12 January 2007
Opportunities for the visually impaired in Hampshire
Hampshire Association for the Care of the Blind has a range of clubs or branches run by volunteers in the following areas in East Hants: Fareham, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, South Hayling, Petersfield, Alton, Basingstoke, Farnborough, Aldershot and Yateley.
Robbie Beer, Branch Activities Coordinator says: “Anyone who is visually impaired can join our organisation or attend clubs or branches in their local area.
“Membership is free and entitles the person to free copies of our award winning newsletter Focus, which is published every two months in large print, braille or tape format or available online by visiting www.hacb.org/welcome.html . If you would like further information about our charity, please visit our website: http:www.hacb.org.uk.”
Opportunities currently available in Hampshire for the visually impaired are:
HACB Club Opportunities for over ‘55s
Hilliers Gardening workshops
Do you love gardening? We still have places left on our Hilliers Gardening Days Workshops which are only £6 per person.
These are from 10.30 am to 2.30pm on the following dates:
Wed 18 April (Propagation),
Wed 18 July (decorating herb pots)
Wed 12 Sept (Autumn hanging baskets), this workshop is £10 to cover costs Wed 5 Dec (seasonal decorations)
Please contact Robbie Beer our Activities Officer for more details. You may also be interested in joining Thrive The National Blind Gardeners Club, who also run residential courses at Reading. For further information please contact Lucy Morrell on 0118 9888 5688 or email info@thrive.org.uk.
Gardening Day Workshops at Hilliers is in the Romsey area, but the club volunteers drive clients to the venue.
Talks for your Club or Group
Would your group or club like to book an interesting talk about the work of Thrive please contact us to arrange this.
We will be working with RBS this year to offer a greater choice of holidays in more locations, if your group or club would like an interesting talk about RBS Escorted Coach Holidays to various locations in UK and Channel Islands please contact us to arrange this.
Your History Matters
Many of the history societies that we have been in contact with are building up recorded oral histories of local residents, if you would like to be interviewed for this scheme or alternatively would like an interesting talk about the history of your local area, please give us a ring to arrange this for your club or group.
Opportunities for All
What are your interests? Perhaps you might like to start a gardening group or a lunch club or a parents support group or an 18 – 25’s group or something else? Tell us what interests you & we will put you in touch with others in your area who have the same interests.
Tactile Art Workshops
FREE Touch Tours of Southampton Art Gallery, followed by Tactile Art Workshops for visually impaired people on the following dates:
Friday 16th March 2007 & Friday 22nd June from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
To book your place please contact Liza Morgan on O230 832758. Club Secretaries may like to book their own workshop dates with Liza at very minimal cost for groups of 15 persons or more.
The Tactile Art Workshops in Southampton are very accessible to blind and visually impaired people from all areas, because Southampton City Art Gallery is in the centre of Southampton and very accessible by bus or train.
Hampshire Showcase Listings
Hampshire County Council’s Return to Sport scheme is designed for those of us who have not practised any sports recently. There are opportunities throughout Hampshire to take up a host of activities/sports for only £2 per session. Ring Sharon Hall on 01962 846954 for more details.
Walk in famous footsteps
The Council have also arranged literary rambles across the county, if you fancy walking in the footsteps of Jane Austin or Charles Kingsley etc please ring 01730 234164 or contact tourism@easthants.gov.uk for further details. Above are just two of the many, often FREE opportunities provided by HCC. For further information please FREE PHONE 0800 028 0888 or look at the website www.hants.gov.uk/rh/showcase
RNIB Vacation Scheme Programme
For the second year running the RNIB are running a Vacation Scheme Programme of activity holidays for youngsters from the age from the age 0f 8 – 17 years. Please do contact Robbie if you would like details of the scheme in tape or Braille format.
Visually Impaired People lobby Parliament
On Monday 4th 2006, over 1,000 visually impaired people lobbied parliament to in their campaign to end the exclusion of blind people from the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance. There was a rally at the Methodist Central Hall followed by a lobby of MPs in Westminster Hall. If you did not get to Westminster you can still ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 46, tabled by Sir John Butterfill MP, in support of the campaign. See RNIB’s web page http://digbig.com/4qdwg. HACB volunteer Marjorie Wise from Portchester said: “I was amazed at the number of Blind people that turned up from all over the country & very proud of them, it is not easy to travel by public transport when you can’t see.” Jenny Robinson, an HACB member from the Fareham area said: “We are not asking for special treatment, we just want to be treated the same as other disabled people.”