Issue 1 - October 2003
The Guernsey Blind Association Committee Members
From Front Row to Back Row (Left to Right): Mrs Catherine Lenfestey, Mrs Sandra Mauger (President), Mrs. Margaret Clerey, Mr David Eaton, Dr David de Lisle, Mr Gordon Fowler, Mr Christopher Richardson, Mrs Caroline Maynard (Secretary), Mrs Jean le Huray (Adviser to the Visually Impaired), Advocate Jessica Roland, and Mrs Margaret Moffat.
Miss Susie Dorey, Mr Tony Mahy, Mr Bernard Saunders (Honorary Treasurer), and Mrs Viv Webber were unfortunately unavailable for this photograph.
Introduction
Welcome to the first edition of our Newsletter
It is with great pleasure that I am writing this introduction to the Friends of the Guernsey Blind Association newsletter.
My name is Sandy Mauger. I am the President of the GBA and this is my fourth year in office. The Guernsey Blind Association is a willing band of trustees that give its time and knowledge to fund raise and advise those of us who have a sight problem.
The Guernsey Blind Association is a locally registered and funded charity that was founded in 1919 purely for the Bailiwick's needs and its aim is to help relieve suffering from blindness or impaired vision. It helps families and carers to learn new skills if at all possible. It also encourages people to take up work, hobbies or sports that can bring pleasure even though their sight has deteriorated. We encourage our members to develop new skills which can be learnt at any age be they the young or the old members of our community to enable them to live life to the full.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sandy Mauger
The corporate friends of the Guernsey Blind Association are:
N. M. Rothschild
and
Fuel Supplies.
Advisor to the Visually Impaired
The majority of my work is visiting people in their own homes, giving them advice and support as they come to terms with their sight loss. The age range is very varied spanning from 16 years to 102 years old.
At present 198 people are registered as blind or partially sighted with a further 50 who have requested help only with advice on low vision aids. Each year approximately 30 people are added to the Register nationally. One person in 60 will be registered as blind or partially sighted, which means we only know of 25% of the visually impaired people in Guernsey. We are therefore always looking for new ways of promoting greater awareness of the needs of the visually impaired.
Now for some update information
The R.N.I.B. Talking Book Service
Transfer of members to the new digital service, which was launched in April 2002, has been progressing slowly as there has been some difficulty with the Victor Reader Classic Machine. This has now been upgraded and the R.N.I.B. intend to phase out the old analogue service by the end of March 2005.
Cable & Wireless, Special Operator Service.
The '195' number remains the same. For those visually impaired members registered with this service, the telephone operator will find the number for you and put you through.
Jean Le Huray
Guernsey Audio News
Guernsey Audio News was set up in June, 1978, thanks to the efforts of Nina Wood with her successful appeal to Charles Hayward of Jethou, who kindly funded our fast-copying machines. Recording took place in the Couperderie studio of the C.I. Schools Broadcasting Service, directed by Alan Middleton, who for many years recorded each edition of Audio News, often assisted by David Eaton. We had two readers, one male, one female, to ensure a variety of voices, and set up a panel of twelve or more readers working on a rota organised by David Hands.
Over the years, most of the people involved have changed, though the two Davids carry on staunchly. The format of Audio News is remarkably the same, the news varying, of course, according to what happens in Guernsey and is reported in the Press, to whom we are indebted for granting us copyright and two free copies of the Press each day. (A very safe bet that at this time of year (mid-August), every single edition has featured the Shows!)
On Side I of our 60-minute tape, we have the most important general news, lightened in the middle by a People in the News section. On Side II, as well as more news stories, we have a selection of Letters, the Notice Board (scaffolding in Town, Sunday's Chemists, forthcoming events, etc.) and Sports Report, compiled by Dave Purdy or Peggy Fish. We end with what seems to be the most popular part of the lot: the Family Notices. The scripts are now recorded in our own studio at Four Cabot on Thursday evening, put into their wallets and posted, so that all our 70 or so Guernsey listeners should receive their copy on Friday morning.
Vivien Webber.
Bowls Group
The Guernsey Blind Association Bowls Group was started up by Jan Farnworth some years ago and it continues to flourish. They meet each Monday morning at the Bowls Stadium.
The present members are Vera Bearder, Alan Bisson, Tony Mahy and our newest member Eric Wallis, who is proving to be a good bowler with a wonderful sense of humour. The members are assisted by helpers, Ernie Martin, Geoff Barrel, Sandy Mauger and Pat Lince.
The Summer season has got off to a good start as Sandy Mauger's husband, John, has kindly made us a beautiful trophy using an old wooden bowl originally used for bowling. This has provided the group with a challenge and teams have been drawn up for individual score points. The winner will be announced at the end of September when the winter season commences. The four bowlers bowl with great expertise and would be tough competition for fully sighted members.
Monday mornings are full of fun and activity and we are grateful for all the help and facilities provided by the Guernsey Indoor Bowling Association.
Pat Lince
Friends of the G.B.A.
A big thank you to those of you who are friends already. The Friends were founded to raise the Guernsey Blind Association's profile with the aim of helping more people and giving more support. We hope with your help to get more friends and call on each one of you to help us with our goals. We are always pleased to see you at the office which is open Monday to Friday between 9 - 11am when you can have a cup of tea with us and find out more about what we do. Phone first and we will know when to expect you.
Margaret Moffatt
Handycraft Group
After a short period of meeting at homes, the Handycraft Group began meeting in the vestry at Les Capelles Church in June 1989, with about six people. After that it gradually grew in numbers. However when we moved to 'Four Cabot' more people could be accommodated.
Handycrafts now take place on alternative Thursday afternoons. The room is buzzing with the chatter of up to twenty participants, two having joined recently. Some are weaving baskets, some stuffing toys, some knitting dishcloths or making stools. All enjoying socialising with people who soon become firm friends.
A break is taken for a cup of tea and some of Mrs Kaine's delicious cakes. Then we all enjoy a Quiz which promotes discussion on all kinds of topics. All this is made possible by many volunteers who transport people to and from the centre, and some who act as helpers during the afternoon. The group were invited to afternoon tea in my garden, some in June, some in July as an extra summer occasion.
Marion Dorey
Listen for Pleasure
We run a small tape library service for our people, which we call, Listen for Pleasure. Our Adviser finds out who may be interested in borrowing the tapes and then a "book" is selected and posted on to them.
There are several reasons why this service is of interest. First of all people who have read books for themselves may not like the idea of being read to so by borrowing a book they can find out if they like this method of reading a book and then move on to the bigger suppliers of taped books. Secondly, some elderly persons prefer to have a book that has been abridged. Thirdly, those who are having a spell in hospital sometimes like a book which helps to while away the time. And lastly, visitors to the island may ask for a loan of a book to fill in a few empty moments.
The library has been in being for several years now and has about 300 plus books which cover numerous categories so requests for special types of books can usually be filled. The numbers of people using our library fluctuate but overall seems to be a popular service for people who do not want to join the Talking Book Service of the RNIB or Calibre which supplies full length tape books.
Margaret Clerey
www.guernsey.net/~gba
This is the address of the Guernsey Blind Association web site. The funny symbol before the gba (~) is called a tilde and is usually located above the Hash (#) symbol near the Enter key at the right hand side of the keyboard - I hope you can all find it….
The aim has been to produce a clear, easy to read site, with information about the many services available from the Association. Also included are pictures of recent events and a diary of future events. I hope to include audio clips of the written passages in the not too distant future. You will then have a hot link to hear the text portions of each page read out, hopefully by some of our Audio News readers.
This is the first web site I have created and it has been an interesting exercise. However, I am sure it can be improved with feedback from our Members and more information.
There is a link to e-mail me from the site and I look forward to hearing your suggestions for improvements.
I hope the aim has been achieved, and that the site can be improved still further, but in the mean time, happy browsing on the GBA site and the other sites you can connect to via the Links page.
David Eaton
The Foresight Driving Experience
Who says people with a sight impairment can’t drive? All it takes is a few people to believe that it can happen and for another few people to have enough faith in us to make it happen.
It all started during a conversation between a group of Forsight members having a friendly chat after the AGM, when Peter expressed the desire to get behind the wheel for a first driving experience. Others of us have had the experience in the past but have been prevented from driving as a result of our eye conditions.
Fortunately for us, Mick Chart the PLOD (Police Link Officer for the Disabled) officer for Guernsey Police, was present and said he would think about it. Margaret Moffatt, one of the GBA Trustees is a friend of Peter Derham, who is a driving instructor and when Margaret explained to him that we needed a duel-controlled car, he was only too happy to offer his services. Martin MacIntyre, my partner, works for Specsavers and approached them regarding the use of the car park at their headquarters at La Villiaze and we were all set up for the big day.
It was a beautiful hot, sunny day when we all met at Specsavers. Some of the faces were showing signs of nervousness but these was soon replaced by beaming smiles, when emerging from Peter Derham’s car, having demonstrated that they were all capable of simple manoeuvres, including clutch control, hill starts and emergency stops. The adrenaline rush was certainly evident in all those who took part in this event. The only gripe was that the speed-humps (otherwise known as sleeping policemen) slowed down the experience! We all agreed that we need the co-operation of the Board of Admin next time – Guernsey Airport….. here we come!!! There is at least one policeman that’s not sleeping – Mick is already putting on his thinking cap to surprise us with the next buzz-evoking event!
Thanks to all those who made it possible and to those who supported us on the day.
Carol Ozanne
Forthcoming Events
2003
THURSDAY
OCTOBER 16th
Singer/guitarist, Hedley Kay at the Four Cabot Centre
SATURDAY OCTOBER 18th
Autumn Fair with Grand Raffle
SATURDAY DECEMBER 13th
Christmas Lunch at Les Cotils
THURSDAY DECEMBER 18th Singer, Jane
Derby & Accompanist, Janet Beale at Four Cabot Centre
FRIDAY DECEMBER 19th
GBA Centre to Close for Christmas
2004
MONDAY JANUARY 5th GBA Centre to re-open for 2004
Officers and Committee
President MRS SANDRA MAUGER
Honorary Treasurer MR BERNARD SAUNDERS
Advisor to the Visually Impaired MRS JEAN LE HURAY
Secretary MRS CAROLINE MAYNARD
Handycraft MRS MARION DOREY & MRS DOREEN HURFORD
COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES
MRS MARGARET CLEREY (GBA Listening for Pleasure Tape Library)
DR DAVID DE LISLE
MISS SUSIE DOREY (Consultant Ophthalmologist)
MR DAVID EATON (Audio News Co-ordinator & Technician)
MR GORDON FOWLER (Collection Boxes)
MRS CATHERINE LENFESTEY (Thursday Afternoon Helper)
MR TONY MAHY
MRS MARGARET MOFFATT (Friends of the GBA)
MR CHRIS RICHARDSON (GBA Property Manager)
ADVOCATE JESSICA ROLAND (GBA Legal Advisor)
MRS VIV WEBBER (Audio News Editor)
GUERNSEY BLIND ASSOCIATION
TEL 236933 FAX 236932
E-MAIL gba@guernsey.net
Website www.guernsey.net/~gba/
