INSIGHT Summer 2020 - Berkshire Vision
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Supporting the Visually Impaired
www.berkshirevision.org.uk
Charity number 1146413
INSIGHT
Summer 2020
What’s inside
2 Our Chairman’s Updates 10 Volunteering
4 What we’ve been up to! 12 Interview with para-athlete
and The Apprentice star
6 Meet Hannah
Souleyman Bah
8 Our Accessibility tips
And More!
Notes from the Chair
Berkshire Vision Aktiveyes
The past few months have been placed on Furlough Leave whilst
problematic for all of us and those who have remained have Currently all of the upcoming Aktiveyes events have
the Covid-19 restrictions have worked tirelessly. Our drivers have been postponed until further notice, however they
impacted our Members in a helped out with Macular patients still managed to have some great activities before
variety of ways. Our staff and ensuring they receive their regular lockdown. The last January visit to the Wraysbury
our Volunteers have responded treatment, we have a brilliant Pantomime was great fun. As usual, the Aktiveyes
magnificently to the various new podcast, and everyone has group were made to feel very welcome and
problems and I trust that you, our stepped up and taken change in they even had front row seats, free drinks Photo: A member
Members, are managing to cope their stride. and snacks. of the Aktiveyes
through these difficult times. group ready to
Due the current problems with bowl.
When lockdown was imposed, the pandemic, we will not be
the response from our staff was holding an AGM this year in order
immediate and over 100 extra to safeguard our Members and
Volunteers were recruited to help staff. Re-elections will be carried
maintain telephone contact with forward to the 2021 AGM.
the Members who asked for this.
The remote activities programme Thank you if you have recently
has grown over the weeks and completed the Member Survey.
provides contact and association We are undertaking surveys of
for a growing number. I am also both Members and Volunteers so Photo: The
aware that our Club Chairs and that we can design and review Aktiveyes group
Home Visitors, whilst unable to our services according to your getting involved
see our Members, have provided needs. Berkshire Vision will be Their first February visit was the
in the tactile Asda challenge in Cippenham
regular support which has been different when we emerge from challenge.
really appreciated. the current lockdown and we are and as usual, this was very
determined that the changes will competitive where they were
We have had some changes at be for the better and will reflect, challenged to identify 20 items
the Reading Office where Laura even more closely, the desires of while blind folded. The Ten Pin
has very capably stepped up as our Members. bowling session at the Salt Hill
Chief Executive Officer, deftly Park venue was well attended.
supported by Sara. We have Some of the bowling action was
Gillian and Maaike newly in place extremely erratic! While these
in our Volunteer Department, Photo: A are challenging times, Aktiveyes
working well as a team but yet headshot of is looking forward to seeing all of
to actually meet each other in Greg, our chair their Members again in the future.
person. Some staff had to be of trustees.
2 3
What we’ve
been up to!
Recently, we’ve all been faced with unprecedented
challenges, despite this, we’re so proud that the Berkshire
Vision family has stood strong: getting involved in our
popular remote events, our phone 1:1 befriending scheme
and more. We have all been in this together and we
will get through this together. Photos: A selection
of images of Berkshire
Vision staff driving
We continue to help
New Podcast!
patients to the eye
Image: The Berkshire clinic, with them sitting
Vision Podcast Logo. our friends at the NHS two metres apart and
with face masks.
Every week during the lockdown we
have been driving MD patients to
We recently launched the Berkshire Vision
the eye clinic in Windsor for their
Podcast, a new way to communicate to our
eye injections. These injections are
Members, Volunteers and Supporters. Find the
essential to preserve the patient’s
podcast on our website to listen.
existing eye-sight.
Thank you, Carl! Reading Lights
Board
To help raise funds for Berkshire
Vision, our Transport & Activity As part of our Valentine’s Day
Co-ordinator Carl cycled 26.2 celebrations, we asked people to Photo: A message
miles for the 2.6 Challenge! send in their messages that we’d on the Reading
Photo: A long Braving punctures and rough Lights Billboard
display on the Reading Lights
open road with terrain in the process. Thank you, reads “I love you P,
Board outside Reading Station.
Carl riding Carl! more than I love the
A big thank you to everyone who
down it. Six Nations”
sent in their messages.
4 5
Meet do so. The reason for this is I like
to give back to a charity which
continues to support me.
and find an organisation such as
Berkshire Vision that can support
and help you to get to grips with
Hannah My advice to someone who has
recently been diagnosed with a
your new life. I would also add
that life will continue but in a
different way with your friends
visual impairment is to do some and family helping you, you will
My name is Hannah Smith, I research about your condition get through it.
grew up in a small village called and talk to people about it and try
Baydon. When I was a young
adult, I went to study further at
RNCB, this is a college based in
Children and Family
Hereford for young people and
adults who are blind or partially
sighted. The reason for this is
because I suffer from neurological
blindness. This means that
although my eyes are actually Photo: A picture of Hannah
Support Services
fine and healthy, their messages having completed the triathlon
don’t get to my brain. Despite with a medal around her neck
having this condition, my visual
impairment hasn’t stopped me Our Children and Young People’s We also had a great tactile art
from having a fulfilling and happy team which I really enjoy as I remote activities calendar began session held by Julie Calce-
life. I was brought up to be as have the opportunity to do some in April with parent/carer coffee Bunker from Berkshire Sensory
independent as possible and this exercise as well as having fun mornings giving parents and Consortium who led us in making
has continued throughout my with friends. I find tandem cycling carers of young people stuck tactile rainbows to stick on
adult life. I never look back and good fun as it gives me a chance at home during lockdown the our windows for all of the Key
ask why I cannot do something to do an activity safely as I cannot opportunity to share tips and Workers. We had a brilliant junk
as I knew it could never happen, see to ride a bicycle on my own. tricks on how they were coping modelling session also led by
everyone is able to do different With the sports group, I have done with keeping their young people Julie where we made fantastic
things in life, however big or small a few dragon boat races and last occupied, as well as keeping on sculptures from junk we found
they are, it’s an achievement for year took on a short distance top of school work. around the house!
them. triathlon. I am hoping to complete
another longer one later this year. We held an afternoon tea for We look forward to seeing our
I have been involved with Berkshire Having the opportunity to take our young people, giving them Members online again soon!
Vison for quite a few years. Since part in lots of different social and the opportunity to catch up with
coming across the charity, I have physical activities has built up my Berkshire Vision friends, to talk
done a variety of events, both confidence and independence. I about how they’re coping, and
social and sporting activities. I am also offer to help with fundraising what they are doing at home.
a Member of the dragon boating when I have the opportunity to
6 7
How to turn on
Fundraising
Text-to-speech can be particularly
useful for those with visual
Text-to-speech impairments. It’s very easy to
enable and we’ve listed how to do
on your phone this on iOS (iPhone) and Samsung How Your Donations Help
Galaxy devices here.
For iOS For Samsung Galaxy Phones You can now get involved with
the Berkshire Vision Lottery.
If Siri is enabled, you can simply From any Home screen, tap on
It’s super easy to sign up, get
hold the home button on your Apps.
started and you could win up to
device and tell her to turn Tap Settings.
£25,000! Someone has already
VoiceOver on, meaning now Siri Scroll to ‘Personal’ and then tap
won a prize! You can visit our
will read you web pages, notes, Accessibility.
website for instructions on how to
text files, and other passages of Under ‘MORE SETTINGS,’ tap
play or e-mail us on:
text. You can also ask Siri to invert Direct access.
info@berkshirevision.org.uk or call
colours, enable Zoom, Magnifier, Slide the direct access switch
us on 0118 987 2803
and to make the standard text on. This will then enable your
larger on your device. Accessibility settings. (You can
also enable your Accessibility
For further details on these We were delighted to receive Image: The Berkshire
settings by pressing the Home key
settings, simply: a donation for £3,000 from Vision lottery logo which
3 times in quick succession).
Launch “Settings” and tap on Deanwood Golf Club. Their is surrounded in lottery
Tap TalkBack to enable this
“General” members have raised money in balls. The caption reads
feature.
Scroll down to “Accessibility” and a variety of ways for Berkshire “Play Now”
tap on “VoiceOver” Vision including a Christmas
Slide the VoiceOver toggle to “ON” raffle, quiz nights and ‘fines’ for
Optionally, adjust the “Speaking players whose ball went into the
Rate” slider to your preference. Captain’s bunker! Thank you
very much to all their members.
The RNIB Talking Books Service.
Our friends at the RNIB have a huge library of Talking Books, with over We have been very lucky to be In these challenging times, we
30,000 items in their collection which they are constantly adding to. chosen to be Johnson & Johnson rely more on the generosity and
Anyone with a visual impairment can use it and it’s very easy to use. Medical Devices’ charity of the donations of individuals than ever
Simply go onto the RNIB website and click Talking Books towards the year. Johnson & Johnson are before.
bottom of the page. RNIB are always on hand to help if you have any based in Wokingham and we are
issues. Their helpline number is 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@ looking forward to working with To donate just £1, please text
rnib.org.uk them on various initiatives. VISION to 70201.
8 9
Volunteering
Some Volunteers have chosen to The mixture of new and old
assist us with remote activities Volunteers was celebrated during
such as the quiz, coffee mornings Volunteers Week. Sadly we
or creating other activities to could not organise our “Thank
So much has happened entertain our Members such as You Tea Party” this year, but we
wine tastings and history talks. are looking forward to getting
since the spring edition of everyone together for a huge
Insight We are also using this time to find celebration as soon as it is safe
out what our Members think about to do so. Some of our Volunteers
Berkshire Vision’s services, so have been with us for many
other Volunteers have dedicated years, each and every one brings
their time to helping us survey our something special to Berkshire
Members over the telephone. Vision and our Members.
Photo: A At the same time as the Members
Screenshot from a survey, all 300+ Volunteers are
video call between also being surveyed on their
a smiling James, thoughts about the Volunteer roles
Maaike and Gill. they play in Berkshire Vision. After
the survey has been completed, a
Volunteer Focus group will be set
up.
Photo: One
This will enable us to get further of our phone
Our Volunteer department has reaction with people rallying views from our Volunteers on all
totally changed with Gill and around to help. Our 170 Volunteers befriending
sorts of subjects that crop up Volunteers, Kim
Maaike joining us. They have have been joined by 120 new throughout the year.
worked together now for two volunteers to create a wonderful on the phone
months, but remotely from home. telephone befriending service.
Although they have not had a
chance yet to meet in person, The befriending relationships are Join Us
they are getting stuck in to all an enjoyable experience, for both
the action in the Berkshire Vision parties. One of our befriending We hope to get back to recruiting for our normal Volunteer roles soon,
virtual office and joining in some Volunteers Vicky reported back these include club committees and Volunteers, drivers and assistants for
of the activities with our Members. “I really enjoy my calls, I love our sports and activities, as well as fundraising and marketing.
hearing about their lives and
Whilst our usual social and experiences. I have learned so If you would like to join our wonderful Volunteers, chat to us about what
sports activities are on hold much. I usually end my calls you would like to do, either now or in the future. Please get in touch with
during this unusual period, we feeling so much brighter having Gill or Maaike, by email
have experienced a wonderful chatted with them.” Volunteering@berkshirevision.org.uk or call 0118 9872803
10 11
same height, but it’s cushioned. It’s because employers are
So, I started doing the box-jump nervous of hiring somebody
Photo: there and it was problem solved! because they think they have
Souleyman All the problems I’ve faced in my to increase their budgets and
smiling in a sport, in business and in life, I’ve make more time for the visually
gymnasium. always just had to engage my impaired employee just to
imagination to find ways around keep them at the same pace
it to allow me to do what I need to as everybody else. Maybe the
do, just like everybody else.” individual themselves doesn’t have
a lot of confidence too. But with
An interview with Talking to Souleyman more
about the obstacles that he’s
faced being visually impaired
a little bit of help and assistance,
we can do anything anyone else
can do.”
Souleyman Bah in the world of entrepreneurship
and business proves insightful.
Souleyman claims that the various
Souleyman explains more about
his visual impairment and the
assistive technologies have challenges it’s had on his own
been immensely helpful to him. personal health. “It was when I
Souleyman Bah is a twenty-one- later states, “there are a lot of He states, “the biggest barrier was in the secondary school stage
year-old Para-athlete and popular barriers and hurdles you face is information for individuals where I genuinely started to feel
motivational speaker. Diagnosed when you’re visually impaired. But and companies. There are so the effects. It started to weigh
with Retina Pigmentosa at age six, you have to think of new ways of many schemes and budgets and down on my mental health a little
Souleyman refuses to let his sight tackling those barriers. You have technologies out there that can bit. I kept thinking if it’s getting
loss hold him back from achieving to engage your imagination and help disabled people to do the worse, what am I going to be like
his dreams. He’s won a gold think of other ways of dealing job as well as anybody else. But in the future?
medal in the 100 metres at the with a situation. For example, if you don’t know about it, it can’t
Paralympic School Games and in training, I have to do the box- help. For example, I use software, It was sport that really saved me.
most recently, was featured in the jump and usually you jump from cameras, magnifying equipment, I was able to train and grow in an
2019 BBC series of The Apprentice. the ground onto a raised box so if I was sitting at a desk in an area I felt comfortable in. I could
He was the first ever disabled about waist height. But the box office somewhere, I could do as compete, receive recognition and
candidate in the history of the is made out of metal, so a lot of equally as good a job. There are win medals, etc.. So, my sport
show. the times, I wouldn’t see the edge schemes like “Access to Work” really saved me from the dark
of the box and, as I’d leap, I’d that will let you have an assistant hole I was sinking into. Instead
Souleyman reveals “I train smash my shins and it was very at your work place to help you if of seeing all the doors that were
about four or five times a week. painful for me. So, my coach and you need it, and loads of other closed off to me, I started seeing
It usually consists of things like I started thinking, ‘well, how can schemes and programmes. Again, all the ones that were open.”
yoga, swimming, gym work, I do the box-jump without injuring the biggest barrier is information,
track work and endurance work. myself? So, we moved onto the if everybody knew about these
Sport is very holistic now.” He high-jump mat. It’s about the things, there wouldn’t be an issue.
12 13
Activities sessions for us. Fiona Carson has
been continuing her work with us
holding remote Shiatsu sessions on
Wednesdays at 2pm to help relieve Remote Coffee
stress while in lockdown using self- Morning:
massage, breathing and a tapping
technique. Monday,
Image: A Wednesday &
screenshot of Additionally, we have had some Thursday at 11am
Berkshire Vision very successful Wine Tasting
Members during evenings held by Tim Andrews –
the virtual quiz friend of our CEO Laura Mitchell
- a Wine Business Lecturer at
Plumpton College who is visually
impaired. Tim chose three wines for
our Members to taste, they were
delivered to their doors in advance
of the wine tasting evening, and
we tasted them together on a
We have made some changes to activities, without having to leave video call on the night. Feedback
Remote quizzes
our activities programme since the house! was that everyone loved the wine held on Tuesdays
all face-to-face activities have tasting, and Tim’s knowledge on at 4pm
been temporarily suspended. In Our remote activities calendar the subject, so much that they
April, we rolled out our remote has been slowly growing and requested it be added to the
activities calendar. It has been continues to develop in the calendar again the following
a learning process for everyone, coming months. We have had a month.
staff and Members included. We huge success with our remote
now have accessible activities quizzes held on Tuesdays at 4pm New to the calendar in June
where Members can call into with teams competing against were history talks from Sir Jon
meetings from their landline each other for the winner’s title. Day. Jon is a friend of Gill’s who
using a dial-in code and an ID We even had our patron, Chris is a retired British Civil Servant
number, or Members can join Tarrant reading out a question! working as Head of the Joint Remote Shiatsu
using a computer or smart device Our Coffee Mornings have been Intelligence Organisation at the
following a link from our website. well attended, giving Members sessions on
Cabinet Office. He is talking to
the opportunity to catch up with Berkshire Vision Members every Wednesdays at
The remote activities mean we can others, sharing tips on how to other Monday on historic topics 2pm with Fiona
keep in touch with Members, and cope with lockdown, and helping and providing some insight into Carson
Members can keep in touch with to prevent loneliness during this his time in the Joint Intelligence
each other, as well as breaking isolating time. We have also had Organisation.
the week up with a variety of professionals come and lead
14 15
Get in touch
Please get in touch and share all your stories, experiences and
recommendations so we can share these with other Members of
Berkshire Vision.
Marketing Manager James would love to hear from you, telephone
0118 987 2803 or email james.garbett@berkshirevision.org.uk
If you’d like to receive your Insight magazine in a different format in
the future, please let us know. Insight is available in audio USB or CD,
braille, email or large print.
Contact james.garbett@berkshirevision.org.uk for more information
Berkshire Vision, Midleton House, 5 Erleigh Road,
Reading, Berkshire RG1 5LR
Telephone 0118 987 2803
Email info@berkshirevision.org.uk
www.berkshirevision.org.uk
Charity number 1146413
facebook www.facebook.com/berkshirevision
twitter @berkshirevision
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/company/berkshirevision
instagram @berkshirevision
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