In this Issue:
iSite
Allermuir officially opened Page 1 Royal Blind celebrates National Braille Week Pages 2 & 3 MSP praises Scottish Braille Press during visit Page 6
Winter 2016 RoyalBlind.org
iSite Magazine Winter 2016 A
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Ribbon-cutting marks official opening of Allermuir
Royal Blind is Scotland’s largest visual impairment organisation. We create life-changing opportunities for visually impaired children and adults of all ages.
Please make a donation to support our work. www. royalblind. org/donate
Adult Services Ribbon cutting ceremony marks official opening of Allermuir.
Royal Blind School Student graduates early after securing banking apprenticeship.
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Scottish Braille Press MSP praises supported business during visit.
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A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official opening of Royal Blind’s new residence for visually impaired adults with complex needs. Braeside House Managers promoted as Older Peoples’ Services expand.
Kidscene Blind football match for After School Club.
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Making a donation to Royal Blind. Every donation makes a difference.
Royal Blind is a registered charity SC017167 Scottish War Blinded is a registered charity SC002652
Learning Hub Transitions expert leads Learning Hub seminar.
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You can donate: Online: www.royalblind.org/donate Telephone: 0131 229 1456 Cheque: made payable to Royal Blind, 50 Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4JB.
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Scottish War Blinded The results are in on Scottish War Blinded member survey.
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iSite in alternative formats To receive iSite in large print, Braille or audio CD please contact Colleen Watt on 0131 229 1456 or e-mail colleen.watt@royalblind.org
Neil Findlay MSP, Chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee, led the ceremony in November. Royal Blind has established the residential home for four adults as an extension of its Adult Services for people with multiple disabilities and visual impairment. A former care home in the Inch, Edinburgh, was renovated for the service which will provide 24-hour community-based supported living for people aged 17 and over. Mr Findlay toured the facilities of the specially designed home before officially declaring the service ‘open’.
Mr Findlay said: “This is a great day for all concerned with this project. A lot of dedicated people have worked tirelessly to provide a comforting and supportive home setting for adults with a combination of visual impairment and other disabilities.
of many opportunities for us to provide a highly specialised service of this kind for people who otherwise struggle to find an appropriate place to live with the right support.
“We are delighted that the home local authorities of the residents “Residents will now be able to enjoy have chosen to commission this the benefits of being at home service, and I am extremely grateful in the heart of the community, to all the Royal Blind staff who getting out and about with staff, have worked so hard to make this friends and relatives. I am sure service feel like home for our new they will all enjoy life at Allermuir.” residents.” Richard Hellewell, Royal Blind’s Chief Executive, said: “We are hoping that this will be the first iSite Magazine Winter 2016
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National Braille Week Royal Blind's annual awareness raising campaign National Braille Week took place in October and was a great success with families, schools and local businesses backing the campaign. Here are some of the highlights of the week.
Local businesses support National Braille Week She said: “I’m very pleased that our branch is Visually impaired shoppers were welcomed to Waitrose Morningside in Braille as local businesses celebrating National Braille Week. We are really keen to support projects within the showed their support for National Braille Week. local community and with the Royal Blind Royal Blind School students Harry and Junjie School just on our doorstep, we thought unveiled the specially designed ‘welcome’ sign it would be a great opportunity to get at their local Waitrose to kickstart the involved with a fantastic local cause.” awareness raising week. The school also produced Braille menus for Katie Wilkinson, Department Manager, said she Morningside cafes and pubs Caffè Nero, was ‘delighted’ with the new addition to the store. S. Lucas, The Merlin and Deli Fesco.
Creative writing focus for National Braille Week Dozens of people gathered at the Grassmarket Community Project during National Braille Week in celebration of Braille and other alternative formats. The evening featured musical performances, readings, a display of Royal Blind School students’ artwork and an exhibition on the history of Braille and the Scottish Braille Press. Children’s fiction writer Philip Caveney performed a simultaneous Braille reading with Royal Blind School pupils Namarra and Stephen, in which the students read from stories they had produced during a creative writing workshop with the author in September. Philip, who is the creator of the Sebastian Darke novels, had come to the school to help the students hone their writing skills ahead of National Braille Week.
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Philip said: “All authors are readers first, and most of them will tell you that it was a book that made them want to be a writer. That’s why it’s so important that all children have access to literature and to encourage them to read as much as possible from an early age. It’s a real pleasure for me to be involved with National Braille Week.” The night ended with a screening of the video ‘Thank You for the Music’, which features Royal Blind School students, Forward Vision residents, Scottish War Blinded members, and staff from both charities performing the Abba hit.
You can watch the video online at
www.nationalbrailleweek.org
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Royal Blind School student awarded banking apprenticeship A Royal Blind School student is leaving his studies early after securing a highly sought-after apprenticeship at a banking company.
Top eco award for Royal Blind School Pupils and staff at the Royal Blind School have been recognised for their environmental efforts. The school has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award for the third consecutive time. Eco-Schools is an international award programme that encourages schools to become more ecofriendly, providing a framework to embed principles of sustainability into the heart of school life. The award comes as the school was awarded a grant for their new log cabin - which will be used to teach students about the environment. The school’s assessment report commented specifically on the ‘inclusive nature’ of the environmental work and how thoroughly it was integrated into the curriculum. 4
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Also highlighted in the report were the many hands-on experiences for pupils through work in the school grounds and its involvement and partnership with Bridgend Allotments – a pioneering community health and gardening project in Edinburgh. It also noted the opportunities for pupils to use Tai Chi and Mindfulness. Teacher Beth Laughlin, member of the school’s Eco Committee, said: “We are over the moon to have this award renewed by Eco-Schools, it is a huge achievement for the pupils and staff who have put so much hard work into developing the school’s eco development.”
Scott Hilson was due to complete his final year at the Royal Blind School later this year, but now the 17-year-old is graduating early after securing a place in TSB’s Local Banker apprenticeship scheme. The teenager came to the Royal Blind School aged 12 after his visual impairment caused him to struggle with mainstream schooling. Scott has Nystagmus, a condition that causes his eyes to move involuntarily from side to side. “I’m really excited to get started,” he said. “It’s a huge decision for me to give up my studies at the Royal
Blind School but I think it’s too good an opportunity to pass up.” The TSB scheme will last for 18 months, following an initial six-week training period. Scott will be based at a branch in Edinburgh and will get to experience different roles within the company, including customer service, personal banking and advising customers on mortgages and loans.
I would like to thank my teachers and staff at the Royal Blind School for the amazing support they have given me over the past five years.” Royal Blind School Head Teacher Elaine Brackenridge said she was ‘extremely proud’ of Scott. She said: “We will miss Scott’s presence around the school. He is a very bright, hard-working and popular pupil, but he will always be part of the Royal Blind School family.
He added: “Before I came to the school my confidence levels were extremely low, so it was great to be “I’m sure he will go on to do great able to hold my own in a group things and I wish him all the best interview situation and to be in his new career.” selected for a customer facing job.
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Scottish Braille Press ‘fantastic example’ of supported business
History book celebrates 125 years of the Scottish Braille Press A history book has been produced to celebrate 125 years of the Scottish Braille Press.
It also tells the story of the growth of the Scottish Braille Press from its foundation as a printing department at the Royal Blind School through to a leading provider of high quality alternative formats in the UK.
A History of Braille and the Scottish Braille Press explores how Braille and alternative formats have evolved since the invention of embossed printing in the 18th century.
To request your free copy in print or alternative formats, visit http://bit.ly/2fWerlq
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities has praised the work of the Scottish Braille Press in providing employment for disabled people. Angela Constance MSP toured the Press as part of a series of visits by Ministers to supported businesses throughout Scotland to find out how they help people with disabilities and mental health issues to gain meaningful employment. The Scottish Braille Press has a proud history of providing employment for disabled people. Today around 50% of the workforce have some form of disability. Ms Constance said: “Around half of the staff at the Scottish Braille Press are disabled, and they are a fantastic example of an employer offering support and opportunities to disabled people. “Businesses like this help people with disabilities to maintain and improve their overall independence and wellbeing, and to get back into the labour market, while also producing high-quality goods and services.”
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Sandra Wright, Deputy Manager of the Scottish Braille Press, added: “We are delighted that Ms Constance visited the Press to find out more about our role as a supported business. “In the UK less than half of working age people with disabilities are employed. Historically the Scottish Braille Press employed many visually impaired people and today we are proud to continue the tradition of providing employment opportunities for disabled people, including those with a visual impairment, mental health issues and those on the autism spectrum.” Royal Blind has been accredited with Disability Confident Employer status in recognition of our commitment to good practice in employing and retaining disabled people.
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Managers promoted as service expands Former Braeside House Manager, Morag Francis, has been appointed to the new role of Older Peoples’ Services Manager. Her former Deputy Manager, Serena Allan, will become Manager at Braeside House.
Cranberry Tearoom ‘stars’ attend award ceremony The team behind our Cranberry Tearoom are celebrating being nominated for a Star Award. Residents of Royal Blind’s Adult Services have been serving up delicious food to their friends and relatives at the tearoom for more than two years.
The awards recognise organisations or individuals whose values, work and activities benefit people living with a sensory impairment in Scotland.
Alex, Nathan and Andrew are servers in the tearoom while their fellow residents from Forward Vision and Allermuir help with shopping and baking.
The weekly tearoom was set up as a project to foster a shared sense of purpose, to develop enterprise and independent living skills and to bring residents together.
Residents Alex, Nathan and Andrew accepted the certificate at the ceremony in Glasgow in November, along with Forward Vision staff Marilyn, Angie, Susan, Nikki and Louise.
All the money raised through sales from the tearoom goes towards funding new equipment for the services and collections are held for other charities.
Now the Cranberry Tearoom has been awarded a runnerup prize in the Children and Young People Achievement category of the Scottish Council on Deafness’ Star Awards.
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Marilyn, who oversees the running of the Cranberry Tearoom, said: “It was a brilliant day and it was great to have the young people there to share in the achievement because this is their weekly job, their project, and they’ve done really well.”
Marilyn added: “I’m really proud of how far the tearoom has come in two and a half years. It’s always very busy with a great atmosphere. Lots of the families come down and it’s a real highlight of the week for all of us.”
Morag will oversee the development of the new Jenny’s Well home in Paisley, applying the same philosophy of care that she has developed for Braeside House. Morag said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been offered this opportunity to develop a strategy for a brand new service, starting from scratch.
Congratulations to two Royal Blind managers who have been promoted ahead of the opening of a new care home for visually impaired older people in the West of Scotland next year.
“It’s a very exciting, if a little daunting task, and I’m fortunate to have a very strong team behind me who I know can deliver an excellent service.”
During her career with the charity she has completed a graduate certificate in Palliative Care at Queen Margaret University with St. Columba’s Hospice.
Morag has worked for Royal Blind for 24 years, beginning her career with the charity as a Staff Nurse at the former Canaan Home in Morningside.
Serena commented: “I’m delighted and feel honoured to have been offered the post of Manager at Braeside. It’s a big responsibility but I work with such an amazingly kind, caring and committed team that it makes everything that much easier.
Serena started working for Royal Blind as a Night Sister 14 years ago before being promoted to Head of Care and then Deputy Manager two years ago.
“ I was very happy to accept the role. With every new position I have taken with Royal Blind I have been proud that the senior management have faith in me to deliver.” Older Peoples’ Services Manager, Morag Francis
“I feel passionately about making care for older people right, and know that all of us together can make Braeside the very best it can possibly be to both live and work in.”
“ I love the variety that each day brings and the family feel of the whole home. People care about each other, and that includes residents, staff, families and visitors.” Braeside House Manager, Serena Allan
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First international speaker for Learning Hub Education professionals attended a Learning Hub led seminar by a world expert in transitions. Dr Karen Wolffe, from Austin, Texas, taught the seminar at the Royal Blind School in November. Dr Wolffe is the author of numerous publications and resources on the topic of career counselling for people with visual impairment and additional disabilities.
Blind kick-about for Kidscene youngsters Football fans at Kidscene After School and Holiday Club emulated their Paralympic heroes by wearing visual impairment simulation specs for a kick-about. To book your space in our next holiday club visit www.royalblind.org/child-care
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Kidscene caters for both visually impaired and sighted children as well as those with additional disabilities or complex needs. The children were inspired to take on the challenge by Kidscene volunteer and former Royal Blind School student, Scott Hilson (see page 5). Scott explained to the children how visually impaired people are able to play football with the aid of specialist equipment like balls that have been adapted to make a noise.
She added: “Getting to know the people running businesses locally will give them more of a chance of securing that placement if the chance arises. “Having a CV full of past work experience – even if they are voluntary placements – will help them stand out as a candidate. What’s great is you’ll often hear students excitedly say ‘you’ll never guess what’s just around the corner from my house’. It’s a great way for them to get more of a sense of their community.”
She gave advice and tips on strengthening students’ chances of finding competitive and meaningful work. “Finding work experience is equally as important as getting a good education,” Dr Wolffe told the seminar. “They need to show their future employers that they have successfully undertaken work in the past and they often need to have their arguments ready for how they are able to work without the use of their sight.” Dr Wolffe recommended encouraging students to start by ‘mapping’ their neighbourhood, finding out what local businesses are near to their homes and introducing themselves to the businesses owners.
The group wore SIM specs which simulate different visual impairments for the match. iSite Magazine Winter 2016 11
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Foundations laid at Paisley site Construction of Royal Blind Group’s new services in the West of Scotland is well under way.
Work is progressing on Royal Blind’s care home for visually impaired older people, Jenny’s Well, and Scottish War Blinded’s new rehabilitation and activity hub, the Hawkhead Centre. Jenny’s Well (pictured left), which was designed by Unum Partnership, will consist of five individual buildings linked by an internal courtyard. Unum Partnership Senior Architect, Lindsay Benson, told iSite that the current steel frame structure gives a clear idea of how the finished building will sit within the site – with excellent views to the North East and South. Work is also progressing on the neighbouring Hawkhead Centre. Martin Flett of Page Park Architects, explained the thought process behind the building’s design (pictured below). He said: “The curved roof, the shape of which was inspired by the place-name ‘Hawkhead’ and the shape of a hawk’s wing, is now complete and forms a striking canopy to the spaces inside. “The building is soon to become wind and watertight, at which point the focus will shift to the interior, and constructing a comfortable and stimulating environment for Scottish War Blinded to continue their excellent work.”
Signed Braille Harry Potter book goes on sale for Royal Blind Harry Potter fans and rare book collectors are being offered the chance to get their hands on a unique signed Braille edition of the first book in the famous series. Author J.K. Rowling signed all five volumes of the special edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ which has been produced by the Scottish Braille Press.
editions of the Harry Potter books having been on the market in the UK before, and this represents a unique opportunity for collectors of the series.”
It is believed to be the only signed Braille edition in the UK.
Royal Blind is based in Edinburgh, “This is a fantastic collector’s item where J.K. Rowling famously wrote that is truly one-of-a-kind and all the the Harry Potter books. money raised will contribute to the work Royal Blind does supporting She previously supported the charity visually impaired children and adults by unveiling a new library at the across Scotland and the rest of Royal Blind School in 2000 and by the UK.” visiting the Scottish Braille Press. Find out more about the Braille Davina Shiell, Royal Blind Marketing edition of Harry Potter and the and Fundraising Manager, said sale of Philosopher’s Stone at the book would be a fantastic boost http://bit.ly/2gyWR71 for the charity.
Now the book has gone on sale for £3,500 through retailer Blackwell UK to raise money for Royal Blind. A spokesperson for Blackwell UK said: “Blackwell’s Rare Books are delighted to be helping Royal Blind with the sale of what is a very special copy of this book, signed five times by the author - we are not aware of any other signed Braille
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She said: “We’re extremely grateful to J.K. Rowling for signing this very special Braille edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ and to Blackwell’s for their support.
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Royal Blind Week – get involved!
Royal Blind’s annual fundraising campaign is back from 20-26 February 2017 and we’ve got lots of exciting ways for you to take part and help support visually impaired children and adults across Scotland. Whether you want to get involved through your school, work, social club or as an individual, we have a challenge for you. Find out more about some of our events below, or visit www.royalblind.org/royal-blind-week for more information.
All Eyes on You Our eye-catching challenge returns for another year! We dare you to lay on some sparkly glitter eye shadow, outlandish fluorescent eyelashes or ‘guyliner’ and get sponsored to have outrageous eye makeup for one day. The aim of the challenge is to draw attention to your eyes as you go about your daily routine and share some memorable selfies to raise awareness of Royal Blind and visual impairment. Use the hashtag #AllEyesOnYou and share your experiences on social media.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page to find out when items are listed online: www.facebook.com/royalblindcharity
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#Blind4Day Who can get involved in #Blind4Day? Anyone can! You can take on the blindfold challenge as an individual, a pair, or encourage a small team of your friends or colleagues to take part. Do it over a lunch hour, during a class, attending a meeting, or eating dinner. If you’re really up for it, take on the ultimate challenge and go blindfolded from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night! How do I sign up? To sign up for this challenge, or to request your #Blind4Day kit, contact the Royal Blind Fundraising team on 0131 229 1456 or complete the form on our website.
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The Royal Blind Week eBay auction will see merchandise signed by celebrities including supermodel Twiggy and Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy auctioned off with all funds going to the charity.
LE F F A R K E E W D N I L B L A Y O affle and be in R r r u o g in r te n by e s!
Taking part in this unique charity challenge means depriving yourself of one of your most vital senses. It’s the ultimate test to give you an understanding of what so many blind and partially sighted experience on a daily basis.
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The event provided members with an opportunity to forge new friendships, share member experiences and enjoy a variety of guest presentations.
During breaks from presentations, members had the opportunity to have a complimentary massage, and visit specialist visual impairment stalls delivered by the Scottish
War Blinded rehabilitation team, Optelec, 105 Regiment Royal Artillery and the Carers’ Trust. Rebecca Barr, Scottish War Blinded’s Head of Operations and Development, said: “The Members’ Gathering provided a wonderful opportunity for members to share their experiences of membership. The feedback collated will be integral to the future development and expansion of the services Scottish War Blinded provides.”
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BBC Reporter Ian Hamilton began the programme with a presentation about his recent documentary ‘The Dark Way Home’. The documentary described the traumatic experience of war blindness during World War One and how advances in technology and support of war blinded have evolved since.
Captain Burton, 2nd Lieutenant Lye, Sargent Majors McEvoy and Galloway from 105 Regiment RA delivered a presentation which covered three hundred years of the Royal Artillery, including the early origins of the regiment, the development of warfare tactics during The Somme in 1916 and recent campaigns in Afghanistan.
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Scottish War Blinded members from across Scotland attended the Members’ Gathering in Glasgow to have their say in the development of the charity’s services.
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Members Gathering 2016
“ Until now I wo u never have expe ld c participate and ted to e such activities w njoy the sight loss I h ith ave”
“I enjoy m out me y visits as I’m et similar ing people to myse lf”
The results are in! Members give feedback on Scottish War Blinded Scottish War Blinded members were invited to take a part in a survey on how they felt about the charity and the support they receive. A report has been produced on the findings which will be used to inform future development of the organisation. Of the 271 people that responded to the questionnaire, 99.6% said they found Scottish War Blinded 16 iSite Magazine Winter Spring 2016 2016
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staff to be ‘helpful’, 70% said they were given information and advice and 62% said the charity provided equipment that enabled them to be more independent.
and rehabilitation hub, the Linburn Centre, said they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘extremely satisfied’ with the service.
And 100% of people who attended Scottish War Blinded’s activity
www.scottishwarblinded.org
The full results are available at
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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, 50 Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4JB
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: 50 Gillespie Crescent Edinburgh EH10 4JB. 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. To receive information by email, please provide your email address
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