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1 T T B B A A News & Views from News & Views from ameside ameside lind ssociation lind ssociation Summer 2010 Issue No. 17 A newsletter for visually impaired people. A newsletter for visually impaired people.

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Page 1: News & Views 17

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TT BB

AA News & Views from News & Views from

amesideameside lind ssociationlind ssociation

Summer 2010 Issue No. 17

A newsletter for visually impaired people.A newsletter for visually impaired people.

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Editorial Team:

Editor: Vicky Kay

Journalists: Harry Morris, Roy Knowles, Philip Singleton, Glenis Lee

Photos provided by: Dr. Colin Willoughby, Vicky Kay, Philip Singleton, Glenda Harffy.

Cover: Mahmood tells us about himself and his eye condition,

Retinitis Pigmentosa, see page 6.

Hello again everyone, well summer is here and I‟m sure a few of you have been off on your summer holidays, or perhaps spending time looking after your kids or grandkids.

Here at TBA‟s community support office we seem to have been playing a relay race with our holidays; just as one person comes back off holiday, another one disappears! Still, this has meant the office has been fully stocked with biscuits and other edible holiday gifts that have kept the other workers going through the extra work strain, so we can‟t complain!

The very dedicated Jill has been involved in getting the flowerbed ready in time for the „In Bloom‟ inspection here in Dukinfield, and despite her protests of not really being very „green fingered‟, it is looking lovely! Also, both Philip and Jill have had big birthdays; in fact Philip has just turned the big six zero, and is disappointed not to be getting his bus pass now the rules have changed! You may want to wish them many happy returns next time you speak to either of them!

Now back to business: this season‟s newsletter seems packed full of health and eye-related articles, as well as news about forthcoming events, news on previous events, and other little tit-bits that we hope you‟ll find interesting!

Enjoy!

Vicky, Editor and Project

Development Worker.

Note from the Editor

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New eligibility rules for DLA.

Current Disability Living Allowance (DLA) rules do not incorporate any regulations specifically regarding visually impaired people. However, the following information has been issued:

On 29th June the Government laid the regulations

(covering the eligibility criteria) before Parliament. The regulations will lay before Parliament for 40 days, after which the changes should come into force, meaning people with severe visual impairment will be able to claim the higher rate mobility component from April 2011. This will apply to people who have been certified as being severely visually impaired and have one of the following: no perception of light; perception of light only; perception of hand movement; a visual acuity of 3/60 with a total or extensive loss of field.

We will try to keep people updated as more information becomes available, however the Department of Work and Pensions will be publicising more information in the coming months.

TBA AGM.

Make a note in your diaries: the Annual General Meeting of Tameside Blind Association will take place on a new day: FRIDAY 17

th September at 2pm at 4 Wellington Parade,

Dukinfield. All members of the Association are encouraged to attend the meeting to “have their say” and vote.

Yes it‟s that time of year again. The Trustees have decided once again to cut down on the use and cost of paper and provide last years minutes and this years Trustees report on request, but copies will be available to all who attend the AGM.

Once again we would like to appeal for new Trustees to be elected. At the moment it is difficult for us to attend meetings with other local societies, conferences etc with so few getting involved.

We look forwards to seeing you in September at the AGM.

By Margaret Carter, TBA Committee Secretary.

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After the time spent planting, weeding and tidying up in spring, the Iris gardening club (held at Vision First) organised a nice trip out to Bodnant Gardens in North Wales in May. The azaleas and rhododendrons were in full bloom with the scented varieties in an enclosed dell giving us an extra treat with their lovely perfume. The laburnum archway was a glorious sight of yellow tassels, we returned home with the thought that we should be changing our garden here on Wilshaw Lane into more of a sensory garden with raised beds, scented and more colourful plants and shrubs. With this in mind we have approached the local councillors for help, so watch this space. In the garden the red hardy geraniums, red montbretia (crocosmia), hebes and hanging baskets have grown well, this rain has really brought everything on. The raspberries have given us a small crop, they were only planted last year, we have harvested the Japanese onions (more like shallots!), the beetroot and lettuce are not ready to be picked yet, lets hope we get to them before the snails! We hope to arrange a trip to a local sensory garden in the near future to give us ideas for next year.

For those interested there are many local flower and vegetable shows, some of which are listed below:-

Haughton Green Gardening Society Show, 4th September,

Haughton Green Methodist Church Hall, Two Trees Lane, Denton, 2pm to 6pm. Free Admission.

Woodley Horticultural Art and Craft Show, 11th September,

Civic Hall, Hyde Road, Woodley, 2pm to 6pm. 25p Admission.

Tameside Horticultural Show, 4th and 5

th September, Civic

Hall, Trinity Street, Stalybridge, on 4th: 2.30pm to 6pm, on 5

th:

10am to 3pm. Free Admission. The Iris Gardening Club meets Fridays 10am to 12.30pm at Vision First, Wilshaw Lane, Ashton-Under-Lyne. For more information phone: 0161 330 7028.

Enjoy your gardening! By Roy Knowles, Iris Gardening Club Volunteer .

News from the Garden Shed

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Members of the Freedom Club celebrate their 1st Birthday.

Freedom Club Celebrates First Birthday!

In March 2009 a new club for people with any disabilities was formed – inspired and led by Glenda Harffy. The club met at Zion Church in Gee Cross providing a range of activities and games once a week.

The group now meet twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays 10am to 2.30pm) at Hattersley Community Centre. They have expanded to offer Arts and Crafts, Gardening, Painting, Quizzes, Pool, Bingo, Computer work and have started trips out including a planned short stay in Blackpool.

Members have agreed a rolling menu of lunch time snacks – varying each week. Glenda has taken great care to make all activities as accessible as possible to all members. Tameside Blind Association have been able to advise the clubs on games and accessibility for blind and partially sighted people and bingo cards have been translated into Braille by Tameside Blind Association volunteer Gwen Malcolmson.

The club celebrated its first birthday on 25th June when the

Mayor, Jean Brazil, attended the party in Hattersley and congratulated members and organisers on their achievements. The club is currently full on Fridays but open to new members on Tuesdays.

By Philip Singleton, TBA Project Manager.

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If you know someone who is lively, friendly, very intelligent, determined and with a good sense of humour, then you‟ll have a good idea of what Mahmood Khan is like.

Mahmood is in his late 20‟s and Ashton born and bred. He joined Tameside Blind Association in 2005 and is a keen member of TBAs “Trailblazers” walking group.

He explained some of the difficulties caused by his sight problem Retinitis Pigmentosa, known as R.P.

Mahmood said that being where lighting is poor makes seeing extremely difficult, whether in a dimly lit room or outside at night.

His night vision is severely limited. He illustrated this by saying that one night he took a taxi home. The driver asked “Which house?” Mahmood couldn‟t tell him – they all looked the same. Now he tells the driver to stop at the third lamp-post, which is closest to home.

If you see Mahmood in the street and he walks past you, he isn‟t ignoring you. Because of restricted vision to the sides he may not see you, or may see you but can‟t recognise you.

Despite the severity of his sight difficulties, Mahmood says that some of his friends don‟t know he has sight problems!

Mahmood is very independent, and dislikes asking for help. But sometimes he has to, and a new vision impairment card has made this much easier as it is proof that he is visually impaired.

Mahmood‟s sight problems didn‟t prevent him from getting a B.A. Honours Degree in Law and Criminology from University of Central Lancashire in Preston. Neither did they stop him from becoming a volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau, and also with the Samaritans.

Mahmood found working on a telephone help

Mahmood Khan and R.P.

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Planting Tips:

August: Time to plant winter/spring Cabbages, Cauliflower, Calabrese, Japanese Onions and sow Salad Onions in pots to plant out in September.

September: Plant Spinach (winter varieties), Daffodil and Tulip bulbs, Sweet Williams and Wallflowers. Order bare rooted fruit trees, Roses and other shrubs.

October/November: Sow Sweet Peas in pots in a cold frame, tidy up those leaves, get a cup of tea, put your feet up and order your seeds for next year!

By Roy Knowles, Iris Gardening Club Volunteer.

Now you can also ‘shop till you drop’!

June 10th saw the launch of a new Transport Service for

Tameside Residents. „Shopping Link‟ is a door-to-door public transport for people over 60 and people with mobility problems. The specially adapted bus will take you to the Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco supermarkets in the area and also to Ashton Market – the latter service running every Friday. Fares range from £1.10p to £4.00.

To book a journey call: 08456 055505

Or for more information please contact the project – we do have several large print timetables.

Tameside Shopping Link is run by Point 2 Point Community Transport and funded by GMPTE and Tameside „Opening Doors for Older People‟.

By Glenis Lee – Project Development Worker

line with the Samaritans very rewarding, but extremely stressful; he discovered that when the calls were over, he couldn‟t “switch off” and forget the callers, their worries and their distress.

What‟s next for Mahmood? Well, he‟s currently considering a career in social care. And Mahmood is the type of person who‟s likely to get what he goes for!

By Harry Morris, TBA Volunteer.

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Although many people will not have heard of „Age UK‟, the organisation brings together almost 120 years of shared history of working with and for older people.

In 1940 the „Old People‟s Welfare Committee‟ was born out of the hardships brought on by World War II. By 1944 it became a national organisation, taking under its umbrella many local organisations working to improve older people‟s welfare. In 1971 the „National Old People‟s Welfare Committee‟ was renamed „Age Concern‟, and again many local groups took on the name as time went on. In July 2000, organisations sharing the name „Age Concern‟ came together to work as a federation, and „Age Concern England‟ was developed as a national federation member that worked with local „Age Concerns‟ to provide support and leadership in areas like campaigning and policy.

Meanwhile, in 1961 „Help the Aged Refugees Appeal‟ was set up in response to the needs of older refugees after natural disasters and conflict in former Yugoslavia, former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and Rwanda. This blossoming organisation then renamed itself „Help the Aged‟, and as well as continuing to raise money for emergency aid overseas, it also became involved in projects for older people in the UK; establishing day centres and pioneering the building of better housing for older people. In 1983 „Help the Aged‟ founded „HelpAge International‟; creating a worldwide network of organisations working to improve older people‟s lives. And in 2001 they merged with „Research into Ageing‟ which helped build on its research and policy work, and aided in the new direction they took in 2005 to focus on disadvantaged older people.

On 1st April 2009 „Age Concern England‟ and „Help the Aged‟

joined together to create a new charity dedicated to improving

later life for everyone through information, advice, campaigns,

products, training and research. As of April 2010,

this charity has been given the name „Age UK‟.

Who are ‘Age UK’?

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Revolutionary eye surgery to halt the advancement of

Latest publications.

We have re-published our information packs so they are now up-to-date with information about all our services and contact details for other service providers. We have also published a transport brochure which highlights various forms of transport that may be available to you. If you would like either of these publications, or you would like a few to be able to hand out, please get in contact and we can post them to you (contact details on back page).

The surgeons at Cathedral Eye Clinic in Belfast fitted the first person in the UK and Ireland, 66-year-old Mary McCall, with a device called the iStent. At just 1mm in length and weighing 60 microgrammes, this tiny medical marvel is the smallest device to be implanted into the human body!

The iStent is made from surgical grade titanium and is shaped like a snorkel. It drains fluid away from the sensitive part of the back of the eye which causes glaucoma when there is too much pressure. This lowers the pressure in the eye, with the aim of halting any further sight loss.

Although it does not reverse the effects of glaucoma, it is hoped to become a more practical treatment for those who find their current medication difficult; for example, those who suffer side effects from the medication, those whose quality of life is impaired by the current treatment, or those who find it hard to take their medication at the prescribed times.

So far the initial results are looking very promising. If the 20-30 minute procedure is proved to be cost effective there is hope that it may become a more widely available alternative treatment.

The iStent (circled) shown here sitting on a 1 Cent coin and is the size of the ‘2’ from the date ‘2003’!

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Why register?

Being told for the first time that you have an eye condition that is likely to get progressively worse and impede your sight is a horrible experience to have to go through. Often people have to take some time to let this information sink in before they think about what to do next, but when the Doctors are telling you that medically there is nothing more to be done, what do you do next?

Often, after telling you about a serious eye condition, the Doctor will talk about the possibility of being registered as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind), but at this moment in time most people are struggling to take in the information just given, and the idea of possibly having to fill out forms and suddenly having to deal with a terrifying label is just too much to handle.

After taking time to accept what is happening (however long this may take) some people come out the other end determined not to let their condition get the better of them. Getting the support needed to live a life with sight loss is often the first hurdle, especially if you are someone who has always relied on yourself and are not used to asking for support.

The idea of labelling oneself as sight impaired or severely sight impaired may not sound appealing, but there are many benefits to this that can make getting on with life that much easier. For instance gaining access to the support you may need is automatic once registered, and this can help you find out what is out there and what you may be entitled to; Various welfare benefits may become open to you once you have a certificate explaining your circumstance, and once on particular welfare benefits, even more concessions can be open to you, so it really can be worth it in the long run.

If you register as either blind or partially sighted you are entitled to free NHS sight tests and other NHS costs; for instance vouchers towards the cost of glasses with „complex lenses‟ or free medical prescriptions if you are unable to leave your home

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without assistance. Discounted or even free travel may be available, as well as being able to access local community transport that makes getting out and about much easier. Being able to use the BT Directory Enquiry for free (regardless of which telephone company you are with) can also be a useful benefit as you can find phone numbers for yourself rather than waiting for someone else to look it up for you, and they can also transfer you straight to the number needed, so you don‟t have to write things down. There are also various leisure concessions, such as discounted price or a free ticket for someone accompanying you to an activity, and these can be available in cinemas, theatres concert halls and museums, to name but a few.

One benefit not often mentioned is that you are automatically covered by the Disability Discrimination Act, which covers all sorts of situations and means that companies must make reasonable adjustments to suit your needs. This can mean providing information in an accessible format if requested. Also free 1

st class postage on post marked „articles for the blind‟

is available for people sending you items.

If you are registered as severely sight impaired (blind) then you can be entitled to even more benefits, such as „blind person‟s personal income tax allowance‟, half price TV licence fee, blue badge parking concessions, free permanent loan of radios or CD radio cassette players from „British Wireless for the Blind‟, and many more!

In the long run having a label such as sight impaired or severely sight impaired may in fact help you to get back on your feet and enjoy life. The idea of all of these benefits is to try and make life easier; they were designed for people who have problems with their vision, so if you are eligible, you should take advantage of what is out there!

If you are interested in finding out if you can be registered you will need to book an appointment with a consultant ophthalmologist, and they will conduct an eye test to see if you qualify. If you are registered but want to find out more about what you qualify for, please get in contact (details on back page).

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‘Fun Run’ raises money for TBA.

It was in March that we received a phone call from Reshma of the BAPS Hindu community in Ashton. Each year their members raise money for a national charity and a local charity and this years chosen charities were Barnardos (National) and Tameside Blind Association (Local). We were delighted with this offer and the organisers said they had done some research on local Tameside charities and had been impressed by the work of Tameside Blind Association supporting local people with sight loss. The main fundraising event was to be a sponsored fun run/walk on 18

th April around Ashton, starting from the Temple (Mandir) on

Russell Street. Hundreds of people joined in from the very young to adults of all ages and included members of the BAPS organisation from around the North of England. Before the event started, Barnardos and Tameside Blind Association were invited to display information about their activities and talk to individuals. The children were particularly interested in trying on the simulation spectacles to find out how different eyesight can be and also enjoyed trying the quiz questions on our display. Trustee Beryl Williams, member and volunteer Ivor Williams and Community Support Project Manager Philip Singleton represented Tameside Blind Association at the start and helped to get the run underway. The whole thing was particularly well organised as several hundred people took to the streets around a predetermined route with marshals and police at appropriate points. We were invited back to the Mandir on 13

th June to join in the

last part of a spiritual celebration and to receive a cheque from the proceeds of the fun run. Around 700 people were gathered at the event and the cheque was presented to Project Manager Philip Singleton. Philip expressed congratulations and sincere thanks to the organisers of the fun run and to all who took part in raising such a wonderful amount. The Tameside Blind Association representatives took part in the closing „Festival of

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Light‟ and then joined everyone in an excellent meal prepared by the members. We hope to be able to work with the group in the future with information, advice and support services for people with deteriorating eyesight and particularly to enable people to gain access to equipment, technology and services to improve the quality of their lives. Thank you again to everyone at the BAPS Mandir for raising over £500 for Tameside Blind Association.

Participants of the BAPs fun-run posing with a banner.

We are planning a talk on the eye condition RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (known as R.P.) on the 21

st September at

Tameside Blind Association offices in Dukinfield. Sue Drew from the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society will talk and answer questions about R.P. and its effects and potential treatments. Everyone is welcome to join us for the talk which will start at 1.30pm for about an hour, followed by a question and answer session. Please come along whether you have the R.P. condition or as a volunteer or just interested to know more about the condition. By Philip Singleton, Project Manager.

Date for your Diary! – Talk on R.P.

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What should you expect from eye care and sight loss services?

The UK Vision Strategy is seeking a major transformation in the UK‟s eye health, eye care and sight loss services. They hope that their determined and united cross-sector approach will turn this into reality. They have produced a charter called „You and Your Vision‟, which tells people what you should expect from eye care and sight loss services, in seven points:

You should be able to arrange a regular sight test with ease. The results should be explained to you, including whether you need glasses or contacts lenses. If you need to be referred to a specialist, your optician or GP should give you a clear explanation.

Save a life, spot a stroke.

Stroke symptoms are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, this and a lack of awareness could spell disaster for a loved one. A stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognise the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognise a stroke by asking four simple questions:

Ask them to smile, if they can only smile on one side of their face, there may be a problem.

Ask them to talk. Can they say a simple sentence coherently?

Ask them to raise both arms.

Ask them to stick out their tongue. Can they do it? Is it straight or is it going off to one side?

If the person has problems with ANY of these tasks, dial 999 immediately and describe the symptoms to the operator. If neurologists can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they should be able to reverse the effects. Unfortunately strokes are hard to spot; sometimes people may just feel like they have tripped over something and are just feeling shaken up. If you think you would struggle to remember all the points, remember the anagram

STAT: Smile, Talk, Arms, Tongue.

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Most people who visit opticians or eye clinics do not have any permanent sight loss. Any problem with your eyes should be explained clearly, with respect for your feelings. You should be told how you can help manage your condition and about any treatment which might help. You may ask questions about anything you don‟t understand. You can also have someone with you (you may need to say this is what you want).

You should be given all the information you need in a way that is right for you. You should be asked whether you would like letters and leaflets in alternative formats such as large print or audio.

You may have to see a number of different professionals to get the treatment and support you need. You should always know what the next steps will be. If you are unsure, you can ask the health professional who is supporting you.

Finding out that you have a problem with your eyes can be worrying. You should be offered the chance to talk with someone who understands what you are going through and can answer your questions. This might be someone who has had a similar experience, a counsellor or someone who can give you emotional support.

If you are one of the few people who have serious sight loss, you may benefit from being on your local authority's sight loss register. You should be advised how to register, and what the advantages are, so you can make a decision about it.

If you lose any of your sight, you may need support to learn new ways of doing things like getting around town, cooking meals or using a computer. You should be given information on local and national support services. Your family, friends or carers should be given the help they need to support you, if you say you would like them to be involved.

This initiative will be reviewed in 2012. If you feel you are not getting the service you need, you can contact the local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) office in Tameside on 0161 922 4466.

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Do you still drive?

As an Association we occasionally hear of people who have problems with their sight but are still driving their cars. As we are not ophthalmologists, we are not able to tell if they meet the minimum standards to be able to legally drive or not, however it does cause us some sleepless nights!

You have to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at once if you currently have a condition which affects your fitness as a driver or which might do so in the future. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.

The police are allowed to stop a driver and test their eyesight if they have any reason to think that he or she cannot meet the legal standards required for driving. Driving with uncorrected defective vision is an offence and there is a potential fine of £1,000 for those caught doing so. There is also the added threat of 3 penalty points and possible disqualification for those found breaking the law. Also, your car insurance may be invalid, meaning if there is an accident you may have to pay out an extensive amount to those involved out of your own pocket, not to mention the potential of expensive personal injury compensation claims.

There are two aspects to the legal visual standards for driving; Visual acuity and visual field. The visual acuity standards relate to how clear a person can see. A driver must be able to read a standard size number plate (using glasses with corrective lenses if necessary) from 20.5 metres (67 feet). Any driver who is unable to do this is breaking the law. If you want to keep track of your eye sight you should regularly self administer this „number plate test‟. This test is what the police may ask you to take, and failure may lead to prosecution. The visual field standards relates to the amount of an area that can be seen without moving the eye. To meet standards for driving your peripheral

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(side) vision must be a specific width and you must not have any significant defects in the centre of the field of vision. A person with total loss of vision in one eye must not have any deficit in the visual field of the remaining eye. If you are unsure if you meet the requirements, your GP, optician or eye specialist will be able to advise you.

Often people use the excuses that they only drive to the local shops or to areas they know, or only drive in good weather. However, you cannot control those around you or the environment. If you are not able to foresee an accident (for instance a child running out into the road wearing less visible clothing colours) you may not be able to react appropriately. Similarly, driving somewhere in good weather is no good if the weather changes before you make it back home, or if it suddenly goes quite dull or starts to rain. Also, many accidents happen around the local area; one experience I read recently was of a man who accidentally killed his neighbour in the driveway of his own apartment building, so only driving locally does not safeguard against driving accidents.

The idea of losing your independence is a daunting experience; however there are other transport options (if you want more information on these please get in contact, details on back page), but the alternative worst case scenario is dire: Killing someone, your insurance being invalid, having to pay out thousands of pounds yourself, on top of being sued for compensation and also being charged for driving with defective

vision, paying £1,000 fine and 3 points on your licence!

Only you can really take the decision to hang up the car-keys. If you would like

to speak to the DVLA about this or any other medical worries, you can

contact them on 0870 600 0301.

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Need some advice?

The Citizen‟s Advice Bureau is now offering an extra weekly advice service for people of Denton on Mondays from 9am to 12 noon. This is at the Yew Tree Centre, Circular Road, Denton, M34 6EY. For people of Newton and Hyde the weekly Thursday morning advice session has moved premises until further notice, and is temporarily available at Bradley Green Community Centre, 17 Hough Lane, Newton, from 9am till 12 noon. Advice sessions are also held as follows:

Ashton: from 9am till 5pm on Monday and Tuesdays at St. Peter‟s People, 42 Bank Street, Ashton, OL6 7DN.

Denton South: from 9am till 12 noon on Wednesdays at Haughton Green Health Centre, Tatton Road, Denton, M34 7PH.

Stalybridge: from 9.30 to 1pm on Wednesdays at Ridge Hill Children‟s Centre, School Cresent, Ridge Hill SK15 1EA.

Dukinfield: from 9am to 11.30am on Thursdays at 73 King Street, SK16 4NQ.

Hattersley: on Friday mornings at Hattersley Community Centre, Hattersley Road East, SK14 3EQ.

All sites are drop-in sessions, so just go along and take a seat. Alternatively telephone advice is available on Tuesday afternoons on 0161 330 2156 (dependent upon volunteers being available) or use www.adviceguide.org.uk for general advice.

Hospital Experiences Questionnaire.

Over the coming months we are hoping to start up a telephone questionnaire regarding your most recent outpatients hospital visit; previous hospital stays (inpatients) and any other previous visits where you may have encountered problems in relation to your vision impairment. We would be ever so grateful if you would be able to take part in this telephone questionnaire, and you may be asked about this if you happen to ring the office.

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Regardless of whether or not you have an existing eye

condition, you should still regularly go for eye tests to make

sure that there isn‟t anything else going on that could affect your

sight. The RNIB recommend having an eye test once every year

if you have an eye condition or if you are susceptible to one.

When was your last eye test?

Opportunity of a life-time!

The Harley Hatters are back again to give you lucky people the

opportunity of a life-time; a free ride on the back of a Harley

Davidson motorbike! Last year they came on a sunny day in

September to whisk people off to a pub nestled on the outskirts

of Marsden amidst some beautiful scenery. The riders, aged

between 25 and 77 years of age and who all have varying

degrees of vision impairment, really enjoyed it, claiming they

loved feeling the sun on their faces and wind in their hair. This

year‟s „Ride Out‟ will be on Saturday 11th September. If you are

interested in coming or would like more information, please get

in contact using the details on the back page.

Last years ride out. From left to right: Paul Walker, Damien Williamson and

Gordon Collinge all sat on the back of Harley Motorbikes with their biker

Escorts.

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No we‟re not trying to „chat you up‟ in this modern age of internet dating (Honest!), we actually want to have better contact with you and possibly save some paper!

We sometimes send out letters, which if you have email would help us and possibly even save us some money (and effort!).

Please get in touch with your email address; our contact details, including our email address, are below.

Please remember Tameside Blind Association when you make your will.

This local charity works for all visually impaired people in Tameside - serving the Community for 30 years.

4 Wellington Parade, Dukinfield SK16 4LE

Committee contact number: 0161 330 7778

Charity No: 504063

3 Wellington Parade, Dukinfield, Cheshire. SK16 4LE

Community Support Office Tel:

0161 343 4090 / 6903

email:[email protected] www.tamesideblind.org.uk

Registered Charity

No. 504063

AMESIDE

LIND

SSOCIATION

Printed by

P.D. Print, Hyde.

We have joined the land of the internet techies and put up a Facebook Page called „Tameside Blind Association, Community Support Project‟. If you are already on Facebook or will be soon, search for us with that name, and click „Like‟! Current information and photos of events will be put on there to keep you all up to date with what we‟re up to!

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Can we have your email address?

Tameside Blind Association’s Community Support Project is now on Facebook!