STOP PRESS!
The rules on how we use your data are changing, please read the article on in this newsletter and fill in the salmon pink form included or contact Head Office directly.
The Friends of ESAB Black Tie Dinner, 20th April at the Powdermills Hotel Battle. Tickets are £45 each. More information in this newsletter.
Head Office 01323 832252 info@eastsussexblind.org
Letter from the Chief Executive
Welcome to our Spring Newsletter. I’m writing this as the snow is fluttering gently past my window, hopefully by the time you read this it’s all gone and Spring is on its way. This newsletter contains lots of useful and informative information about us and what we’ve been up to. On page 3 its time to consider making an annual donation to us to help us in our work. Pages 4 and 5 contain information about how we store and use your personal information, it’s important that you read and respond to it so that we are up to date with the new rules coming in. Page 7 updates you on the Friends of ESAB and especially what Shirley’s been up to. There’s an update from Sound Tennis Sussex on page 9 and page 11 tells you all about the change of City Synergy into ESAB V.I. ABLE. Ian our Volunteer Co-ordinator updates you on the social groups on pages 12 and 13.
As we go to press I’m pleased to be able to report that our contract to provide services in Brighton and Hove will continue for another year but we are waiting for news from East Sussex County Council.
Finally, we have heard that the Low Vision Clinic in Brighton will continue for another year, but only for residents of the city. I’ve printed their statement on page 15. We are keeping a close eye on the outcome of this and rest assured we have our members at the centre of our discussions.
Don’t forget, if there’s any help you need, or you’d just like to catch up on what’s available from ESAB, give us a call at HQ.
Annual Donation
A big ‘thank you’ to you all!
Last year we launched our annual donation request and we were very grateful to all of you who made a contribution to our work. So the time has come again, included in this bulletin is a separate sheet for you to consider making a donation to us. The donation sheet is green and there’s a return envelope for you to put it in.
Thank you very much for supporting the work we do.
What can a donation to ESAB do?
£10 will pay for Maggie our Low Vision Support Worker, to visit someone in their home
£25 will pay for Rachael to provide three mobility sessions to get someone out and about in their community
£50 will pay for the Outreach Vehicle to visit a lunch club and provide vital information and equipment to a group of vulnerable people
£100 will pay for a training course that will help newly diagnosed people to come to terms with their condition and build their confidence
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer, which means your donations will be worth 25% more to us at no extra cost to you. If you Gift Aid your donations we can claim back from the government 25p for every £1 you donate to the ESAB.
Changes to Data Protection
This is important information, please take a moment to read it
The rules on storing and using personal data are changing and they affect everyone who is associated with ESAB. If you are a member, volunteer or supporter, please read this.
On the 25th May this year there are new rules on Data Protection coming in and they are going to affect ESAB. One of the most important things we need to do is check that we have your information up to date and that you are happy for us to hold it.
The General Data Protection Regulation along with the new Fundraising Regulator means that we have to be clear and transparent on what we use your data for and we have to have your express consent to keep it and use it. I can assure you that up until now we have always acted honestly and within the law so please don’t worry that things have gone wrong in the past!
Enclosed with this newsletter you will find a salmon pink sheet with some questions on it. It’s really important that you return it to us as soon as you can as it will form the basis of what we do with your personal information and it will ensure that it is up to date and correct.
Once we have received all the forms back we will ensure that your selections are actioned. If we don’t receive your form back we will telephone you to gain your consent. If we do not receive a form back or are not able to get hold of you by the 25th May all your information will be cleared off our computers and any paper records will be destroyed.
We keep your information for a variety of reasons, if you are a member of ESAB then we might use it to refer you onto other services that you could benefit from. We may pass your details onto a social group that you are interested in joining or we may use your information to contact you directly.
If you are a volunteer we may use your information to contact you about other volunteering opportunities or to ask you to assist us at Head Office.
The most important aspect with regard to your data is that we may, from time to time, contact you about fundraising initiatives and ask you to consider making a contribution. As a general rule we only do this via our regular newsletters, for example, the request for an annual donation or to ask you to sell raffle tickets for us.
What I would like to make very clear is that we will never pass your information onto any third party, firstly without your express consent and secondly if the third party is not directly associated with the services we offer. In other words, we will never give out your data without very good reason and without you knowing. We will never sell your data, for any reason or any amount of money.
What we need you to do is to fill in the salmon pink sheet, put it in the pre-paid envelope and send it back to us. Alternatively you can ring Head Office and one of our staff will go through the consent with you over the phone, whichever is easiest for you.
By doing this you will ensure that you continue to receive communications and information from ESAB. You can also be sure that we will look after your personal information in line with the new regulations and that it is safe with us.
If you would like to speak to me personally about it please give me a ring at Head Office:
Daniel Brookbank
Chief Executive
01323 832252
daniel@eastsussexblind.org
Choosing the Correct Colour and Light Filters
1. Sunglasses won’t do the job properly. You need to cut the light down, but have enough light to help your sight. Having all of the light filtered will make your sight more comfortable, and cutting out Red and Blue light will help. Each person will need to find out what works for them. Certain colours will work better for different people and eye conditions.
2. One pair of filters may not be enough. Different conditions will affect just how well filters work. Bright sunshine, artificial light, cloudy days etc. You need to try filters in the environment you will be using them.
3. Get the right frame. Having a frame that cuts out light from the sides, the top and below will help. Using either wrap-around or fit over frames will enable the light to be filtered from all angles. The frame needs to be comfortable and fit close to your face.
4. Make sure that the filters you choose have full UVA and UVB protection. Damage to your eyes can be caused by the sun in just the same way as damage to your skin.
5. Seek advice especially if your sight alters or you’re not sure what may be best for you. Any change in your sight can be a symptom of a change in your eye health. Always get this checked out by contacting your Optometrist or Eye Doctor.
Shirl the Whirl does it again!
Well done to Shirley Price who’s been at it again, on the 24th December she took to a Paraglider and floated over Mont Blanc, this was to celebrate her 85th Birthday. We at ESAB HQ are constantly amazed by her antics and this one has raised in the region of £6000 for ESAB. On the 10th March she’s hosting a dinner at Bodle Street Green where were all going to get to see the film of her madness.
The Friends have a busy year, starting on the 20th April when they are holding a Black Tie Dinner at the Powdermills Hotel. We are very pleased that our Patron Peter Field, the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex is going to be our host. The dinner is £45 per ticket. Please let us know if you would like to come.
On the 17th November the Pasadena Hot Five will be returning to Bexhill for their ever popular Jazz concert and the pop up Café this year, being held on the 8th September, is Greek themed. Tickets for both events will be available later in the year.
For further information about the Friends of ESAB, please either contact Shirley on 01323 833942 or get in touch with HQ.
What is Bumblebee?
Bumblebee is an easy to use app, specially designed to unlock the digital world for those with sight loss. It has been developed by British Wireless for the Blind.
The large, simple menus can be viewed in a variety of contrasts. Combined with audio description of each menu item, it is user friendly for people with very little or no vision.
Bumblebee provides access to thousands of radio stations, podcasts, talking newspapers and magazines, online content pages and a wealth of useful information, all from one portable device.
Part of the exclusivity of Bumblebee is the user-led content aspect. It requires a wireless connection to stream live radio and download content. Once the audio files have been saved to the tablet which the app is issued on, they can be accessed anywhere; making Bumblebee perfect for listening on-the-go.
Further information from www.blind.org.uk or give us a call at Head Office.
Skills for Seeing
ESAB working together in partnership with the Macular Society is able to offer free one to one Skills for Seeing training for members who have central vision loss in both eyes caused by Macular Degeneration.
Skills for Seeing can help with reading, recognising faces, taking care of yourself, and watching television.
If any member living with Macular Degeneration would like a free further information leaflet about the Skills for Seeing training, please just let us know here in the office.
Sound Tennis
Sound Tennis Sussex are thrilled to have been invited to host one of the regional Visually Impaired Tennis Tournaments this year.
The event will take place on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd June at Virgin Active, Village Way, Falmer, Brighton, the venue is less than 10 minutes walking distance from Falmer Station.
We are hoping for 30-40 players from across the country including a number of national champions so should be an exciting weekend and a chance to see some great tennis. There will also be opportunities if anyone would like to volunteer.
To find out more, please contact Paul Gillett at soundtennissussex@gmail.com,
Tel 07803545326
or visit their website www.soundtennissussex.org.uk
ESAB Services
Specifically for East Sussex
Low Vision Support Worker
Full time worker providing at home support and visiting 695 members per year
Mobility and Orientation training. Confidence building and practical help. 150 members per year.
Certificates of visual impairment, we handle 250 of these a year.
Aids and Equipment service. 1400 interactions per year.
Skills and strategies for daily living courses, 295 members trained per year
IT skills courses, smart phones and tablets.
In Brighton
Full time Co-ordinator
Aids and Equipment Centres in Hailsham and Brighton
Volunteer visiting scheme with 50 volunteers
Six social groups
Central services from ESAB
20 Social Groups. Including:
ESAB Theatre Group
Bowls club
ESAB VIABLE and
Sound Tennis Sussex
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Outreach Vehicle (OV)
ESAB telephone helpline
RNIB Big Skills training
Volunteer visiting scheme
Advocacy help for members
Lobbying local and central government
Working with local planners
Three times a year membership Newsletter
Drop in (by appointment) for Aids and Equipment
Library service
Friends of ESAB
Annual well-being call to all members
ESAB VIABLE
ESAB VIABLE
Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words about ESAB-VIABLE which was formed in 2017 from the coming-together of City Synergy and Brighton VIPs.
A few words first about the name. We tried to think of something that has the ESAB name within it. From a shortlist of members’ ideas, ESAB-VIABLE was the unanimous winner (see our logo to see how this works).
Our new group will continue the work of its predecessors. We are organising group activities, meet-ups and trips, and will keep the website and facebook page.
We aim to have about 3 activities a month. All of our activities are based on the members’ suggestions. Events include monthly tea/coffee for members to meet and discuss ideas for future events, pub sessions, 10 pin bowling, (which we will try to do at least quarterly), walks (town and countryside), meals out and theatre visits
We are also arranging some tandem rides and we are talking to Brighton Table Tennis Club about sight-loss friendly sessions. Not everything suits everybody, but we hope that you will find some things you like.
ESAB-VIABLE has an on-line presence with both a website and a facebook page. We are grateful to Sue Fever who puts a lot of work into keeping the facebook site going. Thanks to Paul for his work on the new website.
Although we are based in Brighton and Hove, and our activities generally happen, or start and finish, in the City, all ESAB members are welcome to join the group (ask for a membership form). Please just make sure that we know that you are coming so we can look out for you and ensure we have sufficient volunteer cover. Of course, the social network access is accessible to all ESAB members.
Do look at our website at http://www.esab-viable.org.uk/
And our facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/858178937684165/
Chris Dutton
Chair: esabviable@gmail.com
There’s so much going on at your local ESAB Social Group.
A full list of the social groups can be found on the end of this newsletter.
Social Group Round Up
Here we are in 2018. Another year has passed and all our social groups continue to do a fantastic job in helping to combat isolation and loneliness for blind and partially sighted people in our local communities.
If ever there was a good example worth mentioning, over in Bexhill Ruth Jones celebrated her 104th Birthday last year, and just to show she was still young at heart, she was treated to a bouquet of flowers while Dave Collins on the keyboard played the Waltz, and Richard Hawkins very kindly took her for spin round the floor.
Meanwhile Tuesday Club have been celebrating their 36th Birthday with a party, a lovely cake, and musical entertainment from ‘Just George’; SPA especially enjoyed their traditional Christmas lunch in December at The Green Man in Ringmer, and Lewes also had a lovely Christmassy afternoon with the Ringmer Academy student orchestra and choir providing the seasonal entertainment.
There’s already lots of activities being planned for the year ahead to look forward to, some musical, some informative, some getting out and about, and some to keep you mobile, all including good company and a chat over a cup of tea.
When the going gets tough – Volunteers get moving
Our existing volunteers tell us that the 2 of the best things about volunteering are making new friends and being part of a team, so to all new volunteers that have joined us in 2017, we extend a very warm welcome and we hope you are settling in, and enjoying your volunteering experience.
With families and work commitments, elderly parents or grandchildren to look after, not many of us have much spare time these days, so thank you so much for giving up your time to volunteer to help others. In whatever your role, you really do make a massive difference to the lives of our members, and your support is greatly appreciated.
Our members tell us they love having company and getting out, which is why ESAB volunteers are all important in helping blind and partially sighted people maintain their independence and combat the isolation and loneliness that threatens their everyday lives.
If any readers know of anyone who might be interested in volunteering, please do let us know here at head office, and we will be sure to follow up. We also offer volunteers Vision Awareness training and reimbursement of mileage expenses.
For further information on Volunteering for ESAB please contact Ian at HQ on 01323 832252 or ian@eastsussexblind.org
Outreach Vehicle
The Outreach Vehicle continues to visit a range of public venues and local community groups across the county.
Last year we met a grand total of 468 people over 32 Outreach Vehicle visits.
Over the coming year we hope to be at a variety of events and happenings across the county.
ESAB members are always welcome to take part in Outreach Vehicle visits and help us raise awareness of sight loss. Just phone our head office for more information about how to get involved.
Let us know if there’s somewhere you think the OV should be going!
Just call the office and ask for Ian 01323 832252
Statement from Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group about the Low Vision Clinic at Montague House:
Following an in-depth review of the Low Vision Service, we decided to no longer fund the service currently provided in Brighton and Haywards Heath. CCGs have a responsibility to review the services it commissions regularly to ensure they offer the most effective health (clinical) care, that they represent good value for money and that they do not duplicate other services offered in the City.
Brighton & Hove City Council have confirmed that it has been able to resource a Low Vision Clinic service in 2018/19 so patients should see minimal changes to the service. We will continue to work closely with the council and third sector partners around a long term solution to funding this service.
Accessible Swim Sessions
Freedom Leisure has organised Accessible Swim sessions in Hailsham, Uckfield and Crowborough, suitable for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and people living with dementia
Hailsham: Starting 2nd February, every Friday 2.30pm-3.30pm, term time only.
For more information please call 01323846755 or email hailshamenquiries@freedom-leisure.co.uk.
Uckfield: Starting 6th February, every Tuesday 2.30pm – 3.30pm, term time only.
Call 01825 761160 or email uckfieldenquiries@freedom-leisure.co.uk
Crowborough: Starting 20th February, every Tuesday 10am-11am (term time only)
Call 01892 665488 or email crowboroughenquiries@freedom-leisure.co.uk
Social Group Areas
As a member of ESAB you are welcome to attend your local social group. They provide talks, afternoon teas, trips out and a host of enjoyable social activities. Here are their meeting times:
Bexhill 1st Friday
Crowborough 3rd Friday
Herstmonceux 3rd Wednesday
VitalEYES (Brighton and Hove) 1st Friday
Lewes 2nd Monday
Polegate 4th Tuesday
SocialEYES (Brighton and Hove) 3rd Friday
Seaford 1st Thursday
Saltdean & Peacehaven 4th Monday
Tuesday Club 2nd Tuesday (In the evening)
Uckfield 1st Wednesday
Brighton VIP’s 4th Thursday
Brighton Deaf/Blind Group 1st Wednesday
Theatre Group
Bowls Group
ESAB VIABLE
Sound Tennis Sussex
For further information on any of the social groups please contact HQ.
East Sussex Association of Blind and Partially Sighted People
Prospects House, 7-9 George Street, Hailsham, BN27 1AD
Telephone 01323 832252 – Fax 01323 833054
Email: info@eastsussexblind.org
Website: www.eastsussexblind.org
Charity Registration number 209535
Company Registration number 363004
Please don’t forget to contact us so we can update your data choices before the 25th May 2018.