Tuesday 28th January
The Swimming Group are swimming at the Waterside Pool in Ryde from 8.00pm till 8.45pm. The pool is closed to the public whilst the group swims. There are male and female volunteers to help you get in and out of the pool as well as Lifeguards to ensure your safety. To join the Swimming Group, please call Sight for Wight first to notify us of your swimming ability. You need to register with the office at Millbrooke House first to be able to swim with the group.
Wednesday 29th January
The weekly coffee morning will be held at Millbrooke House from 10.00am till 11.30am.
There will also be our Low Vision drop in between 10.00 am and 11.30am. This is a weekly event to allow you to view and try the Low Vision equipment we have at Sight for Wight without the need for an appointment.
Thursday 30th January
The Thursday Social Group are meeting at Millbrooke House. The group meets from 10.30am till 2.00pm. Most Thursdays with the help of volunteers, the group enjoy a number of activities, crosswords, catching up on news and trivia, knitting and crochet. They are currently making pompoms for the rug. This very friendly, mixed group also love to chat and enjoy lunch together. Later in the afternoon volunteers come in and read to the group on different topics. If you would like to join the group then please contact the Charity on 522205.
Friday 31st January
The Striders group will be meeting for a circular walk in the Carisbrooke area. Lunch is booked for 1.00pm at The Eight Bells in Carisbrooke. If you would like to join the Striders group then please contact the charity on 522205 or email members@iwsb.org.uk
Any Other News
Stakeholder Consultation Meeting
Tuesday 11th February 10am -1.00pm. All members will have received a letter of invitation about this before Christmas. For practical reasons the total number of participants for this meeting is limited to 40, so if you would like to attend please let us know by 4th February. If the event is oversubscribed the names will be drawn from a hat. If you are unable to attend but would like to make any suggestions or observations for consideration please contact us by February 4th. For those wishing to contribute by telephone, Member Services Assistant will be manning the phones for this purpose on Tuesday 28th January and Tuesday 4th February from 9.30am -3.00pm. We look forward to hearing from you.
February Strollers
Please note that the date for the February Strollers has changed from the 11th February to the 4th February. If you wish to join the strollers group, please contact the charity.
Touch Tours
Jo Bressloff is a freelance artist educator who is very passionate about making arts and heritage venues accessible for everyone. She organises Touch Tours which are friendly and informal opportunities for visually impaired people to have a ‘hands on’ experience, whenever possible, of some of the arts and heritage exhibitions and collections in both Southampton and Portsmouth.
There will be Touch Tours at Gods House Tower Arts and Heritage Venue on Thursday 6th February 2020 from 10.30am-12.30pm, and at Southampton City Art Gallery on Friday 28th February 2020 from 10.30am-12.30pm.
These events are both free but places do need to be booked. To book a place call Jo Bressloff on 07443224341
Our trustee Ruth Hollingshead will be attending the touch tour on the 6th February with her guide dog Flora, and is happy to arrange to meet at the Red Jet terminal in Cowes and walk to the venue, provided you can bring your own sighted guide or are independently mobile. To contact Ruth please leave your details with Laura on 522205. Please be aware that Sight for Wight is not organising this event, and therefore no sighted guide support will be provided.
Macular Society Meeting in Southampton
The Macular Society holds a meeting for working age people who are living with a macular condition in the local area and our nearest one is in Southampton. The group meets at the Standing Order pub in Southampton, and the next get together is on Saturday 15th February from 11am to 1pm. Our Trustee, Ruth, will be travelling over with her guide dog via the red jet and walking up to the venue, which is about a 10 minute walk. If anyone would like to join her then please leave your details with Laura on 522205 and she will then get in touch to arrange a time to meet at the red jet terminal in Cowes. Please be aware that Sight for Wight is not organising this event, and therefore no sighted guide support will be provided.
Pre-owned equipment for sale
We have been asked to advertise on behalf of a member a pre-loved BraillePen 12 Touch. This is a Bluetooth Braille keyboard with Braille display designed for use by individuals who are blind or have low vision. This keyboard connects to a phone, netbook, PC or tablet. It allows the user to navigate an external device with a joystick, write SMS, browse the Internet, complete 6-key entry into a Braille translator or simply type. The user can also switch between 6-dot and 8-dot Braille entries. The asking price is £100. If you are interested in purchasing this item or require more information, please call 01983 522205 and ask for Laura.
Freshwater Library Listening Reading Group – this group will be meeting on Tuesday 28th January, from 11am – 12noon. Please pass this information on to anyone who is interested. If you would like more information please call on 752377, or email on anna.britton@iow.gov.uk
RNIB Living with Sight Loss Course – 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. These free informal, community –based courses provide information, advice, support and practical solutions for people with sight loss and those close to them, helping them to adjust to a sight loss condition, increase independence and boost confidence.
This course will be running on Thursday `13th February and Thursday 20th February, 10am -3pm at Falcon Cross Hall, Shanklin. PO37 7LA
To book your place please call the RNIB on 0300 123 3933 or email at lwslenquiries@rnib.org.uk
More information can be found at www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss
Accessible Activities and Services Day will be held at West Wight Sports and Community Centre on Saturday March 14th, 10.30am – 3.30pm. All welcome, admission free of charge. For further details phone 01983 752168 or email info@westwight.org.uk
Donations – if you have any unwanted gifts, Sight for Wight would be pleased to receive anything in new condition and suitable for raffle or tombola prizes
We were delighted that one of our members, Roy Perry, won the 18+ category with his story, Silent Night, in the 2019 Sight for Wight Story writing Competition. You can hear Roy’s story later in the programme.
This Week’s In Touch:
Talking Buses and A New Way To Read
Peter White hears about the talking technology that is slowly being added to the UK’s buses. When will more public transport get the equipment that tells you where you are and where you’re headed?
We hear about the app designed to help people with macular degeneration to continue to read text.
You can listen HERE
