Royal Blind iSite Spring 2015

In this issue:

Forward Visionmakes top 3 in music contest

Page 6

Behind the scenes at Braeside House

Page 8

100 years ofScottish WarBlinded

8

iSiteSpring 2015 RoyalBlind.org

Our Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester opens the re-developed Royal Blind School facilities in Morningside

Page 10

Royal Blind empowers blind people to fulfil their potential and achieve abrighter future. Our vision is that we will make a significant contribution tobuilding a community in which blind and partially sighted people, includingthose 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 SchoolSpecialisteducation foryoung peopleaged up to 18years.

ForwardVisionA residentialand respiteservice foryoung adultsaged 18-25.

BraesideHouseA care homespecialising incare for visuallyimpaired olderpeople.

ScottishBraille PressA leadingprovider ofhigh qualityBraille, largeprint and audiotranscriptionservices.

KidsceneAn after school andholiday club for children ofall abilities.

Scottish War BlindedOur sister charityprovidesassistance toveterans of thearmed forceswho have asignificant visualimpairment.

Making a donation to Royal BlindEvery donation makes a difference. You can donate:

Online at www.royalblind.org/donate

Telephone: 0131 229 1456Cheque: made payable to Fundraising, Royal Blind, P.O. Box No. 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ.

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.

iSite in alternative formatsTo receive iSite in large print, Braille or audio CD please contactColleen Watt on 0131 229 1456 [email protected] Blind is a registered charity SC017167

Scottish War Blinded is a registered charitySC002652

2 I iSite Magazine RoyalBlind.org

Pages 18–19Pages 17Pages 12–13Pages 8–9Pages 6 and16Pages 4–5, 10–11, 14–15

2015 is an exciting year in thehistory of Royal Blind and ScottishWar Blinded. In January weannounced the purchase of land inPaisley to build two new servicesfor blind and partially sightedpeople.

Royal Blind has purchased land tobuild a new 54 bedroom nursinghome which will provide specialistcare facilities for older people withvisual impairments, building on thesuccessful model of BraesideHouse in Edinburgh. While RoyalBlind already provides services toblind and partially sighted peoplefrom all across the UK, this is thefirst time in the charity’s 222 yearhistory that dedicated facilities arebeing built on the ground in theWest.

On the same site, our sister charityScottish War Blinded will constructa day centre for visually impairedveterans of the armed services,providing similar services to theLinburn Centre in West Lothian.

The new centre will enable peoplewith a visual impairment who haveat any time served in the armed

Two new servicesfor blind people in the West

RoyalBlind.org iSite Magazine I 3

forces to benefit from art andwood workshops, sporting, leisureand social activities and daily livingskills including rehabilitation andmobility. This will enhance theoutreach services currently on offerto veterans in the area.

Richard Hellewell, Chief Executiveof both Royal Blind and ScottishWar Blinded said:

“This is an exciting time for ourtwo charities as we establish newservices in the West of Scotlandwhich will enable us to supportmany more elderly people andservice veterans with visualimpairments.”

If you spot Royal Blind’s taxi inEdinburgh, send us a photo fora chance to win a Royal Blindgoodie bag!

email: [email protected] @royalblind

Have youseen ourtaxi

The pupils explored the question:How can young people withadditional support needs accessinspiring music-makingopportunities outwith schooltime?

The project was run by the socialenterprise Space Unlimited, ledby Gill Gracie working with theschool’s music department. Theaim of the workshops was toensure young people’s voices areheard, and to explore the issuesfrom different perspectives.

At the start of the final day’sperformances, Royal Blind Schoolmusic teacher Karl Macraediscussed the school’s approachto music-making, and howtechnology such as ipads has

made a huge difference to theaccessibility of instruments forchildren with additional supportneeds. The range of musicalinstruments being used on theday was impressive - from switchesto clackers, guitars to glockenspiels.

The first two musical contributionscame from classes 5 and 6, whoexplored the contrasts betweensmooth and rough sounds, andproduced a couple of expressivepieces on this theme.

This was followed by a pupil-ledchat about the difficultiesaccessing music-making outwiththe school environment for pupilswith additional support needs,such as transport or a feeling ofsocial stigma.


Music Unlimited at the Royal Blind SchoolIn a groundbreakingexpressive arts project,Royal Blind School pupilsworked creatively withcontemporaries from amainstream school toexplore issues aroundmusic-making.14 pupils from the Royal BlindSchool were joined by nine pupilsfrom nearby James Gillespie’s HighSchool for the ‘Music Unlimited’project. The project involved aseries of workshops which tookplace over several months,culminating in a unique afternoonof conversation and performance inthe school activity hall, attended bypupils, staff, friends and the HeadTeachers of both schools.

During the workshops the pupilshad mapped the available music-making opportunities in theircommunities, and discovered thatyoung people from both schoolshad many common experiences,but fewer shared ones. To startaddressing this, pupils came upwith the idea of forming acommunity group that anyonewould be welcome to join -regardless of prior musical skills or additional support needs.

After some lively discussions abouthow to take their experiencesforward, the participantsperformed pieces in their owngroups before joining together forthe big finale.

All agreed it had been interestingto work together on this uniqueproject - and there was a lot oftalent on show from everyone.

While Karl Macrae emphasised this project “was all about the process, rather than polishedperformances," all the pieces from the pupils were incredibly powerful to listen to - and clearly alot of fun for everyone involved.

“Music really touches each one of us," Head Teacher ElaineBrackenridge added as theafternoon drew to a close - andnot a single person in the roomcould have been left unmoved bythis fantastic event.


Thanks to Brian Hartley from Space Unlimited for photographs

The group was filmed for thecontest during one of their weeklymusic workshops, run by musicspecialist Karl Macrae. The shortvideo captures the moving vocalsof Amanda Robertson leading thegang in a beautiful rendition of‘Have Yourself a Merry LittleChristmas’. On percussion areChristopher Donovan, Alex Harpin,Michael Martin and all their friendsat Forward Vision, with Karlbacking them up on the keyboard.

The film was made during a singleworkshop in late December, andKarl ensured the session was runexactly as normal, so the presenceof the camera did not interrupt themusical action. It provides just agentle taster of the afternoon’sactivities which soon morphed intoa rather rowdier version of Rudolfthe Rednose Reindeer!

This was the first time ForwardVision has participated in the ‘CareHome Idol’ competition whichcelebrates all forms of musicalentertainment in care homes and supported accommodation.


ForwardVision comesthird in musiccontestThe young adults at Forward Vision won third place in a UK wide musiccompetition, ‘Care Home Idol 2014’.

Karl Macrae said:

“When we made this video wewanted to show what our youngadults could achieve. In the musicworkshops we try to ensureeveryone works as independentlyas possible to create their ownsounds – and have a lot of fun inthe process. It’s brilliant that theirefforts have been so wellreceived.”

The young adults will be awardedwith a ‘Care Home Idol’ plaque. A superb effort from all involved,and a big thank you to all thosewho voted for them.

The video can be watched on theCare Home Idol website:www.carehome.co.uk/idol/ or scan this page with the layar app.

29 March – KilomathonScotland.A picturesque route alongEdinburgh’s cycle paths, with abig finish in Murrayfield Stadium.6.5k, 13.1k or 2.62k junior race.

9 May – Colour Me Rad.A 5k fun run in Edinburgh thatsets off in a blaze of colourbombs. Start off clean and shinyand end up, as the organisers putit “like a tie-dyed hippy.”

30 and 31 May – The EdinburghMarathon Festival.7 different races over 2 daysincluding the marathon, halfmarathon, team relay, 10k, 5k andjunior races.

19 September – The ScottishHalf Marathon.A flat and rapid route that finishesin the final furlong ofMusselburgh Racecourse.

Challenge yourself and raise funds!Get fit in 2015 and run, cycle or abseil for Royal Blind, your local charity. Here aresome of the sponsored challenge events you can do.

Run

20 June – Edinburgh Night Ride.As the city sleeps, join hundredsof other cyclists for this fantastic50 mile challenge.

Cycle

Abseil


10 and 11 October – The BigFun Run and One Big Weekend.Four timed 5k runs for runners ofall abilities, taking place inGlasgow’s Bellahouston Park(Saturday) and in Edinburgh’sHolyrood Park (Sunday).

Our thanks go toVery brave Royal Blind membersof staff (below from left to right) -Sophie Milne, Magdalena Hrabaland Magda Ruszkowska. Despitebeing apprehensive about heightsthey successfully completedabseils from the Forth Rail Bridge,loved the experience and raisedover £1,000 for Royal Blind. So it’sa huge thanks and congratulationsto them – but now it’s over to you!

Collect for us – the 60 second challenge!If you’d prefer not to run, cycle or jump for Royal Blind, you can still raise moneyfrom the comfort of your armchair! We’ll send you a handy flatpack collecting boxwhich you can assemble into its pyramid shape in about 60 seconds… then leavein a prominent place to gather donations from friends and colleagues.

If you'd like to order a Royal Blind collection box, contact our fundraisingdepartment on 0131 229 1456, email [email protected] or order online atwww.royalblind.org/royal-blind-week/resources/order-a-collection-box

More information on all our challenge events, and details on how to register for them, is available atwww.royalblind.org/events. Or, you can contact Frances in our fundraising team on 0131 229 1456.

31 May – take the plunge fromGlasgow’s Finnieston Crane

21 June or 18 October –Celebrate the 150th Anniversaryof the Forth Rail Bridge bydropping 165 feet from its rails.

There are five free charity placesavailable for each abseil so signup now!

It’s hard to believe that BarrieSimcock has been at BraesideHouse for less than a year and ahalf as he’s already in with thebricks: “I feel like I’ve been hereforever – but in a good way!” hesays.

Barrie heads the team of four thatrun the activities programme forthe residents. From barge trips tostorytellers to fish and chip nights,he is the man behind the plan!

The career path that led Barrie toBraeside is an unusual one, butmakes him uniquely qualified forthe role. Having worked as apsychiatric nurse for 12 years hedecided to switch careers andstudy for a music degree atEdinburgh University.

After several years making a livingteaching and playing (he playspiano, oboe, flute andharpsichord), Barrie returned tocare work, and found a naturalaffinity working with the oldergeneration: “I tried it and loved it,worked through the agencies as acare worker for a while before theposition came up at activities.”

Thinking of appropriate ideas thenplanning and running the

programme takes a lot of work.The team is sometimes like thelegs of a swan, paddling furiouslybelow the surface while all isserene on top: “Activities arechallenging to arrange every week- there’s always somethingdifferent, something that has to besorted out. Always lots of phonecalls and organisation!”,says Barrie.But it’s the satisfaction of making adifference that keeps them all going.

Regular activities that provepopular include canal trips atRatho, restaurant outings, andcarpet bowls – where competitionto win the weekly shield is friendlybut fierce! Recordings of Songs ofPraise are the favourite TV choice,partly because it clearly describesthe history and geography of theplaces they visit around the UK, so residents don’t have to ‘watch’to enjoy.

Barrie is happy that the residentsare very vocal about their tastes,letting them know if somethingdoesn’t work, and the activitiesteam always respect their wishes.While they "will have a go at mostthings", the programme isadapted to take account of theparticipants’ visual impairment.

Activities at Braeside HouseActivities Co-ordinator Barrie Simcock gives us a peekbehind the scene at the Braeside House activities team…


“Although we do try things thatrequire some vision, it’s veryfrustrating if you can only see alittle bit to do activities that requirehand to eye co-ordination, such ascraft work. If it’s something theyused to be good at, they thinkthey are just making a mess. It’s areal barrier – we’re going to try itagain but the feedback we’ve hadis it’s difficult.”

One of Barrie’s ideas is to arrangea visit from pupils at the RoyalBlind School which could boostthe confidence of the residentswho would like to give craftworka go:

“Some of the pupils at the RoyalBlind School are fantasticmusicians and artists. I’d lovethem to come over here and forthe residents to hear what theyoungsters can do, see what theycan achieve.”

Some of the ideas for activitiescome from the residentsthemselves. Music is always apopular choice – whether talkingabout it, singing or listening.Barrie tries to be flexible with theprogramme, and is sometimessurprised by the requests hereceives. He says:

“Yesterday a few people asked ifthey could listen to Liberace, andwe had an impromptu afternoonabout him. His music is quitefrothy and lively. I thought they’dwant quiet and relaxing music,but this group of older people –most of them like music thatlivens them up a bit – a bit of awaltz, a march – they say ‘wedon’t want deafening, but wewant something that’s got a bit of life’!”

The activities team will be evenbusier in 2015, as the programme will include moreoutings to new places, and moreweekend and evening activitiesare planned. But Barrie says heremains motivated by the positive feedback he receivesfrom residents.

“When I thought a lady calledElizabeth Martin, who’s 106 yearsold, may be too tired to watch aharpist, she told me: ‘Barrie – Ican sleep any day, I can’t listen toa harpist any day. I’m coming tothe harpist.’ Afterwards she toldme how much she enjoyed it. The fact that you can help givesomebody a little bit of value inlater life – that’s the best bitabout my job.”


Royal Blind school opening


The Royal Blind Schoolcelebrated a historic daywhen our Patron, His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester,officially opened the £4.5 million re-developedschool building inMorningside.

The merger of the Royal BlindSchool’s campuses was completedat the start of the autumn term.Pupils from the 179-year-oldCraigmillar Park building moved tothe new school in Morningside,enabling teachers and pupils to belocated together.

Other guests included ourPresident, The Duke of Buccleuch,Scottish Government Minister forLearning Dr Alasdair Allan MSP,the Lord Provost of Edinburgh Cllr Donald Wilson, the

architects (Oberlanders), parentsand other education stakeholders.

The pupils got the event off to afantastic start with a number ofmusical and dramaticperformances. Katie-Jane Girvanopened with an excellentrendition of ‘The Windmills of your Mind’ which was followed by an innovative version of‘Goodness, Gracious Great Ballsof Fire’ from Clare Malcolm, Isra Oudeh, Callum Maitland and Andrew Park. Andrew Pettigrew


then delighted the audience with a reading of his poem,‘Imagination’, and Jake Murraybrought down the curtain with thevery moving, ‘A Guardian Angel’.

Richard Hellewell, Chief Executiveof Royal Blind, had the unenviabletask of following thoseoutstanding performances. Hewelcomed His Royal Highness andall the distinguished guests, andspoke about the significance ofthe occasion:

“This marks an important moment in the 180 year history of the Royal Blind School. Leaving the campus on which we have educated pupils withvisual impairments for 150 yearshas been a big step to take but anecessary one and gives uspremises that are fit for ourpresent and for our future.”

Speaking for the ScottishGovernment, Dr Alasdair AllanMSP added: “I feel very honouredto have been among the firstguests to tour the Royal BlindSchool following the extensivework to the classrooms and theaccommodation. This adaptation is not just about making thelearning space brighter and morepleasing – it is about creating ahome away from home for thepupils and an environment where

they can build up life skills as wellas following traditional classes.”

His Royal Highness The Duke ofGloucester concluded theformalities by declaring thepremises officially open andunveiling a commemorative plaque.

Guests then enjoyed afternoontea, the opportunity to meet HisRoyal Highness, and the chance to tour the school’s modern,accessible facilities.


John Donaldson, Manager of theScottish Braille Press, said: “Thesix-dot Braille system was inventedin 1824, just 10 years after Scott’s‘Waverley’ was published. It is afitting part of its 200th anniversarythat we can make ‘Great Scott!’accessible to blind and partiallysighted people.”

Telling the story of Scott’sincredible life, the pocket-bookincludes a timeline, quotes andmusings, and gives tips on thingsto see, read and do relating toScott.

The book is available in audio andas an e-book at www.cityofliterature.com/waverley

CelebratingSir WalterScottThe Scottish Braille Presshelped mark the 200thanniversary of one of thebiggest names inliterature, Sir Walter Scott.

As part of the campaign to bringalive the man and his words,25,000 copies of ‘Great Scott!:Celebrating Sir Walter Scott’ weregiven away in his hometown ofEdinburgh. The books were madeavailable in Braille and audioformats at the same time as thetext versions, supplied by theScottish Braille Press.

During the launch, quotes from Sir Walter’s books and histhoughts were written across thefloors, windows and walkways ofEdinburgh Waverley Station –which was named after his historicnovel ‘Waverley.’

The Scottish Braille Press workedin partnership with EdinburghUNESCO City of Literature Trustand Lothiansound TalkingNewspaper on the project.

The ‘Great Scott’ campaign notonly celebrated the 200thanniversary of the publication of‘Waverley,’ but also marked the10th anniversary of Edinburgh’sdesignation as the world’s firstUNESCO City of Literature.

The Royal BlindPub Quiz is backThe legendary Royal Blind PubQuiz is making its comeback in afantastic new Edinburgh venue. Dust down your braincells andjoin our host, ‘Guru Gary’ for themost challenging quiz in town!

Venue: Upstairs at Hemma, the Tun building, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh.

Date: 20 MayVisit www.royalblind.org/events for more details and sign up a team now.

The move to UnifiedEnglish Braille

Braille still has an important role toplay in the mix of accessibleformats, and the code is evolvingfor the 21st century. Severaldistinct Braille codes, such asmaths, computing and literaryversions, are being broughttogether into one single set ofrules – Unified English Braille(UEB). This has been adopted asthe official Braille code in majorEnglish-speaking countries.

The transition to UEB is takingplace gradually and it has beendesigned to be easily understoodby people familiar with literaryBraille. By encompassing varioussymbols and visual effects, such ascomputing language and the @sign, UEB makes it much easier forpeople to learn and share varioustypes of materials in Braille aroundthe world.

MovingforwardChanges are afoot at theScottish Braille Press.There’s a fifth audiobooth to cope withgrowing demand, newstaff have been taken onand current staff arebeing trained up to meetdevelopments in theworld of accessiblemedia.


The Scottish Braille Press isplanning their move from StandardEnglish Braille to Unified EnglishBraille in 2015, and has made suretheir production staff are fullytrained in advance of the change.Stuart McPherson, ProductionTeam Leader for Braille and Audio,was enrolled into an RNIB coursein Contracted Braille (UEB), whichhe passed with an outstandingscore of 97%.

Stuart said:“I started at the Scottish BraillePress as a document transcriber in1999 so I already had a goodknowledge of Braille. The coursetook a year to complete, testing myreading, comprehension andtranscribing of printed text toBraille.

“There was a lot to learn and it wasquite daunting at times, but with alot of study and practice I wasdelighted to pass the course. I amsure that this qualification will helpas we move over to Unified EnglishBraille.”

Risk management withdistinction

Another professionalcertificate was gained lastyear – this time it’s DeputyManager Sandra Wright whogained an InternationalCertificate in RiskManagement – passing theyear long professional coursewith Distinction. After a yearof burning the midnight oil,Sandra is putting her hardearned knowledge of riskmanagement to work, makingsure the Scottish Braille Pressmeets the strict supplier andregulatory standards of theircustomers, particularly thosein the financial sector.

Day two of the BBC's visit to theart department, and the classroomhas been transformed into anindustrious animation studio.Three pupils (Christina, Katie-Janeand Namarra) are intenselyfocussed on moving fabric printsaround a table, under theconfident direction of theirclassmate Andrew. Next to them,Steven is on camera, capturingeach small change to the scene.Hundreds of images are then runtogether in a beautiful stop-motion animation that makes thefabrics magically dance, float anddisappear.

This was the final piece of a multi-sensory extravaganza brought tothe school by the BBC L.A.B.–which runs digital mediaworkshops for pupils acrossScotland. It involved video making,audio recording, animation, print,photography, craftwork and poetry.All around the room there isevidence of earlier efforts, from thecolourful art hanging on a laundrydryer to the half-empty cans ofshaving foam.

While many types of media wereused, every element shared acommon theme the school’ssensory garden. The project began

BBC L.A.B. From shaving foam art tostop-motion animations,when BBC Scotland’sLearning Lab came to theRoyal Blind School, it wasdefinitely what you'd call a 'multimedia' experience.iSite dropped by towitness the action...


with each pupil talking aboutsomething that they enjoyed aboutthe sensory garden, such as thesound of the leaves or the smell oflavender. Christina was given thetask of presenter and everyonetalked about their choices. The shortfilm was edited and uploaded onthe BBC L.A.B. Scotland website.

Pupils then brought back somethingfrom the garden to use for artprojects. They took photos usingspecial film paper so they could feelthe result and draw it. Wiki stickshelped create shapes, which werethen cut out to make stencils for theprints.

In the messiest part of the day,shaving foam with ink in it was usedto create the colours for the printedfabrics, later brought to life in theanimation.

Things were calmer when pupilsturned to poetry. Steven

suggested a poem could be createdfrom the letters in 'sensory', andeverybody came up with wordsabout the garden, which wererecorded and placed inside an audiocard. Andrew then got on hisBrailleNote and created a beautifulpiece of poetry about the sensorygarden in just under 20 minutes! (see opposite page)

Project Leader Johanna Halldescribed the event as:

“Messy, brilliant, such good fun.Everybody steps out of theircomfort zone and has a wee go”.

Johanna has worked at the Royal BlindSchool twice before and really enjoys it: “The kids are always amazing – theyalways blow me away”!

Watch the video at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02jfw9f

Or scan this page with the Layar app.


Congratulations to talented poetand Royal Blind School pupilAndrew Pettigrew (author of ‘TheSensory Garden’ poem, left) whodonated funds raised from a bookof his poetry to tackle Ebola inWest Africa.

During lunch breaks in December,Andrew asked for donations of £1or more for a copy of ‘A ChristmasBook of Crazy Poetry’, raisingaround £150 for charity.

In a message to everyone whosupported the venture Andrewsaid:

”Thank you all for being sogenerous to try and prevent theterrible outbreak of Ebola. If theworld was filled with people likeyou then wars wouldn't exist atall. I am so proud of how somany kind and thoughtful people purchased the book.”

Poetry Book raises funds for Ebola

The SensoryGardenA poem by AndrewPettigrew, written duringthe 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 daisiesleaves, 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 toeveryone.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 sensorygarden.We should all celebrate.

The popular cafe involves theyoung adults at every stage in theproject – from helping shop foringredients to baking the cakes andserving the customers on the day.

The goals of the project are toencourage teamwork, promoteindependence, skill building andsocial integration – but most of allit’s for everyone to enjoythemselves and have fun!

“The young adults get a lot out ofit” Manager Jan Thomson explains.“The baking, the planning – butthey also really like the socialaspects, as it gives them a chanceto meet different people.”

The Cranberry Tearoom started life


Cranberry tea room There are plenty of breakfast rolls, cakes and cuppasconsumed at Forward Vision’s ‘Cranberry Tearoom’.

as an occasional event but it’s beensuch a runaway success that it hasbecome a regular date in the diary– and there are plans to developthe model further.

“We have started to run thetearoom most weeks”

We’re also moving it from a Fridayto midweek, and may offer lightlunches and sandwiches,” Jan said.

Currently the Cranberry Tearoom isfrequented by friends, family,staff,young people and pupils fromRoyal Blind services, but it is hopedthat eventually the café will beopen to a wider customer base.

Profits from sales made on the dayare ploughed back into the project,

with the team slowly accumulatingthe bits and pieces of caféequipment that they need, orshopping for the next event.

We look forward to many moresuccessful tearooms in 2015.

Thursday 13 August 2015Sign up now for our annual celebrity golf tournament, held in thestunning Archerfield Links Golf Club.

Now approaching its 7th year, this special event offers a greatopportunity for corporates to get together for a fun team buildingday, while raising funds for Royal Blind.

Hosted by DJ Scott Wilson, teams are joined by a staggering arrayof celebrities and legends from across the Scottish sporting field.

For more information or to sign up online visitwww.royalblind.org/events/golf-day or contact our fundraisingteam on 0131 229 1456 or [email protected]

RoyalBlind.org

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.

Kidscene turns threeFor 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 enoughfor everyone to enjoy a slice. Thank you for all your continued support.

Singalong inthe playroomIt 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 withseasonal classics. The (in)famous song from ‘Frozen’ was perhaps the most appropriate of all the tunes, given the weather outside, but everything was sungwith equal gusto – ably backed by guitar, bongos and violin fromsome of the talented musicians in our midst.

Book yourholiday clubDuring school breaks Kidscene runs a packed programme of activities in our popular holiday clubs. We keep them busy with awide range of fun, creative, healthy and educational activities, and a lot of outdoor events when the weather allows. The February midterm break hada 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 bethrown into the mix for the April break.


Newington House

“Newington House, Edinburghis a loving testimony ofScotsmen’s gratitude to menwho fought for their country inthe Great War and weredeprived of their sight….ourblinded soldiers should be caredfor by their “ain folk”, near theirold homes and among their own“kith and kin.” ’Scottish NationalInstitution for Blinded Sailors and Soldiers–Lest We Forget’ leaflet –1920.

At Newington House support wasprovided through a programme ofrehabilitation and training toestablish a strong foundationtowards employability andindependence. Members learned toread and write in Braille, to navigatehome and public environments as

well as receive training in basket andmat production, boot and shoerepairing, poultry farming and pianotuning. Upon leaving NewingtonHouse, £150 grant was provided to support the setting up ofbusinesses, purchasing ofequipment or accommodationassisted by the charity’s after-careworkers.

Linburn House

“Here the blinded men fromWorld War Two found a home in pleasant country surroundings…it was clear that while somewould make a living from outsidejobs, others would prefer toremain in the workshops laiddown on the lines of those at theolder establishments.” ’Bowling bySound’ promotional leaflet – 1948.


In March 1915, Royal Blindfounded Scottish WarBlinded to support theincreasing numbers ofservicemen returning toScotland from World WarOne with life changingvisual impairments.

100 years on, Scottish War Blindednot only supports veterans whohave lost their sight while inservice, but also those who havelost their sight subsequently dueto old age or illness. Asmembership has evolvedthroughout the years, so has theservices Scottish War Blindedprovides building on its stronghistorical origins at NewingtonHouse and Linburn.

Scottish War Blinded celebrates its centenary

In 1943 Scottish War Blindedacquired Linburn House inWilkieston, West Lothian (picturedabove) to support blindedservicemen and women returningto Scotland from World War II.Built upon the successes ofNewington House, membersreceived a year’s inductionlearning to read and write inBraille, touch-typing and basketmaking. Members then chose froma range of training andemployment opportunities inwoodwork, cane, metal, wire andleather workshops. Some gainedemployment as physiotherapists,typists and shop keepers withadditional support from thecharity’s after-care workers.

Within ten years, Linburn Housewas replaced with a moderncomplex of rehabilitation rooms,workshops, recreation hall, homes,hostelry and bowling green. A strong industrial emphasisdeveloped, based on theprinciples of graft, community and camaraderie, where a wide

range of products were developedand produced for the public andindustry for over 50 years.

Scottish War Blinded today

Scottish War Blinded todayprovides free support to formermembers of the Armed Forcesthat have lost their sight in a war,as well as those who havedeveloped visual impairmentssubsequently in later life. Membershave served in World War Two,National Service, Korea, andIreland, as well as recent conflictsin Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Linburn Centre replaced theLinburn Workshops in 2011. Itaccommodates up to 35 membersa day who can attend for a rangeof activities, rehabilitation,independent living skills and socialoutings. Members frequentlyamaze themselves finding a newlease of life as well as establishingcamaraderie with fellow membersand staff.

Outreach

Scottish War Blinded’s OutreachService continues to develop thework begun by the charity’s

after-care service established in1915. Launched in 2011, theservice has eight OutreachWorkers now across Scotland,providing a one-stop contact pointfor dealing with statutory andvoluntary agencies, specialistequipment provision, mobility andindependent living support andintroducing social opportunities.

Do you know a veteran whohas lost their sight?

Please ask anyone with a seriousvisual impairment if they served inthe Armed Forces, Territorial Armyor did National Service. Anyonewho has done so will be eligible tojoin Scottish War Blinded,irrespective of the cause of theirvisual 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.



Regular donations are crucial to our work. Direct debitdonations enable us to plan our work into the future,transforming the lives of blind and partially sightedpeople of all ages. If you would like to set up a directdebit then please complete this form. Your support isreally appreciated.Please fill in this form and return to:Royal Blind, PO Box 500, Gillespie Crescent, Edinburgh, EH10 4HZ

How you can help!

The Direct Debit Guarantee: This Guarantee is offered by all banksand building societies that accept instructions to pay DirectDebits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Royal Blind will notify you ten working days in

advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. Ifyou request Royal Blind to collect a payment, confirmation of theamount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If anerror is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Royal Blind oryour bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and

immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or buildingsociety. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must payit back when Royal Blind asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debitat any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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 InlandRevenue. 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 taxmust 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/orcapital 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 ourfundraising 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 butwe 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 bytelephone concerning these offers. If you do not wish these organisations to contact you please tick here.

Title: Forename: Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

E-mail address:By giving us your email address you consent to receiving email updates from Royal Blind

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ORIGNATOR’SNUMBER

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay Direct Debits

Here is my gift of: £3 £5 £10 £15 Other £

Please debit the above amount MONTHLY QUARTERLY ANNUALLY from my account

on or around the (tick as appropriate):1st 15th Commencing

Name & full address of your Bank/Building Society Branch sort code:

To: The Manager(Name of Bank/Building Society) Bank or Building Society account No:

Address

Postcode

Name(s) of account holder(s)

Signed Date

M M Y Y

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society: Please pay Royal Blind Direct Debitsfrom the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by theDirect Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with RoyalBlind and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Royal Blind iSite Spring 2015

Documents

Transcript of Royal Blind iSite Spring 2015