In this issue:
iSite Spring 2015 RoyalBlind.org
Forward Vision makes top 3 in music contest
Page 6 Behind the scenes at Braeside House
Page 8 100 years of Scottish War Blinded
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Our Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester opens the re-developed Royal Blind School facilities in Morningside
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Royal Blind empowers blind people to fulfil their potential and achieve a brighter future. Our vision is that we will make a significant contribution to building a community in which blind and partially sighted people, including those who also have other disabilities, are fully included and lead fulfilling lives. Every hour of every day we spend £1,510 providing the following services:
The Royal Blind School Specialist education for young people aged up to 18 years.
Forward Vision A residential and respite service for young adults aged 18-25.
Braeside House A care home specialising in care for visually impaired older people.
Scottish Braille Press A leading provider of high quality Braille, large print and audio transcription services.
Kidscene An after school and holiday club for children of all abilities.
Scottish War Blinded Our sister charity provides assistance to veterans of the armed forces who have a significant visual impairment.
Pages 4–5, 10–11, 14–15
Pages 6 and16
Pages 8–9
Pages 12–13
Pages 17
Pages 18–19
Making a donation to Royal Blind
iSite in alternative formats
Every donation makes a difference. You can donate:
To receive iSite in large print, Braille or audio CD please contact Colleen Watt on 0131 229 1456 or colleen.watt@royalblind.org
Online at www.royalblind.org/donate Telephone: 0131 229 1456 Cheque: made payable to Fundraising, Royal Blind, P.O. Box No. 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ.
Royal Blind is a registered charity SC017167 Scottish War Blinded is a registered charity SC002652
This magazine is interactive! This magazine uses interactive technology that enables you to link directly to online content by scanning pages with your mobile phone. Download the Layar app and scan every page that displays the Layar icon with your mobile phone to be led to related content online. 2 I iSite Magazine
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Two new services for blind people in the West 2015 is an exciting year in the history of Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded. In January we announced the purchase of land in Paisley to build two new services for blind and partially sighted people. Royal Blind has purchased land to build a new 54 bedroom nursing home which will provide specialist care facilities for older people with visual impairments, building on the successful model of Braeside House in Edinburgh. While Royal Blind already provides services to blind and partially sighted people from all across the UK, this is the first time in the charity’s 222 year history that dedicated facilities are being built on the ground in the West. On the same site, our sister charity Scottish War Blinded will construct a day centre for visually impaired veterans of the armed services, providing similar services to the Linburn Centre in West Lothian. The new centre will enable people with a visual impairment who have at any time served in the armed
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forces to benefit from art and wood workshops, sporting, leisure and social activities and daily living skills including rehabilitation and mobility. This will enhance the outreach services currently on offer to veterans in the area. Richard Hellewell, Chief Executive of both Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded said: “This is an exciting time for our two charities as we establish new services in the West of Scotland which will enable us to support many more elderly people and service veterans with visual impairments.”
Have you seen our taxi If you spot Royal Blind’s taxi in Edinburgh, send us a photo for a chance to win a Royal Blind goodie bag! email: events@royalblind.org or @royalblind
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Music Unlimited at the Royal Blind School In a groundbreaking expressive arts project, Royal Blind School pupils worked creatively with contemporaries from a mainstream school to explore issues around music-making. 14 pupils from the Royal Blind School were joined by nine pupils from nearby James Gillespie’s High School for the ‘Music Unlimited’ project. The project involved a series of workshops which took place over several months, culminating in a unique afternoon of conversation and performance in the school activity hall, attended by pupils, staff, friends and the Head Teachers of both schools.
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The pupils explored the question: How can young people with additional support needs access inspiring music-making opportunities outwith school time? The project was run by the social enterprise Space Unlimited, led by Gill Gracie working with the school’s music department. The aim of the workshops was to ensure young people’s voices are heard, and to explore the issues from different perspectives. At the start of the final day’s performances, Royal Blind School music teacher Karl Macrae discussed the school’s approach to music-making, and how technology such as ipads has
made a huge difference to the accessibility of instruments for children with additional support needs. The range of musical instruments being used on the day was impressive - from switches to clackers, guitars to glockenspiels. The first two musical contributions came from classes 5 and 6, who explored the contrasts between smooth and rough sounds, and produced a couple of expressive pieces on this theme. This was followed by a pupil-led chat about the difficulties accessing music-making outwith the school environment for pupils with additional support needs, such as transport or a feeling of social stigma.
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During the workshops the pupils had mapped the available musicmaking opportunities in their communities, and discovered that young people from both schools had many common experiences, but fewer shared ones. To start addressing this, pupils came up with the idea of forming a community group that anyone would be welcome to join regardless of prior musical skills or additional support needs. After some lively discussions about how to take their experiences forward, the participants performed pieces in their own groups before joining together for the big finale.
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All agreed it had been interesting to work together on this unique project - and there was a lot of talent on show from everyone. While Karl Macrae emphasised this project “was all about the process, rather than polished performances," all the pieces from the pupils were incredibly powerful to listen to - and clearly a lot of fun for everyone involved. “Music really touches each one of us," Head Teacher Elaine Brackenridge added as the afternoon drew to a close - and not a single person in the room could have been left unmoved by this fantastic event.
Thanks to Brian Hartley from Space Unlimited for photographs
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Forward Vision comes third in music contest The young adults at Forward Vision won third place in a UK wide music competition, ‘Care Home Idol 2014’. The group was filmed for the contest during one of their weekly music workshops, run by music specialist Karl Macrae. The short video captures the moving vocals of Amanda Robertson leading the gang in a beautiful rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. On percussion are Christopher Donovan, Alex Harpin, Michael Martin and all their friends at Forward Vision, with Karl backing them up on the keyboard. The film was made during a single workshop in late December, and Karl ensured the session was run exactly as normal, so the presence of the camera did not interrupt the musical action. It provides just a gentle taster of the afternoon’s activities which soon morphed into a rather rowdier version of Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer! This was the first time Forward Vision has participated in the ‘Care Home Idol’ competition which celebrates all forms of musical entertainment in care homes and supported accommodation.
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Karl Macrae said: “When we made this video we wanted to show what our young adults could achieve. In the music workshops we try to ensure everyone works as independently as possible to create their own sounds – and have a lot of fun in the process. It’s brilliant that their efforts have been so well received.” The young adults will be awarded with a ‘Care Home Idol’ plaque. A superb effort from all involved, and a big thank you to all those who voted for them. The video can be watched on the Care Home Idol website: www.carehome.co.uk/idol/ or scan this page with the layar app.
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Challenge yourself and raise funds! Get fit in 2015 and run, cycle or abseil for Royal Blind, your local charity. Here are some of the sponsored challenge events you can do.
Run 29 March – Kilomathon Scotland. A picturesque route along Edinburgh’s cycle paths, with a big finish in Murrayfield Stadium. 6.5k, 13.1k or 2.62k junior race. 9 May – Colour Me Rad. A 5k fun run in Edinburgh that sets off in a blaze of colour bombs. Start off clean and shiny and end up, as the organisers put it “like a tie-dyed hippy.” 30 and 31 May – The Edinburgh Marathon Festival. 7 different races over 2 days including the marathon, half marathon, team relay, 10k, 5k and junior races. 19 September – The Scottish Half Marathon. A flat and rapid route that finishes in the final furlong of Musselburgh Racecourse.
10 and 11 October – The Big Fun Run and One Big Weekend. Four timed 5k runs for runners of all abilities, taking place in Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park (Saturday) and in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park (Sunday).
Cycle 20 June – Edinburgh Night Ride. As the city sleeps, join hundreds of other cyclists for this fantastic 50 mile challenge.
Our thanks go to Very brave Royal Blind members of staff (below from left to right) Sophie Milne, Magdalena Hrabal and Magda Ruszkowska. Despite being apprehensive about heights they successfully completed abseils from the Forth Rail Bridge, loved the experience and raised over £1,000 for Royal Blind. So it’s a huge thanks and congratulations to them – but now it’s over to you!
Abseil 31 May – take the plunge from Glasgow’s Finnieston Crane 21 June or 18 October – Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Forth Rail Bridge by dropping 165 feet from its rails. There are five free charity places available for each abseil so sign up now!
More information on all our challenge events, and details on how to register for them, is available at www.royalblind.org/events. Or, you can contact Frances in our fundraising team on 0131 229 1456.
Collect for us – the 60 second challenge! If you’d prefer not to run, cycle or jump for Royal Blind, you can still raise money from the comfort of your armchair! We’ll send you a handy flatpack collecting box which you can assemble into its pyramid shape in about 60 seconds… then leave in a prominent place to gather donations from friends and colleagues. If you'd like to order a Royal Blind collection box, contact our fundraising department on 0131 229 1456, email events@royalblind.org or order online at www.royalblind.org/royal-blind-week/resources/order-a-collection-box
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Activities at Braeside House Activities Co-ordinator Barrie Simcock gives us a peek behind the scene at the Braeside House activities team… It’s hard to believe that Barrie Simcock has been at Braeside House for less than a year and a half as he’s already in with the bricks: “I feel like I’ve been here forever – but in a good way!” he says. Barrie heads the team of four that run the activities programme for the residents. From barge trips to storytellers to fish and chip nights, he is the man behind the plan! The career path that led Barrie to Braeside is an unusual one, but makes him uniquely qualified for the role. Having worked as a psychiatric nurse for 12 years he decided to switch careers and study for a music degree at Edinburgh University. After several years making a living teaching and playing (he plays piano, oboe, flute and harpsichord), Barrie returned to care work, and found a natural affinity working with the older generation: “I tried it and loved it, worked through the agencies as a care worker for a while before the position came up at activities.” Thinking of appropriate ideas then planning and running the
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programme takes a lot of work. The team is sometimes like the legs of a swan, paddling furiously below the surface while all is serene on top: “Activities are challenging to arrange every week - there’s always something different, something that has to be sorted out. Always lots of phone calls and organisation!”,says Barrie. But it’s the satisfaction of making a difference that keeps them all going. Regular activities that prove popular include canal trips at Ratho, restaurant outings, and carpet bowls – where competition to win the weekly shield is friendly but fierce! Recordings of Songs of Praise are the favourite TV choice, partly because it clearly describes the history and geography of the places they visit around the UK, so residents don’t have to ‘watch’ to enjoy. Barrie is happy that the residents are very vocal about their tastes, letting them know if something doesn’t work, and the activities team always respect their wishes. While they "will have a go at most things", the programme is adapted to take account of the participants’ visual impairment.
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“Although we do try things that require some vision, it’s very frustrating if you can only see a little bit to do activities that require hand to eye co-ordination, such as craft work. If it’s something they used to be good at, they think they are just making a mess. It’s a real barrier – we’re going to try it again but the feedback we’ve had is it’s difficult.” One of Barrie’s ideas is to arrange a visit from pupils at the Royal Blind School which could boost the confidence of the residents who would like to give craftwork a go: “Some of the pupils at the Royal Blind School are fantastic musicians and artists. I’d love them to come over here and for the residents to hear what the youngsters can do, see what they can achieve.” Some of the ideas for activities come from the residents themselves. Music is always a popular choice – whether talking about it, singing or listening. Barrie tries to be flexible with the programme, and is sometimes surprised by the requests he receives. He says:
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“Yesterday a few people asked if they could listen to Liberace, and we had an impromptu afternoon about him. His music is quite frothy and lively. I thought they’d want quiet and relaxing music, but this group of older people – most of them like music that livens them up a bit – a bit of a waltz, a march – they say ‘we don’t want deafening, but we want something that’s got a bit of life’!” The activities team will be even busier in 2015, as the programme will include more outings to new places, and more weekend and evening activities are planned. But Barrie says he remains motivated by the positive feedback he receives from residents. “When I thought a lady called Elizabeth Martin, who’s 106 years old, may be too tired to watch a harpist, she told me: ‘Barrie – I can sleep any day, I can’t listen to a harpist any day. I’m coming to the harpist.’ Afterwards she told me how much she enjoyed it. The fact that you can help give somebody a little bit of value in later life – that’s the best bit about my job.”
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Royal Blind school opening The Royal Blind School celebrated a historic day when our Patron, His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, officially opened the £4.5 million re-developed school building in Morningside.
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The merger of the Royal Blind School’s campuses was completed at the start of the autumn term. Pupils from the 179-year-old Craigmillar Park building moved to the new school in Morningside, enabling teachers and pupils to be located together. Other guests included our President, The Duke of Buccleuch, Scottish Government Minister for Learning Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh Cllr Donald Wilson, the
architects (Oberlanders), parents and other education stakeholders. The pupils got the event off to a fantastic start with a number of musical and dramatic performances. Katie-Jane Girvan opened with an excellent rendition of ‘The Windmills of your Mind’ which was followed by an innovative version of ‘Goodness, Gracious Great Balls of Fire’ from Clare Malcolm, Isra Oudeh, Callum Maitland and Andrew Park. Andrew Pettigrew
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then delighted the audience with a reading of his poem, ‘Imagination’, and Jake Murray brought down the curtain with the very moving, ‘A Guardian Angel’. Richard Hellewell, Chief Executive of Royal Blind, had the unenviable task of following those outstanding performances. He welcomed His Royal Highness and all the distinguished guests, and spoke about the significance of the occasion:
Speaking for the Scottish Government, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP added: “I feel very honoured to have been among the first guests to tour the Royal Blind School following the extensive work to the classrooms and the accommodation. This adaptation is not just about making the learning space brighter and more pleasing – it is about creating a home away from home for the pupils and an environment where
they can build up life skills as well as following traditional classes.” His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester concluded the formalities by declaring the premises officially open and unveiling a commemorative plaque. Guests then enjoyed afternoon tea, the opportunity to meet His Royal Highness, and the chance to tour the school’s modern, accessible facilities.
“This marks an important moment in the 180 year history of the Royal Blind School. Leaving the campus on which we have educated pupils with visual impairments for 150 years has been a big step to take but a necessary one and gives us premises that are fit for our present and for our future.”
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Celebrating Sir Walter Scott The Scottish Braille Press helped mark the 200th anniversary of one of the biggest names in literature, Sir Walter Scott. As part of the campaign to bring alive the man and his words, 25,000 copies of ‘Great Scott!: Celebrating Sir Walter Scott’ were given away in his hometown of Edinburgh. The books were made available in Braille and audio formats at the same time as the text versions, supplied by the Scottish Braille Press. During the launch, quotes from Sir Walter’s books and his thoughts were written across the floors, windows and walkways of Edinburgh Waverley Station – which was named after his historic novel ‘Waverley.’ The Scottish Braille Press worked in partnership with Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and Lothiansound Talking Newspaper on the project. The ‘Great Scott’ campaign not only celebrated the 200th anniversary of the publication of ‘Waverley,’ but also marked the 10th anniversary of Edinburgh’s designation as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
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John Donaldson, Manager of the Scottish Braille Press, said: “The six-dot Braille system was invented in 1824, just 10 years after Scott’s ‘Waverley’ was published. It is a fitting part of its 200th anniversary that we can make ‘Great Scott!’ accessible to blind and partially sighted people.” Telling the story of Scott’s incredible life, the pocket-book includes a timeline, quotes and musings, and gives tips on things to see, read and do relating to Scott. The book is available in audio and as an e-book at www.cityofliterature.com/waverley
The Royal Blind Pub Quiz is back The legendary Royal Blind Pub Quiz is making its comeback in a fantastic new Edinburgh venue. Dust down your braincells and join our host, ‘Guru Gary’ for the most challenging quiz in town! Venue: Upstairs at Hemma, the Tun building, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh. Date: 20 May Visit www.royalblind. org/events for more details and sign up a team now.
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Moving forward Changes are afoot at the Scottish Braille Press. There’s a fifth audio booth to cope with growing demand, new staff have been taken on and current staff are being trained up to meet developments in the world of accessible media.
The move to Unified English Braille Braille still has an important role to play in the mix of accessible formats, and the code is evolving for the 21st century. Several distinct Braille codes, such as maths, computing and literary versions, are being brought together into one single set of rules – Unified English Braille (UEB). This has been adopted as the official Braille code in major English-speaking countries. The transition to UEB is taking place gradually and it has been designed to be easily understood by people familiar with literary Braille. By encompassing various symbols and visual effects, such as computing language and the @ sign, UEB makes it much easier for people to learn and share various types of materials in Braille around the world.
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The Scottish Braille Press is planning their move from Standard English Braille to Unified English Braille in 2015, and has made sure their production staff are fully trained in advance of the change. Stuart McPherson, Production Team Leader for Braille and Audio, was enrolled into an RNIB course in Contracted Braille (UEB), which he passed with an outstanding score of 97%. Stuart said: “I started at the Scottish Braille Press as a document transcriber in 1999 so I already had a good knowledge of Braille. The course took a year to complete, testing my reading, comprehension and transcribing of printed text to Braille.
“There was a lot to learn and it was quite daunting at times, but with a lot of study and practice I was delighted to pass the course. I am sure that this qualification will help as we move over to Unified English Braille.”
Risk management with distinction Another professional certificate was gained last year – this time it’s Deputy Manager Sandra Wright who gained an International Certificate in Risk Management – passing the year long professional course with Distinction. After a year of burning the midnight oil, Sandra is putting her hard earned knowledge of risk management to work, making sure the Scottish Braille Press meets the strict supplier and regulatory standards of their customers, particularly those in the financial sector.
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BBC L.A.B. From shaving foam art to stop-motion animations, when BBC Scotland’s Learning Lab came to the Royal Blind School, it was definitely what you'd call a 'multimedia' experience. iSite dropped by to witness the action... Day two of the BBC's visit to the art department, and the classroom has been transformed into an industrious animation studio. Three pupils (Christina, Katie-Jane and Namarra) are intensely focussed on moving fabric prints around a table, under the confident direction of their classmate Andrew. Next to them, Steven is on camera, capturing each small change to the scene. Hundreds of images are then run together in a beautiful stopmotion animation that makes the fabrics magically dance, float and disappear. This was the final piece of a multisensory extravaganza brought to the school by the BBC L.A.B. –which runs digital media workshops for pupils across Scotland. It involved video making, audio recording, animation, print, photography, craftwork and poetry. All around the room there is evidence of earlier efforts, from the colourful art hanging on a laundry dryer to the half-empty cans of shaving foam. While many types of media were used, every element shared a common theme the school’s sensory garden. The project began
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with each pupil talking about something that they enjoyed about the sensory garden, such as the sound of the leaves or the smell of lavender. Christina was given the task of presenter and everyone talked about their choices. The short film was edited and uploaded on the BBC L.A.B. Scotland website. Pupils then brought back something from the garden to use for art projects. They took photos using special film paper so they could feel the result and draw it. Wiki sticks helped create shapes, which were then cut out to make stencils for the prints. In the messiest part of the day, shaving foam with ink in it was used to create the colours for the printed fabrics, later brought to life in the animation. Things were calmer when pupils turned to poetry. Steven
suggested a poem could be created from the letters in 'sensory', and everybody came up with words about the garden, which were recorded and placed inside an audio card. Andrew then got on his BrailleNote and created a beautiful piece of poetry about the sensory garden in just under 20 minutes! (see opposite page) Project Leader Johanna Hall described the event as: “Messy, brilliant, such good fun. Everybody steps out of their comfort zone and has a wee go”. Johanna has worked at the Royal Blind School twice before and really enjoys it: “The kids are always amazing – they always blow me away”! Watch the video at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes /p02jfw9f Or scan this page with the Layar app.
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The Sensory Garden A poem by Andrew Pettigrew, written during the BBC L.A.B. visit to the Royal Blind School The sensory garden, a place for wonder you may. For whatever the time, your fears are held at bay. Trickling water, is all I can hear, the smell of grass, is so near. Roses, lavender and daisies leaves, brambles and ferns. It’s magic in the air, a pause for our concerns. The waterfall splashes, leaves rustling in the tree. We are all welcome here, all of us are free. Do not forget, that this place is open to everyone. Whether sad or joyful, you’re free to join the song. So this is my poem, a poem to you all. To represent the nature of it, the sun, the grass, the waterfall. So let’s gather round this room, studying and writing can wait. The wonders of the sensory garden. We should all celebrate.
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Poetry Book raises funds for Ebola Congratulations to talented poet and Royal Blind School pupil Andrew Pettigrew (author of ‘The Sensory Garden’ poem, left) who donated funds raised from a book of his poetry to tackle Ebola in West Africa. During lunch breaks in December, Andrew asked for donations of £1 or more for a copy of ‘A Christmas Book of Crazy Poetry’, raising around £150 for charity.
In a message to everyone who supported the venture Andrew said: ”Thank you all for being so generous to try and prevent the terrible outbreak of Ebola. If the world was filled with people like you then wars wouldn't exist at all. I am so proud of how so many kind and thoughtful people purchased the book.”
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Cranberry tea room There are plenty of breakfast rolls, cakes and cuppas consumed at Forward Vision’s ‘Cranberry Tearoom’. The popular cafe involves the young adults at every stage in the project – from helping shop for ingredients to baking the cakes and serving the customers on the day.
as an occasional event but it’s been such a runaway success that it has become a regular date in the diary – and there are plans to develop the model further.
The goals of the project are to encourage teamwork, promote independence, skill building and social integration – but most of all it’s for everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun!
“We have started to run the tearoom most weeks”
“The young adults get a lot out of it” Manager Jan Thomson explains. “The baking, the planning – but they also really like the social aspects, as it gives them a chance to meet different people.” The Cranberry Tearoom started life
We’re also moving it from a Friday to midweek, and may offer light lunches and sandwiches,” Jan said. Currently the Cranberry Tearoom is frequented by friends, family, staff,young people and pupils from Royal Blind services, but it is hoped that eventually the café will be open to a wider customer base.
with the team slowly accumulating the bits and pieces of café equipment that they need, or shopping for the next event.
Profits from sales made on the day are ploughed back into the project,
We look forward to many more successful tearooms in 2015.
Thursday 13 August 2015 Sign up now for our annual celebrity golf tournament, held in the stunning Archerfield Links Golf Club. Now approaching its 7th year, this special event offers a great opportunity for corporates to get together for a fun team building day, while raising funds for Royal Blind. Hosted by DJ Scott Wilson, teams are joined by a staggering array of celebrities and legends from across the Scottish sporting field. For more information or to sign up online visit www.royalblind.org/events/golf-day or contact our fundraising team on 0131 229 1456 or events@royalblind.org
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Kidscene turns three For three jam-packed years, Kidscene has been providing after-school and holiday care to children with and without disabilities in Morningside, Edinburgh. It’s been a hectic but terrific three years and our innovative model has grown in popularity as more local families learn of the fantastic facilities we offer. What better way to celebrate this milestone than with a delicious cake big enough for everyone to enjoy a slice. Thank you for all your continued support.
Singalong in Book your the playroom holiday club It was standing room only in a packed playroom for the annual ‘singalong in the sensory garden’ this year, as it was forced to move indoors to escape some stormy Edinburgh weather. The event lost none of its atmosphere, with the voices of the Kidscene gang and their friends soon filling the room with seasonal classics. The (in)famous song from ‘Frozen’ was perhaps the most appropriate of all the tunes, given the weather outside, but everything was sung with equal gusto – ably backed by guitar, bongos and violin from some of the talented musicians in our midst.
During school breaks Kidscene runs a packed programme of activities in our popular holiday clubs. We keep them busy with a wide range of fun, creative, healthy and educational activities, and a lot of outdoor events when the weather allows. The February midterm break had a bit of everything, from swimming to making silly face mugs to mini-science experiments. The plans also adapt for the holiday - so expect some bunnies, bonnets and eggs to be thrown into the mix for the April break.
To book a place in our after school club, Easter or Summer holiday clubs get in touch! Half days and full days are available for our holiday clubs in a fantastic location in Morningside. www.royalblind.org/child-care or call 0131 446 3136.
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Scottish War Blinded celebrates its centenary In March 1915, Royal Blind founded Scottish War Blinded to support the increasing numbers of servicemen returning to Scotland from World War One with life changing visual impairments. 100 years on, Scottish War Blinded not only supports veterans who have lost their sight while in service, but also those who have lost their sight subsequently due to old age or illness. As membership has evolved throughout the years, so has the services Scottish War Blinded provides building on its strong historical origins at Newington House and Linburn.
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Newington House “Newington House, Edinburgh is a loving testimony of Scotsmen’s gratitude to men who fought for their country in the Great War and were deprived of their sight….our blinded soldiers should be cared for by their “ain folk”, near their old homes and among their own “kith and kin.” ’Scottish National Institution for Blinded Sailors and Soldiers –Lest We Forget’ leaflet –1920.
At Newington House support was provided through a programme of rehabilitation and training to establish a strong foundation towards employability and independence. Members learned to read and write in Braille, to navigate home and public environments as
well as receive training in basket and mat production, boot and shoe repairing, poultry farming and piano tuning. Upon leaving Newington House, £150 grant was provided to support the setting up of businesses, purchasing of equipment or accommodation assisted by the charity’s after-care workers.
Linburn House “Here the blinded men from World War Two found a home in pleasant country surroundings …it was clear that while some would make a living from outside jobs, others would prefer to remain in the workshops laid down on the lines of those at the older establishments.” ’Bowling by Sound’ promotional leaflet – 1948.
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In 1943 Scottish War Blinded acquired Linburn House in Wilkieston, West Lothian (pictured above) to support blinded servicemen and women returning to Scotland from World War II. Built upon the successes of Newington House, members received a year’s induction learning to read and write in Braille, touch-typing and basket making. Members then chose from a range of training and employment opportunities in woodwork, cane, metal, wire and leather workshops. Some gained employment as physiotherapists, typists and shop keepers with additional support from the charity’s after-care workers. Within ten years, Linburn House was replaced with a modern complex of rehabilitation rooms, workshops, recreation hall, homes, hostelry and bowling green. A strong industrial emphasis developed, based on the principles of graft, community and camaraderie, where a wide
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range of products were developed and produced for the public and industry for over 50 years.
Scottish War Blinded today Scottish War Blinded today provides free support to former members of the Armed Forces that have lost their sight in a war, as well as those who have developed visual impairments subsequently in later life. Members have served in World War Two, National Service, Korea, and Ireland, as well as recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Linburn Centre replaced the Linburn Workshops in 2011. It accommodates up to 35 members a day who can attend for a range of activities, rehabilitation, independent living skills and social outings. Members frequently amaze themselves finding a new lease of life as well as establishing camaraderie with fellow members and staff.
Outreach Scottish War Blinded’s Outreach Service continues to develop the work begun by the charity’s
after-care service established in 1915. Launched in 2011, the service has eight Outreach Workers now across Scotland, providing a one-stop contact point for dealing with statutory and voluntary agencies, specialist equipment provision, mobility and independent living support and introducing social opportunities.
Do you know a veteran who has lost their sight? Please ask anyone with a serious visual impairment if they served in the Armed Forces, Territorial Army or did National Service. Anyone who has done so will be eligible to join Scottish War Blinded, irrespective of the cause of their visual impairment. guidethem.org
Scottish War Blinded will describe its history in full through an exhibition titled ‘Scottish War Blinded: A century of expanding horizons’ at Central Library, Edinburgh from 9-28 November 2015.
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How you can help! Regular donations are crucial to our work. Direct debit donations enable us to plan our work into the future, transforming the lives of blind and partially sighted people of all ages. If you would like to set up a direct debit then please complete this form. Your support is really appreciated. Please fill in this form and return to: Royal Blind, PO Box 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ
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Bank or Building Society account No:
Address Postcode Name(s) of account holder(s) Signed
Instruction to your Bank or Building Society: Please pay Royal Blind Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Royal Blind and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.
Date
Make your donation worth almost a third more at no extra cost to you. If you are a taxpayer, you can make your donation worth more with Gift Aid. For every pound you give to us, we get an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue. All you need to do is check the statement below and tick the box. To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the amount we will claim in the tax year. I declare all gifts of money that I’ve made to Royal Blind in the past six years and all future gifts of money that I make from the date of this declaration are Gift Aid donations. Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. DATA PROTECTION – Royal Blind is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998, registration no. Z5603032. Information on the use of personal data by Royal Blind is available from: PO Box 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh EH10 4HZ. Registered Charity No. SC017167. Royal Blind values your support. We would like to keep you up to date with information about our fundraising appeals and our charitable work. Please tick here if you would prefer us not to contact you by post. Royal Blind will not pass your details to non-associated companies but we may provide your data to those associated organisations providing related products and services that may be of interest to you. These Organisations may contact you by post or by telephone concerning these offers. If you do not wish these organisations to contact you please tick here. The Direct Debit Guarantee:
This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Royal Blind will notify you ten working days in
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advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Royal Blind to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Royal Blind or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and
immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Royal Blind asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
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