Somerset Insight
Issue 52 May 2015May 2015
A MAGAZINE FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE IN SOMERSET
Somerset Sight,
Northfield House,
51 Staplegrove Road,
Taunton, TA1 1DG
Registered Charity Number 1154472
Main telephone number 01823 333818Website:
www.somersetsight.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Somerset Insight is published in January, May and September and
is distributed free to visually impaired people living in Somerset.
It is available in large print, Braille, audio cassette and CD
formats.Pictured on the front cover:
Nicky Bradford, Somerset Sight Volunteer, with cast of St James
Players.
Somerset Sight Ltd is a registered charity and company
limited
by guarantee, registered in England. Company no: 8432686.
The Chief Executive Officer's Report
Welcome to the spring edition of Insight. Summer is truly on its
way and the days are getting markedly longer and warmer.
I am pleased to confirm that Somerset County Council funding for
the Volunteer Visiting Service, the Aids to Daily Living Service,
the Talking Book, British Wireless for the Blind Service and the
Living with Sight Loss course funding has been secured for another
year. I have to say that in these difficult financial times it is
gratifying to know that the council recognise the value of the
services that we offer.
We have decided to run the Low Vision Exhibition again this
year. Some of you may remember that we last ran the event in 2010
at the Wellsprings Centre in Taunton. This time we are using the
facilities at Junction 24 near Bridgwater. The event which will
incorporate our AGM will be held in November so more on that in the
September edition of the magazine.
I am working very closely with our neighbouring associations,
Dorset Association for the Blind and Wiltshire Sight in a joint bid
to the Thomas Pocklington Trust to provide a Sight Advisor in each
eye clinic across the three counties. There is still a way to go
with this piece of work but I will keep you informed.
We have decided to hold our annual volunteers garden party on
Friday 5th June this year to coincide with national volunteers
week. All volunteers are welcome. Your official invite is in the
back of this magazine.
Tom Winsborough
Chief Executive Officer
01823 366150
[email protected] to Jan Arnold
On Friday 30th January we held a farewell party for Jan Arnold,
our Office Manager, who worked for Somerset Sight for 14 years.
Prior to the party we held a collection and people gave very
generously. We were able to present Jan with a matching moonstone
silver ring and necklace, a lovely bouquet of flowers, vouchers and
cash. Ian Lloyd from the Taunton craft group also drew a fabulous
caricature picture and presented it in a frame.
It was a very a special day and we joined by many people to give
her a brilliant send off and to thank her for her commitment and
hard work.
Jan was thrilled with the party. She sent us a lovely message
about it, I just want to thank you all for making last Friday such
a special and unforgettable day. I was blown away. I honestly
didn't expect anything as grand, but you pitched it just right. The
bit that will stay with me is walking up the drive and seeing your
smiling faces as you applauded me. I felt like royalty and I was
moved to tears.
We are delighted to report that Jans permanent replacement has
now joined us here at Northfield House. Her name is Hollie Newton
and she will be working Monday to Thursday. We are all looking
forward to working with Hollie and are sure that she is going to be
an asset to the charity.Message from Bella Flood; Chair of the
Trustees
Since joining Somerset Sight I have been very impressed by the
quality of this magazine and the wide range of events and
initiatives that are included. It always reminds me just how many
services and initiatives we are involved in which are devoted to
enhancing the lives of people who have sight loss (just two
examples are the Emotional Support Service and the new Football
Club and there are many more). I am also constantly inspired by the
wonderful people who fundraise for us, such as the runners in the
Exeter Half Marathon and Josh and George's cycling triumph which
were included in the January edition. I have noticed in the
magazine there are many requests for people to get involved in
fundraising. May I make a special plea to our supporters, their
families and friends to organise an event to raise money for
Somerset Sight? There is also still a great need for volunteers (in
whatever capacity). We are trying to reach out to younger age
groups and working age people and we will need more volunteers and
funding to support this.
Please consider this and tell your friends about us too! Please
contact Becky Fry, our Development Officer, on 01823 366147 or
[email protected] if you think you can help. The magazine
also publishes details of those people who very generously leave a
gift to us in their will. Legacies are vitally important as they
enable us to continue and develop our services. This year we will
be in touch with local professionals to publicise the need for
people to remember Somerset Sight in their will. Recently Tom and I
have held several meetings with a member of the Low Vision Support
Team in Somerset's Education Services. She has been incredibly
helpful and pro-active in supporting our efforts to reach out to
more families to explain to them what Somerset Sight can offer.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who
have given their time as volunteers or fundraisers, and to those
who donate funds to support us. You are all vital to our charity. I
look forward to meeting many more of you in the future.
With my best wishes
Bella FloodDeafPLUS Visits
DeafPLUS will be at Somerset Sight, Northfield House, 51
Staplegrove Road, Taunton, between 10.30am and 1.00pm on the
following dates:
Friday 15th May
Friday 19th June
Friday 17th July
Friday 14th August
DeafPLUS will once again be giving advice and information on all
aspects of hearing loss as well as servicing hearing aids.
For more information please call DeafPLUS on 01225 446555.
Magazine in Other Formats
All of our magazines and leaflets are available in audio,
braille and large print format. You can also receive this magazine
by email. If you would like our communications in any other format,
please get in touch with
Hollie Newton
01823 366143
[email protected] Advice
Sessions
The technology advice sessions are still running at Northfield
House, 51 Staplegrove Road, Taunton. We have decided to alter the
name of this service from a 'drop in' as you do need to book in
advance for these sessions.
Darren Walker who is visually impaired himself explains,
Sometimes the word technology frightens people, but devices are
becoming much simpler to use, many designed especially for blind
and visually impaired people. Come along and meet Darren who will
be here to help on the last Tuesday of each month apart from in
May. Anyone with a visual impairment can book in for a session.
The next sessions will be on
Tuesday 30th June
Tuesday 28th July
Tuesday 25th August
As usual, bookable one hour sessions will be available between
10.00am and 4.00pm. Please call to book your place.
Heidi Linegar
01823 366141
[email protected]
Support for Tom in Taunton
Tom lives with his wife Elaine just outside Taunton. In addition
to his sight loss he has other substantial health issues. He was
referred to Somerset Sight for a volunteer visitor in July 2013.
Somerset Sight volunteer David was introduced to him within a
month. Tom and David share a history of tool making and also come
from roughly the same area in the Midlands, so they hit it off
straight away. David often returns to his old stomping ground and
is able to speak to Tom about the changes he has noticed. Tom says
that visits from David have made a big difference to him and that
he looks forward to being able to talk, David is always cheery and
after his visits I always feel better and not only that our two
little dogs love him! Tom's wife Elaine is also present at times
and they have all become firm friends. Elaine says Tom has
benefited enormously from the companionship of another man, Tom
comes out of himself when David visits. It also means that Elaine
has some support and can get out with the dogs, do some gardening,
go to the shops or even into town as she feels totally at ease with
leaving him with David. David gets a lot out of his weekly visits
to Tom, It is very rewarding and it's given me a real awareness of
sight loss. Both Elaine and Tom would recommend a volunteer from
Somerset Sight, If you have the chance to have a volunteer, give it
a try for a few visits and you will find that you enjoy it.
Panto Magic!
We are thrilled that St James Players in Taunton chose us to
receive a proportion of the funds from their production of Aladdin
in January. They had a retiring bucket collection and donated half
of the ticket proceeds. Jenny Wakefield from the church players
said, We were delighted to support Somerset Sight and the St. James
Church Hall Appeal. This year for the first time the pantomime was
produced in the church, with the space being to Somerset Sight. It
is great pleasure to be able to raise money for Somerset Sight, a
valued and essential local organisation.
We would like to thank all of the members of St James Players
for thinking of Somerset Sight.
Somerset Sight Volunteer Visitors are here to help
Thanks to funding from Somerset County Council, we are able to
take on further referrals for this service. Our volunteers provide
regular companionship, help with reading or correspondence and many
other things. If you are visually impaired and feel like a fully
trained and police checked volunteer would benefit you then please
get in touch with us. Visits are usually for a couple of hours a
week or fortnight.
Anyone can access the service as if you do not meet the
eligibility requirements for the council funded service we can
support you with our private service for a small charge.
To enquire, please contact:
Gloria Williams
01823 366146
[email protected] and
Street Talking News
Would you like to listen to the Central Somerset Gazette
which
covers Glastonbury, Street, Somerton and surrounding
villages?
The Glastonbury and Street Talking News has been running for 20
yearsand currently has 35 listeners.
They provide the news on cassette tape and can provide a machine
for any new listeners.
If you interested in receiving the news please contact
Mr Chris Merritt
01458 832599
Bridgwater Bowls
The Bridgwater bowlers meet weekly at Bridgwater bowls club on
Durleigh Road. In the winter they meet on a Wednesday from midday
to 2pm indoors and in the summer they meet on a Thursday outside
from 11am to 1pm.
They are a friendly club and would be pleased to welcome new
members. Please contact Eric Shakleford on 01278 456045Guitar
Sessions at
Somerset Sight
We have a lovely new volunteer who would like to teach people
how to play the guitar. His name is Nick and he would like to set
up sessions where people can bring along the music they enjoy
themselves.
Nick has an eclectic music taste and wants to encourage more
people to learn, There are quite a number of famous sight impaired
guitarists so I thought it would be a great thing to offer people
at Somerset Sight. I find people have more fun if they can learn
the songs they love.
Nick can supply the guitar in the first instance. This is a
steel string acoustic guitar which Nick finds the most versatile
for beginners.
If you are interested please contact: Somerset Sight on 01823
333818Somerset Sight Bridge Club
There are a few people very keen to start a Bridge Club in
Taunton. Bridge is a trick taking game using a 52 card deck. It is
played by four players in two competing partnerships.
It can be an exciting game and has immense scope by virtue of
the large number of unique deals which are possible.
The game would be played with large print Braille cards so
both
Braille readers and those who rely on large print can take
part.
Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience
please do get in touch with Becky Fry [email protected]
01823 366147New Employment Hub Sessions
Action for Blind People working in conjunction with Somerset
Sight is now offering employment hub sessions to assist those with
sight loss in the local area seeking to move into work.
The sessions provide the opportunity to work with an Employment
Coordinator in a supportive environment to gain personalised
support with a wide range of practical employment specific tasks -
the ultimate aim being to boost your confidence and chances of
success in moving into work. The types of employment support
covered at these pre-booked sessions include: Specialist advice
& practical approaches on disability disclosure
CV writing
Cover letters
Application and interview techniques
Skills and career identification tools
Advice on practical support available in work
Job searching
Self-employment
Advice around retaining current work
This service can be accessed at no cost.
If you have sight loss and would benefit from additional
employment support and advice, get in touch today!
To find out more about this new opportunity or to check
availability and book a session time, please contact:
Action for Blind People
01392 458060
Music Appreciation Group - The Times
They Are A Changin'
The Music Appreciation Group is alive and well in South
Somerset! However, as the song says: the times they are a changin'.
Our monthly meetings have moved to 2.30pm 4.30pm (from our
traditional evening slot) and, to make travel easier, the meetings
are being held in both Crewkerne and Chard as follows:
Fourth Thursday of each month, Crewkerne, Henhayes CentreFourth
Friday of each month, Chard, Snowdon House
We listen to a variety of mainly light classical music on a
topical theme (played from CDs) in a friendly setting. Tea and
Biscuits are served in the interval.
If you live in South Somerset, why not come and join us? We'd
love to share the music with you.
Contact and further information:
Liz Dunn
01460 53136
Football Club Update
There has been a good response to the new Visually Impaired
Football Club who meet at Castle Sports Centre in Taunton run by
1610. Julie Bowker, Football Development Officer, said that the aim
of the new initiative is to make football more inclusive to the
local community. Visually impaired football is becoming
increasingly popular nationally and the Castle Sports Centre has
some great facilities where Visually Impaired players can enjoy the
sport in a relaxed atmosphere and have some fun with friends.
Depending on the response locally 1610 are aiming to set up a VI
football team which could go on to play in Somerset FA's Ability
Counts football league. This proves that disability is no longer a
bar to enjoying sport. VI football is a great team sport new
players are always welcome regardless of experience or level of
sight loss.
For more details contact
Martin Hallet
01278 734639
[email protected]
People can also contact
Castle Sports Centre
01823 322934
Julie Bowker:
[email protected]
Talking Book Library
Muriel Phyllis Colbey (Vicky) aged 89 from Wellington has sent
in this feedback about our talking book service.
I have always been an avid reader and in my retirement would
read a book a day. Since being registered severely sighted in 2010
I have enjoyed listening to the talking books from the Somerset
Sight Audio Library.
I make my choice from the catalogue with the help of my daughter
and the carers. The tapes are then sent to my home.
My favourites are detective stories and murder mysteries. I
listen to one book a day so I have made good use of the
library.
All the tapes and CDs are donated to the library and I am now
exploring different authors having read most of the detective
books. If like me you have time on your hands, listening to talking
books is an excellent way to while away the hours.
To access our library please call on 01823 333818
Adventure weekend in Weymouth
We have been invited by Dorset Blind Association to take part in
an adventure weekend away at Osmington Bay in Weymouth at the end
of July. Participants will be able to take part in a range of
activities including sailing, archery and abseiling. We have
secured some funding for activities so we can keep the cost down as
much as possible.
Please contact Becky Fry on 01823 366147 or
[email protected] if you are interested in
attending.The Red Hat to the USA
Harvey Godber, service user and leader of the Taunton visual
disability group, has always wanted to visit the U.S.A. and last
year his son David accompanied him on a trip of a lifetime. He has
sent this lovely account of his trip.
Our first stop was New York where we stayed at the Edison
Hotel, built in 1931. The dcorhas remained firmly Art Deco and
the plumbing was certainly not modern but it was a joy to go back
in time to find the service and atmosphere of bygone days. We had a
day visiting New York's most iconic sites including the Statue of
Liberty, the Italian quarter and a 43 second ride up to the 70th
floor of the Rockerfeller centre where we looked down on the Empire
State and saw the whole of Central Park.
Next stop was Washington D.C. where we were met by Glenn Minney,
of the Blinded Veterans Association who was very hospitable. We
were honoured to be invited to assist with the B.V.A. wreath
ceremony at National Veterans Day. The day, which was held in the
600 acre Arlington Cemetery, was very moving and included a speech
by the Vice President Joe Biden. It was certainly the highlight of
our trip. We then flew to Ohio where we visited the
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and were able to explore the many
hangars full of WW2, cold war and later aircraft. This trip was one
of the best experiences of my life. I am still smiling.
Disability World Bowls Championship
Sight impaired bowlers from Somerset recently travelled to New
Zealand to attend the Disability World Bowls Championships. The
group flew into Wellington on 12th February.
Eleven countries took part in the championships. The players
from Somerset each played at least 5 games. Ron Homer won a gold
medal (and only lost one game), Nancy Cheesman won silver. After
the championship the group had a tour of North
Auckland. They met with the Mauri people and visited the
Hobbiton movie set where part of The Lord of the Rings and The
Hobbit were filmed. They also visited Matamata an active volcano.
Nancy said, We had a wonderful time. It was brilliant that the
Somerset Bowlers did so well. New Zealand is a very interesting and
beautiful country. Wed like to say many thanks to Somerset Sight
for helping us with the costs of attending to represent England and
the championships.
Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Players selected for National
SquadEd Hossell and Jason Aughton are the first Somerset players
selected for the national squad. They both made their England
debuts in December last year in South Africa, where England reached
the semi-finals of the Blind Cricket World Cup. Hossell was ever
present in England's six World Cup games, taking five wickets in
six games and impressing with the ball, whilst Aughton made his
debut in a friendly against Bangladesh.
Speaking about England's performance, Hossell said, Our
performance was great, especially as some of the team are new and
fairly inexperienced.
On taking his first wicket, he said, It was a great feeling,
knowing that I had contributed was good, although it was more about
good glove-work from our keeper than a good ball.
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were the favourites. These teams
were very impressive batters. On the flip side, we did see that
they weren't invincible and they did make mistakes.
There was a fantastic amount of coverage of the World Cup, with
the English Cricket Board sending a media representative to provide
updates. Ed added, The support we had back in England was great, a
lot of people were following us to see how we got on, it helped to
motivate us knowing we had the support of friends and family back
home.
Fundraising and Publicity News
Rumwell Farm shop Charity of the Year!
We are thrilled to have been chosen as Rumwell Farm shop's
Charity of the Year. Over the course of the year they will run
fundraising and awareness events for Somerset Sight.
As part of their fundraising they will be donating 10p for every
dozen eggs and for every pack of lemon bonbons they sell.
Great West Run
All the sponsorship money has been received from the Great West
Run and an amazing 1200 was raised.
This money has been split between Somerset Sight and the
visually impaired bowling and cricket clubs.
Many thanks to everyone involved! Masonic Donation
Many thanks to the Lodge of Unanimity and Sincerity who chose us
to benefit from a gift of 1000.Mrs Browns birthday donation
Many thanks to Mrs Hazel Brown in Street who chose to have
donations to us instead of presents on her 90th birthday.
The donations amounted to an amazing 320.Chaffcombe coffee
morning
This year the annual coffee morning in the village raised
142.
This takes the total raised by the people of Chaffcombe to an
amazing 850 over the last 9 years. Somerset Sight are very grateful
to all those who are involved.
Musical April!
We are thrilled to have two organisations planning to run
concerts in April. The first is being held by the Watchet and
District Choral Society on Thursday 16th April. The second is an
event featuring the Avon and Somerset Constabulary Male Voice Choir
at Wellington Methodists Church on Saturday 25th April. As these
events are too close to publication date we will report how they
went in the September magazine.
Save the date!
We are pleased to announce that this year our Country House Car
Boot sale will be held on Sunday 13th September at Yarlington House
near Wincanton. We are very grateful to our patron the Count De
Salis for hosting this event again.
Stamps donation
Many thanks to Kaz Doyle from Stoke sub Hamdon who coordinates a
village used stamp collection. Over the last 3 years the village
has raised 183 for Somerset Sight. If you would like to collect
stamps for Somerset Sight please get in touch with Becky Fry, our
Development Officer, on the details at the end of this update.Could
you be a friend of Somerset Sight?
We are looking for people across the county to sign up as
friends of our wonderful charity. We need people to raise awareness
of our work in their local area, place some collection boxes and
perhaps do a bit of fundraising.Need for collectors
We are planning on having a few more collections at supermarkets
across Somerset this year. If you could spare a couple of hour
collecting for us we would be very grateful! Please contact Becky
on the contact details at the end of the Fundraising and Publicity
News.Trusts
Last year we applied to a number of trusts to help us with the
costs of our Hospital Information Point. We are pleased that the
Dame Violet Wills Trust, the Lynn Foundation, the Ewen Cameron
Charitable Trust and the Souter Charitable Trust gave contributions
to support this work. We have also received further grants from the
Ralph Clark Charitable Trust, Michael and Anna Wix Charitable
Trust, the Elizabeth and Prince Zaiger Charitable Trust and the
Norman Family Trust.
In Memoriam
Since December we have received donations in memory of Sue
White, Moyra Pollard, Lillian White, Mr Thow, Violet May Pile,
T R C Smith, Edith Rockett, Kenneth Douglas Nation and Mrs
Irene Hiles. All donations are greatly appreciated and we are
particularly grateful to be remembered at such a difficult
time.
Legacies
As many of you know legacies do more for our charity than any
other gift. Income from legacies has helped us maintain services
and develop new ones. Without legacies we would not have our
wonderful Mobile Resource Unit and we would not have been able to
improve the facilities at Northfield House in Taunton.
This year legacies will help us to reach more people and provide
more services.
A gift to Somerset Sight will make a lasting difference to sight
impaired people right across our county and can also help to reduce
the inheritance tax burden on your family.
If you have already made a will and would like to add a bequest
to Somerset Sight, you can do so by making a codicil, without
having to revoke your existing will.
If you have any questions please contact Becky.
Becky Fry
Development Officer
01823 366147
[email protected] can you help?
Fundraising income is hugely important to our charity and we are
always looking for more people to help out. Here are some simple
ideas to get you started:
Organise a quiz or a darts night at your local pub or community
centre
Take on a sponsored challenge - a walk, cycle or a skydive!
Collect used stamps, inkjets or old mobile phones
Nominate us for fundraising at your work, school or club
If you can help us or would like more information about how to
organise events Becky would be thrilled to hear from you. Contact
her on 01823 366147 or [email protected] Centre
UpdateEmotional Support
I see a lot of people visiting our Resource Centre after they
are recently diagnosed at the eye clinic with a visual
impairment.
There are others who I have known for years and come back again
and again. We offer what help we can in the way of equipment,
techniques and a listening ear. However we do recognise there are
the emotional implications for those losing or have lost their
sight whether that is recently or several years ago. Therefore we
are fortunate enough to have the experience and expertise of Graham
Glover who is an Emotional Support Worker and a qualified
Counsellor. Graham can offer one to one sessions free of charge
once a week. The amount of sessions offered is reviewed every four
weeks and decided on an individual basis. Graham is visually
impaired himself so therefore has first-hand experience of some of
the barriers and emotional difficulties that someone with sight
loss may experience.
If you are interested in a group or one to one session with
Graham then please contact Heidi on 01823 366141.Low Vision
Aids
We have an excellent range of Low Vision Aids in our Resource
Centre. This includes handheld, stand and video magnifiers. We also
stock a number of desk and floor standing lamps with either a
daylight or LED bulb.
We appreciate not everyone can afford the cost of a brand new
product so we carry a number of second hand items too.Mobility
Aids
I was delighted with the response to my article in the last
magazine; you may recall I mentioned the yellow Visually Impaired
badge? It was so popular we've had to order more stock! If you have
not purchased one yet, you can from our Resource Centre or our
Mobile Resource Unit, costing only 4.79. Please remember our
wonderful Mobile Resource Unit which carries similar stock to that
in our Resource Centre. If there is something specific you'd like
to look at please ring the office a day or two beforehand and we
can make sure we have this on board to demonstrate.
Dates of when the MRU is in your area can be found in the centre
pages of this magazine.
Heidi Linegar
Resource Centre Manager
01823 366141
[email protected]
British Wireless for the Blind Fund
The British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF) provides high
quality, easy to use audio equipment which has been specially
designed and adapted for listeners living with sight loss.
All our radios are made available on free loan to blind and
visually impaired people who meet our criteria. If you don't
qualify, our radios are also available to purchase through BWBF
Direct. BWBF offers a range of sets to meet different needs, from
the simple Duet digital radio to the comprehensive Concerto 2 and
the Sonata Plus, our unique wireless internet audio player with an
audible programme guide.
The units will be delivered and demonstrated in the comfort of
your own home. Please contact your local BWBF agent for eligibility
and further information:
Gloria Williams
01823 366146
[email protected]
Somerset Direct
Number Change
The telephone number for Somerset Direct has recently changed to
0300 123 2224. Please note that if you are ringing on behalf of a
service user they have to give their permission for you to do
so.
Focus on VolunteeringWe are introducing IT training for all
volunteers who staff the reception at Northfield House in Taunton.
This means that pretty soon everyone will be able to use Outlook
Express to check and send emails, check necessary tasks, and use
the calendar to learn the whereabouts of various staff. I know that
some volunteers see this as a challenge but I believe that if we
are going to deliver the best possible service to the public these
skills are going to be very necessary.
We are currently seeking a volunteer who has an hour or so every
weekday to spare. We are looking for someone who can come in to
Northfield House at around 4pm every working day and, if necessary,
set up meeting rooms in the correct configuration for the following
day. The second part of the role will be to take the mail to the
post office in Chip Lane at the end of the working day. If you
think that you may be interested in this role then please get in
touch for more information.
We are interested in setting up book clubs for sight impaired
people across Somerset. If you would be interested in running a
book club in a local library near you please let me know.
Tom Winsborough, CEO
[email protected]
01823 366150
Obituary Joy Jarvis MBE
Joy was past president of the ENAVHB (English National
Association of Visually Handicapped Bowlers) and regularly
worked with Tony Allcock MBE in this respect. Joy used to be the
captain of Cheltenham club with the Blind bowlers and arranged many
competitions in Spain. Joy also met many of the bowlers in
Taunton.
Joy died rather suddenly and unexpectedly in hospital on 25th
March 2015 in Spain, where she had been living for a number of
years. Those she leaves behind are in shock but are thankful that
she did not suffer and that she is off to the great bowling green
in the sky to catch up with her old friends and our dear dad.
If you remember Joy Jarvis and have any memories to share please
pass them onto Sandra Harris on [email protected] or
01823 325785 who will share them with Joy's granddaughter Melanie
Davis who volunteers for Somerset Sight.
Sent in by Joy's family; Melanie Davis, Jacqui Davis, Patricia
Davis and Diana Jarvis.
Volunteer Profile
Irene Sharland, from Taunton, has been a volunteer for Somerset
Sight for just over 5 years.
Before joining Somerset Sight in 2010 Irene volunteered as a
driver for Children's Services at Somerset County Council for 18
years. She also helped run a day centre for adults with learning
difficulties and was heavily involved with Home Start.
Following an operation on her knee Irene felt that she could no
longer continue driving and so went hunting for another
volunteering role, I found out about Somerset Sight through the
local volunteering bureau.
I thought this was the perfect role for me as I had family
members with sight problems.
Irene helps on reception one afternoon a week answering phones,
welcoming visitors and helping with hospitality.
She also helps in our Resource Centre and with processing items
for aids for daily living. She has become an expert in packaging
white canes!
Irene loves the atmosphere at Somerset Sight's building,
Northfield House, Everyone is so friendly here. I really enjoy
being a volunteer.