £50 and three 3rd prizes of £10. For just £2 per ticket you can be part of this brilliant new venture! If you already take part, you’ll automatically be included.

The draw will be held on Monday 16th January at 11am. Join Bob Smytherman, our President, during the coffee morning drop-in and witness our inaugural Blue Monday draw!

To take part, either talk to a member of staff when you’re at the Centre, call us on 01903 235782, or send us an email.

Although you can choose to just enter the January draw, we’d love it if you would consider signing up to the draw for six months or perhaps a year. Recently the top prize has been around £40 and this will increase the more players take part!

We’re all conscious that this year, more than before, we need to think about our energy consumption and, in particular, our heating bills. We’ve pulled together some of the financial support that is available, so you can establish which of it is applicable to you.

This winter (2022-23), all eligible households will be given a £400 non-repayable discount through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS).

The discount is automatic. If you get a message asking for your bank details, this could be a scam. You can report messages you think are suspicious on this form.

The discount will be applied to your monthly household electricity bill for 6 months starting in October 2022. You’ll get:

You’ll get the discount monthly, even if you pay for your energy quarterly or use a payment card.

If you receive pension credit you may be entitled to £140 warm home discount

The local council are offering cold weather payments of £25 per week from November until March.

For advice on any of the above call the Local Energy Advice Partnership on 0800 060 7567 or visit https://applyforleap.org.uk/.

There’s more advice on energy bill relief on the Government’s website here.

We’ve also got a blog post with organisations you can seek help from to cope with the cost of living crisis.

We’ve added another method for you to find out about what’s coming up at SSW in the next two weeks. You can now call 01903 477220 to hear a recorded message giving details of the coming fortnight’s activities, as well as any important service updates.

This is in addition to our website calendar, Facebook event details, email newsletters, and the printed version of our emails. To sign up for our email newsletter click here: http://eepurl.com/hh2Adr

One of SSW’s regular activities is our classical music session, which takes place the last Wednesday afternoon of the month from 2–4pm. The event is hosted by volunteer Tony Meggitt, and is open to anyone with a visual impairment.

Here we meet Tony and ask him a few questions about his love of classical music.

How did you get into music in the first place, Tony?

When I was a teenager, I would listen to LPs, and whilst my brother was into the Elvis rock genre at that age, I chose to listen to Tchaikovsky, which got me hooked on piano music.  One LP led to another; I discovered a love of opera, and my musical tastes grew and grew by introducing composers such as Gilbert and Sullivan, Mozart and Beethoven.

Who are your favourite composers?

Verdi, Wagner, Beethoven and Mozart are amongst some of my favourite composers.

What can our members expect from a classical music session with you?

The classical music sessions are very relaxed and light-hearted, where it really is like a live version of Classic FM (but without the adverts!).

I will introduce the selected music piece, say a little about the composer, or the music, then we listen.  After each piece, members are free to comment and express anything they like about the music, then we move on to the next piece. The session is broken down into two sections; first we may have an Overture, Concerto and a piece of Opera. Then we have a tea break, and for the final half we will have some more relaxed music, perhaps a laugh with a humorous piece to bring the session to a happy end.

Tony says that his main aim for the sessions is “to please all of the people, some of the time”, knowing that not everyone will love every piece out there, but he makes sure he has a good mixture to satisfy most tastes!

Thank you Tony! 

If you or someone you know would like to join our classical music session, we’d love to see you there. All SSW events are open to the blind and visually impaired, as well as their carers. To book your space or to find out more, give us a call on 01903 235782.

 

 

LinkBud Collage

Details

Product: LinkBuds WF-L900

Brand: Sony

Price: £149 (at time of writing)

Features

Personal listening equipment such as headphones and earphones are a huge part of life for so many people nowadays, with a lot of tasks involving using our devices, especially when our devices are aiding accessibility.

The Sony LinkBuds feature a strange looking design, with the centre of the earpiece missing, leaving it looking like a doughnut. This allows them to play into your ear whilst still allowing sound in from the world around. The LinkBuds are designed with everyday usage in mind, with the idea that you should be able to listen to music and take calls, whilst still being aware of the environment around you.

The LinkBuds are 360° audio enabled, meaning they can place sound at any point in a 360° circle around you. This feature means these LinkBuds would be great paired with navigational apps such as Microsoft’s Soundscape or BlindSquare, as they can use directional audio to direct you in the right direction. This coupled with the smart design that allows more ambient noise in makes for a much better experience when using some accessibility apps like this. You can also listen to certain songs and watch film with 360° audio, giving a completely different feel to the sound.

For those looking for something purely for listening to music with, I would suggest something else. The sound quality of the LinkBuds is very good, but does lack some depth with there being a lack of bass, however this is probably in part because there is no room for a subwoofer (the speaker that produces deeper bass) due to the hole cut out of the middle, and also if there were much more bass it would most likely interfere with the ambient sound entering from outside.

The LinkBuds themselves have a solid battery life, lasting 5 hours on a charge. They come with a charging case too, which if fully charged also, can give your LinkBuds up to 17 hours of battery, more than I’m sure most people would need in a day!

They may not be the cheapest option for earbuds, retailing at £149, but the features and charging case definitely make it more worth the price.

If you’d like to know more about these – or any accessibility gear for that matter – please don’t hesitate to call the Tech Team here at SSW!

A blog by Tom Hamblin – Tech Advisor at SSW.

The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition is launching a campaign to help reduce the likelihood of children developing myopia. Here’s some facts on myopia as well as ideas for reducing screentime for the young people in your life.

What is myopia?

You may know it as “short-sightedness” —when you can see close objects clearly, but far away objects appear blurred, such as the TV screen or the board in school. But did you know that it is a disease that gets worse over time and is growing at a rapid rate in children, especially with more time spent on screens?

Myopia affects one in six children in the UK by the age of 15 and it has been estimated that by 2050, almost 50% of the world’s population will be myopic. If not treated early, myopia could continue to progress and increase the risk of your child developing sight-threatening eye diseases.

How about trying a screen staycation?

Did you know, just 76 extra minutes outside a day can reduce the risk of myopia (short-sightedness) by 50%?

How about, for one weekend, you and your family to go screen-free and head outside instead?

While summer is the time for relaxation, it can also be when children spend most of their days off watching TV or playing on devices, contributing to the progression of myopia. To help, the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition has teamed up with optometrist Dr Keyur Patel, and created the Screen Staycation Guide. Packed with outdoor screen-free activity swaps and tips to help children keep their eyes healthy, their guide also includes information on the top signs you should watch out for to see if your child may have myopia.

Screen staycation ideas

Here are optometrist Dr Keyur Patel’s Screen Staycation activity swaps to help give your child’s eyes a break:

1. Watching YouTube – swap to:
– Run a mini archeological excavation in your mini sandpit or on your activity table
– Exercise your vision both near and far as you throw a frisbee around or fly a kite
– Go paintballing with your friends and family (ensure you wear eye protection)

2. Watching a movie – swap to:
– Dress up and put on an outdoor show for family and friends
– Take part in a ‘Natural Scavenger Hunt’ – collect things from nature and make a collage
– Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby like skateboarding

3. Playing computer games – swap to:
– Take part in ‘Bug Bingo’ – see how many you can spot!
– Host a sports tournament and see who will bring home this year’s trophy
– Get your friends together and visit an outdoor adventure centre, like Go Ape!

Top 5 tips from the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition and Optometrist, Dr Keyur Patel, on how to keep your child’s eyes healthy

1. Spend more time outdoors – it has been shown to have a protective effect for the onset of myopia and reduction in myopic progression
2. Get a good night’s sleep – a study found that children with less than seven hours of sleep had a higher risk of myopia compared to children who slept nine or more hours a night
3. Take a break when using smart devices – as exposure may be associated with an increased risk of myopia
4. Encourage your child to hold books or devices at a distance – the same distance as from their knuckle to their elbow is a good guide – as holding them too close can increase myopia
5. Eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients can have a positive impact on your child’s eye health.

What signs should I look out for to see if my child has myopia?

Optometrist, Dr Keyur Patel, shares the top 10 signs you should watch out for – to see if your child has myopia:

1. Difficulty reading words from a distance, such as reading the board at school
2. Sitting too close to the TV or computer, or even holding a mobile phone or tablet too close to their face
3. Getting headaches could be a sign of strained eyes and poor vision
4. Rubbing their eyes, a lot
5. Unaware of things in the distance
6. Complaining their eyes feel tired or strained
7. Your child’s teacher saying your child is having difficulty
in the classroom or with simple eye hand coordination tasks
(e.g. catching a ball)
8. Covering up one of their eyes to try and focus their vision
9. Squinting when looking at objects in the distance
10. Excessive blinking

If not treated early, myopia will continue to progress and could even lead to serious eye diseases. But there’s good news! Myopia can be managed and now is the time to ask an optometrist about new treatment options—beyond regular contacts and glasses—that can help slow the progression of myopia and set your children up for success today and in the future.

Do not delay: book an appointment for your child to see an optometrist before they go back to school!

You may be aware that an intrepid group of SSW staff headed off for a sponsored skydive recently. Below are some of the photos taken before, during and after the jump.

You can also see a full gallery of photos here and here.


All


























With the growth in demand for  our tech support service, we’ve increased the number of staff that can assist members. This month we’re pleased to welcome Tom Hamblin to the team, and he’ll work alongside Ali and Chris. 

 

“Hi everyone, my name is Tom and I’m the new addition to the Tech Team here at SSW.

“I live in Shoreham and can typically be found either walking my dog, riding bikes, playing guitar or being far too engrossed in video games.

“When I was younger I studied Music Technology at College – which is still a big passion of mine – and just before joining SSW had been working on a degree in Computer Science.

“I’m hoping to be able to bring a lot to the charity and make a big impact during my time here, so here’s to what lies ahead!”

 

We look forward to introducing Tom to our members and welcoming him into our fabulous team!

by Ali Bates, Tech Advisor

July is Disability Pride Month. For us in the disabled community, it is a time to encourage self-acceptance and embrace our disabilities.

I, for one, struggled with the meaning of this month because I am not proud of my disability. I am, however, proud of everything I have achieved in spite of my blindness, but I have learnt that it is not actually about that. 

Disability Pride Month is about starting conversations and raising awareness among people who are not part of the disabled community on how to be better allies and what they can do in support.

This month gives us, as disabled people, a month of increased exposure and, therefore, a chance to educate others about our capabilities rather than our inabilities.

The Disability Pride flag was designed by Ann Magill in 2017 and updated in 2021. Each of the elements represents an aspect of the disabled community:

The charcoal background – to represent those in the community who have been subjected to ableist violence, as well as representing protest in the community.

The “band/road” shape – represents how disabled people face barriers and have to navigate their life according to them.

The different colours in the shape – represent the creativity in navigating life, and how the community is breaking free from authority.

Each of the colours represent the various experiences and needs:

Green – sensory disabilities

Blue – mental illness

White –  invisible disabilities

Yellow – developmental disabilities

Red – physical disabilities

 

Happy Disability Pride Month!

 

 

The RNIB has launched a campaign to put pressure on the Government to provide urgent support for blind and partially sighted people during the cost of living crisis.

 

The UK Health Security Agency has produced a poster with tips to help you ‘Beat the Heat’ during heatwaves. You can see the English language version below and it is available as a downloadable PDF in many other languages too. Take a look here.

 

We have also included the tips as an accessible text-based list below the image of the poster.

an example of the poster with tips to Beat the Heat

 

Keep in touch.

Look after yourself, older people and the young.

Listen to the weather forecast and the news.

Plan ahead to avoid the heat.

Keep well.

Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol.

Dress appropriately for the weather.

Slow down when it is hot.

Find somewhere cool.

Know how to keep your home cool.

Go indoors or outdoors, whichever feels cooler.

Cars get hot, avoid closed spaces.

Watch out.

Be on the lookout for signs of heat related illness.

Cool your skin with water, slow down and drink water.

Stay safe when swimming.

Get help. Call NHS 111 or in an emergency 999.

 

For more information go to www.nhs.uk/heatwave

What is Optical Character Recognition (OCR)?

OCR is the process of converting an image of printed or handwritten text into electronic form. This technology is used heavily in the mailing industry as a way of quickly reading address labels for the sortation of letters and parcels.

In a VI setting, the technology has been adapted to provide the end user with an audio transcript of the scanned image.

Types of OCR readers

If you own a smartphone then you can scan any document or handwriting to receive an audio transcript. A good example of an app that can do this is Google Lens.

Google Lens logo

For those that prefer a stand-alone tabletop device then numerous manufacturers supply scanners that will efficiently read aloud printed text and handwriting.

photo of an OCR reader

Manufactures such as Orcam build a highly portable device which reads aloud text from any medium without the need for an internet connection.

photo of Orcam's portable OCR reader

Three practical use examples

A delivery driver leaves a note on your door. The note has some very scruffy handwriting which you make out. Most OCR readers will recognize the worst handwriting, including apps such as Google Lens.

The Worthing Journal lands on your doormat. This publication is printed on A5 which can make it a challenge to read. An OCR reader will recognise the smallest of fonts so you can consume most materials, including newspapers. The only thing you’ll need to do is turn the page!

You need to read a sign at distance. You’re at a concert and you need to find your seat number. Using a portable OCR device such as the Orcam Read you can point it in the general direction of the sign you need to read and it will announce it to you.

How much do they cost?

Using a smartphone is the most cost-effective option here and costs vary hugely depending on the specification of the mobile device. A functional smartphone at the lower end of the scale can be purchased for approx. £80 but will require the internet / data to function correctly.

For stand-alone devices the price increases substantially and you could expect to pay between £1000-£2000. However, the advantage of a stand-alone device is that no internet is required and they will work straight out of the box.

If you have any questions about the above or would like a demonstration then please contact us! Call the Centre on 

 

Are you looking after someone who couldn’t manage without your help?

If so, you’ll know caring can be wonderfully rewarding but also stressful – and that it’s difficult sometimes to manage your own physical and mental health, and find time for yourself.

Carers Support West Sussex provide unpaid carers of any age, looking after parents, and people with dementia, memory loss, autism, drug & alcohol issues, learning disabilities and mental health issues, with financial help, information and guidance, and practical and emotional support.To find out more, or register as a Carer:Call 0300 028 8888email info@carerssupport.org.ukvisit www.carerssupport.org.ukFacebook    facebook.com/CarersWSussexTwitter        @carerswsussexInstagram   @carerswestsussex

A new text-based service is available for anyone feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stressed. Text SHOUT to 85258 to start a free, confidential text conversation with a trained volunteer, who can help with issues such as:

You can text from wherever you are in the UK. Text SHOUT to 85258 for free and confidential support 24/7.

If your life is at risk, please call 999 for immediate help.

 

Sunday 17th July is Disability Awareness Day. If you’re up near Warrington you might like to take part in the world’s largest ‘not for profit’ voluntary-led disability exhibition, held annually in a huge tented village within the grounds of Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington. As well as lots of interesting exhibitors, there’s a sports zone, an arts area and family entertainment.

Assuming that most of you will be at home in Sussex, you might, instead, like to check out some useful resources designed to help both individuals and organisations access different technology such as phones, computers and smart devices. 

One fantastically useful resource is SSW’s very own tech team. They are on hand to help you with any tech issues you might have. Perhaps you want to learn to use the accessibility settings on your phone better? Or maybe set your smart speaker up so you can use it for what you’ll find helpful on a daily basis. The team can either send you help sheets, talk to you on the phone, see you at the Centre or even visit you in your own home. Give them a call on 01903 235782.

photo of a young visually impaired man in a sitting room, sitting with headphones on, accompanied by his guide dog

You also might like to take a browse of this interesting resource: it’s a set of device ‘how to’ guides from AbilityNet (a charity that believes technology should be equally available to all) . Type in what it is you want to change on your device, and it will give you a choice of guides, for example a short guide, step-by-step and video. You can enlarge the size of your mouse pointer on your computer, learn how to use VoiceOver on your phone, find out how to use Google Assistant and loads more (there are several hundred guides available!). Take a look here to see exactly what this comprehensive resource offers.

If you work in a organisation and would like to improve how your computers and other digital technologies can help people with different conditions and impairments, AbilityNet provide a series of factsheets.  Written by their specialist team of assessors and accessibility consultants they give detailed information on a wide range of assistive technology, services and related organisations. Head to their website to have a browse and find the guide that will help you make your computers accessible for the people in your organisation. There are other resources as well as training available if you want to explore further.

photo of two men, one of whom is visually impaired, in an office lift.

As well as helping individuals with their devices, our tech team can visit your organisation and talk to a team about how to be more disability aware. Sometimes asking the right questions and just making small tweaks to processes or equipment can make the world of difference to an individual’s experience at work or as a customer of yours.

If you’ve any questions about how to make the best use of technology – whether at home or in the workplace – please do give our brilliant tech team a call on 01903 235782.

We are delighted to be part of this month’s Tesco Community Grants Scheme. The scheme gives SSW the chance to secure valuable funds, in this case to support our mental health walk and talk sessions.

Voting starts in stores from the first week of July 2022 and continues until 30th September 2022. 

If you find yourself in a Tesco (our local participating stores are listed below), make sure that when you pay you ask for a token, and then place it in the relevant box.

Here are Worthing’s participating Tesco stores:

Findon Express BN14 0EL Dolphin Express Dominion Road BN14 8LBBroadwater Express BN14 9DADurrington Express BN13 1QYRectory Road Express BN14 7PE Goring Way Express BN12 4TY  South Farm Road Express BN14 7GA  Chapel Road Express BN11 1EG   West Durrington Extra BN13 3PB Goring Road Express BN12 4AJ  

You can check the locations here: http://www.tesco.com/store-locator/uk

Thank you!

SSW recently welcomed a work experience student to the team: Ella, from Davison High School. Here’s her account of her time spent at SSW:

Hi, I’m Ella and I am a Year 10 student from Davison High School. I had my work experience placement at Sight Support Worthing, and I’ve written this to tell you all about my experience during the week. I arrived on Monday and got stuck in straight away, picking up different members on the SSW bus and taking them to Steyne Gardens to have a look at the renovation work the charity had been doing there (which looked great by the way!).

We then came back to the Centre for tea, coffee and cakes and then took everyone back home again. It was great to see everyone having a great time and catching up with each other and you could tell the services and activities that the charity holds benefit people greatly. 

Also, during the week I learnt about and tested out some equipment designed to help visually impaired people with daily activities, such as the OrCam which magnets to the side of a pair of glasses and will photograph text and then read it out to the user. There were also the liquid level indicators that would make noises when the hot water going into a mug reached the right level, and the long cane that could sense when a hazard was approaching in front of the user. It was interesting to learn about these things and how technology is advancing to help visually impaired people in our society. 

photo of Ella and friend sitting on a train and looking at a phone

I also completed training so that I could become a qualified Level 1 Sighted Guide, which was a useful thing to complete as it means I am now able to lead a blind or severely visually impaired person confidently and accurately. 

I learnt more about the different activities SSW offers, which seem varied and fun, such as the Cycall event I went to which is inclusive cycling that takes visually impaired people into consideration with their bike designs and allows them to have a easier cycling experience. It was great fun, and I was surprised at the speeds some of the members could cycle at – they were zooming past!  Other events held by the charity include regular art classes, shooting, woodwork, water activities and even skydiving! They challenge peoples’ initial perceptions that visually impaired people may not be able to do certain activities, as members regularly partake in fun and unique events. I’ve learnt that there are a lot of different ways one can be visually impaired, and I’ve got to speak to different people with different capabilities and experiences, which was very eye-opening.

Overall, I had a great experience and got a good insight on what life is like for the visually impaired which was useful as it allows me to be more understanding of different people in the community. I was getting involved in different activities and talking to a range of people, volunteers and members alike, which showed me a different side to having a job. The staff and volunteers at SSW were very friendly and welcoming and made the experience a pleasant one. It was a great taster into life in the workplace and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get involved in some fun activities and learn about the charity and how it helps people.

Thanks Ella; we’re glad you enjoyed your work experience with us!

The tech team at SSW have recognised that some SSW members may wish to experience the benefits of using a smart speaker at home without committing to the initial financial outlay for an internet connection. So, in response to this, we have launched a new service for our members which will allow you to try a smart speaker before you buy. 

How does it work? 

The trial will last for one month during which SSW will cover all costs.  This includes the setup and installation of a smart speaker (an Amazon Echo) and mobile internet. 

What if I already have the internet but just want to try a smart speaker?

The trial is open to those with and without existing internet connections.

What happens after the 1-month trial ends?

After the one month has expired you will need to return the devices or, if you would like to continue with the service, someone from the tech team will go over the internet provider and speaker options available to you.  

 

If you would like to try out a smart speaker on this basis, please get in touch with either Chris or Ali on 01903 235782.

by Ali Bates, SSW Tech Advisor

 

One of the consequences of dealing with sight loss is losing the ability to read a regular book. The font can be too small and other issues such as the contrast of the ink and paper and general eye fatigue can create a negative and frustrating experience, resulting in once avid readers giving up reading altogether.

Thankfully there are many options available to the blind and visually impaired community.

RNIB Talking Books offer their service in a few formats.

You can get your Talking Books by digital download. They have a range of titles available to buy or borrow from their online shop. Take a look here to get started.

You can also get your books through an Alexa-enabled device such as your smart speaker, tablet or phone. Here’s some more information on how to access books through this method.

The RNIB can also send a DAISY CD (one book per disc) or USB stick (three books per stick).

To register for any of these formats, call 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

If you have a library card, as well as being able to borrow large print books and audiobooks, they now have an online service called Libby. Libby is a free to download app available on all Android and iOS devices. It works the same way as a library; you can borrow books and read them on your device, using the settings to adjust the font size and contrast as needed. They also have a library of over 7000 audiobooks available. 

To register for this you need to get a four digit PIN number from your local library which, in conjunction with your library card number, enables you to access the service.

To find Libby in the Android store click here.

To find Libby in the Apple store click here.

There are other digital ways to access books but these do incur a cost:

If you would like help with accessing any of these services, please do get in touch with Ali or Chris, the SSW tech support team. 

You may have noticed that a large square has appeared on the SSW news and events newsletters recently with the words ‘Scan Me’ next to it. 

This square is known as a QR Code (Quick Response Code for those that do a crossword or pub quiz) and you may have noticed them around town, on Covid 19 testing materials and in other similar communications.  

A QR Code is a more advanced version of a barcode, usually found in the retail industry. Its key advantage is that it can store more characters, which is perfect for presenting website links.  For example, if I wanted to inform you of a specific page within a website in a printed document such as the SSW Newsletter then it traditionally might look like this:

https://hadley.edu/workshops/android-low-vision-features-series

The above link is not very easy to copy, so instead we use a QR Code which looks like this:

a QR code

 

So how do we scan a QR Code?  

Your smartphone or tablet will come with the ability to scan QR Codes but, as always, there are some slight differences between iPhone and Android procedures, which are explained below.

Android Phone/Tablet users

An Android device will make use of an app called Google Lens.  This app integrates with your phone/tablet in a couple of places depending on how recently your phone was updated. 

Look for the below icon when you open your camera app and using the QR code above, move it into position.  

the Google Lens icon

 

The app will pick up the website link instantly and will open the website when the shutter button is pressed. 

Google Lens is also often found on your home screen search bar and shows as a camera icon, as shown below:

graphic of the Google search page, with two icons to the right of it, inclusing one that is of a camera. There is a red arrow pointing to this camera iconiPhone/iPad users

Simply open your Apple camera app and point it towards the QR Code and you will be given a link to click on.  

Practice QR Code

Try this one to see how it works:

a QR code

It will take you to this URL: https://hadley.edu/workshops/outlook-low-vision-series

Struggling?

If you’re keen to get your head around QR Codes but need a bit more help, come and speak to one of our tech advisors. They’re also on hand to help with any other tech issues you might have. Contact the Centre on 01903 235782.

As part of our Art Class, members have been making quoits to be used by other members when they come to our Boccia days. The group also made a planter for members Sandra and Carl.

Safety measures are in place to ensure that this activity is accessible to our VI members. So far all fingers are intact..! 

 

We are aware that some members have needed to hand in their driving licenses due to sight loss and, with many people’s passports expiring during COVID, a number of people have found themselves unable to prove their identity.

 SSW team member Jackie Brownlee can help people apply for a Citizencard, which is recognized by the Home Office as well as on public transport. The card is an 18+ photo ID, it costs £15, takes approximately 21 days to arrive and lasts 15 years. More information can be found here.

If you’d like Jackie’s help to apply for a Citizenship card, give the Centre a call on 01903 235782.

 

by James Langley, SSW Events Coordinator

 

I wanted to share an interesting visit I had to the opticians recently. I have congenital nystagmus and ocular albinism and have not had a specialist appointment since I was a child. I decided it was time for an up-to-date and in-depth diagnosis.

In the past, visiting a high street opticians has felt like being put through a check out. However, on the recommendation of a friend who has recently been registered severely sight impaired, I visited my local Vision Express and asked for an appointment with the optician she had recommended.

We started with eye scans and distance vision. The machines the optician used picked up an astigmatism. However, she told me this was due to the eye movement associated with nystagmus, and that the reading was not accurate. When looking at distance vision I was unsurprised to hear that lenses would have little to no effect. It was very refreshing to hear that she did not recommend glasses as they would be very big, very expensive and of little use!

photo of James Langley, Events Coordinator for SSW

We then moved on to near/reading vision. Again, I was unsurprised to hear that lenses would have minimal effect. Annoyingly, I had forgotten my magnifying spectacles, which I occasionally use for reading long documents. However, with smart phone accessibility I find myself using them less and less. The optician told me to pop them in next time I was passing and she would update my record.

A few days later I returned to show her my glasses. We tried a couple of near reading tests, first with the naked eye, then with my glasses, then with the lenses she thought might help. But no such luck.

For reference, I can normally read font 14 with the naked eye, 12 if I squint, font 12 with my glasses, 10 if I squint. 

I removed the temporary frame and put my own glasses back on. Here is where it gets interesting… I noticed that my glasses had a very wide field of view; you may know that the temporary frames and lenses they use give you almost tunnel vision.

I pointed this out and told her that I tend to tilt/turn my head when reading and that the temporary lenses blocked that part of my visual field. She widened the space between the two lenses and my vision improved so that I could read font 10 comfortably and 8 if I squinted.

It’s not a huge leap, I know, but for the sake of a minor adjustment to the lenses position I did experience an improvement. I thought this may help someone whose vision is just on the borderline and preventing them from doing something they really want to do.

My vision puts me just below the threshold to drive in the UK so I now wonder if a similar adjustment could be made with distance lenses. That might allow me to drive which would give me increased opportunities. 

I am 33 and can’t believe I haven’t thought about this before. Maybe I’m alone and this is common practice but the optician was just as surprised as me, so thought it worth sharing in case someone else can benefit from a quick trip to the opticians.

 

If you’d like to speak to James about his experience at the opticians you can contact him at the Centre or email james@sswcharity.org.uk. Alternatively if you’d like advice about your eyesight, or maybe you’ve a story to share, we’d love to hear from you!

by Ali Bates, SSW Tech Advisor

 

It’s Mental Health Awareness week and the theme this year is loneliness. Loneliness is something that one in four of us suffer with at some point in our life. Today I will share my own experience of dealing with loneliness after sight loss.

Six years ago I suffered a detached retina. It was completely unexpected. I woke up one day with slightly blurry vision in my right eye and didn’t really pay it any attention as my eyes would occasionally go blurry and correct themselves later in the day. On this occasion it did not fix itself and I ignored it. I happened to have a routine optician appointment booked in and it was during this that I got told my retina had detached and I should visit the eye clinic.  Me being me, I left it a few days…  I worked at the hospital at the time so I just called the eye clinic on my next shift.  They demanded I came in to them immediately.

I had not expected that what was going on with my eye was an emergency that required urgent surgery. Unfortunately for me, the surgery was not a success. I woke up from the anaesthetic in complete darkness and excruciating pain. Nobody told me but I knew immediately that it had not been a success. The reality of sight loss had not previously occurred to me,

As part of my recovery I had to learn to sleep on my front and lay facedown for 80% of the day in order to give any chance to have some useable sight.

I existed like this for six weeks, in darkness and constant pain. My husband became my carer; he fed, bathed, did hourly eye drops and did everything in the house including looking after both of our children as well as me. For both of us it was incredibly lonely. I was bored, I wanted to read the news, see a friend and just feel normal and not like I was a burden on my husband.

One Saturday, a few weeks in, everything came to a head. I had only left the house for hospital appointments. My husband was physically and mentally exhausted from doing everything and dealing with the shock and uncertainty of my sight loss and inability to do anything. It was like the mental load had physically paralyzed him. We knew we needed some help from outside our four walls but this was not something either of us had ever sought before.

Monday morning my husband called the GP. He asked for help, he broke down, he felt like he had somehow failed as a husband. But, as I type this, I am literally sat here with tears in my eyes because I am so proud of him for recognising he needed some help. It was not failure; it was acceptance that he is human and there is only so much we can deal with on our own. During our entire relationship, every hurdle we have faced we have got through together, but he was so busy being everything to everyone else that he had nothing left for himself. Something had to give.

He had counselling; he was able to talk openly with someone that could help him adjust to our new normal, give him coping strategies and help him feel less alone. He felt able to tell me how he was feeling without feeling guilty, as the reality is that we both lost a lot more than an eye.  It changed who we are and the dynamic of our relationship. It was a long recovery but as I adjusted to living without my right eye I was able to be his supportive and fun wife again.

My own mental health recovery took a lot longer. I was so determined to get back to normal and back to work, that I did not stop still and give myself time to make adjustments; I threw myself into everything. I was in denial and angry at the same time. Everyone around me was so busy telling me that I am so brave and what an inspiration I am, which only confused me further as some days my only achievement was getting out of the house to get the kids to school.  I would then go home and sit in my house alone, hiding from the real world so no one could see how not ok I was. The short periods of time I was with others I could put my mask on and pretend all was ok.

It was actually our mortgage falling through nearly three years later that finally broke me, us buying our first home had been a focus for so long and at the last moment it was taken away from us. This rekindled my feelings of life being unfair and I went into a tailspin. All my focus went on finding us somewhere new to live and, thankfully, it only took 11 days to find somewhere and get moved in. But then I had a full breakdown. I could not hide from my feelings anymore. I didn’t want to take pills to numb the pain; I NEEDED to deal with everything so now it was my turn to reach out and ask a professional for help. I was lucky to be given a counsellor very quickly.

This lady changed my life. I worked through so much of the trauma I had been living with, accepted that I can still be me even with sight loss and, most importantly, I started to talk openly and honestly. It was not an overnight fix; it has been a long road of acceptance. I still have days of negative feelings but they do not control how I live my life or fill me with feelings of inadequacy. I definitely have many more positive interactions. I will always have a small amount of denial that I am blind but I know that is my stubbornness and determination to live my life on my terms.

I am sharing this as I know being open and honest with my experience may make others feel that they can ask for help. Here at Sight Support Worthing we are passionate about offering our members and their families the support they need. One of our future plans is to offer specialist talking therapy for those living with sight loss as well as their immediate family.

We are putting in a bid to the National Lottery to help fund this vital service. As part of the process we would like feedback from our community. Those of you on our mailing list (email and post) will have had a copy of the survey already. For those of you who have yet to complete it, you can find it here. It should take 3-5 minutes of your time and your feedback will be extremely valued. Thank you.

 

One of SSW’s key objectives is to ensure the wellbeing of our members and their close family and carers. We are currently exploring the feasibility of two new services and would hugely appreciate your feedback on each of the ideas.

We have a short survey (should take around 3-5 minutes depending on your feedback) looking at a talking therapy service and a volunteer matching (‘buddy’) scheme. 

Click here to access the survey. If you would rather complete a paper version please contact us.

The SSW Board set up an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 5th April to propose a change to the Constitution aimed at enabling SSW to respond to requests for help from those who live outside the Borough of Worthing.

Currently, the Constitution is worded as follows:

3. The Charity’s objects (“the Objects”) are the relief of persons who are blind or partially sighted living within the boundaries of the Borough of Worthing.

The Board’s Resolution was designed to enable SSW to respond to requests for advice and support from those living outside the Borough of Worthing.

The proposed new wording was as follows – bold indicates the changes:

3. The Charity’s primary objects (“the Objects”) are the relief of persons who are blind or partially sighted living within the boundaries of the Borough of Worthing. For those living outside the Borough of Worthing, the Charity will respond to and endeavour to address all requests for advice and support including access to the Charity’s Worthing Centre where that is practical.

At the EGM, the SSW Chairman outlined the rationale behind the SSW Board’s proposal which was to enable SSW to legitimately support anyone with a visual impairment, regardless of their place of residence. Currently, such support was limited to residents of the Borough of Worthing.

The Chairman assured the EGM that Approval of this Resolution would not impact the level of support and service provided to SSW members as priority would always be given to SSW members – and formal Membership of SSW would continue to be limited to residents of the Borough of Worthing.

However, being able to use the skills and experience developed within SSW to help a wider community, together with the feedback we get from that community, will ultimately benefit everyone and help sustain SSW as a viable local charity for the future.

Given that much of what SSW does is published and made available via the Internet, this attracts the attention of a much wider audience than just Worthing residents. When enquires for advice and/or help come from the visually impaired (or their family member/guardian) living outside the Borough of Worthing, SSW wants to be able to provide a constructive response. It does not seem fair that we should be restricted in offering such help just because someone does not live in the Borough of Worthing.

The following questions were raised by Members at the EGM:

1. Could the existing staff levels cope with the likely increase in requests for information and help without impacting the support currently given to SSW Members?

The Chairman assured Members that as set out in the new wording of SSW’s scope, SSW Members (by definition, Worthing residents) would be the charity’s “primary” commitment. If the increased demand for information from those living outside Worthing started to impact the available support for SSW Members, then the Board would look to increase the level of resource available to SSW.

2. Does SSW have the funds to increase the level of support that would potentially be required to meet the additional demand from people who would not be SSW Members?

The Chairman assured the Meeting that there were sufficient funds available to support an increase in resource should that prove necessary.

3. Is it possible to recruit the right numbers/calibre of staff?

The Chairman believed that based on recent experience (where a number of new staff members had been recruited) there is evidence to suggest that recruitment is not a significant problem.

The EGM then voted unanimously in favour of the Board’s Resolution.

Moving forward, SSW can establish itself as a charity fully supporting the visually impaired, wherever they may live.

by Chris Green, Tech Advisor

We’ve all encountered individuals that have attempted to gain sensitive information from us to commit fraudulent activity.  You will have received calls from people pretending to be your internet/telephone provider, bank or maybe even Amazon.  They all have one task in mind which is to extract that valuable data from you.  This could be conducted over several different calls to build trust and acceptance that you are speaking to who they say they are.  

An important thing to remember is that companies (including your bank and utility providers) will very rarely contact you over the phone.  You should never feel pressurized to reveal any information over the phone.  Here’s what some of these organizations say:

Santander

Anyone can be easily impersonated, and criminals can make the caller ID, email address or name look exactly like the genuine caller. So, if you receive an email, text or call, verify it’s genuine by phoning them back on a known and trusted number.

Amazon

Amazon will never ask for payment or offer you a refund you do not expect.

BT

If the caller sounds urgent or threatening, they ask for remote access to your computer, they ask for personal details, passwords or bank details then hang up. 

If the above sounds familiar and you fear you may have revealed personal information to a stranger then you can take some steps to protect yourself.  

  1. Change your email account password first
  2. Change all other passwords (this should be done regularly to maintain security) 
  3. Ensure that your contact details are correct for these accounts, especially your mobile phone/home number and backup email address (if you have one)
  4. Enable 2-factor authentication where possible

photo of a lady sat at a desk looking at things on a laptop with her smart phone nearby

 

What is 2-factor authentication?

The phrase ‘2-factor authentication’ sounds complex to many users. Chances are you have already used it in some way, but didn’t know it was called that. You might also hear it called “multi-factor authentication” or “2 step verification”.

Basically, it means that before you can access some services, you need to provide two different pieces of information. Examples might include:

Authentication types

Examples

Something you know

account name, passwordemail account

Something in your possession

security key, application, code

Some physical attribute

fingerprint, facial recognition

This means that if someone has managed to gain your password then they would also need your device or a fingerprint to get any further making it highly unlikely they can successfully complete both two steps. 

If you’d like to activate 2-step verification on your devices, or would like to have a chat about how to best manage the security of your data then please get in touch with one of our tech advisors.  

 

Have you ever heard of a condition called visual stress? It might sound like it’s to do with tired eyes from too much screen time, but actually it’s not related to eye function at all.

SSW Manager Sonia became aware of differences in her vision in her late thirties. But, as everyone’s eyesight is unique to them, it was difficult for her to ascertain if everyone’s sight was like hers. 

It was years before Sonia began to investigate as, fortunately for her, it wasn’t (and doesn’t now) interfering significantly with her ability to read. She said: “I’ve always struggled with glare and needed sunglasses throughout the year but since my late 30’s I’ve noticed that my field of vision fluctuates with blotchy or grainy interference. Depending on how bad it is, I can forget about it, but sometimes it can be a real nuisance and distraction.”

photo of a selection of coloured glasses in a storage rack

The coloured filters used to test someone who may have visual stress

Sonia made an appointment to have a Colorimetry test and, following this, the Optometrist confirmed she suffers from visual stress. The test involves reading a paragraph of repetitive words with different coloured lenses and timing the reading speed. There are so many different colour variations, so the process involves narrowing down by choosing between types of colour and then shades.

So what is visual stress?

Visual stress, sometimes referred to as Meares-Irlen or Irlen syndrome, is a neurological perceptual processing disorder. Lines of text are rather like a striped pattern. When some people look at black and white stripes of specific width and spacing, it causes visual distortions and illusions. Thes edistortions are due to hyper-excitability in the part of the brain known as the visual cortex. It is thought that when some people try to read, the ‘stripy’ effect of the lines of print cause symptoms affecting their ability to read the text. There appears to be a link between visual stress and Dyslexia, though you can have either without the other.

photo shows two examples of distorted text

Examples of how text can look for someone with visual stress / Irlen syndrome

What are the symptoms of visual stress?

How can I get tested?

Unfortunately, Colorimetry testing at this time is not available on the NHS and specialist optometrists are not widely found. For West Sussex residents, Sonia recommends Forbes Eyecare Ltd in Chichester. If you live further afield, try the Cerium Visual Technologies website where you can search for a specialist in your area.

Feel free to get in touch with SSW if you’d like to chat with Sonia or any of the team about your visual condition.

SSW has been awarded £600 from the Adur and Worthing Trust, as part of Creative Commissions 2022, for its Platinum Jubilee Community Art Project.

The aim of the project is to, as we emerge from the effects of the pandemic, find new ways to engage and connect with both our members and our local community. This project will achieve this objective by collaborating with local talented artists to produce art that will be on show to the public, enhance our neighbourhood, and also foster a good community spirit by celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee together.

The project includes a series of workshops and events using a variety of techniques and materials to produce large material banners and wire crowns that will be displayed for the public to see and enhance the local area, ready for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

photo of people creating banners as part of a workshop at SSW

Our plan is to then host an afternoon tea in late May for the artists and everyone else who has participated in the project. This will be an opportunity to celebrate working together as well as the 70 years of her Majesty’s reign. 

All events taking place as part of the Platinum Jubilee Community Art Project can be found on our calendar. Contact the Centre (01903 235782 or info@sswcharity.org.uk) to book a place on any of the events.

SSW has several partners in the project including Storm, Art-ful Pottery Cafe and the West End Gallery, all of whom are based near to SSW’s Centre in Rowlands Road. We’re also working with Fiona McVey and Jude Bitton of Inclusive Arts on this project, with Fiona being familiar to SSW members as our art teacher! It is hoped that the project will forge strong relationships between the partners and generate a feeling of community spirit.

The large, decorated banners created will be hung, prior to the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend in June, on the metal posts positioned on both sides of Rowlands Road for everyone to enjoy. Large wire decorated crowns will also be made, at the organised workshops, and positioned securely on the top of the posts to add an extra dimension to the project. 

We hope you can either join us for part of the project, or take a stroll down Rowlands Road later this Spring to admire the creations made by all involved!

logo for the Adur and Worthing Trust, with the strapline Commit to Culture

Recipient of a Highly Commended Award in the RNIB Seeing Differently Awards 2022

We are pleased to announce that Brian Butcher, SSW member and Trustee, is the proud recipient of a Highly Commended Award in the RNIB’s annual Seeing Differently Awards. Congratulations to Brian!

Brian received the award for his campaigning to make the lives of blind and partially sighted people in Worthing and West Sussex better. Through his lobbying and awareness raising, Brian has helped change the way transport companies, business owners and local politicians consider the needs of the blind and partially sighted community.

What an achievement! We are very proud to have Brian as part of our team here.

As well as his involvement with SSW Brian is a Community Connection Lead Volunteer, with RNIB, a Campaign Volunteer for Guide Dogs as well as a NHS Vaccination champion.

Dry eyes is a fairly common condition and it occurs when there’s a problem with the tear production process or with the quality or quantity of tears produced. Women are twice as likely to suffer with this ailment.

Symptoms include:

The most common causes are:

If left untreated some complications can occur such as

The good news is dry eyes are easy to manage. Here’s a few ways you can reduce the effects of dry eyes:

If you are at all concerned you can speak to a pharmacist, optician or the health professionals in the eye clinic who will be able to advise you on the best treatment for you.

James Langley joined the SSW team in late 2021 as our Events Coordinator and Accessibility Tester. He also works for Blatchington Court Trust as a Leisure Development Officer. Outside of work he has a busy life and enjoys socialising with his buddies, exploring on his mountain bike and honing his Judo skills.

James is visually impaired; he has nystagmus and ocular albinism. Spurred on by SSW team-mate Ali’s recent experiences with her eyes, James has recently asked to be referred to the eye clinic as it has been years since he has had any input from them. He’s aware that there may have been changes in his eyes or he could have even had unknown conditions develop.

Nystagmus presents itself as an involuntary movement of the eyes. In James’s case this is horizontal but it can be vertical, circular or a mixture of these. The condition is due to the signals from the eye to the brain being disrupted and, as such, it cannot be corrected by lenses. James finds it hard to see near things like printed text as well as far away things like objects in the distance.

Ocular albinism reduces the colouring of the iris (the coloured part of the eye) and the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It affects visual acuity (sharpness of vision) and makes James more sensitive to light. It takes a little longer for his eyes to adjust when he goes from a light room to a dark room and vice versa.

We’ll check back with James when he’s been to see the eye clinic for an update. 

Perhaps you’d like to share a little bit about you and your eye health? We’d love to feature you on the website too! Get in touch with Emily – emily@sswcharity.org.uk

by Chris Green, Tech Advisor

There are so many different types of technology out there, it can be hard to keep up. In this series of blog posts, I’m going to take a look at some of the latest accessibility tech to see if it’s worth it. Whether you’re a tech expert or just starting to think about the possibilities, we’re sure you’ll find something new here.

In this post, we will discuss the merits of introducing a smart speaker such as an Amazon Alexa or Google Home into the house, and the associated costs of entry.

So, what is smart tech?

This is a diverse subject with many offshoots, but the general definition is as follows:

It is a technology that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analysis to provide cognitive awareness to objects that were in the past considered inanimate.

In this series of blog posts, we will be focusing on ‘Smart Devices’. The definition of a smart device is as follows:

A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols such as WiFi. They can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously.

Some examples of smart devices you may already be familiar with:

What is a Smart Speaker?

If you’ve ever heard someone saying ‘Alexa’… ‘Hey Google’… or ‘Siri’ then they are most likely initiating contact with a smart speaker. A smart speaker is a speaker with a built-in microphone that allows users to interact with other smart devices or internet services using their voice.

Saying these keywords (‘Alexa’… ‘Hey Google’… or ‘Siri’) is a way of opening a line to the internet, the same as picking up the phone is opening a line ready to dial a number. It is the job of a smart speaker to translate your spoken word into text which is then sent via the internet as a question or command.

 

graphic depicting how a smart device works and a person's interaction with it

 

What will it do for me?

The examples below can be performed by using voice commands anywhere in the room:

What will I need to get going?

**it’s possible that a friend could complete the initial setup for you

How much will it cost?

If you have no internet, smart phone or tablet then the initial setup cost will vary depending on the devices you choose. The prices below are based on what I feel would provide adequate performance for value.

One off cost

Email account – FREE
Smart phone or tablet – £80
Smart speaker – £30

Ongoing costs

Average cost for a basic internet connection – £19 pcm

Is it worth it?

Personally, as someone who has been using smart devices for a number of years, I have grown accustomed to the convenience of having an encyclopaedia of information to hand for those moments when the grey matter isn’t up to the job.

I also like that my smart speaker doubles up as a radio alarm clock, controls my lighting, I can set my house alarm remotely or control my heating if I’m away.

Do I ‘need’ a smart speaker in my life? Probably not, but it sure does help.

 

If you’d like more advice or help setting up tech in your home, please do get in touch with me, or my colleague Ali, and we can discuss the possibilities available to you.

 

If you’re after some new sunglasses this Spring (or, indeed, any time of the year!) check out the ranges we have available here at SSW.

There are three brands available:

Cocoons – these come in a variety of frame colours, sizes, shapes and lens tints, so there’s something for everyone. They cost £45 per pair (R.R.P. £59.99) if you buy them through us.

Cobolt – these come in one size, with a black frame and a choice of different lens tints. They are £20 per pair.

Plastic wrap arounds – these go over your existing glasses. There are different tints available and they’re just £7 per pair.

Ask in the Centre to browse and try on the choices we have. 

by Alison Bates, Tech Adviser

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month. Although there are a huge range of settings for work, we are generally becoming more reliant on digital technology. This can result in extended time in front of a screen which can cause eye strain, headaches, blurry vision, and neck and shoulder pain.

Thankfully, there are many ways we can prevent these symptoms and here are a few suggestions:

Good posture

Sit making sure your head and neck are upright and in-line with your torso, not bent down or leaning back. Face your screen directly in front and position the screen around 25 inches (roughly an arm’s length away).

20-20-20

Every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will give your eyes a rest from the screen for a suitable amount of time.

Device settings

There are a number of ways you can make your computer, tablet or phone better for your eyes. You can raise the contrast on your screen. Perhaps make the text larger which can reduce strain, and also change the brightness of the screen. It shouldn’t be lighter or darker than your surroundings.

You can also lower the colour temperature of your screen. That means it will give off less blue light, which is linked to more eye strain.

Get regular eye tests

Regular eye tests are essential for maintaining eye health at work; you should have one every two years unless your eye care specialist recommends you have them more regularly.

Many workplaces will cover the cost of your test and may help towards the cost of any glasses needed so it is worth checking with your HR department.

At Sight Support Worthing we encourage our staff to maintain good eye health by covering the cost of an eye test and pay towards any glasses needed. 

“People often take their vision for granted, but problems with eyesight can occur at any time in your life.
As a sight loss charity, we ensure our team take regular screen breaks and keep up to date with routine eye tests but it’s really something all employers should be doing.
The people are the most important part of any organisation, and their sight is often critical to the work they do so it makes sense to protect the eyes as the most important resource.”

by Alison Bates, SSW Tech Advisor

Ok, so I will start off by saying I didn’t actually notice I am blind. Earlier this week I had an appointment with the eye clinic and during the visit a doctor suggested I be registered as sight impaired. I was pleased as I have been asking about this for the last few years but got fobbed off and didn’t pursue it.

Today I had a sight care advisor call me to ask some questions, so that she could get the paperwork sorted to get me registered as severe sight impaired. I had to ask her to repeat herself as I thought I was being registered simply as sight impaired. She apologised as she had been told I had consented to being registered, which I had: I just had just assumed it was for sight impairment.

Sight impaired means partially sighted, and severe sight impaired means blind. But I can see – sort of – out of one eye that randomly goes blurry. But I CAN SEE! It’s just hard work. ‘Blind’ doesn’t mean no vision – I know that – I just never really considered that my sight was that bad.

Then I remember I can’t read books anymore, not the paper ones anyway. I can’t make eye contact with people because I can’t see their eyes; I can’t even see my own eye colour in the mirror. So this, and so much more that I don’t even take into consideration, means that legally I am blind.

This changes nothing about me or my sight except a bit more self-awareness. Maybe I will be more patient with myself and allow more time to process things, ask for help and – even better – still accept help when its offered rather than just trying to stubbornly get on with it (yeah, right). 

 

Alison Bates, official BLINDO

by Alison Bates, SSW Tech Advisor

It is World Glaucoma Week 2022 and it gives me the opportunity to share my own life of living in denial that I have this disease of the eye.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause blindness or vision loss by damaging the optic nerve in the back of the eye (the optic nerve carries sensory nerve impulses from the retina to the brain) so, in simple terms, if the optic nerve is damaged it means the connection with the eye and the brain is not working properly so vision can become blurry or, worse, non existent.

I have Glaucoma. Last week I had my eyes tested and part of the routine test was an eye pressure checkup during which it was discovered that the pressure in my left eye is 25 and the pressure in my right eye is 60. To put this into context, the healthy range is 10-21.

My optometrist was in absolute shock that it was so high and I had to reassure them that, while I’m surprised it is higher than what is considered healthy, a) I know I have Glaucoma so it is going to be high and b) because – shock horror! – I have not taken an eye drop since the beginning of the pandemic because I have not been to the optician or the hospital. I won’t lie to you or myself and say it is due to the pandemic: it is because I live in denial that there is anything wrong and convince myself that I am going to be fine… somehow by brain will just work it out… but you know what: IT WON’T.

I have to actually get off my in-denial bum and see a professional to get eye drops and a completely called for telling off and stop ruining any chance I have of at least having one healthy eye.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with a doctor in an eye clinic and I will wear my big girl pants, accept my telling off, and start taking my eyedrops regularly (and now you all know how lax I have been you have permission to nag me)!

For more information about Glaucoma take a look at the World Glaucoma Association’s patient guide to caring for Glaucoma during a pandemic which you can access here or the more general NHS information here.

In conjunction with a number of local artists we will be holding joint workshops for our members to produce large banners and crowns to be displayed in Rowlands Road, ready to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

We are also looking for knitters to help knit decorations as part of our Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Community Art Project. We will supply the wool and simple patterns, so you can start knitting at your leisure. There’s also a dedicated Knit and Natter session planned. See below for details.

Here’s the first of the workshops; we hope to have you along to help create something wonderful!

After School Art Workshop with Artful Pottery café
Tuesday 5th April, 4-6pm

This will be a fun session with a Pop Art theme, using fabric paints and felt to decorate the large banners.

All day workshops with Inclusive Arts
Friday 22nd and Friday 29th April

Come along and help make banners and crowns in either the morning or afternoon sessions or stay for the whole day – whatever suits you! Let us know if you will need assistance with transport.

Knit and Natter
Monday 9th May, 2-3.30pm

Join us for a special Knit and Natter afternoon when we will be joined by community knitters from Storm, who are also based close by in Rowlands Road. If you are interested in helping either at home or coming along to the Knit and Natter please contact Roz on the usual office number or email roz@sswcharity.org.uk for more information.

Dates for other Jubilee Art workshops are still to be finalised so look out for more details in forthcoming newsletters and here on the website. To sign up for our newsletters, please click here.

Have you or a family member been diagnosed with sight loss? Share experiences with others in similar situations and find out about services available to you.

SSW is pleased to be partnering with the RNIB to offer a Living Well with Sight Loss course.

This free, informal course aims to help you increase your independence, boost your confidence and connect with others to share experiences. Through these sessions you’ll get practical advice, information and guidance on organisations, products and services out there to help you.

Join us: Living Well with Sight Loss Phone Group for residents of Worthing, West Sussex.

Where: Sight Support Worthing, 48 Rowlands Rd, Worthing, BN11 3JT

What: Covering many topics related to sight loss, with talks from ECLO, West Sussex Rehabilitation Officer, RNIB.

When: Thursday 12th and 19th May 2022, 10.30 – 3pm (Face to Face group)

This is a FREE group for West Sussex residents. It is suitable for adults of all ages, including friends, family members or anyone affected by vision loss. 

Each session covers a range of topics including:

Participants will also learn about other organisations and services that can provide support.

Book your place today!

Call the RNIB on 0303 123 9999 or visit rnib.org.uk/LivingWellWithSightLoss.

Email lwwslenquiries@rnib.org.uk if you have questions.

This February half term saw SSW team up with Look Sussex to host a family pancake and quiz day.

Needless to say it was lots of fun, and everyone had a fantastic time flipping (or attempting to!) pancakes, and testing their knowledge of Disney films. Check out the video below!

Sign up to our newsletter to hear about other events coming up soon.

https://youtu.be/WBOHQp_Hu6M

SSW members were treated to a day out at the South Downs Gun Club. This was a new activity for us and proved to be very popular!

Members were expertly guided by the Club’s coaches, with everyone enjoying their stint shooting at the targets. Take a look at the photos and video below.

In fact, the event was so popular we’re planning a return visit in the Spring. If you’d like to join us, drop us an email (info@sswcharity.org.uk) or call on 01903 235782. Sign up to our email newsletter to get regular updates on our new events and activities, as well as information about our services.

https://youtu.be/ma3D78qVXXQ















Citizens Advice in West Sussex is offering appointments to specifically give advice around energy, from helping you understand your bills to advice on how you can reduce your costs as well as the help available to you. If you or someone you know is on a low income, vulnerable or has a health condition, you could benefit from this service. 

You can book a free energy advice appointment with Citizens Advice’s fantastic team. Either email energyadvice@westsussexcab.org.uk or call 0808 278 7969.  

In the meantime, here’s some quick hints and tips from Citizens Advice on ways to help reduce the cost of energy and the amount of energy you use.

  1. Use your heating controls more effectively, such as thermostats, radiator valves and timers. You can save £100 per year by only heating your home when you really need it.
  2. Use energy efficient lightbulbs – this can save £50 over the lifetime of the bulb.
  3. Turn off appliances instead of leaving them on standby – this can save £30 each year.
  4. Switch your provider for one that gives you a better tariff. You can check whether you can get a better rate yourself by using the Citizens Advice comparison tool.
  5. You can apply for grants and support from your supplier and also from the Government.
  6. Get in touch with Citizens Advice to get expert, friendly help.

With the aim of increasing the scope and capacity of our tech services, we’re delighted to introduce the newest member of the SSW team: Chris Green! Over to you Chris…

“Hello! I’m Chris your new Tech Assistant at SSW. I live in Worthing with my partner, three children and a border terrier called Ted.I have a background in IT support and a love for all things tech in general. I have a particular interest in home automation and future developments in this area.I look forward to meeting you all soon!”

If you would like help from our tech support team, do get in touch. They’d love to help you!

The Priority Services Register is a free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. Energy suppliers and network operators offer it. Each keeps their own register, although some share with each other.We recommend that people who may be vulnerable or at risk during severe weather should be on a Priority Services Register. Parts of the UK have recently had severe weather – our turn may be coming! Friends and relatives – or us, here at SSW – can assist those who may be in need of a bit of help to register. Each operator can be contacted online or by phone. Power cuts don’t happen very often but if the electricity or water supply network is damaged or develops a fault, engineers work around the clock 24/7 to restore supplies as quickly as is safely possible. Being on a Priority Services Register will ensure that extra support will be received if the customer experiences an outage. Support is likely to include:

OFGEM has a summary at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-extra-help-priority-services-register, and this includes help in finding the suppliers in your area. As various energy suppliers and network operators are active in Sussex, the following are the ones who cover most of the county, but there are some others. If you try to register with the wrong operator they will usually steer you in the right direction.ElectricityUK Power Networks – most of the SE of England https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/power-cut/priority-services/about-the-priority-services-registerSSEN – parts of the West of Sussex https://www.ssen.co.uk/PriorityServices/WaterSouthern Water https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-registerSouth East Water https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/get-help/help-for-priority-customersThank you for helping to keep Sussex safe.

Healthwatch is undertaking a survey into the public’s experiences of using GP services, specifically in the last six months. Perhaps you can help by completing the survey?

 

Who is Healthwatch?

Healthwatch in Sussex is the local independent champion for people using health and care services in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. They listen to what people like about services and what they think could be improved and share their views with those who have the power to make change happen. 

What issues are people facing?

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on the NHS and also impacted how the public access health services. Staff at GP practices have been working hard to deliver the vaccine programme, catch up on the backlog of treatments and respond to new ways of working such as offering video and telephone consultations and providing online consultation software such as e-consult.

 

Healthwatch has heard that these new ways of accessing GP services have worked well for some people, allowing them to save time and get the help they need, quickly. But for others it’s been more difficult, time consuming and frustrating to access support when they need it.

How you can help

Healthwatch has already run a survey for GP staff to understand how their roles have changed during the pandemic, what practices do well, and what challenges they face.

 

Now they need to hear about your experiences of accessing GP services so they can help the NHS understand what is working well and what could be better, so that together solutions can be found.

 

Please help Healthwatch by completing our questionnaire https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SussexAccessingYouDoctorsSurgery/ and tell them about your experiences of accessing GP services in the last six months. They’d like your feedback on how you contacted your GP practice, how you booked an appointment and how your appointment went.

 

If you need this questionnaire in another format or version, please contact Healthwatch West Sussex

phone: 0300 012 0122

email: helpdesk@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk

web: healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk The results of this survey will be collated and put into a report and shared with NHS services and organisations to help shape the way services are developed in the future. All feedback is anonymous.

 

The questionnaire should take no longer than 15 minutes to fill in. The closing date for the survey is Friday 31 December 2021.

Did you know that you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance?

You can get Attendance Allowance if

Attendance Allowance is not means tested.

It takes 25 days to process the claim for attendance allowance which is paid at two different rates. Lower rate is £60 per week and the higher rate is £89.60.

Jackie Brownlee at Sight Support Worthing is able to help you complete the application form so if you think you may be eligible and would like to know more or get help from Jackie, please give us a call on the usual office number 01903 235782.

We are pleased to announce new chair dance classes at SSW, every Tuesday at 11am.

The Divibe classes are run by Diane Lewis and will last 45 minutes, followed by refreshments.

Classes start Tuesday 11th January, take place weekly and are for both our visually impaired members, as well as the general community

DiVibe’s classes are particularly suited to people that find standing classes difficult, so if you just love to dance, have fun and meet new people, then why not try this brand new class?!

Everyone is welcome but numbers are restricted, so please either book online at www.divibe.co.uk or phone Di on 07795956793. You can also email Di: Divibeuk@gmail.com

Classes are £6.50 which also includes tea/coffee and biscuits.

If you’re on Facebook, take a look at DiVibe’s page here.

Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select Sight Support Worthing as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. Amazon will donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.

How it works:

  1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
  2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programmes & Features
  3. Select Sight Support Worthing as your charity
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app

Thank you! You can also select us as your charity when shopping via your laptop or PC, or just using your phone or tablet’s browser (rather than an app). These are the instructions:

  1. Sign in to smile.amazon.co.uk on your desktop or mobile phone browser.
  2. From your desktop, go to Your account and select the option to Change your charity. Or, from your mobile browser, select Change your charity from the options at the bottom of the page.
  3. Select Sight Support Worthing from the list to support.Note: You can also hover over the supporting notice in the navigation at the top of any page and then select the Change link next to the name of the charity that you’re currently supporting if you wish to change it to us.
A message from Katie…

On 5th December we celebrate International Volunteer Day!  This side of 2021 brings us to the end of another challenging year, but our volunteers have provided dedicated time and effort to keep our charity running throughout the pandemic.  Volunteers have really pulled through for the world these last years, kept communities running and enabled charities to achieve the important work that they do, all over the world.

It is important to SSW that all our Volunteers feel valued and that they enjoy the work that they do.  We certainly don’t have dull days here, and we hope that our Volunteers feel the warmth from our Members that they meet each week.  Each year we try to get together to show our Volunteers just how much we love them, and I hope that this coming year will allow us to do this more, as we have had to miss out on this for the last two years.

This has been my first year as Volunteer Coordinator at SSW, and I have been totally struck and overwhelmed at the calibre of Volunteers we have.  The team and community environment at SSW is so wonderful – SSW wouldn’t be what it is as a charity if it weren’t for you.

Thank you to all of our Volunteers… we salute you!

If you would like to volunteer with us, please get in touch.  We are on the lookout for one-to-one drivers for member appointments and would welcome you warmly to our team of volunteers. 

apetito is the WSCC meals on wheels service, delivering a two-course hot nutritious meal into clients’ homes 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

You can choose from a daily selection of meals and puddings and, as they cater for every dietary need, there is something for everyone.

The meals are delivered between 11am and 2pm each day. On delivery their friendly drivers will carry out a safe and wellbeing check which gives your next of kin peace of mind. They can also plate your meal up for you, fetch your cutlery and a glass of water and pop the meal in front of you if required.

There are no contracts which makes the service very flexible and enables you to stop and start the service whenever you like. The cost of a two course meal is £5.85 and you can add an extra course for just £1. They also offer a tea time pack which consists of a sandwich, piece of cake and fruit.

To find out more or to sign up to the service please call 01903 718893 or visit www.apetito.co.uk/meals-on-wheels

As winter is almost here, and with it the cold weather and icy pavements, it may be tricky to get out and about as much as usual. If this is the case – either for you or someone you know – do feel free to book a regular chat over the phone with one of our volunteer team. Call now on 01903 235782 or drop us an email

Blind Person’s Allowance is added to your yearly personal allowance. The allowance is £2520 for 2021/2022.

You can claim if you are registered as blind or severely sight impaired with your local council, or if you have a certificate.

Jackie Brownlee at SSW is able to help you complete the application form so if you think you may be eligible and would like to know more or get help from Jackie, please give us a call on the usual office number 01903 235782.

The wonderful Jacqui is now available on a Wednesday if you need any help with little odd jobs.

Jacqui will be available to help with things like changing light bulbs and batteries, retuning TVs, fixing dripping taps, sorting out broken shelves/cupboard doors etc.

Unfortunately, she will be unable to help with more time-consuming tasks like tip runs, gardening or cleaning.

To discuss your odd jobs, give us a call at the office on 01903 235782.

Hi, I’m James! I’m the new Events and Activities Coordinator for younger people at SSW. I have taken on this position in addition to my role of Leisure Development Officer for Blatchington Court Trust as I hope the two can greatly benefit each other.

I have Nystagmus and Ocular albinism. During my time in mainstream education SSW (or WSB back then) were kind enough to provide me with a laptop which was very much appreciated and a huge help. I was also introduced to Look Sussex and Blatchington Court Trust during my time at school so have benefited from the amazing support that all of these organisations provide for VIPs.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you better and to delivering some amazing activities and events! 

 

How do you like the idea of getting instant access to thousands of RNIB audio books, free of charge, just by using your voice?

Well, that’s exactly what RNIB can offer! They’re giving away 3,000 Amazon Echos (smart speakers) to celebrate the launch of their Talking Books library being available on Amazon Alexa.

You can simply say “Alexa, open RNIB Talking Books” to access thousands of titles. RNIB Library and Reading Services are fully accessible via an Amazon Echo and you can also ask the device to call the RNIB Helpline.

Terms and conditions do apply.

If you would like to try out the Alexa, we have them at the Centre for you to come in and see what all the fuss is about.

Our Tech Advisor Ali is on hand to help set up your device at home, answer questions and show you everything Alexa can do and give ongoing support.

To book a slot with Ali, drop her an email – alison@sswcharity.org.uk – or call the Centre on 01903 235782.

Members recently enjoyed a great day out at Worthing Golf Club. Matt, the Assistant Professional, spent time with everyone, understanding each member’s needs. He always seems to get the best from everyone, and consequently, making their experience one to remember.

Although all members hit straight airborne shots one member – who claims he has never hit a golf ball before – stood out: Carl Mann. Matt challenged him further by giving him a driver and he still hit 100 yards with little effort. David Martell managed a good 50 yards so we have some budding golfers in our midst.

Our thanks also must go to the catering team who not only made everyone very welcome but supplied wonderful sandwiches and chips.

A great day in lovely weather.

With signs of Christmas beginning to appear, we thought we’d give you some SSW festive activities to look forward to.

All our events are listed in the What’s On calendar but we’re also going to keep this page updated with our Christmas happenings. Check back for the latest details.

Christmas Wreath Making

Friday 3rd December –  10am – 1.30pm

Come and make a beautiful wreath with help frrom an experienced florist. This event will have restricted numbers so if you are interested give us a call as soon as you can! The charge for this event will be £14 which include materials, a light lunch and the usual £4 towards transport.

**FULLY BOOKED** Christmas with Ovation Show at THE VENUE (formerly St. Paul’s Café, Chapel Road)

Tuesday 14th December – 7.30pm 

“A splendiferous evening of fun with Worthing’s favourite vocal group! Get whisked away on a journey of Christmas nostalgia as Ovation sing all your favourite songs.”

Ticket for this exciting evening of Christmas cheer are £17. Please note there is limited number of tickets available for this event. Contact the Centre to book your space!

Special Christmas Drop In Event

Thursday 16th December – 11.30am – 3pm

On Thursday 16th December we will be having a very special Christmas drop-in event, with coffee/tea, mince pies, sausage rolls and a live performance (on screen) of Jack and the Beanstalk at 1.30pm. This is a Rock and Roll Panto, from the Wolsey Theatre Ipswich featuring Joe Butcher who some of you will remember from when he worked for us pre-lock down!

Billed as the best of pantomime mixed with the best songs from the classic rock and pop playlist, all played live before your eyes, including Hit the Road Jack, Lady Marmalade, Get Offa My Cloud, Go Your Own Way and many, many more. We are sure it will be well worth a watch!

Seats are limited for the panto screening so please give us a call to ‘book’ your place!

You are still more than welcome to pop in for coffee and mince pies even if you don’t want to watch the panto… Oh yes you are!!

We’ll also be holding a raffle so come ready to buy tickets and win prizes!

Last year, SSW Chairman Barry Ward underwent a cataract operation. Here’s his experience of this eye health journey, with each stage written as it happened.

Diagnosis

I was referred to the Shoreham Eye clinic “as a precaution” after my annual eye test with Specsavers.

When I attended the subsequent appointment at the Eye Clinic, I must admit I was very surprised and somewhat shocked to be told that I needed both cataracts removing. I had no idea that there was a real problem with my eyes and initially I found it hard to accept.

However, the total lack of any surprise when I told friends and colleagues brought home to me that not only was this par for the course for someone in their 70s, but also that the general view is that such an operation is very straightforward with brilliant results.

Did that make be feel better? To be honest, it didn’t at first, although I fully understood the logic of those views. I am now just three days away from the first operation and I’m feeling reasonably calm but nonetheless anxious – if that’s not a contradiction in terms!

Operation

On the day I was much calmer than I expected. The nursing staff were very reassuring and helpful, responding positively to all my questions.

The operation itself was strange (being fully awake) but totally pain free and not even uncomfortable. If, as expected, the other eye needs doing then I shall have no anxieties at all.

The de-briefing from a nurse was thorough and fully documented. I left with a patch and padding to provide protection for the first night. Then the advice was to wear the patch (without the padding) just overnight for the first two or three nights, to avoid anything hitting the eye.

Recovery

This varies apparently, depending on the severity of the initial condition and the individual’s own health.In my case, the following days were as follows:

Some time has now passed since the operation and the sight in the eye continues to improve. I had the left lens in my previous glasses changed to clear glass as the prescription lens was making it difficult to focus with my newly improving eye when reading. 

Cataracts: did you know?

Thanks to Barry for sharing his experiences of cataracts – the initial diagnosis, the run up to and the operation itself, as well as his recovery from the operation.

We hope Barry’s experience helps you understand the process and that there is nothing to fear. In fact, like most operations, the results are worth the possible apprehension.

If you have an eye health experience to share, or you would like more advice on sight loss, please do get in touch with us. If we cannot help you ourselves, we will know someone who can!

Local historian Chris Hare is currently involved in a project recording people’s memories of Homefield and Beach House Parks.

Chris believes that some members – especially if they were born in Worthing – might have a lot of memories of playing in the parks – especially Homefield – when they were children.

Chris plans to visit the Centre to interview and record a group of members about their memories of these Worthing parks.

The aspects Chris is interested in include:

As well as Homefield Park, Chris is also interested in memories of Beach House Park and Denton Gardens.

Reminiscence work has been shown to have many health benefits for older people as it affirms the value and meaning of their lives. If you (or someone you know) would like to be part of this fascinating and valuable project, get in touch with the Centre either by email (info@sswcharity.org.uk) or phone 01903 235782

Photo in the image is Beach House Park cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Paul Gillett – geograph.org.uk/p/6545597

Netflix is undertaking a global casting search for a new Netflix Limited Series based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestselling novel All the Light We Cannot See. 

The series will be made by 21 Laps Entertainment, the producers of Arrival, Stranger Things and Shadow & Bone.

They are looking for a teenage Caucasian girl who is blind or partially sighted/low vision. The character is thoughtful, curious, intelligent and courageous. You must speak fluent English. Shooting is slated for Europe 2022.

To audition, please email allthelight@lucybevancasting.com for more
information on how to submit an application. 

We are looking for a motivated and skilled individual to help us to provide our assistive technology service to our visually impaired members, supporting our Tech Advisor.

Interaction would either be in-house at our HQ, or on the telephone with members.

Potential time required is between 4 – 10 hours per week, based at our HQ in Rowlands Road, or from home, if by telephone.

We need someone with good technical knowledge who is willing to learn and become a specialist on assistive apps and platforms.

The volunteer must possess good soft skills so, for example, you need to be friendly and a clear communicator to establish a rapport with our members as you will need to explain complex instructions to people, some of whom rely entirely on audio or verbal communications.

Ideal skills needed:

There is no need for qualifications for this volunteer role, but we place importance on having wonderful people skills and being confident with a variety of technology.

If you would like more information or to apply for this role, please get in touch with Katie either by email katie@sswcharity.org.uk or by phone on 01903 235782. Thank you!

If you need help with a PIP or benefits application, we can help. Jackie, a member of the SSW team (you can read about her here), has lots of experience of completing PIP applications and benefit forms, and would be delighted to help you too.

All you need to do, in the first instance, is contact the SSW office by emailing info@sswcharity.org.uk or calling us on 01903 235782.

The two AGMs were held on the same day (23rd September 2021) as it had not been possible to hold the 2019/2020 meeting at the usual date or time, due to Covid restrictions.

 

Minutes of the Sight Support Worthing AGM for the Year 2019/2020

Held on 23rd September 2021 at 48 Rowlands Road, Worthing

Present: 25 Members of  SSW 

5 Trustees 

Staff and volunteers 

 

Item 1 – Welcome and Introductions

The AGM was opened by Barry Ward, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who welcomed everyone to the AGM. 

The Meeting then held a Minutes Silence to respect members, friends and family who had passed away during the period since the last AGM.

This AGM should have been held 12 months previously but due to the Government restrictions relating to the Covid Pandemic, it had not been possible to hold this AGM until now.

The Chairman reminded the meeting that only the Members present had the right to vote where a vote was sought.

 

Item 2 – Re-election of Trustees

The Constitution required one-third of the Trustees to stand down (in turn) by the date of an AGM, opting to seek re-election if they chose. 

Dawn O’Donnell and Cherry Ward were standing down: both sought re-election. 

Dawn O’Donnell was Proposed by Ron Colbourne and Seconded by Madeline Hastwell; Cherry Ward was Proposed by David Martill and Seconded by Pat Martill. 

The Meeting voted in favour of both being re-elected.

Item 3 – Approval of the 2019 AGM Minutes

Jean Knight Proposed that the Minutes should be adopted and Sandra Mann Seconded that motion. The Meeting voted in favour of adopting the Minutes with no votes against.

 

Item 4 – Matters Arising

There were no Matters Arising.

 

Item 5 – Accounts and Annual Report for the Year to 31st March 2020

5.1 Financials

A one-page Summary of the overall Accounts had been given to all attendees.

This showed an operating deficit of £74 000 – ignoring the figure for asset depreciation. That figure exceeded the planned deficit by £54 000. That additional deficit was due entirely to a drop in Legacy/Donations of £47 000 and a reduction in Dividend Income of £7 000 (the latter being a result of the World Financial Market being impacted by the Covid Pandemic).

The Board could not have predicted either of the above at the start of the Financial Year. However, the level of financial reserves available to SSW means that this additional loss can be covered without any risk to the Charity’s financial position. 

Due to the impact of the Covid pandemic on the World Financial Market, the “paper value” of the Charity’s Investment Portfolio suffered a 14% downturn in the last quarter of this financial year. However, at the time of this AGM (some 18 months later) the “paper value” has more than fully recovered. The financial position is therefore sound.

Full copies of the Accounts are available to members. 

The following questions were raised:

5.1a Dorothy Hicks (member) asked why the Christmas and Summer Fayres had stopped, both of which raised funds. In response, Cherry Ward (Trustee) said that the changes were introduced in order to vary what had happened before. The Chairman added that those events had not been targeted as fund raisers – they were mainly social events with the fund raising being a bonus. However, the staff are actively looking at holding further such functions.

On that point, the Chairman emphasised the value of members putting forward their ideas for new activities and events.

5.1b Madeline Hastwell (member) asked whether members should pay an annual subscription.

In response, the Chairman said that the Board’s preference was that membership should be free, thus ensuring that nobody would be put off joining the Charity.

SSW operated a monthly “draw” for members who wanted to buy tickets. Half the money received was paid out monthly to those tickets that were drawn from the ballot; the other half being retained by SSW to support the costs of running the Charity. This was deemed to be a more equitable way of raising funds from members as it gave individual members the choice of whether or not to participate. 

5.2 General Activities

In addition to the regular Activities and Events, a free Christmas Lunch (at an outside venue) had proved a great success with 65 members attending.

The Board had decided to sponsor a Council owned garden at Steyne Gardens to create a sensory garden (colour, aroma and touch) – a proposal that the Council readily supported.

Additional changes were made to the Charity’s web site to ensure that it provided a full coverage of the services SSW offers.

A pantomime was put on, with the cast being drawn from members, staff, volunteers and Trustees. This was held as a one-off show at a local school.

Over the year, we attracted 50 new members.

All paper records and some digital files are now stored in the West Sussex Archives Office in Chichester. This ensures their long-term safety and also makes them nore readily available for research by interested parties.  

5.3 Staffing

In November 2019, Frances Pritchard (Manager) asked if she could move to a three-day week, ideally Monday to Wednesday starting at the end of March 2020. The Board agreed subject to the recruitment of a Manager to cover Wednesday to Friday (allowing the Wednesday as a hand-over day). In effect, both acting as Joint Managers.

The recruitment was successful with Sonia Baker taking up the joint role on 23rd March. Later that same day, the Board took the decision to close the Centre as a result of the Covid pandemic and all the staff were sent home, on full pay.  

5.4 Impact of Government Covid Restrictions

Following the decision to close the Centre on 23rd March, staff were asked to establish a phone rota so that until the situation changed, they could remain in contact with members and maintain a degree of interaction.

At that point, nobody had any idea how long the “lock down” would last.

Item 6 – Adoption of the Accounts 

Pat Giles Proposed the adoption of the Accounts which was Seconded by Jean Knight. The Meeting voted in favour.

Item 7 – Appointment of Auditors

Normally, at an AGM the members are asked to vote on the Board’s recommendation re appointing Auditors. Given that this particular AGM should have taken place 12 months ago, the Board made the decision at that time to re-appoint Kreston Reeves..

Item 8 – Resolutions

There were no Resolutions notified in advance.

Item 9 – Close of Meeting

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and for their participation.

The formal element of the AGM was closed at 11.50.

 

——————–

Minutes of the AGM for the Year 2020/2021
Held on 23rd September 2021
at 48 Rowlands Road, Worthing

Present: 26 Members of SSW
5 Trustees
Staff and volunteers

Item 1 – Welcome and Introductions

The AGM was opened by Barry Ward, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who welcomed everyone to the AGM.

The Chairman reminded the meeting that only the Members present had the right to vote where a vote was sought.

Following the formalities of the AGM there would be an Open Forum where members can raise any matters of interest and/or concern.

 

Item 2 – Re-election of Trustees

The Constitution required one-third of the Trustees to stand down (in turn) by the date of an AGM, opting to seek re-election if they chose.

However, as Martin Bloomfield had stood down in December and Frances Jacobs had stood down at the September Board Meeting, that covered the situation.
The Chairman thanked Frances for all her support and was pleased that she is continuing her work as a volunteer. Martin Bloomfield had indicated when he started that due to business commitments, he would probably only serve as a Trustee for two years – he stayed for over four years which was fully appreciated.

The Board had co-opted Brian Butcher as a Trustee in January – he was now being put forward for formal election by the members: Proposed by David Martill and Seconded by Madeline Hastwell. The Meeting voted in favour of Brian being elected.

 

Item 3 – Approval of the 2020 AGM Minutes

Due to the Government Covid restrictions, the 2020 AGM had to be postponed – that AGM took place earlier in this day so clearly there are no Minutes to approve.
That process of Approval will be carried forward to next year’s AGM.

 

Item 4 – Accounts and Annual Report for the Year to 31st March 2021

4.1 Financials

A one-page Summary of the overall Accounts had been given to all attendees.

This showed an operating deficit of £74 000 (ignoring the figure for asset depreciation) which is very similar to the previous year. However, the reasons for the deficit are different from those that resulted in the previous year’s deficit.

For most of the year, due to the Government “lock down” restrictions (aimed at reducing the impact of the Covid Pandemic) the Centre was closed with only very limited opportunities for staff to work at the Centre – in the main, staff worked from home. The impact on finances compared with the previous year meant that HQ running costs were down £20 000 – we also received an additional £ 24 000 in Legacies. However, our Investment Income was down £20 000 (due to the Covid impact on the World Financial Market) and the need to fund Redundancy payments (see 4.3 below) in effect matched the reductions in expenses. Hence a similar deficit to the previous year.

On the positive side, the level of financial reserves available to SSW means that this additional loss can be covered without any risk to the Charity’s financial position. In fact by the end of this Financial year, in spite of the Covid impact on the Financial Market the “paper value” of SSW’s reserves had increased, more than covering the deficit recorded above. The financial position is therefore sound.

Full copies of the Accounts are available to members.

4.2 General Activities

From the start of this AGM year (ie 1st April 2020), the Centre was closed and all staff were working from home, on full pay. The main task of the staff involved phoning all the members on a regular basis, providing a degree of communication and also identifying any areas where SSW could provide more direct support.

The SSW Board “met”, using Zoom technology, on a fortnightly basis for several months while the staff continued their regular contacts with members. It was impossible to make any definite plans as nobody knew how long the “lock down” arrangements would continue. A partial lifting of restrictions during the Summer enabled some staff to come to the Centre to work – but no Activities or outings were possible.

4.3 Staffing

By September 2020, it became clear that there would not be any significant lifting of the “lock down” arrangements until the Spring of 2021 at the earliest. The Board therefore had to review the situation and in particular make decisions regarding continuing to employ and pay all the staff in post.

At this point, the Government introduced a new furlough scheme. Under that scheme, if an employer could demonstrate that an employee could genuinely fulfil 33% of their role, the Government would provide a significant “top up” of their full-time salary.

So, the Board met with all the staff, explained the position and asked if any staff would want to seek voluntary redundancy, At the same time, the Joint Managers (Sonia Baker and Frances Pritchard) were asked to review all the roles and determine those that could meet the new furlough conditions. Based on that review, it was clear that the Receptionist role did not meet the new furlough conditions (nobody was visiting the Centre). The Board therefore determined that the role was redundant and Sue Collier was given Redundancy terms. At that same time, Frances Pritchard asked the Board to consider her application for Voluntary Redundancy. Given the circumstances, the Board agreed to Frances’s request.

At the end of the AGM year (ie 31st March 2021) Steve Deane decided to retire, further reducing our staffing level.

4.4 Impact of Government Covid Restrictions

In effect, the full “lock down” Covid restrictions continued up to the very end of this AGM year.

4.5 Board Objectives

The uncertainty over the longer-term levels of Covid Restrictions made any form of planning extremely difficult. However, in January 2021 the Board met to review its Objectives and set out their priorities for the future. The main points were as follows:

4.5.a Establish an in-house technical capability that could offer support to existing members, support for future members and provide advice to anyone with a visual impairment in their use of phones, tablets, computers etc.

4.5.b Start planning for the re-opening of the Centre so that when restrictions are lifted, SSW is ready to re-establish Activities and outings.

4.5.c Further improve the support and communication with SSW’s team of volunteers.

4.5.d Ensure that the communication with members is meeting their needs.

4.5.e Increase the level of collaboration with other related organisations.

4.5.f Continue to seek how best to further raise SSW’s profile in the community.

4.5.g Promote the needs of the Visually Impaired across Local Authorities and businesses.

Item 5 – Adoption of the Accounts

David Nicholls Proposed the adoption of the Accounts which was Seconded by Roy Beynon. The Meeting voted in favour.

 

Item 6 – Appointment of Auditors

Jean Knight Proposed and Pat Giles Seconded the Board’s recommendation to re-appoint Kreston Reeves as Auditors. The Meeting voted in favour.

 

Item 7 – Resolutions

There were no Resolutions notified in advance.

 

Item 8 – Close of Meeting

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and for their participation. A vote of thanks was also expressed for all the staff and volunteers for their commitment and enthusiasm during the unprecedented events of this past year.

The formal element of the AGM was closed.

Open Forum

This session does not form part of the official AGM but has been Minuted to record the points raised.

Everyone had clearly enjoyed the lunch that preceded this AGM and a round of applause was the way everyone thanked Jacqui Matten who had arranged the provision of lunch.

Prior to lunch, Sonia Baker (Manager) had outlined the current staffing responsibilities. Alison Bates (Technical Support) gave a more detailed overview of her background and her aspirations for her role, encouraging members to approach her for help and support.

Brian Butcher (member and Trustee) outlined his background and in particular his specific interest in ensuring that local Government and business understood and fully met their legal obligations regarding measures that help the visually impaired. The current emphasis is directed at improving access in Warwick Street. He has also involved SSW in working with the local Council on their plans for pedestrianising other parts of Worthing.

Cherry Ward (Trustee) outlined in more detail the work that is being done in the walled gardens at the southern end of Steyne Gardens to create a sensory garden that can be enjoyed by SSW members and the general public. The Covid “lock down” has delayed progress but it is planned to start buying plants later this month with a view to planting in October. Those members who would like to get involved should contact the SSW Office. In addition to gardening activities, SSW will also be looking to paint the benches and railings that form part of this garden area. In response to a question from Dorothy Hicks, if members wish to contribute to the cost of plants etc then any contributions would be welcome. Regarding the risks of vandalism, to date there have been no such incidents.

David Martill (member) asked if someone could look into the viability/reliability of “Ellis” spectacles. Brian Butcher took that as an Action.

Dorothy Knowles (member) raised a number of concerns regarding Utility Companies charging for the provision of paper bills and/or large print bills. In response, both Brian Butcher (Trustee and member) and Alison Bates (staff) explained the legal obligations that Utility Companies (and others) had in regard to the provision of bills for the visually impaired. So, if any member is having difficulties in this context, both Brian and Alison would like to be informed so that they can offer help and advice.

Roy Beynon (member) asked if the Monday “Knit & Natter” session would be re-introduced. In response, Sonia Baker (Manager) said this depended on the level of demand but if there were sufficient members interested, then she would make arrangements for sessions to be started (although that might not now be possible for Mondays). Sonia also asked that if members wanted to set up new activities to let her know and every effort will be made to meet such requests.

Dawn O’Donnell (Trustee) reminded members that with the likely introduction of Covid booster vaccinations, transport could be arranged using SSW’s 1:1 volunteer driver service.

Let’s meet another of our fabulous trustees! This time we’re getting to know Cherry Ward who runs several of our activity sessions for us as well as her duties as trustee.  Name: Cherry Ward How long have you been involved with SSW?  What’s your role at SSW? I have now been involved in SSW for over 6 years firstly as a volunteer, and then became both a Trustee and a volunteer, along with providing exercise classes and taking responsibility for other activities such as Boccia and the Burns Supper event. Also, Barry & I use to do Sunday picnics and did take a group on holiday for three years….. even went overseas…. Isle of Wight! All were a great success and fond memories were made. There is many a photo on file or a tale to tell. I also carry out 1:1 drives for our members wherever they wish to be taken. Which moments at SSW have you particularly enjoyed? I thoroughly enjoy the interaction with the very varied membership we have, getting them motivated and hearing about their lives, having often found some link either in where they have lived or interests and even to the point of knowing the same people totally not associated to SSW. What do you love about living where you do? Living were we do we have everything very close to hand. We do not have to travel too far before you are in a big city or the countryside, where there are many very interesting places to visit – National Trust sites, for example – which the members have enjoyed too.

 

 

a photo showing Cherry Ward, Bob Smytherman and the lady mayor of Worthing How do you spend your free time? My free time is taken up with family and friends. We have three adult children, four adult grandchildren and one younger grandchild and two great-grand children. We are fortunate that they all live within walking distance. We have family both in Plymouth and Weymouth who we keep in contact with and try to visit regularly. We have a good circle of friends and social events are a key aspect of any circle. I do try to keep fit but long term health issues sometimes slow me down. Tell us an amazing fact about yourself… When staying in Bulawayo, Rhodesia in 1972 I attended a racehorse mare and aided the premature birth to one of twins. I had to milk the mare to start the milk flow and feed the foal. All this in full ball gown as both the vet who was on duty and I were attending a government house function.  The following day I was told by the owner and stable hand that she was a VERY difficult mare and had put quite a few staff in hospital! Another interesting fact is that I have the badge to prove that I was a Show Steward at Crufts Dog Show centenary year when they moved if from Olympia to Birmingham – my mother was senior Judge for ‘French Bulldogs’ a breed that she had bred for some years and produced a champion in her own right. Thanks Cherry – that’s a great end to a fascinating snap shot of your life and involvement with SSW.  

Staff and volunteers from Sight Support Worthing (SSW) met yesterday with the owners and managers of cafés, restaurants and pubs in Warwick Street, Worthing, to demonstrate how blind and visually impaired customers experience their establishments, and how they can make their premises more accessible. 

SSW's Roz with the visual impairment sim specs

This special visual awareness event, held in conjunction with Adur and Worthing Council, kicked off with a heart-felt appeal from SSW Trustee Brian Butcher, who is visually impaired himself. Brian highlighted the main problems visually impaired customers have when walking around town centres and visiting hospitality outlets, with a focus on obstacles such as A-boards, tables and chairs, and other street furniture.

SSW representatives gave the business owners – including Thieves’ Kitchen and Jonny’s Restaurant – an opportunity to experience first-hand – through the use of ‘sim specs’ – what it is like to visit their business with a visual impairment. Jonny Abrahams, owner of Jonny’s Restaurant, wore the sim specs for a stroll down Warwick Street: “It’s been really useful to experience some of the eye conditions that visually impaired people have and to see how it is for them on the street and in my restaurant.”

Thieves' Kitchen manager trying out the sim specs

Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, came along to support the event and tried out the sim specs, escorted by a sighted volunteer. Mr Loughton said “Events like this are really important to remind people that it’s great to have a busy street like Warwick Street – it’s fantastic that people are coming back out and socialising – but there are people for whom this can be a real trip hazard. We just need to remember that people with sight disability are customers as well and we need to make it as safe as possible for them to be able to enjoy life on the high street like everybody else.”

Tim Loughton MP being shown down Warwick Street in visual impairment sim specs

Brian Butcher, SSW Trustee and volunteer with RNIB and Guide Dogs, was delighted with how the event had gone: “It’s fantastic that so many of the Warwick Street establishments were keen to understand how they can make their premises more accessible for blind and visually impaired people. We’re keen to work with as many of the amazing businesses in Worthing as possible to help them in the same way. For hospitality outlets it’s especially important, as we can help them understand the requirements of their pavement licences in an easy, practical and cost-effective way.” You can watch Brian’s opening address below.

Plans are now being made for a similar event to be held for hospitality businesses in other locations throughout Worthing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zdpBRc9GPA

We are starting tech appointments on Monday afternoons. This is to give members an opportunity to book a face to face meeting with Ali, our tech adviser. We’re offering both individual or group bookings.

Ali can help you get to grips with the tech that you have and help you get the best out of its accessibility settings. She can also continue to support you afterwards as you learn about your tech device or other piece of equipment.

Here’s some of the ways Ali and the tech support service can help you:

Ali can help with various devices and pieces of tech equipment including

Plus anything else tech related you might need!

To book your slot, call the Centre on 01903 235782 or email  info@sswcharity.org.uk

Transport to the Centre can be provided if booked in advance.

 

The new Worthing Dementia Hub launches on Wednesday 29th September at 46 Goring Road, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, BN12 2AD.

They are hosting a memory café and inviting people affected by dementia and their carers/family members to join them for light refreshments and a chance to look around and find out more of what will be available to support them at the hub.

The launch may be a bit busy for some, so they are also running 2 relaxed sessions for anyone to drop in to for an informal chat.

There’s also an opportunity to join Dementia Friendly Worthing’s choir. They are partnering with Chesswood School and their new (dementia friendly) choir to run music sessions at the hub on Thursdays. Spaces are limited and they hope the newly formed intergenerational choir will perform a song or two at the Alzheimer’s Society Christmas Carol Concert in December.

The Carers Health Team will be running clinics at the hub to offer dementia carers a MOT and a chance to discuss their caring role in a confidential space.

All of the above can be booked via Lynsey Tran the Worthing Dementia Hub Coordinator. She can be contacted on  07903720208 or by email: info@dementiafriendlyworthing.org

You can check out the Dementia Friendly Worthing website for more information on their support and events.http://www.dementiafriendlyworthing.org

Hello – I’m Gill! It’s always nice to put a face to a voice – and for those of you who listen to the newsletter on CD, it’s high time I introduced myself.

I’m Gill Medway, a local actor and writer – and it’s my great privilege to record your monthly newsletter.

I’ve been a primary school teacher, a magazine editor and – believe it or not – a puppeteer in Saudi Arabia. My glove puppet theatre, Magic Forest, featured the adventures of Horace the Hedgehog and was a real hit with the under-fives – both for Saudi children and British expats.

I’m now the resident writer with a local theatre company, Hurly-burly Theatre. We’ve been performing regularly at the Ardington Hotel in Worthing – and I’m lucky to be writing for a great bunch of actors.

Our work there has been seriously curtailed, due to you-know-what but with the easing of restrictions, we’re now back on track and planning our next performance. As we return slowly to normal, there’s plenty going on at Sight Support, too. I look forward to telling you all about it very soon…

Hi, I’m Jackie! I have lived in Worthing for 30 years. I have a 14 year old daughter who was born with congenital cataracts and had seven eye operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital to correct her vision. My daughter still attends GOSH every 3 to 6 months to complete Low Visual assessment, pressure and eye monitoring and development.

When my daughter was little my midwife introduced me to Look Sussex, Blatchington Court Trust, VICTA and RNIB; all of these charities have really helped and supported us through DLA claims and EHCP paperwork. I went on to become a trustee for Look Sussex and I’m now the secretary for the organisation.

I have just started work for Sight Support Worthing and look forward to growing my role. I previously volunteered at Ferring Country Centre and I work part time in a supported living house with six disabled adults. I have helped parents prepare DLA and PIP paperwork and would be delighted to assist any Sight Support Worthing members with their paperwork.

My new role involves fundraising for the charity so if any members are interested in helping to riase funds, please let me know. I have already met the Tai Chi (Qigong) class clients and look forward to meeting many more of you.

SSW recently joined forces with Adur & Worthing Councils to give parts of Steyne Gardens in Worthing a summer facelift.

a newly planted flower bed at Steyne Gardens in Worthing

Cherry Ward, trustee of SSW, reported that the team planted numerous Salvia in the small bed with pink verbena. Similar plants were put in either side of the small bed along wth some ground covering. It is hoped that the beds will provide a fanastic scent throughout the coming months.

 

A second planting session is also planned. If you are in the town centre, do take a walk down to Steyne Gardens to admire the team’s work and enjoy the improved setting.

  

 

Although the feature is called a Talk with a Trustee, this one could be retitled Chat with the Chairman as Barry is actually the chairman of the board of trustees here at SSW. Here’s a little insight into Barry’s world…

Name: Barry Ward

Lives: I have lived in Worthing since 1969.

How long have you been involved with SSW? 

I joined SSW as a volunteer minibus driver in April 2010 – so my involvement goes back 11 years..

What’s your role at SSW? 

I have been a Trustee since July 2012 and I have been Chairman of the Board of Trustees since October 2012.

I am also an active volunteer, driving the SSW minibus (and car) and helping out on some internal member activities at the Centre in Rowlands Road.

What do you especially enjoy about your role? 

The most enjoyable aspect of both roles (Trustee and volunteer) is the interaction with members at the Centre, whether that’s helping with a particular activity or responding to questions about how the charity will evolve to meet the needs of current and future members.

Specifically with the Trustee role, the most rewarding aspect is being part of a small group of Trustees who are in a position to determine what needs to be done – and to have the collective authority to implement those ideas. Whilst the Board is always accountable to the membership – through the Annual General Meetings – the Board is free to establish and implement the strategy that it feels best meets the needs of the visually impaired.

What special memories do you have of taking part in the activities or groups at SSW? 

Some of the most enjoyable have been taking a minibus full of members on a Sunday picnic out in the country or to the sea front. Memories are plentiful, including:

My wife and I have also taken groups on holiday (in the minibus) to Eastbourne, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight. Members paddled on the beach at Bournemouth; listened to a live concert on the sea front at Eastbourne; and all agreed that the Isle of Wight was almost like going abroad. So many happy memories.

How do you spend your free time?

My free time is divided between playing golf and time spent with my wife and family. Between us we have three children, six grandchildren and two Great Grandchildren – all live locally.

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself!

I still believe in Father Christmas – the proof being that the stocking I leave out on Christmas Eve is always full of goodies when I wake in the morning!

— 

How lovely that Barry still gets a visit from Father Christmas every year. He’s obviously on Santa’s ‘well-behaved’ list!

If you’d like to volunteer at SSW, like Barry, please do get in touch. We’re always keen to hear from people looking to make a difference for our members.

 

We’ve said it before and we’re very happy to say it again: our volunteers are vital to the success of SSW. Without this team of dedicated and helpful people we’d not be able to provide all that we do. And now, due to one of our objectives for the year, we’re hoping to increase our team of volunteers again.

 

Objective number 4 is to ‘develop a volunteer/member buddy befriending scheme, to match people by shared interests’. Over the next year or so, we’d like to build a pool of volunteers who are happy to be paired with members (and members-to-be!) based on either a practical need (say, gardening, for example), a shared hobby, or just getting together to do something fun. Volunteers and members can specify their interests, time availability, location or any other factor that might affect who they’re paired with. Some people may want a regular slot with their ‘buddy’ whereas others might like to meet as and when. Even meeting up isn’t essential; a phone call or online chat might suit the situation. We won’t have any set criteria and both parties will have a say on what their expectations and requirements are.

 

There are also supporting objectives related to the creation of a befriending scheme: improving our volunteer ‘experience’ and ensuring we have dedicated resourcing to grow our volunteering capabilities. In fact this second point is already underway with the appointment of Katie as our new Volunteer Coordinator (you can read more about Katie here). As well as working with our volunteers on a day-to-day basis Katie will also be working with the rest of the team to update how we communicate with our volunteers. In addition, Katie will be honing our induction processes so that all volunteers feel confident in carrying out their role.

 

We hope lots of you will be keen to join our buddy befriending scheme, in whatever capacity is right for you. Do get in touch with Katie if you’d like to volunteer for us, whether for our new scheme or in any other role.

 

Recently joining the team at SSW is Alison Bates. Alison, who has a vision impairment herself, will be our new Tech Advisor.

Welcome to Alison! Here she introduces herself: 

I am visually impaired having been born blind (congenital cataracts). I had surgery at birth to give some sight but at 34 I had a detached retina in my right eye which could not be saved with surgery.

I am married with two daughters, both of whom have the same eye condition as me. The oldest is visually impaired and the younger one is registered blind.

I enjoy live music, festivals and theatre, and I am really into the 1950s, especially the fashion. I also enjoy travelling and exploring new places.

I am really excited about the Tech Advisor role; I’m looking forward to getting to know our members and building great working relationships so they can get the best out of their technology and feel confident using their devices.

In our latest interview with a member of the SSW community we meet Frances Jacobs, who is a Trustee, and was a volunteer before that. Hello Frances!

Name: Frances Jacobs

Have you always lived in Worthing? I have lived in the Worthing area since I was 10 and I now live in Angmering.

How long have you been involved with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)? I have been a volunteer since 2015 and a trustee since 2016.

What’s your role at SSW? I make teas and coffees at the music afternoon and other social events. I also help on the mini bus and on members’ outings.

What do you especially enjoy about your role? I enjoy meeting both members and other volunteers

Tell us about a time at SSW that you have particularly enjoyed? I used to help with an art group and have a special memory of holding an exhibition at Worthing Library. We took the members to see it; the pictures were amazing.

What do you love about living where you do? I love living in this area being near both the sea and the Downs

How do you spend your free time? Walking with friends and playing golf

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! I have been very lucky to travel extensively with my husband Graham, including trips to Antartica and trekking in the Himalayas. My most memorable experiences were spending time with the street children in Delhi and visiting a township in Kampala, Uganda representing ActionAid.

 

Thanks for your responses Frances! The experiences overseas sound fascinating. If you’re a member of SSW and would like to feature in our interview slot, we’d love to hear from you. Just email emily@sightsupportworthing.org.uk and she will send you through the questions.

Frances and Dawn, two of SSW's volunteers, dressed up for Halloween

 

Hello to all Sight Support Worthing members!

I am honoured to be the new Volunteer Coordinator.

I live in Ferring and love this whole area that we are blessed with. I’m a mum of two young ones, and we love nothing more than to explore the surrounding areas of natural beauty in our free time.

I am a keen birdwatcher and nature lover, so spend most of my time outside where I can! My other huge passion is music, which brings so much into my life.

My background is varied, having worked as a Project Coordinator in the volunteer travel sector to driving a boat at Arundel WWT. I am very excited to join the team at Sight Support Worthing and look forward to meeting some of you as activities slowly start again at the centre!

If you’re a regular visitor to our blog, you’ll have seen our posts about our objectives for this year. If not, you might like to look back at the one about improving our communication with members and the one outlining our plans to develop our technology for VI service.

Our third post looks at our plans to reinstate popular activities for existing members and plan new ones to reach new participants.  

It goes without saying that our usual activities have been somewhat interrupted and different in the last 15 months or so. It now looks like we can start to return to in-person activities which gives us the opportunity to evaluate what we’ve previously offered (both pre-Covid and during the pandemic), what’s worth keeping and what new and exciting activities, groups or events we should offer.

So one aspect of this objective is to resurrect our regular schedule of events, both weekly or otherwise. We’ve already got our classical music group meeting back at the Centre, and the Art Group is currently experimenting with a hybrid face-to-face and Zoom based group. We’ve a trip to Cycall taking place shortly (and more planned!) and our weekly outings on the mini bus will start shortly. We are also planning to maintain our Chair Yoga sessions by Zoom each week. While in-person activities offer an added social aspect, online get togethers do suit people who aren’t able to get to the Centre for whatever reason. 

A Van Raam EasyGo Trike being used at Brooklands Park Worthing

In addition to our regular programme we’re also planning to provide activities for the over 30’s who outgrow the young persons’ VI charity support locally. We have noticed a gap in the availability of interesting, inspiring and accessible activities for the over 30’s and we’re looking at ways to fill that gap. If you are between 30 and 55 and interested in sports, music or any other hobbies – get in touch and we’ll look at what we can offer.

We’ve really missed seeing everyone when the Centre has been closed and it’s highlighted how much dropping into the Centre means to our members. The second part of this objective is to adapt the opening hours of the Centre based around the activities we offer. This may mean, for example, that we open longer into the evening to accommodate activities taking place later in the day. Younger members may be more likely to want to socialise in the evening if they’re busy with work or college in the day time. This will be a fluid process that will take time to settle in but we hope it will suit more people, more of the time! 

man assisting visually impaired woman on walk

We hope our plans sound exciting and we will keep you updated as new activities and events are planned. Don’t forget to provide feedback to any member of the team; we are here to provide services and support to our members and we want to get it right! 

Our Executive Board play an important role in SSW and it’s always interesting to find out more about their background. In this insight we meet Bob Smytherman, who is President of SSW. You might also recognise him as Worthing’s Town Crier!

Name: Bob Smytherman

Lives: Worthing

Have you always lived in Worthing? I born in our family home in Lancing before moving to my own home in Worthing in 1991

How long have you been involved with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)? Since 2012

SSW President Bob Smytherman on Highdown Hill in his Town Crier attire

What’s your role at SSW? President

What do you especially enjoy about your role? I love meeting with our Members at our regular events such as the Burns Lunch or Christmas Party and Volunteers afternoon tea.

Which moments at SSW have you particularly enjoyed? 

Being Master of Ceremonies for the Burns Lunch and addressing the Haggis is always a particular highlight as was Chairing the steering group for the lottery project looking in to the history of the charity and visually impaired people in the town.

What do you love about living where you do? I love being close to both the sea and Downs with a great range of shopping and leisure facilities on our doorstep.

How do you spend your free time?  I love spending my time as Worthing Town Crier promoting our amazing town and community organisations

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! I was Milk Monitor at St Mary’s Catholic Primary school in Worthing where I am now a School Governor.

Photo of Bob Smytherman, President of SSW

We’d like to know about your experiences of accessing information provided by the NHS (or any publicly-funded adult social care) in a format that suits you and your visual impairment.

Perhaps you’re always impressed by the choice of accessible formats available when you are provided with information at the doctors, hospital or dentist?

Or maybe you’ve had to struggle with information in a format that you just can’t read?

We’d like examples of good and not-so-good situations. You can email us at info@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or call 01903 235782.

Did you know that, as of 1st August 2016 onwards, all organisations that provide NHS care and / or publicly-funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard? The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss. You can read more about the Accessible Information Standard on the NHS website.

 

Alternatively, if you prefer video, here’s a handy 5 minute one explaining the Standard:

by Roz Naylor-Smith

We held our first Online Art Class back in January and at that point only one of the members taking part had ever used Zoom before and everyone else had to download it for the first time. Right from the beginning, despite occasional issues with no sound or video connection, those taking part have been fantastic at Zooming in every week and enthusiastically giving it a go.

A fantastic mixed media picture of water lillies as created by someone in our Art Class

The results of their efforts under the expert tuition of Fiona Mcvey have, I am sure you will agree from the photos shown on the website, been amazing. On the face of it trying to teach an Art class online to visually impaired people who struggle to see a small screen, such as a tablet or iPad, should not really work. However, by carefully explaining different techniques and demonstrating them close to the camera, Fiona works on a new painting with the class each week, using a different image/picture each week as a starting point and we provide a copy of these to everyone for reference.

Fiona has said that it is her aim is to encourage and support the artists who want to continue painting and newcomers who may not have put brush to paper since school. She has introduced them to new techniques and given tips to help with their sight loss and to finding different ways to add paint to paper. These have included using special tape to mark out parts of the picture or picking bold strong colours to use that can be more easily seen. Her top tip, though, is to enjoy the process and not to try and reproduce a picture in the colours you think it should be, but instead to use the colours you can see.

Many famous artists including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and modernist Georgia O’Keefe continued painting after their sight impairments changed their view of the world. Claude Monet, in particular, after his sight started to fail with cataracts, used stronger colours and his work became looser and even more impressionistic but was still very recognisable.

When asked about the Art Class one of the members said the following: “I really enjoy my Tuesday mornings with the Art Class. Not only do we receive guidance in painting and mixing colours from Fiona, but we meet up on Zoom with other friends who have eyesight difficulties, so we do just what we can see. Not only does the morning fly by but, if in any doubt, the session is recorded so we can see it again! It gives me inspiration to draw/paint other things which helps to while away the time by focusing the hand and mind to do something.”

It has been great to not only see all the beautiful pictures produced each week but also what has been lovely is the social side of the class, with the members getting to know each other, sharing stories and experiences and starting to form new friendships. Above all, the class is a way for everyone to have fun …. Fiona reminded us of the words of George Bernard Shaw who said “we don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing”.

It has yet to be fully decided whether the Art Class will stay online, be brought back into the Centre or whether we will be able to continue with a mixture of different formats, but it will definitely continue in some form. Hopefully, others might now be inspired to join the class, either to try something new or to rekindle an old passion for painting by learning to paint again in a different way. If you would be interested in taking part, please get in contact.

RNIB and Blind Ambition have facilitated a series of employment advice webinars for job seekers with sight loss.  

Going under the heading ‘New Year, New Me’, the webinars cover lots of useful topics which you can see below and access on their website here.

(Please be aware some of the videos have a ‘pass code’ allocated to them which is listed under the individual session link.)

  1. Goal Setting
  2. Apprenticeships Advice
  3. Skills Audit
  4. CV Preparation
  5. Why Should I Declare my Visual Impairment?
  6. Personal Branding
  7. Access to Work
  8. Where to Look for Jobs (Part 1)
  9. Where to Look for Jobs (Part 2)
  10. How to Present Yourself
  11. Preparing for Interviews
  12. How To Be Your Own Boss
  13. How to Find a Support Worker
  14. Your Legal Rights When Disclosing Your Disability
  15. Building Resilience

Blind Ambition also has a page with many useful links to resources for job seekers with a visual impairment. Take a look here.

The RNIB is offering Mental Wellbeing Check-ins. These one off sessions are for community members with sight loss who would like to share feelings, explore coping strategies and any further support needs with a trained counsellor.

Sessions will address some of the feelings created by the current pandemic situation including anxiety and distress. To refer into this service please fill in the form online or call the helpline 03031239999.

We have a trip planned to Brooklands Park in Lancing to take part in an adaptive cycling session with Cycall.

Join us on 10th June as we take the minibus for an exciting excursion! We’ve space for 6 members so get in touch if you’d like a place. Our cycling session starts at 11am so we’ll be setting off to get there in time.

We are joining up with Cycall, an inclusive cycling project who have a great range of adapted cycling equipment that can be pedaled round the track. Alternatively you can just sit back and enjoy the ride while a ‘buddy’ rider does the hard work!

There will be full Covid safety measures in place and transport to and from Brooklands will be available

Darren on an adapted bike at Brooklands Park Worthing

Cycall is a fantastic volunteer-run organisation that provides adapted cycles for disabled adults and children or anyone with a health issue which prevents them from accessing cycling. As you can see from the photos, there’s all sorts of bikes available so there’s something to suit everyone! You can find out more about Cycall and their activities on their website or their Facebook page.

For more details or to book your place, contact info@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or call 01903 235782

A Van Raam EasyGo Trike being used at Brooklands Park Worthing

 

We’d love to hear about your experiences of being out in Worthing and travelling around the town. Good or bad, tell us what has affected your ability to manoeuvre the pavements or access particular facilities.

Staff from Sight Support Worthing will shortly be meeting with a representative from Adur and Worthing Council and we’d love to hear from members (or anyone with a visual impairment, or their carers) who have feedback and suggestions that we can give to the council about making the town more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

Either email us at info@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or give us a call on 01903 235782. 

We’re highlighting our objectives for the year in a series of blog posts. If you missed the first one (about improving our communication with members) you can catch up here. In this one, we’re focusing on how we’re going to develop our technology for VI service.

We’ve been offering some technology products for VI in the last couple of years but this is an aspect of our services that we really want to improve. Part of that effort is to keep up to date with assistive technology, as well as other relevant technologies. It’s one thing going out and buying a stack of ‘things’ but actually knowing what’s on offer, how each item works, the benefits or drawbacks of each product and making sure we’re recommending and buying products that will not be obsolete within six months is crucial.

With that in mind, we’re actively researching and testing products so we have the best choices to offer our members.

an older person and a child sharing a game on a tablet

Although our current team is excited about the prospect of learning more about technology for VI we’re aware that there are very few of us. For that reason, we’re recruiting both staff and volunteers who will be the ‘go to’ on VI tech issues. We’ll all make sure we’re up to speed but there will be specific people who are dedicated to assisting members make decisions about which tech to use, explaining how to use it and fixing problems, should they arise.

And it’s not just our people who will be key to this improvement; our Centre at Rowlands Road will be sufficiently equipped and resourced to provide training, tech support and guidance to members and guests.

Clearly, acquiring technology – whether for VI or otherwise – generally comes at a cost which not everyone is in a position to afford. The final aspect of our objective is to provide a loan-to-buy service for those who are unable to access devices on their own. This may be because cost is a factor but also because no-one wants to buy something that they not long after decide isn’t for them (but would suit someone else better). This format is perfect: try the product at home, and on a day-to-day basis (rather than just testing it in a shop or showroom) so you establish whether it’s right for you. When you decide it is what you’re after, there’s no need to hand it back, you just carry on using it seamlessly. We’re also securing discounts with suppliers so if you order through us or get a referral code, you’ll be able to make a saving on certain products. 

We hope that our technology for VI service will benefit a large number of our members and, perhaps, make aspects of their life easier and more pleasurable. We’re always keen to hear from members (and their families, friends or carers) to understand how we can best support independent living but, more than that, enhance enjoyment and fun too. If you’ve got suggestions you’d like us to explore, please do get in touch.

Kindle e-reader, coffee and notepad

We’re currently publicising the work of Sight Support Charity in local media, with the aim of highlighting our services to potential members as well as other interested partes. Here’s a copy of the article we’ve placed. If you’d like to see the article as it appeared, you can take a look at it here.

———

The past year has been full of challenges for all of us, regardless of age, location or situation. For Sight Support Worthing this has meant ensuring its members continue to receive the support, advice and social engagement they’ve been used to. Sight Support Worthing – as the name suggests! – offers a range of activities, events, resources and information designed to inspire and support those who are blind or partially sighted, and their families. Membership is free of charge and open to anyone with a visual impairment.

 

The charity is headed up by Sonia Baker, who started in her role as General Manager in March 2020. Sonia’s first year has seen Sight Support Worthing (SSW) needing to introduce new ways to support members and a number of new initiatives have been introduced: “Along with dealing with the restrictions of lockdown and the challenges that brought, our aim has been to develop the Charity for the future so it meets the changing interests of a wider visually impaired community, while keeping our familiar and welcoming culture.”

Like many other organisations, online communication has been key, especially when it comes to sustaining social interactions. SSW now runs popular weekly sessions including an art group and chair yoga. These are set to continue, with face-to-face classes being held in addition to online options. With lockdown restrictions now reducing, plans are being made to reopen the SSW Centre in Rowlands Road, Worthing for in-person support.

 

One of the areas that is key to the Charity’s vision is technology. Plans include providing demos, tech support and how-to classes for using tech at all levels. “Accessible tech plays an important part in helping enrich people’s lives and open up opportunities for them. However some devices can seem daunting to learn or are priced out of people’s reach. So we’re really trying to help people see what’s out there, as well as giving opportunities to try out equipment to see if it’s right for them. Then once people invest in technology, we’re here to offer them assistance.” says Sonia, who is leading the project.

 

The year ahead is an exciting one for Sight Support Worthing and its members. As well as the expansion of the charity’s technology for visual impairment service, they are launching a volunteer/member buddy scheme, which will match people by shared interests. Naturally, as a charity, volunteers are crucial and muchvalued members of the Sight Support team; new volunteers are always welcome and there are varied roles available.

 

Another important aim for the charity is to introduce activities for its younger members. As Sonia says: “One of the things we’ve been looking at is the gap between activities and services aimed at the very young, and those that appeal to more senior people. There is definitely a shortage of options for those aged between 30-50. These people may be busy with families or jobs and aren’t necessarily looking to engage with a charity on a daily or weekly basis. Equally they might be missing out on some great services simply because they aren’t being offered anything relevant. So we’ll be looking at new ways to reach that missing demographic.”

 

In their quest to attract new members and provide appealing events, activities and  services, the team is looking to collaborate with other organisations, groups or businesses. Sonia and her team are keen to pool resources and share ideas with others who have similar aspirations: “Now more than ever, organisations need to stop working in silos and work together. So many services remain a postcode lottery which doesn’t meet the needs of the community. Logistically we cannot provide everything to everyone, but if we collaborate we can make sure the things we can’t provide, someone else can and vice versa.”

The Charity would love to hear from anybody who would like to to find out more (either for themselves or a family member), those who are interested in volunteering, as well as anyone working within an organisation, group or business who is keen to partner or collaborate on projects and initiatives.

 

“We’re always open to working with anyone who has ideas for inspiring, supporting or promoting accessibility to visually impaired people, particularly those who are themselves are visually impaired, so do get in touch.”

Name: Dawn O’Donnell Lives: I have lived in Worthing for 4.5 years moving from south east London in 2016.  How long have you been involved with SSW?When I moved here I knew no one and my husband was commuting back to London each day. He was leaving at 6 in the morning and not getting home until 5 in the evening; that’s a long day with no one to talk to especially if talking is your specialist subject!  I decided no one would knock on my door just for a chat so I better find some company. I walked down the road, saw the sign at SSW (then The Blind Society) asking if you could make tea and coffee, and applied as a volunteer. I volunteered for about two years then was asked to become a trustee in August 2019.  What’s your role at SSW? What do you especially enjoy about your role?I started in the Art class which I absolutely loved. Then I started taking members on trips and coffee mornings and helping out at afternoon events, which I did right up until covid stopped play.  If you take part in the activities or groups at SSW which have you particularly enjoyed or have special memories of?I have many fabulous memories of conversations with members, Christmas parties, days out and, of cours,e directing the legendary (in my mind) SSW pantomime but I think my favourite was in an art class. Fiona, the tutor, asked a member – also called Dawn – if she wanted to make a birthday card with an owl in it. She said “ohh I can’t do that” so I said I would help her. Dawn’s sight was poor and she was also quite fragile but, between us, we made the card and the look on her face when we finished it was magic. Sadly Dawn passed away not that long after but I will always remember her grinning from ear to ear with pride at her achievement.  What do you love about living where you do?I love the community feel in Worthing and every day during the pandemic I have thanked my lucky stars to be living by the sea.  How do you spend your free time?I do work part-time for another charity but have been furloughed for the best part of a year. In this time I have been drawing. I belong to the Lockdown Scribblers (started by Jacqui who works for SSW) and have drawn something, mainly with a Disney twist, every day since 1st Jan. I also belong to the Worthing Blue Tits and have swum in the sea about a dozen times so far this year, including Easter Sunday.  Tell us an amazing fact about yourself!I don’t have many amazing facts about myself but I did get married in Las Vegas and Elvis walked me down the aisle.  —–That’s a great fact to end on Dawn and in the words of the great man himself… “Thank you very much!”  

West Sussex Libraries has recently taken part in a BBC project called the Novels that Shaped Our World, including fantastic online conversations with Isabel Ashdown, Elly Griffiths and Jane Lythell about their lives in books, as well as talking about their own work. The first of these, with Isabel Ashdown, is now available to watch on their YouTube channel.

This gave West Sussex Libraries the opportunity to launch a brand new library podcast, called Lend Us Your Ears. The first episode is their interview with Isabel Ashdown. Please have a listen and subscribe so that you don’t miss any future episodes!

Any organisation is formed, influenced and representative of the people involved, and especially in the case of a people-focused charity like Sight Support Worthing. We’re planning to introduce you to a wide range of the people that make Sight Support Worthing the wonderful community it is. We’ll be chatting with members, staff, trustees and volunteers.

It’s with a volunteer that we kick the series off. Here’s Victoria, who has recently started volunteering for us.

Name: Victoria Gray

Age: 26

Where do you live: Shoreham-by-Sea

Have you always lived in the same place?

I was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and it has always been my home town, however I have also been at a residential school and college. I went away to study at New College Worcester from the age of 11 for 7 years. This is a school for the blind. After this I went to The Royal National College for the Blind for 2 years. I found it hard living away from home as I missed my family and I have always loved Shoreham-by-Sea.

How long have you been volunteering with Sight Support Worthing (SSW)?

I have only  recently started volunteering. I would like to be involved in the things that SSW do as I am totally blind myself so I feel very passionate about meeting other people with sight loss and helping to make things accessible.

What activities (whether now or pre-Covid) have you enjoyed at SSW?

SSW have recently started running Chair Yoga sessions which I have really enjoyed. Yoga is very good for relaxation and I find I get a lot out of it because I struggle a lot with my balance which makes Chair Yoga the easiest form of Yoga for me to do.

Is there an activity or social group you’d like SSW to start?

Book Group where members could come together and discuss what they are reading.

Quizzes

Walking group where we could go for a walk and maybe get a pub lunch after.

Tandem Riding

Which of SSW’s other services or support have you used?

I haven’t used any other services but this is something I would like to do and as a volunteer I would like to help in any way I can.

What do you love about living where you do?

I love the community feel. It’s nice to live somewhere where people look out for each other. I also love living by the sea.

How do you spend your free time?

Socialising with friends

Gaming

Reading

Yoga

Choir

Drama workshops

Tell us an amazing fact about yourself! 

I have recently started helping to run a book group for the RNIB. It is the first ever group that I have helped to run and it feels like a great achievement. I sometimes get a bit anxious so being able to help run a group and bring people together is such a wonderful feeling and I love being able to help people to connect with each other.

Thanks, Victoria; how brilliant it is to have you on-board as a volunteer! Victoria’s input as someone with sight loss will be of great benefit to the team as they develop services and activities for members. Look out for Victoria when the Centre reopens in the coming months.

Are you a volunteer or member of Sight Support Worthing and would like to be featured in our interviews, you can email Emily.

Of course we’re always keen to welcome new members and volunteers. Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more.

improving our communication with members

Each year the trustees and staff of Sight Support Worthing discuss their key aims and objectives for the year ahead. This year, despite all the unusual circumstances, is no different. We’ve lots of exciting plans in the pipeline, and we’ll be updating you as and when progress takes place.

One objective this year is to improve our communication and how we interact with our members. Historically our main method of communication has been face-to-face, whether at our events, activities or just when members have popped into the Centre for a chat or seeking advice. This changed dramatically last year when that just wasn’t possible. Phone and email have also been well utilised by staff, volunteers and members over the years, and we’ve now added Zoom to the methods we use.Person using smart phone While we were, essentially, forced to quickly implement tools such as Zoom, it has highlighted how communication has moved on, and different methods offer different benefits. It is certainly not a case of one size fits all!

Although we cannot wait to see our members and volunteers again at the Centre, we also want to both keep in place, and improve on, every type of communication that is feasible. Zoom will continue to be used for those who aren’t able to get to the Centre for activities. Why not carry on with those activities, and bring people at home – wherever that might be – to the Centre to join in the fun with their friends?people catching up over coffee We also hope to use email more, not just to keep our members informed, but also to ensure family and friends are kept in the loop, as well as professionals who work and support our members. If you’d like to be added to our mailing list, you can do that here.

As a membership organisation we’re always keen to hear how you prefer to be communicated with. Do you love the opportunities Zoom presents? Are you keen to have weekly updates by email? Perhaps you’re a keen social media user… do let us know your preferences and make sure your details are up-to-date on our database.

Sight Support Worthing couldn’t function as well as we do without the amazing help and support of our volunteer Sight Supporters. They undertake a range of valuable tasks for us, and they get a real feel-good factor from helping our clients! Each volunteer has their own reasons for giving their time and energy to us, and chances are some of those are listed  below. Take a look at some of the brilliant benefits of becoming a volunteer:  

Make a difference – yes, there’s no denying it: you will make a difference to everyone involved in Sight Support Worthing or wherever you choose to volunteer. Some days it might be small and help one person, other days you might do something that helps a whole crowd. Either way, you will affect someone, somehow in a positive way. 

Gain confidence and build self-esteem – not all of us are as confident as we’d like, and volunteering is a great way to remedy this. Once you start volunteering you’ll begin to get a sense of accomplishment and pride in your achievements, especially when you see the difference you’re making to others. Your confidence and sense of achievement will be boosted even higher if your volunteer role takes you out of your comfort zone. 

This self-assurance will then spill over into other areas of your life so you’ll feel more confident and positive at home or work. If you’re shy, putting yourself into unknown (but hopefully welcoming) situations can condition you to find them less scary. Win-win. 

Create new connections – whether you come away with a brand new best friend or find somewhere to have a regular chat with friendly faces, you’ll form new connections with like-minded people. If you’re someone who finds life a little lonely at times, volunteering is an excellent way to combat this. Choose somewhere to volunteer where you’ll be amongst people and you’ll be part of a whole new community. 

Makes you happier – as humans we’re wired to want to help others, so the brain reacts well to situations when it knows you’re doing that, and makes you feel happier. Choosing a volunteering opportunity that’s right for you will also mean you spend that time having fun – and who doesn’t want an extra bit of fun in their life?! 

Sense of purpose – most people choose to volunteer for an organisation or issue that is important to them. By giving your time and energy for free, and helping others achieve something, you’ll be boosting your sense of purpose and with it your feelings of happiness.  Studies have shown that volunteering can help with depression, anxiety and other negative feelings by providing that regular sense of purpose and a positive reason to get up and out of the house. 

Help with your career – volunteering offers opportunities to learn new skills and many of those will be transferable to other aspects of life including work. It’ll also show any employer that you go above and beyond and take time to help others; who wouldn’t want someone like that working with them? Volunteering is especially good if you’re lacking in work experience as it can provide you with new skills and proof of attributes that can then be added to a CV or used as examples in job interviews. Say you’d like to work in admin… find a volunteering role that will see you helping out with filing, perhaps doing a stock inventory, or maybe sorting out mail. The more you help out, the more you will learn. 

So if you score one or more of these benefits while volunteering, you’re on to a winner. Perhaps you’re already volunteering and can add to our list of benefits? What do you gain from being a volunteer? 

We’re always on the lookout for people like you to help us in volunteer roles. Take a look at our web page dedicated to volunteering opportunities at Sight Support Worthing or get in touch for a chat.

We’d like to introduce you (or maybe not if you know her already!) to Pauline Anna Strom, a blind musician and composer from the USA.

Born in 1946, Pauline was blind from birth. In adulthood she developed an interest in synthesizers and creating electronic music stating that “electronics expanded the ability to create from your imagination”. Much of her music was experimental and created and recorded at home.

In 1982 Pauline released her debut album entitled Trans-Millenia Consort, and from this point on used this title as her pseudonym. She then went on to make another six recordings.

According to an article in the New York Times, Pauline “did not dwell on her blindness” and, in fact, felt that her blindness enhanced her music.

Here’s a clip of Pauline’s album Trans-Millenia Consort which includes her recording of burbling water, which she became well known for. 

Sadly Pauline died in December 2020, two months before a new recording was due to be released. Angels Tears in Sunlight, Pauline’s first album in 30 years, was released in February 2021. You can listen to the album here.

The Government has issued advice on how to avoid COVID-19 vaccination fraud.

According to gov.uk, criminals are using the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to target the public by tricking them to hand over cash or financial details. They are sending convincing looking text messages letting people know they are eligible for the vaccine or phoning people directly pretending to be from the NHS, or local pharmacy.

To ensure vigilance bear these points in mind:

The NHS will:

two screen shots; one of a phone with an email purporting to be from the NHS about a covid jab and the other showing a text message also with a message and a link regarding a Covid vaccination

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726 which is free of charge.

If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, you should report this directly to Action Fraud either online at actionfraud.police.uk or via phone 0300 123 2040.

If you have any information relating to vaccine fraud you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers COVID Fraud Hotline online: covidfraudhotline.org or phone 0800 587 5030.

Sight Support Worthing couldn’t function as well as we do without the amazing help and support of our volunteer Sight Supporters. They undertake a range of valuable tasks for us, and they get a real feel-good factor from helping our clients! Each volunteer has their own reasons for giving their time and energy to us, and chances are some of those are listed  below. Take a look at some of the brilliant benefits of becoming a volunteer: 

Make a difference – yes, there’s no denying it: you will make a difference to everyone involved in Sight Support Worthing or wherever you choose to volunteer. Some days it might be small and help one person, other days you might do something that helps a whole crowd. Either way, you will affect someone, somehow in a positive way.

Gain confidence and build self-esteem – not all of us are as confident as we’d like, and volunteering is a great way to remedy this. Once you start volunteering you’ll begin to get a sense of accomplishment and pride in your achievements, especially when you see the difference you’re making to others. Your confidence and sense of achievement will be boosted even higher if your volunteer role takes you out of your comfort zone. 

This self-assurance will then spill over into other areas of your life so you’ll feel more confident and positive at home or work. If you’re shy, putting yourself into unknown (but hopefully welcoming) situations can condition you to find them less scary. Win-win.

Create new connections – whether you come away with a brand new best friend or find somewhere to have a regular chat with friendly faces, you’ll form new connections with like-minded people. If you’re someone who finds life a little lonely at times, volunteering is an excellent way to combat this. Choose somewhere to volunteer where you’ll be amongst people and you’ll be part of a whole new community.

Makes you happier – as humans we’re wired to want to help others, so the brain reacts well to situations when it knows you’re doing that, and makes you feel happier. Choosing a volunteering opportunity that’s right for you will also mean you spend that time having fun – and who doesn’t want an extra bit of fun in their life?!

Sense of purpose – most people choose to volunteer for an organisation or issue that is important to them. By giving your time and energy for free, and helping others achieve something, you’ll be boosting your sense of purpose and with it your feelings of happiness.  Studies have shown that volunteering can help with depression, anxiety and other negative feelings by providing that regular sense of purpose and a positive reason to get up and out of the house.

Help with your career – volunteering offers opportunities to learn new skills and many of those will be transferable to other aspects of life including work. It’ll also show any employer that you go above and beyond and take time to help others; who wouldn’t want someone like that working with them? Volunteering is especially good if you’re lacking in work experience as it can provide you with new skills and proof of attributes that can then be added to a CV or used as examples in job interviews. Say you’d like to work in admin… find a volunteering role that will see you helping out with filing, perhaps doing a stock inventory, or maybe sorting out mail. The more you help out, the more you will learn.

So if you score one or more of these benefits while volunteering, you’re on to a winner. Perhaps you’re already volunteering and can add to our list of benefits? What do you gain from being a volunteer? 

We’re always on the lookout for people like you to help us in volunteer roles. Take a look at our web page dedicated to volunteering opportunities at Sight Support Worthing or get in touch for a chat.

If so you could be eligible* for our Sight-tech loan scheme! Priority is given to Worthing residents but West Sussex residents are also welcome to apply. Everyone will be helped as much as possible, subject to availability.

Steps:

  1. Discuss your needs and choose a device.
  2. We set you up and support your use for 6 months
  3. Option to buy the discounted device after loaning

For questions and more details, please contact info@sightsupportworthing.org.uk or 01903 235782

To be honest, we only came across Ted Henter recently but we thought he was a great person to be our first VIP. We love the fact that he not only invented a brilliant product for the visually impaired, but then went on to become a top notch waterskiier.

Ted Henter is an American who, in 1978 aged 21, had a car accident that left him blind. In his early 20s he completed an Engineering background but after his accident he felt that opportunities for a blind engineer were limited. With this in mind, he took a series of courses with the aim of becoming a computer programmer. This led Ted to start developing some of the first talking computers for blind people in the early 80s.

Ted Henter’s most famous invention (so far!) is JAWS – Job Access With Speech. JAWS is a computer program that translates what’s on a computer screen into voice or Braille. Ted believed that being visually impaired should not stop you from living your life to its full potential. This translated into a desire to create a product to assist with finding work. Ted also worked on other assistive technologies for helping visually impaired people in everyday life.

And what of Ted’s waterskiing prowess? Prior to his accident, Ted was to become a professional motorcycle racer. With that no longer an option, he returned to a previous hobby of waterskiing which he triumphed at. Before his retirement in 1991 Ted won six out of seven competitions in the United States and scored two international wins. He also won the overall Gold medal in the United States and World Championship for Disabled Skiers.

What an inspiration! You can listen to an interview with Ted Henter here.

Whether you’re an experienced painter, or you’ve never so much as picked up a brush before, you’re welcome at our online art class! It is suitable for anyone with a sight impairment regardless of artistic experience. Paint, draw, sketch, glue, etch, cut – the choice is yours!

We meet every Tuesday from 10.30AM – 11.30AM.

For more information, give Roz a call on 01903 235782 or email her: roz@sightsupportworthing.org.uk

Two Sight Support Worthing Trustees recently attended a Vaccination Champions training session. The aim of the session was to educate its participants about how the COVID-19 vaccination programme works.

The following information is designed to help Sight Support Worthing members understand the COVID-19 vaccination programme and, in particular, any aspects that may be of particular relevance to those with visual impairment. This information has been interpreted by the two Vaccine Champions, and they have provided it in no particular order, although the point is in bold for anything believed to be especially important.

a. Everyone over the age of 70 is scheduled to be vaccinated by mid-February. Within the priority Groups, there is no specific order in which these people are contacted.

b. Patients will be contacted, usually by phone – you should not try to phone for an appointment yourself.

c. The second (of the two required vaccinations) will be up to 12 weeks after the initial vaccination.

d. The initial vaccine will take two weeks before creating an effective immunisation; normal COVID restrictions must be followed during that period.

e. All vaccines require a needle; nose sprays or other options are not yet available. If you have a needle “phobia” please make that clear when confirming the appointment so that you can be treated in a less public setting than might otherwise be the case.

f. The restriction “rules” do allow a family member or friend to transport you (or accompany you if it’s close enough to walk). That individual may be permitted to stay with the patient – but that is not always the case.

g. If you need transport, please contact the SSW office on 01903 235782 and either speak to a staff member or leave a message. We will do our best to  find a SSW driver regardless of the appointment day or time. We are here to help – please use us.

h. The Sussex NHS management team has recruited a number of “Vaccine Champions” with the aim of promoting the vaccination programme, providing a reliable source of information and being a contact point for any questions/problems. Sight Support Worthing has two of its volunteers, as well as one member and the charity’s President as Vaccine Champions. So, SSW is well placed to ensure that all its members (and others in the locality) are fully briefed about the Programme. If you would like to speak to one of the Vaccine Champions do let us know and we will do our best to put you in touch with one.

We hope this information is useful to our members and their families. If you have any particular concerns that you think we can help with, please do get in touch.

‘Providing the Jam’ is a fascinating look at the visually impaired community of Worthing, and focuses on the past 100+ years of support that Sight Support Worthing has provided.

The book was written by authors Chris Hare and Lela Tredwell, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund without whom this project would not have been possible.

The book can be purchased for £4.99 from our centre in Rowlands Road, or through Amazon Kindle, where it is also available for £4.99.